%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 33209

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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 did write. Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 641 THE / WANTON WIFE OF BATH. THE WANTON WIFE OF BATH. THE WANTON WIFE OF BATH. Printer J. Pitts ?-?

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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 8:43:48 AM XBallad Cortes, Phillip Created XML Version of Ballad 6/26/2014 8:43:48 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:43:48 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Palmer Browne, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:43:48 AM Transcriptionist Two Reyes-Ortiz, Joannekris Transcription of ballad manuscript 6/26/2014 8:43:48 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 did 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 Elysium's gate, And knock'd most mightily. When Adam come 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 doating knave. I will come in, in spite, she said, Of all such churls as thee, Thou art the causer of our woe, Our pain and misery: You first broke the commandment, To pleasure thine own wife, When Adam heard her tell this tale, Me ran away for life.
Then down came Jacob to the gate, And bid 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 chaft, 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 Judah blush'd for shame, When he heard her say so. King David hearing her say that, He to the gate did go.
Quoth he, who knocks there so loud, And maketh all this strife, Yon were more kind, good Sir, she said, Unto Uriah's 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 woman's 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 didst 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 ventur'd, And therefore I do marvel much, How you this place have enter'd. I never heard quoth Jonas then, So vile a scold as this, Thou art not without faults quoth she, Thou hast likewise done amiss; I think, quoth Thomas, women's tongues Of aspin leaves are made, Thou unbelieving saint quoth she, All is not true that's said, When Mary Magdalen heard this, She came unto the gate; Says 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 answer'd her again. You for your honesty quoth she, Should once been ston'd 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 Christ's 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 deny'd Remember Paul what thou hast done, All through a wild desire, How thou didst persecute the church, 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 quoth she content thyself, For mercy may be won, I never did deny the faith, As thou thyself hast done, When as our Saviour then heard this, With heavenly angels bright, He comes unto this sinful soul, Who trembles at the sight. Of him for mercy she did crave, Quoth he thou hast refused, My profer'd grace and mercy both, And much my name abus'd. Sore have I sin'd O Lord said she, And spent my time in vain, But bring me like a wandering sheep, Unto thy flock again. O Lord my God I will forsake, My former wicked vice, The thief when he had said these words. Pass'd 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 I'll not thee deny.
Printed and Sold by J. Pitts, No. 14, Great St. Andrew Street, 7 Dials.