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Excufe me, dear, if aught amifs was faid,
For, on my foul, amends fhall foon be made:
Let my repentance your forgiveness draw,
By heav'n, I fwore but what I thought I faw.
Ah my lov'd lord! 'twas much unkind (the cry'd)
On bare fufpicion thus to treat your
bride.
But till your fight's establish'd, for a while,
Imperfect objects may your fenfe beguile.
Thus when from fleep we firft our eyes difplay,
The balls are wounded with the piercing ray,
And dusky vapours rife, and intercept the day.
So just recov'ring from the fhades of night,
Your fwimming eyes are drunk with fudden light,
Strange phantoms dance around, and skim before
your fight.

Then, Sir, be cautious, nor too rafhly deem;

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Heav'n knows how feldom things are what they feem! 805
Confult your reafon, and you foon shall find
'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind:
Jove ne'er fpoke oracle more true than this,
None judge fo wrong as those who think amifs.
With that, fhe leap'd into her lord's embrace,
With well-diffembled virtue in her face.

He hug'd her clofe, and kifs'd her o'er and o'er,
Difturb'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.

Thus ends our tale, whofe moral next to make,

Let all wife hufbands hence example take;
And pray, to crown the pleasure of their lives,
To be fo well deluded by their wives.

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THE

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WIFE of BATH.

B

From CHAUCER.

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 thefe trials I have born a part,

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I was myself the fcourge that caus'd the finart;
For, fince fifteen, in triumph have I led
Five captive husbands from the church to bed.
Christ saw a wedding once, the fcripture fays,
And faw but one, 'tis thought, in all his days;
Whence fome infer, whofe confcience is too nice,
No pious chriftian 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;
And fure the certain ftint was ne'er defin'd.
Encreafe 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."
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 chriftian I can find,
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Paul,

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;

I grant 'em that, and what it means you know.
The fame apoftle 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 of vice;
I, for a few flight spots, am not so nice.

Heav'n calls us diff'rent ways, on these bestows
One proper gift, another grants to thofe :

Not ev'ry man's oblig'd to fell his ftore,
And give up all his fubftance to the poor;
Such as are perfect, may, I can't deny ;
But, by your leaves, divines, fo am not I.

Full many a faint, fince firft the world began,
Liv'd an unfpotted maid, in fpite of man :
Let fuch (a God's name) with fine wheat be fed,
And let us honeft wives eat barley bread.
For me, I'll keep the poft affign'd by heav'n,
And use the copious talent it has giv'n :

Let my good spouse pay tribute, do me right,
And keep an equal reck'ning ev'ry night :
His proper body is not his, but mine;

For fo faid Paul, and Paul's a found divine.

Know then, of thofe five hufbands I have had,

Three were just tolerable, two were bad.

The three were old, but rich and fond befide,

And toil'd most piteously to please their bride:

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But fince their wealth (the beft they had) was mine, 60 The reft, without much lofs, I could refign.

Sure to be lov'd, I took no pains to please,

Yet had more pleasure far than they had eafe.

Prefents flow'd in apace with fhow'rs of gold,.

They made their court, like Jupiter of old.

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If

If I but fmil'd, a fudden youth they found,
And a new palfy feiz'd them when I frown'd.
Ye fov'reign wives! give ear, and understand;
Thus fhall ye speak, and exercise command,
For never was it giv'n to mortal man,
To lie fo boldly as we women can.
Forfwear the fact, tho' seen with both his eyes,
And call your maids to witness how he lies.

Hark, old Sir Paul! ('twas thus I us'd to fay)
Whence is our neighbour's wife fo rich and gay?
Treated, carefs'd, where er fhe's pleas'd to roam-
I fit in tatters, and immur'd at home.
Why to her house doft thou so oft' repair?
Art thou fo am'rous? and is fhe fo fair?
If I but fee a coufin, or a friend,

Lord! how you fwell, and rage like any fiend!
But you reel home, a drunken beastly bear,
Then preach till midnight in your easy chair.
Cry, wives are falfe, and ev'ry woman evil,
And give up all that's female to the devil.

If poor (you fay) fhe drains her husband's purfe; If rich, fhe keeps her prieft, or something worse;

If highly born, intolerably vain,

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Vapours and pride by turns poffefs her brain,

Now gayly mad, now fourly fplenetic,

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Freakish when well, and fretful when she's fick.

If fair, then chafte fhe cannot long abide,

By preffing youth attack'd on ev'ry fide.
If foul, her wealth the lufty lover lures,
Or else her wit fome fool-gallant procures,
Or else she dances with becoming grace,
Or fhape excufes the defects of face.
There fwims no goofe so grey, but, foon or late,
She finds fome honeft gander for her mate.

Horfes (thou fay'ft) and affes, men may try,
And ring fufpected veffels e'er they buy:
But wives, a random choice, untry'd they take,
They dream in courtship, but in wedlock wake:

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Then,

Then, nor till then, the veil's remov❜d away,
And all the woman glares in open day.

You tell me, to preserve your wife's good grace,
Your eyes must always languish on my face,
Your tongue with conftant flatt'ries feed my ear,
And tag
each fentence with, my life! my dear!
If, by ftrange chance, a modeft blush be rais'd,
Be fure my fine complexion must be prais'd.
My garments always must be new and gay,
And feafts ftill kept upon my wedding-day.
Then muft my nurfe be pleas'd, and fav'rite maid;
And endless treats, and endless vifits paid,
To a long train of kindred, friends, allies;
All this thou fay'ft, and all thou say'ft are lies.
On Jenkin too you caft a fquinting eye:
What can your 'prentice raise your jealousy ?
Fresh are his ruddy cheeks, his forehead fair,
And like the burnish'd gold his curling hair.
But clear thy wrinkled brow, and quit thy forrow,
I'd fcorn your 'prentice, fhould you die to-morrow.

Why are thy chefts all lock'd? on what defign?
Are not thy worldly goods and treasure mine?
Sir, I'm no fool: nor fhall you, by St. John,
Have goods and body to yourself alone.

One you fhall quit, in fpite of both your eyes

I heed not I, the bolts, the locks, the fpies.

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If you had wit, you'd fay, "Go where you will, 130 "Dear spouse, I credit not the tales they tell : "Take all the freedoms of a married life;

I know thee for a virtuous, faithful wife."

Lord when you have enough, what need you care

How merrily foever others fare?

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Tho' all the day I give and take delight,

Doubt not, fufficient will be left at night.

Tis but a juft and rational defire,

To light a taper at a neighbour's fire.

There's danger too, you think, in rich array,

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And none can long be modeft that are gay :

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