Page:Wanton wife of Bath (1).pdf/5

5 Thou had seven hundred wives at once,

for whom thou didst provide:

And yet god wot three hundred whores

thou didst mantain beside:

And they made thee forsake thy God,

and worship stocks and stones;

Besides the charge they put you to

In breeding of young bones.

Hadst thou not been beside thy wits,

Thou wouldst not thus have ventured;

And therefore I do marvel much,

how thou this place hast entered.

I never heard quoth Jonas then,

so vile a scold as this.

Thou whore-son tunrun [sic] away quoth she,

thou didest more amiss.

They say quoth Thomas, womens tongues

of aspen leavssleaves [sic] are made.

Thou unbelieving wretch quoth she,

all is not true that’s said.