%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Wanton WIFE of BATH. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/27/2011 31211

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

T52223 1 The Flying Fame, &c. UNKNOWN The Flying Fame, etc. IN Bath a wanton Wife did dwell, / As Chaucer he doth write, Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 506 3: 507 The Wanton WIFE of BATH. The Wanton WIFE of BATH. The Wanton WIFE of BATH. ?-?

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic The New World travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/ crass humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/27/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Bible/ biblical figures death folklore religious concepts Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/27/2011 3:31:27 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 4/27/2011 3:31:27 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 3:31:27 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 3:31:27 PM Transcriptionist Two Fadel, Meghan Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/27/2011 3:31:27 PM Transcriptionist One Foley, Christopher Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/14/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/25/2009 Bibliographer Meghan Fadel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 1/20/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/20/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
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IN Bath a wanton Wife did dwell, As Chaucer he doth write, Who did in Pleasure spend her Days, In many a fond Delight. Upon a Time sore sick she was, And at the length did die; Her Soul came to Eliziums Gate, And knockd most mightily. Then Adam came unto the Gate, Who knocketh there? quoth he; I am the Wife of Bath, she said, And fain would come to thee. Thou art a Sinner, Adam said, And here no Place shall have; Alas! for you, good Sir, she said, Now gip you donting Knave. I will come in, in Spight, she said, Of all such Churls as thee; Thou art the Causer of our Wo, Our Pain and Misery.
Thou first broke the Commandment, To pleasure thine own Wife: When Adam heard her tell this Tale, He ran away for Life. Then down came Jacob to the Gate, And bids her pack to Hell; Thou false Deceiver, why? quoth she, Thou shouldst be there as well. For thou deceivest thy Father dear, And thy own Brother too: Away went Jacob presently, And made no more ado. She knocks again with Might and Main, And Lot he chides her straight; Why then, quoth she, thou drunken Ass, Who bids thee here to wait. With thy two Daughters thou didst lie, On them two Bastards got, And thus most tauntingly she chast, Against poor silly Lot. Who knocketh there, quoth Judith then With such shrill sounding Notes: Alas! fine Minks, we come not here, Quoth she, for cutting Throats.
Good lack how Judith blushd for Shame, When she heard her say so: King David hearing her say that, He to the Gate did go. Quoth he, Who does knock there so loud, And maketh all this Strife: You were more kind, good Sir, she said, Unto Uriahs Wife. And when thou causeth thy Servants, In Battle to be slain; Thou causeth them more Strife than I, Who would come in so fain. The Womans mad said Solomon, That thus doth taunt a King; Not half so bad as you she said, I know in many a Thing. Thou hadst seven hundred Wives at once, For whom thou didst provide; For all this, three hundred Whores Thou did maintain beside. And those made thee forget thy God, And worship Stocks and Stones; Besides the Charge they put thee to, In breeding of young Bones. Hadst thou not been out of thy Wits, Thou wouldst not have venturd, And therefore I do marvel much, How you this Place have enterd. I never heard, quoth Jonas then, So vile a Scold as this: Thou art not without Faults, quoth she, Thoust likewise done amiss. I think quoth Thomas, Womans Tongues, Of Aspen Leaves are made; Thou unbelieving Saint, quoth she, All is not true thats said. When Mary Magdalen heard then, She came unto the Gate: Quoth she, Good Woman, you must think, Upon your former State. No Sinner enters in this Place, Quoth Mary Magdalen, Tis well for you then, fair Mistress, She answered her again. You for your Honesty, quoth she, Sould once been stond to Death, Had not our Saviour Christ come by, And writ it on the Earth.
It was your Occupation, You are become divine: I hope my Soul in Christs Passion, Shall be as safe as thine. Then rose up the good Apostle Paul, Unto this Wife he said, Except thou shake thy Sins away, Thou here shalt be denyd. Remember, Paul, what thou hast done, All through a wild Desire, How thou didst persecute the Churh, With Wrath as hot as Fire. Then up rose Peter at the last, And to the Gate he hies; Sinner, quoth he, knock not so fast, Thou weariest us with Cries. Peter, said she, content thyself, For Mercy may be won, I never did deny the Faith, As thou thyself has done. When as our Saviour then heard this With Heavenly Angels bright, He comes unto this sinful Soul Who trembles at his sight. Of him for Mercy she did cry, Quoth he thou hast refused My profferd Grace, and Mercy both, And much my Name abused. Sore have I sinned, O Lord! said she, And spent my Time in vain; But bring me like a wanderd Sheep, Unto thy Flock again. O Lord my God, I will forsake, My former wicked Vice: The Thief, when he had said these Words, Passd into Paradise. My Laws and my Commandments, Saith Christ, were known to thee; But of the same no Notice took, As I did plainly see. Do thou forgive me now, quoth she, Most lewdly I did live; But yet the loving Father did His wicked Son forgive. I will forgive thy Soul, said he, For thy repenting Cry, So come enter into my Rest, For Ill not thee deny.