W THE WIFE of ВАТН. FROM CHAUCER. BEHOLD the woes of matrimonial life, And hear with rev'rence an experienc'd wife! I was myself the fcourge that caus'd the fmart; Chrift faw a wedding once, the Scripture fays, But let them read, and folve me, if they can, 5 10 15 "Encrease and multiply," was Heav'n's command, And that's a text I clearly understand. This too, More wives than one by Solomon were try'd, 20 For when my tranfitory spouse, unkind, Shall die, and leave his woeful wife behind, 25 Paul, knowing one could never ferve our turn, Declar'd 'twas better far to wed than burn. There's danger in affembling fire and tow ; 30 I grant 'em that, and what it means you know. Take which we like, the counsel, or our will. 35 Pure let them be, and free from taint of vice; I, for a few flight spots, am not so nice. Heav'n calls us diff'rent ways, on these bestows 40 One proper gift, another grants to those : Not ev'ry man's oblig❜d to fell his store, Full many a Saint, fince first the world began, Liv'd an unspotted Maid, in spite of man : And keep an equal reck'ning ev'ry night. His proper body is not his, but mine; For fo faid Paul, and Paul's a found divine. 45 50 55 Know then, of those five husbands I have had, Three were just tolerable, two were bad. |