THE WIFE OF BATH. HER PROLOGUE. FROM CHAUCER1. THE Wife of Bath is the other piece of Chaucer which Pope selected to imitate. One cannot but wonder at his choice, which perhaps nothing but his youth could excuse. Dryden, who is known not to be nicely scrupulous, informs us, that he would not versify it on account of its indecency. Pope, however, has omitted or softened the grosser and more offensive passages. Chaucer afforded him many subjects of a more sublime and serious species; and it were to be wished Pope had exercised his pencil on the pathetic story of the patience of Grisilda, or Troilus and Cressida, or the complaint of the Black Knight; or, above all, on Cambuscan and Canace. From the accidental circumstance of Dryden and Pope's having copied the gay and ludicrous parts of Chaucer, the common notion seems to have arisen, that Chaucer's vein of poetry was chiefly turned to the light and the ridiculous. But they who look into Chaucer will soon be convinced of this prevailing prejudice, and will find his comic vein, like that of Shakespear, to be only like one of mercury, imperceptibly mingled with a mine of gold. Mr. Hughes withdrew his contributions to a volume of Miscellaneous Poems, published by Steele, because this prologue was to be inserted in it. 66 "The want of a few lines," says Mr. Tyrwhitt, " to introduce The Wife of Bath's Prologue, is perhaps one of those defects which Chaucer would have supplied, if he had lived to finish his work. The extraordinary length of it, as well as the vein of pleasantry that runs through it, is very suitable to the character of the speaker. The greatest part must have been of Chaucer's own invention, though one may plainly see that he had been reading the popular invectives against marriage, and women in general; such as the Roman de la Rose, Valerius ad Rufinum de non ducendâ uxore, and particularly Hieronymus contra Jovinianum. The holy Father, by way of recommending celibacy, has exerted all his learning and eloquence (and he certainly was not deficient in either) to collect together and aggravate whatever he could find to the prejudice of the female sex. Among other things he has inserted his own translation (probably) of a long extract from what he calls, Liber aureolus Theophrasti de nuptiis. Next to him in order of time was the treatise, entitled, Epistola Valerii ad Rufinum de non ducendâ uxore, ns. Reg. 12. D. iii. It has been printed (for the similarity of its sentiments I suppose) among the works of St. Jerome, though it is evidently of a much later date. Tanner (from Wood's MSS. Collection) attributes it to Walter Map. (Bib. Brit. v. Map.) I should not believe it to be older; as John of Salisbury, who has treated of the same subject in his Polycrat. 1. viii. c. xi. does not appear to have seen it. To these two books Jean de Meun has been obliged for some of the severest strokes in his Roman de la Rose; and Chaucer has transfused the quintessence of all the three works (upon the subject of matrimony) into his Wife of Bath's Prologue and Merchant's Tale."--Warton. BEHOLD the woes of matrimonial life, Christ saw a wedding once, the Scripture says, NOTES. 5 10 I have a curious book, entitled, A Commentary upon the Two Tales of our ancient, renowned, and ever-living Poet, Sir JEFFREY CHAUCER, Knight; who, for his rich fancy, pregnant invention, and present composure, deserved the countenance of a Prince, and of his laureat honours : THE MILLER'S TALE; and THE WIFE OF BATH. Printed by William Godbid, and to be sold by Peter Dring at the Sun, in the Poultry, near the Rose tavern. 1665. The author in the Dedication signs himself R. B.; and in the advertisement says, "This comment was an essay whereto the author was importuned by persons of quality, to compleat with brief, pithy, and proper illustrations, suitable to the subject!" It appears from it, that the character of Chaucer was not well understood by the age in which this book was written; as it appears the Comment was undertaken to point out the humorous and truly comic talent of our ancient bard, which was not at the time appreciated. A short specimen will suffice: "Of five husbands scolynge am I Welcome the sixth whenever he shall dy. : "The thought is taken all flesh is mortal; but of all flesh she would "have none more mortal than her husband's. She would ever have her aged husbands look like Death's head; meantime her sage admonitions are never wanting to bid him remember his end. Life is a trouble, but of "all others she is most troubled with his life. Thus dictates she of her husband's pilgrimage; which by how much the shorter, it is for her all the "better," &c. However trifling such things may appear, I mention them, to show the light in which Chaucer's character was held at the time and I shall add a few words from the Appendix, to show the Author's good sense, But let them read, and solve me, if they can, The words address'd to the Samaritan : 15 Five times in lawful wedlock she was join'd; And sure the certain stint was ne'er defin'd. "Encrease and multiply,' and multiply," was Heav'n's com mand, And that's a text I clearly understand. This too, "Let men their sires and mothers leave, "And to their dearer wives for ever cleave." More wives than one by Solomon were try'd, 20 25 Paul, knowing one could never serve our turn, Declar'd 'twas better far to wed than burn. There's danger in assembling fire and tow; 30 I grant 'em that, and what it means you know. "Tis but a counsel-and we women still Take which we like, the counsel, or our will. 35 I envy not their bliss, if he or she Think fit to live in perfect chastity; 66 NOTES. Appendix to Comments. "After such time as the AUTHOR, upon the instancy of sundry persons "of quality, had finished his Comments upon these two TALES, the perusal "of them begot that influence over the clear and weighty judgements of the "strictest and rigidest Censors; as their high approvement of them "induced their importunity to the AUTHOR to go on with the rest, as he "had successfully done with these two first: ingeniously protesting, that they had not read any subject discoursing by way of ILLUSTRATION, and running DESCANT, on such light, but HARMLESS fancies, more handsomely "couched, or modestly shadowed. All which, though urgently pressed, "could make no impression on the AUTHOR, for his definite answer was "this, That his age, without any other appellant, might render his apology; "and privilege him from COMMENTING on CONCEPTIONS, being never so pregnant, being interveined with levity; saying, 66 66 "Of such light toys hee'd ta'n a long adieu."-Bowles. Pure let them be, and free from taint or vice; Full many a Saint, since first the world began, Let my good spouse pay tribute, do me right, For so said Paul, and Paul's a sound divine. Know then, of those five husbands I have had, Three were just tolerable, two were bad. 40 45 50 55 But since their wealth (the best they had) was mine, The rest, without much loss, I could resign. 61 Sure to be lov'd, I took no pains to please, Yet had more Pleasure far than they had Ease. 65 They made their court, like Jupiter of old. VOL. II. S 70 Hark, old Sir Paul! ('twas thus I us'd to say) Lord! how you swell, and rage like any fiend! 75 80 85 If poor (you say) she drains her husband's purse; If rich, she keeps her priest, or something worse; Vapours and pride by turns possess her brain, Now gayly mad, now sourly splenetic, 90 Freakish when well, and fretful when she's sick. If fair, then chaste she cannot long abide, By pressing youth attack'd on ev'ry side: If foul, her wealth the lusty lover lures, Or else her wit some fool-gallant procures, 95 Or else she dances with becoming grace, Or shape excuses the defects of face. There swims no goose so grey, but soon or late, Horses (thou say'st) and asses men may try, And ring suspected vessels ere they buy: You tell me, to preserve your wife's good grace, 100 105 |