2010 ENGL Prologue to the Wife of Baths Tale Assignment To prepare for Fridays class, please read the following brief excerpt and come prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. How would Matthew Arnold approach this text? 2. Assuming Bahktin would be interested in the heteroglossia of this text, what different languages or kinds of speech can you locate in the excerpt? 3. What is Chaucer doing with these languages? Whats he trying to accomplish by having the wife ventriloquize these dialects?
Medieval Sourcebook: Geoffrey Chaucer, d.1400: Canterbury Tales: Prologue to Wife of Bath's Tale [Parallel Texts]
From: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/CT-prolog-bathpara.html
1: Experience, though noon auctoritee 2: Were in this world, is right ynogh for me 3: To speke of wo that is in mariage; 4: For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, 5: Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve, 6: Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve, -7: If I so ofte myghte have ywedded bee, -8: And alle were worthy men in hir degree. 9: But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is, 10: That sith that crist ne wente nevere but onis 11: To weddyng, in the cane of galilee, 12: That by the same ensample taughte he me 13: That I ne sholde wedded be but ones. 14: Herkne eek, lo, which a sharp word for the nones, 15: Biside a welle, jhesus, God and man, 16: Spak in repreeve of the samaritan: 17: Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes, -- quod he, 18: -- And that ilke man that now hath thee 19: Is noght thyn housbonde, -- thus seyde he certeyn. 20: What that he mente therby, I kan nat seyn; 21: But that I axe, why that the fifthe man 22: Was noon housbonde to the samaritan? 23: How manye myghte she have in mariage? 24: Yet herde I nevere tellen in myn age 25: Upon this nombre diffinicioun. 26: Men may devyne and glosen, up and doun, 27: But wel I woot, expres, withoute lye, Experience, though no authority Were in this world, were good enough for me, To speak of woe that is in all marriage; For, masters, since I was twelve years of age, Thanks be to God Who is for aye alive, Of husbands at church door have I had five; For men so many times have wedded me; And all were worthy men in their degree. But someone told me not so long ago That since Our Lord, save once, would never go To wedding (that at Cana in Galilee), Thus, by this same example, showed He me I never should have married more than once. Lo and behold! What sharp words, for the nonce, Beside a well Lord Jesus, God and man, Spoke in reproving the Samaritan: 'For thou hast had five husbands,' thus said He, 'And he whom thou hast now to be with thee Is not thine husband.' Thus He said that day, But what He meant thereby I cannot say; And I would ask now why that same fifth man Was not husband to the Samaritan? How many might she have, then, in marriage? For I have never heard, in all my age, Clear exposition of this number shown, Though men may guess and argue up and down. But well I know and say, and do not lie,
28: God bad us for to wexe and multiplye; 29: That gentil text kan I wel understonde. 30: Eek wel I woot, he seyde myn housbonde 31: Sholde lete fader and mooder, and take to me. 32: But of no nombre mencion made he, 33: Of bigamye, or of octogamye; 34: Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileynye? 35: Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun salomon; 36: I trowe he hadde wyves mo than oon. 37: As wolde God it were leveful unto me 38: To be refresshed half so ofte as he! 39: Which yifte of God hadde he for alle his wyvys! 40: No man hath swich that in this world alyve is. 41: God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit, 42: The firste nyght had many a myrie fit 43: With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve. 44: Yblessed be God that I have wedded fyve!
God bade us to increase and multiply; That worthy text can I well understand. And well I know He said, too, my husband Should father leave, and mother, and cleave to me; But no specific number mentioned He, Whether of bigamy or octogamy; Why should men speak of it reproachfully? Lo, there's the wise old king Dan Solomon; I understand he had more wives than one; And now would God it were permitted me To be refreshed one half as oft as he! Which gift of God he had for all his wives! No man has such that in this world now lives. God knows, this noble king, it strikes my wit, The first night he had many a merry fit With each of them, so much he was alive! Praise be to God that I have wedded five! Of whom I did pick out and choose the best Both for their nether purse and for their chest Different schools make divers perfect clerks, Different methods learned in sundry works Make the good workman perfect, certainly. Of full five husbands tutoring am I. 45: Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal. Welcome the sixth whenever come he shall. 46: For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast in al. Forsooth, I'll not keep chaste for good and all; 47: Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon, When my good husband from the world is gone, 48: Som cristen man shal wedde me anon, Some Christian man shall marry me anon; 49: For thanne, th' apostle seith that I am free For then, the apostle says that I am free 50: To wedde, a goddes half, where it liketh me. To wed, in God's name, where it pleases me. 51: He seith that to be wedded is no synne; He says that to be wedded is no sin; 52: Bet is to be wedded than to brynne Better to marry than to burn within. 53: What rekketh me, thogh folk seye vileynye What care I though folk speak reproachfully 54: Of shrewed lameth and his bigamye? Of wicked Lamech and his bigamy? 55: I woot wel abraham was an hooly man, I know well Abraham was holy man, 56: And jacob eek, as ferforth as I kan; And Jacob, too, as far as know I can; 57: And ech of hem hadde wyves mo than two, And each of them had spouses more than two; 58: And many another holy man also. And many another holy man also. 59: Wher can ye seye, in any manere age, Or can you say that you have ever heard 60: That hye God defended mariage That God has ever by His express word 61: By expres word? I pray yow, telleth me. Marriage forbidden? Pray you, now, tell me. 62: Or where comanded he virginitee? Or where commanded He virginity? 63: I woot as wel as ye, it is no drede, I read as well as you no doubt have read 64: Th' apostel, whan he speketh of maydenhede, The apostle when he speaks of maidenhead; 65: He seyde that precept therof hadde he noon. He said, commandment of the Lord he'd none. 66: Men may conseille a womman to been oon, Men may advise a woman to be one, 67: But conseillyng is no comandement. But such advice is not commandment, no; 68: He putte it in oure owene juggement; He left the thing to our own judgment so. 69: For hadde God comanded maydenhede, For had Lord God commanded maidenhood, 70: Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede. He'd have condemned all marriage as not good; And certainly, if there were no seed sown, 71: And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe, Virginity- where then should it be grown? 72: Virginitee, thanne wherof sholde it growe? Paul dared not to forbid us, at the least, 73: Poul dorste nat comanden, atte leeste, A thing whereof his Master'd no behest. 74: A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste. The dart is set up for virginity; 75: The dart is set up for birginitee: Catch it who can; who runs best let us see.
76: Cacche whoso may, who renneth best lat see. 77: But this word is nat taken of every wight, 78: But ther as God lust gyve it of his myght. 79: I woot wel that th' apostel was a mayde; 80: nathelees, But thogh that he wroot and sayde 81: He wolde that every wight were swich as he, 82: Al nys but conseil to virginitee. 83: And for to been a wyf he yaf me leve 84: Of indulgence; so nys it no repreve 85: To wedde me, if that my make dye, 86: Withouten excepcion of bigamye. 87: Al were it good no womman for to touche, -88: He mente as in his bed or in his couche; 89: For peril is bothe fyr and tow t' assemble: 90: Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble. 91: This is al and som, he heeld virginitee 92: Moore parfit than weddyng in freletee. 93: Freletee clepe I, but if that he and she 94: Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee. 95: I graunte it wel, I have noon envie, 96: Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye. 97: It liketh hem to be clene, body and goost; 98: Of myn estaat I nyl nat make no boost. 99: For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold, 100: He nath nat every vessel al of gold; 101: Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse. 102: God clepeth folk to hym in sondry wyse, 103: And everich hath of God a propre yifte, 104: Som this, som that, as hym liketh shifte. 105: Virginitee is greet perfeccion, 106: And continence eek with devocion, 107: But crist, that of perfeccion is welle, 108: Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle 109: Al that he hadde, and gyve it to the poore 110: And in swich wise folwe hym and his foore. 111: He spak to hem that wolde lyve parfitly; 112: And lordynges, by youre leve, that am nat I. 113: I wol bistowe the flour of al myn age 114: In the actes and in fruyt of mariage. 115: Telle me also, to what conclusion 116: Were membres maad of generacion, 117: And of so parfit wys a wight ywroght? 118: Trusteth right wel, they were nat maad for noght. 119: Glose whoso wole, and seye bothe up and doun, 120: That they were maked for purgacioun 121: Of uryne, and oure bothe thynges smale 122: Were eek to knowe a femele from a male, 123: And for noon oother cause, -- say ye no? 124: The experience woot wel it is noght so. 125: So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe, 126: I sey this, that they maked ben for bothe, 127: This is to seye, for office, and for ese 128: Of engendrure, ther we nat God displese. 129: Why sholde men elles in hir bookes sette 130: That man shal yelde to his wyf hire dette?
"But this word is not meant for every wight, But where God wills to give it, of His might. I know well that the apostle was a maid; Nevertheless, and though he wrote and said He would that everyone were such as he, All is not counsel to virginity; And so to be a wife he gave me leave Out of permission; there's no shame should grieve In marrying me, if that my mate should die, Without exception, too, of bigamy. And though 'twere good no woman flesh to touch, He meant, in his own bed or on his couch; For peril 'tis fire and tow to assemble; You know what this example may resemble. This is the sum: he held virginity Nearer perfection than marriage for frailty. And frailty's all, I say, save he and she Would lead their lives throughout in chastity. "I grant this well, I have no great envy Though maidenhood's preferred to bigamy; Let those who will be clean, body and ghost, Of my condition I will make no boast. For well you know, a lord in his household, He has not every vessel all of gold; Some are of wood and serve well all their days. God calls folk unto Him in sundry ways, And each one has from God a proper gift, Some this, some that, as pleases Him to shift. "Virginity is great perfection known, And continence e'en with devotion shown. But Christ, Who of perfection is the well, Bade not each separate man he should go sell All that he had and give it to the poor And follow Him in such wise going before. He spoke to those that would live perfectly; And, masters, by your leave, such am not I. I will devote the flower of all my age To all the acts and harvests of marriage. "Tell me also, to what purpose or end The genitals were made, that I defend, And for what benefit was man first wrought? Trust you right well, they were not made for naught. Explain who will and argue up and down That they were made for passing out, as known, Of urine, and our two belongings small Were just to tell a female from a male, And for no other cause- ah, say you no? Experience knows well it is not so; And, so the clerics be not with me wroth, I say now that they have been made for both, That is to say, for duty and for ease In getting, when we do not God displease. Why should men otherwise in their books set That man shall pay unto his wife his debt?
131: Now wherwith sholde he make his paiement, 132: If he ne used his sely instrument? 133: Thanne were they maad upon a creature 134: To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure. 135: But I seye noght that every wight is holde, 136: That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, 137: To goon and usen hem in engendrure. 138: Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no cure. 139: Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, 140: And many a seint, sith that the world bigan; 141: Yet lyved they evere in parfit chastitee. 142: I nyl envye no virginitee. 143: Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, 144: And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; 145: And yet with barly-breed, mark telle kan, 146: Oure lord jhesu refresshed many a man. 147: In swich estaat as God hath cleped us 148: I wol persevere; I nam nat precius. 149: In wyfhod I wol use myn instrument 150: As frely as my makere hath it sent. 151: If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! 152: Myn housbonde shal it have bothe eve and morwe, 153: Whan that hym list come forth and paye his dette. 154: An housbonde I wol have, I wol nat lette, 155: Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, 156: And have his tribulacion withal 157: Upon his flessh, whil that I am his wyf. 158: I have the power durynge al my lyf 159: Upon his propre body, and noght he. 160: Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me; 161: And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel. 162: Al this sentence me liketh every deel -163: Up stirte the pardoner, and that anon: 164: Now, dame, quod he, by God and by seint john! 165: Ye been a noble prechour in this cas. 166: I was aboute to wedde a wyf; allas! 167: What sholde I bye it on my flessh so deere?
Now wherewith should he ever make payment, Except he used his blessed instrument? Then on a creature were devised these things For urination and engenderings. "But I say not that every one is bound, Who's fitted out and furnished as I've found, To go and use it to beget an heir; Then men would have for chastity no care. Christ was a maid, and yet shaped like a man, And many a saint, since this old world began, Yet has lived ever in perfect chastity. I bear no malice to virginity; Let such be bread of purest white wheat-seed, And let us wives be called but barley bread; And yet with barley bread (if Mark you scan) Jesus Our Lord refreshed full many a man. In such condition as God places us I'll persevere, I'm not fastidious. In wifehood I will use my instrument As freely as my Maker has it sent. If I be niggardly, God give me sorrow! My husband he shall have it, eve and morrow, When he's pleased to come forth and pay his debt. I'll not delay, a husband I will get Who shall be both my debtor and my thrall And have his tribulations therewithal Upon his flesh, the while I am his wife. I have the power during all my life Over his own good body, and not he. For thus the apostle told it unto me; And bade our husbands that they love us well. And all this pleases me whereof I tell."