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J.Wale delin

Ye sovereign Wives! give

Thus shall

CMosley Soulp. ear and understand,

ll ye speed and exercise Command.

Wife of Bath.

THE

WIFE of BATH.

FROM

CHAUCER.

BEH

EHOLD the woes of matrimonial life, And hear with rev'rence an experienc'd wife! To dear-bought wisdom give the credit due, And think, for once, a woman tells

you true.

In all these trials I have borne a part,
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I was myself the scourge that caus'd the smart;
For, fince fifteen, in triumph have I led
Five captive husbands from the church to bed.

Chrift faw a wedding once, the Scripture says, And saw but one, 'tis thought, in all his days; 10 Whence fome infer, whose conscience is too nice, No pious Christian ought to marry twice.

But let them read, and folve me, if they can, The words addrefs'd to the Samaritan :

Five times in lawful wedlock fhe was join'd; 15 And fure the certain ftint was ne'er defin'd.

Encrease and multiply, was heav'n's command, And that's a text I clearly understand.

This too, "Let men their fires and mothers leave,
"And to their dearer wives for ever cleave." 20
More wives than one by Solomon were try'd,
Or else the wifeft of mankind's bely'd.
I've had myself full many a merry fit;
And truft in heav'n I may have many yet.
For when my tranfitory spouse, unkind,
Shall die, and leave his woeful wife behind,
I'll take the next good Christian I can find.
Paul, knowing one could never ferve our turn,
Declar'd 'twas better far to wed than burn.
There's danger in affembling fire and tow;

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I grant 'em that, and what it means you know.
The fame Apostle too has elsewhere own'd,
No precept for Virginity he found :

"Tis but a counsel-and we women still

Take which we like, the counsel, or our will.
I envy not their blifs, if he or she
Think fit to live in perfect chastity;
Pure let them be, and free from taint or vice
I, for a few flight spots, am not so nice.

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