THE WIFE OF BATHS TALE（第29页）

andwhenthesompnourheardthefriargale，**speak

"lo，"quoththissompnour，"goddesarmestwo，

afriarwillintermete*himever:*interpose

lo，goodemen，aflyandekeafrer

willfallinevrydishandekemattere.

whatspeakstthouofperambulation?**preamble

what?ambleortrot;orpeace，orgositdown:

thoulettest*ourdisportinthismattere."*hinderesst

"yea，wiltthouso，sirsompnour?"quoththefrere;

"nowbymyfaithishall，erethatigo，

tellofasompnoursuchataleortwo，

thatallthefolkshalllaugheninthisplace."

"nowdo，else，friar，ibeshrew*thyface，"*curse

quoththissompnour;"andibeshreweme，

butif*itelletalestwoorthree*unless

offriars，ereietositbourne，

thatishallmakethineheartefortourn:

forwelliwotthypatienceisgone."

ourhostecried，"peace，andthatanon;"

andsaide，"letthewomantellhertale.

yefare*asfolkthatdrunkenbeofale.*behave

do，dame，tellforthyourtale，andthatisbest."

"allready，sir，"quothshe，"rightasyoulest，**please

ifihavelicenceofthisworthyfrere."

"yes，dame，"quothhe，"tellforth，andiwillhear."

angtheevidencesthatchaucersgreatworkwasleftinplete，istheabsenceofanylinkofconnexionbetweenthewifeofbathsprologueandtale，andwhatgoesbefore.thisdeficiencyhasinsomeeditionscausedthesquiresandthemerchantstalestobeinterposedbetweenthoseofthemanoflawandthewifeofbath;butinthemerchantstalethereisinternalproofthatitwastoldafterthejollydames.severalmanuscriptscontainversesdesignedtoserveasaconnexion;buttheyareevidentlynotchaucers，anditisunnecessarytogivethemhere.ofthisprologue，whichmayfairlyberegardedasadistinctautobiographicaltale，tyrwhittsays:"theextraordinarylengthofit，aswellastheveinofpleasantrythatrunsthroughit，isverysuitabletothecharacterofthespeaker.thegreatestpartmusthavebeenofchaucersowninvention，thoughonemayplainlyseethathehadbeenreadingthepopularinvectivesagainstmarriageandwomeningeneral;suchastheromandelarose，valeriusadrufinum，denonducendauxore，（valeriustorufinus，onnotbeingruledbyoneswife）andparticularlyhieronymuscontrajovinianu（jeromeagainstjovinianus）stjerome，angotherthingsdesignedtodiscouragemarriage，hasinsertedinhistreatisealongpassagefromliberaureo露stheophrastidenuptiis.（theophrastussgoldenbookofmarriage）."

agreatpartofthemarriageserviceusedtobeperformedinthechurch-porch.

jesusandthesamaritanwoman:johniv.13.

dan:lord;latin，"dominus."anotherreadingis"thewiseman，kingsolon."

defended:forbade;french，"defendre，"toprohibit.

dart:thegoal;aspearordartwassetuptomarkthepointofvictory.