The Wife of Bath Prologue

Upon this nombre diffinicioun.

Men may devyne and glosen up and doun,

But wel I woot express, withoute lye, 

God bad us for to wexe and multiplye;

That gentil text can I wel understonde.

-The Wife of Bath's Prologue, lines 25-29

the Wife of Bath, as depicted on a vintage Cadbury's biscuits tin, circa 1911.
photo credit Flickr user Lynda Gray