%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 05/09/2011 31282

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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

1 Flying Fame, &c. UNKNOWN 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: 889 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 5/9/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Bible/ biblical figures death folklore religious concepts Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/9/2011 2:15:05 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 5/9/2011 2:15:05 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:15:05 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Zusky, Catherine Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:15:05 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/9/2011 2:15:05 PM Transcriptionist One Megna, Paul Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/14/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/14/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/14/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/28/2009 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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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 fond delight; Upon a time sore sick she was, and at the length did dye, Her soul at last to heavens gate, did knock most mightily. Then Adam came unto the gate, Who knocketh there? quoth he. I am the Wife of Bath, she said, and fain would co[me] to thee. Thou art a sinner, Adam said, and here no place shall have. Alas, for you good Sir, she said, now g[ip] you doting knave; I will come in, in spight, she said, of all such churles as thee; Thou were the causer of our woe, and our pain misery:
And first broke Gods commandments, in pleasure of thy wife. When Adam heard her tell this tale, he ran away for life. Then down came Jacob at the gate, and bids her pack to hell. Thou false deceiver, why, said she, thou maist be there as well; For thou deceivdst thy father dear, and thine 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 lye, on them two bastards got; And thus most tauntingly she chast against poor silly Lot. Who knocks there, quoth Judith then, with such shrill sounding notes? Alas, fine minks you cannot hear, quoth she, for cutting throats. Good Lord, how Judith blusht for shame, when she heard her say so. King David hearing of the same, he to the gate did go, Quod David, Who knocks there so loud, and maketh all this strife?