In the Wife of Bath Tale, What does the Wife of Bath believe about Friars? What does this say about her personality? NOW IN THE OLDEN days of King Arthur, Of whom the Britons speak with great honour, All this wide land was land of faery. The elf-queen, with her jolly company, Danced oftentimes on many a green mead;(5) This was the old opinion, as I read. But now no man can see the elves, you know. For now the so-great charity and prayers Of limiters and other holy friars That do infest each land and every stream(10) As thick as motes are in a bright sunbeam, Blessing halls, chambers, kitchens, ladies’ bowers, Cities and towns and castles and high towers, Villages, barns, cowsheds and dairies— This causes it that there are now no fairies.(15) For where was wont to walk full many an elf, Right there walks now the limiter himself In both the later and early mornings, Saying his matins and such holy things, As he goes round his district in his gown.(20) Women may now go safely up and down, In every copse or under every tree; There is no other incubus than he, And would do them naught but dishonour. And so befell it that this King Arthur(25) Had at his court a lusty bachelor Who, on a day, came riding from river; And happened that, alone as she was born, He saw a maiden walking through the corn, From whom, in spite of all she did and said,(30) Straightway by force he took her maidenhead; For which violation was there such clamour, And such appealing unto King Arthur, That soon condemned was this knight to be dead By course of law, and should have lost his head,(35) Peradventure, such being the statute then; But that the other ladies and the queen So long prayed of the king to show him grace, He granted life, at last, in the law’s place, And gave him to the queen, as she should will,(40) Whether she’d save him, or his blood should spill.