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760

What ails my lord? the trembling dame reply'd;
I thought your patience had been better try'd:
Is this your love, ungrateful and unkind,
This my reward for having cur'd the blind?
Why was I taught to make my husband sée,
By struggling with a man upon a tree?

Did I for this the pow'r of magic prove?
Unhappy wife! whose crime was too much love!

If this be struggling, by this holy light,

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'Tis struggling with a vengeance (quoth the Knight;)
So heav'n preserve the sight it has restor❜d,
As with these eyes I plainly saw thee whor'd;
Whor'd by my slave....perfidious wretch! may hell
As surely seize thee, as I saw too well.

771

Guard me, good angels! cry'd the gentle May; Pray heav'n this magic work the proper way! Alas, my love! 'tis certain, could you see, You ne'er had used these killing words to me: So help me, Fates! as 'tis no perfect sight, But some faint glimm'ring of a doubtful light.

775

What I have said (quoth he) I must maintain, For by th' immortal Pow'rs, it seem'd too plain....

By all those Pow'rs, some frenzy seiz'd your mind, (Reply'd the dame:) are these the thanks I find? Wretch that I am, that e'er I was so kind! She said, a rising sigh express'd her woe;

The ready tears apace began to flow,

And as they fell, she wip'd from either eye

785

The drops; (for women, when they list, can cry.)
The Knight was touch'd; and in his looks appear'd
Signs of remorse, while thus his spouse he cheer'd:
Madam, 'tis past, and my short anger o'er!
Come down, and vex your tender heart no more: 790
Excuse me, dear, if aught amiss was said,

796

For, on my soul, amends shall soon be made :
Let my repentance your forgiveness draw;
By heav'n, I swore but what I thought I saw.
Ah, my lov'd lord! 'twas much unkind (she cry'd)
On bare suspicion thus to treat your bride.
But till your sight's establish'd, for a while,
Imperfect objects may your sense beguile.
Thus, when from sleep we first our eyes display,
The balls are wounded with the piercing ray, 800
And dusky vapours rise, and intercept the day:
So just recov'ring from the shades of night,

Your swimming eyes are drunk with sudden light, Strange phantoms dance around, and skim before your sight.

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

805

Heav'n knows how seldom things are what they seem!

Consult your reason, and you soon shall find

'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind : Jove ne'er spoke oracle more true than this;

None judge so wrong as they who think amiss. 810

With that she leap'd into her lord's embrace,
With well-dissembled virtue in her face.

He hugg'd her close, and kiss'd her o'er and o'er,
Disturb'd with doubts and jealousies no more:
Both, pleas'd and bless'd, renew'd their mutual vows,
A fruitful wife, and a believing spouse.
816

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

820

THE WIFE OF BATH.

HER PROLOGUE.

FROM CHAUCER.

BEHOLD 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; I was myself the scourge that caus'd the smart; For since fifteen, in triumph have I led Five captive husbands from the church to bed. Christ saw a wedding once, the Scripture says, And saw but one, 'tis thought, in all his days; Whence some infer, whose conscience is too nice, No pious Christian ought to marry twice.

But let them read, and solve me, if they can, The words address'd to the Samaritan;

5

10

Five times in lawful wedlock she was join'd; 15 And sure the certain stint was ne'er defin'd.

"Increase and multiply" was heav'n's command, And that's a text I clearly understand.

This too, "Let men their sires and mothers leave, "And to their dearer wives for ever cleave."

20

25

More wives than one by Solomon were try'd,
Or else the wisest of mankind's bely'd.
I've had myself full many a merry fit,
And trust in heav'n I may have many yet;
For when my transitory spouse, unkind,
Shall die, and leave his woful wife behind,
I'll take the next good Christian I can find.
Paul, knowing one could never serve our turn,
Declar'd 'twas better far to wed than burn.
There's danger in assembling fire and tow;

I grant them that; and what it means you know.
The same apostle, too, has elsewhere own'd,
No precept for virginity he found :

30

'Tis but a counsel....and we women still

Take which we like, the counsel or our will.

35

I envy not their bliss, 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 slight spots am not so nice.

Heav'n calls us diff'rent ways; on these bestows 40
One proper gift, another grants to those :

Not ev'ry man's oblig❜d to sell his store,
And give up all his substance to the poor:
Such as are perfect may, I can't deny ;
But by your leaves, Divines! so am not I.

45

Full many a saint, since first the world began,

Liv'd an unspotted maid, in spite of man:

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