The Prologue

Now of my fifthë husband will I tell: God let his soul never come into hell. And yet was he to me the mostë shrew; That feel I on my ribbës all by rew, And ever shall, until mine ending day. But in our bed he was so fresh and gay, And therewithal so well he could me glose, When that he wouldë have my bellë chose , Though he had beaten me on every bone, Yet could he win again my love anon. I trow, I lov’d him better, for that he Was of his love so dangerous to me. We women have, if that I shall not lie, In this mattér a quaintë fantasy. Whatever thing we may not lightly have, Thereafter will we cry all day and crave. Forbid us thing, and that desirë we; Press on us fast, and thennë will we flee. With danger utter we all our chaffare; Great press at market maketh dearë ware, And too great cheap is held at little price; This knoweth every woman that is wise. My fifthë husband, God his soulë bless, Which that I took for love and no richéss, He some time was a clerk of Oxenford, And had left school, and went at home to board With my gossip, dwelling in ourë town: God have her soul, her name was Alisoun. She knew my heart, and all my privity, Bet than our parish priest, so may I thé. To her betrayed I my counsel all; For had my husband pissed on a wall, Or done a thing that should have cost his life, To her, and to another worthy wife, And to my niece, which that I loved well, I would have told his counsel every deal. And so I did full often, God it wot, That made his face full often red and hot For very shame, and blam’d himself, for he Had told to me so great a privity. And so befell that onës in a Lent (So oftentimes I to my gossip went, For ever yet I loved to be gay, And for to walk in March, April, and May From house to house, to hearë sundry tales), That Jenkin clerk, and my gossíp, Dame Ales, And I myself, into the fieldës went. Mine husband was at London all that Lent; I had the better leisure for to play, And for to see, and eke for to be sey Of lusty folk; what wist I where my grace Was shapen for to be, or in what place? Therefore made I my visitatións To