This excellent ballad, to adopt the encomium of Addison, (_Spectator_, No. 247,) was admitted by Percy into the earlier editions of the _Reliques_, (iii. 146, 1st ed.) though excluded from the revised edition of 1794. The same story circulates among the peasantry of England and Scotland in the form of a penny tract or chap-book; _Notices of Popular Histories_, p. 16, Percy Soc. vol. xxiii., _Notes and Queries_, New Series, vol. iii. p. 49. The jest is an old one. Mr. Halliwell refers to a _fabliau_ in Barbazan's collection, which contains the groundwork of this piece; _Du Vilain qui conquist Paradis par Plait_, Meon's ed. iv. 114. In Bath a wanton wife did dwell, As Chaucer he doth write, Who did in pleasure spend her days, In many a fond delight. Upon a time love sick she was, 5 And at the length did die; Her soul at last at Heaven's gate Did knock most mightily. Then Adam came unto the gate: "Who knocketh there?" quoth he: 10 "I am the Wife of Bath," she said, "And fain would come to thee." "Thou art a sinner," Adam said, "And here no place shall have;" "And so art thou, I trow," quoth she, 15 "And gip, a doting knave! "I will come in in spite," she said, "Of all such churls as thee; Thou wert the causer of our woe, Our pain and misery; 20 "And first broke God's commandments, In pleasure of thy wife:" When Adam heard her tell this tale, He run away for life. Then down came Jacob at the gate, 25 And bids her pack to hell: "Thou false deceiver, why?" said she;-- "Thou mayst be there as well. "For thou deceiv'dst thy father dear, And thine own brother too:" 30 Away slunk Jacob presently, And made no more ado. She knocks again with might and main, And Lot he chides her straight: "Why then," quoth she, "thou drunken ass, 35 Who bid thee here to prate? "With thy two daughters thou didst lie, On them two bastards got:" And thus most tauntingly she chaft Against poor silly Lot. 40 "Who calleth there," quoth Judith then, "With such shrill sounding notes?" "This fine minks surely came not here," Quoth she, "for cutting throats!" Good Lord, how Judith blush'd for shame, 45 When she heard her say so! King David hearing of the same, He to the gate did go. Quoth David, "Who knocks there so loud, And maketh all this strife?" 50 "You were more kind good sir," she said, "Unto Uriah's wife.