From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Wife of Bath's Prologue, lines 141-168

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Wife of Bath's Prologue
lines 141-168: How a husband should pay his wife

	But I seye noght that every wight is holde,
	That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde,
	To goon and usen hem in engendrure.
	Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no cure.
145	Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man,
	And many a seint, sith that the world bigan;
	Yet lyved that evere in parfit chastitee.
	I nyl envye no virginitee.
	Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed,
150	And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed;
	And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle kan,
	Oure Lord Jhesu refresshed many a man.
	In swich estaat as God hath cleped us
	I wol persevere; I nam nat precius.
155	In wyfhod I wol use myn instrument
	As frely as my Makere hath it sent.
	If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe!
	Myn housbonde shal it have bothe eve and morwe,
	Whan that hym list come forth and paye his dette.
160	An housbonde I wol have, I wol nat lette,
	Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral,
	And have his tribulacioun withal
	Upon his flessh whil that I am his wyf.
	I have the power durynge al my lyf
165	Upon his propre body, and noght he.
	Right thus the Apostel tolde it unto me,
	And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel.
	Al this sentence me liketh every deel."

	But I say not that every one is bound,
	Who's fitted out and furnished as I've found,
	To go and use it to beget an heir;
	Then men would have for chastity no care.
145	Christ was a maid, and yet shaped like a man,
	And many a saint, since this old world began,
	Yet has lived ever in perfect chastity.
	I bear no malice to virginity;
	Let such be bread of purest white wheat-seed,
150	And let us wives be called but barley bread;
	And yet with barley bread, if Mark you scan
	Jesus Our Lord refreshed full many a man.
	In such condition as God places us
	I'll persevere, I'm not fastidious.
155	In wifehood I will use my instrument
	As freely as my Maker has it sent.
	If I be niggardly, God give me sorrow!
	My husband he shall have it, eve and morrow,
	When he's pleased to come forth and pay his debt.
160	I'll not delay, a husband I will get
	Who shall be both my debtor and my thrall
	And have his tribulations therewithal
	Upon his flesh, the while I am his wife.
	I have the power during all my life
165	Over his own good body, and not he.
	For thus the apostle told it unto me;
	And bade our husbands that they love us well.
	And all this pleases me whereof I tell."