麒麟小说

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。