But fith I had hem holly in min hond,

And that they hadde yeven me all hir lond,
What fhuld I taken kepe hem for to plese,
But it were for my profit or min efe?
I fet hem so a-werke by my fay,

That many a night they fongen Wala wa!
The bacon was not fet for hem I trow

5795

That fom men have in Effex at Donmow.

5800

I governed hem fo wel after my lawe

That eche of hem ful blisful was and fawe

To bringen me gay thinges fro the feyre:

They were ful glade whan I spake hem fayre;
For God it wot I chidde hem fpitously.

Now herkeneth how I bare me proprely.

Ye wife wives, that can understond,

5805

Thus fhul ye fpeke, and bere hem wrong on hond, For half fo boldely can ther no man

Sweren and lien as a woman can.

(I fay not this by wives that ben wife, But if it be whan they hem misavise.)

5810

V. 5799. The bacon---at Donmor] See Blount's Ant. Tenures, p. 162. This whimsical inftitution was not peculiar to Dunmow; there was the fame in Bretagne; "A l'Abbaie Sainct

Melaine, près Rennes, y a, plus de fix cens ans font, un cofté "de lard encore tout frais et non corrompu; et neantmoins "voué et ordonné aux premicis, qui par an et jour enfemble "maricz ont vefcu fans debat, gromlement, et fans s'en re"pentir." Contes d'Eutrap, t. ii. p. 161.

.5810. Sweren and lien] Rom. de la R. ver. 19013;

Car plus hardiment que nuiz homs

Certainement jurent et mentent.

V. 5811. (Ifay not this] This parenthefis feems to be rather belonging to Chaucer himself than to The Wife of Bathe.

A wife wif, if that she can hire good,

Shal beren hem on hond the cow is wood,

And taken witneffe of hire owen mayd

Of hir affent; but herkeneth how I faytl.
Sire olde Kaynard, is this thin aray?
Why is my neigheboures wif fo gay?
She is honoured over al wher she goth,

5815

I fit at home, I have no thrifty cloth.

5820

What doft thou at my neighboures hous?

Is fhe fo faire? art thou so amorous?

What, rowneft thou with our maide? benedicite!
Sire olde Lechour, let thy japes be.

5825

(Withouten gilt) thou chideft as a fend

And if I have a goffib or a frend,

If that I walke or play unto his hous.

Thou comeft home as dronken as a mous,

.5814. Shal beren hem on hond] Shall make them believe fallely the cow is wood. The latter words may either fignify that the cow is mad or made of wood: which of the two is the preferable interpretation it will be fafeft not to determine till we can discover the old ftory to which this phrase seems to be a proverbial allufion.

. 5817. Sire olde Kaynard] Cagnard or caignard was a French term of reproach which seems to have been originally derived from canis, Menage, in v. In the following speech it would be endless to produce all Chaucer's imitations; the beginning is from the fragment of 'Theophraftus quoted by St. Jerome, c. Fovin. 1. i, and by John of Salisbury, Polycrat. L. viii, c. xi. See also Rom, de la R. ver. 8967, et fuiv.

And precheft on thy benche with evil prefe:
Thou fayft to me, It is a gret mefchiefe
To wed a poure woman for coftage;
And if that he be riche of high parage,
Than fayft thou that it is a tourmentrie
To foffre hire pride and hire melancolie:
And if that he be faire, thou veray knave,

hou fay that every holbur wol hire have ;

She may no while in chastitee abide

That is affailled upon every fide.

Thou fayft fom folk defire us for richesse,

5830

5835

Som for our fhape, and fom for our fairneffe, 5840
And fom for the can eyther fing or dance,
And fom for gentilleffe and daliance,

Som for hire hondes and hire armes fmale:
Thus goth all to the devil by thy tale.
Thou fayft men may not kepe a caftel wal,
It may fo long affailled be over al.

And if that fhe be foul, thou fayft that she
Coveteth every man that fhe may fee;
For as a fpaniel fhe wol on him lepe
Til fhe may finden fom man hire to chepe.

3845

5850

Ne non fo grey goos goth ther in the lake

(As fayft thou) that wol ben withoute a make:

And fayft it is an hard thing for to welde

A thing that no man wol his thankes helde.

Thus fayft thou, lorel, whan thou goft to bed, 5855 And that no wife man nedeth for to wed,

Ne no man that entendeth unto heven.
With wilde thonder dint and firy leven
Mote thy welked nekke be to-broke.

Thou sayst that dropping houfes and eke smoke, And chiding wives, maken men to flee

Out of hir owen hous. A, benedicite!

What aileth fwiche an old man for to chide?

Thou fayft we wives wol our vices hide

5861

Til we be faft, and than we wol hem fhewe. 5865 Wel may that be a proverbe of a fhrewe.

Thou fayft that oxen, affes, hors, and houndes,

They ben affaied at diverse stoundes,

Bafines, lavoures, or that men hem bie,

Spones, ftooles, and all swiche husbondrie,
And fo ben pottes, clothes, and aray,

5870

But folk of wives maken non affay

Til they ben wedded, olde dotard shrewe,

And than, fayft thou, we wol our vices fhewe.
Thou fayt also that it displefeth me

5875

But if that thou wolt preifen my beautee,

And but thou pore alway upon my face,
And clepe me Faire Dame in every place;
And but thou make a fefte on thilke day

That I was borne, and make me fresh and gay; 5880
And but thou do to my norice honour,

And to my chamberere within my bour,

.5882.chamberere] A chambermaid, Fr. See 8595, 8853;

Son varlet et fa chamberiere,
Auffi fa feur et fa nourrice

Et fa mere, fi moult n'e nice.

Rom. de la R. 14480.

And to my faders folk and myn allies:
Thus fayft thou, olde barel ful of lies.
And yet alfo of our prentis Jankin,

For his crifpe here, fhining as gold fo fin,

And for he fquiereth me both up and doun,
Yet haft thou caught a falfe fufpection:

5885

I wol him nat though thou were ded to-morwe.
But tell me this, Why hideft thou with forwe 5 890
The keics of thy cheft away fro me?

It is my good as wel as thin parde.

What, weneft thou make an idiot of our Dame?
Now by that Lord that cleped is Seint Jame
Thou shalt nat bothe, though that thou were wood,
Be maifter of my body and of my good;

That on thou fhalt forgo maugre thin eyen.
What helpeth it of me to enquere and spien?

I trow thou woldest locke me in thy chefte.

5896

Thou fhuldest say, Fayr wif, go wher thee lefte; 5900
Take your difport; I wol nat leve no tales;
I know you for a trewe wif, Dame Ales.

We love no man that taketh kepe or charge
Wher that we gon we wol be at our large.
Of alle men ybleffed 'mote he be

The wife aftrologien Dan Ptholomee,
That fayth this proverbe in his Almageste,
Of alle men his wifdom is higheste

That rekketh not who hath the world in hond.

5905

By this proverbe thou fhalt wel underfond, 5910