WIFE OF BATH'S PROLOGUE
over him. Right thus was it told me by the apostle, that bade our husbands to love us well. That text pleaseth me every whit——"
Upstarted the Pardoner and that straightway; "Now, dame," quoth he, "by God and Saint John, ye be on this text a noble preacher. I was about to wed a wife. Alas! Why should I pay for it so dearly upon my flesh? Liefer had I wed no wife this year!"
"Abide!" quoth she, "my tale is yet to begin; nay, thou shalt drink of another tun, ere I go, shall savour worse than ale. And when I have told thee forth my story of tribulation in marriage, in which all my life I have been expert, that is to say, myself I have been the whip, then mayst thou choose whether thou wilt taste of that tun which I shall broach. Beware of it, ere thou draw too nigh; for I shall tell ensamples more than twice five. Whosoever will not beware by others, by him shall others be corrected. The same words writeth Ptolemy; read in his Almageste and there find it."
"Dame, I would pray you, if it be your will," said this Pardoner, "as ye began, tell forth your tale, spare for no wight, and teach us young men of your practice."
"Gladly," quoth she, "sith it may please you. But yet I pray unto all this fellowship, if I speak after my fantasy, take not amiss what I say, for mine intent is but to sport. Now, sirs, will I tell forth my story. As ever I hope to drink wine or ale, I shall say the sooth; those husbands that were mine, three of them were good and two were bad. The three were goody rich and old. They had given me their goods and their treasure; I needed no longer take pains to win their love,
or do reverence to them. They loved me so well, by heaven's
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