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, 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, 25 30 I grant 'em that, and what it means you know. "Tis but a counsel-and we women still Take which we like, the counsel, or our will. 35 |