Till their wise husbands, gull'd by arts like these, Grow gentle, tractable, and tame as geese. "What though this slanderous Jew, this Solomon, Call'd women fools, and knew full many a one; The wiser wits of later times declare How constant, chaste, and virtuous, women are: But since the sacred leaves to all are free, But grant the worst; shall women then be weigh'd Whose reign indulgent God, says Holy Writ, By Heaven, those authors are our sex's foes, oppose.' Nay, (quoth the king) dear madam, be not wroth: I yield it up; but since I gave my oath, That this much-injured knight again should see, We leave them here in this heroic strain, Thus singing as he went, at last he drew By easy steps to where the pear-tree grew : The longing dame look'd up, and spied her love Full fairly perch'd among the boughs above. She stopp'd, and sighing, 'O good gods! (she cried) What pangs, what sudden shoots distend my O for that tempting fruit, so fresh, so green; Help, for the love of Heaven's immortal queen! Help, dearest lord, and save at once the life Of thy poor infant, and thy longing wife!' side? Sore sigh'd the knight to hear his lady's cry, But could not climb, and had no servant nigh: Old as he was, and void of eyesight too, What could, alas! a helpless husband do?— And must I languish then (she said) and die, Yet view the lovely fruit before my eye? At least, kind sir, for Charity's sweet sake, With all my soul, (he thus replied again) In that nice moment, lo! the wondering knight 'What ails my lord? (the trembling dame replied) I thought your patience had been better tried: Is this your love, ungrateful and unkind, This my reward for having cured the blind? Why was I taught to make my husband By struggling with a man upon a tree? Did I for this the power of magic prove? Unhappy wife, whose crime was too much love!' see, If this be struggling, by this holy light, 'Tis struggling with a vengeance: (quoth the knight) So Heaven preserve the sight it has restored, As with these eyes I plainly saw thee whored; Whored by my slave-perfidious wretch! may Hell As surely seize thee, as I saw too well.' 'Guard me, good angels! (cried the gentle May) Pray Heaven this magic work the proper way! Alas, my love! 'tis certain, could you see, You ne'er had used these killing words to me: So help me, fates! as 'tis no perfect sight, But some faint glimmering of a doubtful light.' "What I have said (quoth he) I must maintain, For by the' immortal powers it seem'd too plain-’ 'By all those powers, some frenzy seized your mind, (Replied the dame) are these the thanks I find? Thus, when from sleep we first our eyes display, The balls are wounded with the piercing ray, And dusky vapours rise, and intercept the day; So, just recovering from the shades of night, Your swimming eyes are drunk with sudden light, Strange phantoms dance around, and skim before your sight. Then, sir, be cautious, nor too rashly deem ; Heaven knows how seldom things are what they seem! Consult your reason, and you soon shall find 'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind:' Jove ne'er spoke oracle more true than this, None judge so wrong as those who think amiss. With that she leap'd into her lord's embrace, With well dissembled virtue in her face. He hugg'd her close, and kiss'd her o'er and o'er, Disturb'd with doubts and jealousies no more: Both, pleased and bless'd, renew'd their mutual A fruitful wife, and a believing spouse. [vows: Thus ends our tale, whose moral next to make: Let all wise husbands hence example take; And pray, to crown the pleasure of their lives, To be so well deluded by their wives. THE WIFE OF BATH Her Prologue. FROM CHAUCER. BEHOLD the woes of matrimonial life, |