Of fyve husbondes scoleiyng am I.
Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.
For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast in al.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Setting out her education record, the Wife of Bath’s says that she has five husbands’ schooling! And she welcomes the sixth, whenever he may appear. Does that amount to a Doctorate in Marital Affairs? In the Wife’s world of sexual morality, keeping chase (abstaining from sex) is not an option for her.