Excufe me, dear, if aught amiss was said, 790
For, on my foul, amends shall foon be made :
Let my repentance your forgiveness draw,
By heav'n, I fwore but what I thought I faw.

Ah mylov'dlord! 'twas much unkind (fhecry'd)
On bare fufpicion thus to treat your bride. 795
But till your fight's establish'd, for a while,
Imperfect objects may your fenfe beguile.
Thus when from sleep we first our eyes display,
The balls are wounded with the piercing ray,
And dusky vapours rise, and intercept the day :
So just recov'ring from the fhades of night, 801
Your fwimming eyes are drunk with fudden light,(
Strange phantoms dance around, and skim be-
fore your fight.

Then, Sir, be cautious, nor too rashly deem; Heav'n knows how feldom things are what they

feem!

805

Confult your reason, and you foon fhall find
'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind:
Jove ne'er spoke oracle more true than this,
None judge fo wrong as those who think amiss.

With that she leap'd into her Lord's embrace With well diffembled virtue in her face. 811 He hugg'd her close, and kiss'd her o'er and o'er, Disturb'd with doubts and jealoufies no more;

Both, pleas'd and blefs'd, renew'd their mutual

Vows,

A fruitful wife, and a believing spouse,

815

Thus ends our tale, whose moral next to make, Let all wife husbands hence example take ; And pray, to crown the pleasure of their lives, To be fo well deluded by their wives.

THE

WIFE of BATH

HER

PROLOGUE.

FROM

CHAUCER.

1