Quoted By:
c.1340s-1400: Geoffrey Chaucer (English writer and poet)
>"And now of my fifth husband will I tell.
>God grant his soul may never get to Hell!
>And yet he was to me most brutal, too;
>My ribs yet feel as they were black and blue,
>And ever shall, until my dying day.
>But in our bed he was so fresh and gay,
>And therewithal he could so well impose,
>What time he wanted use of my belle chose,
>That though he'd beaten me on every bone,
>He could re-win my love, and that full soon.
>I guess I loved him best of all, for he
>Gave of his love most sparingly to me.
—Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Prologue, lines 509-520
>"We women have, if I am not to lie,
>In this love matter, a quaint fantasy;
>Look out a thing we may not lightly have,
>And after that we'll cry all day and crave.
>Forbid a thing, and that thing covet we;
>Press hard upon us, then we turn and flee.
>Sparingly offer we our goods, when fair;
>Great crowds at market for dearer ware,
>And what's too common brings but little price;
>All this knows every woman who is wise.
—Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Prologue, lines 521-530
>"My liege lady, generally," said he,
>"Women desire to have the sovereignty
>As well upon their husband as their love,
>And to have mastery their man above;
>This thing you most desire, though me you kill
>Do as you please, I am here at your will."
>In all the court there was no wife or maid
>Or widow that denied the thing he said ....
—Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Tale, lines 1043-1050
