85 Al nis but conseil to virginitee; This is al and som, he heeld virginitee 90 I graunte it wel, I have noon envye, 95 Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye; He spak to hem that wolde live parfitly; Telle me also, to what conclusioun 115 Were membres maad of generacioun, And for what profit was a wight y-wroght? Trusteth right wel, they wer nat maad for noght. Glose who-so wole, and seye bothe up and doun, That they were maked for purgacioun 120 Of urine, and our bothe thinges smale Were eek to knowe a femele from a male, And for noon other cause: sey ye no? The experience woot wel it is noght so; So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe, I 125 Isey this, that they maked been for bothe, This is to seye, for office, and for ese Of engendrure, ther we nat god displese. Why sholde men elles in hir bokes sette, That man shal yelde to his wyf hir dette? 130 Now wher-with sholde he make his payement, If he ne used his sely instrument? Than were they maad up-on a creature, To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure. But I seye noght that every wight is holde, 135 That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, Yet lived they ever in parfit chastitee. 150 But yet I praye to al this companye, As ever mote I drinken wyn or ale, I shal seye sooth, tho housbondes that I hadde, 195 As three of hem were gode and two were badde. The three men were gode, and riche, and The bacoun was nat fet for hem, I trowe, That som men han in Essex at Dunmowe. I governed hem so wel, after my lawe, That ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe To bringe me gaye thinges fro the fayre. 221 They were ful glad whan I spak to hem fayre ; For god it woot, I chidde hem spitously. Now herkneth, how I bar me proprely, Ye wyse wyves, that can understonde. 225 Thus shul ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde; For half so boldely can ther no man 240 Sir olde lechour, lat thy japes be! Thou seist to me, it is a greet meschief Thou seyst, som folk desyre us for richesse, Som for our shap, and som for our fair nesse; And som, for she can outher singe or daunce, 259 And som, for gentillesse and daliaunce; Som, for hir handes and hir armes smale; Thus goth al to the devel by thy tale. Thou seyst, men may nat kepe a castelwal; It may so longe assailled been over-al. And if that she be foul, thou seist that she 265 Coveiteth every man that she may see; For as a spaynel she wol on him lepe, Til that she finde som man hir to chepe; Ne noon so grey goos goth ther in the lake, 269 As, seistow, that wol been with-oute make. And seyst, it is an hard thing for to welde A thing that no man wol, his thankes, helde. Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde; And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde, 274 Ne no man that entendeth un-to hevene. With wilde thonder-dint and firy levene Mote thy welked nekke be to-broke! Thow seyst that dropping houses, and eek smoke, And chyding wyves, maken men to flee Out of hir owene hous; a! ben'cite! 280 What eyleth swich an old man for to chyde? Thow seyst, we wyves wol our vyces hyde Til we be fast, and than we wol hem shewe; Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe! Thou seist, that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes, 285 They been assayed at diverse stoundes; Bacins, lavours, er that men hem bye, Spones and stoles, and al swich housbondrye, And so been pottes, clothes, and array; But folk of wyves maken noon assay 200 Til they be wedded; olde dotard shrewe! And than, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe. Thou seist also, that it displeseth me But-if that thou wolt preyse my beautee. And but thou poure alwey up-on my face, 295 And clepe me 'faire dame' in every place; And yet of our apprentice Janekyn, For his crisp heer, shyninge as gold sofyn, And for he squiereth me bothe up and doun, 305 Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun; I wol hym noght, thogh thou were deed to-morwe. But tel me this, why hydestow, with sorwe, The keyes of thy cheste awey fro me? Now by that lord, that called is seint Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood, Be maister of my body and of my good; That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne What nedeth thee of me to enquere or spyën? I trowe, thou woldest loke me in thy cheste! Thou sholdest seye, wyf, go wher thee leste, Tak your disport, I wol nat leve no talis; I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame Alis.' We love no man that taketh kepe or charge 321 Wher that we goon, we wol ben at our large. Of alle men y-blessed moot he be, The wyse astrologien Dan Ptholome, 324 That seith this proverbe in his Almageste, 'Of alle men his wisdom is the hyeste, That rekketh never who hath the world in honde.' By this proverbe thou shalt understonde, Have thou y-nogh, what thar thee recche For certeyn, olde dotard, by your leve, Ye shul have queynte right y-nough at eve. He is to greet a nigard that wol werne A man to lighte his candle at his lanterne; He shal have never the lasse light, pardee; 335 Have thou y-nough, thee thar nat pleyne thee Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay With clothing and with precious array. That it is peril of our chastitee; And yet, with sorwe, thou most enforce thee, 340 And seye thise wordes in the apostles name, In habit, maad with chastitee and shame, Ye wommen shul apparaille yow,' quod he, 'And noght in tressed heer and gay perree, As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche;' After thy text, ne after thy rubriche 346 I wol nat wirche as muchel as a gnat. Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat; For who-so wolde senge a cattes skin, Thanne wolde the cat wel dwellen in his in; 350 And if the cattes skin be slyk and gay, She wol nat dwelle in house half a day, But forth she wole, er any day be dawed, To shewe hir skin, and goon a-caterwawed; This is to seye, if I be gay, sir shrewe, 355 I wol renne out, my borel for to shewe. Sire olde fool, what eyleth thee to spyën? Thogh thou preye Argus, with his hundred yën, To be my warde-cors, as he can best, In feith, he shal nat kepe me but me lest; 360 Yet coude I make his berd, so moot I thee. Thou seydest eek, that ther ben thinges three, The whiche thinges troublen al this erthe, And that no wight ne may endure the ferthe: O leve sir shrewe, Jesu shorte thy lyf! 365 Yet prechestow, and seyst, an hateful wyf |