The Presentation of the Wife of Bath in the Prologue

Description of the Wife of Bath in The General Prologue

A good wife was there of Bath

A good WYF was ther of bisyde

But she was somewhat deaf and that was a pity

But she was som-del deef, and that was a scathe

She had such skill in cloth-making

Of clooth-making she hadde swiche an haunt

She was better of them at Yypres and Ghent

She passes hem of Ypres and of Gaunt

In all the parish there was no wife

In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon

Who should go to the offering before her

That to the offring bifore hir sholde goon;

And if there did certainly she was angry

And if ther dide, certeyn, so wrooth was she,

That she was out of all charity

That she was out of alle charitee

Her kerchiefs were very fine in texture

Hir coverchiefs ful fine were of ground

I dare say they weighed 10 pounds

I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound

That on a Sunday were upon her head

That on a Sonday were upon hir heed

Her stockings were of laced red

Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet red

Very closely laced and shoes very supple and new

Ful streite-y-teyd, and shoos ful moiste and newe

Bold was her face and fair and red hair

Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe

She was a worthy woman all her life

She was a worthy woman al hir lyve

She had married 5 husbands at the church door

Housbondes at chirche-dore she hadde fyve

Not counting other company in youth

Withouten other companye in youthe;

But there is no need to speak of that

But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe.

And they had been to Jerusalem

And thryes hadde she been at lerusalem;

She had passed many a foreign sea

She hadde passed many a foreign sea

She had been to Rome and Boloigne

At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne

In Galica at Saint Jame and at Coloigne

In Galice at seint lame, and at Coloigne

She much about wandering of the way

She coude muche of wandering by the weye

Gap-toothed she was, sorry to say

Gat-tothed was she, smoothly for to seye...