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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols. Vol. 4.
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THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE.
Here biginneth the Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
- IN tholde dayes of the king Arthour,
- Of which that Britons speken greet honour,
- All was this land fulfild of fayerye.
- The elf-queen, with hir Ioly companye,860
- Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede;
- This was the olde opinion, as I rede.
- I speke of manye hundred yeres ago;
- But now can no man see none elves mo.
- For now the grete charitee and prayeres865
- Of limitours and othere holy freres,(10)
- That serchen every lond and every streem,
- As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem,
- Blessinge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures,
- Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures,870
- Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes,
- This maketh that ther been no fayeryes.
- For ther as wont to walken was an elf,
- Ther walketh now the limitour him-self
- In undermeles and in morweninges,875
- And seyth his matins and his holy thinges(20)
- As he goth in his limitacioun.
- Wommen may go saufly up and doun,
- In every bush, or under every tree;
- Ther is noon other incubus but he,880
- And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour.
- And so bifel it, that this king Arthour
- Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler,
- That on a day cam rydinge fro river;
- And happed that, allone as she was born,885
- He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn,(30)
- Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed,
- By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed;
- For which oppressioun was swich clamour
- And swich pursute un-to the king Arthour,890
- That dampned was this knight for to be deed
- By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed
- Paraventure, swich was the statut tho;
- But that the quene and othere ladies mo
- So longe preyeden the king of grace,895
- Til he his lyf him graunted in the place,(40)
- And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille,
- To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille.
- The quene thanketh the king with al hir might,
- And after this thus spak she to the knight,900
- Whan that she saugh hir tyme, up-on a day:
- ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array,
- That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.
- I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me
- What thing is it that wommen most desyren?905
- Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren.(50)
- And if thou canst nat tellen it anon,
- Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon
- A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere
- An answere suffisant in this matere.910
- And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace,
- Thy body for to yelden in this place.’
- Wo was this knight and sorwefully he syketh;
- But what! he may nat do al as him lyketh.
- And at the laste, he chees him for to wende,915
- And come agayn, right at the yeres ende,(60)
- With swich answere as god wolde him purveye;
- And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye.
- He seketh every hous and every place,
- Wher-as he hopeth for to finde grace,920
- To lerne, what thing wommen loven most;
- But he ne coude arryven in no cost,
- Wher-as he mighte finde in this matere
- Two creatures accordinge in-fere.
- Somme seyde, wommen loven best richesse,925
- Somme seyde, honour, somme seyde, Iolynesse;(70)
- Somme, riche array, somme seyden, lust abedde,
- And ofte tyme to be widwe and wedde.
- Somme seyde, that our hertes been most esed,
- Whan that we been y-flatered and y-plesed.930
- He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye;
- A man shal winne us best with flaterye;
- And with attendance, and with bisinesse,
- Been we y-lymed, bothe more and lesse.
- And somme seyn, how that we loven best935
- For to be free, and do right as us lest,(80)
- And that no man repreve us of our vyce,
- But seye that we be wyse, and no-thing nyce.
- For trewely, ther is noon of us alle,
- If any wight wol clawe us on the galle,940
- That we nil kike, for he seith us sooth;
- Assay, and he shal finde it that so dooth.
- For be we never so vicious with-inne,
- We wol been holden wyse, and clene of sinne.
- And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we945
- For to ben holden stable and eek secree,(90)
- And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle,
- And nat biwreye thing that men us telle.
- But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele;
- Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele;950
- Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale?
- Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale,
- Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres,
- Growinge up-on his heed two asses eres,
- The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte,955
- Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte,(100)
- That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo.
- He loved hir most, and trusted hir also;
- He preyede hir, that to no creature
- She sholde tellen of his disfigure.960
- She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne,
- She nolde do that vileinye or sinne,
- To make hir housbond han so ful a name;
- She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.’
- But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde,965
- That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde;(110)
- Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte,
- That nedely som word hir moste asterte;
- And sith she dorste telle it to no man,
- Doun to a mareys faste by she ran;970
- Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre,
- And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre,
- She leyde hir mouth un-to the water doun:
- ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’
- Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo;975
- Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two!(120)
- Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute;
- I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute.’
- Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde,
- Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde;980
- The remenant of the tale if ye wol here,
- Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere.
- This knight, of which my tale is specially,
- Whan that he saugh he mighte nat come therby,
- This is to seye, what wommen loven moost,985
- With-inne his brest ful sorweful was the goost;(130)
- But hoom he gooth, he mighte nat soiourne.
- The day was come, that hoomward moste he tourne,
- And in his wey it happed him to ryde,
- In al this care, under a forest-syde,990
- Wher-as he saugh up-on a daunce go
- Of ladies foure and twenty, and yet mo;
- Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne,
- In hope that som wisdom sholde he lerne.
- But certeinly, er he came fully there,995
- Vanisshed was this daunce, he niste where.(140)
- No creature saugh he that bar lyf,
- Save on the grene he saugh sittinge a wyf;
- A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.
- Agayn the knight this olde wyf gan ryse,1000
- And seyde, ‘sir knight, heer-forth ne lyth no wey.
- Tel me, what that ye seken, by your fey?
- Paraventure it may the bettre be;
- Thise olde folk can muchel thing,’ quod she.
- ‘My leve mooder,’ quod this knight certeyn,1005
- ‘I nam but deed, but-if that I can seyn(150)
- What thing it is that wommen most desyre;
- Coude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quyte your hyre.’
- ‘Plighte me thy trouthe, heer in myn hand,’ quod she,
- ‘The nexte thing that I requere thee,1010
- Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy might;
- And I wol telle it yow er it be night.’
- ‘Have heer my trouthe,’ quod the knight, ‘I grante.’
- ‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘I dar me wel avante,
- Thy lyf is sauf, for I wol stonde therby,1015
- Up-on my lyf, the queen wol seye as I.(160)
- Lat see which is the proudeste of hem alle,
- That wereth on a coverchief or a calle,
- That dar seye nay, of that I shal thee teche;
- Lat us go forth with-outen lenger speche.’1020
- Tho rouned she a pistel in his ere,
- And bad him to be glad, and have no fere.
- Whan they be comen to the court, this knight
- Seyde, ‘he had holde his day, as he hadde hight,
- And redy was his answere,’ as he sayde.1025
- Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde,(170)
- And many a widwe, for that they ben wyse,
- The quene hir-self sittinge as a Iustyse,
- Assembled been, his answere for to here;
- And afterward this knight was bode appere.1030
- To every wight comanded was silence,
- And that the knight sholde telle in audience,
- What thing that worldly wommen loven best.
- This knight ne stood nat stille as doth a best,
- But to his questioun anon answerde1035
- With manly voys, that al the court it herde:(180)
- ‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he,
- ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee
- As wel over hir housbond as hir love,
- And for to been in maistrie him above;1040
- This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille,
- Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.’
- In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde,
- Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde,
- But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.’1045
- And with that word up stirte the olde wyf,(190)
- Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene:
- ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene!
- Er that your court departe, do me right.
- I taughte this answere un-to the knight;1050
- For which he plighte me his trouthe there,
- The firste thing I wolde of him requere,
- He wolde it do, if it lay in his might.
- Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’
- Quod she, ‘that thou me take un-to thy wyf;1055
- For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf.(200)
- If I sey fals, sey nay, up-on thy fey!’
- This knight answerde, ‘allas! and weylawey!
- I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.
- For goddes love, as chees a newe requeste;1060
- Tak al my good, and lat my body go.’
- ‘Nay than,’ quod she, ‘I shrewe us bothe two!
- For thogh that I be foul, and old, and pore,
- I nolde for al the metal, ne for ore,
- That under erthe is grave, or lyth above,1065
- But-if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.’(210)
- ‘My love?’ quod he; ‘nay, my dampnacioun!
- Allas! that any of my nacioun
- Sholde ever so foule disparaged be!’
- But al for noght, the ende is this, that he1070
- Constreyned was, he nedes moste hir wedde;
- And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.
- Now wolden som men seye, paraventure,
- That, for my necligence, I do no cure
- To tellen yow the Ioye and al tharray1075
- That at the feste was that ilke day.(220)
- To whiche thing shortly answere I shal;
- I seye, ther nas no Ioye ne feste at al,
- Ther nas but hevinesse and muche sorwe;
- For prively he wedded hir on a morwe,1080
- And al day after hidde him as an oule;
- So wo was him, his wyf looked so foule.
- Greet was the wo the knight hadde in his thoght,
- Whan he was with his wyf a-bedde y-broght;
- He walweth, and he turneth to and fro.1085
- His olde wyf lay smylinge evermo,(230)
- And seyde, ‘o dere housbond, benedicite!
- Fareth every knight thus with his wyf as ye?
- Is this the lawe of king Arthures hous?
- Is every knight of his so dangerous?1090
- I am your owene love and eek your wyf;
- I am she, which that saved hath your lyf;
- And certes, yet dide I yow never unright;
- Why fare ye thus with me this firste night?
- Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit;1095
- What is my gilt? for goddes love, tel me it,(240)
- And it shal been amended, if I may.’
- ‘Amended?’ quod this knight, ‘allas! nay, nay!
- It wol nat been amended never mo!
- Thou art so loothly, and so old also,1100
- And ther-to comen of so lowe a kinde,
- That litel wonder is, thogh I walwe and winde.
- So wolde god myn herte wolde breste!’
- ‘Is this,’ quod she, ‘the cause of your unreste?’
- ‘Ye, certainly,’ quod he, ‘no wonder is.’1105
- ‘Now, sire,’ quod she, ‘I coude amende al this,(250)
- If that me liste, er it were dayes three,
- So wel ye mighte bere yow un-to me.
- But for ye speken of swich gentillesse
- As is descended out of old richesse,1110
- That therfore sholden ye be gentil men,
- Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen.
- Loke who that is most vertuous alway,
- Privee and apert, and most entendeth ay
- To do the gentil dedes that he can,1115
- And tak him for the grettest gentil man.(260)
- Crist wol, we clayme of him our gentillesse,
- Nat of our eldres for hir old richesse.
- For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage,
- For which we clayme to been of heigh parage,1120
- Yet may they nat biquethe, for no-thing,
- To noon of us hir vertuous living,
- That made hem gentil men y-called be;
- And bad us folwen hem in swich degree.
- Wel can the wyse poete of Florence,1125
- That highte Dant, speken in this sentence;(270)
- Lo in swich maner rym is Dantes tale:
- “Ful selde up ryseth by his branches smale
- Prowesse of man, for god, of his goodnesse,
- Wol that of him we clayme our gentillesse;”1130
- For of our eldres may we no-thing clayme
- But temporel thing, that man may hurte and mayme.
- Eek every wight wot this as wel as I,
- If gentillesse were planted naturelly
- Un-to a certeyn linage, doun the lyne,1135
- Privee ne apert, than wolde they never fyne(280)
- To doon of gentillesse the faire offyce;
- They mighte do no vileinye or vyce.
- Tak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous
- Bitwix this and the mount of Caucasus,1140
- And lat men shette the dores and go thenne;
- Yet wol the fyr as faire lye and brenne,
- As twenty thousand men mighte it biholde;
- His office naturel ay wol it holde,
- Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye.1145
- Heer may ye see wel, how that genterye(290)
- Is nat annexed to possessioun,
- Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun
- Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo! in his kinde.
- For, god it woot, men may wel often finde1150
- A lordes sone do shame and vileinye;
- And he that wol han prys of his gentrye
- For he was boren of a gentil hous,
- And hadde hise eldres noble and vertuous,
- And nil him-selven do no gentil dedis,1155
- Ne folwe his gentil auncestre that deed is,(300)
- He nis nat gentil, be he duk or erl;
- For vileyns sinful dedes make a cherl.
- For gentillesse nis but renomee
- Of thyne auncestres, for hir heigh bountee,1160
- Which is a strange thing to thy persone.
- Thy gentillesse cometh fro god allone;
- Than comth our verray gentillesse of grace,
- It was no-thing biquethe us with our place.
- Thenketh how noble, as seith Valerius,1165
- Was thilke Tullius Hostilius,(310)
- That out of povert roos to heigh noblesse.
- Redeth Senek, and redeth eek Boëce,
- Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is,
- That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis;1170
- And therfore, leve housbond, I thus conclude,
- Al were it that myne auncestres were rude,
- Yet may the hye god, and so hope I,
- Grante me grace to liven vertuously.
- Thanne am I gentil, whan that I biginne1175
- To liven vertuously and weyve sinne.(320)
- And ther-as ye of povert me repreve,
- The hye god, on whom that we bileve,
- In wilful povert chees to live his lyf.
- And certes every man, mayden, or wyf,1180
- May understonde that Iesus, hevene king,
- Ne wolde nat chese a vicious living.
- Glad povert is an honest thing, certeyn;
- This wol Senek and othere clerkes seyn.
- Who-so that halt him payd of his poverte,1185
- I holde him riche, al hadde he nat a sherte.(330)
- He that coveyteth is a povre wight,
- For he wolde han that is nat in his might.
- But he that noght hath, ne coveyteth have,
- Is riche, al-though ye holde him but a knave.1190
- Verray povert, it singeth proprely;
- Iuvenal seith of povert merily:
- “The povre man, whan he goth by the weye,
- Bifore the theves he may singe and pleye.”
- Povert is hateful good, and, as I gesse,1195
- A ful greet bringer out of bisinesse;(340)
- A greet amender eek of sapience
- To him that taketh it in pacience.
- Povert is this, al-though it seme elenge:
- Possessioun, that no wight wol chalenge.1200
- Povert ful ofte, whan a man is lowe,
- Maketh his god and eek him-self to knowe.
- Povert a spectacle is, as thinketh me,
- Thurgh which he may his verray frendes see.
- And therfore, sire, sin that I noght yow greve,1205
- Of my povert na-more ye me repreve.(350)
- Now, sire, of elde ye repreve me;
- And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee
- Were in no book, ye gentils of honour
- Seyn that men sholde an old wight doon favour,1210
- And clepe him fader, for your gentillesse;
- And auctours shal I finden, as I gesse.
- Now ther ye seye, that I am foul and old,
- Than drede you noght to been a cokewold;
- For filthe and elde, al-so moot I thee,1215
- Been grete wardeyns up-on chastitee.(360)
- But nathelees, sin I knowe your delyt,
- I shal fulfille your worldly appetyt.
- Chese now,’ quod she, ‘oon of thise thinges tweye,
- To han me foul and old til that I deye,1220
- And be to yow a trewe humble wyf,
- And never yow displese in al my lyf,
- Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,
- And take your aventure of the repair
- That shal be to your hous, by-cause of me,1225
- Or in som other place, may wel be.(370)
- Now chese your-selven, whether that yow lyketh.’
- This knight avyseth him and sore syketh,
- But atte laste he seyde in this manere,
- ‘My lady and my love, and wyf so dere,1230
- I put me in your wyse governance;
- Cheseth your-self, which may be most plesance,
- And most honour to yow and me also.
- I do no fors the whether of the two;
- For as yow lyketh, it suffiseth me.’1235
- ‘Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,’ quod she,(380)
- ‘Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?’
- ‘Ye, certes, wyf,’ quod he, ‘I holde it best.’
- ‘Kis me,’ quod she, ‘we be no lenger wrothe;
- For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe,1240
- This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good.
- I prey to god that I mot sterven wood,
- But I to yow be al-so good and trewe
- As ever was wyf, sin that the world was newe.
- And, but I be to-morn as fair to sene1245
- As any lady, emperyce, or quene,(390)
- That is bitwixe the est and eke the west,
- Doth with my lyf and deeth right as yow lest.
- Cast up the curtin, loke how that it is.’
- And whan the knight saugh verraily al this,1250
- That she so fair was, and so yong ther-to,
- For Ioye he hente hir in his armes two,
- His herte bathed in a bath of blisse;
- A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hir kisse.
- And she obeyed him in every thing1255
- That mighte doon him plesance or lyking.(400)
- And thus they live, un-to hir lyves ende,
- In parfit Ioye; and Iesu Crist us sende
- Housbondes meke, yonge, and fresshe a-bedde,
- And grace toverbyde hem that we wedde.1260
- And eek I preye Iesu shorte hir lyves
- That wol nat be governed by hir wyves;
- And olde and angry nigardes of dispence,
- God sende hem sone verray pestilence.
Here endeth the Wyves Tale of Bathe.
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