%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Wanton WIFE of BATH. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 06/26/2014 33207

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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 NONE Chevy Chase IN Bath a wanton wife did dwell, / (As Chaucer he doth write) Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 639 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 Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family Featured 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 groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 6/26/2014 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Bible/ biblical figures death folklore religious concepts Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 6/26/2014 8:38:40 AM XBallad Cortes, Phillip Created XML Version of Ballad 6/26/2014 8:38:40 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:38:40 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Palmer Browne, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:38:40 AM Transcriptionist Two Reyes-Ortiz, Joannekris Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:38:40 AM Transcriptionist One Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/7/2013 Checker William Hildalgo Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 10/29/2012 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 10/1/2013 Checker Shannon Meyer 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 arriv'd at heaven's gate, And there knock'd heartily. 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 trip you doating knave. I will come in, in spite she said, Of all such churls as thee: Thou wer't the cause of all our woe, Our pain and misery. And first broke God's commandment, In pleasure with thy wife. When Adam heard her tell that tale, He ran away for life.
Then down came Jacob to the gate, Who bid her pack to hell. You false deceiver, why, said she, You might be there as well. For you deceiv'd your father dear, And your own brother too. So away went Jacob presently, And made no more ado. She knock'd again with might and main, How now quoth she, thou doating ass, Who bid 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? This noise, fine minx, thou cannot bear, Quoth she, for cutting throats. Good Lord, how Judith blush'd for shame, When she heard her say so. King David hearing of the same, Unto the gate did go.
Quoth David, who knocks there so loud, And causeth all this strife? You were more kind, good sir, said she, Unto Uriah's wife. When thou didst cause thy servant In battle to be slain; You caused then more strife than I, Who would come here so fain. The woman's mad, quoth Solomon, Thus for to taunt a King! Not half so mad as you, said she, I know in many things. You had seven hundred wives, she said, For whom th[o]u didst provide; Yet for all this three hundred whores, Thou didst mantain beside. And these made thee forsake thy God, And worship stocks and stones, Besides the charge they put thee to In breeding of young bones. Hadst thou not been beside thy wits, Thou wouldst not thus have ventur'd; And therefore I do marvel much How thou this place has enter'd. I never heard, quoth Jonas then, So vile a scold as this: You whoreson run away quoth she, Thou didst more amiss. I think quoth Thomas, women's tongues Of aspen leaves are made. You disbelieving wretch, she said, All is not true that's said. When Mary Magdalen heard her chafe, She came unto the gate; Quoth she, good woman, you must think Upon your former state. No sinner enter in this place, Quoth Mary Magdalen. 'Twere ill for you, fair mistress mild, She answer'd her again. You for your honesty, said she, Should once been ston'd to death, Had not our Saviour Christ came by, And wrote[ upon] the earth. It is not thro' your occupation You are become divine:
My soul in Christ's passion Will be as safe as thine. Then rose the good apostle Paul, Unto the wife he cry'd, Except you shake your sins away, Thou here must be deny'd. Remember Paul what thou hast done, All thro' a leud desire; How thou didst prosecute God's church, With wrath as hot as fire. Then up starts Peter at the last, And to the gate he hies; Fond fool, said he, knock not so fast, Thou weariest Christ with cries. Peter, she cries, content thyself, For mercy may be won; I never did deny my Lord, As thou thyself hast done. When as our Saviour Christ heard this, With heavenly angels bright, He came unto this sinful soul, Who trembled at the sight. Of him for mercy she did crave. Quoth he, Thou hast refus'd My proffer'd grace and mercy both, And much my name abus'd. Sure have I sinn'd, O Lord, she said, And spent my time in vain; But bring me like a wandering sheep Into thy fold again. O Lord my God I will amend My former wicked vice, The thief at these poor silly words, Past into Paradice. My laws and my commandments, Said Christ, were known to thee, But of the same in any wise Not yet a whit did ye. I grant the same, O Lord, she said, Most leudly I did live; But yet the loving father did The prodigal son forgive. So I forgive thy soul, he said, Thro' thy repenting cry; Come thou therefore into my rest, I will not thee deny.