The General Prologue

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote      1
The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,      2
And bathed every veyne in swich licour      3
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;      4
Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth      5
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth      6
Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne      7
Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,      8
And smale foweles maken melodye,      9
That slepen al the nyght with open ye      10
(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);      11
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,      12
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,      13
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;      14
And specially from every shires ende      15
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,      16
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,      17
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.      18
Bifil that in that seson on a day,      19
In southwerk at the tabard as I lay      20
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage      21
To caunterbury with ful devout corage,      22
At nyght was come into that hostelrye      23
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,      24
Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle      25
In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,      26
That toward caunterbury wolden ryde.      27
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,      28
And wel we weren esed atte beste.      29
And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,      30
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon      31
That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,      32
And made forward erly for to ryse,      33
To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.      34
But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,      35
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,      36
Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun      37
To telle yow al the condicioun      38
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,      39
And whiche they weren, and of what degree,      40
And eek in what array that they were inne;      41
And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.      42
A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,      43
That fro the tyme that he first bigan      44
To riden out, he loved chivalrie,      45
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.      46
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,      47
And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,      48
As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,      49
And evere honoured for his worthynesse.      50
At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne.      51
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne      52
Aboven alle nacions in pruce;      53
In lettow hadde he reysed and in ruce,      54
No cristen man so ofte of his degree.      55
In gernade at the seege eek hadde he be      56
Of algezir, and riden in belmarye.      57
At lyeys was he and at satalye,      58
Whan they were wonne; and in the grete see      59
At many a noble armee hadde he be.      60
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,      61
And foughten for oure feith at tramyssene      62
In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.      63
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also      64
Somtyme with the lord of palatye      65
Agayn another hethen in turkye.
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     66
And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;      67
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,      68
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.      69
He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde      70
In al his lyf unto no maner wight.      71
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.      72
But, for to tellen yow of his array,      73
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.      74
Of fustian he wered a gypon      75
Al bismotered with his habergeon,      76
For he was late ycome from his viage,      77
And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.      78
With hym ther was his sone, a yong squier,      79
A lovyere and a lusty bacheler,      80
With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse.      81
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.      82
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,      83
And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.      84
And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie      85
In flaundres, in artoys, and pycardie,      86
And born hym weel, as of so litel space,      87
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.      88
Embrouded was he, as it were a meede      89
Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede.      90
Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day;      91
He was as fressh as is the month of may.      92
Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.      93
Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde.      94
He koude songes make and wel endite,      95
Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.      96
So hoote he lovede that by nyghtertale.      97
He sleep namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.      98
Curteis he was, lowely, and servysable,      99
And carf biforn his fader at the table.      100
A yeman hadde he and servantz namo      101
At that tyme, for hym liste ride so,      102
And he was clad in cote and hood of grene.      103
A sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene,      104
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,      105
(wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly:      106
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe)      107
And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.      108
A not heed hadde he, with a broun visage.      109
Of wodecraft wel koude he al the usage.      110
Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,      111
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,      112
And on that oother syde a gay daggere      113
Harneised wel and sharp as point of spere;      114
A cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.      115
An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;      116
A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.      117
Ther was also a nonne, a prioresse,      118
That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;      119
Hire gretteste ooth was but by seinte loy;      120
And she was cleped madame eglentyne.      121
Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,      122
Entuned in hir nose ful semely,      123
And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,      124
After the scole of stratford atte bowe,      125
For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe.      126
At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:      127
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,      128
Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;      129
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe      130
That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.      131
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.      132
Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene      133
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene      134
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.      135
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.      136
And sikerly she was of greet desport,      137
And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,      138
And peyned hire to countrefete cheere      139
Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,      140
And to ben holden digne of reverence.      141
But, for to speken of hire conscience,      142
She was so charitable and so pitous      143
She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous      144
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.      145
Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde      146
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.      147
But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,      148
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;      149
And al was conscience and tendre herte.      150
Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,      151
Hir nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,      152
Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;      153
But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;      154
It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe;      155
For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.      156
Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war.      157
Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar      158
A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,      159
And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,      160
On which ther was first write a crowned a,      161
And after amor vincit omnia.      162
Another nonne with hire hadde she,      163
That was hir chapeleyne, and preestes thre.      164
A monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,      165
An outridere, that lovede venerie,      166
A manly man, to been an abbot able.      167
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable,      168
And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere      169
Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere      170
And eek as loude as dooth the chapel belle.
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     171
Ther as this lord was kepere of the celle,      172
The reule of seint maure or of seint beneit,      173
By cause that it was old and somdel streit      174
This ilke monk leet olde thynges pace,      175
And heeld after the newe world the space.      176
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,      177
That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men,      178
Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,      179
Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees, --      180
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.      181
But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;      182
And I seyde his opinion was good.      183
What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,      184
Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,      185
Or swynken with his handes, and laboure,      186
As austyn bit? how shal the world be served?      187
Lat austyn have his swynk to hym reserved!      188
Therfore he was a prikasour aright:      189
Grehoundes he hadde as swift as fowel in flight;      190
Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare      191
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.      192
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond      193
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;      194
And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,      195
He hadde of gold ywroght a ful curious pyn;      196
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.      197
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,      198
And eek his face, as he hadde been enoynt.      199
He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;      200
His eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,      201
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;      202
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.      203
Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat;      204
He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.      205
A fat swan loved he best of any roost.      206
His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.      207
A frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,      208
A lymytour, a ful solempne man.      209
In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan      210
So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.      211
He hadde maad ful many a mariage      212
Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.      213
Unto his ordre he was a noble post.      214
Ful wel biloved and famulier was he      215
With frankeleyns over al in his contree,      216
And eek with worthy wommen of the toun;      217
For he hadde power of confessioun,      218
As seyde hymself, moore than a curat,      219
For of his ordre he was licenciat.      220
Ful swetely herde he confessioun,      221
And plesaunt was his absolucioun:      222
He was an esy man to yeve penaunce,      223
Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce.      224
For unto a povre ordre for to yive      225
Is signe that a man is wel yshryve;      226
For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,      227
He wiste that a man was repentaunt;      228
For many a man so hard is of his herte,      229
He may nat wepe, althogh hym soore smerte.      230
Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres      231
Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.      232
His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves      233
And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.      234
And certeinly he hadde a murye note:      235
Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;      236
Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.      237
His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys;      238
Therto he strong was as a champioun.      239
He knew the tavernes wel in every toun      240
And everich hostiler and tappestere      241
Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;      242
For unto swich a worthy man as he      243
Acorded nat, as by his facultee,      244
To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce.      245
It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce,      246
For to deelen with no swich poraille,      247
But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.      248
And over al, ther as profit sholde arise,      249
Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.      250
Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.      251
He was the beste beggere in his hous;      252
(and yaf a certeyne ferme for the graunt;      252.1
Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his haunt;)      252.2
For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,      253
So plesaunt was his in principio,      254
Yet wolde he have a ferthyng, er he wente.      255
His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.      256
And rage he koude, as it were right a whelp.      257
In love-dayes ther koude he muchel help,      258
For ther he was nat lyk a cloysterer      259
With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,      260
But he was lyk a maister or a pope.      261
Of double worstede was his semycope,      262
That rounded as a belle out of the presse.      263
Somwhat he lipsed, for his wantownesse,      264
To make his englissh sweete upon his tonge;      265
And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,      266
His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght,      267
As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.      268
This worthy lymytour was cleped huberd.      269
A marchant was ther with a forked berd,      270
In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat;      271
Upon his heed a flaundryssh bever hat,      272
His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.      273
His resons he spak ful solempnely,      274
Sownynge alwey th' encrees of his wynnyng.
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     275
He wolde the see were kept for any thyng      276
Bitwixe middelburgh and orewelle.      277
Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.      278
This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette:      279
Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,      280
So estatly was he of his governaunce      281
With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.      282
For sothe he was a worthy man with alle,      283
But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.      284
A clerk ther was of oxenford also,      285
That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.      286
As leene was his hors as is a rake,      287
And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,      288
But looked holwe, and therto sobrely.      289
Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy;      290
For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,      291
Ne was so worldly for to have office.      292
For hym was levere have at his beddes heed      293
Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,      294
Of aristotle and his philosophie,      295
Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.      296
But al be that he was a philosophre,      297
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;      298
But al that he myghte of his freendes hente,      299
On bookes and on lernynge he it spente,      300
And bisily gan for the soules preye      301
Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.      302
Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede,      303
Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,      304
And that was seyd in forme and reverence,      305
And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;      306
Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,      307
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.      308
A sergeant of the lawe, war and wys,      309
That often hadde been at the parvys,      310
Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.      311
Discreet he was and of greet reverence --      312
He semed swich, his wordes weren so wise.      313
Justice he was ful often in assise,      314
By patente and by pleyn commissioun.      315
For his science and for his heigh renoun,      316
Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.      317
So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:      318
Al was fee symple to hym in effect;      319
His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.      320
Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,      321
And yet he semed bisier than he was.      322
In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle      323
That from the tyme of kyng william were falle.      324
Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,      325
Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng;      326
And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.      327
He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote.      328
Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;      329
Of his array telle I no lenger tale.      330
A frankeleyn was in his compaignye.      331
Whit was his berd as is the dayesye;      332
Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.      333
Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn;      334
To lyven in delit was evere his wone,      335
For he was epicurus owene sone,      336
That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit      337
Was verray felicitee parfit.      338
An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;      339
Seint julian he was in his contree.      340
His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon;      341
A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.      342
Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous      343
Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,      344
It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,      345
Of alle deyntees that men koude thynke.      346
After the sondry sesons of the yeer,      347
So chaunged he his mete and his soper.      348
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,      349
And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.      350
Wo was his cook but if his sauce were      351
Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his geere.      352
His table dormant in his halle alway      353
Stood redy covered al the longe day.      354
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;      355
Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.      356
An anlaas and a gipser al of silk      357
Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.      358
A shirreve hadde he been, and a contour.      359
Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.      360
An haberdasshere and a carpenter,      361
A webbe, a dyere, and a tapycer, --      362
And they were clothed alle in o lyveree      363
Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee.      364
Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was;      365
Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras      366
But al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel      367
Hire girdles and hir pouches everydeel.      368
Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys      369
To sitten in a yeldehalle on a deys.      370
Everich, for the wisdom that he kan,      371
Was shaply for to been an alderman.      372
For catel hadde they ynogh and rente,      373
And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;      374
And elles certeyn were they to blame.      375
It is ful fair to been ycleped madame,      376
And goon to vigilies al bifore,      377
And have a mantel roialliche ybore.      378
A cook they hadde with hem for the nones      379
To boille the chiknes with the marybones,      380
And poudre-marchant tart and galyngale.      381
Wel koude he knowe a draughte of londoun ale.
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     382
He koude rooste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,      383
Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.      384
But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,      385
That on his shyne a mormal hadde he.      386
For blankmanger, that made he with the beste.      387
A shipman was ther, wonynge fer by weste;      388
For aught I woot, he was of dertemouthe.      389
He rood upon a rounce, as he kouthe,      390
In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.      391
A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he      392
Aboute his nekke, under his arm adoun.      393
The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun;      394
And certeinly he was a good felawe.      395
Ful many a draughte of wyn had he ydrawe      396
Fro burdeux-ward, whil that the chapmen sleep.      397
Of nyce conscience took he no keep.      398
If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,      399
By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.      400
But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,      401
His stremes, and his daungers hym bisides,      402
His herberwe, and his moone, his lodemenage,      403
Ther nas noon swich from hulle to cartage.      404
Hardy he was and wys to undertake;      405
With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.      406
He knew alle the havenes, as they were,      407
Fro gootlond to the cape of fynystere,      408
And every cryke in britaigne and in spayne.      409
His barge ycleped was the maudelayne.      410
With us ther was a doctour of phisik;      411
In al this world ne was the noon hym lik,      412
To speke of phisik and of surgerye      413
For he was grounded in astronomye.      414
He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel      415
In houres by his magyk natureel.      416
Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent      417
Of his ymages for his pacient.      418
He knew the cause of everich maladye,      419
Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye,      420
And where they engendred, and of what humour.      421
He was a verray, parfit praktisour:      422
The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,      423
Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.      424
Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries      425
To sende hym drogges and his letuaries,      426
For ech of hem made oother for to wynne --      427
Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.      428
Wel knew he the olde esculapius,      429
And deyscorides, and eek rufus,      430
Olde ypocras, haly, and galyen,      431
Serapion, razis, and avycen,      432
Averrois, damascien, and constantyn,      433
Bernard, and gatesden, and gilbertyn.      434
Of his diete mesurable was he,      435
For it was of no superfluitee,      436
But of greet norissyng and digestible.      437
His studie was but litel on the bible.      438
In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,      439
Lyned with taffata and with sendal;      440
And yet he was but esy of dispence;      441
He kepte that he wan in pestilence.      442
For gold in phisik is a cordial,      443
Therefore he lovede gold in special.      444
A good wif was ther of biside bathe,      445
But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.      446
Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,      447
She passed hem of ypres and of gaunt.      448
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon      449
That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;      450
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,      451
That she was out of alle charitee.      452
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;      453
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound      454
That on a sonday weren upon hir heed.      455
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,      456
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.      457
Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.      458
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:      459
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,      460
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, --      461
But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.      462
And thries hadde she been at jerusalem;      463
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;      464
At rome she hadde been, and at boloigne,      465
In galice at seint-jame, and at coloigne.      466
She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.      467
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.      468
Upon an amblere esily she sat,      469
Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat      470
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;      471
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,      472
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.      473
In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.      474
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,      475
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.      476
A good man was ther of religioun,      477
And was a povre persoun of a toun,      478
But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.      479
He was also a lerned man, a clerk,      480
That cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;      481
His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.      482
Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,      483
And in adversitee ful pacient,
Page  22
     484
And swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.      485
Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,      486
But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,      487
Unto his povre parisshens aboute      488
Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.      489
He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.      490
Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,      491
But he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,      492
In siknesse nor in meschief to visite      493
The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,      494
Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.      495
This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,      496
That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte.      497
Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte,      498
And this figure he added eek therto,      499
That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?      500
For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,      501
No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;      502
And shame it is, if a prest take keep,      503
A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.      504
Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,      505
By his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.      506
He sette nat his benefice to hyre      507
And leet his sheep encombred in the myre      508
And ran to londoun unto seinte poules      509
To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,      510
Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;      511
But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,      512
So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;      513
He was a shepherde and noght a mercenarie.      514
And though he hooly were and vertuous,      515
He was to synful men nat despitous,      516
Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,      517
But in his techyng discreet and benygne.      518
To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,      519
By good ensample, this was his bisynesse.      520
But it were any persone obstinat,      521
What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,      522
Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.      523
A bettre preest I trowe that nowher noon ys.      524
He waited after no pompe and reverence,      525
Ne maked him a spiced conscience,      526
But cristes loore and his apostles twelve      527
He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.      528
With hym ther was a plowman, was his brother,      529
That hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother;      530
A trewe swynkere and a good was he,      531
Lyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.      532
God loved he best with al his hoole herte      533
At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,      534
And thanne his neighebor right as hymselve.      535
He wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,      536
For cristes sake, for every povre wight,      537
Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.      538
His tithes payde he ful faire and wel,      539
Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.      540
In a tabard he rood upon a mere.      541
Ther was also a reve, and a millere,      542
A somnour, and a pardoner also,      543
A maunciple, and myself -- ther were namo.      544
The millere was a stout carl for the nones;      545
Ful byg he was of brawn, and eek of bones.      546
That proved wel, for over al ther he cam,      547
At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram.      548
He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre;      549
Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre,      550
Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.      551
His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,      552
And therto brood, as though it were a spade.      553
Upon the cop right of his nose he hade      554
A werte, and theron stood a toft of herys,      555
Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys;      556
His nosethirles blake were and wyde.      557
A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde.      558
His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.      559
He was a janglere and a goliardeys,      560
And that was moost of synne and harlotries.      561
Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries;      562
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.      563
A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.      564
A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,      565
And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.      566
A gentil maunciple was ther of a temple,      567
Of which achatours myghte take exemple      568
For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;      569
For wheither that he payde or took by taille,      570
Algate he wayted so in his achaat      571
That he was ay biforn and in good staat.      572
Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace      573
That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace      574
The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?      575
Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,      576
That weren of lawe expert and curious,      577
Of which ther were a duszeyne in that hous      578
Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond      579
Of any lord that is in engelond,      580
To make hym lyve by his propre good      581
In honour dettelees (but if he were wood),      582
Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire;      583
And able for to helpen al a shire      584
In any caas that myghte falle or happe;      585
And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe.      586
The reve was a sclendre colerik man.      587
His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan;      588
His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn;
Page  23
     589
His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn      590
Ful longe were his legges and ful lene,      591
Ylyk a staf, ther was no calf ysene.      592
Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne;      593
Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.      594
Wel wiste he by the droghte and by the reyn      595
The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.      596
His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,      597
His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye      598
Was hoolly in this reves governynge,      599
And by his covenant yaf the rekenynge,      600
Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age.      601
Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage.      602
Ther nas baillif, ne hierde, nor oother hyne,      603
That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;      604
They were adrad of hym as of the deeth.      605
His wonyng was ful faire upon an heeth;      606
With grene trees yshadwed was his place.      607
He koude bettre than his lord purchace.      608
Ful riche he was astored pryvely:      609
His lord wel koude he plesen subtilly,      610
To yeve and lene hym of his owene good,      611
And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.      612
In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster;      613
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.      614
This reve sat upon a ful good stot,      615
That was al pomely grey and highte scot.      616
A long surcote of pers upon he hade,      617
And by his syde he baar a rusty blade.      618
Of northfolk was this reve of which I telle,      619
Biside a toun men clepen baldeswelle.      620
Tukked he was as is a frere aboute,      621
And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.      622
A somonour was ther with us in that place,      623
That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynnes face,      624
For saucefleem he was, with eyen narwe.      625
As hoot he was and lecherous as a sparwe,      626
With scalled browes blake and piled berd.      627
Of his visage children were aferd.      628
Ther nas quyk-silver, lytarge, ne brymstoon,      629
Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon;      630
Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte,      631
That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white,      632
Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.      633
Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,      634
And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;      635
Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.      636
And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,      637
Thanne wolde he speke no word but latyn.      638
A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,      639
That he had lerned out of som decree --      640
No wonder is, he herde it al the day;      641
And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay      642
Kan clepen watte as wel as kan the pope.      643
But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope,      644
Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie;      645
Ay questio quid iuris wolde he crie.      646
He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;      647
A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.      648
He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn      649
A good felawe to have his concubyn      650
A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle;      651
Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.      652
And if he foond owher a good felawe,      653
He wolde techen him to have noon awe      654
In swich caas of the ercedekenes curs,      655
But if a mannes soule were in his purs;      656
For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be.      657
Purs is the ercedekenes helle, seyde he.      658
But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;      659
Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede,      660
For curs wol slee right as assoillyng savith,      661
And also war hym of a significavit.      662
In daunger hadde he at his owene gise      663
The yonge girles of the diocise,      664
And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.      665
A gerland hadde he set upon his heed      666
As greet as it were for an ale-stake.      667
A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake.      668
With hym ther rood a gentil pardoner      669
Of rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,      670
That streight was comen fro the court of rome.      671
Ful loude he soong com hider, love, to me!      672
This somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;      673
Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.      674
This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,      675
But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;      676
By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,      677
And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;      678
But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.      679
But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,      680
For it was trussed up in his walet.      681
Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;      682
Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare.      683
Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.      684
A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.      685
His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe,      686
Bretful of pardoun, comen from rome al hoot.      687
A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot.      688
No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have;      689
As smothe it was as it were late shave.      690
I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare.      691
But of his craft, fro berwyk into ware,      692
Ne was ther swich another pardoner      693
For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,      694
Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl:
Page  24
     695
He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl      696
That seint peter hadde, whan that he wente      697
Upon the see, til jhesu crist hym hente.      698
He hadde a croys of latoun ful of stones,      699
And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.      700
But with thise relikes, whan that he fond      701
A povre person dwellynge upon lond,      702
Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye      703
Than that the person gat in monthes tweye;      704
And thus, with feyned flaterye and japes,      705
He made the person and the peple his apes.      706
But trewely to tellen atte laste,      707
He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.      708
Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,      709
But alderbest he song an offertorie;      710
For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,      711
He moste preche and wel affile his tonge      712
To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude;      713
Therefore he song the murierly and loude.      714
Now have I toold you soothly, in a clause,      715
Th' estaat, th' array, the nombre, and eek the cause      716
Why that assembled was this compaignye      717
In southwerk at this gentil hostelrye      718
That highte the tabard, faste by the belle.      719
But now is tyme to yow for to telle      720
How that we baren us that ilke nyght,      721
Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght;      722
And after wol I telle of our viage      723
And al the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.      724
But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,      725
That ye n' arette it nat my vileynye,      726
Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere,      727
To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,      728
Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.      729
For this ye knowen al so wel as I,      730
Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,      731
He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan      732
Everich a word, if it be in his charge,      733
Al speke he never so rudeliche and large,      734
Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,      735
Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.      736
He may nat spare, althogh he were his brother;      737
He moot as wel seye o word as another.      738
Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,      739
And wel ye woot no vileynye is it.      740
Eek plato seith, whoso that kan hym rede,      741
The wordes moote be cosyn to the dede.      742
Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,      743
Al have I nat set folk in hir degree      744
Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde.      745
My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.      746
Greet chiere made oure hoost us everichon,      747
And to the soper sette he us anon.      748
He served us with vitaille at the beste;      749
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.      750
A semely man oure hooste was withalle      751
For to han been a marchal in an halle.      752
A large man he was with eyen stepe --      753
A fairer burgeys is ther noon in chepe --      754
Boold of his speche, and wys, and wel ytaught,      755
And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.      756
Eek therto he was right a myrie man,      757
And after soper pleyen he bigan,      758
And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,      759
Whan that we hadde maad oure rekenynges,      760
And seyde thus: now, lordynges, trewely,      761
Ye been to me right welcome, hertely;      762
For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,      763
I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye      764
Atones in this herberwe as is now.      765
Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.      766
And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,      767
To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.      768
Ye goon to caunterbury -- God yow speede,      769
The blisful martir quite yow youre meede!      770
And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,      771
Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye;      772
For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon      773
To ride by the weye doumb as a stoon;      774
And therfore wol I maken yow disport,      775
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.      776
And if yow liketh alle by oon assent      777
For to stonden at my juggement,      778
And for to werken as I shal yow seye,      779
To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,      780
Now, by my fader soule that is deed,      781
But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!      782
Hoold up youre hondes, withouten moore speche.      783
Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche.      784
Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys,      785
And graunted hym withouten moore avys,      786
And bad him seye his voirdit as hym leste.      787
Lordynges, quod he, now herkneth for the beste;      788
But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn.      789
This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,      790
That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,      791
In this viage shal telle tales tweye      792
To caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,      793
And homward he shal tellen othere two,      794
Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.      795
And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle,      796
That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas      797
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas,      798
Shal have a soper at oure aller cost      799
Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Page  25
     800
Whan that we come agayn fro caunterbury.      801
And for to make yow the moore mury,      802
I wol myselven goodly with yow ryde,      803
Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde,      804
And whoso wole my juggement withseye      805
Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.      806
And if ye vouche sauf that it be so,      807
Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,      808
And I wol erly shape me therfore.      809
This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore      810
With ful glad herte, and preyden hym also      811
That he wolde vouche sauf for to do so,      812
And that he wolde been oure governour,      813
And oure tales juge and reportour,      814
And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,      815
And we wol reuled been at his devys      816
In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent      817
We been acorded to his juggement.      818
And therupon the wyn was fet anon;      819
We dronken, and to reste wente echon,      820
Withouten any lenger taryynge.      821
Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,      822
Up roos oure hoost, and was oure aller cok,      823
And gradrede us togidre alle in a flok,      824
And forth we riden a litel moore than paas      825
Unto the wateryng of seint thomas;      826
And there oure hoost bigan his hors areste      827
And seyde, lordynges, herkneth, if yow leste.      828
Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde.      829
If even-song and morwe-song accorde,      830
Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.      831
As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,      832
Whoso be rebel to my juggement      833
Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.      834
Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne;      835
He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.      836
Sire knyght, quod he, my mayster and my lord,      837
Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord.      838
Cometh neer, quod he, my lady prioresse.      839
And ye, sire clerk, lat be youre shamefastnesse,      840
Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man!      841
Anon to drawen every wight bigan,      842
And shortly for to tellen as it was,      843
Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,      844
The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,      845
Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght,      846
And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,      847
By foreward and by composicioun,      848
As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes mo?      849
And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,      850
As he that wys was and obedient      851
To kepe his foreward by his free assent,      852
He seyde, syn I shal bigynne the game,      853
What, welcome be the cut, a goddes name!      854
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.      855
And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,      856
And he bigan with right a myrie cheere      857
His tale anon, and seyde as ye may heere.      858
The Knight's Tale

Part I
Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,      859
Ther was a duc that highte theseus;      860
Of atthenes he was lord and governour,      861
And in his tyme swich a conquerour,      862
That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.      863
Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;      864
What with his wysdom and his chivalrie,      865
He conquered al the regne of femenye,      866
That whilom was ycleped scithia,      867
And weddede the queene ypolita,      868
And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contree      869
With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,      870
And eek hir yonge suster emelye.      871
And thus with victorie and with melodye      872
Lete I this noble duc to atthenes ryde,      873
And al his hoost in armes hym bisyde.      874
And certes, if it nere to long to heere,      875
I wolde have toold yow fully the manere      876
How wonnen was the regne of femenye      877
By theseus and by his chivalrye;      878
And of the grete bataille for the nones      879
Bitwixen atthenes and amazones;
Page  26
     880
And how asseged was ypolita,      881
The faire, hardy queene of scithia;      882
And of the feste that was at hir weddynge,      883
And of the tempest at hir hoom-comynge;      884
But al that thyng I moot as now forbere.      885
I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,      886
And wayke been the oxen in my plough.      887
The remenant of the tale is long ynough.      888
I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;      889
Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute,      890
And lat se now who shal the soper wynne;      891
And ther I lefte, I wol ayeyn bigynne.      892
This duc, of whom I make mencioun,      893
Whan he was come almoost unto the toun,      894
In al his wele and in his mooste pride,      895
He was war, as he caste his eye aside,      896
Where that ther kneled in the heighe weye      897
A compaignye of ladyes, tweye and tweye,      898
Ech after oother, clad in clothes blake;      899
But swich a cry and swich a wo they make      900
That in this world nys creature lyvynge      901
That herde swich another waymentynge;      902
And of this cry they nolde nevere stenten      903
Til they the reynes of his brydel henten.      904
What fold been ye, that at myn homcomynge      905
Perturben so my feste with criynge?      906
Quod theseus. Have ye so greet envye      907
Of myn honour, that thus compleyne and crye?      908
Or who hath yow mysboden or offended?      909
And telleth me if it may been amended,      910
And why that ye been clothed thus in blak.      911
The eldeste lady of hem alle spak,      912
Whan she hadde swowned with a deedly cheere,      913
That it was routhe for to seen and heere.      914
She seyde: lord, to whom fortune hath yiven      915
Victorie, and as a conqueror to lyven,      916
Nat greveth us youre glorie and youre honour,      917
But we biseken mercy and socour.      918
Have mercy on oure wo and oure distresse!      919
Som drope of pitee, thurgh thy gentillesse,      920
Upon us wrecched wommen lat thou falle.      921
For, certes, lord, ther is noon of us alle,      922
That she ne hath been a duchesse or a queene.      923
Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene,      924
Thanked be fortune and hire false wheel,      925
That noon estaat assureth to be weel.      926
And certes, lord, to abyden youre presence,      927
Heere in this temple of the goddesse clemence      928
We han ben waitynge al this fourtenyght.      929
Now help us, lord, sith it is in thy myght.      930
I, wrecche, which that wepe and wayle thus,      931
Was whilom wyf to kyng cappaneus,      932
That starf at thebes -- cursed be that day! --      933
And alle we that been in this array      934
And maken al this lamentacioun,      935
We losten alle oure housbondes at that toun,      936
Whil that the seege theraboute lay.      937
And yet now the olde creon, weylaway!      938
That lord is now of thebes the citee,      939
Fulfild of ire and of iniquitee,      940
He, for despit and for his tirannye,      941
To do the dede bodyes vileynye      942
Of alle oure lordes whiche that been yslawe,      943
Hath alle the bodyes on an heep ydrawe,      944
And wol nat suffren hem, by noon assent,      945
Neither to been yburyed nor ybrent,      946
But maketh houndes ete hem in despit.      947
And with that word, withouten moore respit,      948
They fillen gruf and criden pitously,      949
Have on us wrecched wommen som mercy,      950
And lat oure sorwe synken in thyn herte.      951
This gentil duc doun from his courser sterte      952
With herte pitous, whan he herde hem speke.      953
Hym thoughte that his herte wolde breke,      954
Whan he saugh hem so pitous and so maat,      955
That whilom weren of so greet estaat;      956
And in his armes he hem alle up hente,      957
And hem conforteth in ful good entente,      958
And swoor his ooth, as he was trewe knyght,      959
He wolde doon so ferforthly his myght      960
Upon the tiraunt creon hem to wreke,      961
That al the peple of grece sholde speke      962
How creon was of theseus yserved      963
As he that hadde his deeth ful wel deserved.      964
And right anoon, withouten moore abood,      965
His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood      966
To thebes-ward, and al his hoost biside.      967
No neer atthenes wolde he go ne ride,      968
Ne take his ese fully half a day,      969
But onward on his wey that nyght he lay,      970
And sente anon ypolita the queene,      971
And emelye, hir yonge suster sheene,      972
Unto the toun of atthenes to dwelle,      973
And forth he rit; ther is namoore to telle.      974
The rede statue of mars, with spere and targe,      975
So shyneth in his white baner large,      976
That alle the feeldes glyteren up and doun;      977
And by his baner born is his penoun      978
Of gold ful riche, in which ther was ybete      979
The mynotaur, which that he slough in crete.      980
Thus rit this duc, thus rit this conquerour,      981
And in his hoost of chivalrie the flour,      982
Til that he cam to thebes and alighte      983
Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoughte to fighte.      984
But shortly for to speken of this thyng,      985
With creon, which that was of thebes kyng,
Page  27
     986
He faught, and slough hym manly as a knyght      987
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flyght;      988
And by assaut he wan the citee after,      989
And rente adoun bothe wall and sparre and rafter;      990
And to the ladyes he restored agayn      991
The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn,      992
To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse.      993
But it were al to longe for to devyse      994
The grete clamour and the waymentynge      995
That the ladyes made at the brennynge      996
Of the bodies, and the grete honour      997
That theseus, the noble conquerour,      998
Dooth to the ladyes, whan they from hym wente;      999
But shortly for to telle is myn entente.      1000
Whan that this worthy duc, this theseus,      1001
Hath creon slayn, and wonne thebes thus,      1002
Stille in that feeld he took al nyght his reste,      1003
And dide with al the contree as hym leste.      1004
To ransake in the taas of bodyes dede,      1005
Hem for to strepe of harneys and of wede,      1006
The pilours diden bisynesse and cure      1007
After the bataille and disconfiture.      1008
And so bifel that in the taas they founde,      1009
Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody wounde,      1010
Two yonge knyghtes liggynge by and by,      1011
Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely,      1012
Of whiche two arcita highte that oon,      1013
And that oother knyght highte palamon.      1014
Nat fully quyke, ne fully dede they were,      1015
But by hir cote-armures and by hir gere      1016
The heraudes knewe hem best in special      1017
As they that weren of the blood roial      1018
Of thebes, and of sustren two yborn.      1019
Out of the taas the pilours han hem torn,      1020
And han hem caried softe unto the tente      1021
Of theseus; and he ful soone hem sente      1022
To atthenes, to dwellen in prisoun      1023
Perpetuelly, -- he nolde no raunsoun.      1024
And whan this worthy duc hath thus ydon,      1025
He took his hoost, and hoom he rit anon      1026
With laurer crowned as a conquerour;      1027
And ther he lyveth in joye and in honour      1028
Terme of his lyf; what nedeth wordes mo?      1029
And in a tour, in angwissh and in wo,      1030
This palamon and his felawe arcite      1031
For everemoore; ther may no gold hem quite.      1032
This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day,      1033
Till it fil ones, in a morwe of may,      1034
That emelye, that fairer was to sene      1035
Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene,      1036
And fressher than the may with floures newe --      1037
For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe,      1038
I noot which was the fyner of hem two --      1039
Er it were day, as was hir wone to do,      1040
She was arisen and al redy dight;      1041
For may wole have no slogardie a-nyght.      1042
The sesoun priketh every gentil herte,      1043
And maketh hym out of his slep to sterte,      1044
And seith arys, and do thyn observaunce.      1045
This maked emelye have remembraunce      1046
To doon honour to may, and for to ryse.      1047
Yclothed was she fressh, for to devyse:      1048
Hir yelow heer was broyded in a tresse      1049
Bihynde hir bak, a yerde long, I gesse.      1050
And in the gardyn, at the sonne upriste,      1051
She walketh up and doun, and as hire liste      1052
She gadereth floures, party white and rede,      1053
To make a subtil gerland for hire hede;      1054
And as an aungel hevenysshly she soong.      1055
The grete tour, that was so thikke and stroong,      1056
Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun,      1057
(ther as the knyghtes weren in prisoun      1058
Of which I tolde yow and tellen shal)      1059
Was evene joynant to the gardyn wal      1060
Ther as this emelye hadde hir pleyynge.      1061
Bright was the sonne and cleer that morwenynge,      1062
And palamoun, this woful prisoner,      1063
As was his wone, by leve of his gayler,      1064
Was risen and romed in a chambre an heigh,      1065
In which he al the noble citee seigh,      1066
And eek the gardyn, ful of braunches grene,      1067
Ther as this fresshe emelye the shene      1068
Was in hire walk, and romed up and doun.      1069
This sorweful prisoner, this palamoun,      1070
Goth in the chambre romynge to and fro,      1071
And to hymself compleynynge of his wo.      1072
That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, allas!      1073
And so bifel, by aventure or cas,      1074
That thurgh a wyndow, thikke of many a barre      1075
Of iren greet and square as any sparre,      1076
He cast his eye upon emelya,      1077
And therwithal he bleynte and cride, a!      1078
As though he stongen were unto the herte.      1079
And with that cry arcite anon up sterte,      1080
And seyde, cosyn myn, what eyleth thee,      1081
That art so pale and deedly on to see?      1082
Why cridestow? who hath thee doon offence?      1083
For goddes love, taak al in pacience      1084
Oure prisoun, for it may noon oother be.      1085
Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee.      1086
Som wikke aspect or disposicioun      1087
Of saturne, by som constellacioun,      1088
Hath yeven us this, although we hadde it sworn;
Page  28
     1089
So stood the hevene whan that we were born.      1090
We moste endure it; this is the short and playn.      1091
This palamon answerde and seyde agayn:      1092
Cosyn, for sothe, of this opinioun      1093
Thow hast a veyn ymaginacioun.      1094
This prison caused me nat for to crye,      1095
But I was hurt right now thurghout myn ye      1096
Into myn herte, that wol my bane be.      1097
The fairnesse of that lady that I see      1098
Yond in the gardyn romen to and fro      1099
Is cause of al my criyng and my wo.      1100
I noot wher she be womman or goddesse,      1101
But venus is it soothly, as I gesse.      1102
And therwithal on knees doun he fil,      1103
And seyde: venus, if it be thy wil      1104
Yow in this gardyn thus to transfigure      1105
Bifore me, sorweful, wrecched creature,      1106
Out of this prisoun help that we may scapen.      1107
And if so be my destynee be shapen      1108
By eterne word to dyen in prisoun,      1109
Of oure lynage have som compassioun,      1110
That is so lowe ybroght by tirannye.      1111
And with that word arcite gan espye      1112
Wher as this lady romed to and fro,      1113
And with that sighte hir beautee hurte hym so,      1114
That, if that palamon was wounded sore,      1115
Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or moore.      1116
And with a sigh he seyde pitously:      1117
The fresshe beautee sleeth me sodeynly      1118
Of hire that rometh in the yonder place,      1119
And but I have hir mercy and hir grace,      1120
That I may seen hire atte leeste weye,      1121
I nam but deed; ther nis namoore to seye.      1122
This palamon, whan he tho wordes herde,      1123
Dispitously he looked and answerde,      1124
Wheither seistow this in ernest or in pley?      1125
Nay, quod arcite, in ernest, by my fey!      1126
God helpe me so, me list ful yvele pleye.      1127
This palamon gan knytte his browes tweye.      1128
It nere, quod he, to thee no greet honour      1129
For to be fals, ne for to be traitour      1130
To me, that am thy cosyn and thy brother      1131
Ysworn ful depe, and ech of us til oother,      1132
That nevere, for to dyen in the peyne,      1133
Til that the deeth departe shal us tweyne,      1134
Neither of us in love to hyndre oother,      1135
Ne in noon oother cas, my leeve brother;      1136
But that thou sholdest trewely forthren me      1137
In every cas, as I shal forthren thee, --      1138
This was thyn ooth, and myn also, certeyn;      1139
I woot right wel, thou darst it nat withseyn.      1140
Thus artow of my conseil, out of doute,      1141
And now thow woldest falsly been aboute      1142
To love my lady, whom I love and serve,      1143
And evere shal til that myn herte sterve.      1144
Nay, certes, false arcite, thow shalt nat so.      1145
I loved hire first, and tolde thee my wo      1146
As to my conseil and my brother sworn      1147
To forthre me, as I have toold biforn.      1148
For which thou art ybounden as a knyght      1149
To helpen me, if it lay in thy myght,      1150
Or elles artow fals, I dar wel seyn.      1151
This arcite ful proudly spak ageyn:      1152
Thow shalt, quod he, be rather fals than I;      1153
And thou art fals, I telle thee outrely,      1154
For paramour I loved hire first er thow.      1155
What wiltow seyen? thou woost nat yet now      1156
Wheither she be a womman or goddesse!      1157
Thyn is affeccioun of hoolynesse,      1158
And myn is love, as to a creature;      1159
For which I tolde thee myn aventure      1160
As to my cosyn and my brother sworn.      1161
I pose that thow lovedest hire biforn;      1162
Wostow nat wel the olde clerkes sawe,      1163
That "who shal yeve a lovere any lawe?"      1164
Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan,      1165
Than may be yeve to any erthely man;      1166
And therfore positif lawe and swich decree      1167
Is broken al day for love in ech degree.      1168
A man moot nedes love, maugree his heed.      1169
He may nat fleen it, thogh he sholde be deed,      1170
Al be she mayde, or wydwe, or elles wyf.      1171
And eek it is nat likly al thy lyf      1172
To stonden in hir grace; namoore shal I;      1173
For wel thou woost thyselven, verraily,      1174
That thou and I be dampned to prisoun      1175
Perpetuelly; us gayneth no raunsoun.      1176
We stryve as dide the houndes for the boon;      1177
They foughte al day, and yet hir part was noon.      1178
Ther cam a kyte, whil that they were so wrothe,      1179
And baar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe.      1180
And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,      1181
Ech man for hymself, ther is noon oother.      1182
Love, if thee list, for I love and ay shal;      1183
And soothly, leeve brother, this is al.      1184
Heere in this prisoun moote we endure,      1185
And everich of us take his aventure.      1186
Greet was the strif and long bitwix hem tweye,      1187
If that I hadde leyser for to seye,      1188
But to th' effect. It happed on a day,      1189
To telle it yow as shortly as I may,      1190
A worthy duc that highte perotheus,      1191
That felawe was unto duc theseus      1192
Syn thilke day that they were children lite,
Page  29
     1193
Was come to atthenes his felawe to visite,      1194
And for to pleye as he was wont to do;      1195
For in this world he loved no man so,      1196
And he loved hym als tendrely agayn.      1197
So wel they lovede, as olde bookes sayn,      1198
That whan that oon was deed, soothly to telle,      1199
His felawe wente and soughte hym doun in helle, --      1200
But of that storie list me nat to write.      1201
Duc perotheus loved wel arcite,      1202
And hadde hym knowe at thebes yeer by yere,      1203
And finally at requeste and preyere      1204
Of perotheus, withouten any raunsoun,      1205
Duc theseus hym leet out of prisoun      1206
Frely to goon wher that hym liste over al,      1207
In swich a gyse as I you tellen shal.      1208
This was the forward, pleynly for t' endite,      1209
Bitwixen theseus and hym arcite      1210
That if so were that arcite were yfounde      1211
Evere in his lif, by day or nyght, oo stounde      1212
In any contree of this theseus,      1213
And he were caught, it was acorded thus,      1214
That with a swerd he sholde lese his heed.      1215
Ther nas noon oother remedie ne reed;      1216
But taketh his leve, and homward he him spedde.      1217
Lat hym be war! his nekke lith to wedde.      1218
How greet a sorwe suffreth now arcite!      1219
The deeth he feeleth thurgh his herte smyte;      1220
He wepeth, wayleth, crieth pitously;      1221
To sleen hymself he waiteth prively.      1222
He seyde, allas that day that I was born!      1223
Now is my prisoun worse than biforn;      1224
Now is me shape eternally to dwelle.      1225
Noght in purgatorie, but in helle.      1226
Allas, that evere knew I perotheus!      1227
For elles hadde I dwelled with theseus,      1228
Yfetered in his prisoun everemo.      1229
Thanne hadde I been in blisse, and nat in wo.      1230
Oonly the sighte of hire whom that I serve,      1231
Though that I nevere hir grace may deserve,      1232
Wolde han suffised right ynough for me.      1233
O deere cosyn palamon, quod he,      1234
Thyn is the victorie of this aventure.      1235
Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure, --      1236
In prison? certes nay, but in paradys!      1237
Wel hath fortune yturned thee the dys,      1238
That hast the sighte of hire, and I th' absence.      1239
For possible is, syn thou hast hire presence,      1240
And art a knyght, a worthy and an able,      1241
That by som cas, syn fortune is chaungeable,      1242
Thow maist to thy desir somtyme atteyne.      1243
But I, that am exiled and bareyne      1244
Of alle grace, and in so greet dispeir,      1245
That ther nys erthe, water, fir, ne eir,      1246
Ne creature that of hem maked is,      1247
That may me helpe or doon confort in this,      1248
Wel oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse.      1249
Farwel my lif, my lust, and my gladnesse!      1250
Allas, why pleynen folk so in commune      1251
On purveiaunce of god, or of fortune,      1252
That yeveth hem ful ofte in many a gyse      1253
Wel bettre than they kan hemself devyse?      1254
Som man desireth for to han richesse,      1255
That cause is of his mordre or greet siknesse;      1256
And som man wolde out of his prisoun fayn,      1257
That in his hous is of his meynee slayn.      1258
Infinite harmes been in this mateere.      1259
We witen nat what thing we preyen heere:      1260
We faren as he that dronke is as a mous.      1261
A dronke man woot wel he hath an hous,      1262
But he noot which the righte wey is thider,      1263
And to a dronke man the wey is slider.      1264
And certes, in this world so faren we;      1265
We seken faste after felicitee,      1266
But we goon wrong ful often, trewely.      1267
Thus may we seyen alle, and namely I,      1268
That wende and hadde a greet opinioun      1269
That if I myghte escapen from prisoun,      1270
Thanne hadde I been in joye and perfit heele,      1271
Ther now I am exiled fro my wele.      1272
Syn that I may nat seen you, emelye,      1273
I nam but deed; ther nys no remedye.      1274
Upon that oother syde palamon,      1275
Whan that he wiste arcite was agon,      1276
Swich sorwe he maketh that the grete tour      1277
Resouneth of his youlyng and clamour.      1278
The pure fettres on his shynes grete      1279
Weren of his bittre, salte teeres wete.      1280
Allas, quod he, arcita, cosyn myn,      1281
Of al oure strif, God woot, the fruyt is thyn.      1282
Thou walkest now in thebes at thy large,      1283
And of my wo thow yevest litel charge.      1284
Thou mayst, syn thou hast wisdom and manhede,      1285
Assemblen alle the folk of oure kynrede,      1286
And make a werre so sharp on this citee,      1287
That by som aventure or some tretee      1288
Thow mayst have hire to lady and to wyf      1289
For whom that I moste nedes lese my lyf.      1290
For, as by wey of possibilitee,      1291
Sith thou art at thy large, of prisoun free,      1292
And art a lord, greet is thyn avauntage      1293
Moore than is myn, that sterve here in a cage.      1294
For I moot wepe and wayle, whil I lyve,      1295
With al the wo that prison may me yive,      1296
And eek with peyne that love me yeveth also,      1297
That doubleth al my torment and my wo.
Page  30
     1298
Therwith the fyr of jalousie up sterte      1299
Withinne his brest, and hente him by the herte      1300
So woodly that he lyk was to biholde      1301
The boxtree or the asshen dede and colde.      1302
Thanne seyde he, o crueel goddes that governe      1303
This world with byndyng of youre word eterne,      1304
And writen in the table of atthamaunt      1305
Youre parlement and youre eterne graunt,      1306
What is mankynde moore unto you holde      1307
Than is the sheep that rouketh in the folde?      1308
For slayn is man right as another beest,      1309
And dwelleth eek in prison and arreest,      1310
And hath siknesse and greet adversitee,      1311
And ofte tymes giltelees, pardee.      1312
What governance is in this prescience,      1313
That giltelees tormenteth innocence?      1314
And yet encresseth this al my penaunce,      1315
That man is bounden to his observaunce,      1316
For goddes sake, to letten of his wille,      1317
Ther as a beest may al his lust fulfille.      1318
And whan a beest is deed he hath no peyne;      1319
But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne,      1320
Though in this world he have care and wo.      1321
Withouten doute it may stonden so.      1322
The answere of this lete I to dyvynys,      1323
But wel I woot that in this world greet pyne ys.      1324
Allas, I se a serpent or a theef,      1325
That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef,      1326
Goon at his large, and where hym list may turne.      1327
But I moot been in prisoun thurgh saturne,      1328
And eek thurgh juno, jalous and eek wood,      1329
That hath destroyed wel ny al the blood      1330
Of thebes with his waste walles wyde;      1331
And venus sleeth me on that oother syde      1332
For jalousie and fere of hym arcite.      1333
Now wol I stynte of palamon a lite,      1334
And lete hym in his prisoun stille dwelle,      1335
And of arcita forth I wol yow telle.      1336
The somer passeth, and the nyghtes longe      1337
Encressen double wise the peynes stronge      1338
Bothe of the lovere and the prisoner.      1339
I noot which hath the wofuller mester.      1340
For, shortly for to seyn, this palamoun      1341
Perpetuelly is dampned to prisoun,      1342
In cheynes and in fettres to been deed;      1343
And arcite is exiled upon his heed      1344
For everemo, as out of that contree,      1345
Ne nevere mo he shal his lady see.      1346
Yow loveres axe I now this questioun:      1347
Who hath the worse, arcite or palamoun?      1348
That oon may seen his lady day by day,      1349
But in prison he moot dwelle alway;      1350
That oother wher hym list may ride or go,      1351
But seen his lady shal he nevere mo.      1352
Now demeth as yow liste, ye that kan,      1353
For I wol telle forth as I bigan.      1354
Explicit prima pars.
Sequitur pars secunda.
Whan that arcite to thebes comen was,      1355
Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde allas!      1356
For seen his lady shal he nevere mo.      1357
And shortly to concluden al his wo,      1358
So muche sorwe hadde nevere creature      1359
That is, or shal, whil that the world may dure.      1360
His slep, his mete, his drynke, is hym biraft,      1361
That lene he wex and drye as is a shaft;      1362
His eyen holwe, and grisly to biholde,      1363
His hewe falow and pale as asshen colde,      1364
And solitarie he was and evere allone,      1365
And waillynge al the nyght, makynge his mone;      1366
And if he herde song or instrument,      1367
Thanne wolde he wepe, he myghte nat be stent.      1368
So feble eek were his spiritz, and so lowe,      1369
And chaunged so, that no man koude knowe      1370
His speche nor his voys, though men it herde.      1371
And in his geere for al the world he ferde,      1372
Nat oonly lik the loveris maladye      1373
Of hereos, but rather lyk manye,      1374
Engendred of humour malencolik,      1375
Biforen, in his celle fantastik.      1376
And shortly, turned was al up so doun      1377
Bothe habit and eek disposicioun      1378
Of hym, this woful lovere daun arcite.      1379
What sholde I al day of his wo endite?      1380
Whan he endured hadde a yeer or two      1381
This crueel torment and this peyne and wo,      1382
At thebes, in his contree, as I seyde,      1383
Upon a nyght in sleep as he hym leyde,      1384
Hym thoughte how that the wynged God mercurie      1385
Biforn hym stood and bad hym to be murie.      1386
His slepy yerde in hond he bar uprighte;      1387
An hat he werede upon his heris brighte.      1388
Arrayed was this god, as he took keep,      1389
As he was whan that argus took his sleep;      1390
And seyde hym thus: to atthenes shaltou wende,      1391
Ther is thee shapen of thy wo an ende.      1392
And with that word arcite wook and sterte.      1393
Now trewely, hou soore that me smerte,      1394
Quod he, to atthenes right now wol I fare,      1395
Ne for the drede of deeth shal I nat spare      1396
To se my lady, that I love and serve.
Page  31
     1397
In hire presence I recche nat to sterve.      1398
And with that word he caughte a greet mirour,      1399
And saugh that chaunged was al his colour,      1400
And saugh his visage al in another kynde.      1401
And right anon it ran hym in his mynde,      1402
That, sith his face was so disfigured      1403
Of maladye the which he hadde endured,      1404
He myghte wel, if that he bar hym lowe,      1405
Lyve in atthenes everemoore unknowe.      1406
And seen his lady wel ny day by day.      1407
And right anon he chaunged his array,      1408
And cladde hym as a povre laborer,      1409
And al allone, save oonly a squier      1410
That knew his privetee and al his cas,      1411
Which was disgised povrely as he was,      1412
To atthenes is he goon the nexte way.      1413
And to the court he wente upon a day,      1414
And at the gate he profreth his servyse      1415
To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse.      1416
And shortly of this matere for to seyn,      1417
He fil in office with a chamberleyn      1418
The which that dwellynge was with emelye;      1419
For he was wys and koude soone espye      1420
Of every servaunt which that serveth here.      1421
Wel koude he hewen wode, and water bere,      1422
For he was yong and myghty for the nones,      1423
And therto he was long and big of bones      1424
To doon that any wight kan hym devyse.      1425
A yeer or two he was in this servyse,      1426
Page of the chambre of emelye the brighte;      1427
And philostrate he seyde that he highte.      1428
But half so wel biloved a man as he      1429
Ne was ther nevere in court of his degree;      1430
He was so gentil of condicioun      1431
That thurghout al the court was his renoun.      1432
They seyden that it were a charitee      1433
That theseus wolde enhauncen his degree,      1434
And putten hym in worshipful servyse,      1435
Ther as he myghte his vertu excercise.      1436
And thus withinne a while his name is spronge,      1437
Bothe of his dedes and his goode tonge,      1438
That theseus hath taken hym so neer,      1439
That of his chambre he made hym a squier,      1440
And gaf hym gold to mayntene his degree.      1441
And eek men broghte hym out of his contree,      1442
From yeer to yeer, ful pryvely his rente;      1443
But honestly and slyly he it spente,      1444
That no man wondred how that he it hadde.      1445
And thre yeer in this wise his lif he ladde,      1446
And bar hym so, in pees and eek in werre,      1447
Ther was no man that theseus hath derre.      1448
And in this blisse lete I now arcite,      1449
And speke I wole of palamon a lite.      1450
In derknesse and horrible and strong prisoun      1451
Thise seven yeer hath seten palamoun      1452
Forpyned, what for wo and for distresse.      1453
Who feeleth double soor and hevynesse      1454
But palamon, that love destreyneth so      1455
That wood out of his wit he goth for wo?      1456
And eek therto he is a prisoner      1457
Perpetuelly, noght oonly for a yer.      1458
Who koude ryme in englyssh proprely      1459
His martirdom? for sothe it am nat I;      1460
Therfore I passe as lightly as I may.      1461
It fel that in the seventhe yer, of may      1462
The thridde nyght, (as olde bookes seyn,      1463
That al this storie tellen moore pleyn)      1464
Were it by aventure or destynee --      1465
As, whan a thyng is shapen, it shal be --      1466
That soone after the mydnyght palamoun,      1467
By helpyng of a freend, brak his prisoun      1468
And fleeth the citee faste as he may go.      1469
For he hadde yeve his gayler drynke so      1470
Of a clarree maad of a certeyn wyn,      1471
With nercotikes and opie of thebes fyn,      1472
That al that nyght, thogh that men wolde him shake,      1473
The gayler sleep, he myghte nat awake;      1474
And thus he fleeth as faste as evere he may.      1475
The nyght was short and faste by the day,      1476
That nedes cost he moot hymselven hyde;      1477
And til a grove faste ther bisyde      1478
With dredeful foot thanne stalketh palamon.      1479
For, shortly, this was his opinion,      1480
That in that grove he wolde hym hyde al day,      1481
And in the nyght thanne wolde he take his way      1482
To thebes-ward, his freendes for to preye      1483
On theseus to helpe him to werreye;      1484
And shortly, outher he wolde lese his lif,      1485
Or wynnen emelye unto his wyf.      1486
This is th' effect and his entente pleyn.      1487
Now wol I turne to arcite ageyn,      1488
That litel wiste how ny that was his care,      1489
Til that fortune had broght him in the snare.      1490
The bisy larke, messager of day,      1491
Salueth in hir song the morwe gray,      1492
And firy phebus riseth up so bright      1493
That al the orient laugheth of the light,      1494
And with his stremes dryeth in the greves      1495
The silver dropes hangynge on the leves.      1496
And arcita, that in the court roial      1497
With theseus is squier principal,      1498
Is risen and looketh on the myrie day.      1499
And for to doon his observaunce to may,      1500
Remembrynge on the poynt of his desir,      1501
He on a courser, startlynge as the fir,      1502
Is riden into the feeldes hym to pleye,
Page  32
     1503
Out of the court, were it a myle or tweye.      1504
And to the grove of which that I yow tolde      1505
By aventure his wey he gan to holde,      1506
To maken hym a gerland of the greves      1507
Were it of wodebynde or hawethorn leves,      1508
And loude he song ayeyn the sonne shene:      1509
May, with alle thy floures and thy grene,      1510
Welcome be thou, faire, fresshe may,      1511
In hope that I som grene gete may.      1512
And from his courser, with a lusty herte,      1513
Into the grove ful hastily he sterte,      1514
And in a path he rometh up and doun,      1515
Ther as by aventure this palamoun      1516
Was in a bussh, that no man myghte hym se,      1517
For soore afered of his deeth was he.      1518
No thyng ne knew he that it was arcite;      1519
God woot he wolde have trowed it ful lite.      1520
But sooth is seyd, go sithen many yeres,      1521
That feeld hath eyen and the wode hath eres.      1522
It is ful fair a man to bere hym evene,      1523
For al day meeteth men at unset stevene.      1524
Ful litel woot arcite of his felawe,      1525
That was so ny to herknen al his sawe,      1526
For in the bussh he sitteth now ful stille.      1527
Whan that arcite hadde romed al his fille,      1528
And songen al the roundel lustily,      1529
Into a studie he fil sodeynly,      1530
As doon thise loveres in hir queynte geres,      1531
Now in the crope, now doun in the breres,      1532
Now up, now doun, as boket in a welle.      1533
Right as the friday, soothly for to telle,      1534
Now it shyneth, now it reyneth faste,      1535
Right so kan geery venus overcaste      1536
The hertes of hir folk; right as hir day      1537
Is gereful, right so chaungeth she array.      1538
Selde is the friday al the wowke ylike.      1539
Whan that arcite had songe, he gan to sike,      1540
And sette hym doun withouten any moore.      1541
Allas, quod he, that day that I was bore!      1542
How longe, juno, thurgh thy crueltee,      1543
Woltow werreyen thebes the citee?      1544
Allas, ybroght is to confusioun      1545
The blood roial of cadme and amphioun, --      1546
Of cadmus, which that was the firste man      1547
That thebes bulte, or first the toun bigan,      1548
And of the citee first was crouned kyng.      1549
Of his lynage am I and his ofspryng      1550
By verray ligne, as of the stok roial,      1551
And now I am so caytyf and so thral,      1552
That he that is my mortal enemy,      1553
I serve hym as his squier povrely.      1554
And yet dooth juno me wel moore shame,      1555
For I dar noght biknowe myn owene name;      1556
But ther as I was wont to highte arcite,      1557
Now highte I philostrate, noght worth a myte.      1558
Allas, thou felle mars! allas, juno!      1559
Thus hath youre ire oure lynage al fordo,      1560
Save oonly me and wrecched palamoun,      1561
That theseus martireth in prisoun.      1562
And over al this, to sleen me outrely,      1563
Love hath his firy dart so brennyngly      1564
Ystiked thurgh my trewe, careful herte,      1565
That shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.      1566
Ye sleen me with youre eyen, emelye!      1567
Ye been the cause wherfore that I dye.      1568
Of al the remenant of myn oother care      1569
Ne sette I nat the montance of a tare,      1570
So that I koude doon aught to youre plesaunce.      1571
And with that word he fil doun in a traunce      1572
A longe tyme, and after he up sterte.      1573
This palamoun, that thoughte that thurgh his herte      1574
He felte a coold swerd sodeynliche glyde,      1575
For ire he quook, no lenger wolde he byde.      1576
And whan that he had herd arcites tale,      1577
As he were wood, with face deed and pale,      1578
He stirte hym up out of the buskes thikke,      1579
And seide: arcite, false traytour wikke,      1580
Now artow hent, that lovest my lady so,      1581
For whom that I have al this peyne and wo,      1582
And art my blood, and to my conseil sworn,      1583
As I ful ofte have told thee heerbiforn,      1584
And hast byjaped heere duc theseus,      1585
And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus!      1586
I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye.      1587
Thou shalt nat love my lady emelye,      1588
But I wol love hire oonly and namo;      1589
For I am palamon, thy mortal foo.      1590
And though that I no wepene have in this place,      1591
But out of prison am astert by grace,      1592
I drede noght that outher thow shalt dye,      1593
Or thow ne shalt nat loven emelye.      1594
Chees which thou wolt, for thou shalt nat asterte!      1595
This arcite, with ful despitous herte,      1596
Whan he hym knew, and hadde his tale herd,      1597
As fiers as leon pulled out his swerd,      1598
And seyde thus: by God that sit above,      1599
Nere it that thou art sik and wood for love,      1600
And eek that thow no wepne hast in this place,      1601
Thou sholdest nevere out of this grove pace,      1602
That thou ne sholdest dyen of myn hond.      1603
For I defye the seurete and the bond      1604
Which that thou seist that I have maad to thee.      1605
What, verray fool, thynk wel that love is free,      1606
And I wol love hire maugree al thy myght!
Page  33
     1607
But for as muche thou art a worthy knyght;      1608
And wilnest to darreyne hire by bataille,      1609
Have heer my trouthe, tomorwe I wol nat faille,      1610
Withoute wityng of any oother wight,      1611
That heere I wol be founden as a knyght,      1612
And bryngen harneys right ynough for thee;      1613
And ches the beste, and leef the worste for me.      1614
And mete and drynke this nyght wol I brynge      1615
Ynough for thee, and clothes for thy beddynge.      1616
And if so be that thou my lady wynne,      1617
And sle me in this wode ther I am inne,      1618
Thow mayst wel have thy lady as for me.      1619
This palamon answerde, I graunte it thee.      1620
And thus they been departed til amorwe,      1621
Whan ech of hem had leyd his feith to borwe.      1622
O cupide, out of alle charitee!      1623
O regne, that wolt no felawe have with thee!      1624
Ful sooth is seyd that love ne lordshipe      1625
Wol noght, his thankes, have no felaweshipe.      1626
Wel fynden that arcite and palamoun.      1627
Arcite is riden anon unto the toun,      1628
And on the morwe, er it were dayes light,      1629
Ful prively two harneys hath he dight,      1630
Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne      1631
The bataille in the feeld bitwix hem tweyne;      1632
And on his hors, allone as he was born,      1633
He carieth al the harneys hym biforn.      1634
And in the grove, at tyme and place yset,      1635
This arcite and this palamon ben met.      1636
Tho chaungen gan the colour in hir face,      1637
Right as the hunters in the regne of trace,      1638
That stondeth at the gappe with a spere,      1639
Whan hunted is the leon or the bere,      1640
And hereth hym come russhyyng in the greves,      1641
And breketh bothe bowes and the leves,      1642
And thynketh, heere cometh my mortal enemy!      1643
Withoute faille, he moot be deed, or I;      1644
For outher I moot sleen hym at the gappe,      1645
Or he moot sleen me, if that me myshappe, --      1646
So ferden they in chaungyng of hir hewe,      1647
As fer as everich of hem oother knewe.      1648
Ther nas no good day, ne no saluyng,      1649
But streight, withouten word or rehersyng,      1650
Everich of hem heelp for to armen oother      1651
As freendly as he were his owene brother;      1652
And after that, with sharpe speres stronge      1653
They foynen ech at oother wonder longe.      1654
Thou myghtest wene that this palamon      1655
In his fightyng were a wood leon,      1656
And as a crueel tigre was arcite;      1657
As wilde bores gonne they to smyte,      1658
That frothen whit as foom for ire wood.      1659
Up to the ancle foghte they in hir blood.      1660
And in this wise I lete hem fightyng dwelle,      1661
And forth I wole of theseus yow telle.      1662
The destinee, ministre general,      1663
That executeth in the world over al      1664
The purveiaunce that God hath seyn biforn,      1665
So strong it is that, though the world had sworn      1666
The contrarie of a thyng by ye or nay,      1667
Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day      1668
That falleth nat eft withinne a thousand yeer.      1669
For certeinly, oure appetites heer,      1670
Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love,      1671
Al is this reuled by the sighte above.      1672
This mene I now by myghty theseus,      1673
That for to hunten is so desirus,      1674
And namely at the grete hert in may,      1675
That in his bed ther daweth hym no day      1676
That he nys clad, and redy for to ryde      1677
With hunte and horn and houndes hym bisyde.      1678
For in his huntyng hath he swich delit      1679
That it is al his joye and appetit      1680
To been hymself the grete hertes bane,      1681
For after mars he serveth now dyane.      1682
Cleer was the day, as I have toold er this,      1683
And theseus with alle joye and blis,      1684
With his ypolita, the faire queene,      1685
And emelye, clothed al in grene,      1686
On huntyng be they riden roially.      1687
And to the grove that stood ful faste by,      1688
In which ther was an hert, as men hym tolde,      1689
Duc theseus the streighte wey hath holde.      1690
And to the launde he rideth hym ful right,      1691
For thider was the hert wont have his flight,      1692
And over a brook, and so forth on his weye.      1693
This duc wol han a cours at hym or tweye      1694
With houndes swiche as that hym list comaunde.      1695
And whan this duc was come unto the launde,      1696
Under the sonne he looketh, and anon      1697
He was war of arcite and palamon,      1698
That foughten breme, as it were bores two.      1699
The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro      1700
So hidously that with the leeste strook      1701
It semed as it wolde felle an ook.      1702
But what they were, no thyng he ne woot.      1703
This duc his courser with his spores smoot,      1704
And at a stert he was bitwix hem two,      1705
And pulled out a swerd, and cride, hoo!      1706
Namoore, up peyne of lesynge of youre heed!      1707
By myghty mars, he shal anon be deed      1708
That smyteth any strook that I may seen.      1709
But telleth me what myster men ye been,      1710
That been so hardy for to fighten heere
Page  34
     1711
Withouten juge or oother officere,      1712
As it were in a lystes roially.      1713
This palamon answerde hastily,      1714
And seyde, sire, what nedeth wordes mo?      1715
We have the deeth disserved bothe two.      1716
Two woful wrecches been we, two caytyves,      1717
That been encombred of oure owene lyves;      1718
And as thou art a rightful lord and juge,      1719
Ne yif us neither mercy ne refuge,      1720
But sle me first, for seinte charitee!      1721
But sle my felawe eek as wel as me;      1722
Or sle hym first, for though thow knowest it lite,      1723
This is thy mortal foo, this is arcite,      1724
That fro thy lond is banysshed on his heed,      1725
For which he hath deserved to be deed.      1726
For this is he that cam unto thy gate      1727
And seyde that he highte philostrate.      1728
Thus hath he japed thee ful many a yer,      1729
And thou hast maked hym thy chief squier;      1730
And this is he that loveth emelye.      1731
For sith the day is come that I shal dye,      1732
I make pleynly my confessioun      1733
That I am thilke woful palamoun      1734
That hath thy prisoun broken wikkedly.      1735
I am thy mortal foo, and it am I      1736
That loveth so hoote emelye the brighte      1737
That I wol dye present in hir sighte.      1738
Wherfore I axe deeth and my juwise;      1739
But sle my felawe in the same wise,      1740
For bothe han we deserved to be slayn.      1741
This worthy duc answerde anon agayn,      1742
And seyde, this is a short conclusioun.      1743
Youre owene mouth, by youre confessioun,      1744
Hath dampned yow, and I wol it recorde;      1745
It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde.      1746
Ye shal be deed, by myghty mars the rede!      1747
The queene anon, for verray wommanhede,      1748
Gan for to wepe, and so dide emelye,      1749
And alle the ladyes in the compaignye.      1750
Greet pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle,      1751
That evere swich a chaunce sholde falle;      1752
For gentil men they were of greet estaat,      1753
And no thyng but for love was this debaat;      1754
And saugh hir blody woundes wyde and soore,      1755
And alle crieden, bothe lasse and moore,      1756
Have mercy, lord, upon us wommen alle!      1757
And on hir bare knees adoun they falle,      1758
And wolde have kist his feet ther as he stood;      1759
Til at the laste aslaked was his mood,      1760
For pitee renneth soone in gentil herte.      1761
And though he first for ire quook and sterte,      1762
He hath considered shortly, in a clause,      1763
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause,      1764
And although that his ire hir gilt accused,      1765
Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excused,      1766
As thus: he thoghte wel that every man      1767
Wol helpe hymself in love, if that he kan,      1768
And eek delivere hymself out of prisoun.      1769
And eek his herte hadde compassioun      1770
Of wommen, for they wepen evere in oon;      1771
And in his gentil herte he thoughte anon,      1772
And softe unto hymself he seyde, fy      1773
Upon a lord that wol have no mercy,      1774
But been a leon, bothe in word and dede,      1775
To hem that been in repentaunce and drede,      1776
As wel as to a proud despitous man      1777
That wol mayntene that he first bigan.      1778
That lord hath litel of discrecioun,      1779
That in swich cas kan no divisioun,      1780
But weyeth pride and humblesse after oon.      1781
And shortly, whan his ire is thus agoon,      1782
He gan to looken up with eyen lighte,      1783
And spak thise same wordes al on highte:      1784
The God of love, a, benedicite!      1785
How myghty and how greet a lord is he!      1786
Ayeyns his myght ther gayneth none obstacles.      1787
He may be cleped a God for his myracles;      1788
For he kan maken, at his owene gyse,      1789
Of everich herte as that hym list divyse.      1790
Lo heere this arcite and this palamoun,      1791
That quitly weren out of my prisoun,      1792
And myghte han lyved in thebes roially,      1793
And witen I am hir mortal enemy,      1794
And that hir deth lith in my myght also;      1795
And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two,      1796
Broght hem hyder bothe for to dye.      1797
Now looketh, is nat that an heigh folye?      1798
Who may been a fool, but if he love?      1799
Bihoold, for goddes sake that sit above,      1800
Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed?      1801
Thus hath hir lord, the God of love, ypayed      1802
Hir wages and hir fees for hir servyse!      1803
And yet they wenen for to been ful wyse      1804
That serven love, for aught that may bifalle.      1805
But this is yet the beste game of alle,      1806
That she for whom they han this jolitee      1807
Kan hem therfore as muche thank as me.      1808
She woot namoore of al this hoote fare,      1809
By god, than woot a cokkow or an hare!      1810
But all moot ben assayed, hoot and coold;      1811
A man moot ben a fool, or yong or oold, --      1812
I woot it by myself ful yore agon,      1813
For in my tyme a servant was I oon.      1814
And therfore, syn I knowe of loves peyne,      1815
And woot hou soore it kan a man distreyne,      1816
As he that hath ben caught ofte in his laas,      1817
I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespaas,
Page  35
     1818
At requeste of the queene, that kneleth heere,      1819
And eek of emelye, my suster deere.      1820
And ye shul bothe anon unto me swere      1821
That nevere mo ye shal my contree dere,      1822
Ne make werre upon me nyght ne day,      1823
But been my freendes in all that ye may.      1824
I yow foryeve this trespas every deel.      1825
And they hym sworen his axyng faire and weel,      1826
And hym of lordshipe and of mercy preyde,      1827
And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he seyde:      1828
To speke of roial lynage and richesse,      1829
Though that she were a queene or a princesse,      1830
Ech of you bothe is worthy, doutelees,      1831
To wedden whan tyme is, but nathelees      1832
I speke as for my suster emelye,      1833
For whom ye have this strif and jalousye.      1834
Ye woot yourself she may nat wedden two      1835
Atones, though ye fighten everemo.      1836
That oon of you, al be hym looth or lief,      1837
He moot go pipen in an yvy leef;      1838
This is to seyn, she may nat now han bothe,      1839
Al be ye never so jalouse ne so wrothe.      1840
And forthy I yow putte in this degree,      1841
That ech of yow shal have his destynee      1842
As hym is shape, and herkneth in what wyse;      1843
Lo heere youre ende of that I shal devyse.      1844
My wyl is this, for plat conclusioun,      1845
Withouten any repplicacioun, --      1846
If that you liketh, take it for the beste:      1847
That everich of you shal goon where hym leste      1848
Frely, withouten raunson or daunger;      1849
And this day fifty wykes, fer ne ner,      1850
Everich of you shal brynge an hundred knyghtes      1851
Armed for lystes up at alle rightes,      1852
Al redy to darreyne hire by bataille.      1853
And this bihote I yow withouten faille,      1854
Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knyght,      1855
That wheither of yow bothe that hath myght, --      1856
This is to seyn, that wheither he or thow      1857
May with his hundred, as I spak of now,      1858
Sleen his contrarie, or out of lystes dryve,      1859
Thanne shal I yeve emelya to wyve      1860
To whom that fortune yeveth so fair a grace.      1861
The lystes shal I maken in this place,      1862
And God so wisly on my soule rewe,      1863
As I shal evene juge been and trewe.      1864
Ye shul noon oother ende with me maken,      1865
That oon of yow ne shal be deed or taken.      1866
And if yow thynketh this is weel ysayd,      1867
Seyeth youre avys, and holdeth you apayd.      1868
This is youre ende and youre conclusioun.      1869
Who looketh lightly now but palamoun?      1870
Who spryngeth up for joye but arcite?      1871
Who kouthe telle, or who kouthe it endite,      1872
The joye that is maked in the place      1873
Whan theseus hath doon so fair a grace?      1874
But doun on knees wente every maner wight,      1875
And thonked hym with al hir herte and myght,      1876
And namely the thebans often sithe.      1877
And thus with good hope and with herte blithe      1878
They taken hir leve, and homward gonne they ride      1879
To thebes, with his olde walles wyde.      1880
Explicit secunda pars.
Sequitur pars tercia.
I trowe men wolde deme it necligence      1881
If I foryete to tellen the dispence      1882
Of theseus, that gooth so bisily      1883
To maken up the lystes roially,      1884
That swich a noble theatre as it was,      1885
I dar wel seyen in this world ther nas.      1886
The circuit a myle was aboute,      1887
Walled of stoon, and dyched al withoute.      1888
Round was the shap, in manere of compas,      1889
Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty pas,      1890
That whan a man was set on o degree,      1891
He letted nat his felawe for to see.      1892
Estward ther stood a gate of marbul whit,      1893
Westward right swich another in the opposit.      1894
And shortly to concluden, swich a place      1895
Was noon in erthe, as in so litel space;      1896
For in the lond ther was no crafty man      1897
That geometrie or ars-metrike kan,      1898
Ne portreyour, ne kervere of ymages,      1899
That theseus ne yaf him mete and wages,      1900
The theatre for to maken and devyse.      1901
And for to doon his ryte and sacrifise,      1902
He estward hath, upon the gate above,      1903
In worshipe of venus, goddesse of love,      1904
Doon make an auter and an oratorie;      1905
And on the gate westward, in memorie      1906
Of mars, he maked hath right swich another,      1907
That coste largely of gold a fother.      1908
And northward, in a touret on the wal,      1909
Of alabastre whit and reed coral,      1910
An oratorie, riche for to see,      1911
In worshipe of dyane of chastitee,      1912
Hath theseus doon wroght in noble wyse.      1913
But yet hadde I foryeten to devyse      1914
The noble kervyng and the portreitures,      1915
The shap, the contenaunce, and the figures,      1916
That weren in thise oratories thre.
Page  36
     1917
First in the temple of venus maystow se      1918
Wroght on the wal, ful pitous to biholde,      1919
The broken slepes, and the sikes colde,      1920
The sacred teeris, and the waymentynge,      1921
The firy strokes of the desirynge      1922
That loves servantz in this lyf enduren;      1923
The othes that hir covenantz assuren;      1924
Plesaunce and hope, desir, foolhardynesse,      1925
Beautee and youthe, bauderie, richesse,      1926
Charmes and force, lesynges, flaterye,      1927
Despense, bisynesse, and jalousye,      1928
That wered of yelewe gooldes a gerland,      1929
And a cokkow sittynge on hir hand;      1930
Festes, instrumentz, caroles, daunces,      1931
Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces      1932
Of love, which that I rekned and rekne shal,      1933
By ordre weren peynted on the wal,      1934
And mo than I kan make of mencioun.      1935
For soothly al the mount of citheroun,      1936
Ther venus hath hir principal dwellynge,      1937
Was shewed on the wal in portreyynge,      1938
With al the gardyn and the lustynesse.      1939
Nat was foryeten the porter, ydelnesse,      1940
Ne narcisus the faire of yore agon,      1941
Ne yet the folye of kyng salomon,      1942
Ne yet the grete strengthe of ercules --      1943
Th-enchauntementz of medea and circes --      1944
Ne of turnus, with the hardy fiers corage,      1945
The riche cresus, kaytyf in servage.      1946
Thus may ye seen that wysdom ne richesse,      1947
Beautee ne sleighte, strengthe ne hardynesse,      1948
Ne may with venus holde champartie,      1949
For as hir list the world than may she gye.      1950
Lo, alle thise folk so caught were in hir las,      1951
Til they for wo ful ofte seyde allas!      1952
Suffiseth heere ensamples oon or two,      1953
And though I koude rekene a thousand mo.      1954
The statue of venus, glorious for to se,      1955
Was naked, fletynge in the large see,      1956
And fro the navele doun al covered was      1957
With wawes grene, and brighte as any glas.      1958
A citole in hir right hand hadde she,      1959
And on hir heed, ful semely for to se,      1960
A rose gerland, fressh and wel smellynge;      1961
Above hir heed hir dowves flikerynge.      1962
Biforn hire stood hir sone cupido;      1963
Upon his shuldres wynges hadde he two,      1964
And blynd he was, as it is often seene;      1965
A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.      1966
Why sholde I noght as wel eek telle yow al      1967
The portreiture that was upon the wal      1968
Withinne the temple of myghty mars the rede?      1969
Al peynted was the wal, in lengthe and brede,      1970
Lyk to the estres of the grisly place      1971
That highte the grete temple of mars in trace,      1972
In thilke colde, frosty regioun      1973
Ther as mars hath his sovereyn mansioun.      1974
First on the wal was peynted a forest,      1975
In which ther dwelleth neither man ne best,      1976
With knotty, knarry, bareyne trees olde,      1977
Of stubbes sharpe and hidouse to biholde,      1978
In which ther ran a rumbel in a swough,      1979
As though a storm sholde bresten every bough.      1980
And dounward from an hille, under a bente,      1981
Ther stood the temple of mars armypotente,      1982
Wroght al of burned steel, of which the entree      1983
Was long and streit, and gastly for to see.      1984
And therout came a rage and swich a veze      1985
That it made al the gate for to rese.      1986
The northren lyght in at the dores shoon,      1987
For wyndowe on the wal ne was ther noon,      1988
Thurgh which men myghten any light discerne.      1989
The dore was al of adamant eterne,      1990
Yclenched overthwart and endelong      1991
With iren tough; and for to make it strong,      1992
Every pyler, the temple to sustene,      1993
Was tonne-greet, of iren bright and shene.      1994
Ther saugh I first the derke ymaginyng      1995
Of felonye, and al the compassyng;      1996
The crueel ire, reed as any gleede;      1997
The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede;      1998
The smylere with the knyf under the cloke;      1999
The shepne brennynge with the blake smoke;      2000
The tresoun of the mordrynge in the bedde;      2001
The open werre, with woundes al bibledde;      2002
Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace.      2003
Al ful of chirkyng was that sory place.      2004
The sleere of hymself yet saugh I ther, --      2005
His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer;      2006
The nayl ydryven in the shode a-nyght;      2007
The colde deeth, with mouth gapyng upright.      2008
Amyddes of the temple sat meschaunce,      2009
With disconfort and sory contenaunce.      2010
Yet saugh I woodnesse, laughynge in his rage,      2011
Armed compleint, outhees, and fiers outrage;      2012
The careyne in the busk, with throte ycorve;      2013
A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm ystorve;      2014
The tiraunt, with the pray by force yraft;      2015
The toun destroyed, ther was no thyng laft.      2016
Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres;      2017
The hunte strangled with the wilde beres;      2018
The sowe freten the child right in the cradel;      2019
The cook yscalded, for al his longe ladel.      2020
Noght was foryeten by the infortune of marte      2021
The cartere overryden with his carte:      2022
Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun.      2023
Ther were also, of martes divisioun,
Page  37
     2024
The barbour, and the bocher, and the smyth,      2025
That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his styth.      2026
And al above, depeynted in a tour,      2027
Saugh I conquest, sittynge in greet honour,      2028
With the sharpe swerd over his heed      2029
Hangynge by a soutil twynes threed.      2030
Depeynted was the slaughtre of julius,      2031
Of grete nero, and of antonius;      2032
Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn,      2033
Yet was hir deth depeynted ther-biforn      2034
By manasynge of mars, right by figure.      2035
So was it shewed in that portreiture,      2036
As is depeynted in the sterres above      2037
Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love.      2038
Suffiseth oon ensample in stories olde;      2039
I may nat rekene hem alle though I wolde.      2040
The statue of mars upon a carte stood      2041
Armed, and looked grym as he were wood;      2042
And over his heed ther shynen two figures      2043
Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures,      2044
That oon puella, that oother rubeus --      2045
This God of armes was arrayed thus.      2046
A wolf ther stood biforn hym at his feet      2047
With eyen rede, and of a man he eet;      2048
With soutil pencel depeynted was this storie      2049
In redoutynge of mars and of his glorie.      2050
Now to the temple of dyane the chaste,      2051
As shortly as I kan, I wol me haste,      2052
To telle yow al the descripsioun.      2053
Depeynted been the walles up and doun      2054
Of huntyng and of shamefast chastitee.      2055
Ther saugh I how woful calistopee,      2056
Whan that diane agreved was with here,      2057
Was turned from a womman til a bere,      2058
And after was she maad the loode-sterre;      2059
Thus was it peynted, I kan sey yow no ferre.      2060
Hir sone is eek a sterre, as men may see.      2061
Ther saugh I dane, yturned til a tree, --      2062
I mene nat the goddesse diane,      2063
But penneus doghter, which that highte dane.      2064
Ther saugh I attheon an hert ymaked,      2065
For vengeaunce that he saugh diane al naked;      2066
I saugh how that his houndes have hym caught      2067
And freeten hym, for that they knewe hym naught.      2068
Yet peynted was a litel forther moor      2069
How atthalante hunted the wilde boor,      2070
And meleagre, and many another mo,      2071
For which dyane wroghte hym care and wo.      2072
Ther saugh I many another wonder storie,      2073
The which me list nat drawen to memorie.      2074
This goddesse on an hert ful hye seet,      2075
With smale houndes al aboute hir feet;      2076
And undernethe hir feet she hadde a moone, --      2077
Wexynge it was and sholde wanye soone.      2078
In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,      2079
With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas.      2080
Hir eyen caste she ful lowe adoun,      2081
Ther pluto hath his derke regioun.      2082
A womman travaillynge was hire biforn;      2083
But for hir child so longe was unborn,      2084
Ful pitously lucyna gan she calle,      2085
And seyde, help, for thou mayst best of alle!      2086
Wel koude he peynten lifly that it wroghte;      2087
With many a floryn he the hewes boghte.      2088
Now been thise lystes maad, and theseus,      2089
That at his grete cost arrayed thus      2090
The temples and the theatre every deel,      2091
Whan it was doon, hym lyked wonder weel.      2092
But stynte I wole of theseus a lite,      2093
And speke of palamon and of arcite.      2094
The day approcheth of hir retournynge,      2095
That everich sholde an hundred knyghtes brynge      2096
The bataille to darreyne, as I yow tolde.      2097
And til atthenes, hir covenant for to holde,      2098
Hath everich of hem broght an hundred knyghtes,      2099
Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes.      2100
And sikerly ther trowed many a man      2101
That nevere, sithen that the world bigan,      2102
As for to speke of knyghthod of hir hond,      2103
As fer as God hath maked see or lond,      2104
Nas of so fewe so noble a compaignye.      2105
For every wight that lovede chivalrye,      2106
And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name,      2107
Hath preyed that he myghte been of that game;      2108
And wel was hym that therto chosen was.      2109
For if ther fille tomorwe swich a cas,      2110
Ye knowen wel that every lusty knyght      2111
That loveth paramours and hath his myght,      2112
Were it in engelond or elleswhere,      2113
They wolde, hir thankes, wilnen to be there, --      2114
To fighte for a lady, benedicitee!      2115
It were a lusty sighte for to see.      2116
And right so ferden they with palamon.      2117
With hym ther wenten knyghtes many on;      2118
Som wol ben armed in an haubergeoun,      2119
And in a brestplate and light gypoun;      2120
And som wol have a paire plates large;      2121
And som wol have a pruce sheeld or a targe;      2122
Som wol ben armed on his legges weel,      2123
And have an ax, and som a mace of steel --      2124
Ther is no newe gyse that it nas old.      2125
Armed were they, as I have yow told,      2126
Everych after his opinioun.      2127
Ther maistow seen, comynge with palamoun,      2128
Lygurge hymself, the grete kyng of trace.
Page  38
     2129
Blak was his berd, and manly was his face;      2130
The cercles of his eyen in his heed,      2131
They gloweden bitwixen yelow and reed,      2132
And lik a grifphon looked he aboute,      2133
With kempe heeris on his browes stoute;      2134
His lymes grete, his brawnes harde and stronge,      2135
His shuldres brode, his armes rounde and longe;      2136
And as the gyse was in his contree,      2137
Ful hye upon a chaar of gold stood he,      2138
With foure white boles in the trays.      2139
In stede of cote-armure over his harnays,      2140
With nayles yelewe and brighte as any gold,      2141
He hadde a beres skyn, col-blak for old.      2142
His longe heer was kembd bihynde his bak;      2143
As any ravenes fethere it shoon for blak;      2144
A wrethe of gold, arm-greet, of huge wighte,      2145
Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte,      2146
Of fyne rubyes and of dyamauntz.      2147
Aboute his chaar ther wenten white alauntz,      2148
Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,      2149
To hunten at the leoun or the deer,      2150
And folwed hym with mosel faste ybounde,      2151
Colered of gold, and tourettes fyled rounde.      2152
An hundred lordes hadde he in his route,      2153
Armed ful wel, with hertes stierne and stoute.      2154
With arcita, in stories as men fynde,      2155
The grete emetreus, the kyng of inde,      2156
Upon a steede bay trapped in steel,      2157
Covered in clooth of gold, dyapred weel,      2158
Cam ridynge lyk the God of armes, mars.      2159
His cote-armure was of clooth of tars      2160
Couched with perles white and rounde and grete;      2161
His sadel was of brend gold newe ybete;      2162
A mantelet upon his shulder hangynge,      2163
Bret-ful of rubyes rede as fyr sparklynge;      2164
His crispe heer lyk rynges was yronne,      2165
And that was yelow, and glytered as the sonne.      2166
His nose was heigh, his eyen bright citryn,      2167
His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn;      2168
A fewe frakenes in his face yspreynd,      2169
Bitwixen yelow and somdel blak ymeynd;      2170
And as a leon he his lookyng caste.      2171
Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste.      2172
His berd was wel bigonne for to sprynge;      2173
His voys was as a trompe thonderynge.      2174
Upon his heed he wered of laurer grene      2175
A gerland, fressh and lusty for to sene.      2176
Upon his hand he bar for his deduyt      2177
An egle tame, as any lilye whyt.      2178
An hundred lordes hadde he with hym there,      2179
Al armed, save hir heddes, in al hir gere,      2180
Ful richely in alle maner thynges.      2181
For trusteth wel that dukes, erles, kynges      2182
Were gadered in this noble compaignye,      2183
For love and for encrees of chivalrye.      2184
Aboute this kyng ther ran on every part      2185
Ful many a tame leon and leopart.      2186
And in this wise thise lordes, alle and some,      2187
Been on the sonday to the citee come      2188
Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight.      2189
This theseus, this duc, this worthy knyght,      2190
Whan he had broght hem into his citee,      2191
And inned hem, everich at his degree,      2192
He festeth hem, and dooth so greet labour      2193
To esen hem and doon hem al honour,      2194
That yet men wenen that no mannes wit      2195
Of noon estaat ne koude amenden it.      2196
The mynstralcye, the service at the feeste,      2197
The grete yiftes to the meeste and leeste,      2198
The riche array of theseus paleys,      2199
Ne who sat first ne last upon the deys,      2200
What ladyes fairest been or best daunsynge,      2201
Or which of hem kan dauncen best and synge,      2202
Ne who moost felyngly speketh of love;      2203
What haukes sitten on the perche above,      2204
What houndes liggen on the floor adoun, --      2205
Of al this make I now no mencioun,      2206
But al th' effect, that thynketh me the beste.      2207
Now cometh the point, and herkneth if yow leste.      2208
The sonday nyght, er day bigan to sprynge,      2209
Whan palamon the larke herde synge,      2210
(although it nere nat day by houres two,      2211
Yet song the larke) and palamon right tho      2212
With hooly herte and with an heigh corage,      2213
He roos to wenden on his pilgrymage      2214
Unto the blisful citherea benigne, --      2215
I mene venus, honurable and digne.      2216
And in hir houre he walketh forth a pas      2217
Unto the lystes ther hire temple was,      2218
And doun he kneleth, and with humble cheere      2219
And herte soor, he seyde as ye shal heere:      2220
Faireste of faire, o lady myn, venus,      2221
Doughter to jove, and spouse of vulcanus,      2222
Thow gladere of the mount of citheron,      2223
For thilke love thow haddest to adoon,      2224
Have pitee of my bittre teeris smerte,      2225
And taak myn humble preyere at thyn herte.      2226
Allas! I ne have no langage to telle      2227
Th' effectes ne the tormentz of myn helle;      2228
Myn herte may myne harmes nat biwreye;      2229
I am so confus that I kan noght seye      2230
But, -- mercy, lady bright, that knowest weele      2231
My thought, and seest what harmes that feele!      2232
Considere al this and rewe upon my soore,      2233
As wisly as I shal for everemoore,
Page  39
     2234
Emforth my myght, thy trewe servant be,      2235
And holden werre alwey with chastitee.      2236
That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe!      2237
I kepe noght of armes for to yelpe,      2238
Ne I ne axe nat tomorwe to have victorie,      2239
Ne renoun in this cas, ne veyne glorie      2240
Of pris of armes blowen up and doun;      2241
But I wolde have fully possessioun      2242
Of emelye, and dye in thy servyse.      2243
Fynd thow the manere hou, and in what wyse:      2244
I recche nat but it may bettre be      2245
To have victorie of hem, or they of me,      2246
So that I have my lady in myne armes.      2247
For though so be that mars is God of armes,      2248
Youre vertu is so greet in hevene above      2249
That if yow list, I shal wel have my love.      2250
Thy temple wol I worshipe everemo,      2251
And on thyn auter, where I ride or go,      2252
I wol doon sacrifice and fires beete.      2253
And if ye wol nat so, my lady sweete,      2254
Thanne preye I thee, tomorwe with a spere      2255
That arcita me thurgh the herte bere.      2256
Thanne rekke I noght, whan I have lost my lyf,      2257
Though that arcita wynne hire to his wyf.      2258
This is th' effect and ende of my preyere:      2259
Yif me my love, thow blisful lady deere.      2260
Whan the orison was doon of palamon,      2261
His sacrifice he dide, and that anon,      2262
Ful pitously, with alle circumstaunces,      2263
Al telle I noght as now his observaunces;      2264
But atte laste the statue of venus shook,      2265
And made a signe, wherby that he took      2266
That his preyere accepted was that day.      2267
For thogh the signe shewed a delay,      2268
Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his boone;      2269
And with glad herte he wente hym hoom ful soone.      2270
The thridde houre inequal that palamon      2271
Bigan to venus temple for to gon,      2272
Up roos the sonne, and up roos emelye,      2273
And to the temple of dyane gan hye.      2274
Hir maydens, that she thider with hire ladde,      2275
Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,      2276
Th' encens, the clothes, and the remenant al      2277
That to the sacrifice longen shal;      2278
The hornes fulle of meeth, as was the gyse:      2279
Ther lakked noght to doon hir sacrifise.      2280
Smokynge the temple, ful of clothes faire,      2281
This emelye, with herte debonaire,      2282
Hir body wessh with water of a welle.      2283
But hou she dide hir ryte I dar nat telle,      2284
But it be any thing in general;      2285
And yet it were a game to heeren al.      2286
To hym that meneth wel it were no charge;      2287
But it is good a man been at his large.      2288
Hir brighte heer was kembd, untressed al;      2289
A coroune of a grene ook cerial      2290
Upon hir heed was set ful fair and meete.      2291
Two fyres on the auter gan she beete,      2292
And dide hir thynges, as men may biholde      2293
In stace of thebes and thise bookes olde.      2294
Whan kyndled was the fyr, with pitous cheere      2295
Unto dyane she spak as ye may heere:      2296
O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene,      2297
To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene,      2298
Queene of the regne of pluto derk and lowe,      2299
Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe      2300
Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire,      2301
As keepe me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire,      2302
That attheon aboughte cruelly.      2303
Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I      2304
Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf,      2305
Ne nevere wol I be no love ne wyf.      2306
I am, thow woost, yet of thy compaignye,      2307
A mayde, and love huntynge and venerye,      2308
And for to walken in the wodes wilde,      2309
And noght to ben a wyf and be with childe.      2310
Noght wol I knowe compaignye of man.      2311
Now help me, lady, sith ye may and kan,      2312
For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee.      2313
And palamon, that hath swich love to me,      2314
And eek arcite, that loveth me so soore,      2315
(this grace I preye thee withoute moore)      2316
As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two,      2317
And from me turne awey hir hertes so      2318
That al hire hoote love and hir desir,      2319
And al hir bisy torment, and hir fir      2320
Be queynt, or turned in another place.      2321
And if so be thou wolt nat do me grace,      2322
Or if my destynee be shapen so      2323
That I shal nedes have oon of hem two,      2324
As sende me hym that moost desireth me.      2325
Bihoold, goddesse of clene chastitee,      2326
The bittre teeris that on my chekes falle.      2327
Syn thou art mayde and kepere of us alle,      2328
My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve      2329
And whil I lyve, a mayde I wol thee serve.      2330
The fires brenne upon the auter cleere,      2331
Whil emelye was thus in hir preyere.      2332
But sodeynly she saugh a sighte queynte,      2333
For right anon oon of the fyres queynte,      2334
And quyked agayn, and after that anon      2335
That oother fyr was queynt and al agon;      2336
And as it queynte it made a whistelynge,      2337
As doon thise wete brondes in hir brennynge,      2338
And at the brondes ende out ran anon
Page  40
     2339
As it were blody dropes many oon;      2340
For which so soore agast was emelye      2341
That she was wel ny mad, and gan to crye,      2342
For she ne wiste what it signyfied;      2343
But oonly for the feere thus hath she cried,      2344
And weep that it was pitee for to heere.      2345
And therwithal dyane gan appeere,      2346
With bowe in honde, right as an hunteresse,      2347
And seyde, doghter, stynt thyn hevynesse.      2348
Among the goddes hye it is affermed,      2349
And by eterne word writen and confermed,      2350
Thou shalt ben wedded unto oon of tho      2351
That han for thee so muchel care and wo;      2352
But unto which of hem I may nat telle.      2353
Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dwelle.      2354
The fires which that on myn auter brenne      2355
Shulle thee declaren, er that thou go henne,      2356
Thyn aventure of love, as in this cas.      2357
And with that word, the arwes in the caas      2358
Of the goddesse clateren faste and rynge,      2359
And forth she wente, and made a vanysshynge;      2360
For which this emelye astoned was,      2361
And seyde, what amounteth this, allas?      2362
I putte me in thy proteccioun,      2363
Dyane, and in thy disposicioun.      2364
And hoom she goth anon the nexte weye.      2365
This is th' effect; ther is namoore to seye.      2366
The nexte houre of mars folwynge this,      2367
Arcite unto the temple walked is      2368
Of fierse mars, to doon his sacrifise,      2369
With alle the rytes of his payen wyse.      2370
With pitous herte and heigh devocioun,      2371
Right thus to mars he seyde his orisoun:      2372
O stronge god, that in the regnes colde      2373
Of trace honoured art and lord yholde,      2374
And hast in every regne and every lond      2375
Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond,      2376
And hem fortunest as thee lyst devyse,      2377
Accepte of me my pitous sacrifise.      2378
If so be that my youthe may deserve,      2379
And that my myght be worthy for to serve      2380
Thy godhede, that I may been oon of thyne,      2381
Thanne preye I thee to rewe upon my pyne.      2382
For thilke peyne, and thilke hoote fir      2383
In which thow whilom brendest for desir,      2384
Whan that thow usedest the beautee      2385
Of faire, yonge, fresshe venus free,      2386
And haddest hire in armes at thy wille --      2387
Although thee ones on a tyme mysfille,      2388
Whan vulcanus hadde caught thee in his las,      2389
And foond thee liggynge by his wyf, allas! --      2390
For thilke sorwe that was in thyn herte,      2391
Have routhe as wel upon my peynes smerte.      2392
I am yong and unkonnynge, as thow woost,      2393
And, as I trowe, with love offended moost      2394
That evere was any lyves creature;      2395
For she that dooth me al this wo endure      2396
Ne reccheth nevere wher I synke or fleete.      2397
And wel I woot, er she me mercy heete,      2398
I moot with strengthe wynne hire in the place,      2399
And, wel I woot, withouten help or grace      2400
Of thee, ne may my strengthe noght availle.      2401
Thanne help me, lord, tomorwe in my bataille,      2402
For thilke fyr that whilom brente thee,      2403
As wel as thilke fyr now brenneth me,      2404
And do that I tomorwe have victorie.      2405
Myn be the travaille, and thyn be the glorie!      2406
Thy sovereyn temple wol I moost honouren      2407
Of any place, and alwey moost labouren      2408
In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge,      2409
And in thy temple I wol my baner honge      2410
And alle the armes of my compaignye;      2411
And everemo, unto that day I dye,      2412
Eterne fir I wol bifore thee fynde.      2413
And eek to this avow I wol me bynde:      2414
My beerd, myn heer, that hongeth long adoun,      2415
That nevere yet ne felte offensioun      2416
Of rasour nor of shere, I wol thee yive,      2417
And ben thy trewe servant whil I lyve.      2418
Now, lord, have routhe upon my sorwes soore;      2419
Yif me victorie, I aske thee namoore.      2420
The preyere stynt of arcita the stronge,      2421
The rynges on the temple dore that honge,      2422
And eek the dores, clatereden ful faste,      2423
Of which arcita somwhat hym agaste.      2424
The fyres brenden upon the auter brighte,      2425
That it gan al the temple for to lighte;      2426
A sweete smel the ground anon up yaf,      2427
And arcita anon his hand up haf,      2428
And moore encens into the fyr he caste,      2429
With othere rytes mo; and atte laste      2430
The statue of mars bigan his hauberk rynge;      2431
And with that soun he herde a murmurynge      2432
Ful lowe and dym, and seyde thus, victorie!      2433
For which he yaf to mars honour and glorie.      2434
And thus with joye and hope wel to fare      2435
Arcite anon unto his in is fare,      2436
As fayn as fowel is of the brighte sonne.      2437
And right anon swich strif ther is bigonne,      2438
For thilke grauntyng, in the hevene above,      2439
Bitwixe venus, the goddesse of love,      2440
And mars, the stierne God armypotente,      2441
That juppiter was bisy it to stente;      2442
Til that the pale saturnus the colde,      2443
That knew so manye of aventures olde,      2444
Foond in his olde experience an art      2445
That he ful soone hath plesed every part.      2446
As sooth is seyd, elde hath greet avantage;
Page  41
     2447
In elde is bothe wysdom and usage;      2448
Men may the olde atrenne, and noght atrede.      2449
Saturne anon, to stynten strif and drede,      2450
Al be it that it is agayn his kynde,      2451
Of al this strif he gan remedie fynde.      2452
My deere doghter venus, quod saturne,      2453
My cours, that hath so wyde for to turne,      2454
Hath moore power than woot any man.      2455
Myn is the drenchyng in the see so wan;      2456
Myn is the prison in the derke cote;      2457
Myn is the stranglyng and hangyng by the throte,      2458
The murmure and the cherles rebellyng,      2459
The groynynge, and the pryvee empoysonyng;      2460
I do vengeance and pleyn correccioun,      2461
Whil I dwelle in the signe of the leoun.      2462
Myn is the ruyne of the hye halles,      2463
The fallynge of the toures and of the walles      2464
Upon the mynour or the carpenter.      2465
I slow sampsoun, shakynge the piler;      2466
And myne be the maladyes colde,      2467
The derke tresons, and the castes olde;      2468
My lookyng is the fader of pestilence.      2469
Now weep namoore, I shal doon diligence      2470
That palamon, that is thyn owene knyght,      2471
Shal have his lady, as thou hast him hight.      2472
Though mars shal helpe his knyght, yet nathelees      2473
Bitwixe yow ther moot be som tyme pees,      2474
Al be ye noght of o compleccioun,      2475
That causeth al day swich divisioun.      2476
I am thyn aiel, redy at thy wille;      2477
Weep now namoore, I wol thy lust fulfille.      2478
Now wol I stynten of the goddes above,      2479
Of mars, and of venus, goddesse of love,      2480
And telle yow as pleynly as I kan      2481
The grete effect, for which that I bygan.      2482
Explicit tercia pars.
Sequitur pars quarta.
Greet was the feeste in atthenes that day,      2483
And eek the lusty seson of that may      2484
Made every wight to been in swich plesaunce      2485
That al that monday justen they and daunce,      2486
And spenden it in venus heigh servyse.      2487
But by the cause that they sholde ryse      2488
Eerly, for to seen the grete fight,      2489
Unto hir reste wenten they at nyght.      2490
And on the morwe, whan that day gan sprynge,      2491
Of hors and harneys noyse and claterynge      2492
Ther was in hostelryes al aboute;      2493
And to the paleys rood ther many a route      2494
Of lordes upon steedes and palfreys.      2495
Ther maystow seen devisynge of harneys      2496
So unkouth and so riche, and wroght so weel      2497
Of goldsmythrye, of browdynge, and of steel;      2498
The sheeldes brighte, testeres, and trappures,      2499
Gold-hewen helmes, hauberkes, cote-armures;      2500
Lordes in parementz on hir courseres,      2501
Knyghtes of retenue, and eek squieres      2502
Nailynge the speres, and helmes bokelynge;      2503
Giggynge of sheeldes, with layneres lacynge      2504
(there as nede is they weren no thyng ydel);      2505
The fomy steedes on the golden brydel      2506
Gnawynge, and faste the armurers also      2507
With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro;      2508
Yemen on foote, and communes many oon      2509
With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro;      2510
Pypes, trompes, nakers, clariounes,      2511
That in the bataille blowen blody sounes;      2512
The paleys ful of peple up and doun,      2513
Heere thre, ther ten, holdynge hir questioun,      2514
Dyvynynge of thise thebane knyghtes two.      2515
Somme seyden thus, somme seyde it shal be so;      2516
Somme helden with hym with the blake berd,      2517
Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd;      2518
Somme seyde he looked grymme, and he wolde fighte;      2519
He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte.      2520
Thus was the halle ful of divynynge,      2521
Longe after that the sonne gan to sprynge.      2522
The grete theseus, that of his sleep awaked      2523
With mynstralcie and noyse that was maked,      2524
Heeld yet the chambre of his paleys riche,      2525
Til that the thebane knyghtes, bothe yliche      2526
Honured, were into the paleys fet.      2527
Duc theseus was at a wyndow set,      2528
Arrayed right as he were a God in trone.      2529
The peple preesseth thiderward ful soone      2530
Hym for to seen, and doon heigh reverence,      2531
And eek to herkne his heste and his sentence.      2532
And heraud on a scaffold made an oo!      2533
Til al the noyse of peple was ydo,      2534
And whan he saugh the peple of noyse al stille,      2535
Tho shewed he the myghty dukes wille.      2536
The lord hath of his heigh discrecioun      2537
Considered that it were destruccioun      2538
To gentil blood to fighten in the gyse      2539
Of mortal bataille now in this emprise.      2540
Wherfore, to shapen that they shal nat dye,      2541
He wol his firste purpos modifye.      2542
No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf,      2543
No maner shot, ne polax, ne short knyf
Page  42
     2544
Into the lystes sende, or thider brynge;      2545
Ne short swerd, for to stoke with poynt bitynge,      2546
No man ne drawe, ne bere it by his syde.      2547
Ne no man shal unto his felawe ryde      2548
But o cours, with a sharpe ygrounde spere;      2549
Foyne, if hym list, on foote, hymself to were.      2550
And he that is at meschief shal be take      2551
And noght slayn, but be broght unto the stake      2552
That shal ben ordeyned on either syde;      2553
But thider he shal by force, and there abyde.      2554
And if so falle the chieftayn be take      2555
On outher syde, or elles sleen his make,      2556
No lenger shal the turneiynge laste.      2557
God spede you! gooth forth, and ley on faste!      2558
With long swerd and with maces fighteth youre fille.      2559
Gooth now youre wey, this is the lordes wille.      2560
The voys of peple touchede the hevene,      2561
So loude cride they with murie stevene,      2562
God save swich a lord, that is so good,      2563
He wilneth no destruccion of blood!      2564
Up goon the trompes and the melodye,      2565
And to the lystes rit the compaignye,      2566
By ordinance, thurghout the citee large,      2567
Hanged with clooth of gold, and nat with sarge.      2568
Ful lik a lord this noble duc gan ryde,      2569
Thise two thebans upon either syde;      2570
And after rood the queene, and emelye,      2571
And after that another compaignye      2572
Of oon and oother, after hir degree.      2573
And thus they passen thurghout the citee,      2574
And to the lystes come they by tyme.      2575
It nas nat of the day yet fully pryme      2576
Whan set was theseus ful riche and hye,      2577
Ypolita the queene, and emelye,      2578
And othere ladys in degrees aboute.      2579
Unto the seetes preesseth al the route.      2580
And westward, thurgh the gates under marte,      2581
Arcite, and eek the hondred of his parte,      2582
With baner reed is entred right anon;      2583
And in that selve moment palamon      2584
Is under venus, estward in the place,      2585
With baner whyt, and hardy chiere and face.      2586
In al the world, to seken up and doun,      2587
So evene, withouten variacioun,      2588
Ther nere swiche compaignyes tweye;      2589
For ther was noon so wys that koude seye      2590
That any hadde of oother avauntage      2591
Of worthynesse, ne of estaat, ne age,      2592
So evene were they chosen, for to gesse.      2593
And in two renges faire they hem dresse.      2594
Whan that hir names rad were everichon,      2595
That in hir nombre gyle were ther noon,      2596
Tho were the gates shet, and cried was loude:      2597
Do now youre devoir, yonge knyghtes proude!      2598
The heraudes lefte hir prikyng up and doun;      2599
Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioun.      2600
Ther is namoore to seyn, but west and est      2601
In goon the speres ful sadly in arrest;      2602
In gooth the sharpe spore into the syde.      2603
Ther seen men who kan juste and who kan ryde;      2604
Ther shyveren shaftes upon sheeldes thikke;      2605
He feeleth thurgh the herte-spoon the prikke.      2606
Up spryngen speres twenty foot on highte;      2607
Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte;      2608
The helmes they tohewen and toshrede;      2609
Out brest the blood with stierne stremes rede;      2610
With myghty maces the bones they tobreste.      2611
He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste;      2612
Ther stomblen steedes stronge, and doun gooth al;      2613
He rolleth under foot as dooth a bal;      2614
He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun,      2615
And he hym hurtleth with hors adoun;      2616
He thurgh the body is hurt and sither take,      2617
Maugree his heed, and broght unto the stake:      2618
As forward was, right there he moste abyde.      2619
Another lad is on that oother syde.      2620
And some tyme dooth hem theseus to reste,      2621
Hem to refresshe and drynken, if hem leste.      2622
Ful ofte a day han thise thebanes two      2623
Togydre ymet, and wroght his felawe wo;      2624
Unhorsed hath ech oother of hem tweye.      2625
Ther nas no tygre in the vale of galgopheye,      2626
Whan that hir whelp is stole whan it is lite,      2627
So crueel on the hunte as is arcite      2628
For jelous herte upon this palamon.      2629
Ne in belmarye ther nys so fel leon,      2630
That hunted is, or for his hunger wood,      2631
Ne of his praye desireth so the blood,      2632
As palamon to sleen his foo arcite.      2633
The jelous strokes on hir helmes byte;      2634
Out renneth blood on bothe hir sydes rede.      2635
Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede.      2636
For er the sonne unto the reste wente,      2637
The stronge kyng emetreus gan hente      2638
This palamon, as he faught with arcite,      2639
And made his swerd depe in his flessh to byte;      2640
And by the force of twenty is he take      2641
Unyolden, and ydrawe unto the stake.      2642
And in the rescus of this palamoun      2643
The stronge kyng lygurge is born adoun,      2644
And kyng emetreus, for al his strengthe,
Page  43
     2645
Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengthe,      2646
So hitte him palamoun er he were take;      2647
But al for noght, he was broght to the stake.      2648
His hardy herte myghte hym helpe naught:      2649
He moste abyde, whan that he was caught,      2650
By force and eek by composicioun.      2651
Who sorweth now but woful palamoun,      2652
That moot namoore goon agayn to fighte?      2653
And whan that theseus hadde seyn this sighte,      2654
Unto the folk that foghten thus echon      2655
He cryde, hoo! namoore, for it is doon!      2656
I wol be trewe juge, and no partie.      2657
Arcite of thebes shal have emelie,      2658
That by his fortune hath hire faire ywonne.      2659
Anon ther is a noyse of peple bigonne      2660
For joye of this, so loude and heighe withalle,      2661
It semed that the lystes sholde falle.      2662
What kan now faire venus doon above?      2663
What seith she now? what dooth this queene of love,      2664
But wepeth so, for wantynge of hir wille,      2665
Til that hir teeres in the lystes fille?      2666
She seyde, I am ashamed, douteless.      2667
Saturnus seyde, doghter, hoold thy pees!      2668
Mars hath his wille, his knyght hath al his boone,      2669
And, by myn heed, thow shalt been esed soone.      2670
The trompours, with the loude mynstralcie,      2671
The heraudes, that ful loude yelle and crie,      2672
Been in hire wele for joye of daun arcite.      2673
But herkneth me, and stynteth noyse a lite,      2674
Which a myracle ther bifel anon.      2675
This fierse arcite hath of his helm ydon,      2676
And on a courser, for to shewe his face,      2677
He priketh endelong the large place      2678
Lokynge upward upon this emelye;      2679
And she agayn hym caste a freendlich ye      2680
(for wommen, as to speken in comune,      2681
Thei folwen alle the favour of fortune)      2682
And was al his chiere, as in his herte.      2683
Out of the ground a furie infernal sterte,      2684
From pluto sent at requeste of saturne,      2685
For which his hors for fere gan to turne,      2686
And leep aside, and foundred as he leep;      2687
And er that arcite may taken keep,      2688
He pighte hym on the pomel of his heed,      2689
That in the place he lay as he were deed,      2690
His brest tobrosten with his sadel-bowe.      2691
As blak he lay as any cole or crowe,      2692
So was the blood yronnen in his face.      2693
Anon he was yborn out of the place,      2694
With herte soor, to theseus paleys.      2695
Tho was he korven out of his harneys,      2696
And in a bed ybrought ful faire and blyve;      2697
For he was yet in memorie and alyve,      2698
And alwey criynge after emelye.      2699
Duc theseus, with al his compaignye,      2700
Is comen hoom to atthenes his citee,      2701
With alle blisse and greet solempnitee.      2702
Al be it that this aventure was falle,      2703
He nolde noght disconforten hem alle.      2704
Men seyde eek that arcite shal nat dye;      2705
He shal been heeled of his maladye.      2706
And of another thyng they weren as fayn,      2707
That of hem alle was ther noon yslayn,      2708
Al were they soore yhurt, and namely oon,      2709
That with a spere was thirled his brest boon.      2710
To othere woundes and to broken armes      2711
Somme hadden salves, and somme hadden charmes;      2712
Fermacies of herbes, and eek save      2713
They dronken, for they wolde hir lymes have.      2714
For which this noble duc, as he wel kan,      2715
Conforteth and honoureth every man,      2716
And made revel al the longe nyght      2717
Unto the straunge lordes, as was right.      2718
Ne ther was holden no disconfitynge      2719
But as a justes, or a tourneiynge;      2720
For soothly ther was no disconfiture.      2721
For fallyng nys nat but an aventure,      2722
Ne to be lad by force unto the stake      2723
Unyolden, and with twenty knyghtes take,      2724
O persone allone, withouten mo,      2725
And haryed forth by arme, foot, and too,      2726
And eke his steede dryven forth with staves      2727
With footmen, bothe yemen and eek knaves, --      2728
It nas arretted hym no vileynye;      2729
Ther may no man clepen it cowardye.      2730
For which anon duc theseus leet crye,      2731
To stynten alle rancour and envye,      2732
The gree as wel of o syde as of oother,      2733
And eyther syde ylik as ootheres brother;      2734
And yaf hem yiftes after hir degree,      2735
And fully heeld a feeste dayes three,      2736
And conveyed the kynges worthily      2737
Out of his toun a journee largely.      2738
And hoom wente every man the righte way.      2739
Ther was namoore but fare wel, have good day!      2740
Of this bataille I wol namoore endite,      2741
But speke of palamon and of arcite.      2742
Swelleth the brest of arcite, and the soore      2743
Encreesseth at his herte moore and moore.      2744
The clothered blood, for any lechecraft,      2745
Corrupteth, and is in his bouk ylaft,      2746
That neither veyne-blood, ne ventusynge,      2747
Ne drynke of herbes may ben his helpynge.      2748
The vertu expulsif, or animal,
Page  44
     2749
Fro thilke vertu cleped natural      2750
Ne may the venym voyden ne expelle.      2751
The pipes of his longes gonne to swelle,      2752
And every lacerte in his brest adoun      2753
Is shent with venym and corrupcioun.      2754
Hym gayneth neither, for to gete his lif,      2755
Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif.      2756
Al is tobrosten thilke regioun;      2757
Nature hath now no dominacioun.      2758
And certeinly, ther nature wol nat wirche,      2759
Fare wel phisik! go ber the man to chirche!      2760
This al and som, that arcita moot dye;      2761
For which he sendeth after emelye,      2762
And palamon, that was his cosyn deere.      2763
Thanne seyde he thus, as ye shal after heere:      2764
Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte      2765
Declare o point of alle my sorwes smerte      2766
To yow, my lady, that I love moost;      2767
But I biquethe the servyce of my goost      2768
To yow aboven every creature,      2769
Syn that my lyf may no lenger dure.      2770
Allas, the wo! allas, the peynes stronge,      2771
That I for yow have suffred, and so longe!      2772
Allas, the deeth! allas, myn emelye!      2773
Allas, departynge of oure compaignye!      2774
Allas, myn hertes queene! allas, my wyf!      2775
Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf!      2776
What is this world? what asketh men to have?      2777
Now with his love, now in his colde grave      2778
Allone, withouten any compaignye.      2779
Fare wel, my sweete foo, myn emelye!      2780
And softe taak me in youre armes tweye,      2781
For love of god, and herkneth what I seye.      2782
I have heer with my cosyn palamon      2783
Had strif and rancour many a day agon      2784
For love of yow, and for my jalousye.      2785
And juppiter so wys my soule gye,      2786
To speken of a servaunt proprely,      2787
With alle circumstances trewely --      2788
That is to seyen, trouthe, honour, knyghthede,      2789
Wysdom, humblesse, estaat, and heigh kynrede,      2790
Fredom, and al that longeth to that art --      2791
So juppiter have of my soule part,      2792
As in this world right now ne knowe I non      2793
So worthy to ben loved as palamon,      2794
That serveth yow, and wol doon al his lyf.      2795
And if that evere ye shul ben a wyf,      2796
Foryet nat palamon, the gentil man.      2797
And with that word his speche faille gan,      2798
For from his feet up to his brest was come      2799
The coold of deeth, that hadde hym overcome,      2800
And yet mooreover, for in his armes two      2801
The vital strengthe is lost and al ago.      2802
Oonly the intellect, withouten moore,      2803
That dwelled in his herte syk and soore,      2804
Gan faillen whan the herte felte deeth.      2805
Dusked his eyen two, and failled breeth,      2806
But on his lady yet caste he his ye;      2807
His laste word was, mercy, emelye!      2808
His spirit chaunged hous and wente ther,      2809
As I cam nevere, I kan nat tellen wher.      2810
Therfore I stynte, I nam no divinistre;      2811
Of soules fynde I nat in this registre,      2812
Ne me ne list thilke opinions to telle      2813
Of hem, though that they writen wher they dwelle.      2814
Arcite is coold, ther mars his soule gye!      2815
Now wol I speken forth of emelye.      2816
Shrighte emelye, and howleth palamon,      2817
And theseus his suster took anon      2818
Swownynge, and baar hire fro the corps away.      2819
What helpeth it to tarien forth the day      2820
To tellen how she weep bothe eve and morwe?      2821
For in swich cas wommen have swich sorwe,      2822
Whan that hir housbondes ben from hem ago,      2823
That for the moore part they sorwen so,      2824
Or ellis fallen in swich maladye,      2825
That at the laste certeinly they dye.      2826
Infinite been the sorwes and the teeres      2827
Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeeres,      2828
In al the toun for deeth of this theban.      2829
For hym ther wepeth bothe child and man;      2830
So greet wepyng was ther noon, certayn,      2831
Whan ector was ybroght, al fressh yslayn,      2832
To troye. Allas, the pitee that was ther,      2833
Cracchynge of chekes, rentynge eek of heer.      2834
Why woldestow be deed, thise wommen crye,      2835
And haddest gold ynough, and emelye?      2836
No man myghte gladen theseus,      2837
Savynge his olde fader egeus,      2838
That knew this worldes transmutacioun,      2839
As he hadde seyn it chaunge bothe up and doun,      2840
Joye after wo, and wo after gladnesse,      2841
And shewed hem ensamples and liknesse.      2842
Right as ther dyed nevere man, quod he,      2843
That he ne lyvede in erthe in some degree,      2844
Right so ther lyvede never man, he seyde,      2845
In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde.      2846
This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,      2847
And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro.      2848
Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore.      2849
And over al this yet seyde he muchel moore      2850
To this effect, ful wisely to enhorte      2851
The peple that they sholde hem reconforte.      2852
Duc theseus, with al his bisy cure,
Page  45
     2853
Caste now wher that the sepulture      2854
Of goode arcite may best ymaked be,      2855
And eek moost honurable in his degree.      2856
And at the laste he took conclusioun      2857
That ther as first arcite and palamoun      2858
Hadden for love the bataille hem bitwene,      2859
That in that selve grove, swoote and grene,      2860
Ther as he hadde his amorouse desires,      2861
His compleynte, and for love his hoote fires,      2862
He wolde make a fyr in which the office      2863
Funeral he myghte al accomplice.      2864
And leet comande anon to hakke and hewe      2865
The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe      2866
In colpons wel arrayed for to brenne.      2867
His officers with swifte feet they renne      2868
And ryde anon at his comandement.      2869
And after this, theseus hath ysent      2870
After a beere, and it al over spradde      2871
With clooth of gold, the richeste that he hadde.      2872
And of the same suyte he cladde arcite;      2873
Upon his hondes hadde he gloves white,      2874
Eek on his heed a coroune of laurer grene,      2875
And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene.      2876
He leyde hym, bare the visage, on the beere;      2877
Therwith he weep that pitee was to heere.      2878
And for the peple sholde seen hym alle,      2879
Whan it was day, he broghte hym to the halle,      2880
That roreth of the criyng and the soun.      2881
Tho cam this woful theban palamoun,      2882
With flotery berd and ruggy, asshy heeres,      2883
In clothes blake, ydropped al with teeres;      2884
And, passynge othere of wepynge, emelye,      2885
The rewefulleste of al the compaignye.      2886
In as muche as the servyce sholde be      2887
The moore noble and riche in his degree,      2888
Duc theseus leet forth thre steedes brynge,      2889
That trapped were in steel al gliterynge,      2890
And covered with the armes of daun arcite.      2891
Upon thise steedes, that weren grete and white,      2892
Ther seten folk, of whiche oon baar his sheeld,      2893
Another his spere up on his hondes heeld,      2894
The thridde baar with hym his bowe turkeys      2895
(of brend gold was the caas and eek the harneys);      2896
And riden forth a paas with sorweful cheere      2897
Toward the grove, as ye shul after heere.      2898
The nobleste of the grekes that ther were      2899
Upon hir shuldres caryeden the beere,      2900
With slakke paas, and eyen rede and wete,      2901
Thurghout the citee by the maister strete,      2902
That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye      2903
Right of the same is the strete ywrye.      2904
Upon the right hond wente olde egeus,      2905
And on that oother syde duc theseus,      2906
With vessels in hir hand of gold ful fyn,      2907
Al ful of hony, milk, and blood, and wyn;      2908
Eek palamon, with ful greet compaignye;      2909
And after that cam woful emelye,      2910
With fyr in honde, as was that tyme the gyse,      2911
To do the office of funeral servyse.      2912
Heigh labour and ful greet apparaillynge      2913
Was at the service and the fyr-makynge,      2914
That with his grene top the hevene raughte;      2915
And twenty fadme of brede the armes straughte --      2916
This is to seyn, the bowes weren so brode.      2917
Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode.      2918
But how the fyr was maked upon highte,      2919
Ne eek the names that the trees highte,      2920
As ook, firre, birch, aspe, alder, holm, popler,      2921
Wylugh, elm, plane, assh, box, chasteyn, lynde, laurer,      2922
Mapul, thorn, bech, hasel, ew, whippeltree, --      2923
How they weren feld, shal nat be toold for me;      2924
Ne hou the goddes ronnen up and doun,      2925
Disherited of hire habitacioun,      2926
In which they woneden in reste and pees,      2927
Nymphes, fawnes and amadrides;      2928
Ne hou the beestes and the briddes alle      2929
Fledden for fere, whan the wode was falle;      2930
Ne how the ground agast was of the light,      2931
That was nat wont to seen the sonne bright;      2932
Ne how the fyr was couched first with stree,      2933
And thanne with drye stikkes cloven a thre,      2934
And thanne with grene wode and spicerye,      2935
And thanne with clooth of gold and with perrye,      2936
And gerlandes, hangynge with ful many a flour;      2937
The mirre, th' encens, with al so greet odour;      2938
Ne how arcite lay among al this,      2939
Ne what richesse aboute his body is;      2940
Ne how that emelye, as was the gyse,      2941
Putte in the fyr of funeral servyse;      2942
Ne how she swowned whan men made the fyr,      2943
Ne what she spak, ne what was hir desir;      2944
Ne what jeweles men in the fyre caste,      2945
Whan that the fyr was greet and brente faste;      2946
Ne how somme caste hir sheeld, and somme hir spere,      2947
And of hire vestimentz, whiche that they were,      2948
And coppes fulle of wyn, and milk, and blood,      2949
Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood;      2950
Ne how the grekes, with an huge route,      2951
Thries riden al the fyr aboute      2952
Upon the left hand, with a loud shoutynge,      2953
And thries with hir speres claterynge;      2954
And thries how the ladyes gonne crye;
Page  46
     2955
Ne how that lad was homward emelye;      2956
Ne how arcite is brent to asshen colde;      2957
Ne how that lyche-wake was yholde      2958
Al thilke nyght; ne how the grekes pleye      2959
The wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye;      2960
Who wrastleth best naked with oille enoynt,      2961
Ne who that baar hym best, in no disjoynt.      2962
I wol nat tellen eek how that they goon      2963
Hoom til atthenes, whan the pley is doon;      2964
But shortly to the point thanne wol I wende,      2965
And maken of my longe tale an ende.      2966
By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeres,      2967
Al stynted is the moornynge and the teres      2968
Of grekes, by oon general assent.      2969
Thanne semed me ther was a parlement      2970
At atthenes, upon certein pointz and caas;      2971
Among the whiche pointz yspoken was,      2972
To have with certein contrees alliaunce,      2973
And have fully of thebans obeisaunce.      2974
For which this noble theseus anon      2975
Leet senden after gentil palamon,      2976
Unwist of hym what was the cause and why;      2977
But in his blake clothes sorwefully      2978
He cam at his comandement in hye.      2979
Tho sente theseus for emelye.      2980
Whan they were set, and hust was al the place,      2981
And theseus abiden hadde a space      2982
Er any word cam fram his wise brest,      2983
His eyen sette he ther as was his lest.      2984
And with a sad visage he siked stille,      2985
And after that right thus he seyde his wille:      2986
The firste moevere of the cause above,      2987
Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love,      2988
Greet was th' effect, and heigh was his entente.      2989
Wel wiste he why, and what thereof he mente;      2990
For with that faire cheyne of love he bond      2991
The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond      2992
In certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee.      2993
That same prince and that moevere, quod he,      2994
Hath stablissed in this wrecched world adoun      2995
Certeyne dayes and duracioun      2996
To al that is engendred in this place,      2997
Over the whiche day they may nat pace,      2998
Al mowe they yet tho dayes wel abregge.      2999
Ther nedeth noght noon auctoritee t' allegge,      3000
For it is preeved by experience,      3001
But that me list declaren my sentence.      3002
Thanne may men by this ordre wel discerne      3003
That thilke moevere stable is and eterne.      3004
Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool,      3005
That every part dirryveth from his hool;      3006
For nature hath nat taken his bigynnyng      3007
Of no partie or cantel of a thyng,      3008
But of a thyng that parfit is and stable,      3009
Descendynge so til it be corrumpable.      3010
And therfore, of his wise purveiaunce,      3011
He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce,      3012
That speces of thynges and progressiouns      3013
Shullen enduren by successiouns,      3014
And nat eterne, withouten any lye.      3015
This maystow understonde and seen at ye.      3016
Loo the ook, that hath so long a norisshynge      3017
From tyme that it first bigynneth to sprynge,      3018
And hath so long a lif, as we may see,      3019
Yet at the laste wasted is the tree.      3020
Considereth eek how that the harde stoon      3021
Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon,      3022
Yet wasteth it as it lyth by the weye.      3023
The brode ryver somtyme wexeth dreye;      3024
The grete tounes se we wane and wende.      3025
Thanne may ye se that al this thyng hath ende.      3026
Of man and womman seen we wel also      3027
That nedes, in oon of thise termes two,      3028
This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age,      3029
He moot be deed, the kyng as shal a page;      3030
Som in his bed, som in the depe see,      3031
Som in the large feeld, as men may see;      3032
Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye.      3033
Thanne may I seyn that al this thyng moot deye.      3034
What maketh this but juppiter, the kyng,      3035
That is prince and cause of alle thyng,      3036
Convertynge al unto his propre welle      3037
From which it is dirryved, sooth to telle?      3038
And heer-agayns no creature on lyve,      3039
Of no degree, availleth for to stryve.      3040
Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me,      3041
To maken vertu of necessitee,      3042
And take it weel that we may nat eschue,      3043
And namely that to us alle is due.      3044
And whoso gruccheth ought, he dooth folye,      3045
And rebel is to hym that al may gye.      3046
And certeinly a man hath moost honour      3047
To dyen in his excellence and flour,      3048
Whan he is siker of his goode name;      3049
Thanne hath he doon his freend, ne hym, no shame.      3050
And gladder oghte his freend been of his deeth,      3051
Whan with honour up yolden is his breeth,      3052
Than whan his name apalled is for age,      3053
For al forgeten is his vassellage.      3054
Thanne is it best, as for a worthy fame,      3055
To dyen whan that he is best of name.      3056
The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse.      3057
Why grucchen we, why have we hevynesse,      3058
That goode arcite, of chivalrie the flour,      3059
Departed is with duetee and honour      3060
Out of this foule prisoun of this lyf?
Page  47
     3061
Why grucchen heere his cosyn and his wyf      3062
Of his welfare, that loved hem so weel?      3063
Kan he hem thank? nay, God woot, never a deel,      3064
That both his soule and eek hemself offende,      3065
And yet they mowe hir lustes nat amende.      3066
What may I conclude of this longe serye,      3067
But after wo I rede us to be merye,      3068
And thanken juppiter of al his grace?      3069
And er that we departen from this place      3070
I rede that we make of sorwes two      3071
O parfit joye, lastynge everemo.      3072
And looketh now, wher moost sorwe is herinne,      3073
Ther wol we first amenden and bigynne.      3074
Suster, quod he, this is my fulle assent,      3075
With al th' avys heere of my parlement,      3076
That gentil palamon, youre owene knyght,      3077
That serveth yow with wille herte, and myght,      3078
And ever hath doon syn ye first hym knewe,      3079
That ye shul of youre grace upon hym rewe,      3080
And taken hym for housbonde and for lord.      3081
Lene me youre hond, for this is oure accord.      3082
Lat se now of youre wommanly pitee.      3083
He is kynges brother sone, pardee;      3084
And though he were a povre bacheler,      3085
Syn he hath served yow so many a yeer,      3086
And had for yow so greet adversitee,      3087
It moste been considered, leeveth me;      3088
For gentil mercy oghte to passen right.      3089
Thanne seyde he thus to palamon the knight:      3090
I trowe ther nedeth litel sermonyng      3091
To make yow assente to this thyng.      3092
Com neer, and taak youre lady by the hond.      3093
Bitwixen hem was maad anon the bond      3094
That highte matrimoigne or mariage,      3095
By al the conseil and the baronage.      3096
And thus with alle blisse and melodye      3097
Hath palamon ywedded emelye.      3098
And god, that al this wyde world hath wroght,      3099
Sende hym his love that hath it deere aboght;      3100
For now is palamon in alle wele,      3101
Lyvynge in blisse, in richesse, and in heele,      3102
And emelye hym loveth so tendrely,      3103
And he hire serveth al so gentilly,      3104
That nevere was ther no word hem bitwene      3105
Of jalousie or any oother teene.      3106
Thus endeth palamon and emelye;      3107
And God save al this faire compaignye! amen.      3108
The Miller's Prologue

Whan that the knyght had thus his tale ytoold,      3109
In al the route nas ther yong ne oold      3110
That he ne seyde it was a noble storie,      3111
And worthy for to drawen to memorie;      3112
And namely the gentils everichon.      3113
Oure hooste lough and swoor, so moot I gon,      3114
This gooth aright; unbokeled is the male.      3115
Lat se now who shal telle another tale;      3116
For trewely the game is wel bigonne.      3117
Now telleth ye, sir monk, if that ye konne      3118
Somwhat to quite with the knyghtes tale.      3119
The millere, that for dronken was al pale,      3120
So that unnethe upon his hors he sat,      3121
He nolde avalen neither hood ne hat,      3122
Ne abyde no man for his curteisie,      3123
But in pilates voys he gan to crie,      3124
And swoor, by armes, and by blood and bones,      3125
I kan a noble tale for the nones,      3126
With which I wol now quite the knyghtes tale.      3127
Oure hooste saugh that he was dronke of ale,      3128
And seyde, abyd, robyn, my leeve brother;      3129
Som bettre man shal telle us first another.      3130
Abyd, and lat us werken thriftily.      3131
By goddes soule, quod he, that wol nat I;      3132
For I wol speke, or elles go my wey.      3133
Oure hoost answerde, tel on, a devel wey!      3134
Thou art a fool; thy wit is overcome.      3135
Now herkneth, quod the millere, alle and some!      3136
But first I make a protestacioun      3137
That I am dronke, I knowe it by my soun;      3138
And therfore if that I mysspeke or seye,
Page  48
     3139
Wyte it the ale of southwerk, I you preye.      3140
For I wol telle a legende and a lyf      3141
Bothe of a carpenter and of his wyf,      3142
How that a clerk hath set the wrightes cappe.      3143
The reve answerde and seyde, stynt thy clappe!      3144
Lat be thy lewed dronken harlotrye.      3145
It is a synne and eek a greet folye      3146
To apeyren any man, or hym defame,      3147
And eek to bryngen wyves in swich fame.      3148
Thou mayst ynogh of othere thynges seyn.      3149
This dronke millere spak ful soone ageyn      3150
And seyde, leve brother osewold,      3151
Who hath no wyf, he is no cokewold.      3152
But I sey nat therfore that thou art oon;      3153
Ther been ful goode wyves many oon,      3154
And evere a thousand goode ayeyns oon badde.      3155
That knowestow wel thyself, but if thou madde.      3156
Why artow angry with my tale now?      3157
I have a wyf, pardee, as wel as thow;      3158
Yet nolde I, for the oxen in my plogh,      3159
Take upon me moore than ynogh,      3160
As demen of myself that I were oon;      3161
I wol bileve wel that I am noon.      3162
An housbonde shal nat been inquisityf      3163
Of goddes pryvetee, nor of his wyf.      3164
So he may fynde goddes foyson there,      3165
Of the remenant nedeth nat enquere.      3166
What sholde I moore seyn, but this millere      3167
He nolde his wordes for no man forbere,      3168
But tolde his cherles tale in his manere.      3169
M' athynketh that I shal reherce it heere.      3170
And therfore every gentil wight I preye,      3171
For goddes love, demeth nat that I seye      3172
Of yvel entente, but for I moot reherce      3173
Hir tales alle, be they bettre or werse,      3174
Or elles falsen som of my mateere.      3175
And therfore, whoso list it nat yheere,      3176
Turne over the leef and chese another tale;      3177
For he shal fynde ynowe, grete and smale,      3178
Of storial thyng that toucheth gentillesse,      3179
And eek moralitee and hoolynesse.      3180
Blameth nat me if that ye chese amys.      3181
The millere is a cherl, ye knowe wel this;      3182
So was the reve eek and othere mo,      3183
And harlotrie they tolden bothe two.      3184
Avyseth yow, and put me out of blame;      3185
And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game.      3186
The Miller's Tale

Whilom ther was dwellynge at oxenford      3187
A riche gnof, that gestes heeld to bord,      3188
And of his craft he was a carpenter.      3189
With hym ther was dwellynge a poure scoler,      3190
Hadde lerned art, but al his fantasye      3191
Was turned for to lerne astrologye,      3192
And koude a certeyn of conclusiouns,      3193
To demen by interrogaciouns,      3194
If that men asked hym in certein houres      3195
Whan that men sholde have droghte or elles shoures,      3196
Or if men asked hym what sholde bifalle      3197
Of every thyng; I may nat rekene hem alle.      3198
This clerk was cleped hende nicholas.      3199
Of deerne love he koude and of solas;      3200
And therto he was sleigh and ful privee,      3201
And lyk a mayden meke for to see.      3202
A chambre hadde he in that hostelrye      3203
Allone, withouten any compaignye,      3204
Ful fetisly ydight with herbes swoote;      3205
And he hymself as sweete as is the roote      3206
Of lycorys, or any cetewale.      3207
His almageste, and bookes grete and smale,      3208
His astrelabie, longynge for his art,      3209
His augrym stones layen faire apart,      3210
On shelves couched at his beddes heed;      3211
His presse ycovered with a faldyng reed;      3212
And al above ther lay a gay sautrie,      3213
On which he made a-nyghtes melodie      3214
So swetely that all the chambre rong;      3215
And angelus ad virginem he song;      3216
And after that he song the kynges noote.      3217
Ful often blessed was his myrie throte.      3218
And thus this sweete clerk his tyme spente      3219
After his freendes fyndyng and his rente.      3220
This carpenter hadde wedded newe a wyf,      3221
Which that he lovede moore than his lyf;      3222
Of eighteteene yeer she was of age.      3223
Jalous he was, and heeld hire narwe in cage,      3224
For she was wylde and yong, and he was old,
Page  49
     3225
And demed hymself been lik a cokewold.      3226
He knew nat catoun, for his wit was rude,      3227
That bad man sholde wedde his simylitude.      3228
Men sholde wedden after hire estaat,      3229
For youthe and elde is often at debaat.      3230
But sith that he was fallen in the snare,      3231
He moste endure, as oother folk, his care.      3232
Fair was this yonge wyf, and therwithal      3233
As any wezele hir body gent and smal.      3234
A ceynt she werede, barred al of silk,      3235
A barmclooth eek as whit as morne milk      3236
Upon hir lendes, ful of many a goore.      3237
Whit was hir smok, and broyden al bifoore      3238
And eek bihynde, on hir coler aboute,      3239
Of col-blak silk, withinne and eek withoute.      3240
The tapes of hir white voluper      3241
Were of the same suyte of hir coler;      3242
Hir filet brood of silk, and set ful hye.      3243
And sikerly she hadde a likerous ye;      3244
Ful smale ypulled were hire browes two,      3245
And tho were bent and blake as any sloo.      3246
She was ful moore blisful on to see      3247
Than is the newe pere-jonette tree,      3248
And softer than the wolle is of a wether.      3249
And by hir girdel heeng a purs of lether,      3250
Tasseled with silk, and perled with latoun.      3251
In al this world, to seken up and doun,      3252
There nys no man so wys that koude thenche      3253
So gay a popelote or swich a wenche.      3254
Ful brighter was the shynyng of hir hewe      3255
Than in the tour the noble yforged newe.      3256
But of hir song, it was as loude and yerne      3257
As any swalwe sittynge on a berne.      3258
Therto she koude skippe and make game,      3259
As any kyde or calf folwynge his dame.      3260
Hir mouth was sweete as bragot or the meeth,      3261
Or hoord of apples leyd in hey or heeth.      3262
Wynsynge she was, as is a joly colt,      3263
Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.      3264
A brooch she baar upon hir lowe coler,      3265
As brood as is the boos of a bokeler.      3266
Hir shoes were laced on hir legges hye.      3267
She was a prymerole, a piggesnye,      3268
For any lord to leggen in his bedde,      3269
Or yet for any good yeman to wedde.      3270
Now, sire, and eft, sire, so bifel the cas,      3271
That on a day this hende nicholas      3272
Fil with this yonge wyf to rage and pleye,      3273
Whil that hir housbonde was at oseneye,      3274
As clerkes ben ful subtile and ful queynte;      3275
And prively he caughte hire by the queynte,      3276
And seyde, ywis, but if ich have my wille,      3277
For deerne love of thee, lemman, I spille.      3278
And heeld hire harde by the haunchebones,      3279
And seyde, lemman, love me al atones,      3280
Or I wol dyen, also God me save!      3281
And she sproong as a colt dooth in the trave,      3282
And with hir heed she wryed faste awey,      3283
And seyde, I wol nat kisse thee, by my fey!      3284
Why, lat be, quod she, lat be, nicholas,      3285
Or I wol crie -- out, harrow -- and -- allas! --      3286
Do wey youre handes, for youre curteisye!      3287
This nicholas gan mercy for to crye,      3288
And spak so faire, and profred him so faste,      3289
That she hir love hym graunted atte laste,      3290
And swoor hir ooth, by seint thomas of kent,      3291
That she wol been at his comandement,      3292
Whan that she may hir leyser wel espie.      3293
Myn housbonde is so ful of jalousie      3294
That but ye wayte wel and been privee,      3295
I woot right wel I nam but deed, quod she.      3296
Ye moste been ful deerne, as in this cas.      3297
Nay, therof care thee noght, quod nicholas.      3298
A clerk hadde litherly biset his whyle,      3299
But if he koude a carpenter bigyle.      3300
And thus they been accorded and ysworn      3301
To wayte a tyme, as I have told biforn.      3302
Whan nicholas had doon thus everideel,      3303
And thakked hire aboute the lendes weel,      3304
He kiste hire sweete and taketh his sawtrie,      3305
And pleyeth faste, and maketh melodie.      3306
Thanne fil it thus, that to the paryssh chirche,      3307
Cristes owene werkes for to wirche,      3308
This goode wyf went on an haliday.      3309
Hir forheed shoon as bright as any day,      3310
So was it wasshen whan she leet hir werk.      3311
Now was ther of that chirche a parissh clerk,      3312
The which that was ycleped absolon.      3313
Crul was his heer, and as the gold it shoon,      3314
And strouted as a fanne large and brode;      3315
Ful streight and evene lay his joly shode.      3316
His rode was reed, his eyen greye as goos.      3317
With poules wyndow corven on his shoos,      3318
In hoses rede he wente fetisly.      3319
Yclad he was ful smal and proprely      3320
Al in a kirtel of a lyght waget;      3321
Ful faire and thikke been the poyntes set.      3322
And therupon he hadde a gay surplys      3323
As whit as is the blosme upon the rys.      3324
A myrie child he was, so God me save.      3325
Wel koude he laten blood and clippe and shave,      3326
And maken a chartre of lond or acquitaunce.      3327
In twenty manere koude he trippe and daunce      3328
After the scole of oxenforde tho,      3329
And with his legges casten to and fro,      3330
And pleyen songes on a smal rubible;      3331
Therto he song som tyme a loud quynyble;
Page  50
     3332
And as wel koude he pleye on a giterne.      3333
In al the toun nas brewhous ne taverne      3334
That he ne visited with his solas,      3335
Ther any gaylard tappestere was.      3336
But sooth to seyn, he was somdeel squaymous      3337
Of fartyng, and of speche daungerous.      3338
This absolon, that jolif was and gay,      3339
Gooth with a sencer on the haliday,      3340
Sensynge the wyves of the parisshe faste;      3341
And many a lovely look on hem he caste,      3342
And namely on this carpenteris wyf.      3343
To looke on hire hym thoughte a myrie lyf,      3344
She was so propre and sweete and likerous.      3345
I dar wel seyn, if she hadde been a mous,      3346
And he a cat, he wolde hire hente anon.      3347
This parissh clerk, this joly absolon,      3348
Hath in his herte swich a love-longynge      3349
That of no wyf took he noon offrynge;      3350
For curteisie, he seyde, he wolde noon.      3351
The moone, whan it was nyght, ful brighte shoon,      3352
And absolon his gyterne hath ytake,      3353
For paramours he thoghte for to wake.      3354
And forth he gooth, jolif and amorous,      3355
Til he cam to the carpenteres hous      3356
A litel after cokkes hadde ycrowe,      3357
And dressed hym up by a shot-wyndowe      3358
That was upon the carpenteris wal.      3359
He syngeth in his voys gentil and smal,      3360
Now, deere lady, if thy wille be,      3361
I praye yow that ye wole rewe on me,      3362
Ful wel acordaunt to his gyternynge.      3363
This carpenter awook, and herde him synge,      3364
And spak unto his wyf, and seyde anon,      3365
What! alison! herestow nat absolon,      3366
That chaunteth thus under oure boures wal?      3367
And she answerde hir housbonde therwithal,      3368
Yis, God woot, john, I heere it every deel.      3369
This passeth forth; what wol ye bet than weel?      3370
Fro day to day this joly absolon      3371
So woweth hire that hym is wo bigon.      3372
He waketh al the nyght and al the day;      3373
He kembeth his lokkes brode, and made hym gay;      3374
He woweth hire by meenes and brocage,      3375
And swoor he wolde been hir owene page;      3376
He syngeth, brokkynge as a nyghtyngale;      3377
He sente hire pyment, meeth, and spiced ale,      3378
And wafres, pipyng hoot out of the gleede;      3379
And, for she was of town, he profred meede.      3380
For som folk wol ben wonnen for richesse,      3381
And somme for strokes, and somme for gentillesse.      3382
Somtyme, to shewe his lightnesse and maistrye,      3383
He pleyeth herodes upon a scaffold hye.      3384
But what availleth hym as in this cas?      3385
She loveth so this hende nicholas      3386
That absolon may blowe the bukkes horn;      3387
He ne hadde for his labour but a scorn.      3388
And thus she maketh absolon hire ape,      3389
And al his ernest turneth til a jape.      3390
Ful sooth is this proverbe, it is no lye,      3391
Men seyn right thus, alwey the nye slye      3392
Maketh the ferre leeve to be looth.      3393
For though that absolon be wood or wrooth,      3394
By cause that he fer was from hire sight,      3395
This nye nicholas stood in his light.      3396
Now ber thee wel, thou hende nicholas,      3397
For absolon may waille and synge allas.      3398
And so bifel it on a saterday,      3399
This carpenter was goon til osenay;      3400
And hende nicholas and alisoun      3401
Acorded been to this conclusioun,      3402
That nicholas shal shapen hym a wyle      3403
This sely jalous housbonde to bigyle;      3404
And if so be the game wente aright,      3405
She sholde slepen in his arm al nyght,      3406
For this was his desir and hire also.      3407
And right anon, withouten wordes mo,      3408
This nicholas no lenger wolde tarie,      3409
But dooth ful softe unto his chambre carie      3410
Bothe mete and drynke for a day or tweye,      3411
And to hire housbonde bad hire for to seye,      3412
If that he axed after nicholas,      3413
She sholde seye she nyste where he was,      3414
Of al that day she saugh hym nat with ye;      3415
She trowed that he was in maladye,      3416
For for no cry hir mayde koude hym calle,      3417
He nolde answere for thyng that myghte falle.      3418
This passeth forth al thilke saterday,      3419
That nicholas stille in his chambre lay,      3420
And eet and sleep, or dide what hym leste,      3421
Til sonday, that the sonne gooth to reste.      3422
This sely carpenter hath greet merveyle      3423
Of nicholas, or what thyng myghte hym eyle,      3424
And seyde, I am adrad, by seint thomas,      3425
It stondeth nat aright with nicholas.      3426
God shilde that he deyde sodeynly!      3427
This world is now ful tikel, sikerly.      3428
I saugh to-day a cors yborn to chirche      3429
That now, on monday last, I saugh hym wirche.      3430
Go up, quod he unto his knave anoon,      3431
Clepe at his dore, or knokke with a stoon.      3432
Looke how it is, and tel me boldely.      3433
This knave gooth hym up ful sturdily,
Page  51
     3434
And at the chambre dore whil that he stood,      3435
He cride and knokked as that he were wood,      3436
What! how! what do ye, maister nicholay?      3437
How may ye slepen al the longe day?      3438
But al for noght, he herde nat a word.      3439
An hole he foond, ful lowe upon a bord,      3440
Ther as the cat was wont in for to crepe,      3441
And at that hole he looked in ful depe,      3442
And at the laste he hadde of hym a sight.      3443
This nicholas sat evere capyng upright,      3444
As he had kiked on the newe moone.      3445
Adoun he gooth, and tolde his maister soone      3446
In what array he saugh this ilke man.      3447
This carpenter to blessen hym bigan,      3448
And seyde, help us, seinte frydeswyde!      3449
A man woot litel what hym shal bityde.      3450
This man is falle, with his astromye,      3451
In some woodnesse or in som agonye.      3452
I thoghte ay wel how that it sholde be!      3453
Men sholde nat knowe of goddes pryvetee.      3454
Ye, blessed be alwey a lewed man      3455
That noght but oonly his bileve kan!      3456
So ferde another clerk with astromye;      3457
He walked in the feeldes, for to prye      3458
Upon the sterres, what ther sholde bifalle,      3459
Til he was in a marle-pit yfalle;      3460
He saugh nat that. But yet, by seint thomas,      3461
Me reweth soore of hende nicholas.      3462
He shal be rated of his studiyng,      3463
If that I may, by jhesus, hevene kyng!      3464
Get me a staf, that I may underspore,      3465
Whil that thou, robyn, hevest up the dore.      3466
He shal out of his studiyng, as I gesse --      3467
And to the chambre dore he gan hym dresse.      3468
His knave was a strong carl for the nones,      3469
And by the haspe he haaf it of atones;      3470
Into the floor the dore fil anon.      3471
This nicholas sat ay as stille as stoon,      3472
And evere caped upward into the eir.      3473
This carpenter wende he were in despeir,      3474
And hente hym by the sholdres myghtily,      3475
And shook hym harde, and cride spitously,      3476
What! nicholay! what, how! what, looke adoun!      3477
Awak, and thenk on cristes passioun!      3478
I crouche thee from elves and fro wightes.      3479
Therwith the nyght-spel seyde he anon-rightes      3480
On foure halves of the hous aboute,      3481
And on the thresshfold of the dore withoute:      3482
Jhesu crist and seinte benedight,      3483
Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,      3484
For nyghtes verye, the white pater-noster!      3485
Where wentestow, seinte petres soster?      3486
And atte laste this hende nicholas      3487
Gan for to sik soore, and seyde, allas!      3488
Shal al the world be lost aftsoones now?      3489
This carpenter answerde, what seystow?      3490
What! thynk on god, as we doon, men that swynke.      3491
This nicholas answerde, fecche me drynke,      3492
And after wol I speke in pryvetee      3493
Of certeyn thyng that toucheth me and thee.      3494
I wol telle it noon oother man, certeyn.      3495
This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn,      3496
And broghte of myghty ale a large quart;      3497
And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part,      3498
This nicholas his dore faste shette,      3499
And doun the carpenter by hym he sette.      3500
He seyde john, myn hooste, lief and deere,      3501
Thou shalt upon thy trouthe swere me heere      3502
That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye;      3503
For it is cristes conseil that I seye,      3504
And if thou telle it man, thou art forlore;      3505
For this vengeaunce thou shalt han therfore,      3506
That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood.      3507
Nay, crist forbede it, for his hooly blood!      3508
Quod tho this sely man, I nam no labbe;      3509
Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe.      3510
Sey what thou wolt, I shal it nevere telle      3511
To child ne wyf, by hym that harwed helle!      3512
Now john, quod nicholas, I wol nat lye;      3513
I have yfounde in myn astrologye,      3514
As I have looked in the moone bright,      3515
That now a monday next, at quarter nyght,      3516
Shal falle a reyn, and that so wilde and wood,      3517
That half so greet was nevere noes flood.      3518
This world, he seyde, in lasse than an hour      3519
Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour.      3520
Thus shal mankynde drenche, and lese hir lyf.      3521
This carpenter answerde, allas, my wyf!      3522
And shal she drenche? allas, myn alisoun!      3523
For sorwe of this he fil almoost adoun,      3524
And seyde, is ther no remedie in this cas?      3525
Why, yis, for gode, quod hende nicholas,      3526
If thou wolt werken after loore and reed.      3527
Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed;      3528
For thus seith salomon, that was ful trewe,      3529
Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe. --      3530
And if thou werken wolt by good conseil,      3531
I undertake, withouten mast and seyl,      3532
Yet shal I saven hire and thee and me.      3533
Hastow nat herd hou saved was noe,      3534
Whan that oure lord hadde warned hym biforn      3535
That al the world with water sholde be lorn?      3536
Yis, quod this carpenter, ful yoore ago.      3537
Hastou nat herd, quod nicholas, also      3538
The sorwe of noe with his felaweshipe,
Page  52
     3539
Er that he myghte gete his wyf to shipe?      3540
Hym hadde be levere, I dar wel undertake      3541
At thilke tyme, than alle his wetheres blake      3542
That she hadde had a ship hirself allone.      3543
And therfore, woostou what is best to doone?      3544
This asketh haste, and of an hastif thyng      3545
Men may nat preche or maken tariyng.      3546
Anon go gete us faste into this in      3547
A knedyng trogh, or ellis a kymelyn,      3548
For ech of us, but looke that they be large,      3549
In which we mowe swymme as in a barge,      3550
And han therinne vitaille suffisant      3551
But for a day, -- fy on the remenant!      3552
The water shal aslake and goon away      3553
Aboute pryme upon the nexte day.      3554
But robyn may nat wite of this, thy knave,      3555
Ne eek thy mayde gille I may nat save;      3556
Axe nat why, for though thou aske me,      3557
I wol nat tellen goddes pryvetee.      3558
Suffiseth thee, but if thy wittes madde,      3559
To han as greet a grace as noe hadde.      3560
Thy wyf shal I wel saven, out of doute.      3561
Go now thy wey, and speed thee heer-aboute.      3562
But whan thou hast, for hire and thee and me,      3563
Ygeten us thise knedyng tubbes thre,      3564
Thanne shaltow hange hem in the roof ful hye,      3565
That no man of oure purveiaunce spye.      3566
And whan thou thus hast doon, as I have seyd,      3567
And hast oure vitaille faire in hem yleyd,      3568
And eek an ax, to smyte the corde atwo,      3569
Whan that the water comth, that we may go,      3570
And breke an hole an heigh, upon the gable,      3571
Unto the gardyn-ward, over the stable,      3572
That we may frely passen forth oure way,      3573
Whan that the grete shour is goon away,      3574
Thanne shaltou swymme as myrie, I undertake,      3575
As dooth the white doke after hire drake.      3576
Thanne wol I clepe, -- how, alison! how, john!      3577
Be myrie, for the flood wol passe anon. --      3578
And thou wolt seyn, -- hayl, maister nicholay!      3579
Good morwe, I se thee wel, for it is day. --      3580
And thanne shul we be lordes al oure lyf      3581
Of al the world, as noe and his wyf.      3582
But of o thyng I warne thee ful right:      3583
Be wel avysed on that ilke nyght      3584
That we ben entred into shippes bord,      3585
That noon of us ne speke nat a word,      3586
Ne clepe, ne crie, but be in his preyere;      3587
For it is goddes owene heeste deere.      3588
Thy wyf and thou moote hange fer atwynne;      3589
For that bitwixe yow shal be no synne,      3590
Namoore in lookyng than ther shal in deede,      3591
This ordinance is seyd. Go, God thee speede!      3592
Tomorwe at nyght, whan men ben alle aslepe,      3593
Into oure knedyng-tubbes wol we crepe,      3594
And sitten there, abidyng goddes grace.      3595
Go now thy wey, I have no lenger space      3596
To make of this no lenger sermonyng.      3597
Men seyn thus, -- sende the wise, and sey no thyng: --      3598
Thou art so wys, it needeth thee nat teche.      3599
Go, save oure lyf, and that I the biseche.      3600
This sely carpenter goth forth his wey.      3601
Ful ofte he seide allas and weylawey,      3602
And to his wyf he tolde his pryvetee,      3603
And she was war, and knew it bet than he,      3604
What al this queynte cast was for to seye.      3605
But nathelees she ferde as she wolde deye,      3606
And seyde, allas! go forth thy wey anon,      3607
Help us to scape, or we been dede echon!      3608
I am thy trewe, verray wedded wyf;      3609
Go, deere spouse, and help to save oure lyf.      3610
Lo, which a greet thyng is affeccioun!      3611
Men may dyen of ymaginacioun,      3612
So depe may impressioun be take.      3613
This sely carpenter bigynneth quake;      3614
Hym thynketh verraily that he may see      3615
Noees flood come walwynge as the see      3616
To drenchen alisoun, his hony deere.      3617
He wepeth, weyleth, maketh sory cheere;      3618
He siketh with ful many a sory swogh;      3619
He gooth and geteth hym a knedyng trogh,      3620
And after that a tubbe and a kymelyn,      3621
And pryvely he sente hem to his in,      3622
And heng hem in the roof in pryvetee.      3623
His owene hand he made laddres thre,      3624
To clymben by the ronges and the stalkes      3625
Unto the tubbes hangynge in the balkes,      3626
And hem vitailled, bothe trogh and tubbe,      3627
With breed and chese, and good ale in a jubbe,      3628
Suffisynge right ynogh as for a day.      3629
But er that he hadde maad al this array,      3630
He sente his knave, and eek his wenche also,      3631
Upon his nede to london for to go.      3632
And on the monday, whan it drow to nyght,      3633
He shette his dore withoute candel-lyght,      3634
And dressed alle thyng as it sholde be.      3635
And shortly, up they clomben alle thre;      3636
They seten stille wel a furlong way.      3637
Now, pater-noster, clom! seyde nicholay,      3638
And clom, quod john, and clom, seyde alisoun.      3639
This carpenter seyde his devocioun,      3640
And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere,      3641
Awaitynge on the reyn, if he it heere.      3642
The dede sleep, for wery bisynesse,      3643
Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse,
Page  53
     3644
Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel moore;      3645
For travaille of his goost he groneth soore,      3646
And eft he routeth, for his heed myslay.      3647
Doun of the laddre stalketh nicholay,      3648
And alisoun ful softe adoun she spedde;      3649
Withouten wordes mo they goon to bedde,      3650
Ther as the carpenter is wont to lye.      3651
Ther was the revel and the melodye;      3652
And thus lith alison and nicholas,      3653
In bisynesse of myrthe and of solas,      3654
Til that the belle of laudes gan to rynge,      3655
And freres in the chaunsel gonne synge.      3656
This parissh clerk, this amorous absolon,      3657
That is for love alwey so wo bigon,      3658
Upon the monday was at oseneye      3659
With compaignye, hym to disporte and pleye,      3660
And axed upon cas a cloisterer      3661
Ful prively after john the carpenter;      3662
And he drough hym apart out of the chirche,      3663
And seyde, I noot, I saugh hym heere nat wirche      3664
Syn saterday; I trowe that he be went      3665
For tymber, ther oure abbot hath hym sent;      3666
For he is wont for tymber for to go,      3667
And dwellen at the grange a day or two;      3668
Or elles he is at his hous, certeyn.      3669
Where that he be, I kan nat soothly seyn.      3670
This absolon ful joly was and light,      3671
And thoghte, now is tyme to wake al nyght;      3672
For sikirly I saugh hym nat stirynge      3673
Aboute his dore, syn day bigan to sprynge.      3674
So moot I thryve, I shal, at cokkes crowe,      3675
Ful pryvely knokken at his wyndowe      3676
That stant ful lowe upon his boures wal.      3677
To alison now wol I tellen al      3678
My love-longynge, for yet I shal nat mysse      3679
That at the leeste wey I shal hire kisse.      3680
Som maner confort shal I have, parfay.      3681
My mouth hath icched al this longe day;      3682
That is a signe of kissyng atte leeste.      3683
Al nyght me mette eek I was at a feeste.      3684
Therfore I wol go slepe an houre or tweye,      3685
And al the nyght thanne wol I wake and pleye.      3686
Whan that the firste cok hath crowe, anon      3687
Up rist this joly lovere absolon      3688
And hym arraieth gay, at poynt-devys.      3689
But first he cheweth greyn and lycorys,      3690
To smellen sweete, er he hadde kembd his heer.      3691
Under his tonge a trewe-love he beer,      3692
For therby wende he to ben gracious.      3693
He rometh to the carpenteres hous,      3694
And stille he stant under the shot-wyndowe --      3695
Unto his brest it raughte, it was so lowe --      3696
And softe he cougheth with a semy soun --      3697
What do ye, hony-comb, sweete alisoun,      3698
My faire bryd, my sweete cynamome?      3699
Awaketh, lemman myn, and speketh to me!      3700
Wel litel thynken ye upon my wo,      3701
That for youre love I swete ther I go.      3702
No wonder is thogh that I swelte and swete;      3703
I moorne as dooth a lamb after the tete.      3704
Ywis, lemman, I have swich love-longynge,      3705
That lik a turtel trewe is my moornynge.      3706
I may nat ete na moore than a mayde.      3707
go fro the wyndow, jakke fool, she sayde;      3708
As help me god, it wol nat be 'com pa me.'      3709
I love another -- and elles I were to blame --      3710
Wel bet than thee, by jhesu, absolon.      3711
Go forth thy wey, or I wol caste a ston,      3712
And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!      3713
allas, quod absolon, and weylawey,      3714
That trewe love was evere so yvel biset!      3715
Thanne kysse me, syn it may be no bet,      3716
For jhesus love, and for the love of me.      3717
Wiltow thanne go thy wey therwith? quod she.      3718
Ye, certes, lemman, quod this absolon.      3719
Thanne make thee redy, quod she, I come anon.      3720
And unto nicholas she seyde stille,      3721
Now hust, and thou shalt laughen al thy fille.      3722
This absolon doun sette hym on his knees      3723
And seyde, I am a lord at alle degrees;      3724
For after this I hope ther cometh moore.      3725
Lemman, thy grace, and sweete bryd, thyn oore!      3726
The wyndow she undoth, and that in haste.      3727
Have do, quod she, com of, and speed the faste,      3728
Lest that oure neighebores thee espie.      3729
This absolon gan wype his mouth ful drie.      3730
Derk was the nyght as pich, or as the cole,      3731
And at the wyndow out she putte hir hole,      3732
And absolon, hym fil no bet ne wers,      3733
But with his mouth he kiste hir naked ers      3734
Ful savourly, er he were war of this.      3735
Abak he stirte, and thoughte it was amys,      3736
For wel he wiste a womman hath no berd.      3737
He felte a thyng al rough and long yherd,      3738
And seyde, fy! allas! what have I do?      3739
Tehee! quod she, and clapte the wyndow to,      3740
And absolon gooth forth a sory pas.      3741
A berd! a berd! quod hende nicholas,      3742
By goddes corpus, this goth faire and weel.      3743
This sely absolon herde every deel,      3744
And on his lippe he gan for anger byte,
Page  54
     3745
And to hymself he seyde, I shal thee quyte.      3746
Who rubbeth now, who froteth now his lippes      3747
With dust, with sond, with straw, with clooth, with chippes,      3748
But absolon, that seith ful ofte, allas!      3749
My soule bitake I unto sathanas,      3750
But me were levere than al this toun, quod he,      3751
Of this despit awroken for to be.      3752
Allas, quod he, allas, I ne hadde ybleynt!      3753
His hoote love was coold and al yqueynt;      3754
For fro that tyme that he hadde kist hir ers,      3755
Of paramours he sette nat a kers;      3756
For he was heeled of his maladie.      3757
Ful ofte paramours he gan deffie,      3758
And weep as dooth a child that is ybete.      3759
A softe paas he wente over the strete      3760
Until a smyth men cleped daun gerveys,      3761
That in his forge smythed plough harneys;      3762
He sharpeth shaar and kultour bisily.      3763
This absolon knokketh al esily,      3764
What, who artow? it am I, absalon.      3766
And seyde, undo, gerveys, and that anon.      3765
What, absolon! for cristes sweete tree,      3767
Why rise ye so rathe? ey, benedicitee!      3768
What eyleth yow? som gay gerl, God it woot,      3769
Hath broght yow thus upon the viritoot.      3770
By seinte note, ye woot wel what I mene.      3771
This absolon ne roghte nat a bene      3772
Of al his pley; no word agayn he yaf;      3773
He hadde moore tow on his distaf      3774
Than gerveys knew, and seyde, freend so deere,      3775
That hoote kultour in the chymenee heere,      3776
As lene it me, I have therwith to doone,      3777
And I wol brynge it thee agayn ful soone.      3778
Gerveys answerde, certes, were it gold,      3779
Or in a poke nobles alle untold,      3780
Thou sholdest have, as I am trewe smyth.      3781
Ey, cristes foo! what wol ye do therwith?      3782
Therof, quod absolon, be as be may.      3783
I shal wel telle it thee to-morwe day --      3784
And caughte the kultour by the colde stele.      3785
Ful softe out at the dore he gan to stele,      3786
And wente unto the carpenteris wal.      3787
He cogheth first, and knokketh therwithal      3788
Upon the wyndowe, right as he dide er.      3789
This alison answerde, who is ther      3790
That knokketh so? I warante it a theef.      3791
Why, nay, quod he, God woot, my sweete leef,      3792
I am thyn absolon, my deerelyng.      3793
Of gold, quod he, I have thee broght a ryng.      3794
My mooder yaf it me, so God me save;      3795
Ful fyn it is, and therto wel ygrave.      3796
This wol I yeve thee, if thou me kisse.      3797
This nicholas was risen for to pisse,      3798
And thoughte he wolde amenden al the jape;      3799
He sholde kisse his ers er that he scape.      3800
And up the wyndowe dide he hastily,      3801
And out his ers he putteth pryvely      3802
Over the buttok, to the haunche-bon;      3803
And therwith spak this clerk, this absolon,      3804
Spek, sweete bryd, I noot nat where thou art.      3805
This nicholas anon leet fle a fart,      3806
As greet as it had been a thonder-dent,      3807
That with the strook he was almoost yblent;      3808
And he was redy with his iren hoot,      3809
And nicholas amydde the ers he smoot.      3810
Of gooth the skyn an hande-brede aboute,      3811
The hoote kultour brende so his toute,      3812
And for the smert he wende for to dye.      3813
As he were wood, for wo he gan to crye,      3814
Help! water! water! water! help, for goddes herte!      3815
This carpenter out of his slomber sterte,      3816
And herde oon crien water as he were wood,      3817
And thoughte, allas, now comth nowelis flood!      3818
He sit hym up withouten wordes mo,      3819
And with his ax he smoot the corde atwo,      3820
And doun gooth al; he foond neither to selle,      3821
Ne breed ne ale, til he cam to the celle      3822
Upon the floor, and ther aswowne he lay.      3823
Up stirte hire alison and nicholay,      3824
And criden out and harrow in the strete.      3825
The neighebores, bothe smale and grete,      3826
In ronnen for to gauren on this man,      3827
That yet aswowne lay, bothe pale and wan,      3828
For with the fal he brosten hadde his arm.      3829
But stonde he moste unto his owene harm;      3830
For whan he spak, he was anon bore doun      3831
With hende nicholas and alisoun.      3832
They tolden every man that he was wood,      3833
He was agast so of nowelis flood      3834
Thurgh fantasie, that of his vanytee      3835
He hadde yboght hym knedyng tubbes thre,      3836
And hadde hem hanged in the roof above;      3837
And that he preyed hem, for goddes love,      3838
To sitten in the roof, par compaignye.      3839
The folk gan laughen at his fantasye;      3840
Into the roof they kiken and they cape,      3841
And turned al his harm unto a jape.      3842
For what so that this carpenter answerde,      3843
It was for noght, no man his reson herde.      3844
With othes grete he was so sworn adoun      3845
That he was holde wood in al the toun;      3846
For every clerk anonright heeld with oother.
Page  55
     3847
They seyde, the man is wood, my leeve brother;      3848
And every wight gan laughen at this stryf.      3849
Thus swyved was this carpenteris wyf,      3850
For al his kepyng and his jalousye;      3851
And absolon hath kist hir nether ye;      3852
And nicholas is scalded in the towte.      3853
This tale is doon, and God save al the rowte!      3854
The Reeve's Prologue

Whan folk hadde laughen at this nyce cas      3855
Of absolon and hende nicholas,      3856
Diverse folk diversely they seyde,      3857
But for the moore part they loughe and pleyde.      3858
Ne at this tale I saugh no man hym greve,      3859
But it were oonly osewold the reve.      3860
By cause he was of carpenteris craft,      3861
A litel ire is in his herte ylaft;      3862
He gan to grucche, and blamed it a lite.      3863
So theek, quod he, ful wel koude I thee quite      3864
With bleryng of a proud milleres ye,      3865
If that me liste speke of ribaudye.      3866
But ik am oold, me list not pley for age;      3867
Gras tyme is doon, my fodder is now forage;      3868
This white top writeth myne olde yeris;      3869
Myn herte is also mowled as myne heris,      3870
But if I fare as dooth an open-ers, --      3871
That ilke fruyt is ever lenger the wers,      3872
Til it be roten in mullok or in stree.      3873
We olde men, I drede, so fare we:      3874
Til we be roten, kan we nat be rype;      3875
We hoppen alwey whil the world wol pype.      3876
For in oure wyl ther stiketh evere a nayl,      3877
To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl,      3878
As hath a leek; for thogh oure myght be goon,      3879
Oure wyl desireth folie evere in oon.      3880
For whan we may nat doon, than wol we speke;      3881
Yet in oure asshen olde is fyr yreke.      3882
Foure gleedes han we, which I shal devyse, --      3883
Avauntyng, liyng, anger, coveitise;      3884
Thise foure sparkles longen unto eelde.      3885
Oure olde lemes mowe wel been unweelde,      3886
But wyl ne shal nat faillen, that is sooth.      3887
And yet ik have alwey a coltes tooth,      3888
As many a yeer as it is passed henne      3889
Syn that my tappe of lif bigan to renne.      3890
For sikerly, whan I was bore, anon      3891
Deeth drough the tappe of lyf and leet it gon;      3892
And ever sithe hath so the tappe yronne      3893
Til that almoost al empty is the tonne.      3894
The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbe.      3895
The sely tonge may wel rynge and chymbe      3896
Of wrecchednesse that passed is ful yoore;      3897
With olde folk, save dotage, is namoore!      3898
Whan that oure hoost hadde herd this sermonyng,      3899
He gan to speke as lordly as a kyng.      3900
He seide, what amounteth al this wit?      3901
What shul we speke alday of hooly writ?      3902
The devel made a reve for to preche,      3903
Or of a soutere a shipman or a leche.      3904
Sey forth thy tale, and tarie nat the tyme      3905
Lo depeford! and it is half-wey pryme.      3906
Lo grenewych, ther many a shrewe is inne!      3907
It were al tyme thy tale to bigynne.      3908
Now, sires, quod this osewold the reve,      3909
I pray yow alle that ye nat yow greve,      3910
Thogh I answere, and somdeel sette his howve;      3911
For leveful is with force force of-showve.      3912
This dronke millere hath ytoold us heer      3913
How that bigyled was a carpenteer,      3914
Peraventure in scorn, for I am oon.      3915
And, by youre leve, I shal hym quite anoon;      3916
Right in his cherles termes wol I speke.      3917
I pray to God his nekke mote to-breke;      3918
He kan wel in myn eye seen a stalke,      3919
But in his owene he kan nat seen a balke.      3920
Page  56
The Reeve's Tale

At trumpyngtoun, nat fer fro cantebrigge,      3921
Ther gooth a brook, and over that a brigge,      3922
Upon the whiche brook ther stant a melle;      3923
And this is verray sooth that I yow telle:      3924
A millere was ther dwellynge many a day.      3925
As any pecok he was proud and gay.      3926
Pipen he koude and fisshe, and nettes beete,      3927
And turne coppes, and wel wrastle and sheete;      3928
Ay by his belt he baar a long panade,      3929
And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade      3930
A joly poppere baar he is in his pouche;      3931
Ther was no man, for peril, dorste hym touche.      3932
A sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose.      3933
Round was his face, and camus was his nose;      3934
As piled as an ape was his skulle.      3935
He was a market-betere atte fulle.      3936
Ther dorste no wight hand upon hym legge,      3937
That he ne swoor he sholde anon abegge.      3938
A theef he was for sothe of corn and mele,      3939
And that a sly, and usaunt for to stele.      3940
His name was hoote deynous symkyn.      3941
A wyf he hadde, ycomen of noble kyn;      3942
The person of the toun hir fader was.      3943
With hire he yaf ful many a panne of bras,      3944
For that symkyn sholde in his blood allye.      3945
She was yfostred in a nonnerye;      3946
For symkyn wolde no wyf, as he sayde,      3947
But she were wel ynorissed and a mayde,      3948
To saven his estaat of yomanrye.      3949
And she was proud, and peert as is a pye.      3950
A ful fair sighte was it upon hem two;      3951
On halydayes biforn hire wolde he go      3952
With his typet bounden aboute his heed,      3953
And she cam after in a gyte of reed;      3954
And symkyn hadde hosen of the same.      3955
Ther dorste no wight clepen hire but dame;      3956
Was noon so hardy that wente by the weye      3957
That with hire dorste rage or ones pleye,      3958
But if he wolde be slayn of symkyn      3959
With panade, or with knyf, or boidekyn.      3960
For jalous folk ben perilous everemo;      3961
Algate they wolde hire wyves wenden so.      3962
And eek, for she was somdel smoterlich,      3963
She was as digne as water in a dich,      3964
And ful of hoker and of bisemare.      3965
Hir thoughte that a lady sholde hire spare,      3966
What for hire kynrede and hir nortelrie      3967
That she hadde lerned in the nonnerie.      3968
A doghter hadde they bitwixe hem two      3969
Of twenty yeer, withouten any mo,      3970
Savynge a child that was of half yeer age;      3971
In cradel it lay and was a propre page.      3972
This wenche thikke and wel ygrowen was,      3973
With kamus nose, and eyen greye as glas,      3974
With buttokes brode, and brestes rounde and hye;      3975
But right fair was hire heer, I wol nat lye.      3976
This person of the toun, for she was feir,      3977
In purpos was to maken hire his heir,      3978
Bothe of his catel and his mesuage,      3979
And straunge he made it of hir mariage.      3980
His purpos was for to bistowe hire hye      3981
Into som worthy blood of auncetrye;      3982
For hooly chirches good moot been despended      3983
On hooly chirches blood, that is descended.      3984
Therfore he wolde his hooly blood honoure,      3985
Though that he hooly chirche sholde devoure.      3986
Greet sokene hath this millere, out of doute,      3987
With whete and malt of al the land aboute;      3988
And nameliche ther was a greet collegge      3989
Men clepen the soler halle at cantebregge;      3990
Ther was hir whete and eek hir malt ygrounde.      3991
And on a day it happed, in a stounde,      3992
Sik lay the maunciple on a maladye;      3993
Men wenden wisly that he sholde dye.      3994
For which this millere stal bothe mele and corn      3995
An hundred tyme moore than biforn;      3996
For therbiforn he stal but curteisly,      3997
But now he was a theef outrageously,      3998
For which the wardeyn chidde and made fare.      3999
But therof sette the millere nat a tare;      4000
He craketh boost, and swoor it was nat so.      4001
Thanne were ther yonge povre scolers two,      4002
That dwelten in this halle, of which I seye.      4003
Testif they were, and lusty for to pleye,      4004
And, oonly for hire myrthe and revelrye,      4005
Upon the wardeyn bisily they crye      4006
To yeve hem leve, but a litel stounde,      4007
To goon to mille and seen hir corn ygrounde;      4008
And hardily they dorste leye hir nekke      4009
The millere sholde not stele hem half a pekke      4010
Of corn by sleighte, ne by force hem reve;      4011
And at the laste the wardeyn yaf hem leve.      4012
John highte that oon, and aleyn highte that oother;
Page  57
     4013
Of o toun were they born, that highte strother,      4014
Fer in the north, I kan nat telle where.      4015
This aleyn maketh redy al his gere,      4016
And on an hors the sak he caste anon.      4017
Forth goth aleyn the clerk, and also john,      4018
With good swerd and with bokeler by hir syde.      4019
John knew the wey, -- hem nedede no gyde, --      4020
And at the mille the sak adoun he layth.      4021
Aleyn spak first, al hayl, symond, y-fayth!      4022
Hou fares thy faire doghter and thy wyf?      4023
Aleyn, welcome, quod symkyn, by my lyf!      4024
And john also, how now, what do ye heer?      4025
Symond, quod john, by god, nede has na peer.      4026
Hym boes serve hymself that has na swayn,      4027
Or elles he is a fool, as clerkes sayn.      4028
Oure manciple, I hope he wil be deed,      4029
Swa werkes ay the wanges in his heed;      4030
And forthy is I come, and eek alayn,      4031
To grynde oure corn and carie it ham agayn;      4032
I pray yow spede us heythen that ye may.      4033
It shal be doon, quod symkyn, by my fay!      4034
What wol ye doon whil that it is in hande?      4035
By god, right by the hopur wil I stande,      4036
Quod john, and se howgates the corn gas in.      4037
Yet saugh I nevere, by my fader kyn,      4038
How that the hopur wagges til and fra.      4039
Aleyn answerde, john, and wiltow swa?      4040
Thanne wil I be bynethe, by my croun,      4041
And se how that the mele falles doun      4042
Into the trough; that sal be my disport.      4043
For john, y-faith, I may been of youre sort;      4044
I is as ille a millere as ar ye.      4045
This millere smyled of hir nycetee,      4046
And thoghte, al this nys doon but for a wyle.      4047
They wene that no man may hem bigyle,      4048
But by my thrift, yet shal I blere hir ye,      4049
For al the sleighte in hir philosophye.      4050
The moore queynte crekes that they make,      4051
The moore wol I stele whan I take.      4052
In stide of flour yet wol I yeve hem bren.      4053
-- The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men, --      4054
As whilom to the wolf thus spak the mare.      4055
Of al hir art ne counte I noght a tare.      4056
Out at the dore he gooth ful pryvely,      4057
Whan that he saugh his tyme, softely.      4058
He looketh up and doun til he hath founde      4059
The clerkes hors, ther as it stood ybounde      4060
Bihynde the mille, under a levesel;      4061
And to the hors he goth hym faire and wel;      4062
He strepeth of the brydel right anon.      4063
And whan the hors was laus, he gynneth gon      4064
Toward the fen, ther wilde mares renne,      4065
And forth with wehee, thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.      4066
This millere gooth agayn, no word he seyde,      4067
But dooth his note, and with the clerkes pleyde,      4068
Til that hir corn was faire and well ygrounde.      4069
And whan the mele is sakked and ybounde,      4070
This john goth out and fynt his hors away,      4071
And gan to crie harrow! and weylaway!
Page  58
     4072
Oure hors is lorn, alayn, for goddes banes,      4073
Step on thy feet! com of, man, al atanes!      4074
Allas, our wardeyn has his palfrey lorn.      4075
This aleyn al forgat, bothe mele and corn;      4076
Al was out of his mynde his housbondrie.      4077
What, whilk way is he geen? he gan to crie.      4078
The wyf cam lepynge inward with a ren.      4079
She seyde, allas! youre hors goth to the fen      4080
With wilde mares, as faste as he may go.      4081
Unthank come on his hand that boond hym so,      4082
And he that bettre sholde han knyt the reyne!      4083
Allas, quod john, aleyn, for cristes peyne      4084
Lay doun thy swerd, and I wil myn alswa.      4085
I is ful wight, God waat, as is a raa;      4086
By goddes herte, he sal nat scape us bathe!      4087
Why ne had thow pit the capul in the lathe?      4088
Ilhayl! by god, alayn, thou is a fonne!      4089
Thise sely clerkes han ful faste yronne      4090
Toward the fen, bothe aleyn and eek john.      4091
And whan the millere saugh that they were gon,      4092
He half a busshel of hir flour hath take,      4093
And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake.      4094
He seyde, I trowe the clerkes were aferd.      4095
Yet kan a millere make a clerkes berd,      4096
For al his art; now lat hem goon hir weye!      4097
Lo, wher he gooth! ye, lat the children pleye.      4098
They gete hym nat so lightly, by my croun.      4099
Thise sely clerkes rennen up and doun      4100
With keep! keep! stand! stand! jossa, warderere,      4101
Ga whistle thou, and I shal kepe hym heere!      4102
But shortly, til that it was verray nyght,      4103
They koude nat, though they dide al hir myght,      4104
Hir capul cacche, he ran alwey so faste,      4105
Til in a dych they caughte hym atte laste.      4106
Wery and weet, as beest is in the reyn,      4107
Comth sely john, and with him comth aleyn.      4108
Allas, quod john, the day that I was born!      4109
Now are we dryve til hethyng and til scorn.      4110
Oure corn is stoln, men wil us fooles calle,      4111
Bathe the wardeyn and oure felawes alle,      4112
And namely the millere, weylaway!      4113
Thus pleyneth john as he gooth by the way      4114
Toward the mille, and bayard in his hond.      4115
The millere sittynge by the fyr he fond,      4116
For it was nyght, and forther myghte they noght;      4117
But for the love of God they hym bisoght      4118
Of herberwe and of ese, as for hir peny.      4119
The millere seyde agayn, if ther be eny,      4120
Swich as it is, yet shal ye have youre part.      4121
Myn hous is streit, but ye han lerned art;      4122
Ye konne by argumentes make a place      4123
A myle brood of twenty foot of space.      4124
Lat se now if this place may suffise,      4125
Or make it rowm with speche, as is youre gise.      4126
Now, symond, seyde john, by seint cutberd,      4127
Ay is thou myrie, and this is faire answerd.      4128
I have herd seyd, -- man sal taa of twa thynges      4129
Slyk as he fyndes, or taa slyk as he brynges. --      4130
But specially I pray thee, hooste deere,      4131
Get us som mete and drynke, and make us cheere,      4132
And we wil payen trewely atte fulle.      4133
With empty hand men may na haukes tulle;      4134
Loo, heere oure silver, redy for to spende.      4135
This millere into toun his doghter sende      4136
For ale and breed, and rosted hem a goos,      4137
And boond hire hors, it sholde namoore go loos;      4138
And in his owene chambre hem made a bed,      4139
With sheetes and with chalons faire yspred      4140
Noght from his owene bed ten foot or twelve.      4141
His doghter hadde a bed, al by hirselve,      4142
Right in the same chambre by and by.      4143
It myghte be no bet, and cause why?      4144
Ther was no roumer herberwe in the place.      4145
They soupen and they speke, hem to solace,      4146
And drynken evere strong ale atte beste.      4147
Aboute mydnyght wente they to reste.      4148
Wel hath this millere vernysshed his heed;      4149
Ful pale he was for dronken, and nat reed.      4150
He yexeth, and he speketh thurgh the nose      4151
As he were on the quakke, or on the pose.      4152
To bedde he goth, and with hym goth his wyf.      4153
As any jay she light was and jolyf,      4154
So was hir joly whistle wel ywet.      4155
The cradel at hir beddes feet is set,      4156
To rokken, and to yeve the child to sowke.      4157
And whan that dronken al was in the crowke,      4158
To bedde wente the doghter right anon;      4159
To bedde goth aleyn and also john;      4160
Ther nas na moore, -- hem nedede no dwale.      4161
This millere hath so wisely bibbed ale      4162
That as an hors he fnorteth in his sleep,      4163
Ne of his tayl bihynde he took no keep.      4164
His wyf bar hym a burdon, a ful strong;      4165
Men myghte hir rowtyng heere two furlong;      4166
The wenche rowteth eek, par compaignye.      4167
Aleyn the clerk, that herde this melodye,      4168
He poked john, and seyde, slepestow?      4169
Herdestow evere slyk a sang er now?      4170
Lo, swilk a complyn is ymel hem alle,      4171
A wilde fyr upon thair bodyes falle!      4172
Wha herkned evere slyk a ferly thyng?      4173
Ye, they sal have the flour of il endyng.      4174
This lange nyght ther tydes me na reste;      4175
But yet, nafors, al sal be for the beste.      4176
For, john, seyde he, als evere moot I thryve,      4177
If that I may, yon wenche wil I swyve.      4178
Som esement has lawe yshapen us;      4179
For, john, ther is a lawe that says thus,      4180
That gif a man in a point be agreved,      4181
That in another he sal be releved.      4182
Oure corn is stoln, sothly, it is na nay,      4183
And we han had an il fit al this day;      4184
And syn I sal have neen amendement      4185
Agayn my los, I will have esement.      4186
By goddes sale, it sal neen other bee!      4187
This john answerde, alayn, avyse thee!      4188
The millere is a perilous man, he seyde,      4189
And gif that he out of his sleep abreyde,      4190
He myghte doon us bathe a vileynye.      4191
Aleyn answerde, I counte hym nat a flye.      4192
And up he rist, and by the wenche he crepte.      4193
This wenche lay uprighte, and faste slepte,      4194
Til he so ny was, er she myghte espie,      4195
That it had been to late for to crie,      4196
And shortly for to seyn, they were aton.      4197
Now pley, aleyn, for I wol speke of john.      4198
This john lith stille a furlong wey or two,      4199
And to hymself he maketh routhe and wo.      4200
Allas! quod he, this is a wikked jape;      4201
Now may I seyn that I is but an ape.      4202
Yet has my felawe somwhat for his harm;      4203
He has the milleris doghter in his arm.      4204
He auntred hym, and has his nedes sped,      4205
And I lye as a draf-sak in my bed;      4206
And when this jape is tald another day,      4207
I sal been halde a daf, a cokenay!      4208
I wil arise and auntre it, by my fayth!      4209
-- Unhardy is unseely, -- thus men sayth.      4210
And up he roos, and softely he wente      4211
Unto the cradel, and in his hand it hente,      4212
And baar it softe unto his beddes feet.      4213
Soone after this the wyf hir rowtyng leet,      4214
And gan awake, and wente hire out to pisse,      4215
And cam agayn, and gan hir cradel mysse,      4216
And groped heer and ther, but she foond noon.
Page  59
     4217
Allas! quod she, I hadde almoost mysgoon;      4218
I hadde almoost goon to the clerkes bed.      4219
Ey, benedicite! thanne hadde I foule ysped.      4220
And forth she gooth til she the cradel fond.      4221
She gropeth alwey forther with hir hond,      4222
And foond the bed, and thoghte noght but good,      4223
By cause that the cradel by it stood,      4224
And nyste wher she was, for it was derk;      4225
But faire and wel she creep in to the clerk,      4226
And lith ful stille, and wolde han caught a sleep.      4227
Withinne a while this john the clerk up leep,      4228
And on this goode wyf he leith on soore.      4229
So myrie a fit ne hadde she nat ful yoore;      4230
He priketh harde and depe as he were mad.      4231
This joly lyf han thise two clerkes lad      4232
Til that the thridde cok bigan to synge.      4233
Aleyn wax wery in the dawenynge,      4234
For he had swonken al the longe nyght,      4235
And seyde, fare weel, malyne, sweete wight!      4236
The day is come, I may no lenger byde;      4237
But everemo, wher so I go or ryde,      4238
I is thyn awen clerk, swa have I seel!      4239
Now, deere lemman, quod she, go, far weel!      4240
But er thow go, o thyng I wol thee telle:      4241
Whan that thou wendest homward by the melle,      4242
Right at the entree of the dore bihynde      4243
Thou shalt a cake of half a busshel fynde      4244
That was ymaked of thyn owene mele,      4245
Which that I heelp my sire for to stele.      4246
And, goode lemman, God thee save and kepe!      4247
And with that word almoost she gan to wepe.      4248
Aleyn up rist, and thoughte, er that it dawe,      4249
I wol go crepen in by my felawe;      4250
And fond the cradel with his hand anon.      4251
By god, thoughte he, al wrang I have mysgon.      4252
Myn heed is toty of my swynk to-nyght,      4253
That makes me that I ga nat aright.      4254
I woot wel by the cradel I have mysgo;      4255
Heere lith the millere and his wyf also.      4256
And forth he goth, a twenty devel way,      4257
Unto the bed ther as the millere lay.      4258
He wende have cropen by his felawe john,      4259
And by the millere in he creep anon,      4260
And caughte hym by the nekke, and softe he spak.      4261
He seyde, thou john, thou swynes-heed, awak,      4262
For cristes saule, and heer a noble game.      4263
For by that lord that called is seint jame,      4264
As I have thries in this shorte nyght      4265
Swyved the milleres doghter bolt upright,      4266
Whil thow hast, as a coward, been agast.      4267
Ye, false harlot, quod the miller, hast?      4268
A, false traitour! false clerk! quod he,      4269
Thow shalt be deed, by goddes dignitee!      4270
Who dorste be so boold to disparage      4271
My doghter, that is come of swich lynage?      4272
And by the throte-bolle he caughte alayn,      4273
And he hente hym despitously agayn,      4274
And on the nose he smoot hym with his fest.      4275
Doun ran the blody streem upon his brest;      4276
And in the floor, with nose and mouth tobroke,      4277
They walwe as doon two pigges in a poke;      4278
And up they goon, and doun agayn anon,      4279
Til that the millere sporned at a stoon,      4280
And doun he fil bakward upon his wyf,      4281
That wiste no thyng of this nyce stryf;      4282
For she was falle aslepe a lite wight      4283
With john the clerk, that waked hadde al nyght,      4284
And with the fal out of hir sleep she breyde.      4285
Help! hooly croys of bromeholm, she seyde,      4286
In manus tuas! lord, to thee I calle!      4287
Awak, symond! the feend is on me falle.      4288
Myn herte is broken; help! I nam but deed!      4289
Ther lyth oon upon my wombe and on myn heed.      4290
Help, symkyn, for the false clerkes fighte!      4291
This john stirte up as faste as ever he myghte,      4292
And graspeth by the walles to and fro,      4293
To fynde a staf; and she stirte up also,      4294
And knew the estres bet than dide this john,      4295
And by the wal a staf she foond anon,      4296
And saugh a litel shymeryng of a light,      4297
For at an hole in shoon the moone bright;      4298
And by that light she saugh hem bothe two,      4299
But sikerly she nyste who was who,      4300
But as she saugh a whit thyng in hir ye.      4301
And whan she gan this white thyng espye,      4302
She wende the clerk hadde wered a volupeer,      4303
And with the staf she drow ay neer and neer,      4304
And wende han hit this aleyn at the fulle,      4305
And smooth the millere on the pyled skulle,      4306
That doun he gooth, and cride, harrow! I dye!      4307
Thise clerkes beete hym weel and lete hym lye;      4308
And greythen hem, and tooke hir hors anon,      4309
And eek hire mele, and on hir wey they gon.      4310
And at the mille yet they tooke hir cake      4311
Of half a busshel flour, ful wel ybake.
Page  60
     4312
Thus is the proude millere wel ybete,      4313
And hath ylost the gryndynge of the whete,      4314
And payed for the soper everideel      4315
Of aleyn and of john, that bette hym weel.      4316
His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als.      4317
Lo, swich it is a millere to be fals!      4318
And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,      4319
Hym thar nat wene wel that yvele dooth;      4320
A gylour shal hymself bigyled be.      4321
And god, that sitteth heighe in magestee,      4322
Save al this compaignye, grete and smale!      4323
Thus have I quyt the millere in my tale.      4324
The Cook's Prologue

The cook of londoun, whil the reve spak,      4325
For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the bak.      4326
Ha! ha! quod he, for cristes passion,      4327
This millere hadde a sharp conclusion      4328
Upon his argument of herbergage!      4329
Wel seyde salomon in his langage,      4330
-- Ne bryng nat every man into thyn hous; --      4331
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous.      4332
Wel oghte a man avysed for to be      4333
Whom that he broghte into his pryvetee.      4334
I pray to god, so yeve me sorwe and care      4335
If evere, sitthe I highte hogge of ware,      4336
Herde I a millere bettre yset a-werk.      4337
He hadde a jape of malice in the derk.      4338
But God forbede that we stynte heere;      4339
And therfore, if ye vouche-sauf to heere      4340
A tale of me, that am a povre man,      4341
I wol yow telle, as wel as evere I kan,      4342
A litel jape that fil in oure citee.      4343
Oure hoost answerde and seide, I graunte it thee.      4344
Now telle on, roger, looke that it be good;      4345
For many a pastee hastow laten blood,      4346
And many a jakke of dovere hastow soold      4347
That hath been twies hoot and twies coold.      4348
Of many a pilgrym hastow cristes curs,      4349
For of thy percely yet they fare the wors,      4350
That they han eten with thy stubbel goos;      4351
For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos.      4352
Now telle on, gentil roger by thy name.      4353
But yet I pray thee, be nat wroth for game;      4354
A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley.      4355
Thou seist ful sooth, quod roger, by my fey!      4356
But -- sooth pley, quaad pley, -- as the flemyng seith.      4357
And therfore, herry bailly, by thy feith,      4358
Be thou nat wrooth, er we departen heer,      4359
Though that my tale be of an hostileer.      4360
But nathelees I wol nat telle it yit;      4361
But er we parte, ywis, thou shalt be quit.      4362
And therwithal he lough and made cheere,      4363
And seyde his tale, as ye shul after heere.      4364
The Cook's Tale

A prentys whilom dwelled in oure citee,      4365
And of a craft of vitailliers was hee.      4366
Gaillard he was as goldfynch in the shawe,      4367
Broun as a berye, a propre short felawe,      4368
With lokkes blake, ykembd ful fetisly.      4369
Dauncen he koude so wel and jolily      4370
That he was cleped perkyn revelour.      4371
He was as ful of love and paramour      4372
As is the hyve ful of hony sweete:      4373
Wel was the wenche with hym myghte meete.
Page  61
     4374
At every bridale wolde he synge and hoppe;      4375
He loved bet the taverne than the shoppe.      4376
For whan ther any ridyng was in chepe,      4377
Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe --      4378
Til that he hadde al the sighte yseyn,      4379
And daunced wel, he wolde nat come ayeyn --      4380
And gadered hym a meynee of his sort      4381
To hoppe and synge and maken swich disport;      4382
And ther they setten stevene for to meete,      4383
To pleyen at the dys in swich a streete.      4384
For in the toune nas ther no prentys      4385
That fairer koude caste a paire of dys      4386
Than perkyn koude, and therto he was free      4387
Of his dispense, in place of pryvetee.      4388
That fond his maister wel in his chaffare;      4389
For often tyme he foond his box ful bare.      4390
For sikerly a prentys revelour      4391
That haunteth dys, riot, or paramour.      4392
His maister shal it in his shoppe abye,      4393
Al have he no part of the mynstralcye.      4394
For thefte and riot, they been convertible,      4395
Al konne he pleye on gyterne or ribible.      4396
Revel and trouthe, as in a lowe degree,      4397
They been ful wrothe al day, as men may see.      4398
this joly prentys with his maister bood,      4399
Til he were ny out of his prentishood,      4400
Al were he snybbed bothe erly and late,      4401
And somtyme lad with revel to newegate.      4402
But atte laste his maister him bithoghte.      4403
Upon a day, whan he his papir soghte,      4404
Of a proverbe that seith this same word,      4405
Wel bet is roten appul out of hoord      4406
Than that it rotie al the remenaunt.      4407
So fareth it by a riotous servaunt;      4408
It is ful lasse harm to lete hym pace,      4409
Than he shende alle the servantz in the place.      4410
Therfore his maister yaf hym acquitance,      4411
And bad hym go, with sorwe and with meschance!      4412
And thus this joly prentys hadde his leve.      4413
Now lat hym riote al the nyght or leve.      4414
And for ther is no theef withoute a lowke,      4415
That helpeth hym to wasten and to sowke      4416
Of that he brybe kan or borwe may,      4417
Anon he sente his bed and his array      4418
Unto a compeer of his owene sort,      4419
That lovede dys, and revel, and disport,      4420
And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenance      4421
A shoppe, and swyved for hir sustenance.      4422
Page  62
Group 2

The Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale

Oure hooste saugh wel that the brighte sonne      1
The ark of his artificial day hath ronne      2
The ferthe part, and half an houre and moore,      3
And though he were nat depe ystert in loore,      4
He wiste it was the eightetethe day      5
Of aprill, that is messager to may;      6
And saugh wel that the shadwe of every tree      7
Was as in lengthe the same quantitee      8
That was the body erect that caused it.      9
And therfore by the shadwe he took his wit      10
That phebus, which that shoon so clere and brighte,      11
Degrees was fyve and fourty clombe on highte;      12
And for that day, as in that latitude,      13
It was ten of the clokke, he gan conclude,      14
And sodeynly he plighte his hors aboute.      15
Lordynges, quod he, I warne yow, al this route,      16
The fourthe party of this day is gon.      17
Now, for the love of God and of seint john,      18
Leseth no tyme, as ferforth as ye may.      19
Lordynges, the tyme wasteth nyght and day,      20
And steleth from us, what pryvely slepynge,      21
And what thurgh necligence in oure wakynge,      22
As dooth the streem that turneth nevere agayn,      23
Descendynge fro the montaigne into playn.      24
Wel kan senec and many a philosophre      25
Biwaillen tyme moore than gold in cofre;      26
For -- los of catel may recovered be,      27
But los of tyme shendeth us, -- quod he.      28
It wol nat come agayn, withouten drede,      29
Namoore than wole malkynes maydenhede,      30
Whan she hath lost it in hir wantownesse.      31
Lat us nat mowlen thus in ydelnesse.      32
Sire man of lawe, quod he, so have ye blis,      33
Telle us a tale anon, as forward is.      34
Ye been submytted, thurgh youre free assent,      35
To stonden in this cas at my juggement.      36
Acquiteth yow now of youre biheeste;      37
Thanne have ye do youre devoir atte leeste.      38
Hooste, quod he, depardieux, ich assente;      39
To breke forward is nat myn entente.      40
Biheste is dette, and I wole holde fayn      41
Al my biheste, I kan no bettre sayn.      42
For swich lawe as a man yeveth another wight,      43
He sholde hymselven usen it, by right;      44
Thus wole oure text. But nathelees, certeyn,      45
I kan right now no thrifty tale seyn      46
That chaucer, thogh he kan but lewedly      47
On metres and on rymyng craftily,      48
Hath seyd hem in swich englissh as he kan      49
Of olde tyme, as knoweth many a man;      50
And if he have noght seyd hem, leve brother,      51
In o book, he hath seyd hem in another.      52
For he hath toold of loveris up and doun      53
Mo than ovide made of mencioun      54
In his episteles, that been ful olde.      55
What sholde I tellen hem, syn they been tolde?      56
In youthe he made of ceys and alcione,      57
And sitthen hath he spoken of everichone,      58
Thise noble wyves and thise loveris eke.      59
Whoso that wole his large volume seke,      60
Cleped the seintes legende of cupide,      61
Ther may he seen the large woundes wyde      62
Of lucresse, and of babilan tesbee;      63
The swerd of dido for the false enee;      64
The tree of phillis for hire demophon;      65
The pleinte of dianire and of hermyon,      66
Of adriane, and of isiphilee;      67
The bareyne yle stondynge in the see;      68
The dreynte leandre for his erro;      69
The teeris of eleyne, and eek the wo      70
Of brixseyde, and of the, ladomya;      71
The crueltee of the, queene medea,      72
Thy litel children hangynge by the hals,      73
For thy jason, that was of love so fals!      74
O ypermystra, penelopee, alceste,      75
Youre wifhod he comendeth with the beste!      76
But certeinly no word ne writeth he      77
Of thilke wikke ensample of canacee,      78
That loved hir owene brother synfully;      79
Of swiche cursed stories I sey fy!)      80
Or ellis of tyro appollonius,      81
How that the cursed kyng antiochus      82
Birafte his doghter of hir maydenhede,      83
That is so horrible a tale for to rede,      84
Whan he hir threw upon the pavement.      85
And therfore he, of ful avysement,
Page  63
     86
Nolde nevere write in none of his sermons      87
Of swiche unkynde abhomynacions,      88
Ne I wol noon reherce, if that I may.      89
But of my tale how shal I doon this day?      90
Me were looth be likned, doutelees,      91
To muses that men clepe pierides --      92
Methamorphosios woot what I mene;      93
But nathelees, I recche noght a bene      94
Though I come after hym with hawebake.      95
I speke in prose, and lat him rymes make.      96
And with that word he, with a sobre cheere,      97
Bigan his tale, as ye shal after heere.      98
The Man of Law's Prologue

O hateful harm, condicion of poverte!      99
With thurst, with coold, with hunger so confoundid!      100
To asken help thee shameth in thyn herte;      101
If thou noon aske, with nede artow so woundid      102
That verray nede unwrappeth al thy wounde hid!      103
Maugree thyn heed, thou most for indigence      104
Or stele, or begge, or borwe thy despence!      105
Thow blamest crist, and seist ful bitterly,      106
He mysdeparteth richesse temporal;      107
Thy neighebor thou wytest synfully,      108
And seist thou hast to lite, and he hath al.      109
0parfay, seistow, somtyme he rekene shal,      110
Whan that his tayl shal brennen in the gleede,      111
For he noght helpeth needfulle in hir neede.      112
Herkne what is the sentence of the wise:      113
Bet is to dyen than have indigence;      114
Thy selve neighebor wol thee despise.      115
If thou be povre, farwel thy reverence!      116
Yet of the wise man take this sentence:      117
Alle the dayes of povre men been wikke.      118
Be war, therfore, er thou come to that prikke!      119
If thou be povre, thy brother hateth thee,      120
And alle thy freendes fleen from thee, allas!      121
O riche marchauntz, ful of wele been yee,      122
O noble, o prudent folk, as in this cas!      123
Youre bagges been nat fild with ambes as,      124
But with sys cynk, that renneth for youre chaunce;      125
At cristemasse myrie may ye daunce!      126
Ye seken lond and see for yowre wynnynges;      127
As wise folk ye knowen al th' estaat      128
Of regnes; ye been fadres of tidynges      129
And tales, bothe of pees and of debaat.      130
I were right now of tales desolaat,      131
Nere that a marchant, goon is many a yeere,      132
Me taughte a tale, which that ye shal heere.      133
The Man of Law's Tale

In surrye whilom dwelte a compaignye      134
Of chapmen riche, and therto sadde and trewe,      135
That wyde-where senten hir spicerye,      136
Clothes of gold, and satyns riche of hewe.      137
Hir chaffare was so thrifty and so newe      138
That every wight hath deyntee to chaffare      139
With hem, and eek to sellen hem hire ware.      140
Now fil it that the maistres of that sort      141
Han shapen hem to rome for to wende;      142
Were it for chapmanhod or for disport,      143
Noon oother message wolde they thider sende,      144
But comen hemself to rome, this is the ende;      145
And in swich place as thoughte hem avantage      146
For hire entente, they take hir herbergage.      147
Sojourned han thise merchantz in that toun      148
A certein tyme, as fil to hire plesance.      149
And so bifel that th' excellent renoun      150
Of the emperoures doghter, dame custance,      151
Reported was, with every circumstance,      152
Unto thise surryen marchantz in swich wyse.      153
Fro day to day, as I shal yow devyse.      154
This was the commune voys of every man:      155
Oure emperour of rome -- God hym see! --      156
A doghter hath that, syn the world bigan,      157
To rekene as wel hir goodnesse as beautee,      158
Nas nevere swich another as is shee.      159
I prey to God in honour hire susteene,      160
And wolde she were of al europe the queene.
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     161
In hire is heigh beautee, withoute pride,      162
Yowthe, withoute grenehede or folye;      163
To alle hire werkes vertu is hir gyde;      164
Humblesse hath slayn in hire al tirannye.      165
She is mirour of alle curteisye;      166
Hir herte is verray chambre of hoolynesse,      167
Hir hand, ministre of fredam for almesse.      168
And al this voys was sooth, as God is trewe.      169
But now to purpos lat us turne agayn.      170
Thise marchantz han doon fraught hir shippes newe,      171
And whan they han this blisful mayden sayn,      172
Hoom to surrye been they went ful fayn,      173
And doon hir nedes as they han doon yoore,      174
And lyven in wele; I kan sey yow namoore.      175
Now fil it that thise marchantz stode in grace      176
Of hym that was the sowdan of surrye;      177
For whan they cam from any strange place,      178
He wolde, of his benigne curteisye,      179
Make hem good chiere, and bisily espye      180
Tidynges of sondry regnes, for to leere      181
The wondres that they myghte seen or heere.      182
Amonges othere thynges, specially,      183
Thise marchantz han hym toold of dame custance      184
So greet noblesse in ernest, ceriously,      185
That this sowdan hath caught so greet plesance      186
To han hir figure in his remembrance,      187
That al his lust and al his bisy cure      188
Was for to love hire while his lyf may dure.      189
Paraventure in thilke large book      190
Which that men clepe the hevene ywriten was      191
With sterres, whan that he his birthe took,      192
That he for love sholde han his deeth, allas!      193
For in the sterres, clerer than is glas,      194
Is writen, God woot, whoso koude it rede,      195
The deeth of every man, withouten drede.      196
In sterres, many a wynter therbiforn,      197
Was writen the deeth of ector, achilles,      198
Of pompei, julius, er they were born;      199
The strif of thebes; and of ercules,      200
Of sampson, turnus, and of socrates      201
The deeth; but mennes wittes ben so dulle      202
That no wight kan wel rede it atte fulle.      203
This sowdan for his privee conseil sente,      204
And, shortly of this matiere for to pace,      205
He hath to hem declared his entente,      206
And seyde hem, certein, but he myghte have grace      207
To han custance withinne a litel space,      208
He nas but deed; and charged hem in hye      209
To shapen for his lyf som remedye.      210
Diverse men diverse thynges seyden;      211
They argumenten, casten up and doun;      212
Many a subtil resoun forth they leyden;      213
They speken of magyk and abusioun.      214
But finally, as in conclusioun,      215
They kan nat seen in that noon avantage,      216
Ne in noon oother wey, save mariage.      217
Thanne sawe they therinne swich difficultee      218
By wey of reson, for to speke al playn,      219
By cause that ther was swich diversitee      220
Bitwene hir bothe lawes, that they sayn      221
They trowe, that no cristen prince wolde fayn      222
Wedden his child under oure lawe sweete      223
That us was taught by mahoun, oure prophete.      224
And he answerde, rather than I lese      225
Custance, I wol be cristned, doutelees.      226
I moot been hires, I may noon oother chese.      227
I prey yow hoold youre argumentz in pees;      228
Saveth my lyf, and beth noght recchelees      229
To geten hire that hath my lyf in cure;      230
For in this wo I may nat longe endure.      231
What nedeth gretter dilatacioun?      232
I seye, by tretys and embassadrie,      233
And by the popes mediacioun,      234
And al the chirche, and al the chivalrie,      235
That in destruccioun of mawmettrie,      236
And in encrees of cristes lawe deere,      237
They been acorded, so as ye shal heere:      238
How that the sowdan and his baronage      239
And alle his liges sholde ycristned be,      240
And he shal han custance in mariage,      241
And certein gold, I noot what quantitee;      242
And heer-to founden sufficient suretee.      243
This same accord was sworn on eyther syde;      244
Now, faire custance, almyghty God thee gyde!      245
Now wolde som men waiten, as I gesse,      246
That I sholde tellen al the purveiance      247
That th' emperour, of his grete noblesse,      248
Hath shapen for his doghter, dame custance.      249
Wel may men knowen that so greet ordinance      250
May no man tellen in a litel clause      251
As was arrayed for so heigh a cause.      252
Bisshopes been shapen with hire for to wende,      253
Lordes, ladies, knyghtes of renoun,
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     254
And oother folk ynowe, this is th' ende;      255
And notified is thurghout the toun      256
That every wight, with greet devocioun,      257
Sholde preyen crist that he this mariage      258
Receyve in gree, and spede this viage.      259
The day is comen of hir departynge;      260
I seye, the woful day fatal is come,      261
That ther may be no lenger tariynge,      262
But forthward they hem dressen, alle and some.      263
Custance, that was with sorwe al overcome,      264
Ful pale arist, and dresseth hire to wende;      265
For wel she seeth ther is noon oother ende.      266
Allas! what wonder is it thogh she wepte,      267
That shal be sent to strange nacioun      268
Fro freendes that so tendrely hire kepte,      269
And to be bounden under subjeccioun      270
Of oon, she knoweth nat his condicioun?      271
Housbondes been alle goode, and han ben yoore;      272
That knowen wyves; I dar sey yow na moore.      273
Fader, she seyde, thy wrecched child custance,      274
Thy yonge doghter fostred up so softe,      275
And ye, my mooder, my soverayn plesance      276
Over alle thyng, out-taken crist on-lofte,      277
Custance youre child hire recomandeth ofte      278
Unto youre grace, for I shal to surrye,      279
Ne shal I nevere seen yow moore with ye.      280
Allas! unto the barbre nacioun      281
I moste anoon, syn that it is youre wille;      282
But crist, that starf for our redempcioun      283
So yeve me grace his heestes to fulfille!      284
I, wrecche womman, no fors though I spille!      285
Wommen are born to thraldom and penance,      286
And to been under mannes governance.      287
I trowe at troye, whan pirrus brak the wal,      288
Or ilion brende, at thebes the citee,      289
N' at rome, for the harm thurgh hanybal      290
That romayns hath venquysshed tymes thre,      291
Nas herd swich tendre wepyng for pitee      292
As in the chambre was for hire departynge;      293
But forth she moot, wher-so she wepe or synge.      294
O firste moevyng! crueel firmament,      295
With thy diurnal sweigh that crowdest ay      296
And hurlest al from est til occident      297
That naturelly wolde holde another way,      298
Thy crowdyng set the hevene in swich array      299
At the bigynnyng of this fiers viage,      300
That crueel mars hath slayn this mariage.      301
Infortunat ascendent tortuous,      302
Of which the lord is helplees falle, allas,      303
Out of his angle into the derkeste hous!      304
O mars, o atazir, as in this cas!      305
O fieble moone, unhappy been thy paas!      306
Thou knyttest thee ther thou art nat receyved;      307
Ther thou were weel, fro thennes artow weyved.      308
Imprudent emperour of rome, allas!      309
Was ther no philosophre in al thy toun?      310
Is no tyme bet than oother in swich cas?      311
Of viage is ther noon eleccioun,      312
Namely to folk of heigh condicioun?      313
Noght whan a roote is of a burthe yknowe?      314
Allas, we been to lewed or to slowe!      315
To shippe is brought this woful faire mayde      316
Solempnely, with every circumstance.      317
Now jhesu crist be with yow alle! she sayde;      318
Ther nys namoore, but farewel, faire custance!      319
She peyneth hire to make good contenance;      320
And forth I lete hire saille in this manere,      321
And turne I wole agayn to my matere.      322
The mooder of the sowdan, welle of vices,      323
Espied hath hir sones pleyn entente,      324
How he wol lete his olde sacrifices;      325
And right anon she for hir conseil sente,      326
And they been come to knowe what she mente.      327
And whan assembled was this folk in-feere,      328
She sette hire doun, and seyde as ye shal heere.      329
Lordes, quod she, ye knowen everichon,      330
How that my sone in point is for to lete      331
The hooly lawes of our alkaron,      332
Yeven by goddes message makomete.      333
But oon avow to grete God I heete,      334
The lyf shal rather out of my body sterte      335
Or makometes lawe out of myn herte!      336
What sholde us tyden of this newe lawe      337
But thraldom to oure bodies and penance,      338
And afterward in helle to be drawe,      339
For we reneyed mahoun oure creance?      340
But, lordes, wol ye maken assurance,      341
As I shal seyn, assentynge to my loore,      342
And I shal make us sauf for everemoore?      343
They sworen and assenten, every man,      344
To lyve with hire and dye, and by hire stonde,      345
And everich, in the beste wise he kan,      346
To strengthen hire shal alle his frendes fonde;
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     347
And she hath this emprise ytake on honde,      348
Which ye shal heren that I shal devyse,      349
And to hem alle she spak right in this wyse:      350
We shul first feyne us cristendom to take, --      351
Coold water shal nat greve us but a lite!      352
And I shal swich a feeste and revel make      353
That, as I trowe, I shal the sowdan quite.      354
For thogh his wyf be cristned never so white,      355
She shal have nede to wasshe awey the rede,      356
Thogh she a font-ful water with hire lede.      357
O sowdanesse, roote of iniquitee!      358
Virago, thou semyrame the secounde!      359
O serpent under femynynytee,      360
Lik to the serpent depe in helle ybounde!      361
O feyned womman, al that may confounde      362
Vertu and innocence, thurgh thy malice,      363
Is bred in thee, as nest of every vice!      364
O sathan, envious syn thilke day      365
That thou were chaced from oure heritage,      366
Wel knowestow to wommen the olde way!      367
Thou madest eva brynge us in servage;      368
Thou wolt fordoon this cristen mariage.      369
Thyn instrument so, weylawey the while!      370
Makestow of wommen, whan thou wolt bigile.      371
This sowdanesse, whom I thus blame and warye,      372
Leet prively hire conseil goon hire way.      373
What sholde I in this tale lenger tarye?      374
She rydeth to the sowdan on a day,      375
And seyde hym that she wolde reneye hir lay,      376
And cristendom of preestes handes fonge,      377
Repentynge hire she hethen was so longe;      378
Bisechynge hym to doon hire that honour,      379
That she moste han the cristen folk to feeste, --      380
To plesen hem I wol do my labour.      381
The sowdan seith, I wol doon at youre heeste;      382
And knelynge thanketh hire of that requeste.      383
So glad he was, he nyste what to seye.      384
She kiste hir sone, and hoom she gooth hir weye.      385
Arryved been this cristen folk to londe      386
In surrye, with a greet solempne route,      387
And hastifliche this sowdan sente his sonde,      388
First to his mooder, and al the regne aboute,      389
And seyde his wyf was comen, out of doute,      390
And preyde hire for to ryde agayn the queene,      391
The honour of his regne to susteene.      392
Greet was the prees, and riche was th' array      393
Of surryens and romayns met yfeere;      394
The mooder of the sowdan, riche and gay,      395
Receyveth hire with also glad a cheere      396
As any mooder myghte hir doghter deere,      397
And to the nexte citee ther bisyde      398
A softe paas solempnely they ryde.      399
Noght trowe I the triumphe of julius,      400
Of which that lucan maketh swich a boost,      401
Was roialler ne moore curius      402
Than was th' assemblee of this blisful hoost.      403
But this scorpioun, this wikked goost,      404
The sowdanesse, for al hire flaterynge,      405
Caste under this ful mortally to stynge.      406
The sowdan comth hymself soone after this      407
So roially, that wonder is to telle,      408
And welcometh hire with alle joye and blis.      409
And thus in murthe and joye I lete hem dwelle;      410
The fryt of this matiere is that I telle.      411
Whan tyme cam, men thoughte it for the beste      412
That revel stynte, and men goon to hir reste.      413
The tyme cam this olde sowdanesse      414
Ordeyned hath this feeste of which I tolde,      415
And to the feeste cristen folk hem dresse      416
In general, ye, bothe yonge and olde.      417
Heere may men feeste and roialtee biholde,      418
And deyntees mo than I kan yow devyse;      419
But al to deere they boghte it er they ryse.      420
O sodeyn wo, that evere art successour      421
To worldly blisse, spreynd with bitternesse!      422
The ende of the joye of oure worldly labour!      423
Wo occupieth the fyn of oure gladnesse.      424
Herke this conseil for thy sikernesse:      425
Upon thy glade day have in thy mynde      426
The unwar wo or harm that comth bihynde.      427
For shortly for to tellen, at o word,      428
The sowdan and the cristen everichone      429
Been al tohewe and stiked at the bord,      430
But it were oonly dame custance allone.      431
This olde sowdanesse, cursed krone,      432
Hath with hir freendes doon this cursed dede,      433
For she hirself wolde al the contree lede.      434
Ne ther was surryen noon that was converted,      435
That of the conseil of the sowdan woot,
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     436
That he nas al tohewe er he asterted.      437
And custance han they take anon, foot-hoot,      438
And in a ship al steerelees, God woot,      439
They han hir set, and bidde hire lerne saille      440
Out of surrye agaynward to ytaille.      441
A certein tresor that she thider ladde,      442
And, sooth to seyn, vitaille greet plentee      443
They han hire yeven, and clothes eek she hadde,      444
And forth she sailleth in the salte see.      445
O my custance, ful of benignytee,      446
O emperoures yonge doghter deere,      447
He that is lord of fortune be thy steere!      448
She blesseth hire, and with ful pitous voys      449
Unto the croys of crist thus seyde she:      450
O cleere, o welful auter, hooly croys,      451
Reed of the lambes blood ful of pitee,      452
That wessh the world fro the olde iniquitee,      453
Me fro the feend and fro his clawes kepe,      454
That day that I shal drenchen in the depe.      455
Victorious tree, proteccioun of trewe,      456
That oonly worthy were for to bere      457
The kyng of hevene with his woundes newe,      458
The white lamb, that hurt was with a spere,      459
Flemere of feendes out of hym and here      460
On which thy lymes feithfully extenden,      461
Me kepe, and yif me myght my lyf t' amenden.      462
Yeres and dayes fleet this creature      463
Thurghout the see of grece unto the strayte      464
Of marrok, as it was hire aventure.      465
On many a sory meel now may she bayte;      466
After hir deeth ful often may she wayte,      467
Er that the wilde wawes wol hire dryve      468
Unto the place ther she shal arryve.      469
Men myghten asken why she was nat slayn      470
Eek at the feeste? who myghte hir body save?      471
And I answere to that demande agayn,      472
Who saved danyel in the horrible cave      473
Ther every wight save he, maister and knave,      474
Was with the leon frete er he asterte?      475
No wight but god, that he bar in his herte.      476
God liste to shewe his wonderful myracle      477
In hire, for we sholde seen his myghty werkis;      478
Crist, which that is to every harm triacle,      479
By certeine meenes ofte, as knowen clerkis,      480
Dooth thyng for certein ende that ful derk is      481
To mannes wit, that for oure ignorance      482
Ne konne noght knowe his prudent purveiance.      483
Now sith she was nat at the feeste yslawe,      484
Who kepte hire fro the drenchyng in the see?      485
Who kepte jonas in the fisshes mawe      486
Til he was spouted up at nynyvee?      487
Wel may men knowe it was no wight but he      488
That kepte peple ebrayk from hir drenchynge,      489
With drye feet thurghout the see passynge.      490
Who bad the foure spirites of tempest      491
That power han t' anoyen lond and see,      492
Bothe north and south, and also west and est,      493
Anoyeth, neither see, ne land, ne tree?      494
Soothly, the comandour of that was he      495
That fro the tempest ay this womman kepte      496
As wel whan she wook as whan she slepte.      497
Where myghte this womman mete and drynke have      498
Thre yeer and moore? how lasteth hire vitaille?      499
Who fedde the egipcien marie in the cave,      500
Or in desert? no wight but crist, sanz faille.      501
Fyve thousand folk it was as greet mervaille      502
With loves fyve and fisshes two to feede.      503
God sente his foyson at hir grete neede.      504
She dryveth forth into oure occian      505
Thurghout oure wilde see, til atte laste      506
Under an hoold that nempnen I ne kan,      507
Fer in northhumberlond the wawe hire caste,      508
And in the sond hir ship stiked so faste      509
That thennes wolde it noght of al a tyde;      510
The wyl of crist was that she sholde abyde.      511
The constable of the castel doun is fare      512
To seen this wrak, and al the ship he soghte,      513
And foond this wery womman ful of care;      514
He foond also the tresor that she broghte.      515
In hir langage mercy she bisoghte,      516
The lyf out of hir body for to twynne,      517
Hire to delivere of wo that she was inne.      518
A maner latyn corrupt was hir speche,      519
But algates therby was she understonde.      520
The constable, whan hym lyst no longer seche,      521
This woful womman broghte he to the londe.      522
She kneleth doun and thanketh goddes sonde;      523
But what she was she wolde no man seye,      524
For foul ne fair, thogh that she sholde deye.      525
She seyde she was so mazed in the see      526
That she forgat hir mynde, by hir trouthe.      527
The constable hath of hire so greet pitee,      528
And eek his wyf, that they wepen for routhe.
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     529
She was so diligent, withouten slouthe,      530
To serve and plesen everich in that place,      531
That alle hir loven that looken in hir face.      532
This constable and dame hermengyld, his, wyf,      533
Were payens, and that contree everywhere;      534
But hermengyld loved hire right as hir lyf,      535
And custance hath so longe sojourned there,      536
In orisons, with many a bitter teere,      537
Til jhesu hath converted thurgh his grace      538
Dame hermengyld, constablesse of that place.      539
In al that lond no cristen dorste route;      540
Alle cristen folk been fled fro that contree      541
Thurgh payens, that conquereden al aboute      542
The plages of the north, by land and see.      543
To walys fledde the cristyanytee      544
Of olde britons dwellynge in this ile;      545
Ther was hir refut for the meene while.      546
But yet nere cristene britons so exiled      547
That ther nere somme that in hir privetee      548
Honoured crist and hethen folk bigiled,      549
And ny the castel swiche ther dwelten three.      550
That oon of hem was blynd and myghte nat see,      551
But it were with thilke eyen of his mynde      552
With whiche men seen, after that they ben blynde.      553
Bright was the sonne as in that someres day,      554
For which the constable and his wyf also      555
And custance han ytake the righte way      556
Toward the see a furlong wey or two,      557
To pleyen and to romen to and fro;      558
And in hir walk this blynde man they mette,      559
Croked and oold, with eyen faste yshette.      560
In name of crist, cride this blinde britoun,      561
Dame hermengyld, yif me my sighte agayn!      562
This lady weex affrayed of the soun,      563
Lest that hir housbonde, shortly for to sayn,      564
Wolde hire for jhesu cristes love han slayn,      565
Til custance made hire boold, and bad hire wirche      566
The wyl of crist, as doghter of his chirche.      567
The constable weex abasshed of that sight,      568
And seyde, what amounteth al this fare?      569
Custance answerde, sire, it is cristes myght,      570
That helpeth folk out of the feendes snare.      571
And so ferforth she gan oure lay declare      572
That she the constable, er that it was eve      573
Converted, and on crist made hym bileve.      574
This constable was nothyng lord of this place      575
Of which I speke, ther he custance fond,      576
But kepte it strongly many a wyntres space      577
Under alla, kyng of al northhumbrelond,      578
That was ful wys, and worthy of his hond      579
Agayn the scottes, as men may wel heere;      580
But turne I wole agayn to my mateere.      581
Sathan, that evere us waiteth to bigile,      582
Saugh of custance al hire perfeccioun,      583
And caste anon how he myghte quite hir while,      584
And made a yong knyght that dwelte in that toun      585
Love hire so hoote, of foul affeccioun,      586
That verraily hym thoughte he sholde spille,      587
But he of hire myghte ones have his wille.      588
He woweth hire, but it availleth noght;      589
She wolde do no synne, by no weye.      590
And for despit he compassed in his thoght      591
To maken hire on shameful deeth to deye.      592
He wayteth whan the constable was aweye,      593
And pryvely upon a nyght he crepte      594
In hermengyldes chambre, whil she slepte.      595
Wery, forwaked in hire orisouns,      596
Slepeth custance, and hermengyld also.      597
This knyght, thurgh sathanas temptaciouns,      598
Al softely is to the bed ygo,      599
And kitte the throte of hermengyld atwo,      600
And leyde the blody knyf by dame custance,      601
And wente his wey, ther God yeve hym meschance!      602
Soone after cometh this constable hoom agayn,      603
And eek alla, that kyng was of that lond,      604
And saugh his wyf despitously yslayn,      605
For which ful ofte he weep and wroong his hond,      606
And in the bed the blody knyf he fond      607
By dame custance. Allas! what myghte she seye?      608
For verray wo hir wit was al aweye.      609
To kyng alla was toold al this meschance,      610
And eek the tyme, and where, and in what wise      611
That in a ship was founden this custance,      612
As heer-biforn that ye han herd devyse.      613
The kynges herte of pitee gan agryse,      614
Whan he saugh so benigne a creature      615
Falle in disese and in mysaventure.      616
For as the lomb toward his deeth is broght,      617
So stant this innocent bifore the kyng.
Page  69
     618
This false knyght, that hath this tresoun wroght,      619
Berth hire on hond that she hath doon thys thyng.      620
But nathelees, ther was greet moornyng      621
Among the peple, and seyn they kan nat gesse      622
That she had doon so greet a wikkednesse;      623
For they han seyn hire evere so vertuous,      624
And lovynge hermengyld right as hir lyf.      625
Of this baar witnesse everich in that hous,      626
Save he that hermengyld slow with his knyf.      627
This gentil kyng hath caught a greet motyf      628
Of this witnesse, and thoghte he wolde enquere      629
Depper in this, a trouthe for to lere.      630
Allas! custance, thou hast no champioun,      631
Ne fighte kanstow noght, so weylaway!      632
But he that starf for our redempcioun,      633
And boond sathan (and yet lith ther he lay),      634
So be thy stronge champion this day!      635
For, but if crist open myracle kithe,      636
Withouten gilt thou shalt be slayn as swithe.      637
She sette hire doun on knees, and thus she sayde:      638
Immortal god, that savedest susanne      639
Fro false blame, and thou, merciful mayde,      640
Marie I meene, doghter to seint anne,      641
Bifore whos child angeles synge osanne,      642
If I be giltlees of this felonye,      643
My socour be, for ellis shal I dye!      644
Have ye nat seyn somtyme a pale face,      645
Among a prees, of hym that hath be lad      646
Toward his deeth, wher as hym gat no grace,      647
And swich a colour in his face hath had,      648
Men myghte knowe his face that was bistad,      649
Amonges alle the faces in that route?      650
So stant custance, and looketh hire aboute.      651
O queenes, lyvynge in prosperitee,      652
Duchesses, and ye ladyes everichone,      653
Haveth som routhe on hire adversitee!      654
An emperoures doghter stant allone;      655
She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone.      656
O blood roial, that stondest in this drede,      657
Fer been thy freendes at thy grete nede!      658
This alla kyng hath swich compassioun,      659
As gentil herte is fulfild of pitee,      660
That from his eyen ran the water doun.      661
Now hastily do fecche a book, quod he,      662
And if this knyght wol sweren how that she      663
This womman slow, yet wol we us avyse      664
Whom that we wole that shal been oure justise.      665
A britoun book, written with evaungiles,      666
Was fet, and on this book he swoor anoon      667
She gilty was, and in the meene whiles      668
An hand hym smoot upon the nekke-boon,      669
That doun he fil atones as a stoon,      670
And bothe his eyen broste out of his face      671
In sighte of every body in that place.      672
A voys was herd in general audience,      673
And seyde, thou hast desclaundred, giltelees,      674
The doghter of hooly chirche in heigh presence;      675
Thus hastou doon, and yet holde I my pees!      676
Of this mervaille agast was al the prees;      677
As mazed folk they stoden everichone,      678
For drede of wreche, save custance allone.      679
Greet was the drede and eek the repentance      680
Of hem that hadden wrong suspecioun      681
Upon this sely innocent, custance;      682
And for this miracle, in conclusioun,      683
And by custances mediacioun,      684
The kyng -- and many another in that place --      685
Converted was, thanked be cristes grace!      686
This false knyght was slayn for his untrouthe      687
By juggement of alla hastifly;      688
And yet custance hadde of his deeth greet routhe.      689
And after this jhesus, of his mercy,      690
Made alla wedden ful solempnely      691
This hooly mayden, that is so bright and sheene;      692
And thus hath crist ymaad custance a queene.      693
But who was woful, if I shal nat lye,      694
Of this weddyng but donegild, and namo,      695
The kynges mooder, ful of tirannye?      696
Hir thoughte hir cursed herte brast atwo.      697
She wolde noght hir sone had do so;      698
Hir thoughte a despit that he sholde take      699
So strange a creature unto his make.      700
Me list nat of the chaf, ne of the stree,      701
Maken so long a tale as of the corn.      702
What sholde I tellen of the roialtee      703
At mariage, or which cours goth biforn;      704
Who bloweth in a trumpe or in an horn?      705
The fruyt of every tale is for to seye:      706
They ete, and drynke, and daunce, and synge, and pleye.
Page  70
     707
They goon to bedde, as it was skile and right;      708
For thogh that wyves be ful hooly thynges,      709
They moste take in pacience at nyght      710
Swiche manere necessaries as been plesynges      711
To folk that han ywedded hem with rynges,      712
And leye a lite hir hoolynesse aside,      713
As for the tyme, -- it may no bet bitide.      714
On hire he gat a knave child anon,      715
And to a bisshop, and his constable eke,      716
He took his wyf to kepe, whan he is gon      717
To scotlond-ward, his foomen for to seke.      718
Now faire custance, that is so humble and meke,      719
So longe is goon with childe, til that stille      720
She halt hire chambre, abidyng cristes wille.      721
The tyme is come a knave child she beer;      722
Mauricius at the fontstoon they hym calle.      723
This constable dooth forth come a messageer,      724
And wroot unto his kyng, that cleped was alle,      725
How that this blisful tidyng is bifalle,      726
And othere tidynges spedeful for to seye.      727
He taketh the lettre, and forth he gooth his weye.      728
This messager, to doon his avantage,      729
Unto the kynges mooder rideth swithe,      730
And salueth hire ful faire in his langage:      731
Madame, quod he, ye may be glad and blithe,      732
And thanketh God an hundred thousand sithe!      733
My lady queene hath child, withouten doute,      734
To joye and blisse to al this regne aboute.      735
Lo, heere the lettres seled of this thyng,      736
That I moot bere with al the haste I may.      737
If ye wol aught unto youre sone the kyng,      738
I am youre servant, bothe nyght and day.      739
Donegild answerde, as now at this tyme, nay;      740
But heere al nyght I wol thou take thy reste.      741
To-morwe wol I seye thee what me leste.      742
This messager drank sadly ale and wyn,      743
And stolen were his lettres pryvely      744
Out of his box, whil he sleep as a swyn;      745
And countrefeted was ful subtilly      746
Another lettre, wroght ful synfully,      747
Unto the kyng direct of this mateere      748
Fro his constable, as ye shal after heere.      749
The lettre spak the queene delivered was      750
Of so horrible a feendly creature      751
That in the castel noon so hardy was      752
That any while dorste ther endure.      753
The mooder was an elf, by aventure      754
Ycomen, by charmes or by sorcerie,      755
And every wight hateth hir compaignye.      756
Wo was this kyng whan he this lettre had sayn,      757
But to no wight he tolde his sorwes soore,      758
But of his owene hand he wroot agayn,      759
Welcome the sonde of crist for everemoore      760
To me that am now lerned in his loore!      761
Lord, welcome be thy lust and thy plesaunce;      762
My lust I putte al in thyn ordinaunce.      763
Kepeth this child, al be it foul or feir,      764
And eek my wyf, unto myn hoom-comynge.      765
Crist, whan hym list, may sende me an heir      766
Moore agreable than this to my likynge.      767
This lettre he seleth, pryvely wepynge,      768
Which to the messager was take soone,      769
And forth he gooth; ther is na moore to doone.      770
O messager, fulfild of dronkenesse,      771
Strong is thy breeth, thy lymes faltren ay,      772
And thou biwreyest alle secreenesse.      773
Thy mynde is lorn, thou janglest as a jay,      774
Thy face is turned in a newe array.      775
Ther dronkenesse regneth in any route,      776
Ther is no conseil hyd, withouten doute.      777
O donegild, I ne have noon englissh digne      778
Unto thy malice and thy tirannye!      779
And therfore to the feend I thee resigne;      780
Lat hym enditen of thy traitorie!      781
Fy, mannysh, fy! -- o nay, by god, I lye --      782
Fy, feendlych spirit, for I dar wel telle,      783
Thogh thou heere walke, thy spirit is in helle!      784
This messager comth fro the kyng agayn,      785
And at the kynges moodres court he lighte,      786
And she was of this messager ful fayn,      787
And plesed hym in al that ever she myghte.      788
He drank, and wel his girdel underpighte;      789
He slepeth, and he fnorteth in his gyse      790
Al nyght, til the sonne gan aryse.      791
Eft were his lettres stolen everychon,      792
And countrefeted lettres in this wyse:      793
The king comandeth his constable anon,      794
Up peyne of hangyng, and on heigh juyse,      795
That he ne sholde suffren in no wyse      796
Custance in-with his reawme for t' abyde      797
Thre dayes and o quarter of a tyde;
Page  71
     798
But in the same ship as he hire fond,      799
Hire, and hir yonge sone, and al hir geere,      800
He sholde putte, and croude hire fro the lond,      801
And charge hire that she never eft coome theere.      802
O my custance, wel may thy goost have feere,      803
And, slepynge, in thy dreem been in penance,      804
Whan donegild cast al this ordinance.      805
This messager on morwe, whan he wook,      806
Unto the castel halt the nexte way,      807
And to the constable he the lettre took;      808
And whan that he this pitous lettre say,      809
Ful ofte he seyde, allas! and weylaway!      810
Lord crist, quod he, how may this world endure,      811
So ful of synne is many a creature?      812
O myghty god, if that it be thy wille,      813
Sith thou art rightful juge, how may it be      814
That thou wolt suffren innocentz to spille,      815
And wikked folk regne in prosperitee?      816
O goode custance, allas! so wo is me      817
That I moot be thy tormentour, or deye      818
On shames deeth; ther is noon oother weye.      819
Wepen bothe yonge and olde in al that place      820
Whan that the kyng this cursed lettre sente,      821
And custance, with a deedly pale face,      822
The ferthe day toward hir ship she wente.      823
But nathelees she taketh in good entente      824
The wyl of crist, and knelynge on the stronde,      825
She seyde, lord, ay welcome be thy sonde!      826
He that me kepte fro the false blame      827
While I was on the lond amonges yow,      828
He kan me kepe from harm and eek fro shame      829
In salte see, althogh I se noght how.      830
As strong as evere he was, he is yet now.      831
In hym triste I, and in his mooder deere,      832
That is to me my seyl and eek my steere.      833
Hir litel child lay wepyng in hir arm,      834
And knelynge, pitously to hym she seyde,      835
Pees, litel sone, I wol do thee noon harm.      836
With that hir coverchief of hir heed she breyde,      837
And over his litel eyen she it leyde,      838
And in hir arm she lulleth it ful faste,      839
And into hevene hire eyen up she caste.      840
Mooder, quod she, and mayde bright, marie,      841
Sooth is that thurgh wommanes eggement      842
Mankynde was lorn, and damned ay to dye,      843
For which thy child was on a croys yrent.      844
Thy blisful eyen sawe al his torment;      845
Thanne is ther no comparison bitwene      846
Thy wo and any wo man may sustene.      847
Thow sawe thy child yslayn bifore thyne yen,      848
And yet now lyveth my litel child, parfay!      849
Now, lady bright, to whom alle woful cryen,      850
Thow glorie of wommanhede, thow faire may,      851
Thow haven of refut, brighte sterre of day,      852
Rewe on my child, that of thy gentillesse,      853
Rewest on every reweful in distresse.      854
O litel child, allas! what is thy gilt,      855
That nevere wroghtest synne as yet, pardee?      856
Why wil thyn harde fader han thee spilt?      857
O mercy, deere constable, quod she,      858
As lat my litel child dwelle heer with thee;      859
And if thou darst nat saven hym, for blame,      860
So kys hym ones in his fadres name!      861
Therwith she looked bakward to the londe,      862
And seyde, farewel, housbonde routhelees!      863
And up she rist, and walketh doun the stronde      864
Toward the ship, -- hir folweth al the prees, --      865
And evere she preyeth hire child to holde his pees;      866
And taketh hir leve, and with an hooly entente      867
She blisseth hire, and into ship she wente.      868
Vitailled was the ship, it is no drede,      869
Habundantly for hire ful longe space,      870
And othere necessaries that sholde nede      871
She hadde ynogh, heryed be goddes grace!      872
For wynd and weder almyghty God purchace,      873
And brynge hire hoom! I kan no bettre seye,      874
But in the see she dryveth forth hir weye.      875
Alla the kyng comth hoom soone after this      876
Unto his castel, of the which I tolde,      877
And asketh where his wyf and his child is.      878
The constable gan aboute his herte colde,      879
And pleynly al the manere he hym tolde      880
As ye han herd -- i kan telle it no bettre --      881
And sheweth the kyng his seel and eek his lettre,      882
And seyde, lord, as ye comanded me      883
Up peyne of deeth, so have I doon, certein.      884
This messager tormented was til he
Page  72
     885
Moste biknowe and tellen, plat and pleyn,      886
Fro nyght to nyght, in what place he had leyn;      887
And thus, by with and sotil enquerynge,      888
Ymagined was by whom this harm gan sprynge.      889
The hand was knowe that the lettre wroot,      890
And al the venym of this cursed dede,      891
But in what wise, certeinly, I noot.      892
Th' effect is this, that alla, out of drede,      893
His mooder slow -- that may men pleynly rede --      894
For that she traitour was to hire ligeance.      895
Thus endeth olde donegild, with meschance!      896
The sorwe that this alla nyght and day      897
Maketh for his wyf, and for his child also,      898
Ther is no tonge that it telle may.      899
But now wol I unto custance go,      900
That fleteth in the see, in peyne and wo,      901
Fyve yeer and moore, as liked cristes sonde,      902
Er that hir ship approched unto londe.      903
Under an hethen castel, atte laste,      904
Of which the name in my text noght I fynde,      905
Custance, and eek hir child, the see up caste.      906
Almyghty god, that saveth al mankynde,      907
Have on custance and on hir child som mynde,      908
That fallen is in hethen hand eft soone,      909
In point to spille, as I shal telle yow soone.      910
Doun fro the castel comth ther many a wight      911
To gauren on this ship and on custance.      912
But shortly, from the castel, on a nyght,      913
The lordes styward -- God yeve hym meschance! --      914
A theef, that hadde reneyed oure creance,      915
Cam into ship allone, and seyde he sholde      916
Hir lemman be, wher-so she wolde or nolde.      917
Wo was this wrecched womman tho bigon;      918
Hir child cride, and she cride pitously.      919
But blisful marie heelp hire right anon;      920
For with hir struglyng wel and myghtily      921
The theef fil over bord al sodeynly,      922
And in the see he dreynte for vengeance;      923
And thus hath crist unwemmed kept custance.      924
O foule lust of luxurie, lo, thyn ende!      925
Nat oonly that thou feyntest mannes mynde,      926
But verraily thou wolt his body shende.      927
Th' ende of thy werk, or of thy lustes blynde,      928
Is compleynyng. Hou many oon may men fynde      929
That noght for werk somtyme, but for th' entente      930
To doon this synne, been outher slayn or shente!      931
How may this wayke womman han this strengthe      932
Hire to defende agayn this renegat?      933
O golias, unmesurable of lengthe,      934
Hou myghte david make thee so maat,      935
So yong and of armure so desolaat?      936
Hou dorste he looke upon thy dredful face?      937
Wel may men seen, it nas but goddes grace.      938
Who yaf judith corage or hardynesse      939
To sleen hym olofernus in his tente,      940
And to deliveren out of wrecchednesse      941
The peple of god? I seye, for this entente,      942
That right as God spirit of vigour sente      943
To hem, and saved hem out of meschance,      944
So sente he myght and vigour to custance.      945
Forth gooth hir ship thurghout the narwe mouth      946
Of jubaltare and septe, dryvynge ay      947
Somtyme west, and somtyme north and south,      948
And somtyme est, ful many a wery day,      949
Til cristes mooder -- blessed be she ay! --      950
Hath shapen, thurgh hir endelees goodnesse,      951
To make an ende of al hir hevynesse.      952
Now lat us stynte of custance but a throwe,      953
And speke we of the romayn emperour,      954
That out of surrye hath by lettres knowe      955
The slaughtre of cristen folk, and dishonour      956
Doon to his doghter by a fals traytour,      957
I mene the cursed wikked sowdanesse      958
That at the feeste leet sleen bothe moore and lesse.      959
For which this emperour hath sent anon      960
His senatour, with roial ordinance,      961
And othere lordes, God woot, many oon,      962
On surryens to taken heigh vengeance.      963
They brennen, sleen, and brynge hem to meschance      964
Ful many a day; but shortly, this is th' ende,      965
Homward to rome they shapen hem to wende.      966
This senatour repaireth with victorie      967
To rome-ward, saillynge ful roially,      968
And mette the ship dryvynge, as seith the storie,      969
In which custance sit ful pitously.      970
Nothyng ne knew he what she was, ne why      971
She was in swich array, ne she nyl seye      972
Of hire estaat, althogh she sholde deye.      973
He bryngeth hire to rome, and to his wyf      974
He yaf hire, and hir yonge sone also;
Page  73
     975
And with the senatour she ladde hir lyf.      976
Thus kan oure lady bryngen out of wo      977
Woful custance, and many another mo.      978
And longe tyme dwelled she in that place,      979
In hooly werkes evere, as was hir grace.      980
The senatoures wyf hir aunte was,      981
But for al that she knew hire never the moore.      982
I wol no lenger tarien in this cas,      983
But to kyng alla, which I spak of yoore,      984
That for his wyf wepeth and siketh soore,      985
I wol retourne, and lete I wol custance      986
Under the senatoures governance.      987
Kyng alla, which that hadde his mooder slayn,      988
Upon a day fil in swich repentance      989
That, if I shortly tellen shal and playn,      990
To rome he comth to receyven his penance;      991
And putte hym in the popes ordinance      992
In heigh and logh, and jhesu crist bisoghte      993
Foryeve his wikked werkes that he wroghte.      994
The fame anon thurgh rome toun is born,      995
How alla kyng shal comen in pilgrymage,      996
By herbergeours that wenten hym biforn;      997
For which the senatour, as was usage,      998
Rood hym agayns, and many of his lynage,      999
As wel to shewen his heighe magnificence      1000
As to doon any kyng a reverence.      1001
Greet cheere dooth this noble senatour      1002
To kyng alla, and he to hym also;      1003
Everich of hem dooth oother greet honour.      1004
And so bifel that in a day or two      1005
This senatour is to kyng alla go      1006
To feste, and shortly, if I shal nat lye,      1007
Custances sone wente in his compaignye.      1008
Som men wolde seyn at requeste of custance      1009
This senatour hath lad this child to feeste;      1010
I may nat tellen every circumstance, --      1011
Be as be may, ther was he at the leeste.      1012
But sooth is this, that at his moodres heeste      1013
Biforn alla, durynge the metes space,      1014
The child stood, lookynge in the kynges face.      1015
This alla kyng hath of this child greet wonder,      1016
And to the senatour he seyde anon,      1017
Whos is that faire child that stondeth yonder?      1018
I noot, quod he, by god, and by seint john!      1019
A mooder he hath, but fader hath he noon      1020
That I of woot -- and shortly, in a stounde,      1021
He tolde alla how that this child was founde.      1022
But God woot, quod this senatour also,      1023
So vertuous a lyvere in my lyf      1024
Ne saugh I nevere as she, ne herde of mo,      1025
Of worldly wommen, mayde, ne of wyf.      1026
I dar wel seyn hir hadde levere a knyf      1027
Thurghout hir brest, than ben a womman wikke;      1028
There is no man koude brynge hire to that prikke.      1029
Now was this child as lyk unto custance      1030
As possible is a creature to be.      1031
This alla hath the face in remembrance      1032
Of dame custance, and ther on mused he      1033
If that the childes mooder were aught she      1034
That is his wyf, and pryvely he sighte,      1035
And spedde hym fro the table that he myghte.      1036
Parfay, thoghte he, fantome is in myn heed!      1037
I oghte deme, of skilful juggement,      1038
That in the salte see my wyf is deed.      1039
And afterward he made his argument:      1040
What woot I if that crist have hyder ysent      1041
My wyf by see, as wel as he hire sente      1042
To my contree fro thennes that she wente?      1043
And after noon, hoom with the senatour      1044
Goth alla, for to seen this wonder chaunce.      1045
This senatour dooth alla greet honour,      1046
And hastifly he sente after custaunce.      1047
But trusteth weel, hire liste nat to daunce,      1048
Whan that she wiste wherfore was that sonde;      1049
Unnethe upon hir feet she myghte stonde.      1050
Whan alla saugh his wyf, faire he hire grette,      1051
And weep, that it was routhe for to see;      1052
For at the firste look he on hire sette,      1053
He knew wel verraily that it was she.      1054
And she, for sorwe, as doumb stant as a tree,      1055
So was hir herte shet in hir distresse,      1056
Whan she remembred his unkyndenesse.      1057
Twyes she swowned in his owene sighte;      1058
He weep, and hym excuseth pitously.      1059
Now god, quod he, and alle his halwes brighte      1060
So wisly on my soule as have mercy,      1061
That of youre harm as giltelees am I      1062
As is maurice my sone, so lyk youre face;      1063
Elles the feend me fecche out of this place!
Page  74
     1064
Long was the sobbyng and the bitter peyne,      1065
Er that hir woful hertes myghte cesse;      1066
Greet was the pitee for to heere hem pleyne,      1067
Thurgh whiche pleintes gan hir wo encresse.      1068
I pray yow alle my labour to relesse;      1069
I may nat telle hir wo until to-morwe,      1070
I am so wery for to speke of sorwe.      1071
But finally, whan that the sothe is wist      1072
That alla giltelees was of hir wo,      1073
I trowe an hundred tymes been they kist,      1074
And swich a blisse is ther bitwix hem two      1075
That, save the joye that lasteth everemo,      1076
Ther is noon lyk that any creature      1077
Hath seyn or shal, whil that the world may dure.      1078
Tho preyde she hir housbonde mekely,      1079
In relief of hir longe, pitous pyne,      1080
That he wolde preye hir fader specially      1081
That of his magestee he wolde enclyne      1082
To vouche sauf som day with hym to dyne.      1083
She preyde hym eek he sholde by no weye      1084
Unto hir fader no word of hire seye.      1085
Som men wolde seyn how that the child maurice      1086
Dooth this message unto this emperour;      1087
But, as I gesse, alla was nat so nyce      1088
To hym that was of so sovereyn honour      1089
As he that is of cristen folk the flour,      1090
Sente any child, but it is bet to deeme      1091
He wente hymself, and so it may wel seeme.      1092
This emperour hath graunted gentilly      1093
To come to dyner, as he hym bisoughte;      1094
And wel rede I he looked bisily      1095
Upon this child, and on his doghter thoghte.      1096
Alla goth to his in, and as hym oghte,      1097
Arrayed for this feste in every wise      1098
As ferforth as his konnyng may suffise.      1099
The morwe cam, and alla gan hym dresse,      1100
And eek his wyf, this emperour to meete;      1101
And forth they ryde in joye and in gladnesse.      1102
And whan she saugh hir fader in the strete,      1103
She lighte doun, and falleth hym to feete.      1104
Fader, quod she, youre yonge child custance      1105
Is now ful clene out of youre remembrance.      1106
I am youre doghter custance, quod she,      1107
That whilom ye han sent unto surrye.      1108
It am I, fader, that in the salte see      1109
Was put allone and dampned for to dye.      1110
Now, goode fader, mercy I yow crye!      1111
Sende me namoore unto noon hethenesse,      1112
But thonketh my lord heere of his kyndenesse.      1113
Who kan the pitous joye tellen al      1114
Bitwixe hem thre, syn they been thus ymette?      1115
But of my tale make an ende I shal;      1116
The day goth faste, I wol no lenger lette.      1117
This glade folk to dyner they hem sette;      1118
In joye and blisse at mete I lete hem dwelle      1119
A thousand foold wel moore than I kan telle.      1120
This child maurice with sithen emperour      1121
Maad by the pope, and lyved cristenly;      1122
To cristes chirche he dide greet honour.      1123
But I lete al his storie passen by;      1124
Of custance is my tale specially.      1125
In the olde romayn geestes may men fynde      1126
Maurices lyf; I bere it noght in mynde.      1127
This kyng alla, whan he his tyme say,      1128
With his custance, his hooly wyf so sweete,      1129
To engelond been they come the righte way,      1130
Wher as they lyve in joye and in quiete.      1131
But litel while it lasteth, I yow heete,      1132
Joye of this world, for tyme wol nat abyde;      1133
Fro day to nyght it changeth as the tyde.      1134
Who lyved euere in swich delit o day      1135
That hym ne moeved outher conscience,      1136
Or ire, or talent, or som kynnes affray,      1137
Envye, or pride, or passion, or offence?      1138
I ne seye but for this ende this sentence,      1139
That litel while in joye or in plesance      1140
Lasteth the blisse of alla with custance.      1141
For deeth, that taketh of heigh and logh his rente,      1142
Whan passed was a yeer, evene as I gesse,      1143
Out of this world this kyng alla he hente,      1144
For whom custance hath ful greet hevynesse.      1145
Now lat us prayen God his soule blesse!      1146
And dame custance, finally to seye,      1147
Toward the toun of rome goth hir weye.      1148
To rome is come this hooly creature,      1149
And fyndeth hire freendes hoole and sounde;      1150
Now is she scaped al hire aventure.      1151
And whan that she hir fader hath yfounde,      1152
Doun on hir knees falleth she to grounde;      1153
Wepynge for tendrenesse in herte blithe,      1154
She heryeth God an hundred thousand sithe.
Page  75
     1155
In vertu and in hooly almus-dede      1156
They lyven alle, and nevere asonder wende;      1157
Til deeth departeth hem, this lyf they lede.      1158
And fareth now weel! my tale is at an ende.      1159
Now jhesu crist, that of his myght may sende      1160
Joye after wo, governe us in his grace,      1161
And kepe us alle that been in this place! amen      1162
The Man of Law's Epilogue

(Owre hoost upon his stiropes stood anon,      1163
And seyde, goode men, herkeneth everych on!      1164
This was a thrifty tale for the nones!      1165
Sir parisshe prest, quod he, for goddes bones,      1166
Telle us a tale, as was thi forward yore.      1167
I se wel that ye lerned men in lore      1168
Can moche good, by goddes dignitee!      1169
The parson hem answerde, benedicite!      1170
What eyleth the man, so synfully to swere?      1171
Oure host answerde, o jankin, be ye there?      1172
I smelle a lollere in the wynd, quod he.      1173
Now! goode men, quod oure hoste, herkeneth me;      1174
Abydeth, for goddes digne passioun,      1175
For we schal han a predicacioun;      1176
This lollere heer wil prechen us somwhat.      1177
Nay, by my fader soule, that schal he nat!      1178
Seyde the shipman; heer schal he nat preche;      1179
He schal no gospel glosen here ne teche.      1180
We leven alle in the grete god, quod he;      1181
He wolde sowen som difficulte,      1182
Or springen cokkel in our clene corn.      1183
And therfore, hoost, I warne thee biforn,      1184
My joly body schal a tale telle,      1185
And I schal clynken you so mery a belle,      1186
That I schal waken al this compaignie.      1187
But it schal not ben of philosophie,      1188
Ne phislyas, ne termes queinte of lawe.      1189
Ther is but litel latyn in my mawe!)      1190
Page  76
Group 3

The Wife of Bath's Prologue

Experience, though noon auctoritee      1
Were in this world, is right ynogh for me      2
To speke of wo that is in mariage;      3
For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age,      4
Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve,      5
Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve, --      6
If I so ofte myghte have ywedded bee, --      7
And alle were worthy men in hir degree.      8
But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is,      9
That sith that crist ne wente nevere but onis      10
To weddyng, in the cane of galilee,      11
That by the same ensample taughte he me      12
That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.      13
Herkne eek, lo, which a sharp word for the nones,      14
Biside a welle, jhesus, God and man,      15
Spak in repreeve of the samaritan:      16
Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes, -- quod he,      17
-- And that ilke man that now hath thee      18
Is noght thyn housbonde, -- thus seyde he certeyn.      19
What that he mente therby, I kan nat seyn;      20
But that I axe, why that the fifthe man      21
Was noon housbonde to the samaritan?      22
How manye myghte she have in mariage?      23
Yet herde I nevere tellen in myn age      24
Upon this nombre diffinicioun.      25
Men may devyne and glosen, up and doun,      26
But wel I woot, expres, withoute lye,      27
God bad us for to wexe and multiplye;      28
That gentil text kan I wel understonde.      29
Eek wel I woot, he seyde myn housbonde      30
Sholde lete fader and mooder, and take to me.      31
But of no nombre mencion made he,      32
Of bigamye, or of octogamye;      33
Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileynye?      34
Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun salomon;      35
I trowe he hadde wyves mo than oon.      36
As wolde God it were leveful unto me      37
To be refresshed half so ofte as he!      38
Which yifte of God hadde he for alle his wyvys!      39
No man hath swich that in this world alyve is.      40
God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit,      41
The firste nyght had many a myrie fit      42
With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve.      43
Yblessed be God that I have wedded fyve!      44
Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.      45
For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast in al.      46
Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon,      47
Som cristen man shal wedde me anon,      48
For thanne, th' apostle seith that I am free      49
To wedde, a goddes half, where it liketh me.      50
He seith that to be wedded is no synne;      51
Bet is to be wedded than to brynne      52
What rekketh me, thogh folk seye vileynye      53
Of shrewed lameth and his bigamye?      54
I woot wel abraham was an hooly man,      55
And jacob eek, as ferforth as I kan;      56
And ech of hem hadde wyves mo than two,      57
And many another holy man also.      58
Wher can ye seye, in any manere age,      59
That hye God defended mariage      60
By expres word? I pray yow, telleth me.      61
Or where comanded he virginitee?      62
I woot as wel as ye, it is no drede,      63
Th' apostel, whan he speketh of maydenhede,      64
He seyde that precept therof hadde he noon.      65
Men may conseille a womman to been oon,      66
But conseillyng is no comandement.      67
He putte it in oure owene juggement;      68
For hadde God comanded maydenhede,      69
Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede.      70
And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe,      71
Virginitee, thanne wherof sholde it growe?      72
Poul dorste nat comanden, atte leeste,      73
A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste.      74
The dart is set up for birginitee:      75
Cacche whoso may, who renneth best lat see.      76
But this word is nat taken of every wight,      77
But ther as God lust gyve it of his myght.      78
I woot wel that th' apostel was a mayde;
Page  77
     79
But nathelees, thogh that he wroot and sayde      80
He wolde that every wight were swich as he,      81
Al nys but conseil to virginitee.      82
And for to been a wyf he yaf me leve      83
Of indulgence; so nys it no repreve      84
To wedde me, if that my make dye,      85
Withouten excepcion of bigamye.      86
Al were it good no womman for to touche, --      87
He mente as in his bed or in his couche;      88
For peril is bothe fyr and tow t' assemble:      89
Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble.      90
This is al and som, he heeld virginitee      91
Moore parfit than weddyng in freletee.      92
Freletee clepe I, but if that he and she      93
Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee.      94
I graunte it wel, I have noon envie,      95
Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye.      96
It liketh hem to be clene, body and goost;      97
Of myn estaat I nyl nat make no boost.      98
For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold,      99
He nath nat every vessel al of gold;      100
Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse.      101
God clepeth folk to hym in sondry wyse,      102
And everich hath of God a propre yifte,      103
Som this, som that, as hym liketh shifte.      104
Virginitee is greet perfeccion,      105
And continence eek with devocion,      106
But crist, that of perfeccion is welle,      107
Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle      108
Al that he hadde, and gyve it to the poore      109
And in swich wise folwe hym and his foore.      110
He spak to hem that wolde lyve parfitly;      111
And lordynges, by youre leve, that am nat I.      112
I wol bistowe the flour of al myn age      113
In the actes and in fruyt of mariage.      114
Telle me also, to what conclusion      115
Were membres maad of generacion,      116
And of so parfit wys a wight ywroght?      117
Trusteth right wel, they were nat maad for noght.      118
Glose whoso wole, and seye bothe up and doun,      119
That they were maked for purgacioun      120
Of uryne, and oure bothe thynges smale      121
Were eek to knowe a femele from a male,      122
And for noon oother cause, -- say ye no?      123
The experience woot wel it is noght so.      124
So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe,      125
I sey this, that they maked ben for bothe,      126
This is to seye, for office, and for ese      127
Of engendrure, ther we nat God displese.      128
Why sholde men elles in hir bookes sette      129
That man shal yelde to his wyf hire dette?      130
Now wherwith sholde he make his paiement,      131
If he ne used his sely instrument?      132
Thanne were they maad upon a creature      133
To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure.      134
But I seye noght that every wight is holde,      135
That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde,      136
To goon and usen hem in engendrure.      137
Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no cure.      138
Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man,      139
And many a seint, sith that the world bigan;      140
Yet lyved they evere in parfit chastitee.      141
I nyl envye no virginitee.      142
Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed,      143
And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed;      144
And yet with barly-breed, mark telle kan,      145
Oure lord jhesu refresshed many a man.      146
In swich estaat as God hath cleped us      147
I wol persevere; I nam nat precius.      148
In wyfhod I wol use myn instrument      149
As frely as my makere hath it sent.      150
If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe!      151
Myn housbonde shal it have bothe eve and morwe,      152
Whan that hym list come forth and paye his dette.      153
An housbonde I wol have, I wol nat lette,      154
Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral,      155
And have his tribulacion withal      156
Upon his flessh, whil that I am his wyf.      157
I have the power durynge al my lyf      158
Upon his propre body, and noght he.      159
Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me;      160
And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel.      161
Al this sentence me liketh every deel --      162
Up stirte the pardoner, and that anon:      163
Now, dame, quod he, by God and by seint john!      164
Ye been a noble prechour in this cas.      165
I was aboute to wedde a wyf; allas!      166
What sholde I bye it on my flessh so deere?      167
Yet hadde I levere wedde no wyf to-yeere!      168
Abyde! quod she, my tale is nat bigonne.      169
Nay, thou shalt drynken of another tonne,      170
Er that I go, shal savoure wors than ale.      171
And whan that I have toold thee forth my tale      172
Of tribulacion in mariage,      173
Of which I am expert in al myn age,      174
This is to seyn, myself have been the whippe, --      175
Than maystow chese wheither thou wolt sippe      176
Of thilke tonne that I shal abroche.      177
Be war of it, er thou to ny approche;      178
For I shal telle ensamples mo than ten.      179
--Whoso that nyl be war by othere men,      180
By hym shul othere men corrected be. --      181
The same wordes writeth ptholomee;      182
Rede in his almageste, and take it there.
Page  78
     183
Dame, I wolde praye yow, if youre wyl it were,      184
Seyde this pardoner, as ye bigan,      185
Telle forth youre tale, spareth for no man,      186
And teche us yonge men of youre praktike.      187
Gladly, quod she, sith it may yow like;      188
But that I praye to al this compaignye,      189
If that I speke after my fantasye,      190
As taketh not agrief of that I seye;      191
For myn entente is nat but for to pleye.      192
Now, sire, now wol I telle forth my tale. --      193
As evere moote I drynken wyn or ale,      194
I shal seye sooth, tho housbondes that I hadde,      195
As thre of hem were goode, and two were badde.      196
The thre were goode men, and riche, and olde;      197
Unnethe myghte they the statut holde      198
In which that they were bounden unto me.      199
Ye woot wel what I meene of this, pardee!      200
As help me god, I laughe whan I thynke      201
How pitously a-nyght I made hem swynke!      202
And, by my fey, I tolde of it no stoor.      203
They had me yeven hir lond and hir tresoor;      204
Me neded nat do lenger diligence      205
To wynne hir love, or doon hem reverence.      206
They loved me so wel, by God above,      207
That I ne tolde no deyntee of hir love!      208
A wys womman wol bisye hire evere in oon      209
To gete hire love, ye, ther as she hath noon.      210
But sith I hadde hem hoolly in myn hond,      211
And sith they hadde me yeven al hir lond,      212
What sholde I taken keep hem for to plese,      213
But it were for my profit and myn ese?      214
I sette hem so a-werke, by my fey,      215
That many a nyght they songen -- weilawey! --      216
The bacon was nat fet for hem, I trowe,      217
That som men han in essex at dunmowe.      218
I governed hem so wel, after my lawe,      219
That ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe      220
To brynge me gaye thynges fro the fayre.      221
They were ful glad whan I spak to hem faire;      222
For, God it woot, I chidde hem spitously.      223
Now herkneth hou I baar me proprely,      224
Ye wise wyves, that kan understonde.      225
Thus shulde ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde;      226
For half so boldely kan ther no man      227
Swere and lyen, as a womman kan.      228
I sey nat this by wyves that been wyse,      229
But if it be whan they hem mysavyse.      230
A wys wyf shal, it that she kan hir good,      231
Bere hym on honde that the cow is wood,      232
And take witnesse of hir owene mayde      233
Of hir assemt; but herkneth how I sayde:      234
Sire olde kaynard, is this thyn array?      235
Why is my neighbores wyf so gay?      236
She is honoured over al ther she gooth;      237
I sitte at hoom I have no thrifty clooth.      238
What dostow at my neighebores hous?      239
Is she so fair? artow so amorous?      240
What rowne ye with oure mayde? benedicite!      241
Sire olde lecchour, lat thy japes be!      242
And if I have a gossib or a freend,      243
Withouten gilt, thou chidest as a feend,      244
If that I walke or pleye unto his hous!      245
Thou comest hoom as dronken as a mous,      246
And prechest on thy bench, with yvel preef!      247
Thou seist to me it is a greet meschief      248
To wedde a povre womman, for costage;      249
And if that she be riche, of heigh parage,      250
Thanne seistow that it is a tormentrie      251
To soffre hire pride and hire malencolie.      252
And if that she be fair, thou verray knave,      253
Thou seyst that every holour wol hire have;      254
She may no while in chastitee abyde,      255
That is assailled upon ech a syde.      256
Thou seyst som folk desiren us for richesse,      257
Somme for oure shap, and somme for oure fairnesse,      258
And som for she kan outher synge or daunce,      259
And som for gentillesse and daliaunce;      260
Som for hir handes and hir armes smale:      261
Thus goth al to the devel, by thy tale.      262
Thou seyst men may nat kepe a castel wal,      263
It may so longe assailled been over al.      264
And if that she be foul, thou seist that she      265
Coveiteth every man that she may se,      266
For as a spaynel she wol on hym lepe,      267
Til that she fynde som man hire to chepe.      268
Ne noon so grey goos gooth ther in the lake      269
As, seistow, wol been withoute make.      270
And seyst it is an hard thyng for to welde      271
A thyng that no man wole, his thankes, helde.      272
Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde;      273
And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde,      274
Ne no man that entendeth unto hevene.      275
With wilde thonder-dynt and firy levene      276
Moote thy welked nekke be tobroke!      277
Thow seyst that droppyng houses, and eek smoke,      278
And chidyng wyves maken men to flee      279
Out of his owene hous; a! benedicitee!      280
What eyleth swich an old man for to chide?      281
Thow seyst we wyves wol oure vices hide      282
Til we be fast, and thanne we wol hem shewe, --      283
Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe!      284
Thou seist that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes,
Page  79
     285
They been assayed at diverse stoundes;      286
Bacyns, lavours, er that men hem bye,      287
Spoones and stooles, and al swich housbondrye,      288
And so been pottes, clothes, and array;      289
But folk of wyves maken noon assay,      290
Til they be wedded; olde dotard shrewe!      291
And thanne, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe.      292
Thou seist also that it displeseth me      293
But if that thou wolt preyse my beautee,      294
And but thou poure alwey upon my face,      295
And clepe me faire dame in every place.      296
And but thou make a feeste on thilke day      297
That I was born, and make me fressh and gay;      298
And but thou do to my norice honour,      299
And to my chamberere withinne my bour,      300
And to my fadres folk and his allyes, --      301
Thus seistow, olde barel-ful of lyes!      302
And yet of oure apprentice janekyn,      303
For his crispe heer, shynynge as gold so fyn,      304
And for he squiereth me bothe up and doun,      305
Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun.      306
I wol hym noght, thogh thou were deed tomorwe!      307
But tel me this: why hydestow, with sorwe,      308
They keyes of thy cheste awey fro me?      309
It is my good as wel as thyn, pardee!      310
What, wenestow make an ydiot of oure dame?      311
Now by that lord that called is seint jame,      312
Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,      313
Be maister of my body and of my good;      314
That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne yen.      315
What helpith it of me to enquere or spyen?      316
I trowe thou woldest loke me in thy chiste?      317
Thou sholdest seye, wyf, go wher thee liste;      318
Taak youre disport, I wol nat leve no talys.      319
I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame alys.      320
We love no man that taketh kep or charge      321
Wher that we goon; we wol ben at oure large.      322
Of alle men yblessed moot he be,      323
The wise astrologien, daun ptholome,      324
That seith this proverbe in his almageste --      325
Of alle men his wysdom is the hyeste      326
That rekketh nevere who hath the world in honde.      327
By this proverbe thou shalt understonde,      328
Have thou ynogh, what thar thee recche or care      329
How myrily that othere folkes fare?      330
For, certeyn, olde dotard, by youre leve,      331
Ye shul have queynte right ynogh at eve.      332
He is to greet a nygard that wolde werne      333
A man to light a candle at his lanterne;      334
He shal have never the lasse light, pardee.      335
Have thou ynogh, thee thar nat pleyne thee.      336
Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay      337
With clothyng, and with precious array,      338
That it is peril of oure chastitee;      339
And yet, with sorwe! thou most enforce thee,      340
And seye thise wordes in the apostles name:      341
in habit maad with chastitee and shame      342
Ye wommen shul apparaille yow, quod he,      343
And noght in tressed heer and gay perree,      344
As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche.      345
After thy text, ne after thy rubriche,      346
I wol nat wirche as muchel as a gnat.      347
Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat;      348
For whoso wolde senge a cattes skyn,      349
Thanne wolde the cat wel dwellen in his in;      350
And if the cattes skyn be slyk and gay,      351
She wol nat dwelle in house half a day,      352
But forth she wole, er any day be dawed,      353
To shewe hir skyn, and goon a-caterwawed.      354
This is to seye, if I be gay, sire shrewe,      355
I wol renne out, my borel for to shewe.      356
Sire olde fool, what helpeth thee to spyen?      357
Thogh thou preye argus with his hundred yen      358
To be my warde-cors, as he kan best,      359
In feith, he shal nat kepe me but me lest;      360
Yet koude I make his berd, so moot I thee!      361
Thou seydest eek that ther been thynges thre,      362
The whiche thynges troublen al this erthe,      363
And that no wight may endure the ferthe.      364
O leeve sire shrewe, jhesu shorte thy lyf!      365
Yet prechestow and seyst and hateful wyf      366
Yrekened is for oon of thise meschances.      367
Been ther none othere maner resemblances      368
That ye may likne youre parables to,      369
But if a sely wyf be oon of tho?      370
Thou liknest eek wommenes love to helle,      371
To bareyne lond, ther water may nat dwelle.      372
Thou liknest it also to wilde fyr;      373
The moore it brenneth, the moore it hath desir      374
To consume every thyng that brent wole be.      375
Thou seyest, right as wormes shende a tree,      376
Right so a wyf destroyeth hire housbonde;      377
This knowe they that been to wyves bonde. --      378
Lordynges, right thus, as ye have understonde,      379
Baar I stifly myne olde housbondes on honde      380
That thus they seyden in hir dronkenesse;      381
And al was fals, but that I took witnesse      382
On janekyn, and on my nece also.      383
O lord! the peyne I dide hem and the wo,      384
Ful giltelees, by goddes sweete pyne!      385
For as an hors I koude byte and whyne.      386
I koude pleyne, and yit was in the gilt,      387
Or elles often tyme hadde I been spilt.
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     388
Whose that first to mille comth, first grynt;      389
I pleyned first, so was oure werre ystynt.      390
They were ful glade to excuse hem blyve      391
Of thyng of which they nevere agilte hir lyve.      392
Of wenches wolde I beren hem on honde,      393
Whan that for syk unnethes myghte they stonde.      394
Yet tikled I his herte, for that he      395
Wende that I hadde of hym so greet chiertee!      396
I swoor that al my walkynge out by nyghte      397
Was for t' espye wenches that he dighte;      398
Under that colour hadde I many a myrthe.      399
For al swich wit is yeven us in oure byrthe;      400
Deceite, wepyng, spynnyng God hath yive      401
To wommen kyndely, whil that they may lyve.      402
And thus of o thyng I avaunte me,      403
Atte ende I hadde the bettre in ech degree,      404
By sleighte, or force, or by som maner thyng,      405
As by continueel murmur or grucchyng.      406
Namely abedde hadden they meschaunce:      407
Ther wolde I chide, and do hem no plesaunce;      408
I wolde no lenger in the bed abyde,      409
If that I felte his arm over my syde,      410
Til he had maad his raunson unto me;      411
Thanne wolde I suffre hym do his necetee.      412
And therfore every man this tale I telle,      413
Wynne whose may, for al is for to selle;      414
With empty hand men may none haukes lure.      415
For wynnyng wolde I al his lust endure,      416
And make me feyned appetit;      417
And yet in bacon hadde I nevere delit;      418
That made me that evere I wolde hem chide.      419
For thogh the pope hadde seten hem biside,      420
I wolde nat spare hem at hir owene bord;      421
For, by my trouthe, I quitte hem word for word.      422
As helpe me verray God omnipotent,      423
Though I right now sholde make my testament,      424
I ne owe hem nat a word that it nys quit.      425
I broghte it so aboute by my wit      426
That they moste yeve it up, as for the beste,      427
Or elles hadde we nevere been in reste.      428
For thogh he looked as a wood leon,      429
Yet sholde he faille of his conclusion.      430
Thanne wolde I seye, -- goode lief, taak keep      431
How mekely looketh wilkyn, oure sheep!      432
Com neer, my spouse, lat me ba thy cheke!      433
Ye sholde been al pacient and meke,      434
And han a sweete spiced conscience,      435
Sith ye so preche of jobes pacience.      436
Suffreth alwey, syn ye so wel kan preche;      437
And but ye do, certein we shal yow teche      438
That it is fair to have a wyf in pees.      439
Oon of us two moste bowen, doutelees;      440
And sith a man is moore resonable      441
Than womman is, ye moste been suffrable.      442
What eyleth yow to grucche thus and grone?      443
Is it for ye wolde have my queynte allone?      444
Wy, taak it al! lo, have it every deel!      445
Peter! I shrewe yow, but ye love it weel;      446
For if I wolde selle my bele chose,      447
I koude walke as fressh as is a rose;      448
But I wol kepe it for youre owene tooth.      449
Ye be to blame, by god! I sey yow sooth. --      450
Swiche manere wordes hadde we on honde.      451
Now wol I speken of my fourthe housbonde.      452
My fourthe housbonde was a revelour;      453
This is to seyn, he hadde a paramour;      454
And I was yong and ful of ragerye,      455
Stibourn and strong, and joly as a pye.      456
How koude I daunce to an harpe smale,      457
And synge, ywis, as any nyghtyngale,      458
Whan I had dronke a draughte of sweete wyn!      459
Metellius, the foule cherl, the swyn,      460
That with a staf birafte his wyf hir lyf,      461
For she drank wyn, thogh I hadde been his wyf,      462
He sholde nat han daunted me from drynke!      463
And after wyn on venus moste I thynke,      464
For al so siker as cold engendreth hayl,      465
A likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl.      466
In wommen vinolent is no defence, --      467
This knowen lecchours by experience.      468
But, lord crist! whan that it remembreth me      469
Upon my yowthe, and on my jolitee,      470
It tikleth me aboute myn herte roote.      471
Unto this day it dooth myn herte boote      472
That I have had my world as in my tyme.      473
But age, allas! that al wole envenyme,      474
Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith.      475
Lat go, farewel! the devel go therwith!      476
The flour is goon, ther is namoore to telle;      477
The bren, as I best kan, now moste I selle;      478
But yet to be right myrie wol I fonde.      479
Now wol I tellen of my fourthe housbonde.      480
I seye, I hadde in herte greet despit      481
That he of any oother had delit.      482
But he was quit, by God and by seint joce!      483
I made hym of the same wode a croce;      484
Nat of my body, in no foul manere,      485
But certeinly, I made folk swich cheere      486
That in his owene grece I made hym frye      487
For angre, and for verray jalousye.      488
By god! in erthe I was his purgatorie,      489
For which I hope his soule be in glorie.      490
For, God it woot, he sat ful ofte and song,      491
Whan that his shoo ful bitterly hym wrong.      492
Ther was no wight, save God and he, that wiste,
Page  81
     493
In many wise, how soore I hym twiste.      494
He deyde whan I cam fro jerusalem,      495
And lith ygrave under the roode beem,      496
Al is his tombe noght so curyus      497
As was the sepulcre of hym daryus,      498
Which that appeles wroghte subtilly;      499
It nys but wast to burye hym preciously.      500
Lat hym fare wel, God yeve his soul reste!      501
He is now in his grave and in his cheste.      502
Now of my fifthe housbonde wol I telle.      503
God lete his soule nevere come in helle!      504
And yet was he to me the mooste shrewe;      505
That feele I on my ribbes al by rewe,      506
And evere shal unto myn endyng day.      507
But in oure bed he was so fressh and gay,      508
And therwithal so wel koude he me glose,      509
Whan that he wolde han my bele chose,      510
That thogh he hadde me bete on every bon,      511
He koude wynne agayn my love anon.      512
I trowe I loved hym best, for that he      513
Was of his love daungerous to me.      514
We wommen han if that I shal nat lye,      515
In this matere a queynte fantasye;      516
Wayte what thyng we may nat lightly have,      517
Therafter wol we crie al day and crave.      518
Forbede us thyng, and that desiren we;      519
Preesse on us faste, and thanne wol we fle.      520
With daunger oute we al oure chaffare;      521
Greet prees at market maketh deere ware,      522
And to greet cheep is holde at litel prys:      523
This knoweth every womman that is wys.      524
My fifthe housbonde, God his soule blesse!      525
Which that I took for love, and no richesse,      526
He som tyme was a clerk of oxenford,      527
And hadde left scole, and wente at hom to bord      528
With my gossib, dwellynge in oure toun;      529
God have hir soule! hir name was alisoun.      530
She knew myn herte, and eek my privetee,      531
Bet than oure parisshe preest, so moot I thee!      532
To hire biwreyed I my conseil al.      533
For hadde myn housbonde pissed on a wal,      534
Or doon a thyng that sholde han cost his lyf,      535
To hire, and to another worthy wyf,      536
And to my nece, which that I loved weel,      537
I wolde han toold his conseil every deel.      538
And so I dide ful often, God it woot,      539
That made his face often reed and hoot      540
For verray shame, and blamed hymself for he      541
Had toold to me so greet a pryvetee.      542
And so bifel that ones in a lente --      543
So often tymes I to my gossyb wente,      544
For evere yet I loved to be gay,      545
And for to walke in march, averill, and may,      546
Fro hous to hous, to heere sondry talys --      547
That jankyn clerk, and my gossyb dame alys,      548
And I myself, into the feeldes wente.      549
Myn housbonde was at londoun al that lente;      550
I hadde the bettre leyser for to pleye,      551
And for to se, and eek for to be seye      552
Of lusty folk. What wiste I wher my grace      553
Was shapen for to be, or in what place?      554
Therfore I made my visitaciouns      555
To vigilies and to processiouns,      556
To prechyng eek, and to thise pilgrimages,      557
To pleyes of myracles, and to mariages,      558
And wered upon my gaye scarlet gytes.      559
Thise wormes, ne thise motthes, ne thise mytes,      560
Upon my peril, frete hem never a deel;      561
And wostow why? for they were used weel.      562
Now wol I tellen forth what happed me.      563
I seye that in the feeldes walked we,      564
Til trewely we hadde swich daliance,      565
This clerk and I, that of my purveiance      566
I spak to hym and seyde hym how that he,      567
If I were wydwe, sholde wedde me.      568
For certeinly, I sey for no bobance,      569
Yet was I nevere withouten purveiance      570
Of mariage, n' of othere thynges eek.      571
I holde a mouses herte nat worth a leek      572
That hath but oon hole for to sterte to,      573
And if that faille, thanne is al ydo.      574
I bar hym on honde he hadde enchanted me, --      575
My dame taughte me that soutiltee.      576
And eek I seyde I mette of hym al nyght,      577
He wolde han slayn me as I lay upright,      578
And al my bed was ful of verray blood;      579
But yet I hope that he shal do me good,      580
For blood bitokeneth gold, as me was taught.      581
And al was fals; I dremed of it right naught,      582
But as I folwed ay my dames loore,      583
As wel of this as of othere thynges moore.      584
But now, sire, lat me se, what I shal seyn?      585
A ha! by god, I have my tale ageyn.      586
Whan that my fourthe housbonde was on beere,      587
I weep algate, and made sory cheere,      588
As wyves mooten, for it is usage,      589
And with my coverchief covered my visage,      590
But for that I was purveyed of a make,      591
I wepte but smal, and that I undertake.      592
To chirche was myn housbonde born a-morwe      593
With neighebores, that for hym maden sorwe;      594
And jankyn, oure clerk, was oon of tho.      595
As help me god! whan that I saugh hym go      596
After the beere, me thoughte he hadde a paire      597
Of legges and of feet so clene and faire
Page  82
     598
That al myn herte I yaf unto his hoold.      599
He was, I trowe, a twenty wynter oold,      600
And I was fourty, if I shal seye sooth;      601
But yet I hadde alwey a coltes tooth.      602
Gat-tothed I was, and that bicam me weel;      603
I hadde the prente of seinte venus seel.      604
As help me god! I was a lusty oon,      605
And faire, and riche, and yong, and wel bigon;      606
And trewely, as myne housbondes tolde me,      607
I hadde the beste quoniam myghte be.      608
For certes, I am al venerien      609
In feelynge, and myn herte is marcien.      610
Venus me yaf my lust, my likerousnesse,      611
And mars yaf me my sturdy hardynesse;      612
Myn ascendent was taur, and mars therinne.      613
Allas! allas! that evere love was synne!      614
I folwed ay myn inclinacioun      615
By vertu of my constellacioun;      616
That made me I koude noght withdrawe      617
My chambre of venus from a good felawe.      618
Yet have I martes mark upon my face,      619
And also in another privee place.      620
For God so wys be my savacioun,      621
I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun,      622
But evere folwede myn appetit,      623
Al were he short, or long, or blak, or whit;      624
I took no kep, so that he liked me,      625
How poore he was, ne eek of what degree.      626
What sholde I seye? but, at the monthes ende,      627
This joly clerk, jankyn, that was so hende,      628
Hath wedded me with greet solempnytee;      629
And to hym yaf I al the lond and fee      630
That evere was me yeven therbifoore.      631
But afterward repented me ful soore;      632
He nolde suffre nothyng of my list.      633
By god! he smoot me ones on the lyst,      634
For that I rente out of his book a leef,      635
That of the strook myn ere wax al deef.      636
Stibourn I was as is a leonesse,      637
And of my tonge verray jangleresse,      638
And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn,      639
From hous to hous, although he had it sworn;      640
For which he often tymes wolde preche,      641
And me of olde romayn geestes teche;      642
How he symplicius gallus lefte his wyf,      643
And hire forsook for terme of al his lyf,      644
Noght but for open-heveded he hir say      645
Lookynge out at his dore upon a day.      646
Another romayn tolde he me by name,      647
That, for his wyf was at a someres game      648
Withouten his wityng, he forsook hire eke.      649
And thanne wolde he upon his bible seke      650
That ilke proverbe of ecclesiaste      651
Where he comandeth, and forbedeth faste,      652
Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute.      653
Thanne wolde he seye right thus, withouten doute:      654
-whoso that buyldeth his hous al of salwes,      655
And priketh his blynde hors over the falwes,      656
And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes,      657
Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes! --      658
But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe      659
Of his proverbes n' of his olde sawe,      660
Ne I wolde nat of hym corrected be.      661
I hate hym that my vices telleth me,      662
And so doo mo, God woot, of us than I.      663
This made hym with me wood al outrely;      664
I nolde noght forbere hym in no cas.      665
Now wol I seye yow sooth, by seint thomas,      666
Why that I rente out of his book a leef,      667
For which he smoot me so that I was deef.      668
He hadde a book that gladly, nyght and day,      669
For his desport he wolde rede alway;      670
He cleped it valerie and theofraste,      671
At which book he lough alwey ful faste.      672
And eek ther was somtyme a clerk at rome,      673
A cardinal, that highte seint jerome,      674
That made a book agayn jovinian;      675
In which book eek ther was tertulan,      676
Crisippus, trotula, and helowys,      677
That was abbesse nat fer fro parys;      678
And eek the parables of salomon,      679
Ovides art, and bookes many on,      680
And alle thise were bounden in o volume.      681
And every nyght and day was his custume,      682
Whan he hadde leyser and vacacioun      683
From oother worldly occupacioun,      684
To reden on this book of wikked wyves.      685
He knew of hem mo legendes and lyves      686
Than been of goode wyves in the bible.      687
For trusteth wel, it is an impossible      688
That any clerk wol speke good of wyves,      689
But if it be of hooly seintes lyves,      690
Ne of noon oother womman never the mo.      691
Who peyntede the leon, tel me who?      692
By god! if wommen hadde writen stories,      693
As clerkes han withinne hire oratories,      694
They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse      695
Than al the mark of adam may redresse.      696
The children of mercurie and of venus      697
Been in hir wirkyng ful contrarius;      698
Mercurie loveth wysdam and science,      699
And venus loveth ryot and dispence.      700
And, for hire diverse disposicioun,      701
Ech falleth in otheres exaltacioun.      702
And thus, God woot, mercurie is desolat
Page  83
     703
In pisces, wher venus is exaltat;      704
And venus falleth ther mercurie is reysed.      705
Therfore no womman of no clerk is preysed.      706
The clerk, whan he is oold, and may noght do      707
Of venus werkes worth his olde sho,      708
Thanne sit he doun, and writ in his dotage      709
That wommen kan nat kepe hir mariage!      710
But now to purpos, why I tolde thee      711
That I was beten for a book, pardee!      712
Upon a nyght jankyn, that was oure sire,      713
Redde on his book, as he sat by the fire,      714
Of eva first, that for hir wikkednesse      715
Was al mankynde broght to wrecchednesse,      716
For which that jhesu crist hymself was slayn,      717
That boghte us with his herte blood agayn.      718
Lo, heere expres of womman may ye fynde,      719
That womman was the los of al mankynde.      720
The redde he me how sampson loste his heres:      721
Slepynge, his lemman kitte it with hir sheres;      722
Thurgh which treson loste he bothe his yen.      723
Tho redde he me, if that I shal nat lyen,      724
Of hercules and of his dianyre,      725
That caused hym to sette hymself afyre.      726
No thyng forgat he the care and the wo      727
That socrates hadde with his wyves two;      728
How xantippa caste pisse upon his heed.      729
This sely man sat stille as he were deed;      730
He wiped his heed, namoore dorste he seyn,      731
But -- er that thonder stynte, comth a reyn! --      732
Of phasipha, that was the queen of crete,      733
For shrewednesse, hym thoughte the tale swete;      734
Fy! spek namoore -- it is a grisly thyng --      735
Of hire horrible lust and hir likyng.      736
Of clitermystra, for hire lecherye,      737
That falsly made hire housbonde for to dye,      738
He redde it with ful good devocioun.      739
He tolde me eek for what occasioun      740
Amphiorax at thebes loste his lyf.      741
Myn housbonde hadde a legende of his wyf,      742
Eriphilem, that for an ouche of gold      743
Hath prively unto the grekes told      744
Wher that hir housbonde hidde hym in a place,      745
For which he hadde at thebes sory grace.      746
Of lyvia tolde he me, and of lucye:      747
They bothe made hir housbondes for to dye;      748
That oon for love, that oother was for hate.      749
Lyvia hir housbonde, on an even late,      750
Empoysoned hath, for that she was his fo;      751
Lucia, likerous, loved hire housbonde so      752
That, for he sholde alwey upon hire thynke,      753
She yaf hym swich a manere love-drynke      754
That he was deed er it were by the morwe;      755
And thus algates housbondes han sorwe.      756
Thanne tolde he me how oon latumyus      757
Compleyned unto his felawe arrius      758
That in his gardyn growed swich a tree      759
On which he seyde how that his wyves thre      760
Hanged hemself for herte despitus.      761
-- O leeve brother, -- quod this arrius,      762
-- Yif me a plante of thilke blissed tree,      763
And in my gardyn planted shal it bee. --      764
Of latter date, of wyves hath he red      765
That somme han slayn hir housbondes in hir bed,      766
And lete hir lecchour dighte hire al the nyght,      767
Whan that the corps lay in the floor upright.      768
And somme han dryve nayles in hir brayn,      769
Whil that they slepte, and thus they had hem slayn.      770
Somme han hem yeve poysoun in hire drynke.      771
He spak moore harm than herte may bithynke;      772
And therwithal he knew of mo proverbes      773
Than in this world ther growen gras or herbes.      774
-- Bet is, -- quod he, -- thyn habitacioun      775
Be with a leon or foul dragoun,      776
Than with a womman usynge for to chyde --      777
-- Bet is, -- quod he, -- hye in the roof abyde,      778
Than with an angry wyf doun in the hous;      779
They been so wikked and contrarious,      780
They haten that hir housbondes loven ay. --      781
He seyde, -- a womman cast hir shame away,      782
Whan she cast of hir smok; -- and forthermo,      783
-- A fair womman, but she be chaast also,      784
Is lyk a gold ryng in a sowes nose. --      785
Who wolde wene, or who wolde suppose,      786
The wo that in myn herte was, and pyne?      787
And whan I saugh he wolde nevere fyne      788
To reden on this cursed book al nyght,      789
Al sodeynly thre leves have I plyght      790
Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke      791
I with my fest so took hym on the cheke      792
That in oure fyr he fil bakward adoun.      793
And he up stirte as dooth a wood leoun,      794
And with his fest he smoot me on the heed,      795
That in the floor I lay as I were deed.      796
And whan he saugh how stille that I lay,      797
He was agast, and wolde han fled his way,      798
Til atte laste out of my swogh I breyde.      799
-- O! hastow slayn me, false theef? -- I seyde,      800
-- And for my land thus hastow mordred me?      801
Er I be deed, yet wol I kisse thee. --      802
And neer he cam and kneled faire adoun,      803
And seyde, -- deere suster alisoun,      804
As help me god! I shal thee nevere smyte.      805
That I have doon, it is thyself to wyte.      806
Foryeve it me, and that I thee biseke! --
Page  84
     807
And yet eftsoones I hitte hym on the cheke,      808
And seyde, -- theef, thus muchel am I wreke;      809
Now wol I dye, I may no lenger speke. --      810
But atte laste, with muchel care and wo,      811
We fille acorded by us selven two.      812
He yaf me al the bridel in myn hond,      813
To han the governance of hous and lond,      814
And of his tonge, and of his hond also;      815
And made hym brenne his book anon right tho.      816
And whan that I hadde geten unto me,      817
By maistrie, al the soveraynette,      818
And that he seyde, -- myn owene trewe wyf,      819
Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lyf;      820
Keep thyn honour, and keep eek myn estaat --      821
After that day we hadden never debaat.      822
God helpe me so, I was to hym as kynde      823
As any wyf from denmark unto ynde,      824
And also trewe, and so was he to me.      825
I prey to god, that sit in magestee,      826
So blesse his soule for his mercy deere.      827
Now wol I seye my tale, if ye wol heere.      828
The frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this;      829
Now dame, quod he, so have I joye or blis,      830
This is a long preable of a tale!      831
And whan the somonour herde the frere gale,      832
Lo, quod the somonour, goddes armes two!      833
A frere wol entremette hym everemo.      834
Lo, goode men, a flye and eek a frere      835
Wol falle in every dyssh and eek mateere.      836
What spwkestow of preambulacioun?      837
What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun!      838
Thou lettest oure disport in this manere.      839
Ye, woltow so, sire somonour? quod the frere;      840
Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go,      841
Telle of a somonour swich a tale or two,      842
That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.      843
Now elles, frere, I bishrewe thy face,      844
Quod this somonour, and I bishrewe me,      845
But if I telle tales two or thre      846
Of freres, er I come to sidyngborne,      847
That I shal make thyn herte for to morne,      848
For wel I woot thy pacience is gon.      849
Oure hooste cride pees! and that anon!      850
And seyde, lat the womman telle hire tale.      851
Ye fare as folk that dronken ben of ale.      852
Do, dame, telle forth youre tale, and that is best.      853
Al redy, sire, quod she, right as yow lest,      854
If I have licence of this worthy frere.      855
Yis, dame, quod he, tel forth, and I wol heere.      856
The Wife of Bath's Tale

In th' olde dayes of the kyng arthour,      857
Of which that britons speken greet honour,      858
Al was this land fulfild of fayerye.      859
The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignye,      860
Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede.      861
This was the olde opinion, as I rede;      862
I speke of manye hundred yeres ago.      863
But now kan no man se none elves mo,      864
For now the grete charitee and prayers      865
Of lymytours and othere hooly freres,      866
That serchen every lond and every streem,      867
As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem,      868
Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures,      869
Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures,      870
Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes --      871
This maketh that ther ben no fayeryes.      872
For ther as wont to walken was an elf,      873
Ther walketh now the lymytour hymself      874
In undermeles and in morwenynges,      875
And seyth his matyns and his hooly thynges      876
As he gooth in his lymytacioun.      877
Wommen may go now saufly up and doun.      878
In every bussh or under every tree      879
Ther is noon oother incubus but he,      880
And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour.      881
And so bifel it that this kyng arthour      882
Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler,      883
That on a day cam ridynge fro ryver;
Page  85
     884
And happed that, allone as he was born,      885
He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn,      886
Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed,      887
By verray force, he rafte hire maydenhed;      888
For which oppressioun was swich clamour      889
And swich pursute unto the kyng arthour,      890
That dampned was this knyght for to be deed,      891
By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed --      892
Paraventure swich was the statut tho --      893
But that the queene and othere ladyes mo      894
So longe preyeden the kyng of grace,      895
Til he his lyf hym graunted in the place,      896
And yaf hym to the queene, al at hir wille,      897
To chese wheither she wolde hym save or spille.      898
The queene thanketh the kyng with al hir myght,      899
And after this thus spak she to the knyght,      900
Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day:      901
Thou standest yet, quod she, in swich array      902
That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.      903
I grante thee lyf, if thou kanst tellen me      904
What thyng is it that wommen moost desiren.      905
Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from iren!      906
And if thou kanst nat tellen it anon,      907
Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon      908
A twelf-month and a day, to seche and leere      909
An answere suffisant in this mateere;      910
And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace,      911
Thy body for to yelden in this place.      912
Wo was this knyght, and sorwefully he siketh;      913
But what! he may nat do al as hym liketh.      914
And at the laste he chees hym for to wende,      915
And come agayn, right at the yeres ende,      916
With swich answere as God wolde hym purveye;      917
And taketh his leve, and wendeth froth his weye.      918
He seketh every hous and and every place      919
Where as he hopeth for to fynde grace,      920
To lerne what thyng wommen loven moost;      921
But he ne koude arryven in no coost      922
Wher as he myghte fynde in this mateere      923
Two creatures accordynge in-feere.      924
Somme seyde wommen loven best richesse,      925
Somme seyde honour, somme seyde jolynesse,      926
Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde,      927
And oftetyme to be wydwe and wedde.      928
Somme seyde that oure hertes been moost esed      929
Whan that we ben yflatered and yplesed.      930
He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye.      931
A man shal wynne us best with flaterye;      932
And with attendance, and with bisynesse,      933
Been we ylymed, bothe moore and lesse.      934
And somme seyen that we loven best      935
For to be free, and do right as us lest,      936
And that no man repreve us of oure vice,      937
But seye that we be wise, and no thyng nyce.      938
For trewely ther is noon of us alle,      939
If any wight wol clawe us on the galle,      940
That we nel kike, for he seith us sooth.      941
Assay, and he shal fynde it that so dooth;      942
For, be we never so vicious withinne,      943
We wol been holden wise and clene of synne.      944
And somme seyn that greet delit han we      945
For to been holden stable, and eek secree,      946
And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle,      947
And nat biwreye thyng that men us telle.      948
But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele.      949
Pardee, we wommen konne no thyng hele;      950
Witnesse on myda, -- wol ye heere the tale?      951
Ovyde, amonges othere thynges smale,      952
Seyde myda hadde, under his longe heres,      953
Growynge upon his heed two asses eres,      954
The whiche vice he hydde, as he best myghte,      955
Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte,      956
That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it namo.      957
He loved hire moost, and trusted hire also;      958
He preyede hire that to no creature      959
She sholde tellen of his disfigure.      960
She swoor him, nay, for al this world to wynne,      961
She nolde do that vileynye or synne,      962
To make hir housbonde han so foul a name.      963
She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.      964
But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde,      965
That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde;      966
Hir thoughte it swal so soore aboute hir herte      967
That nedely som word hire moste asterte;      968
And sith she dorste telle it to no man,      969
Doun to a mareys faste by she ran      970
Til she cam there, hir herte was a-fyre --      971
And as a bitore bombleth in the myre,      972
She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun:      973
Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,      974
Quod she; -- to thee I telle it and namo;      975
Myn housbonde hath longe asses erys two!      976
Now is myn herte al hool, now is it oute.      977
I myghte no lenger kepe it, out of doute.      978
Heere may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde,      979
Yet out it moot; we kan no conseil hyde.      980
The remenant of the tale if ye wol heere,      981
Redeth ovyde, and ther ye may it leere.      982
This knyght, of which my tale is specially,      983
Than that he saugh he myghte nat come therby,
Page  86
     984
This is to seye, what wommen love moost,      985
Withinne his brest ful sorweful was the goost.      986
But hoom he gooth, he myghte nat sojourne;      987
The day was come that homward moste he tourne.      988
And in his wey it happed hym to ryde,      989
In al this care, under a forest syde,      990
Wher as he saugh upon a daunce go      991
Of ladyes foure and twenty, and yet mo;      992
Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne,      993
In hope that som wysdom sholde he lerne.      994
But certeinly, er he cam fully there,      995
Vanysshed was this daunce, he nyste where.      996
No creature saugh he that bar lyf,      997
Save on the grene he saugh sittynge a wyf --      998
A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.      999
Agayn the knyght this olde wyf gan ryse,      1000
And seyde, sire knyght, heer forth ne lith no wey.      1001
Tel me what that ye seken, by youre fey!      1002
Paraventure it may the bettre be;      1003
Thise olde folk kan muchel thyng, quod she.      1004
My leeve mooder, quod this knyght, certeyn      1005
I nam but deed, but if that I kan seyn      1006
What thyng it is that wommen moost desire.      1007
Koude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quite youre hire.      1008
Plight me thy trouthe heere in myn hand, quod she,      1009
The nexte thyng that I requere thee,      1010
Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy myght,      1011
And I wol telle it yow er it be nyght.      1012
Have heer my trouthe, quod the knyght, I grante.      1013
Thanne, quod she, I dar me wel avante      1014
Thy lyf is sauf; for I wol stonde therby,      1015
Upon my lyf, the queene wol seye as I.      1016
Lat se which is the proudeste of hem alle,      1017
That wereth on a coverchief or a calle,      1018
That day seye nay of that I shal thee teche.      1019
Lat us go forth, withouten lenger speche.      1020
Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere,      1021
And bad hym to be glad, and have no fere.      1022
Whan they be comen to the court, this knyght      1023
Seyde he had holde his day, as he hadde hight,      1024
And redy was his answere, as he sayde.      1025
Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde,      1026
And many a wydwe, for that they been wise,      1027
The queene hirself sittynge as a justise,      1028
Assembled been, his answere for to heere;      1029
And afterward this knyght was bode appeere.      1030
To every wight comanded was silence,      1031
And that the knyght sholde telle in audience      1032
What thyng that worldly wommen loven best.      1033
This knyght ne stood nat stille as doth a best,      1034
But to his questioun anon answerde      1035
With manly voys, that al the court it herde:      1036
My lige lady, generally, quod he,      1037
Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee      1038
As wel over his housbond as hir love,      1039
And for to been in maistrie hym above.      1040
This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille.      1041
Dooth as yow list; I am heer at youre wille.      1042
In al the court ne was ther wyf, ne mayde,      1043
Ne wydwe, that contraried that he sayde,      1044
But seyden he was worthy han his lyf.      1045
And with that word up stirte the olde wyf,      1046
Which that the knyght saugh sittynge on the grene:      1047
Mercy, quod she, my sovereyn lady queene!      1048
Er that youre court departe, do me right.      1049
I taughte this answere unto the knyght;      1050
For which he plighte me his trouthe there,      1051
The firste thyng that I wolde hym requere,      1052
He wolde it do, if it lay in his myghte.      1053
Bifore the court thanne preye I thee, sir knyght,      1054
Quod she, that thou me take unto thy wyf;      1055
For wel thou woost that I have kept thy lyf.      1056
If I seye fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!      1057
This knyght answerde, allas! and weylawey!      1058
I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.      1059
For goddes love, as chees a newe requeste!      1060
Taak al my good, and lat my body go.      1061
Nay, thanne, quod she, I shrewe us bothe two!      1062
For thogh that I be foul, and oold, and poore,      1063
I nolde for al the metal, ne for oore,      1064
That under erthe is grave, or lith above,      1065
But if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.      1066
My love? quod he, nay, my dampnacioun!      1067
Allas! that any of my nacioun      1068
Sholde evere so foule disparaged be!      1069
But al for noght; the ende is this, that he      1070
Constreyned was, he nedes moste hire wedde;      1071
And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.      1072
Now wolden som men seye, paraventure,      1073
That for my necligence I do no cure      1074
To tellen yow the joye and al th' array      1075
That at the feeste was that ilke day.      1076
To which thyng shortly answeren I shal:      1077
I seye ther nas no joye ne feeste at al;      1078
Ther nas but hevynesse and muche sorwe.
Page  87
     1079
For prively he wedded hire on the morwe,      1080
And al day after hidde hym as an owle,      1081
So wo was hym, his wyf looked so foule.      1082
Greet was the wo the knyght hadde in his thoght,      1083
Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght;      1084
He walweth and he turneth to and fro.      1085
His olde wyf lay smylynge everemo,      1086
And seyde, o deere housbonde, benedicitee!      1087
Fareth every knyght thys with his wyf as ye?      1088
Is this the lawe of kyng arthures hous?      1089
Is every knyght of his so dangerous?      1090
I am youre owene love and eek youre wyf;      1091
I am she which that saved hath youre lyf,      1092
And, certes, yet ne dide I yow nevere unright;      1093
Why fare ye thus with me this firste nyght?      1094
Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit.      1095
What is my gilt? for goddes love, tel me it,      1096
And it shal been amende, if I may.      1097
Amended? quod this knyght, allas! nay, nay!      1098
It wol nat been amended nevere mo.      1099
Thou art so loothly, and so oold also,      1100
And therto comen of so lough a kynde,      1101
That litel wonder is thogh I walwe and wynde.      1102
So wolde God myn herte wolde breste!      1103
Is this, quod she, the cause of youre unreste?      1104
Ye, certeinly, quod he, no wonder is.      1105
Now, sire, quod she, I koude amende al this,      1106
If that me liste, er it were dayes thre,      1107
So wel ye myghte bere yow unto me.      1108
But, for ye speken of swich gentillesse      1109
As is descended out of old richesse,      1110
That therfore sholden ye be gentil men,      1111
Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen.      1112
Looke who that is moost vertuous alway,      1113
Pryvee and apert, and moost entendeth ay      1114
To do the gentil dedes that he kan;      1115
Taak hym for the grettest gentil man.      1116
Crist wole we clayme of hym oure gentillesse,      1117
Nat of oure eldres for hire old richesse.      1118
For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage,      1119
For which we clayme to been of heigh parage,      1120
Yet may they nat biquethe, for no thyng,      1121
To noon of us hir vertuous lyvyng,      1122
That made hem gentil men ycalled be,      1123
And bad us folwen hem in swich degree.      1124
Wel kan the wise poete of florence,      1125
That highte dant, speken in this sentence.      1126
Lo, in swich maner rym is dantes tale:      1127
-- Ful selde up riseth by his brances smale      1128
Prowesse of man, for god, of his goodnesse,      1129
Wole that of hym we clayme oure gentillesse; --      1130
For of oure eldres may we no thyng clayme      1131
But temporel thyng, that man may hurte and mayme.      1132
Eek every wight woot this as wel as I,      1133
If gentillesse were planted natureelly      1134
Unto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne,      1135
Pryvee and apert, thanne wolde they nevere fyne      1136
To doon of gentillesse the faire office;      1137
They myghte do no vileynye or vice.      1138
Taak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous      1139
Bitwix this and the mount of kaukasous,      1140
And lat men shette the dores and go thenne;      1141
Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne      1142
As twenty thousand men myghte it biholde;      1143
His office natureel ay wol it holde,      1144
Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye.      1145
Heere may ye se wel how that genterye      1146
Is nat annexed to possessioun,      1147
Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun      1148
Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo, in his kynde.      1149
For, God it woot, men may wel often fynde      1150
A lordes sone do shame and vileynye;      1151
And he that wole han pris of his gentrye,      1152
For he was boren of a gentil hous,      1153
And hadde his eldres noble and vertuous,      1154
And nel hymselven do no gentil dedis,      1155
Ne folwen his gentil auncestre that deed is,      1156
He nys nat gentil, be he duc or erl;      1157
For vileyns synful dedes make a cherl.      1158
For gentillesse nys but renomee      1159
Of thyne auncestres, for hire heigh bountee,      1160
Which is a strange thyng to thy persone.      1161
Thy gentillesse cometh fro God allone.      1162
Thanne comth oure verray gentillesse of grace;      1163
It was no thyng biquethe us with oure place.      1164
Thenketh how noble, as seith valerius,      1165
Was thilke tullius hostillius,      1166
That out of poverte roos to heigh noblesse.      1167
Reedeth senek, and redeth eek boece;      1168
Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is      1169
That he is gentil that dooth gentil dedis.      1170
And therfore, leeve housbonde, thus conclude:      1171
Al were it that myne auncestres were rude,      1172
Yet may the hye god, and so hope I,      1173
Grante me grace to lyven vertuously.      1174
Thanne am I gentil, whan that I bigynne      1175
To lyven vertuously and weyve synne.      1176
And ther as ye of poverte me repreeve,      1177
The hye god, on whom that we bileeve,      1178
In wilful poverte chees to lyve his lyf.
Page  88
     1179
And certes every man, mayden, or wyf,      1180
May understonde that jhesus, hevene kyng,      1181
Ne wolde nat chese a vicious lyvyng.      1182
Glad poverte is an honest thyng, certeyn;      1183
This wole senec and othere clerkes seyn.      1184
Whoso that halt hym payd of his poverte,      1185
I holde hym riche, al hadde he nat a sherte.      1186
He that coveiteth is a povre wight,      1187
For he wolde han that is nat in his myght;      1188
But he that noght hath, ne coveiteth have,      1189
Is riche, although ye holde hym but a knave.      1190
Verray poverte, it syngeth proprely;      1191
Juvenal seith of poverte myrily:      1192
-- The povre man, whan he goth by the weye,      1193
Bifore the theves he may synge and pleye.      1194
Poverte is hateful good and, as I gesse,      1195
A ful greet bryngere out of bisynesse;      1196
A greet amendere eek of sapience      1197
To hym that taketh it in pacience.      1198
Poverte is this, although it seme alenge,      1199
Possessioun that no wight wol chalenge.      1200
Poverte ful ofte, whan a man is lowe,      1201
Maketh his God and eek hymself to knowe.      1202
Poverte a spectacle is, as thynketh me,      1203
Thurgh which he may his verray freendes see.      1204
And therfore, sire, syn that I noght yow greve,      1205
Of my poverte namoore ye me repreve.      1206
No, sire, of elde ye repreve me;      1207
And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee      1208
Were in no book, ye gentils of honour      1209
Seyn that men sholde an oold wight doon favour,      1210
And clepe hym fader, for youre gentillesse;      1211
And auctours shal I fynde, as I gesse.      1212
Now ther ye seye that I am foul and old,      1213
Than drede you noght to been a cokewold;      1214
For filthe and eelde, also moot I thee,      1215
Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee.      1216
But nathelees, syn I knowe youre delit,      1217
I shal fulfille youre worldly appetit.      1218
Chese now, quod she, oon of thise thynges tweye:      1219
To han me foul and old til that I deye,      1220
And be to yow a trewe, humble wyf,      1221
And nevere yow displese in al my lyf;      1222
Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,      1223
And take youre aventure of the repair      1224
That shal be to youre hous by cause of me,      1225
Or in som oother place, may wel be.      1226
Now chese yourselven, wheither that yow liketh.      1227
This knyght avyseth hym and sore siketh,      1228
But atte laste he seyde in this manere:      1229
My lady and my love, and wyf so deere,      1230
I put me in youre wise governance;      1231
Cheseth youreself which may be moost plesance,      1232
And moost honour to yow and me also.      1233
I do no fors the wheither of the two;      1234
For as yow liketh, it suffiseth me.      1235
Thanne have I gete of yow maistrie, quod she,      1236
Syn I may chese and governe as me lest?      1237
Ye, certes, wyf, quod he, I holde it best.      1238
Kys me, quod she, we be no lenger wrothe;      1239
For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe,      1240
This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good.      1241
I prey to God that I moote sterven wood,      1242
But I to yow be also good and trewe      1243
As evere was wyf, syn that the world was newe.      1244
And but I be to-morn as fair to seene      1245
As any lady, emperice, or queene,      1246
That is bitwixe the est and eke the west,      1247
Dooth with my lyf and deth right as yow lest.      1248
Cast up the curtyn, looke how that it is.      1249
And whan the knyght saugh verraily al this,      1250
That she so fair was, and so yong therto,      1251
For joye he hente hire in his armes two,      1252
His herte bathed in a bath of blisse.      1253
A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hire kisse,      1254
And she obeyed hym in every thyng      1255
That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng.      1256
And thys they lyve unto hir lyves ende      1257
In parfit joye; and jhesu crist us sende      1258
Housbondes meeke, yonge, and fressh abedde,      1259
And grace t' overbyde hem that we wedde;      1260
And eek I praye jhesu shorte hir lyves      1261
That wol nat be governed by hir wyves;      1262
And olde and angry nygardes of dispence,      1263
God sende hem soone verray pestilence!      1264
Page  89
The Friar's Prologue

This worthy lymytour, this noble frere,      1265
He made alwey a maner louryng chiere      1266
Upon the somonour, but for honestee      1267
No vileyns word as yet to hym spak he.      1268
But atte laste he seyde unto the wyf,      1269
Dame, quod he, God yeve yow right good lyf!      1270
Ye han heer touched, also moot I thee,      1271
In scole-matere greet difficultee.      1272
Ye han seyd muche thyng right wel, I seye;      1273
But, dame, heere as we ryde by the weye,      1274
Us nedeth nat to speken but of game,      1275
And lete auctoritees, on goddes name,      1276
To prechyng and to scole eek of clergye.      1277
But if it lyke to this compaignye,      1278
I wol yow of a somonour telle a game.      1279
Pardee, ye may wel knowe by the name      1280
That of a somonour may no good be sayd;      1281
I praye that noon of you be yvele apayd.      1282
A somonour is a rennere up and doun      1283
With mandementz for fornicacioun,      1284
And is ybet at every townes ende.      1285
Oure hoost tho spak, a! sire, ye sholde be hende      1286
And curteys, as a man of youre estaat;      1287
In compaignye we wol have no debaat.      1288
Telleth youre tale, and lat the somonour be.      1289
Nay, quod the somonour, lat hym seye to me      1290
What so hym list; whan it comth to me lot,      1291
By god! I shal hym quiten every grot.      1292
I shal hym tellen which a greet honour      1293
It is to be a flaterynge lymytour;      1294
And eek of many another manere cryme      1295
Which nedeth nat rehercen at this tyme;      1296
And his office I shal hym telle, ywis.      1297
Oure hoost answerde, pees, namoore of this!      1298
And after this he seyde unto the frere,      1299
Tel forth youre tale, my leeve maister deere.      1300
The Friar's Tale

Whilom ther was dwellynge in my contree      1301
And erchedeken, a man of heigh degree,      1302
That boldely dide execucioun      1303
In punysshynge of fornicacioun,      1304
Of wicchecraft, and eek of bawderye,      1305
Of difamacioun, and avowtrye,      1306
Of chirche reves, and of testamentz,      1307
Of contractes and of lakke of sacramentz,      1308
Of usure, and of symonye also.      1309
But certes, lecchours dide he grettest wo;      1310
They sholde syngen if that they were hent;      1311
And smale tytheres weren foule yshent,      1312
If any persoun wolde upon hem pleyne.      1313
Ther myghte asterte hym no pecunyal peyne.      1314
For smale tithes and for smal offrynge      1315
He made the peple pitously to synge.      1316
For er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook,      1317
They weren in the erchedeknes book.      1318
Thanne hadde he, thurgh his jurisdiccioun,      1319
Power to doon on hem correccioun.      1320
He hadde a somonour redy to his hond;      1321
A slyer boye nas noon in engelond;      1322
For subtilly he hadde his espiaille,      1323
That taughte hym wel wher that hym myghte availle.      1324
He koude spare of lecchours oon or two,      1325
To techen hym to foure and twenty mo.      1326
For thogh this somonour wood were as an hare,      1327
To telle his harlotrye I wol nat spare;      1328
For we been out of his correccioun.      1329
They han of us no jurisdiccioun,      1330
Ne nevere shullen, terme of alle hir lyves. --      1331
Peter! so been the wommen of the styves,      1332
Quod the somonour, yput out of oure cure!      1333
Pees! with myschance and with mysaventure!
Page  90
     1334
Thys seyde oure hoost, and lat hym telle his tale.      1335
Now telleth forth, thogh that the somonour gale;      1336
Ne spareth nat, myn owene maister deere. --      1337
This false theef, this somonour, quod the frere,      1338
Hadde alwey bawdes redy to his hond,      1339
As any hauk to lure in engelond,      1340
That tolde hym al the secree that they knewe;      1341
For hire acqueyntace was nat come of newe.      1342
They weren his approwours prively.      1343
He took hymself a greet profit therby;      1344
His maister knew nat alwey what he wan.      1345
Withouten mandement a lewed man      1346
He koude somne, on peyne of cristes curs,      1347
And they were glade for to fille his purs,      1348
And make hym grete feestes atte nale.      1349
And right as judas hadde purses smale,      1350
And was a theef, right swich a theef was he;      1351
His maister hadde but half his duetee.      1352
He was, if I shal yeven hym his laude,      1353
A theef, and eek a somnour, and baude.      1354
He hadde eek wenches at his retenue,      1355
That, wheither that sir robert or sir huwe,      1356
Or jakke, or rauf, or whoso that it were      1357
That lay by hem, they tolde it in his ere.      1358
Thus was the wenche and he of oon assent;      1359
And he wolde fecche a feyned mandement,      1360
And somne hem to chapitre bothe two,      1361
And pile the man, and lete the wenche go.      1362
Thanne wolde he seye, freend, I shal for thy sake      1363
Do striken hire out of oure lettres blake;      1364
Thee thar namoore as in this cas travaille.      1365
I am thy freend, ther I thee may availle.      1366
Certeyn he knew of briberyes mo      1367
Than possible is to telle in yeres two.      1368
For in this world nys dogge for the bowe      1369
That kan an hurt deer from an hool yknowe      1370
Bet than this somnour knew a sly lecchour,      1371
Or an avowtier, or a paramour.      1372
And for that was the fruyt of al his rente,      1373
Therfore on it he sette al his entente.      1374
And so bifel that ones on a day      1375
This somnour, evere waityng on his pray,      1376
Rood for to somne an old wydwe, a ribibe,      1377
Feynynge a cause, for he wolde brybe.      1378
And happed that he saugh bifore hym ryde      1379
A gay yeman, under a forest syde,      1380
A bowe he bar, and arwes brighte and kene;      1381
He hadde upon a courtepy of grene,      1382
An hat upon his heed with frenges blake.      1383
Sire, quod this somnour, hayl, and wel atake!      1384
Welcome, quod he, and every good felawe!      1385
Wher rydestow, under this grene-wode shawe?      1386
Seyde this yeman, wiltow fer to day?      1387
This somnour hym answerde and seyde, nay;      1388
Heere faste by, quod he, is myn entente      1389
To ryden, for to reysen up a rente      1390
That longeth to my lordes duetee.      1391
Artow thanne a bailly? ye, quod he.      1392
He dorste nat, for verray filthe and shame      1393
Seye that he was a somonour, for the name.      1394
Depardieux, quod this yeman, deere broother,      1395
Thou art a bailly, and I am another.      1396
I am unknowen as in this contree;      1397
Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee,      1398
And eek of bretherhede, if that yow leste.      1399
I have gold and silver in my cheste;      1400
If that thee happe to comen in oure shire,      1401
Al shal be thyn, right as thou wolt desire.      1402
Grantmercy, quod this somonour, by my feith!      1403
Everych on ootheres hand his trouthe leith,      1404
For to be sworne bretheren til they deye.      1405
In daliance they ryden forth and pleye.      1406
This somonour, which that was as ful of jangles,      1407
As ful of venym been thise waryangles,      1408
And evere enqueryng upon every thyng,      1409
Brother, quod he, where is now youre dwellyng      1410
Another day if that I sholde yow seche?      1411
This yeman hym answerde in softe speche,      1412
Brother, quod he, fer in the north contree,      1413
Where-as I hope som tyme I shal thee see.      1414
Er we departe, I shal thee so wel wisse      1415
That of myn hous ne shaltow nevere mysse.      1416
Now, brother, quod this somonour, I yow preye,      1417
Teche me, whil that we ryden by the weye,      1418
Syn that ye been a baillif as am I,      1419
Som subtiltee, and tel me feithfully      1420
In myn office how that I may moost wynne;      1421
And spareth nat for conscience ne synne,      1422
But as my brother tel me, how do ye.      1423
Now, by my trouthe, brother deere, seyde he,      1424
As I shal tellen thee a feithful tale,      1425
My wages been ful streite and ful smale.      1426
My lord is hard to me and daungerous,      1427
And myn office is ful laborous,      1428
And therfore by extorcions I lyve.      1429
For sothe, I take al that men wol me yive.
Page  91
     1430
Algate,by gleyghte or by violence,      1431
Fro yeer to yeer I wynne al my dispence.      1432
I kan no bettre telle, feithfully.      1433
Now certes, quod this somonour, so fare I.      1434
I spare nat to taken, God it woot,      1435
But if it be to hevy or to hoot.      1436
What I may gete in conseil prively,      1437
No maner conscience of that have I.      1438
Nere myn extorcioun, I myghte nat lyven,      1439
Ne of swiche japes wol I nat be shryven.      1440
Stomak ne conscience ne knowe I noon;      1441
I shrewe thise shrifte-fadres everychoon.      1442
Wel be we met, by God and by seint jame!      1443
But, leeve brother, tel me thanne thy name,      1444
Quod this somonour. In this meene while      1445
This yeman gan a litel for to smyle.      1446
Brother, quod he, wiltow that I thee telle?      1447
I am a feend; my dwellyng is in helle,      1448
And heere I ryde aboute my purchasyng,      1449
To wite wher men wol yeve me any thyng.      1450
My purchas is th' effect of al my rente.      1451
Looke how thou rydest for the same entente,      1452
To wynne good, thou rekkest nevere how;      1453
Right so fare I, for ryde wolde I now      1454
Unto the worldes ende for a preye.      1455
Al! quod this somonour, benedicite! sey ye?      1456
I wende ye were a yeman trewely.      1457
Ye han a mannes shap as wel as I;      1458
Han ye a figure thanne determinat      1459
In helle, ther ye been in youre estat?      1460
Nay, certeinly, quod he, ther have we noon;      1461
But whan us liketh, we kan take us oon,      1462
Or elles make yow seme we been shape      1463
Somtyme lyk a man, or lyk an ape,      1464
Or lyk an angel kan I ryde or go.      1465
It is no wonder thyng thogh it be so;      1466
A lowsy jogelour kan deceyve thee,      1467
And pardee, yet kan I moore craft than he.      1468
Why, quod this somonour, ryde ye thanne or goon      1469
In sondry shap, and nat alwey in oon?      1470
For we, quod he, wol us swiche formes make      1471
As moost able is oure preyes for to take.      1472
What maketh yow to han al this labour?      1473
Ful many a cause, leeve sire somonour,      1474
Seyde this feend, but alle thyng hath tyme.      1475
The day is short, and it is passed pryme,      1476
And yet ne wan I nothyng in this day.      1477
I wol entende to wynnyng, if I may,      1478
And nat entende oure wittes to declare.      1479
For, brother myn, thy wit is al to bare      1480
To understonde, althogh I tolde hem thee.      1481
But, for thou axest why labouren we --      1482
For somtyme we been goddes instrumentz,      1483
And meenes to doon his comandementz,      1484
Whan that hym list, upon his creatures,      1485
In divers art and in diverse figures.      1486
Withouten hym we have no myght, certayn,      1487
If that hym list stonden ther-agayn.      1488
And somtyme, at oure prayere, han we leve      1489
Oonly the body and nat the soule greve;      1490
Witnesse on job, whom that we diden wo.      1491
And somtyme han we myght of bothe two,      1492
This is to seyn, of soule and body eke.      1493
And somtyme be we suffred for to seke      1494
Upon a man, and doon his soule unreste,      1495
And nat his body, and al is for the beste.      1496
Whan he withstandeth oure temptacioun,      1497
It is a cause of his savacioun,      1498
Al be it that it was nat oure entente      1499
He sholde be sauf, but that we wolde hym hente.      1500
And somtyme be we servant unto man,      1501
As to the erchebisshop seint dunstan,      1502
And to the apostles servent eek was I.      1503
Yet tel me, quod the somonour, feithfully,      1504
Make ye yow newe bodies thus alway      1505
Of elementz? the feend answerde, nay.      1506
Somtyme we feyne, and somtyme we aryse      1507
With dede bodyes, in ful sondry wyse,      1508
And speke as renably and faire and wel      1509
As to the phitonissa dide samuel.      1510
(and yet wol som men seye it was nat he;      1511
I do no fors of youre dyvynytee.)      1512
But o thyng warne I thee, I wol nat jape, --      1513
Thou wolt algates wite how we been shape;      1514
Thou shalt herafterward, my brother deere,      1515
Come there thee nedeth nat of me to leere.      1516
For thou shalt, by thyn owene experience,      1517
Konne in a chayer rede of this sentence      1518
Bet than virgile, while he was on lyve,      1519
Or dant also. Now lat us ryde blyve,      1520
For I wole holde compaignye with thee      1521
Til it be so that thou forsake me.      1522
Nay, quod this somonour, that shal nat bityde!      1523
I am a yeman, knowen is ful wyde;      1524
My trouthe wol I holde, as in this cas.      1525
For though thou were the devel sathanas,      1526
My trouthe wol I holde to my brother,      1527
As I am sworn, and ech of us til oother,      1528
For to be trewe brother in this cas;      1529
And bothe we goon abouten oure purchas.
Page  92
     1530
Taak thou thy part, what that men wol thee yive,      1531
And I shal myn; thus may we bothe lyve.      1532
And if that any of us have moore than oother,      1533
Lat hym be trewe, and parte it with his brother.      1534
I graunte, quod the devel, by my fey.      1535
And with that word they ryden forth hir wey.      1536
And right at the entryng of the townes ende,      1537
To which this somonour shoop hym for to wende,      1538
They saugh a cart that charged was with hey,      1539
Which that a cartere droof forth in his wey.      1540
Deep was the wey, for which the carte stood.      1541
The cartere smoot, and cryde as he were wood,      1542
Hayt, brok! hayt, scot! what spare ye for the stones?      1543
The feend, quod he, yow fecche, body and bones,      1544
As ferforthly as evere were ye foled,      1545
So muche wo as I have with yow tholed!      1546
The devel have al, bothe hors and cart and hey!      1547
This somonour seyde, heere shal we have a pley.      1548
And neer the feend he drough, as noght ne were,      1549
Ful prively, and rowned in his ere:      1550
Herkne, my brother, herkne, by thy feith!      1551
Herestow nat how that the cartere seith?      1552
Hent it anon, for he hath yeve it thee,      1553
Bothe hey and cart, and eek his caples thre.      1554
Nay, quod the devel, God woot, never a deel!      1555
It is nat his entente, trust me weel.      1556
Axe hym thyself, it thou nat trowest me;      1557
Or elles stynt a while, and thou shalt see.      1558
This cartere thakketh his hors upon the croupe,      1559
And they bigonne to drawen and to stoupe.      1560
Heyt! now, quod he, ther jhesu crist yow blesse,      1561
And al his handwerk, bothe moore and lesse!      1562
That was wel twight, myn owene lyard boy.      1563
I pray God save thee, and seinte loy!      1564
Now is my cart out of the slow, pardee!      1565
Lo, brother, quod the feend, what tolde I thee?      1566
Heere may ye se, myn owene deere brother,      1567
The carl spak oo thing, but he thoghte another.      1568
Lat us go forth abouten oure viage;      1569
Heere wynne I nothyng upon cariage.      1570
Whan that they coomen somwhat out of towne,      1571
This somonour to his brother gan to rowne:      1572
Brother, quod he, heere woneth an old rebekke,      1573
That hadde almoost as lief to lese hire nekke      1574
As for to yeve a peny of hir good.      1575
I wole han twelf pens, though that she be wood,      1576
Or I wol sompne hire unto oure office;      1577
And yet, God woot, of hire knowe I no vice.      1578
But for thou kanst nat, as in this contree,      1579
Wynne thy cost, taak heer ensample of me.      1580
This somonour clappeth at the wydwes gate.      1581
Com out, quod he, thou olde virytrate!      1582
I trowe thou hast som frere or preest with thee.      1583
Who clappeth? seyde this wyf, benedicitee!      1584
God save you, sire, what is youre sweete wille?      1585
I have, quod he, of somonce here a bille;      1586
Up peyne of cursyng, looke that thou be      1587
To-morn bifore the erchedeknes knee,      1588
T' answere to the court of certeyn thynges.      1589
Now, lord, quod she, crist jhesu, kyng of kynges,      1590
So wisly helpe me, as I ne may.      1591
I have been syk, and that ful many a day.      1592
I may nat go so fer, quod she, ne ryde,      1593
But I be deed, so priketh it in my syde.      1594
May I nat axe a libel, sire somonour,      1595
And answere there by my procuratour      1596
To swich thyng as men wole opposen me?      1597
Yis, quod this somonour, pay anon, lat se,      1598
Twelf pens to me, and I wol thee acquite.      1599
I shal no profit han therby but lite;      1600
My maister hath the profit, and nat I.      1601
Com of, and lat me ryden hastily;      1602
Yif me twelf pens, I may no lenger tarye.      1603
Twelf pens! quod she, now, lady seinte marie      1604
So wisly help me out of care and synne,      1605
This wyde world thogh that I sholde wynne,      1606
Ne have I nat twelf pens withinne myn hoold.      1607
Ye knowen wel that I am povre and oold;      1608
Kithe youre almesse on me povre wrecche.      1609
Nay thanne, quod he, the foule feend me fecche      1610
If I th' excuse, though thou shul be spilt!      1611
allas! quod she, God woot, I have no gilt.      1612
Pay me, quod he, or by the swete seinte anne,      1613
As I wol bere awey thy newe panne      1614
For dette which thou owest me of old.
Page  93
     1615
Whan that thou madest thyn housbonde cokewold,      1616
I payde at hoom for thy correccioun.      1617
Thou lixt! quod she, by my savacioun,      1618
Ne was I nevere er now, wydwe ne wyf,      1619
Somoned unto youre court in al my lyf;      1620
Ne nevere I nas but of my body trewe!      1621
Unto the devel blak and rough of hewe      1622
Yeve I thy body and my panne also!      1623
And whan the devel herde hire cursen so      1624
Upon hir knees, he seyde in this manere,      1625
Now, mabely, myn owene mooder deere,      1626
Is this youre wyl in ernest that ye seye?      1627
The devel, quod she, so fecche hym er he deye,      1628
And panne and al, but he wol hym repente!      1629
Nay, olde stot, that is nat myn entente,      1630
Quod this somonour, for to repente me      1631
For any thyng that I have had of thee.      1632
I wolde I hadde thy smok and every clooth!      1633
Now, brother, quod the devel, be nat wrooth;      1634
Thy body and this panne been myne by right.      1635
Thow shalt with me to helle yet to-nyght,      1636
Where thou shalt knowen of oure privetee      1637
Moore than a maister of dyvynytee.      1638
And with that word this foule feend hym hente;      1639
Body and soule he with the devel wente      1640
Where as that somonours han hir heritage.      1641
And god, that maked after his ymage      1642
Mankynde, save and gyde us, alle and some,      1643
And leve thise somonours goode men bicome!      1644
Lordynges, I koude han toold yow, quod this frere,      1645
Hadde I had leyser for this somonour heere,      1646
After the text of crist, poul, and john,      1647
And of oure othere doctours many oon,      1648
Swiche peynes that youre hertes myghte agryse,      1649
Al be it so no tonge may it devyse,      1650
Thogh that I myghte a thousand wynter telle      1651
The peynes of thilke cursed hous of helle.      1652
But for to kepe us fro that cursed place,      1653
Waketh, and preyeth jhesu for his grace      1654
So kepe us from the temptour sathanas.      1655
Herketh this word! beth war, as in this cas:      1656
The leoun sit in his awayt alway      1657
To sle the innocent, if that he may.      1658
Disposeth ay youre hertes to withstonde      1659
The feend, that yow wolde make thral and bonde.      1660
He may nat tempte yow over youre myght,      1661
For crist wol be youre champion and knyght.      1662
And prayeth that thise somonours hem repente      1663
Of hir mysdedes, er that the feend hem hente!      1664
The Summoner's Prologue

This somonour in his styropes hye stood;      1665
Upon this frere his herte was so wood      1666
That lyk an aspen leef he quook for ire.      1667
Lordynges, quod he, but o thyng I desire;      1668
I yow biseke that, of youre curteisye,      1669
Syn ye han herd this false frere lye,      1670
As suffreth me I may my tale telle.      1671
This frere bosteth that he knoweth helle,      1672
And God it woot, that it is litel wonder;      1673
Freres and feendes been but lyte asonder.      1674
For, pardee, ye han ofte tyme herd telle      1675
How that a frere ravyshed was to helle      1676
In spirit ones by a visioun;      1677
And as an angel ladde hym up and doun,      1678
To shewen hym the peynes that the were,      1679
In al the place saugh he nat a frere;      1680
Of oother folk he saugh ynowe in wo.      1681
Unto this angel spak the frere tho:      1682
Now, sire, quod he, han freres swich a grace      1683
That noon of hem shal come to this place?      1684
Yis, quod this aungel, many a millioun!      1685
And unto sathanas he ladde hym doun.      1686
-- And now hath sathanas, -- seith he, -- a tayl      1687
Brodder than of a carryk is the sayl.      1688
Hold up thy tayl, thou sathanas! -- quod he;      1689
-- shewe forth thyn ers, and lat the frere se      1690
Where is the nest of freres in this place! --      1691
And er that half a furlong wey of space,      1692
Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve,      1693
Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve
Page  94
     1694
Twenty thousand freres on a route,      1695
And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute,      1696
And comen agayn as faste as they may gon,      1697
And in his ers they crepten everychon.      1698
He clapte his tayl agayn and lay ful stille.      1699
This frere, whan he looked hadde his fille      1700
Upon the tormentz of this sory place,      1701
His spirit God restored, of his grace,      1702
Unto his body agayn, and he awook.      1703
But natheles, for fere yet he quook,      1704
So was the develes ers ay in his mynde,      1705
That is his heritage of verray kynde.      1706
God save yow alle, save this cursed frere!      1707
My prologe wol I ende in this manere.      1708
The Summoner's Tale

Lordynges, ther is in yorkshire, as I gesse,      1709
A mersshy contree called holdernesse,      1710
In which ther wente a lymytour aboute,      1711
To preche, and eek to begge, it so no doute.      1712
And so bifel that on a day this frere      1713
Hadde preched at a chirche in his manere,      1714
And specially, aboven every thyng,      1715
Excited he the peple in his prechyng      1716
To trentals, and to yeve, for goddes sake,      1717
Wherwith men myghte hooly houses make,      1718
Ther as divine servyce is honoured,      1719
Nat ther as it is wasted and devoured,      1720
Ne ther it nedeth nat for to be yive,      1721
As to possessioners, that mowen lyve,      1722
Thanked be god, in wele and habundaunce.      1723
Trentals, seyde he, deliveren fro penaunce      1724
Hir freendes soules, as wel olde as yonge, --      1725
Ye, whan that they been hastily ysonge,      1726
Nat for to holde a preest holy and gay --      1727
He syngeth nat but o masse in a day.      1728
Delivereth out, quod he, anon the soules!      1729
Ful hard it is with flesshhook or with oules      1730
To been yclawed, or to brenne or bake.      1731
Now spede yow hastily, for cristes sake!      1732
And whan this frere had seyd al his entente,      1733
With qui cum patre forth his wey he wente.      1734
Whan folk in chirche had yeve him what hem leste,      1735
He wente his wey, no lenger wolde he reste,      1736
With scrippe and tipped staf, ytukked hye,      1737
In every hous he gan to poure and prye,      1738
And beggeth mele and chese, or elles corn.      1739
His felawe hadde a staf tipped with horn,      1740
A peyre of tables al of yvory,      1741
And a poyntel polysshed fetisly,      1742
And wrooth the names alwey, as he stood,      1743
Of alle folk that yaf hym any good,      1744
Ascaunces that he wolde for hem preye.      1745
Yif us a busshel whete, malt, or reye,      1746
A goddes kechyl, or a trype of chese,      1747
Or elles what yow lyst, we may nat cheese;      1748
A goddes halfpeny, or a masse peny,      1749
Or yif us of youre brawn, if ye have eny;      1750
A dagon of youre blanket, leeve dame,      1751
Oure suster deere, -- lo! heere I write youre name, --      1752
Bacon or beef, or swich thyng as ye fynde.      1753
A sturdy harlot wente ay hem bihynde,      1754
That was hir hostes man, and bar a sak,      1755
And what men yaf hem, leyde it on his bak.      1756
And whan that he was out at dore, anon      1757
He planed awey the names everichon      1758
That he biforn had writen in his tables;      1759
He served hem with nyfles and with fables.      1760
Nay, ther thou lixt, thou somonour! quod the frere.      1761
Pees, quod oure hoost, for cristes mooder deere!      1762
Tel forth thy tale, and spare it nat at al.      1763
So thryve I, quod this somonour, so I shal!      1764
So longe he wente, hous by hous, til he      1765
Cam til an hous ther he was wont to be      1766
Refresshed moore than in an hundred placis.      1767
Syk lay the goode man whos that the place is;      1768
Bedrede upon a couche lowe he lay.      1769
Deus hic! quod he, o thomas, freend, good day!      1770
Seyde this frere, curteisly and softe.      1771
Thomas, quod he, God yelde yow! ful ofte      1772
Have I upon this bench faren ful weel;      1773
Heere have I eten many a myrie meel.      1774
And fro the bench he droof awey the cat,      1775
And leyde adoun his potente and his hat,      1776
And eek his scrippe, and sette hym softe adoun.      1777
His felawe was go walked into toun
Page  95
     1778
Forth with his knave, into that hostelrye      1779
Where as he shoop hym thilke nyght to lye.      1780
O deere maister, quod this sike man,      1781
How han ye fare sith that march bigan?      1782
I saugh yow noght this fourtenyght or moore.      1783
God woot, quod he, laboured have I ful soore,      1784
And specially, for thy savacion      1785
Have I seyd many a precious orison,      1786
And for oure othere freendes, God hem blesse!      1787
I have to day been at youre chirche at messe,      1788
And seyd a sermon after my symple wit,      1789
Nat al after the text of hooly writ;      1790
For it is hard to yow, as I suppose,      1791
And therfore wol I teche yow al the glose.      1792
Glosynge is a glorious thyng, certeyn,      1793
For lettre sleeth, so as we clerkes seyn.      1794
There have I taught hem to be charitable,      1795
And spende hir good ther it is resonable;      1796
And there I saugh oure dame, -- a! where is she?      1797
Yond in the yerd I trowe that she be,      1798
Seyde this man,and she wol come anon.      1799
Ey, maister, welcome be ye, by seint john!      1800
Seyde this wyf, how fare ye, hertely?      1801
The frere ariseth up ful curteisly,      1802
And hire embraceth in his armes narwe,      1803
And kiste hire sweete, and chirketh as a sparwe      1804
With his lyppes: dame, quod he, right weel,      1805
As he that is youre servent every deel,      1806
Thanked be god, that yow yaf soule and lyf!      1807
Yet saugh I nat this day so fair a wyf      1808
In al the chirche, God so save me!      1809
Ye, God amende defautes, sire, quod she.      1810
Algates, welcome be ye, by my fey!      1811
Graunt mercy, dame, this have I founde alwey.      1812
But of youre grete goodnesse, by youre leve,      1813
I wolde prey yow that ye nat yow greve,      1814
I wole with thomas speke a litel throwe.      1815
Thise curatz been ful necligent and slowe      1816
To grope tendrely a conscience      1817
In shrift; in prechyng is my diligence,      1818
And studie in petres wordes and in poules.      1819
I walke, and fisshe cristen mennes soules,      1820
To yelden jhesu crist his propre rente;      1821
To sprede his word is set al myn entente.      1822
Now, by youre leve, o deere sire, she,      1823
Chideth him weel, for seinte trinitee!      1824
He is as angry as a pissemyre,      1825
Though that he have al that he kan desire,      1826
Though I hym wrye a-nyght and make hym warm,      1827
And over hym leye my leg outher myn arm,      1828
He groneth lyk oure boor, lith in oure sty.      1829
Oother desport right noon of hym have I;      1830
I may nat plese hym in no maner cas.      1831
O thomas, je vous dy, thomas! thomas!      1832
This maketh the feend; this moste ben amended.      1833
Ire is a thyng that hye God defended,      1834
And therof wol I speke a word or two.      1835
Now, maister, quod the wyf, er that I go,      1836
What wol ye dyne? I wol go theraboute.      1837
Now dame, quod he, now je vous dy sanz doute,      1838
Have I nat of a capon but the lyvere,      1839
And of youre softe breed nat but a shyvere,      1840
And after that a rosted pigges heed --      1841
But that I nolde no beest for me were deed --      1842
Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce.      1843
I am a man of litel sustenaunce;      1844
My spirit hath his fostryng in the bible.      1845
The body is ay so redy and penyble      1846
To wake, that my stomak is destroyed.      1847
I prey yow, dame, ye be nat anoyed,      1848
Though I so freendly yow my conseil shewe.      1849
By god! I wolde nat telle it but a fewe.      1850
Now, sire, quod she, but o word er I go.      1851
My child is deed withinne thise wykes two,      1852
Soone after that ye wente out of this toun.      1853
His deeth saugh I by revelacioun,      1854
Seide this frere, at hoom in oure dortour.      1855
I dar wel seyn that, er that half an hour      1856
After his deeth, I saugh hym born to blisse      1857
In myn avision, so God me wisse!      1858
So didde oure sexteyn and oure fermerer,      1859
That han been trewe freres fifty yeer;      1860
They may now -- God be thanked of his loone! --      1861
Maken hir jubilee and walke allone.      1862
And up I roos, and al oure covent eke,      1863
With many a teere trillyng on my cheke,      1864
Withouten noyse or claterynge of belles;      1865
Te deum was oure song, and nothyng elles,      1866
Save that to crist I seyde an orison,      1867
Thankynge hym of his revelacion.      1868
For, sire and dame, trusteth me right weel,      1869
Oure orisons been moore effectueel,      1870
And moore we seen of cristes secree thynges,      1871
Than burel folk, although they weren kynges.      1872
We lyve in poverte and in abstinence,      1873
And burell folk in richesse and despence      1874
Of mete and drynke, and in hir foul delit.      1875
We han this worldes lust al in despit.      1876
Lazar and dives lyveden diversly,      1877
And divers gerdon hadden they therby.
Page  96
     1878
Whoso wol preye, he moot faste and be clene,      1879
And fatte his soule, and make his body lene.      1880
We fare as seith th' apostle; clooth and foode      1881
Suffisen us, though they be nat ful goode.      1882
The clennesse and the fastynge of us freres      1883
Maketh that crist accepteth oure preyeres.      1884
Lo, moyses fourty dayes and fourty nyght      1885
Fasted, er that the heighe God of myght      1886
Spak with hym in the mountayne of synay.      1887
With empty wombe, fastynge many a day,      1888
Receyved he the lawe that was writen      1889
With goddes fynger; and elye, wel ye witen,      1890
In mount oreb, er he hadde any speche      1891
With hye god, that is oure lyves leche,      1892
He fasted longe, and was in contemplaunce.      1893
Aaron, that hadde the temple in governaunce,      1894
And eek the othere preestes everichon,      1895
Into the temple whan they sholde gon      1896
To preye for the peple, and do servyse,      1897
They nolden drynken in no maner wyse      1898
No drynke which that myghte hem dronke make,      1899
But there in abstinence preye and wake,      1900
Lest that they deyden. Taak heede what I seye!      1901
But they be sobre that for the peple preye,      1902
War that I seye -- namoore, for it suffiseth.      1903
Oure lord jhesu, as hooly writ devyseth,      1904
Yaf us ensample of fastynge and preyeres.      1905
Therfore we mendynantz, we sely freres,      1906
Been wedded to poverte and continence,      1907
To charite, humblesse, and abstinence,      1908
To persecucioun for rightwisnesse,      1909
To wepynge, misericorde, and clennesse.      1910
And therfore may ye se that oure preyeres --      1911
I speke of us, we mendynantz, we freres --      1912
Been to the hye God moore acceptable      1913
Than youres, with youre feestes at the table.      1914
Fro paradys first, if I shal nat lye,      1915
Was man out chaced for his glotonye;      1916
And chaast was man in paradys, certeyn.      1917
But herkne now, thomas, what I shal seyn.      1918
I ne have no text of it, as I suppose,      1919
But I shal fynde it in a maner glose,      1920
That specially oure sweete lord jhesus      1921
Spak this by freres, whan he seyde thus:      1922
-- Blessed be they that povere in spirit been. --      1923
And so forth al the gospel may ye seen,      1924
Wher it be likker oure professioun,      1925
Or hirs that swymmen in possessioun.      1926
Fy on hire pompe and on hire glotonye!      1927
And for hir lewednesse I hem diffye.      1928
My thynketh they been lyk jovinyan,      1929
Fat as a whale, and walkynge as a swan,      1930
Al vinolent as botel in the spence.      1931
Hir preyere is of ful greet reverence,      1932
Whan they for soules seye the psalm of davit;      1933
Lo, -- buf! -- they seye, -- cor meum eructavit! --      1934
Who folweth cristes gospel and his foore,      1935
But we that humble been, and chaast, and poore,      1936
Werkeris of goddes word, nat auditours?      1937
Therfore, right as an hauk up at a sours      1938
Up springeth into th' eir, right so prayeres      1939
Of charitable and chaste bisy freres      1940
Maken hir sours to goddes eres two.      1941
Thomas! thomas! so moote I ryde or go,      1942
And by that lord that clepid is seint yve,      1943
Nere thou oure brother, sholdestou nat thryve.      1944
In our chapitre prayer we day and nyght      1945
To crist, that he thee sende heele and myght      1946
Thy body for to weelden hastily.      1947
God woot, quod he, nothyng therof feele i!      1948
As help me crist, as I in fewe yeres,      1949
Have spent upon diverse manere freres      1950
Ful many a pound; yet fare I never the bet.      1951
Certeyn, my good have I almoost biset.      1952
Farwel, my gold, for it is al ago!      1953
The frere answerde, o thomas, dostow so?      1954
What nedeth yow diverse freres seche?      1955
What nedeth hym that hath a parfit leche      1956
To sechen othere leches in the toun?      1957
Youre inconstance is youre confusioun.      1958
Holde ye thanne me, or elles oure covent,      1959
To praye for yow been insufficient?      1960
Thomas, that jape nys nat worth a myte.      1961
Youre maladye is for we han to lyte.      1962
A! yif that covent half a quarter otes!      1963
A! yif that covent foure and twenty grotes!      1964
A! yif that frere a peny, and lat hym go!      1965
Nay, nay, thomas, it may no thyng be so!      1966
What is a ferthyng worth parted in twelve?      1967
Lo, ech thyng that is oned in himselve      1968
Is moore strong than whan it is toscatered.      1969
Thomas, of me thou shalt nat been yflatered;      1970
Thou woldest han oure labour al for noght.      1971
The hye god, that al this world hath wroght,      1972
Seith that the werkman worthy is his hyre.      1973
Thomas, noght of youre tresor I desire      1974
As for myself, but that al oure covent      1975
To preye for yow is ay so diligent,      1976
And for to buylden cristes owene chirche.      1977
Thomas, if ye wol lernen for to wirche,      1978
Of buyldynge up of chirches may ye fynde,
Page  97
     1979
If it be good, in thomas lyf of inde.      1980
Ye lye heere ful of anger and of ire,      1981
With which the devel set youre herte afyre,      1982
And chiden heere the sely innocent,      1983
Youre wyf, that is so meke and pacient.      1984
And therfore, thomas, trowe me if thee leste,      1985
Ne stryve nat with thy wyf, as for thy beste;      1986
And ber this word awey now, by thy feith,      1987
Touchynge swich thyng, lo, what the wise seith:      1988
-- Withinne thyn hous ne be thou no leon;      1989
To thy subgitz do noon oppression,      1990
Ne make thyne aqueyntances nat to flee. --      1991
And, thomas, yet eft-soones I charge thee,      1992
Be war from hire that in thy bosom slepeth;      1993
War fro the serpent that so slily crepeth      1994
Under the gras, and styngeth subtilly.      1995
Be war, my sone, and herkne paciently,      1996
That twenty thousand men han lost hir lyves      1997
For stryvyng with hir lemmans and hir wyves.      1998
Now sith ye han so hooly and meke a wyf,      1999
What nedeth yow, thomas, to maken stryf?      2000
Ther nys, ywys, no serpent so cruel,      2001
Whan man tret on his tayl, ne half so fel,      2002
As womman is, whan she hath caught an ire;      2003
Vengeance is thanne al that they desire.      2004
Ire is a synne, oon of the grete of sevene,      2005
Abhomynable unto the God of hevene;      2006
And to hymself it is destruccion.      2007
This every lewed viker or person      2008
Kan seye, how ire engendreth homycide.      2009
Ire is, in sooth, executour of pryde.      2010
I koude of ire seye so muche sorwe,      2011
My tale sholde laste til to-morwe.      2012
And therfore preye I god, bothe day and nyght,      2013
An irous man, God sende hym litel myght!      2014
It is greet harm and certes greet pitee      2015
To sette an irous man in heigh degree.      2016
Whilom ther was an irous potestat,      2017
As seith senek, that, durynge his estaat,      2018
Upon a day out ryden knyghtes two,      2019
And as fortune wolde that it were so,      2020
That oon of hem cam hoom, that oother noght.      2021
Anon the knyght bifore the juge is broght,      2022
That seyde thus, -- thou hast thy felawe slayn,      2023
For which I deme thee to the deeth, certayn. --      2024
And to another knyght comanded he,      2025
-- Go lede hym to the deeth, I charge thee, --      2026
And happed, as they wente by the weye      2027
Toward the place ther he sholde deye,      2028
The knyght cam which men wenden had be deed.      2029
Thanne thoughte they it were the beste reed      2030
To lede hem bothe to the juge agayn.      2031
They seiden, -lord, the knyght ne hath nat slayn      2032
His felawe; heere he standeth hool alyve. --      2033
-- Ye shul be deed, -- quod he, -- so moot I thryve!      2034
That is to seyn, bothe oon, and two, and thre! --      2035
And to the firste knyght right thus spak he,      2036
-- I dampned thee; thou most algate be deed.      2037
And thou also most nedes lese thyn heed,      2038
For thou art cause why thy felawe deyth. --      2039
And to the thridde knyght right thus he seith,      2040
-- Thou hast nat doon that I comanded thee. --      2041
And thus he dide doon sleen hem alle thre.      2042
Irous cambises was eek dronkelewe,      2043
And ay delited hym to been a shrewe.      2044
And so bifel, a lord of his meynee,      2045
That loved vertuous moralitee,      2046
Seyde on a day bitwix hem two right thus:      2047
-- A lord is lost, if he be vicius;      2048
And dronkenesse is eek a foul record      2049
Of any man, and namely in a lord.      2050
Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere      2051
Awaityng on a lord, and he noot where.      2052
For goddes love, drynk moore attemprely!      2053
Wyn maketh man to lesen wrecchedly      2054
His mynde and eek his lymes everichon. --      2055
-- The revers shaltou se, -- quod he, -- anon,      2056
And preve it by thyn owene experience,      2057
That wyn ne dooth to folk no swich offence.      2058
Ther is no wyn bireveth me my myght      2059
Of hand ne foot, ne of myne eyen sight. --      2060
And for despit he drank ful muchel moore,      2061
An hondred part, than he hadde don bifoore;      2062
And right anon this irous, cursed wrecche      2063
Leet this knyghtes sone bifore hym fecche,      2064
Comandynge hym he sholde bifore hym stonde.      2065
And sodeynly he took his bowe in honde,      2066
And up the streng he pulled to his ere,      2067
And with an arwe he slow the child right there.      2068
-- Now wheither have I a siker hand or noon? --      2069
Quod he; -- is al my myght and mynde agon?      2070
Hath wyn bireved me myn eyen sight? --      2071
What sholde I telle th' answere of the knyght?      2072
His sone was slayn, ther is namoore to seye.      2073
Beth war, therfore, with lordes how ye pleye.      2074
Syngeth placebo, and -- I shal, if I kan, --      2075
But if it be unto a povre man.      2076
To a povre man men sholde his vices telle,      2077
But nat to a lord, thogh he sholde go to helle.      2078
Lo irous cirus, thilke percien,      2079
How he destroyed the ryver of gysen,      2080
For that an hors of his was dreynt therinne,      2081
Whan that he wente babiloigne to wynne.      2082
He made that the ryver was so smal      2083
That wommen myghte wade it over al.      2084
Lo, what seyde he that so wel teche kan?
Page  98
     2085
-- Ne be no felawe to an irous man,      2086
Ne with no wood man walke by the weye,      2087
Lest thee repente; -- I wol no ferther seye.      2088
Now, thomas, leeve brother, lef thyn ire;      2089
Thou shalt me fynde as just as is a squyre.      2090
Hoold nat the develes knyf ay at thyn herte --      2091
Thyn angre dooth thee al to soore smerte --      2092
But shewe to me al thy confessioun.      2093
nay, quod the sike man, by seint symoun!      2094
I have be shryven this day at my curat.      2095
I have hym toold hoolly al myn estat;      2096
Nedeth namoore to speken of it, seith he,      2097
But if me list, of myn humylitee.      2098
Yif me thanne of thy gold, to make oure cloystre,      2099
Quod he, for many a muscle and many an oystre,      2100
Whan othere men han ben ful wel at eyse,      2101
Hath been oure foode, our cloystre for to reyse.      2102
And yet, God woot, unnethe the fundement      2103
Parfourned is, ne of our pavement      2104
Nys nat a tyle yet withinne oure wones.      2105
By god! we owen fourty pound for stones.      2106
Now help, thomas, for hym that harwed helle!      2107
For elles moste we oure bookes selle.      2108
And if yow lakke oure predicacioun,      2109
Thanne goth the world al to destruccioun.      2110
For whoso wolde us fro this world bireve,      2111
So God me save, thomas, by youre leve,      2112
He wolde bireve out of this world the sonne.      2113
For who kan teche and werchen as we konne?      2114
And that is nat of litel tyme, quod he,      2115
But syn elye was, or elise,      2116
Han freres been, that funde I of record,      2117
In charitee, ythanked be oure lord!      2118
Now thomas, help, for seinte charitee!      2119
And doun anon he sette hym on his knee.      2120
This sike man wax wel ny wood for ire;      2121
He wolde that the frere had been on-fire,      2122
With his false dissymulacioun.      2123
Swich thyng as is in my possessioun,      2124
Quod he, that may I yeve yow, and noon oother.      2125
Ye sey me thus, how that I am youre brother?      2126
Ye, certes, quod the frere, trusteth weel.      2127
I took oure dame oure lettre with oure seel.      2128
Now wel, quod he, and somwhat shal I yive      2129
Unto youre hooly covent whil I lyve;      2130
And in thyn hand thou shalt it have anon,      2131
On this condicion, and oother noon,      2132
That thou departe it so, my deere brother,      2133
That every frere have also muche as oother.      2134
This shaltou swere on thy professioun,      2135
Withouten fraude or cavillacioun.      2136
I swere it, quod this frere, by my feith!      2137
And therwithal his hand in his he leith,      2138
Lo, heer my feith; in me shal be no lak.      2139
Now thanne, put in thyn hand doun by my bak,      2140
Seyde this man, and grope wel bihynde.      2141
Bynethe my buttok there shaltow fynde      2142
A thyng that I have hyd in pryvetee.      2143
A! thoghte this frere, that shal go with me!      2144
And doun his hand he launcheth to the clifte,      2145
In hope for to fynde there a yifte.      2146
And whan this sike man felte this frere      2147
Aboute his tuwel grope there and heere,      2148
Amydde his hand he leet the frere a fart,      2149
Ther nys no capul, drawynge in a cart,      2150
That myghte have lete a fart of swich a soun.      2151
The frere up stirte as dooth a wood leoun, --      2152
A! false cherl, quod he, for goddes bones!      2153
This hastow for despit doon for the nones.      2154
Thou shalt abye this fart, if that I may!      2155
His meynee, whiche that herden this affray,      2156
Cam lepynge in and chaced out the frere;      2157
And forth he gooth, with a ful angry cheere,      2158
And fette his felawe, ther as lay his stoor.      2159
He looked as it were a wilde boor;      2160
He grynte with his teeth, so was he wrooth.      2161
A sturdy paas doun to the court he gooth,      2162
Wher as ther woned a man of greet honour,      2163
To whom that he was alwey confessour.      2164
This worthy man was lord of that village.      2165
This frere cam as he were in a rage,      2166
Where as this lord sat etyng at his bord;      2167
Unnethes myghte the frere speke a word,      2168
Til atte laste he seyde, God yow see!      2169
This lord gan looke, and seide, benedicitee!      2170
What, frere john, what maner world is this?      2171
I se wel that som thyng ther is amys;      2172
Ye looken as the wode were ful of thevys.      2173
Sit doun anon, and tel me what youre grief is,      2174
And it shal been amended, if I may.      2175
I have, quod he, had a despit this day,      2176
God yelde yow, adoun in youre village,      2177
That in this world is noon so povre a page      2178
That he nolde have abhomynacioun      2179
Of that I have receyved in youre toun.      2180
And yet ne greveth me nothyng so soore,      2181
As that this olde cherl with lokkes hoore      2182
Blasphemed hath oure hooly covent eke.      2183
Now, maister, quod this lord, I yow biseke, --
Page  99
     2184
No maister, sire, quod he, but servitour,      2185
Thogh I have had in scole that honour.      2186
God liketh nat that -- raby -- men us calle,      2187
Neither in market ne in youre large halle.      2188
No fors, quod he, but tel me al youre grief.      2189
Sire, quod this frere, and odious meschief      2190
This day bityd is to myn ordre and me,      2191
And so, per consequens, to ech degree      2192
Of hooly chirche, God amende it soone!      2193
Sire, quod the lord, ye woot what is to doone.      2194
Distempre yow noght, ye be my confessour;      2195
Ye been the salt of the erthe and the savour.      2196
For goddes love, youre pacience ye holde!      2197
Tel me youre grief; and anon hym tolde,      2198
As ye han herd biforn, ye woot wel what.      2199
The lady of the hous ay stille sat      2200
Til she had herd what the frere sayde.      2201
Ey, goddes mooder, quod she, blisful mayde!      2202
Is ther oght elles? telle me feithfully.      2203
Madame, quod he, how thynke ye herby?      2204
How that me thynketh? quod she, so God me speede,      2205
I seye, a cherl hath doon a cherles dede.      2206
What shold I seye? God lat hym nevere thee!      2207
His sike heed is ful of vanytee;      2208
I holde hym in a manere frenesye.      2209
Madame, quod he, by god, I shal nat lye      2210
But in on oother wyse may be wreke,      2211
I shal disclaundre hym over al ther I speke,      2212
This false blasphemour, that charged me      2213
To parte that wol nat departed be,      2214
To every man yliche, with meschaunce!      2215
The lord sat stille as he were in a traunce,      2216
And in his herte he rolled up and doun,      2217
How hadde this cherl ymaginacioun      2218
To shewe swich a probleme to the frere?      2219
Nevere erst er now herde I of swich mateere.      2220
I trowe the devel putte it in his mynde.      2221
In ars-metrike shal ther no man fynde,      2222
Biforn this day, of swich a question.      2223
Who sholde make a demonstracion      2224
That every man sholde have yliche his part      2225
As of the soun or savour of a fart?      2226
O nyce, proude cherl, I shrewe his face!      2227
Lo, sires, quod the lord, with harde grace!      2228
Who evere herde of swich a thyng er now?      2229
To every man ylike, tel me how?      2230
It is an inpossible, it may nat be.      2231
Ey, nyce cherl, God lete him nevere thee!      2232
The rumblynge of a fart, and every soun,      2233
Nis but of eir reverberacioun,      2234
And evere it wasteth litel and litel awey.      2235
Ther is no man kan deemen, by my fey,      2236
If that it were departed equally.      2237
What, lo, my cherl, lo, yet how shrewedly      2238
Unto my confessour to-day he spak!      2239
I holde hym certeyn a demonyak!      2240
Now ete youre mete, and lat the cherl go pleye;      2241
Lat hym go honge hymself a devel weye!      2242
Now stood the lordes squier at the bord,      2243
That karf his mete, and herde word by word      2244
Of alle thynges whiche I have yow sayd.      2245
My lord, quod he, be ye nat yvele apayd,      2246
I koude telle, for a gowne-clooth,      2247
To yow, sire frere, so ye be nat wrooth,      2248
How that this fart sholde evene deled be      2249
Among youre covent, if it lyked me.      2250
Tel, quod the lord, and thou shalt have anon      2251
A gowne-clooth, by God and by seint john!      2252
My lord, quod he, whan that the weder is fair,      2253
Withouten wynd or perturbynge of air,      2254
Lat brynge a cartwheel heere into this halle;      2255
But looke that it have his spokes alle, --      2256
Twelve spokes hath a cartwheel comunly.      2257
And bryng me thanne twelve freres, woot ye why?      2258
For thrittene is a covent, as I gesse.      2259
Youre confessour heere, for his worthynesse,      2260
Shal parfoune up the nombre of his covent,      2261
Thanne shal they knele doun, by oon assent,      2262
And to every spokes ende, in this manere,      2263
Ful sadly leye his nose shal a frere.      2264
Youre noble confessour -- there God hym save! --      2265
Shal holde his nose upright under the nave.      2266
Thanne shal this cherl, with bely stif and toght      2267
As any tabour, hyder been ybroght;      2268
And sette hym on the wheel right of this cart.      2269
Upon the nave, and make hym lete a fart.      2270
And ye shul seen, up peril of my lyf,      2271
By preeve which that is demonstratif,      2272
That equally the soun of it wol wende,      2273
And eke the stynk, unto the spokes ende.      2274
Save that this worthy man, youre confessour,      2275
By cause he is a man of greet honour,      2276
Shal have the firste fruyt, as resoun is.
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     2277
The noble usage of freres yet is this,      2278
The worthy men of hem shul first be served;      2279
And certeinly he hath it well disserved.      2280
He hath to-day taught us so muche good      2281
With prechyng in the pulpit the he stood,      2282
That I may vouche sauf, I sey for me,      2283
He hadde the firste smel of fartes thre;      2284
And so wolde al his covent hardily,      2285
He bereth hym so faire and hoolily.      2286
The lord, the lady, and ech man, save the frere,      2287
Seyde that jankyn spak, in this matere,      2288
As wel as euclide dide or ptholomee.      2289
Touchynge the cherl, they seyde, subtiltee      2290
And heigh wit made hym speken as he spak;      2291
He nys no fool, ne no demonyak.      2292
And jankyn hath ywonne a newe gowne. --      2293
My tale is doon; we been almost at towne.      2294
Page  101
Group 4

The Clerk's Prologue

Sire clerk of oxenford, oure hooste sayde,      1
Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde      2
Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord;      3
This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word.      4
I trowe ye studie aboute som sophyme;      5
But salomon seith -- every thyng hath tyme. --      6
For goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere!      7
It is no tyme for to studien heere.      8
Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey!      9
For what man that is entred in a pley,      10
He nedes moot unto the pley assente.      11
But precheth nat, as freres doon in lente,      12
To make us for oure olde synnes wepe,      13
Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.      14
Telle us som murie thyng of aventures.      15
Youre termes, youre colours, and youre figures,      16
Keepe hem in stoor til so be that ye endite      17
Heigh style, as whan that men to kynges write.      18
Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, we yow preye,      19
That we may understonde what ye seye.      20
This worthy clerk benignely answerde:      21
Hooste, quod he, I am under youre yerde;      22
Ye han of us as now the governance,      23
And therfore wol I do yow obeisance,      24
As fer as resoun axeth, hardily.      25
I wol yow telle a tale which that I      26
Lerned at padowe of a worthy clerk,      27
As preved by his wordes and his werk.      28
He is now deed and nayled in his cheste,      29
I prey to God so yeve his soule reste!      30
Fraunceys petrak, the lauriat poete,      31
Highte this clerk, whos rethorike sweete      32
Enlumyned al ytaille of poetrie,      33
As lynyan dide of philosophie,      34
Or lawe, or oother art particuler;      35
But deeth, that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer,      36
But as it were a twynklyng of an ye,      37
Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dye.      38
But forth to tellen of this worthy man      39
That taughte me this tale, as I bigan,      40
I seye that first with heigh stile he enditeth,      41
Er he the body of his tale writeth,      42
A prohemye, in the which discryveth he      43
Pemond, and of saluces the contree,      44
And speketh of apennyn, the hilles hye,      45
That been the boundes of west lumbardye,      46
And of mount vesulus in special,      47
Where as the poo out of a welle smal      48
Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours,      49
That estward ay encresseth in his cours      50
To emele-ward, to ferrare, and venyse;      51
The which a long thyng were to devyse.      52
And trewely, as to my juggement,      53
Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent,      54
Save that he wole conveyen his mateere;      55
But this his tale, which that ye may heere.      56
The Clerk's Tale

Part I
Ther is, right at the west syde of ytaille,      57
Doun at the roote of vesulus the colde,      58
A lusty playn, habundant of vitaille,      59
Where many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde,      60
That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,      61
And many another delitable sighte,      62
And saluces this noble contree highte.      63
A markys whilom lord was of that lond,      64
As were his worthy eldres hym bifore;      65
And obeisant, ay redy to his hond,      66
Were alle his liges, bothe lasse and moore.      67
Thus in delit he lyveth, and hath doon yoore,      68
Biloved and drad, thurgh favour of fortune,      69
Bothe of his lordes and of his commune.
Page  102
     70
Therwith he was, to speke as of lynage,      71
The gentillest yborn of lumbardye,      72
A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,      73
And ful of honour and of curteisye;      74
Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye,      75
Save in somme thynges that he was to blame;      76
And walter was this yonge lordes name.      77
I blame hym thus, that he considered noght      78
In tyme comynge what myghte hym bityde,      79
But on his lust present was al his thoght,      80
As for to hauke and hunte on every syde.      81
Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde,      82
And eek he nolde -- and that was worst of alle --      83
Wedde no wyf, for noght that may bifalle.      84
Oonly that point his peple bar so soore      85
That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente,      86
And oon of he, that wisest was of loore --      87
Or elles that the lord best wolde assente      88
That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente,      89
Or elles koude he shewe wel swich mateere --      90
He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere:      91
O noble markys, youre humanitee      92
Asseureth us and yeveth us hardinesse,      93
As ofte as tyme is of necessitee,      94
That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse.      95
Accepteth, lord, now of youre gentilesse      96
That we with pitous herte unto yow pleyne,      97
And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne.      98
Al have I noght to doone in this mateere      99
Moore than another man hath in this place,      100
Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so deere,      101
Han alwey shewed me favour and grace      102
I dar the bettre aske of yow a space      103
Of audience, to shewen oure requeste,      104
And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste.      105
For certes, lord, so wel us liketh yow      106
And al youre werk, and evere han doon, that we      107
Ne koude nat us self devysen how      108
We myghte lyven in moore felicitee,      109
Save o thyng, lord, if it youre wille be,      110
That for to been a wedded man yow leste;      111
Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes reste.      112
Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok      113
Of sovereynetee, noght of servyse,      114
Which that men clepe spousaille or wedlok;      115
And thanketh, lord, among youre thoghtes wyse      116
How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse;      117
For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,      118
Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde.      119
And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit,      120
In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon,      121
And deeth manaceth every age, and smyt      122
In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon;      123
And al so certein as we knowe echoon      124
That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle      125
Been of that day whan deeth shal on us falle      126
Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente,      127
That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste,      128
And we wol, lord, if that ye wole assente,      129
Chese yow a wyf, in short tyme atte leeste,      130
Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste      131
Of al this land, so that it oghte seme      132
Honour to God and yow, as we kan deeme.      133
Delivere us out of al this bisy drede,      134
And taak a wyf, for hye goddes sake!      135
For if it so bifelle, as God forbede,      136
That thurgh youre deeth youre lynage sholde slake,      137
And that a straunge successour sholde take      138
Youre heritage, o, wo were us alyve!      139
Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve.      140
Hir meeke preyere and hir pitous cheer      141
Made the markys herte han pitee.      142
Ye wol, quod he, myn owene peple deere,      143
To that I nevere erst thoughte streyne me.      144
I me rejoysed of my liberte.      145
That seelde tyme is founde in mariage;      146
Ther I was free, I moot been in servage.      147
But nathelees I se youre trewe entente,      148
And truste upon youre wit, and have doon ay;      149
Wherfore of my free wyl I wole assente      150
To wedde me, as soone as evere I may.      151
But ther as ye han profred me to-day      152
To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse      153
That choys, and prey yow of that profre cesse.      154
For God it woot, that children ofte been      155
Unlyk hir worthy eldress hem bifore;      156
Bountee comth al of god, nat of the streen      157
Of which they been engendred and ybore.      158
I truste in goddes bountee, and therfore      159
My mariage and myn estaat and reste      160
I hym bitake; he may doon as hym leste.      161
Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf, --      162
That charge upon my bak I wole endure.
Page  103
     163
But I yow preye, and charge upon youre lyf,      164
That what wyf that I take, ye me assure      165
To worshipe hire, whil that hir lyf may dure,      166
In word and werk, bothe heere and everywheere,      167
As she and emperoures doghter weere.      168
And forthermoore, this shal ye swere, that ye      169
Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve;      170
For sith I shal forgoon my libertee      171
At youre requeste, as evere moot I thryve,      172
Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve;      173
And but ye wole assente in swich manere,      174
I prey yow, speketh namoore of this matere.      175
With hertely wyl they sworen and assenten      176
To al this thyng, ther seyde no wight nay;      177
Bisekynge hym of grace, er that they wenten,      178
That he wolde graunten hem a certein day      179
Of his spousaille, as soone as evere he may;      180
For yet alwey the peple somwhat dredde,      181
Lest that the markys no wyf wolde wedde.      182
He graunted hem a day, swich as hym leste,      183
On which he wolde be wedded sikerly.      184
And seyde he dide al this at hir requeste.      185
And they, with humble entente, buxomly,      186
Knelynge upon hir knees ful reverently,      187
Hym thonken alle; and thus they han an ende      188
Of hire entente, and hoom agayn they wende.      189
And heerupon he to his officeres      190
Comaundeth for the feste to purveye,      191
And to his privee knyghtes and squieres      192
Swich charge yaf as hym liste on hem leye;      193
And they to his comandement obeye,      194
And ech of hem dooth al his diligence      195
To doon unto the feeste reverence.      196
Explicit prima pars
Incipit secunda pars
Noght fer fro thilke paleys honurable,      197
Wher as this markys shoop his mariage,      198
There stood a throop, of site delitable,      199
In which that povre folk of that village      200
Hadden hir beestes and hir herbergage,      201
And of hire labour tooke hir sustenance,      202
After that the erthe yaf hem habundance.      203
Amonges thise povre folk ther dwelte a man      204
Which that was holden povrest of hem alle;      205
But hye God somtyme senden kan      206
His grace into litel oxes stalle;      207
Janicula men of that throop hym calle.      208
A doghter hadde he, fair ynogh to sighte,      209
And grisildis this yonge mayden highte.      210
But for to speke of vertuous beautee,      211
Thanne was she oon the faireste under sonne;      212
For povreliche yfostred up was she,      213
No likerous lust was thurgh hire herte yronne.      214
Wel ofter of the welle than of the tonne      215
She drank, and for she wolde vertu plese,      216
She knew wel labour, but noon ydel ese.      217
But thogh this mayde tendre were of age,      218
Yet in the brest of hire virginitee      219
Ther was enclosed rype and sad corage;      220
And in greet reverence and charitee      221
Hir olde povre fader fostred shee.      222
A fewe sheep, spynnynge, on feeld she kepte;      223
She wolde noght been ydel til she slepte.      224
And whan she homward cam, she wolde brynge      225
Wortes or othere herbes tymes ofte,      226
The whiche she shredde and seeth for hir lyvynge,      227
And made hir bed ful hard and nothyng softe;      228
And ay she kepte hir fadres lyf on-lofte      229
With everich obeisaunce and diligence      230
That child may doon to fadres reverence.      231
Upon grisilde, this povre creature,      232
Ful ofte sithe this markys sette his ye      233
As he on huntyng rood paraventure;      234
And whan it fil that he myghte hire espye,      235
He noght with wantown lookyng of folye      236
His eyen caste on hire, but in sad wyse      237
Upon hir chiere he wolde hym ofte avyse,      238
Commendynge in his herte hir wommanhede,      239
And eek hir verty, passynge any wight      240
Of so yong age, as wel in chiere as dede.      241
For thogh the peple have no greet insight      242
In verty, he considered ful right      243
Hir bountee, and disposed that he wolde      244
Wedde hire oonly, if evere he wedde sholde.      245
The day of weddyng cam, but no wight kan      246
Telle what womman that it sholde be;      247
For which merveille wondred many a man,      248
And seyden, whan they were in privetee,      249
Wol nat oure lord yet leve his vanytee?      250
Wol he nat wedde? allas; allas, the while!      251
Why wole he thus hymself and us bigile?
Page  104
     252
But nathelees this markys hath doon make      253
Of gemmes, set in gold and in asure,      254
Brooches and rynges, for grisildis sake;      255
And of hir clothyng took he the mesure      256
By a mayde lyk to hire stature,      257
And eek of othere aornementes alle      258
That unto swich a weddyng sholde falle.      259
The time of undren of the same day      260
Approcheth, that this weddyng sholde be;      261
And al the paleys put was in array,      262
Bothe halle and chambres, ech in his degree;      263
Houses of office stuffed with plentee      264
Ther maystow seen, of deyntevous vitaille      265
That may be founde as fer al last ytaille.      266
This roial markys, richely arrayed,      267
Lordes and ladyes in his compaignye,      268
The whiche that to the feeste weren yprayed,      269
And of his retenue the bachelrye,      270
With manya soun of sondry melodye,      271
Unto the village of the which I tolde,      272
In this array the righte wey han holde.      273
Grisilde of this, God woot, ful innocent,      274
That for hire shapen was al this array,      275
To fecchen water at a welle is went,      276
And cometh hoom as soone as ever she may;      277
For wel she hadde herd seyd that thilke day      278
The markys sholde wedde, and if she myghte,      279
She wolde fayn han seyn som of that sighte.      280
She thoghte, I wole with othere maydens stonde,      281
That been my felawes, in oure dore and se      282
The markysesse, and therfore wol I fonde      283
To doon at hoom, as soone as it may be,      284
The labour which that longeth unto me;      285
And thanne I may at leyser hire biholde,      286
If she this wey unto the castel holde.      287
And as she wolde over hir thresshfold gon,      288
The markys cam and gan hire for to calle;      289
And she set doun hir water pot anon,      290
Biside the thresshfold, in an oxes stalle,      291
And doun upon hir knes she gan to falle,      292
And with sad contenance kneleth stille,      293
Til she had herd what was the lordes wille.      294
This thoghtful markys spak unto this mayde      295
Ful sobrely, and seyde in this manere:      296
Where is youre fader, o grisildis? he sayde.      297
And she with reverence, in humble cheere,      298
Answerde, lord, he is al redy heere.      299
And in she gooth withouten lenger lette,      300
And to the markys she hir fader fette.      301
He by the hand thanne took this olde man,      302
And seyde thus, whan he hym hadde asyde:      303
Janicula, I neither may ne kan      304
Lenger the plesance of myn herte hyde.      305
If that thou vouche sauf, what so bityde,      306
Thy doghter wol I take, er that I wende,      307
As for my wyf, unto hir lyves ende.      308
Thou lovest me, I woot it wel certeyn,      309
And art my feithful lige man ybore;      310
And al that liketh me, I dar wel seyn      311
It liketh thee, and specially therfore      312
Tel me that poynt that I have seyd bifore,      313
If that thou wolt unto that purpos drawe,      314
To take me as for thy sone-in-lawe.      315
This sodeyn cas this man astonyed so      316
That reed he wax; abayst and al quakynge      317
He stood; unnethes seyde he wordes mo,      318
But oonly thus: lord, quod he, my willynge      319
Is as ye wole, ne ayeynes youre likynge      320
I wol no thyng, ye be my lord so deere;      321
Right as yow lust, governeth this mateere.      322
Yet wol I, quod this markys softely,      323
That in thy chambre I and thou and she      324
Have a collacioun, and wostow why?      325
For I wol axe if it hire wille be      326
To be my wyf, and reule hire after me.      327
And al this shal be doon in thy presence;      328
I wol noght speke out of thyn audience.      329
And in the chambre, whil they were aboute      330
Hir tretys, which as ye shal after heere,      331
The peple cam unto the hous withoute,      332
And wondred hem in how honest manere      333
And tentifly she kepte hir fader deere.      334
But outrely grisildis wondre myghte,      335
For nevere erst ne saugh she swich a sighte.      336
No wonder is thogh that she were astoned      337
To seen so greet a gest come in that place;      338
She nevere was to swiche gestes woned,      339
For which she looked with ful pale face.      340
But shortly forth this matere for to chace,      341
Thise arn the wordes that the markys sayde      342
To this benigne, verray, feithful mayde.      343
Grisilde, he seyde, ye shal wel understonde      344
It liketh to youre fader and to me
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     345
That I yow wedde, and eek it may so stonde,      346
As I suppose, ye wol that it so be.      347
But thise demandes axe I first, quod he,      348
That, sith it shal be doon in hastif wyse,      349
Wol ye assente, or elles yow avyse?      350
I seye this, be ye redy with good herte      351
To al my lust, and that I frely may,      352
As me best thynketh, do yow laughe or smerte,      353
And nevere ye to grucche it, nyght ne day?      354
And eek whan I sey 'ye,' ne sey nat 'nay,'      355
Neither by word ne frownyng contenance?      356
Swere this, and heere I swere oure alliance.      357
Wondrynge upon this word, quakynge for drede,      358
She seyde, lord, undigne and unworthy      359
Am I to thilke honour that ye me beede,      360
But as ye wole youreself, right so wol I.      361
And heere I swere that nevere willyngly,      362
In werk ne thogh, I nyl yow disobeye,      363
For to be deed, though me were looth to deye.      364
This is ynogh, grisilde myn, quod he.      365
And forth he gooth, with a ful sobre cheere,      366
Out at the dore, and after that cam she,      367
And to the peple he seyde in this manere:      368
This is my wyf, quod he, that standeth heere.      369
Honoureth hire and loveth hire, I preye,      370
Whoso me loveth; ther is namoore to seye.      371
And for that no thyng of hir olde geere      372
She sholde brynge into his hous, he bad      373
That wommen sholde dispoillen hire right theere;      374
Of which thise ladyes were nat right glad      375
To handle hir clothes, wherinne she was clad.      376
But nathelees, this mayde bright of hewe      377
Fro foot to heed they clothed han al newe.      378
Hir heris han they kembd, that lay untressed      379
Ful rudely, and with hir fyngres smale      380
A corone on hire heed they han ydressed,      381
And sette hire ful of nowches grete and smale.      382
Of hire array what sholde I make a tale?      383
Unnethe the peple hir knew for hire fairnesse,      384
Whan she translated was in swich richesse.      385
This markys hath hire spoused with a ryng      386
Broght for the same cause, and thanne hire sette      387
Upon an hors, snow-whit and wel amblyng,      388
And to his paleys, er he lenger lette,      389
With joyful peple that hire ladde and mette,      390
Conveyed hire, and thus the day they spende      391
In revel, til the sonne gan descende.      392
And shortly forth this tale for to chace,      393
I seye that to this newe markysesse      394
God hath swich favour sent hire of his grace,      395
That it ne semed nat by liklynesse      396
That she was born and fed in rudenesse,      397
As in a cote or in an oxe-stalle,      398
But norissed in an emperoures halle.      399
To every wight she woxen is so deere      400
And worshipful that folk ther she was bore,      401
And from hire birthe knewe hire yeer by yeere,      402
Unnethe trowed they, -- but dorste han swore --      403
That to janicle, of which I spak bifore,      404
She doghter were, for, as by conjecture,      405
Hem thoughte she was another creature.      406
For though that evere vertuous was she,      407
She was encressed in swich excellence      408
Of thewes goode, yset in heigh bountee,      409
And so discreet and fair of eloquence,      410
So benigne and so digne of reverence,      411
And koude so the peples herte embrace,      412
That ech hire lovede that looked in hir face.      413
Noght oonly of saluces in the toun      414
Publiced was the bountee of hir name,      415
But eek biside in many a regioun,      416
If oon seide wel, another seyde the same;      417
So spradde of hire heighe bountee the fame      418
That men and wommen, as wel yonge as olde,      419
Goon to saluce, upon hire to biholde.      420
Thus walter lowely -- nay, but roially --      421
Wedded with fortunat honestetee,      422
In goddes pees lyveth ful esily      423
At hoom, and outward grace ynogh had he;      424
And for he saugh that under low degree      425
Was ofte vertu hid, the peple hym heelde      426
A prudent man, and that is seyn ful seelde.      427
Nat oonly this grisildis thurgh hir wit      428
Koude al the feet of wyfly hoomlinesse,      429
But eek, whan that the cas required it,      430
The commune profit koude she redresse.      431
Ther nas discord, rancour, ne hevynesse      432
In al that land, that she ne koude apese,      433
And wisely brynge hem alle in reste and ese.      434
Though that hire housbonde absent were anon,      435
If gentil men or othere of hire contree
Page  106
     436
Were wrothe, she wolde bryngen hem aton;      437
So wise and rype wordes hadde she,      438
And juggementz of so greet equitee,      439
That she from hevene sent was, as men wende,      440
Peple to save and every wrong t' amende.      441
Nat longe tyme after that this grisild      442
Was wedded, she a doghter hath ybore.      443
Al had hire levere have born a knave child,      444
Glad was this markys and the folk therfore;      445
For though a mayde child coome al bifore,      446
She may unto a knave child attayne      447
By liklihede, syn she nys nat bareyne.      448
Explicit secunda pars.
Incipit tercia pars.
Ther fil, as it bifalleth tymes mo,      449
Whan that this child had souked but a throwe,      450
This markys in his herte longeth so      451
To tempte his wyf, hir sadnesse for to knowe,      452
That he ne myghte out of his herte throwe      453
This merveillous desir his wyf t' assaye;      454
Nedelees, God woot, he thoghte hire for t' affraye.      455
He hadde assayed hire ynogh bifore,      456
And foond hire evere good; what neded it      457
Hire for to tempte, and alwey moore and moore,      458
Though som men preise it for a subtil wit?      459
But as for me, I seye that yvele it sit      460
To assaye a wyf whan that it is no nede,      461
And putten hire in angwyssh and in drede.      462
For which this markys wroghte in this manere:      463
He cam allone a-nyght, ther as she lay,      464
With stierne face and with ful trouble cheere,      465
And seyde thus: grisilde, quod he, that day      466
That I yow took out of youre povere array,      467
And putte yow in estaat of heigh noblesse, --      468
Ye have nat that forgeten, as I gesse?      469
I seye, grisilde, this present dignitee,      470
In which that I have put yow, as I trowe,      471
Maketh yow nat foryetful for to be      472
That I yow took in povre estaat ful lowe,      473
For any wele ye moot youreselven knowe.      474
Taak heede of every word that y yow seye;      475
Ther is no wight that hereth it but we tweye.      476
Ye woot youreself wel how that ye cam heere      477
Into this hous, it is nat longe ago;      478
And though to me that ye be lief and deere,      479
Unto my gentils ye be no thyng so.      480
They seyn, to hem it is greet shame and wo      481
For to be subgetz and been in servage      482
To thee, that born art of a smal village.      483
And namely sith thy doghter was ybore      484
Thise wordes han they spoken, doutelees.      485
But I desire, as I have doon bifore,      486
To lyve my lyf with hem in reste and pees.      487
I may nat in this caas be recchelees;      488
I moot doon with thy doghter for the beste,      489
Nat as I wolde, but as my peple leste.      490
And yet, God woot, this is ful looth to me;      491
But nathelees withoute youre wityng      492
I wol nat doon; but this wol I, quod he,      493
That ye to me assente as in this thyng.      494
Shewe now youre pacience in youre werkyng,      495
That ye me highte and swore in youre village      496
That day that maked was oure mariage.      497
Whan she had herd al this, she noght ameved      498
Neither in word, or chiere, or contenaunce;      499
For, as it semed, she was nat agreved.      500
She seyde, lord, al lyth in youre plesaunce.      501
My child and I, with hertely obeisaunce,      502
Been youres al, and ye mowe save or spille      503
Youre owene thyng; weketh after youre wille.      504
Ther may no thyng, God so my soule save,      505
Liken to yow that may displese me;      506
Ne I desire no thyng for to have,      507
Ne drede for to leese, save oonly yee.      508
This wyl is in myn herte, and ay shal be;      509
No lengthe of tyme or deeth may this deface,      510
Ne chaunge my corage to another place.      511
Glad was this markys of hire answeryng,      512
But yet he feyned as he were nat so;      513
Al drery was his cheere and his lookyng,      514
Whan that he sholde out of the chambre go.      515
Soone after this, a furlong wey or two,      516
He prively hath toold al his entente      517
Unto a man, and to his wyf hym sente.      518
A maner sergeant was this privee man,      519
The which that feithful ofte he founden hadde      520
In thynges grete, and eek swich folk wel kan      521
Doon execucioun in thynges badde.      522
The lord knew wel that he hym loved and dradde;      523
And whan this sergeant wist his lordes wille,      524
Into the chambre he stalked hym ful stille.
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     525
Madame, he seyde, ye moote foryeve it me,      526
Though I do thyng to which I am constreyned.      527
Ye been so wys that ful wel knowe ye      528
That lordes heestes mowe nat been yfeyned;      529
They mowe wel been biwailled or compleyned,      530
But men moote nede unto hire lust obeye,      531
And so wol I; ther is namoore to seye.      532
This child I am comanded for to take, --      533
And spak namoore, but out the child he hente      534
Despitously, and gan a cheere make      535
As though he wolde han slayn it er he wente.      536
Grisildis moot al suffre and al consente;      537
And as a lamb she sitteth meke and stille,      538
And leet this crueel sergeant doon his wille.      539
Suspecious was the diffame of this man,      540
Suspect his face, suspect his word also;      541
Suspect the tyme in which he this bigan.      542
Allas! hir doghter that she loved so,      543
She wende he wolde han slawen it right tho.      544
But nathelees she neither weep ne syked,      545
Conformynge hire to that the markys lyked.      546
But atte laste to speken she bigan,      547
And mekely she to the sergeant preyde,      548
So as he was a worthy gentil man,      549
That she moste kisse hire child er that it deyde.      550
And in hir barm this litel child she leyde      551
With ful sad face, and gan the child to blisse,      552
And lulled it, and after gan it kisse.      553
And thus she seyde in hire benigne voys,      554
Fareweel my child! I shal thee nevere see.      555
But sith I thee have marked with the croys      556
Of thilke fader -- blessed moote he be! --      557
That for us deyde upon a croys of tree,      558
Thy soule, litel child, I hym bitake,      559
For this nyght shaltow dyen for my sake.      560
I trowe that to a norice in this cas      561
It had been hard this reuthe for to se;      562
Wel myghte a mooder thanne han cryd allas!      563
But nathelees so sad stidefast was she      564
That she endured al adversitee,      565
And to the sergeant mekely she sayde,      566
Have heer agayn your litel yonge mayde.      567
Gooth now, quod she, and dooth my lordes heeste;      568
But o thyng wol I prey yow of youre grace,      569
That, but my lord forbad yow, atte leeste      570
Burieth this litel body in som place      571
That beestes ne no briddes it torace.      572
But he no word wol to that purpos seye,      573
But took the child and wente upon his weye.      574
This sergeant cam unto his lord ageyn,      575
And of grisildis wordes and hire cheere      576
He tolde hym point for point, in short and pleyn,      577
And hym presenteth with his doghter deere.      578
Somwhat this lord hadde routhe in his manere,      579
But nathelees his purpos heeld he stille,      580
As lordes doon, whan they wol han hir wille;      581
And bad this sergeant that he pryvely      582
Sholde this child ful softe wynde and wrappe,      583
With alle circumstances tendrely,      584
And carie it in a cofre or in a lappe;      585
But, upon peyne his heed of for to swappe,      586
That no man sholde knowe of his entente,      587
Ne whenne he cam, ne whider that he wente;      588
But at boloigne to his suster deere,      589
That thilke tyme of panik was countesse,      590
He sholde it take, and shewe hire this mateere,      591
Bisekynge hire to doon hire bisynesse      592
This child to fostre in alle gentillesse;      593
And whos child that it was he bad hire hyde      594
From every wight, for oght that may bityde.      595
The sergeant gooth, and hath fulfild this thyng;      596
But to this markys now retourne we.      597
For now gooth he ful faste ymaginyng      598
If by his wyves cheere he myghte se,      599
Or by hire word aperceyve, that she      600
Were chaunged; but he nevere hire koude fynde      601
But evere in oon ylike sad and kynde.      602
As glad, as humble, as bisy in servyse,      603
And eek in love, as she was wont to be,      604
Was she to hym in every maner wyse;      605
Ne of hir doghter noght a word spak she.      606
Noon accident, for noon adversitee,      607
Was seyn in hire, ne nevere hir doghter name      608
Ne nempned she, in ernest nor in game.      609
Explicit terci pars
Sequitur pars quarta.
In this estaat the passed been foure yeer      610
Er she with childe was, but, as God wolde,      611
A knave child she bar by this walter,      612
Ful gracious and fair for to biholde.
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     613
And whan that folk it to his fader tolde,      614
Nat oonly he, but al his contree merye      615
Was for this child, and God they thanke and herye.      616
Whan it was two yeer old, and fro the brest      617
Departed of his norice, on a day      618
This markys caughte yet another lest      619
To tempte his wyf yet ofter, if he may.      620
O nedelees was she tempted in assay!      621
But wedded men ne knowe no mesure,      622
Whan that they fynde a pacient creature.      623
Wyf, quod this markys, ye han herd er this,      624
My peple sikly berth oure mariage;      625
And namely sith my sone yboren is,      626
Now is it worse than evere in al oure age.      627
The murmur sleeth myn herte and my corage,      628
For to myne eres comth the voys so smerte      629
That it wel ny destroyed hath myn herte.      630
Now sey they thus: -- whan walter is agon,      631
Thanne shal the blood of janicle succede      632
And been oure lord, for oother have we noon.      633
Swiche wordes seith my peple, out of drede.      634
Wel oughte I of swich murmur taken heede;      635
For certeinly I drede swich sentence,      636
Though they nat pleyn speke in myn audience.      637
I wolde lyve in pees, if that I myghte;      638
Wherfore I am disposed outrely,      639
As I his suster servede by nyghte,      640
Right to thenke I to serve hym pryvely.      641
This warne I yow, that ye nat sodeynly      642
Out of youreself for no wo sholde outreye;      643
Beth pacient, and therof I yow preye.      644
I have, quod she, seyd thys, and evere shal:      645
I wol no thyng, ne nyl no thyng, certayn,      646
But as yow list. Naught greveth me at al,      647
Though that my doughter and my sone be slayn, --      648
At youre comandement, this is to sayn.      649
I have noght had no part of children tweyne      650
But first siknesse, and after, wo and peyne.      651
Ye been oure lord, dooth with youre owene thyng      652
Right as yow list; axeth no reed at me.      653
For as I lefte at hoom al my clothyng,      654
Whan I first cam to yow, right so, quod she,      655
Lefte I my wyl and al my libertee,      656
And took youre clothyng; wherfore I yow preye,      657
Dooth youre plesaunce, I wol youre lust obeye.      658
And certes, if I hadde prescience      659
Youre wyl to knowe, er ye youre lust me tolde,      660
I wolde it doon withouten necligence;      661
But now I woot youre lust, and what ye wolde,      662
Al youre plesance ferme and stable I holde;      663
For wiste I that my deeth wolde do yow ese,      664
Right gladly wolde I dyen, yow to plese.      665
Deth may noght make no comparisoun      666
Unto youre love. And whan this markys say      667
The constance of hys wyf, he caste adoun      668
His eyen two, and wondreth that she may      669
In pacience suffre al this array;      670
And forth he goth with drery contenance,      671
But to his herte it was ful greet plesance.      672
This ugly sergeant, in the same wyse      673
That he hire doghter caughte, right so he,      674
Or worse, if men worse kan devyse,      675
Hath hent hire sone, that ful was of beautee.      676
And evere in oon so pacient was she      677
That she no chiere maade of hevynesse,      678
But kiste hir sone, and after gan it blesse;      679
Save this, she preyede hym that, if he myghte,      680
Hir litel sone he wolde in erthe grave,      681
His tendre lymes, delicaat to sighte,      682
Fro foweles and fro beestes for to save.      683
But she noon answere of hym myghte have.      684
He wente his wey, as hym no thyng ne roghte;      685
But to boloigne he tendrely it broghte.      686
This markys wondred, evere lenger the moore,      687
Upon hir pacience, and if that he      688
Ne hadde soothly knowen therbifoore      689
That parfitly hir children loved she,      690
He wolde have wend that of som subtiltee,      691
And of malice, or for crueel corage,      692
That she hadde suffred this with sad visage.      693
But wel he knew that next hymself, certayn,      694
She loved hir children best in every wyse.      695
But now of wommen wolde I axen fayn      696
If thise assayes myghte nat suffise?      697
What koude a sturdy housbonde moore devyse      698
To preeve hir wyfhod and hir stedefastnesse,      699
And he continuynge evere in sturdinesse?
Page  109
     700
But ther been folk of swich condicion      701
That whan they have a certein purpos take,      702
They kan nat stynte of hire entencion,      703
But, right as they were bounden to a stake,      704
They wol nat of that firste purpos slake.      705
Right so this markys fulliche hath purposed      706
To tempte his wyf as he was first disposed.      707
He waiteth if by word or contenance      708
That she to hym was changed of corage;      709
But nevere koude he fynde variance.      710
She was ay oon in herte and in visage;      711
And ay the forther that she was in age,      712
The moore trewe, if that it were possible,      713
She was to hym in love, and moore penyble.      714
For which it semed thus, that of hem two      715
Ther nas but o wyl; for, as walter leste,      716
The same lust was hire plesance also.      717
And, God be thanked, al fil for the beste.      718
She shewed wel, for no worldly unreste      719
A wyf, as of hirself, nothing ne sholde      720
Wille in effect, but as hir housbonde wolde.      721
The sclaundre of walter ofte and wyde spradde,      722
That of a crueel herte he wikkedly,      723
For he a povre womman wedded hadde,      724
Hath mordred bothe his children prively.      725
Swich murmur was among hem comunly.      726
No wonder is, for to the peples ere      727
Ther cam no word, but that they mordred were.      728
For which, where as his peple therbifore      729
Hadde loved hym wel, the sclaundre of his diffame      730
Made hem that they hym hatede therfore.      731
To been a mordrere is an hateful name;      732
But nathelees, for ernest ne for game,      733
He of his crueel purpos nolde stente;      734
To tempte his wyf was set al his entente.      735
Than that his doghter twelve yeer was of age,      736
He to the court of rome, in subtil wyse      737
Enformed of his wyl, sente his message,      738
Comaundynge hem swiche bulles to devyse      739
As to his crueel purpos may suffyse,      740
How that the pope, as for his peples reste,      741
Bad hym to wedde another, if hym leste.      742
I seye, he bad they sholde countrefete      743
The popes bulles, makynge mencion      744
That he hath leve his firste wyf to lete,      745
As by the popes dispensacion,      746
To stynte rancour and dissencion      747
Bitwixe his peple and hym; thus seyde the bulle,      748
The which they han publiced atte fulle.      749
The rude peple, as it no wonder is,      750
Wenden ful wel that it hadde be right so;      751
But whan thise tidynges came to grisildis,      752
I deeme that hire herte was ful wo.      753
But she, ylike sad for everemo,      754
Disposed was, this humble creature,      755
The adversitee of fortune al t' endure,      756
Abidynge evere his lust and his plesance,      757
To whom that she was yeven herte and al,      758
As to hire verray worldly suffisance.      759
But shortly if this storie I tellen shal,      760
This markys writen hath in special      761
A lettre, in which he sheweth his entente,      762
And secreely he to boloigne it sente.      763
To the erl of panyk, which that hadde tho      764
Wedded his suster, preyde he specially      765
To bryngen hoom agayn his children two      766
In honurable estaat al openly.      767
But o thyng he hym preyede outrely,      768
That he to no wight, though men wolde enquere,      769
Sholde nat telle whos children that they were,      770
But seye, the mayden sholde ywedded be      771
Unto the markys of saluce anon.      772
And as this erl was preyed, so dide he;      773
For at day set he on his wey is goon      774
Toward saluce, and lordes many oon      775
In riche array, this mayden for to gyde,      776
Hir yonge brother ridynge hire bisyde.      777
Arrayed was toward hir mariage      778
This fresshe mayde, ful of gemmes cleere;      779
Hir brother, which that seven yeer was of age.      780
Arrayed eek ful fressh in his manere.      781
And thus in greet noblesse and with glad cheere,      782
Toward saluces shapynge hir journey,      783
Fro day to day they ryden in hir wey.      784
Explicit quarta pars.
Sequitur pars quinta.
Among al this, after his wikke usage,      785
This markys, yet his wyf to tempte moore
Page  110
     786
To the outtreste preeve of hir corage,      787
Fully to han experience and loore      788
If that she were as stidefast as bifoore,      789
He on a day, in open audience,      790
Ful boistously hath seyd hire this sentence:      791
Certes, grisilde, I hadde ynogh plesance      792
To han yow to my wyf for youre goodnesse,      793
As for youre trouthe and for youre obeisance,      794
Noght for youre lynage, ne for youre richesse;      795
But now knowe I in verray soothfastnesse      796
That in greet lordshipe, if I wel avyse,      797
Ther is greet servitute in sondry wyse.      798
I may nat doon as every plowman may.      799
My peple me constreyneth for to take      800
Another wyf, and crien day by day;      801
And eek the pope, rancour for to slake.      802
Consenteth it, that dar I undertake;      803
And trewely thus muche I wol yow seye,      804
My newe wyf is comynge by the weye.      805
Be strong of herte, and voyde anon hir place,      806
And thilke dowere that ye broghten me,      807
Taak it agayn; I graunte it of my grace.      808
Retourneth to youre fadres hous, quod he;      809
No man may alwey han prosperitee.      810
With evene herte I rede yow t' endure      811
The strook of fortune or of aventure.      812
And she agayn answerde in pacience,      813
My lord, quod she, I woot, and wiste alway,      814
How that bitwixen youre magnificence      815
And my poverte no wight kan ne may      816
Maken comparison; it is no nay.      817
I ne heeld me nevere digne in no manere      818
To be youre wyf, no, ne youre chamberere.      819
And in this hous, ther ye me lady maade --      820
The heighe God take I for my witnesse,      821
And also wysly he my soule glaade --      822
I nevere heeld me lady ne mistresse,      823
But humble servant to youre worthynesse,      824
And evere shal, whil that my lyf may dure,      825
Aboven every worldly creature.      826
That ye so longe of youre benignitee      827
Han holden me in honour and nobleye,      828
Where as I was noght worthy for to bee,      829
That thonke I God and yow, to whom I preye      830
Foryelde it yow; ther is namoore to seye.      831
Unto my fader gladly wol I wende,      832
And with hym dwelle unto my lyves ende.      833
Ther I was fostred of a child ful smal,      834
Til I be deed my lyf ther wol I lede,      835
A wydwe clene in body, herte, and al.      836
For sith I yaf to yow my maydenhede,      837
And am youre trewe wyf, it is no drede,      838
God shilde swich a lordes wyf to take      839
Another man to housbonde or to make!      840
And of youre newe wyf God of his grace      841
So graunte yow wele and prosperitee!      842
For I wol gladly yelden hire my place,      843
In which that I was blisful wont to bee.      844
For sith it liketh yow, my lord, quod shee,      845
That whilom weren al myn hertes reste,      846
That I shal goon, I wol goon whan yow leste.      847
But ther as ye me profre swich dowaire      848
As I first broghte, it is wel in my mynde      849
It were my wrecched clothes, nothyng faire,      850
The whiche to me were hard now for to fynde.      851
O goode god! how gentil and how kynde      852
Ye semed by youre speche and youre visage      853
The day that maked was oure mariage!      854
But sooth is seyd -- algate I fynde it trewe,      855
For in effect it preeved is on me --      856
Love is noght oold as whan that it is newe.      857
But certes, lord, for noon adversitee,      858
To dyen in the cas, it shal nat bee      859
That evere in word or werk I shal repente      860
That I yow yaf myn herte in hool entente.      861
My lord, ye woot that in my fadres place      862
Ye dide me streepe out of my povre weede,      863
And richely me cladden, of youre grace.      864
To yow broghte I noght elles, out of drede,      865
But feith, and nakednesse, and maydenhede;      866
And heere agayn your clothyng I restoore,      867
And eek your weddyng ryng, for everemore.      868
The remenant of youre jueles redy be      869
Inwith youre chambre, dar I saufly sayn.      870
Naked out of my fadres hous, quod she,      871
I cam, and naked moot I turne agayn.      872
Al youre plesance wol I folwen fayn;      873
But yet I hope it be nat youre entente      874
That I smoklees out of youre paleys wente.      875
Ye koude nat doon so dishonest a thyng,      876
That thilke wombe in which youre children leye      877
Sholde biforn the peple, in my walkyng,      878
Be seyn al bare; wherfore I yow preye,      879
Lat me nat lyk a worm go by the weye.
Page  111
     880
Remembre yow, myn owene lord so deere,      881
I was youre wyf, though I unworthy weere.      882
Wherfore, in gerdon of my maydenhede,      883
Which that I broghte, and noght agayn I bere,      884
As voucheth sauf to yeve me, to my meede,      885
But swich a smok as I was wont to were,      886
That I therwith may wrye the wombe of here      887
That was youre wyf. And heer take I my leeve      888
Of yow, myn owene lord, lest I yow greve.      889
The smok, quod he, that thou hast on thy bak,      890
Lat it be stille, and bere it forth with thee.      891
But wel unnethes thilke word he spak,      892
But wente his wey, for routhe and for pitee.      893
Biforn the folk hirselven strepeth she,      894
And in hir smok, with heed and foot al bare,      895
Toward hir fadre hous forth is she fare.      896
The folk hire folwe, wepynge in hir weye,      897
And fortune ay they cursen as they goon;      898
But she fro wepyng kepte hire eyen dreye,      899
Ne in this tyme word ne spak she noon.      900
Hir fader, that this tidynge herde anoon,      901
Curseth the day and tyme that nature      902
Shoop hym to been a lyves creature.      903
For out of doute this olde poure man      904
Was evere in suspect of hir mariage;      905
For evere he demed, sith that it bigan,      906
That whan the lord fulfild hadde his corage,      907
Hym wolde thynke it were a disparage      908
To his estaat so lowe for t' alighte,      909
And voyden hire as soone as ever he myghte.      910
Agayns his doghter hastily goth he,      911
For he by noyse of folk knew hire comynge,      912
And with hire olde coote, as it myghte be      913
He covered hire, ful sorwefully wepynge.      914
But on hire body myghte he it nat brynge,      915
For rude was the clooth, and moore of age      916
By dayes fele than at hire mariage.      917
Thus with hire fader, for a certeyn space,      918
Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience,      919
That neither by hire wordes ne hire face,      920
Biforn the folk, ne eek in hire absence,      921
Ne shewed she that hire was doon offence;      922
Ne of hire heighe astaat no remembraunce      923
Ne hadde she, as by hire contenaunce.      924
No wonder is for in hire grete estaat      925
Hire goost was evere in pleyn humylitee;      926
No tendre mouth, noon herte delicaat,      927
No pompe, no semblant of roialtee,      928
But ful of pacient benyngnytee,      929
Discreet and pridelees, ay honurable,      930
And to hire housbonde evere meke and stable.      931
Men speke of job, and moost for humblesse,      932
As clerkes, whan hem list, konne wel endite,      933
Namely of men, but as in soothfastnesse,      934
Though clerkes preise wommen but a lite,      935
Ther kan no man in humbless hym acquite      936
As womman kan, ne kan been half so trewe      937
As wommen been, but it be falle of newe.      938
Part VI
Fro boloigne is this erl of panyk come,      939
Of which the fame up sprang to moore and lesse,      940
And to the peples eres, alle and some,      941
Was kouth eek that a newe markysesse      942
He with hym broghte, in swich pompe and richesse      943
That nevere was ther seyn with mannes ye      944
So noble array in al west lumbardye.      945
The markys, which that shoop and knew al this,      946
Er that this erl was come, sente his message      947
For thilke sely povre grisildis;      948
And she with humble herte and glad visage,      949
Nat with no swollen thoght in hire corage,      950
Cam at his heste, and on hire knees hire sette,      951
And reverently and wisely she hym grette.      952
Grisilde, quod he, my wyl is outrely,      953
This mayden, that shal wedded been to me,      954
Received be to-morwe as roially      955
As it possible is in myn hous to be,      956
And eek that every wight in his degree      957
Have his estaat, in sittyng and servyse      958
And heigh plesaunce, as I kan best devyse.      959
I have no wommen suffisaunt, certayn,      960
The chambres for t' arraye in ordinaunce      961
After my lust, and therfore wolde I fayn      962
That thyn were al swich manere governaunce.      963
Thou knowest eek of old al my plesaunce;      964
Thogh thyn array be badde and yvel biseye,      965
Do thou thy devoir at the leeste weye.      966
Nat oonly, lord, that I am glad, quod she,      967
To doon youre lust, but I desire also      968
Yow for to serve and plese in my degree
Page  112
     969
Withouten feyntyng, and shal everemo;      970
Ne nevere, for no wele ne no wo,      971
Ne shal the goost withinne myn herte stente      972
To love yow best with al my trewe entente.      973
And with that word she gan the hous to dighte,      974
And tables for to sette, and beddes make;      975
And peyned hire to doon al that she myghte,      976
Preyynge the chambereres, for goddes sake,      977
To hasten hem, and faste swepe and shake;      978
And she, the mooste servysable of alle,      979
Hath every chambre arrayed and his halle.      980
Abouten undren gan this erl alighte,      981
That with hym broghte thise noble children tweye,      982
For which the peple ran to seen the sighte      983
Of hire array, so richely biseye;      984
And thanne at erst amonges hem they seye      985
That walter was no fool, thogh that hym leste      986
To chaunge his wyf, for it was for the beste.      987
For she is fairer, as they deemen alle,      988
That is grisilde, and moore tendre of age,      989
And fairer fruyt bitwene hem sholde falle,      990
And moore plesant, for hire heigh lynage.      991
Hir brother eek so fair was of visage      992
That hem to seen the peple hath caught plesaunce,      993
Commendynge now the markys governaunce.      994
O stormy peple! unsad and evere untrewe!      995
Ay undiscreet and chaungynge as a fane!      996
Delitynge evere in rumbul that is newe,      997
For lyk the moone ay wexe ye and wane!      998
Ay ful of clappyng, deere ynogh a jane!      999
Youre doom is fals, youre constance preeveth;      1000
A ful greet fool is he that on yow leeveth.      1001
Thus seyden sadde folk in that citee,      1002
Whan that the peple gazed up and doun;      1003
For they were glad, right for the noveltee,      1004
To han a newe lady of hir toun.      1005
Namoore of this make I now mencioun,      1006
But to grisilde agayn wol I me dresse,      1007
And telle hir constance and hir bisynesse. --      1008
Ful bisy was grisilde in every thyng      1009
That to the feeste was apertinent.      1010
Right noght was she abayst of hire clothyng,      1011
Thogh it were rude and somdeel eek torent;      1012
But with glad cheere to the yate is went      1013
With oother folk, to greete the markysesse,      1014
And after that dooth forth hire bisynesse.      1015
With so glad chiere his gestes she receyveth,      1016
And konnyngly, everich in his degree,      1017
That no defaute no man aperceyveth,      1018
But ay they wondren what she myghte bee      1019
That in so povre array was for to see,      1020
And koude swich honour and reverence,      1021
And worthily they preisen hire prudence.      1022
In al this meene while she ne stente      1023
This mayde and eek hir brother to commende      1024
With al hir herte, in ful benyngne entente,      1025
So wel that no man koude hir pris amende.      1026
But atte laste, whan that thise lordes wende      1027
To sitten doun to mete, he gan to calle      1028
Grisilde, as she was bisy in his halle.      1029
Grisilde, quod he, as it were in his pley,      1030
How liketh thee my wyf and hire beautee?      1031
Right wel, quod she, my lord; for, in good fey,      1032
A fairer saugh I nevere noon than she.      1033
I prey to God yeve hire prosperitee;      1034
And so hope I that he wol to yow sende      1035
Plesance ynogh unto youre lyves ende.      1036
O thyng biseke I yow, and warne also,      1037
That ye ne prikke with no tormentynge      1038
This tendre mayden, as ye han doon mo;      1039
For she is fostred in hire norissynge      1040
Moore tendrely, and, to my supposynge,      1041
She koude nat adversitee endure      1042
As koude a povre fostred creature.      1043
And whan this walter saugh hire pacience,      1044
Hir glade chiere, and no malice at al,      1045
And he so ofte had doon to hire offence,      1046
And she ay sad and constant as a wal,      1047
Continuynge evere hire innocence overal,      1048
This sturdy markys gan his herte dresse      1049
To rewen upon hire wyfly stedfastnesse.      1050
This is ynogh, grisilde myn, quod he;      1051
Be now namoore agast ne yvele apayed.      1052
I have thy feith and thy benyngnytee,      1053
As wel as evere womman was, assayed,      1054
In greet estaat, and povreliche arrayed.      1055
Now knowe I, dere wyf, thy stedfastnesse, --      1056
And hire in armes took and gan hire kesse.      1057
And she for wonder took of it no keep;      1058
She herde nat what thyng he to hire seyde;
Page  113
     1059
She ferde as she had stert out of a sleep,      1060
Til she out of hire mazednesse abreyde.      1061
Grisilde, quod he, by god, that for us deyde,      1062
Thou art my wyf, ne noon oother I have,      1063
Ne nevere hadde, as God my soule save!      1064
This is thy doghter, which thou hast supposed      1065
To be my wyf; that oother feithfully      1066
Shal be myn heir, as I have ay disposed;      1067
Thou bare hym in thy body trewely.      1068
At boloigne have I kept hem prively;      1069
Taak hem agayn, for now maystow nat seye      1070
That thou hast lorn noon of thy children tweye.      1071
And folk that ootherweys han seyd of me,      1072
I warne hem wel that I have doon this deede      1073
For no malice, ne for no crueltee,      1074
But for t' assaye in thee thy wommanheede,      1075
And nat to sleen my children -- God forbeede! --      1076
But for to kepe hem pryvely and stille,      1077
Til I thy purpos knewe and al thy wille.      1078
Whan she this herde, aswowne doun she falleth      1079
For pitous joye, and after hire swownynge      1080
She bothe hire yonge children to hire calleth,      1081
And in hire armes, pitously wepynge,      1082
Embraceth hem, and tendrely kissynge      1083
Ful lyk a mooder, with hire salte teeres      1084
She bathed bothe hire visage and hire heeres.      1085
O which a pitous thyng it was to se      1086
Hir swownyng, and hire humble voys to heere!      1087
Grauntmercy, lord, God thanke it yow, quod she,      1088
That ye han saved me my children deere!      1089
Now rekke I nevere to been deed right heere;      1090
Sith I stonde in youre love and in youre grace,      1091
No fors of deeth, ne whan my spirit pace!      1092
O tendre, o deere, o yonge children myne!      1093
Youre woful mooder wende stedfastly      1094
That crueel houndes or som foul vermyne      1095
Hadde eten yow; but god, of his mercy,      1096
And youre benyngne fader tendrely      1097
Hath doon yow kept, -- and in that same stounde      1098
Al sodeynly she swapte adoun to grounde,      1099
And in hire swough so sadly holdeth she      1100
Hire children two, whan she gan hem t' embrace,      1101
That with greet sleighte and greet difficultee      1102
The children from hire arm they gonne arace.      1103
O many a teere on many a pitous face      1104
Doun ran of hem that stooden hire bisyde;      1105
Unnethe abouten hire myghte they abyde.      1106
Walter hire gladeth, and hire sorwe slaketh;      1107
She riseth up, abaysed, from hire traunce,      1108
And every wight hire joye and feeste maketh      1109
Til she hath caught agayn hire contenaunce.      1110
Walter hire dooth so feithfully plesaunce      1111
That it was deyntee for to seen the cheere      1112
Bitwixe hem two, now they been met yfeere.      1113
Thise ladyes, whan that they hir tyme say,      1114
Han taken hire and into chambre gon,      1115
And strepen hire out of hire rude array,      1116
And in a clooth of gold that brighte shoon,      1117
With a coroune of many a riche stoon      1118
Upon hire heed, they into halle hire broghte,      1119
And ther she was honured as hire oghte.      1120
Thus hath this pitous day a blisful ende,      1121
For every man and womman dooth his myght      1122
This day in murthe and revel to dispende      1123
Til on the welkne shoon the sterres lyght.      1124
For moore solempne in every mannes syght      1125
This feste was, and gretter of costage,      1126
Than was the revel of hire mariage.      1127
Ful many a yeer in heigh prosperitee      1128
Lyven thise two in concord and in reste,      1129
And richely his doghter maryed he      1130
Unto a lord, oon of the worthieste      1131
Of al ytaille; and thanne in pees and reste      1132
His wyves fader in his court he kepeth,      1133
Til that the soule out of his body crepeth.      1134
His sone succedeth in his heritage      1135
In reste and pees, after his fader day,      1136
And fortunat was eek in mariage,      1137
Al putte he nat his wyf in greet assay.      1138
This world is nat so strong, it is no nay,      1139
As it hath been in olde tymes yoore,      1140
And herkneth what this auctour seith therfoore.      1141
This storie is seyd, nat for that wyves sholde      1142
Folwen grisilde as in humylitee,      1143
For it were inportable, though they wolde;      1144
But for that every wight, in his degree,      1145
Sholde be constant in adversitee      1146
As was grisilde; therfore petrak writeth      1147
This storie, which with heigh stile he enditeth.
Page  114
     1148
For, sith a womman was so pacient      1149
Unto a mortal man, wel moore us oghte      1150
Receyven al in gree that God us sent;      1151
For greet skile is, he preeve that he wroghte.      1152
But he ne tempteth no man that he boghte,      1153
As seith seint jame, if ye his pistel rede;      1154
He preeveth folk al day, it is no drede,      1155
And suffreth us, as for oure excercise,      1156
With sharpe scourges of adversitee      1157
Ful ofte to be bete in sondry wise;      1158
Nat for to knowe oure wyl, for certes he,      1159
Er we were born, knew al oure freletee;      1160
And for oure beste is al his governaunce.      1161
Lat us thanne lyve in vertuous suffraunce.      1162
But o work lordynges, herkneth er I go:      1163
It were ful hard to fynde now-a-dayes      1164
In al a toun grisildis thre or two;      1165
For if that they were put to swiche assayes,      1166
The gold of hem hath now so badde alayes      1167
With bras, that thogh the coyne be fair at ye,      1168
It wolde rather breste a-two than plye.      1169
For which heere, for the wyves love of bathe --      1170
Whos lyf and al hire secte God mayntene      1171
In heigh maistrie, and elles were it scathe --      1172
I wol with lusty herte, fressh and grene,      1173
Seyn yow a song to glade yow, I wene;      1174
And lat us stynte of ernestful matere.      1175
Herkneth my song that seith in this manere:      1176
Lenvoy de Chaucer
Grisilde is deed, and eek hire pacience,      1177
And bothe atones buryed in ytaille;      1178
For which I crie in open audience,      1179
No wedded man so hardy be t' assaille      1180
His wyves pacience in trust to fynde      1181
Grisildis, for in certein he shal faille.      1182
O noble wyves, ful of heigh prudence,      1183
Lat noon humylitee youre tonge naille,      1184
Ne lat no clerk have cause or diligence      1185
To write of yow a storie of swich mervaille      1186
As of grisildis pacient and kynde,      1187
Lest chichevache yow swelwe in hire entraille!      1188
Folweth ekko, that holdeth no silence,      1189
But evere answereth at the countretaille.      1190
Beth nat bidaffed for youre innocence,      1191
But sharply taak on yow the governaille.      1192
Emprenteth wel this lessoun in youre mynde,      1193
For commune profit sith it may availle.      1194
Ye archewyves, stondeth at defense,      1195
Syn ye be strong as is a greet camaille;      1196
Ne suffreth nat that men yow doon offense.      1197
And sklendre wyves, fieble as in bataille,      1198
Beth egre as is a tygre yond in ynde;      1199
Ay clappeth as a mille, I yow consaille.      1200
Ne dreed hem nat, doth hem no reverence,      1201
For though thyn housbonde armed be in maille,      1202
The arwes of thy crabbed eloquence      1203
Shal perce his brest, and eek his aventaille.      1204
In jalousie I rede eek thou hym bynde,      1205
And thou shalt make hym couche as doth a quaille.      1206
If thou be fair, ther folk been in presence,      1207
Shewe thou thy visage and thyn apparaille;      1208
If thou be foul, be fre of thy dispence;      1209
To gete thee freendes ay do thy travaille;      1210
Be ay of chiere as light as leef on lynde,      1211
And lat hym care, and wepe, and wrynge, and waille!      1212
This worthy clerk, whan ended was his tale,      1212.1
Oure hooste seyde, and swoor, by goddes bondes,      1212.2
Me were levere than a barel ale      1212.3
My wyf at hoom had herd this legende ones!      1212.4
This is a gentil tale for the nones,      1212.5
As to my purpos, wiste ye my wille;      1212.6
But thyng that wol nat be, lat it be stille.      1212.7
Page  115
The Merchant's Prologue

Wepyng and waylyng, care and oother sorwe      1213
I knowe ynogh, on even and a-morwe,      1214
Quod the marchant, and so doon other mo      1215
That wedded been. I trowe that it be so,      1216
For wel I woot it fareth so with me.      1217
I have awyf, the worste that may be;      1218
For thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were,      1219
She sholde I yow reherce in special      1220
What sholde I yow reherce in special      1221
Hir hye malice? she is a shrewe at al.      1222
Ther is a long and large difference      1223
Bitwix grisildis grete pacience      1224
And of my wyf the passyng crueltee.      1225
Were I unbounden, also moot I thee!      1226
I wolde nevere eft comen in the sanre.      1227
We wedded men lyven in sorwe and care.      1228
Assaye whoso wole, and he shal fynde      1229
That I seye sooth , by seint thomas of ynde,      1230
As for the moore part, I sey nat alle.      1231
God shilde that it sholde so bifalle!      1232
A! goode sire hoost, I have ywedded bee      1233
Thise monthes two, and moore nat, pardee;      1234
And yet, I trowe, he that al his lyve      1235
Wyflees hath been, though that men wolde him ryve      1236
Unto the herte, ne koude in no manere      1237
Tellen so muchel sorwe as I now heere      1238
Koude tellen of my wyves cursednesse!      1239
Now, quod oure hoost, marchaunt, so God yow blesse,      1240
Syn ye so muchel knowen of that art      1241
Ful hertely I pray yow telle us part.      1242
Gladly, quod he, but of myn owene soore,      1243
For soory herte, I telle may namoore.      1244
The Merchant's Tale

Whilom ther was dwellynge in lumbardye      1245
A worthy knyght, that born was of pavye,      1246
In which he lyved in greet prosperitee;      1247
And sixty yeer a wyflees man was hee,      1248
And folwed ay his bodily delyt      1249
On wommen, ther as was his appetyt,      1250
As doon thise fooles that been seculeer.      1251
And whan that he was passed sixty yeer,      1252
Were it for hoolynesse or for dotage,      1253
I kan nat seye, but swich a greet corage      1254
Hadde this knyght to been a wedded man      1255
That day and nyght he dooth al that he kan      1256
T' espien where he myghte wedded be,      1257
Preyinge oure lord to graunten him that he      1258
Mighte ones knowe of thilke blisful lyf      1259
That is bitwixe an housbonde and his wyf,      1260
And for to lyve under that hooly boond      1261
With which that first God man and womman bond.      1262
Noon oother lyf, seyde he, is worth a bene;      1263
For wedlok is so esy and so clene,      1264
That in this world it is paradys.      1265
Thus seyde this olde knyght, that was so wys.      1266
And certeinly, as sooth as God is kyng,      1267
To take a wyf it is a glorious thyng,      1268
And namely whan a man is oold and hoor;      1269
Thanne is a wyf the fruyt of his tresor.      1270
Thanne sholde he take a yong wyf and a feir,      1271
On which he myghte engendren hym and heir,      1272
And lede his lyf in joye and in solas,      1273
Where as thise bacheleris synge allas,      1274
Whan that they funden any adversitee      1275
In love, which nys but childyssh vanytee.      1276
And trewely it sit wel to be so,      1277
That bacheleris have often peyne and wo;      1278
On brotel ground they buylde, and brotelnesse      1279
They fynde, whan they wene sikernesse.      1280
They lyve but as a bryd or as a beest,      1281
In libertee, and under noon arreest,      1282
Ther as a wedded man in his estaat      1283
Lyveth a lyf blisful and ordinaat,      1284
Under this yok of mariage ybounde.      1285
Wel may his herte in joy and blisse habounde,      1286
For who kan be so buxom as a wyf?
Page  116
     1287
Who is so trewe, and eek so ententyf      1288
To kepe hym, syk and hool, as is his make?      1289
For wele or wo she wole hym nat forsake;      1290
She nys nat wery hym to love and serve,      1291
Thogh that he lye bedrede, til he sterve.      1292
And yet somme clerkes seyn it nys nat so,      1293
Of whiche he theofraste is oon of tho.      1294
What force though theofraste liste lye?      1295
Ne take no wyf, quod he, for housbondrye,      1296
As for to spare in houshold thy dispence.      1297
A trewe servant dooth moore diligence      1298
Thy good to kepe, than thyn owene wyf,      1299
For she wol clayme half part al hir lyf.      1300
And if that thou be syk, so God me save,      1301
Thy verray freendes, or a trewe knave,      1302
Wol kepe thee bet than she that waiteth ay      1303
After thy good and hath doon many a day.      1304
And if thou take a wyf unto thyn hoold,      1305
Ful lightly maystow been a cokewold.      1306
This sentence, and an hundred thynges worse,      1307
Writeth this man, ther God his bones corse!      1308
But take no kep of al swich vanytee;      1309
Deffie theofraste, and herke me.      1310
A wyf is goddes yifte verraily;      1311
Alle othere manere yiftes hardily,      1312
As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune,      1313
Or moebles, alle been yiftes of fortune,      1314
That passen as a shadwe upon a wal.      1315
But drede nat, if pleynly speke I shal,      1316
A wyf wol laste, and thyn hous endure,      1317
Wel lenger than thee list, paraventure.      1318
Mariage is a ful greet sacrement.      1319
He which that hath no wyf, I holde hym shent;      1320
He lyveth helplees and al desolat, --      1321
I speke of folk in seculer estaat.      1322
And herke why, I sey nat this for noght,      1323
That womman is for mannes helpe ywroght.      1324
The hye god, whan he hadde adam maked,      1325
And saugh him al allone, bely-naked,      1326
God of his grete goodnesse syde than,      1327
Lat us now make an helpe unto this man      1328
Lyk to hymself; and thanne he made him eve.      1329
Heere may ye se, and heerby may ye preve,      1330
That wyf is mannes helpe and his confort,      1331
His paradys terrestre, and his disport.      1332
So buxom and so vertuous is she,      1333
They moste nedes lyve in unitee.      1334
O flessh they been, and o fleesh, as I gesse,      1335
Hath but oon herte, in wele and in distresse.      1336
A wyf! a, seinte marie, benedicite!      1337
How myghte man han any adversitee      1338
That hath a wyf? certes, I kan nat seye.      1339
the blisse which that is bitwixe hem tweye      1340
Ther may no tonge telle, or herte thynke.      1341
If he be povre, she helpeth hym to swynke;      1342
She kepeth his good, and wasteth never a deel;      1343
Al that hire housbonde lust, hire liketh weel;      1344
She seith nat ones nay, whan he seith ye.      1345
Do this, seith he; al redy, sire, seith she.      1346
O blisful ordre of wedlok precious,      1347
Thou art so murye, and eek so vertuous,      1348
And so commended and appreved eek      1349
That every man that halt hym worth a leek,      1350
Upon his bare knees oughte al his lyf      1351
Thanken his God that hym hath sent a wyf,      1352
Or elles preye to God hym for to sende      1353
A wyf, to laste unto his lyves ende.      1354
For thanne his lyf is set in sikernesse;      1355
He may nat be deceyved, as I gesse,      1356
So that he werke after his wyves reed.      1357
Thanne may he boldely beren up his heed,      1358
They been so trewe, and therwithal so wyse;      1359
For which, if thou wolt werken as the wyse,      1360
Do alwey so as wommen wol thee rede.      1361
Lo, how that jacob, as thise clerkes rede,      1362
By good conseil of his mooder rebekke,      1363
Boond the kydes skyn aboute his nekke,      1364
For which his fadres benyson he wan.      1365
Lo, how that jacob, as thise clerkes rede,      1366
By wys conseil she goddes peple kepte,      1367
And slow hym olofernus, whil he slepte.      1368
Lo abigayl, by good conseil, how she      1369
Saved hir housbonde nabal, whan that he      1370
Sholde han be slayn; and looke, ester also      1371
By good conseil delyvered out of wo      1372
The peple of god, and made hym mardochee      1373
Of assuere enhaunced for to be.      1374
Ther nys no thyng in gree superlatyf,      1375
As seith senek, above and humble wyf.      1376
Suffre thy wyves tonge, as catoun bit;      1377
She shal comande, and thou shalt suffren it,      1378
And yet she wole obeye of curteisye.      1379
A wyf is kepere of thyn housbondrye;      1380
Wel may the sike man biwaille and wepe,      1381
Ther as ther nys no wyf the hous to kepe.      1382
I warne thee, if wisely thou wolt wirche,      1383
Love wel thy wyf, as crist loved his chirche.      1384
If thou lovest thyself, thou lovest thy wyf;      1385
No man hateth his flessh, but in his lyf      1386
He fostreth it, and therfore bidde I thee,      1387
Cherisse thy wyf, or thou shalt nevere thee.      1388
Housbonde and wyf, what so men jape or pleye,      1389
Of worldly folk holden the siker weye;      1390
They been so knyt ther may noon harm bityde,      1391
And namely upon the wyves syde.      1392
For which this januarie, of whom I tolde,
Page  117
     1393
Considered hath, inwith his dayes olde,      1394
The lusty lyf, the vertuous quyete,      1395
That is in mariage hony-sweete;      1396
And for his freendes on a day he sente,      1397
To tellen hem th' effect of his entente.      1398
With face sad his tale he hath hem toold.      1399
He seyde, freendes, I am hoor and oold,      1400
And almost, God woot, on my pittes brynke;      1401
Upon my soule somwhat moste I thynke.      1402
I have my body folily despended;      1403
Blessed be God that it shal been amended!      1404
For I wol be, certeyn, a wedded man,      1405
And that anoon in al the haste I kan.      1406
Unto som mayde fair and tendre of age,      1407
I prey yow, shapeth for my mariage      1408
Al sodeynly, for I wol nat abyde;      1409
And I wol fonde t' espien, on my syde,      1410
To whom I may be wedded hastily.      1411
But forasmuche as ye been mo than I,      1412
Ye shullen rather swich a thyng espyen      1413
Than I, and where me best were to allyen.      1414
But o thyng warne I yow, my freendes deere,      1415
I wol moon oold wyf han in no manere.      1416
She shal nat passe twenty yeer, certayn;      1417
Oold fissh and yong flessh wolde I have ful fayn.      1418
Bet is, quod he, a pyk than a pykerel,      1419
And bet than old boef is the tendre veel.      1420
I wol no womman thritty yeer of age;      1421
It is but bene-straw and greet forage.      1422
And eek thise olde wydwes, God it woot,      1423
They konne so muchel craft on wades boot,      1424
So muchel broken harm, whan that hem leste,      1425
That with hem sholde I nevere lyve in reste.      1426
For sondry scoles maken sotile clerkis;      1427
Womman of manye scoles half a clerk is.      1428
But certeynly, a yong thyng may men gye,      1429
Right as men may warm wex with handes plye.      1430
Wherfore I sey yow pleynly, in a clause,      1431
I wol noon oold wyf han right for this cause.      1432
For if so were I hadde swich myschaunce,      1433
That I in hire ne koude han no plesaunce,      1434
Thanne sholde I lede my lyf in avoutrye,      1435
And go streight to the devel, whan I dye.      1436
Ne children sholde I none upon hire geten;      1437
Yet were me levere houndes hand me eten,      1438
Than that myn heritage sholde falle      1439
In straunge hand, and this I telle yow alle.      1440
I dote nat, I woot the cause why      1441
Men sholde wedde, and forthermoore woot I,      1442
Ther speketh many a man of mariage      1443
That woot namoore of it than woot my page,      1444
For whiche causes man sholde take a wyf.      1445
If he ne may nat lyven chaast his lyf,      1446
Take hym a wyf with greet devocioun,      1447
By cause of leverful procreacioun      1448
Of children, to th' onour of God above,      1449
And nat oonly for paramour or love;      1450
And for they sholde leccherye eschue,      1451
And yelde hir dette whan that it is due;      1452
Or for that ech of hem sholde helpen oother      1453
In meschief, as a suster shal the brother;      1454
And lyve in chastitee ful holily.      1455
But sires, by youre leve, that am nat I.      1456
For, God be thanked! I dar make avaunt,      1457
I feele my lymes stark and suffisaunt      1458
To do al that a man bilongeth to;      1459
I woot myselven best what I may do.      1460
Though I be hoor, I fare as dooth a tree      1461
That blosmeth er that fruyt ywoxen bee;      1462
And blosmy tree nys neither drye ne deed.      1463
I feele me nowhere hoor but on myn heed;      1464
Myn herte and alle my lymes been as grene      1465
As laurer thurgh the yeer is for to sene.      1466
And syn that ye han herd al myn entente,      1467
I prey yow to my wyl ye wole assente.      1468
Diverse men diversely hym tolde      1469
Of mariage manye ensamples olde.      1470
Somme blamed it, somme preysed it, certeyn;      1471
But atte laste, shortly for to seyn,      1472
As al day falleth altercacioun      1473
Bitwixen freendes in disputisoun,      1474
Ther fil a stryf bitwixe his bretheren two,      1475
Of whiche that oon was cleped placebo,      1476
Justinus soothly called was that oother.      1477
Placebo seyde, o januarie, brother,      1478
Ful litel nede hadde ye, my lord so deere,      1479
Conseil to axe of any that is heere,      1480
But that ye been so ful of sapience      1481
That yow ne liketh, for youre heighe prudence,      1482
To weyven fro the word of salomon.      1483
This word seyde he unto us everychon:      1484
Wirk alle thyng by conseil, -- thus seyde he,      1485
-- And thanne shaltow nat repente thee. --      1486
But though that salomon spak swich a word,      1487
Myn owene deere brother and my lord,      1488
So wysly God my soule brynge at reste,      1489
I holde youre owene conseil is the beste.      1490
For, brother myn, of me taak this motyf,      1491
I have now been a court-man al my lyf,      1492
And God it woot, though I unworthy be,      1493
I have stonden in ful greet degree      1494
Abouten lordes of ful heigh estaat;      1495
Yet hadde I nevere with noon of hem debaat.      1496
I nevere hem contraried, trewely;      1497
I woot wel that my lord kan moore than I.      1498
With that he seith, I holde it ferme and stable;
Page  118
     1499
I seye the same, or elles thyng semblable.      1500
A ful greet fool is any conseillour      1501
That serveth any lord of heigh honour,      1502
That dar presume, or elles thanken it,      1503
That his conseil sholde passe his lordes wit.      1504
Nay, lordes been no fooles, by my fay!      1505
Ye han youreselven shewed heer to-day      1506
So heigh sentence, so holily and weel,      1507
That I consente and conferme everydeel      1508
Youre wordes alle and youre opinioun.      1509
By god, ther nys no man in al this toun,      1510
Ne in ytaille, that koude bet han sayd!      1511
Crist halt hym of this conseil ful wel apayd.      1512
And trewely, it is an heigh corage      1513
Of any man that stapen is in age      1514
To take a yong wyf; by my fader kyn,      1515
Youre herte hangeth on a joly pyn!      1516
Dooth now in this matiere right as yow leste,      1517
For finally I holde it for the beste.      1518
Justinus, that ay stille sat and herde,      1519
Right in this wise he to placebo answerde:      1520
Now, brother myn, be pacient, I preye,      1521
Syn ye han seyd, and herkneth what I seye.      1522
Senek, amonges othere wordes wyse,      1523
Seith that a man oghte hym right wel avyse      1524
To whom he yeveth his lond or his catel.      1525
And syn I oghte avyse me right wel      1526
To whom I yeve my good awey from me,      1527
Wel muchel moore I oghte avysed be      1528
To whom I yeve my body for alwey.      1529
I warne yow wel, it is no childes pley      1530
To take a wyf withouten avysement.      1531
Men moste enquere, this is myn assent,      1532
Wher she be wys, or sobre, or dronkelewe,      1533
Or proud, or elles ootherweys a shrewe,      1534
A chidestere, or wastour of thy good,      1535
Or riche, or poore, or elles mannyssh wood.      1536
Al be it so that no man fynden shal      1537
Noon in this world that trotteth hool in al,      1538
Ne man, ne beest, swich as men koude devyse;      1539
But nathelees it oghte ynough suffise      1540
With any wyf, if so were that she hadde      1541
Mo goode thewes than hire vices badde;      1542
And al this axeth leyser for t' enquere.      1543
For, God it woot, I have wept many a teere      1544
Ful pryvely, syn I have had a wyf.      1545
Preyse whoso wole a wedded mannes lyf,      1546
Certein I fynde in it but cost and care      1547
And observances, of alle blisses bare.      1548
And yet, God woot, my neighebores aboute,      1549
And namely of wommen many a route,      1550
Seyn that I have the mooste stedefast wyf,      1551
And eek the mekeste oon that bereth lyf;      1552
But I woot best where wryngeth me my sho.      1553
Ye mowe, for me, right as yow liketh do;      1554
Avyseth yow -- ye been a man of age --      1555
How that ye entren into mariage,      1556
And namely with a yong wyf and a fair.      1557
By hym that made water, erthe, and air,      1558
The yongeste man that is in al this route      1559
Is bisy ynough to bryngen it aboute      1560
To han his wyf allone. Trusteth me,      1561
Ye shul nat plesen hire fully yeres thre, --      1562
This is to seyn, to doon hire ful plesaunce.      1563
A wyf axeth ful many an observaunce.      1564
I prey yow that ye be nat yvele apayd.      1565
Wel, quod this januarie, and hastow sayd?      1566
Straw for thy senek, and for thy proverbes!      1567
I counte nat a panyer ful of herbes      1568
Of scole-termes. Wyser men than thow,      1569
As thou hast herd, assenteden right now      1570
To my purpos. Placebo, what sey ye?      1571
I seye it is a cursed man, quod he,      1572
That letteth matrimoigne, sikerly.      1573
And with that word they rysen sodeynly,      1574
And been assented fully that he sholde      1575
Be wedded whanne hym liste, and where he wolde.      1576
Heigh fantasye and curious bisynesse      1577
Fro day to day gan in the soule impresse      1578
Of januarie aboute his mariage.      1579
Many fair shap and many a fair visage      1580
Ther passeth thurgh his herte nyght by nyght,      1581
As whoso tooke a mirour, polisshed bryght,      1582
And sette it in a commune market-place,      1583
Thanne sholde he se ful many a figure pace      1584
By his mirour; and in the same wyse      1585
Gan januarie inwith his thoght devyse      1586
Of maydens whiche that dwelten hym bisyde.      1587
He wiste nat wher that he myghte abyde.      1588
For if that oon have beaute in hir face,      1589
Another stant so in the peples grace      1590
For hire sadnesse and hire benyngnytee      1591
That of the peple grettest voys hath she;      1592
And somme were riche, and hadden badde name.      1593
But nathelees, bitwixe ernest and game,      1594
He atte laste apoynted hym on oon,      1595
And leet alle othere from his herte goon,      1596
And chees hire of his owene auctoritee;      1597
For love is blynd alday, and may nat see.      1598
And whan that he was in his bed ybroght,      1599
He purtreyed in his herte and in his thoght      1600
Hir fresshe beautee and hir age tendre,      1601
Hir myddel smal, hire armes longe and sklendre,      1602
Hir wise governaunce, hir gentillesse,
Page  119
     1603
Hir wommanly berynge, and hire sadnesse.      1604
And whan that he on hire was condescended,      1605
Hym thoughte his choys myghte nat ben amended.      1606
For whan that he hymself concluded hadde,      1607
Hym thoughte ech oother mannes wit so badde      1608
That inpossible it were to repplye      1609
Agayn his choys, this was his fantasye.      1610
His freendes sente he to, at his instaunce,      1611
And preyed hem to doon hym that plesaunce,      1612
That hastily they wolden to hym come;      1613
He wolde abregge hir labour, alle and some.      1614
Nedeth namoore for hym to go ne ryde;      1615
He was apoynted ther he wolde abyde.      1616
Placebo cam, and eek his freendes soone,      1617
And alderfirst he bad hem alle a boone,      1618
That noon of hem none argumentes make      1619
Agayn the purpos which that he hath take,      1620
Which purpos was plesant to god, seyde he,      1621
And verray ground of his prosperitee.      1622
He seyde ther was a mayden in the toun,      1623
Which that of beautee hadde greet renoun,      1624
Al were it so she were of smal degree;      1625
Suffiseth hym hir yowthe and hir beautee.      1626
Which mayde, he seyde, he wolde han to his wyf,      1627
To lede in ese and hoolynesse his lyf;      1628
And thanked God that he myghte han hire al,      1629
That no wight his blisse parten shal.      1630
And preyed hem to laboure in this nede,      1631
And shapen that he faille nat to spede;      1632
For thanne, he seyde, his spirit was at ese.      1633
Thanne is, quod he, no thyng may me displese,      1634
Save o thyng priketh in my conscience,      1635
The which I wol reherce in youre presence.      1636
I have, quod he, herd seyd, ful yoore ago,      1637
Ther may no man han parfite blisses two, --      1638
This is to seye, in erthe and eek in hevene.      1639
For though he kepe hym fro the synnes sevene,      1640
And eek from every branche of thilke tree,      1641
Yet is ther so parfit felicitee      1642
And so greet ese and lust in mariage,      1643
That evere I am agast now in myn age      1644
That I shal lede now so myrie a lyf,      1645
So delicat, withouten wo and stryf,      1646
That I shal have myn hevene in erthe heere.      1647
For sith that verray hevene is boght so deere      1648
With tribulation and greet penaunce,      1649
How sholde I thanne, that lyve in swich plesaunce      1650
As alle wedded men doon with hire wyvys,      1651
Come to the blisse ther crist eterne on lyve ys?      1652
This is my drede, and ye, my bretheren tweye,      1653
Assoilleth me this question, I preye.      1654
Justinus, which that hated his folye,      1655
Answerde anon right in his japerye;      1656
And for he wolde his longe tale abregge,      1657
He wolde noon auctoritee allegge,      1658
But seyde, sire, so ther be noon obstacle      1659
Oother than this, God of his hygh myracle      1660
And of his mercy may so for yow wirche      1661
That, er ye have youre right of hooly chirche,      1662
Ye may repente of wedded mannes lyf,      1663
In which ye seyn ther is no wo ne stryf.      1664
And elles, God forbede but he sente      1665
A wedded man hym grace to repente      1666
Wel ofte rather than a sengle man!      1667
And therfore, sire -- the beste reed I kan --      1668
Dispeire yow noght, but have in youre memorie,      1669
Paraunter she may be youre purgatorie!      1670
She may be goddes meene and goddes whippe;      1671
Thanne shal youre soule up to hevene skippe      1672
Swifter than dooth and arwe out of bowe.      1673
I hope to god, herafter shul ye knowe      1674
That ther nys no so greet felicitee      1675
In mariage, ne nevere mo shal bee,      1676
That yow shal lette of youre savacion,      1677
So that ye sue, as skile is an reson,      1678
The lustes of youre wyf attemprely,      1679
And that ye plese hire nat to amorously,      1680
And that ye kepe yow eek from oother synne.      1681
My tale is doon, for my wit is thynne.      1682
Beth nat agast herof, my brother deere,      1683
But lat us waden out of this mateere.      1684
The wyf of bethe, if ye han understonde,      1685
Of mariage, which we have on honde,      1686
Declared hath ful wel in litel space.      1687
Fareth now wel, God have yow in his grace.      1688
And with this word this justyn and his brother      1689
Han take hir leve, and ech of hem of oother.      1690
For whan they saughe that it moste nedes be,      1691
They wroghten so, by sly and wys tretee,      1692
That she, this mayden, which that mayus highte,      1693
As hastily as evere that she myghte,      1694
Shal wedded be unto this januarie.      1695
I trowe it were to longe yow to tarie,      1696
If I yow tolde of every scrit and bond      1697
By which that she was feffed in his lond,      1698
Or for to herknen of hir riche array.      1699
But finally ycomen is the day      1700
That to the chirche bothe be they went
Page  120
     1701
For to receyve the hooly sacrement.      1702
Forth comth the preest, with stole aboute his nakke,      1703
And bad hire be lyk sarra and rebekke      1704
In wysdom and in trouthe of mariage;      1705
And seyde his orisons, as is usage,      1706
And croucheth hem, and bad God sholde hem blesse,      1707
And made al siker ynogh with hoolynesse.      1708
Thus been they wedded with solempnitee,      1709
And at the feeste sitteth he and she      1710
With othere worthy folk upon the deys.      1711
Al ful of joye and blisse is the paleys,      1712
And ful of instrumentz and of vitaille,      1713
The mooste deyntevous of al ytaille.      1714
Biforn hem stoode instrumentz of swich soun      1715
That orpheus, ne of thebes amphioun,      1716
Ne maden nevere swich a melodye.      1717
At every cours thanne cam loud mynstralcye,      1718
That nevere tromped joab for to heer,      1719
Nor he theodomas, yet half so cleere,      1720
At thebes, whan the citee was in doute.      1721
Bacus the wyn hem shynketh al aboute,      1722
And venus laugheth upon every wight,      1723
For januarie was bicome hir knyght,      1724
And wolde bothe assayen his corage      1725
In libertee, and eek in mariage;      1726
And with hire fyrbrond in hire hand aboute      1727
Daunceth biforn the bryde and al the route.      1728
And certeinly, I dar right wel seyn this,      1729
Ymeneus, that God of weddyng is,      1730
Saugh nevere his lyf so myrie a wedded man.      1731
Hoold thou thy pees, thou poete marcian,      1732
That writest us that ilke weddyng murie      1733
Of hire philologie and hym mercurie,      1734
And of the songes that the muses songe!      1735
To smal is bothe thy penen, and eek thy tonge,      1736
For to descryven of this mariage.      1737
Whan tendre youthe hath wedded stoupyng age,      1738
Ther is swich myrthe that it may nat be writen.      1739
Assayeth it youreself, thanne may ye witen      1740
If that I lye or noon in this matiere.      1741
Mayus, that sit with so benyngne a chiere,      1742
Hire to biholde it semed fayerye.      1743
Queene ester looked nevere with swich an ye      1744
On assuer, so meke a look hath she.      1745
I may yow nat devyse al hir beautee.      1746
But thus muche of hire beautee telle I may,      1747
That she was lyk the brighte morwe of may,      1748
Fulfild of alle beautee and plesaunce.      1749
This januarie is ravysshed in a traunce      1750
At every tyme he looked on hir face;      1751
But in his herte he gan hire to manace      1752
That he that nyght in armes wolde hire streyne      1753
Harder than evere parys dide eleyne.      1754
But nathelees yet hadde he greet pitee      1755
That thilke nyght offenden hire moste he,      1756
And thoughte, allas! o tendre creature,      1757
Now wolde God ye myghte wel endure      1758
Al my corage, it is so sharp and keene!      1759
I am agast ye shul it nat sustene.      1760
But God forbede that I dide al my myght!      1761
Now wolde God that it were woxen nyght,      1762
And that the nyght wolde lasten everemo.      1763
I wolde that al this peple were ago.      1764
And finally he dooth al his labour,      1765
As he best myghte, savynge his honour,      1766
To haste hem fro the mete in subtil wyse.      1767
The tyme cam that resoun was to ryse;      1768
And after that men daunce and drynken faste,      1769
And spices al aboute the hous they caste,      1770
And ful of joye and blisse is every man, --      1771
Al but a squyer, highte damyan,      1772
Which carf biforn the knyght ful many a day.      1773
He was so ravysshed on his lady may      1774
That for the verray peyne he was ny wood.      1775
Almoost he swelte and swowned ther he stood,      1776
So soore hath venus hurt hym with hire brond,      1777
As that she bar it daunsynge in hire hond;      1778
And to his bed he wente hym hastily.      1779
Namoore of hym as at this tyme speke I,      1780
But there I lete hym wepe ynogh and pleyne,      1781
Til fresshe may wol rewen on his peyne.      1782
O perilous fyr, that in the bedstraw bredeth!      1783
O famulier foo, that his servyce bedeth!      1784
O servant traytour, false hoomly hewe,      1785
Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe,      1786
God shilde us alle from youre aqueyntaunce!      1787
O januarie, dronken in plesaunce      1788
In mariage, se how thy damyan,      1789
Thyn owene squier and thy borne man,      1790
Entendeth for to do thee vileynye.      1791
God graunte thee thyn hoomly fo t' espye!      1792
For in this world nys worse pestilence      1793
Than hoomly foo al day in thy presence.      1794
Parfourned hath the sonne his ark diurne;      1795
No lenger may the body of hym sojurne      1796
On th' orisonte, as in that latitude.      1797
Night with his mantel, that is derk and rude,      1798
Gan oversprede the hemysperie aboute;      1799
For which departed is this lusty route      1800
Fro januarie, with thank on every syde.      1801
Hoom to hir houses lustily they ryde,      1802
Where as they doon hir thynges as hem leste,      1803
And whan they sye hir tyme, goon to reste.      1804
Soone after than, this hastif januarie      1805
Wolde go to bedde, he wolde no lenger tarye.
Page  121
     1806
He drynketh ypocras, clarree, and vernage      1807
Of spices hoote, t' encreessen his corage;      1808
And many a letuarie hath he ful fyn,      1809
Swiche as the cursed monk, daun constantyn,      1810
Hath writen in his book de coitu;      1811
To eten hem alle he nas no thyng eschu.      1812
And to his privee freendes thus seyde he:      1813
For goddes love, as soone as it may be,      1814
Lat voyden al this hous in curteys wyse.      1815
And they han doon right as he wol devyse.      1816
Men drynken, and the travers drawe anon.      1817
The bryde was broght abedde as stille as stoon;      1818
And whan the bed was with the preest yblessed,      1819
Out of the chambre hath every wight hym dressed;      1820
And januarie hath faste in armes take      1821
His fresshe may, his paradys, his make.      1822
He lulleth hire, he kisseth hire ful ofte;      1823
With thikke brustles of his berd unsofte,      1824
Lyk to the skyn of houndfyssh, sharp as brere --      1825
For he was shave al newe in his manere --      1826
He rubbeth hire aboute hir tendre face,      1827
And seyde thus, allas! I moot trespace      1828
To yow, my spouse, and yow greetly offende,      1829
Er tyme come that I wil doun descende.      1830
But nathelees, considereth this, quod he,      1831
Ther nys no werkman, whatsoevere he be,      1832
That may bothe werke wel and hastily;      1833
This wol be doon at leyser parfitly.      1834
It is no fors how longe that we pleye;      1835
In trewe wedlok coupled be we tweye;      1836
And blessed be the yok that we been inne,      1837
For in oure actes we mowe do no synne.      1838
A man may do no synne with his wyf,      1839
Ne hurte hymselven with his owene knyf;      1840
For we han leve to pleye us by the lawe.      1841
Thus laboureth he til that the day gan dawe;      1842
And thanne he taketh a sop in fyn clarree,      1843
And upright in his bed thanne sitteth he,      1844
And after that he sang ful loude and cleere,      1845
And kiste his wyf, and made wantown cheere      1846
He was al coltissh, ful of ragerye,      1847
And ful of jargon as a flekked pye.      1848
The slakke skyn aboute his nekke shaketh,      1849
Whil that he sang, so chaunteth he and craketh.      1850
But God woot what that may thoughte in hir herte,      1851
Whan she hym saugh up sittynge in his sherte,      1852
In his nyght-cappe, and with his nekke lene;      1853
She preyseth nat his pleyyng worth a bene.      1854
Thanne seide he thus, my reste wol I take;      1855
Now day is come, I may no lenger wake.      1856
And doun he leyde his heed, and sleep til pryme.      1857
And afterward, whan that he saugh his tyme,      1858
Up ryseth januarie; but fresshe may      1859
Heeld hire chambre unto the fourthe day,      1860
As usage is of wyves for the beste.      1861
For every labour somtyme moot han reste,      1862
Or elles longe may he nat endure;      1863
This is to seyn, no lyves creature,      1864
Be it of fyssh, or bryd, or beest, or man.      1865
Now wol I speke of woful damyan,      1866
That langwissheth for love, as ye shul heere;      1867
Therfore I speke to hym in this manere:      1868
I seye, o sely damyan, allas!      1869
Andswere to my demaunde, as in this cas.      1870
How shaltow to thy lady, fresshe may,      1871
Telle thy wo? she wole alwey seye nay.      1872
Eek if thou speke, she wol thy wo biwreye.      1873
God be thyn helpe! I kan no bettre seye.      1874
This sike damyan in venus fyr      1875
So brenneth that he dyeth for desyr,      1876
For which he putte his lyf in aventure.      1877
No lenger myghte he in this wise endure,      1878
But prively a penner gan he borwe,      1879
And in a lettre wroot he al his sorwe,      1880
In manere of a compleynt or a lay,      1881
Unto his faire, fresshe lady may;      1882
And in a purs of sylk, heng on his sherte      1883
He hath it put, and leyde it at his herte.      1884
The moone, that at noon was thilke day      1885
That januarie hath wedded fresshe may      1886
In two of tawr, was into cancre glyden;      1887
So longe hath mayus in hir chambre abyden,      1888
As custume is unto thise nobles alle.      1889
A bryde shal nat eten in the halle      1890
Til dayes foure, or thre dayes atte leeste,      1891
Ypassed been; thanne lat hire go to feeste.      1892
The fourthe day compleet fro noon to noon,      1893
Whan that the heighe masse was ydoon,      1894
In halle sit this januarie and may,      1895
As fressh as is the brighte someres day.      1896
And so bifel how that this goode man      1897
Remembred hym upon this damyan,      1898
And seyde, seynte marie! how may this be,      1899
That damyan entendeth nat to me?      1900
Is he ay syk, or how may this bityde?      1901
His squieres, whiche that stooden ther bisyde,      1902
Excused hym by cause of his siknesse,      1903
Which letted hym to doon his bisynesse;      1904
Noon oother cause myghte make hym tarye.      1905
That me forthynketh, quod this januarie,      1906
He is a gentil squier, by my trouthe!      1907
If that he deyde, it were harm and routhe.      1908
He is as wys, discreet, and as secree      1909
As any man I woot of his degree,      1910
And therto manly, and eek servysable.
Page  122
     1911
And for to been a thrifty man right able.      1912
But after mete, as soone as evere I may,      1913
I wol myself visite hym, and eek may,      1914
To doon hym al the confort that I kan.      1915
And for that word hym blessed every man,      1916
That of his bountee and his gentillesse      1917
He wolde so conforten in siknesse      1918
His squier, for it was a gentil dede.      1919
Dame, quod this januarie, taak good hede,      1920
At after-mete ye with youre wommen alle,      1921
Whan ye han been in chambre out of this halle,      1922
That alle ye go se this damyan.      1923
Dooth hym disport -- he is a gentil man;      1924
And telleth hym that I wol hym visite,      1925
Have I no thyng but rested me a lite;      1926
And spede yow faste, for I wole abyde      1927
Til that ye slepe faste by my syde.      1928
And with that word he gan to hym to calle      1929
A squier, that was marchal of his halle,      1930
And tolde hym certeyn thynges, what he wolde.      1931
This fresshe may hath streight hir wey yholde,      1932
With alle hir wommen, unto damyan.      1933
Doun by his beddes syde sit she than,      1934
Confortynge hym as goodly as she may.      1935
This damyan, whan that his tyme he say,      1936
In secree wise his purs and eek his bille,      1937
In which that he ywriten hadde his wille,      1938
Hath put into hire hand, withouten moore,      1939
And softely to hire right thus seyde he:      1940
And softely to hire right thus seyde he:      1941
Mercy! and that ye nat discovere me,      1942
For I am deed if that this thyng be kyd.      1943
This purs hath she inwith hir bosom hyd,      1944
And wente hire wey; ye gete namoore of me.      1945
But unto januarie ycomen is she,      1946
That on his beddes syde sit ful softe.      1947
He taketh hire, and kisseth hire ful ofte,      1948
And leyde hym doun to slepe, and that anon.      1949
She feyned hire as that she moste gon      1950
Ther as ye woot that every wight moot neede;      1951
And whan she of this bille hath taken heede,      1952
She rente it al to cloutes atte laste,      1953
And in the pryvee softely it caste.      1954
Who studieth now but faire fresshe may?      1955
Adoun by olde januarie she lay,      1956
That sleep til that the coughe hath hym awaked.      1957
Anon he preyde hire strepen hire al naked;      1958
He wolde of hire, he seyde, han som plesaunce,      1959
And seyde hir clothes dide hym encombraunce,      1960
And she obeyeth, be hire lief or looth.      1961
But lest that precious folk be with me wrooth,      1962
How that he wroghte, I dar nat to yow telle;      1963
Or wheither hire thoughte it paradys or helle.      1964
But heere I lete hem werken in hir wyse      1965
Til evensong rong, and that they moste aryse.      1966
Were it by destynee or aventure,      1967
Were it by influence or by nature,      1968
Or constellacion, that in swich estaat      1969
The hevene stood, that tyme fortunaat      1970
Was for to putte a bille of venus werkes --      1971
For alle thyng hath tyme, as seyn thise clerkes --      1972
To any womman, for to gete hire love,      1973
I kan nat seye; but grete God above,      1974
That knoweth that noon act is causeless,      1975
He deme of al, for I wole hole my pees.      1976
But sooth is this, how that this fresshe may      1977
Hath take swich impression that day      1978
Of pitee of this sike damyan,      1979
That from hire herte she ne dryve kan      1980
The remembrance for to doon hym ese.      1981
Certeyn, thoghte she, whom that this thyng displese,      1982
I rekke noght, for heere I hym assure      1983
To love hym best of any creature,      1984
Though he namoore hadde than his sherte.      1985
Lo, pitee renneth soone in gentil herte!      1986
Heere may ye se how excellent franchise      1987
In wommen is, whan they hem narwe avyse.      1988
Som tyrant is, as ther be many oon,      1989
That hath an herte as hard as any stoon,      1990
Which wolde han lat hym sterven in the place      1991
Wel rather than han graunted hym hire grace;      1992
And hem rejoysen in hire crueel pryde,      1993
And rekke nat to been an homycide.      1994
This gentil may, fulfilled of pitee,      1995
Right of hire hand a lettre made she,      1996
In which she graunteth hym hire verray grace.      1997
Ther lakketh noght, oonly but day and place,      1998
Wher that she myghte unto his lust suffise;      1999
For it shal be right as he wole devyse.      2000
And whan she saugh hir tyme, upon a day,      2001
To visite this damyan gooth may,      2002
And sotilly this lettre doun she threste      2003
Under his pilwe, rede it if hym leste.      2004
She taketh hym by the hand, and harde hym twiste      2005
So secrely that no wight of it wiste,      2006
And bad hym been al hool, and forth she wente      2007
To januarie, whan that he for hire sente.      2008
Up riseth damyan the nexte morwe;      2009
Al passed was his siknesse and his sorwe.      2010
He kembeth hym, he preyneth hym and pyketh,      2011
He dooth al that his lady lust and lyketh;      2012
And eek to januarie he gooth as lowe      2013
As evere dide a dogge for the bowe.
Page  123
     2014
He is so plesant unto every man      2015
(for craft is al, whoso that do it kan)      2016
That every wight is fayn to speke hym good;      2017
And fully in his lady grace he stood.      2018
Thus lete I damyan aboute his nede,      2019
And in my tale forth I wol procede.      2020
Somme clerkes holden that felicitee      2021
Stant in delit, and therfore certeyn he,      2022
This noble januarie, with al his myght,      2023
In honest wyse, as longeth to a knyght,      2024
Shoop hym to lyve ful deliciously.      2025
His housynge, his array, as honestly      2026
To his degree was maked as a kynges.      2027
Amonges othere of his honeste thynges,      2028
He made a gardyn, walled al with stoon;      2029
So fair a gardyn woot I nowher noon.      2030
For, out of doute, I verraily suppose      2031
That he that wroot the romance of the rose      2032
Ne koude of it the beautee wel devyse;      2033
Ne priapus ne myghte nat suffise,      2034
Though he be God of gardyns, for to telle      2035
The beautee of the gardyn and the welle,      2036
That stood under a laurer alwey grene.      2037
Ful ofte tyme he pluto and his queene,      2038
Proserpina, and al hire fayerye,      2039
Disporten hem and maken melodye      2040
Aboute that welle, and daunced, as men tolde.      2041
This noble knyght, this januarie the olde,      2042
Swich deyntee hath in it to walke and pleye,      2043
That he wol no wight suffren bere the keye      2044
Save he hymself; for of the smale wyket      2045
He baar alwey of silver a clyket,      2046
With which, whan that hym leste, he it unshette.      2047
And whan he wolde paye his wyf hir dette      2048
In somer seson, thider wolde he go,      2049
And may his wyf, and no wight but they two;      2050
And thynges whiche that were nat doon abedde,      2051
He in the gardyn parfourned hem and spedde.      2052
And in this wyse, many a murye day,      2053
Lyved this januarie and fresshe may.      2054
But worldly joye may nat alwey dure      2055
To januarie, ne to creature.      2056
O sodeyn hap! o thou fortune unstable!      2057
Lyk to the scorpion so deceyvable,      2058
That flaterest with thyn heed whan thou wolt stynge;      2059
Thy tayl is deeth, thurgh thyn envenymynge.      2060
O brotil joye! o sweete venym queynte!      2061
O monstre, that so subtilly kanst peynte      2062
Thy yiftes under hewe of stidefastnesse,      2063
That thou deceyvest bothe moore and lesse!      2064
Why hastow januarie thus deceyved,      2065
That haddest hym for thy fulle freend receyved?      2066
And now thou hast biraft hym bothe his ye,      2067
For sorwe of which desireth he to dyen.      2068
Allas! this noble januarie free,      2069
Amydde his lust and his prosperitee,      2070
Is woxen blynd, and that al sodeynly,      2071
He wepeth and he wayleth pitously;      2072
And therwithal the fyr of jalousie,      2073
Lest that his wyf sholde falle in som folye,      2074
So brente his herte that he wolde fayn      2075
That som man bothe hire and hym had slayn.      2076
For neither after his deeth, nor in his lyf,      2077
Ne wolde he that she were love ne wyf,      2078
But evere lyve as wydwe in clothes blake,      2079
Soul as the turtle that lost hath hire make,      2080
But atte laste, after a month or tweye      2081
His sorwe gan aswage, sooth to seye;      2082
For whan he wiste it may noon oother be,      2083
He paciently took his adversitee,      2084
Save, out of doute, he may nat forgoon      2085
That he nas jalous everemoore in oon;      2086
Which jalousye it was so outrageous,      2087
That neither in halle, n' yn noon oother hous,      2088
Ne in noon oother place, neverthemo,      2089
He nolde suffre hire for to ryde or go,      2090
But if that he had hond on hire alway;      2091
For which ful ofte wepeth fresshe may,      2092
That loveth damyan so benyngnely      2093
That she moot outher dyen sodeynly,      2094
Or elles she moot han hym as hir leste.      2095
She wayteth whan hir herte wolde breste.      2096
Upon that oother syde damyan      2097
Bicomen is the sorwefulleste man      2098
That evere was; for neither nyght ne day      2099
Ne myghte he speke a word to fresshe may,      2100
As to his purpos, of no swich mateere,      2101
But if that januarie moste it heere,      2102
That hadde an hand upon hire everemo.      2103
But nathelees, by writyng to and fro,      2104
And privee signes, wiste he what she mente,      2105
And she knew eek the fyn of his entente.      2106
O januarie, what myghte it thee availle,      2107
Thogh thou myghte se as fer as shippes saille?      2108
For as good is blynd deceyved be      2109
As to be deceyved whan a man may se.      2110
Lo, argus, which that hadde an hondred yen,      2111
For al that evere he koude poure or pryen,      2112
Yet was he blent, and, God woot, so been mo,      2113
That wenen wisly that it be nat so.      2114
Passe over is an ese, I sey namoore.      2115
This fresshe may, that I spak of so yoore,      2116
In warm wex hath emprented the clyket      2117
That januarie bar of the smale wyket,
Page  124
     2118
By which into his gardyn ofte he wente;      2119
And damyan, that knew al hire entente,      2120
The cliket countrefeted pryvely.      2121
Ther nys namoore to seye, but hastily      2122
Som wonder by this clyket shal bityde,      2123
Which ye shul heeren, if ye wole abyde.      2124
O noble ovyde, ful sooth seystou, God woot,      2125
What sleighte is it, thogh it be long and hoot,      2126
That love nyl fynde it out in som manere?      2127
By piramus and tesbee may men leere;      2128
Thogh they were kept ful longe streite overal,      2129
They been accorded, rownynge thurgh a wal,      2130
Ther no wight koude han founde out swich a sleighte.      2131
But now to purpos: er that dayes eighte      2132
Were passed, er the month of juyn, bifil      2133
That januarie hath caught so greet a wil,      2134
Thurgh eggyng of his wyf, hym for to pleye      2135
In his gardyn, and no wight but they tweye,      2136
That in a morwe unto his may seith he:      2137
Rys up, my wyf, my love, my lady free!      2138
The turtles voys is herd, my dowve sweete;      2139
The wynter is goon with alle his reynes weete.      2140
Com forth now, with thyne eyen columbyn!      2141
How fairer been thy brestes than is wyn!      2142
The gardyn is enclosed al aboute;      2143
Com forth, my white spouse! out of doute      2144
Thou hast me wounded in myn herte, o wyf!      2145
No spot of thee ne knew I al my lyf.      2146
Com forth, and lat us taken oure disport;      2147
I chees thee for my wyf and my confort.      2148
Swiche olde lewed wordes used he.      2149
On damyan a signe made she,      2150
That he sholde go biforn with his cliket.      2151
This damyan thanne hath opened the wyket,      2152
And in he stirte, and that in swich manere      2153
That no wight myghte it se neither yheere,      2154
And stille he sit under a bussh anon.      2155
This januarie, as blynd as is a stoon,      2156
With mayus in his hand, and no wight mo,      2157
Into his fresshe gardyn is ago,      2158
And clapte to the wyket sodeynly.      2159
Now wyf, quod he, heere nys but thou and I,      2160
That art the creature that I best love.      2161
For by that lord that sit in hevene above,      2162
Levere ich hadde to dyen on a knyf,      2163
Than thee offende, trewe deere wyf!      2164
For goddes sake, thenk how I thee chees,      2165
Noght for no coveitise, doutelees,      2166
But oonly for the love I had to thee.      2167
And though that I be oold, and may nat see,      2168
Beth to me trewe, and I wol telle yow why.      2169
Thre thynges, certes, shal ye wynne therby:      2170
First, love of crist, and to youreself honour,      2171
And al myn heritage, toun and tour;      2172
I yeve it yow, maketh chartres as yow leste;      2173
This shal be doon to-morwe er sonne reste,      2174
So wisly God my soule brynge in blisse.      2175
I prey yow first, in covenant ye me kisse;      2176
And though that I be jalous, wyte me noght.      2177
Ye been so depe enprented in my thoght      2178
That, whan that I considere youre beautee,      2179
And therwithal the unlikly elde of me,      2180
I may nat, certes, though I sholde dye,      2181
Forbere to been out of youre compaignye      2182
For verray love; this is withouten doute.      2183
Now kys me, wyf, and lat us rome aboute.      2184
This fresshe may, whan she thise wordes herde,      2185
Benyngnely to januarie answerde,      2186
But first and forward she bigan to wepe.      2187
I have, quod she, a soule for to kepe      2188
As wel as ye, and also myn honour,      2189
And of my wyfhod thilke tendre flour,      2190
Which that I have assured in youre hond,      2191
Whan that the preest to yow my body bond;      2192
Wherfore I wole answere in this manere,      2193
By the leve of yow, my lord so deere:      2194
I prey to God that nevere dawe the day      2195
That I ne sterve, as foule as womman may,      2196
If evere I do unto my kyn that shame,      2197
Or elles I empeyre so my name,      2198
That I be fals; and if I do that lak,      2199
Do strepe me and put me in a sak,      2200
And in the nexte ryver do me drenche.      2201
I am a gentil womman and no wenche.      2202
Why speke ye thus? but men been evere untrewe,      2203
And wommen have repreve of yow ay newe.      2204
Ye han noon oother contenance, I leeve,      2205
But speke to us of untrust and repreeve.      2206
And with that word she saugh wher damyan      2207
Sat in the bussh, and coughen she bigan,      2208
And with hir fynger signes made she      2209
That damyan sholde clymbe upon a tree,      2210
That charged was with fruyt, and up he wente.      2211
For verraily he knew al hire entente,      2212
And every signe that she koude make,      2213
Wel bet than januarie, hir owene make;      2214
For in a lettre she hadde toold hym al      2215
Of this matere, how he werchen shal.      2216
And thus I lete hym sitte upon the pyrie,      2217
And januarie and may romynge ful myrie.      2218
Bright was the day, and blew the firmament;      2219
Phebus hath of gold his stremes doun ysent,
Page  125
     2220
To gladen every flour with his warmnesse.      2221
He was that tyme in geminis, as I gesse,      2222
But litel fro his declynacion      2223
Of cancer, jovis exaltacion.      2224
And so bifel, that brighte morwe-tyde,      2225
That in that gardyn, in the ferther syde,      2226
Pluto, that is kyng of fayerye,      2227
And many a lady in his compaignye,      2228
Folwynge his wyf, the queene proserpyna,      2229
Which that he ravysshed out of ethna      2230
Whil that she gadered floures in the mede --      2231
In claudyan ye may the stories rede,      2232
How in his grisely carte he hire fette --      2233
This kyng of fairye thanne adoun hym sette      2234
Upon a bench of turves, fressh and grene,      2235
And right anon thus seyde he to his queene:      2236
My wyf, quod he, ther may no wight seye nay;      2237
Th' experience so preveth every day      2238
The tresons whiche that wommen doon to man.      2239
Ten hondred thousand (tales) tellen I kan      2240
Notable of youre untrouthe and brotilnesse.      2241
O salomon, wys, and richest of richesse,      2242
Fulfild of sapience and of worldly glorie,      2243
Ful worthy been thy wordes to memorie      2244
To every wight that wit and reson kan.      2245
Thus preiseth he yet the bountee of man:      2246
-- Amonges a thousand men yet foond I oon,      2247
But of wommen alle foond I noon. --      2248
Thus seith the kyng that knoweth youre wikkednesse.      2249
And jhesus, filius syrak, as I gesse,      2250
Ne speketh of yow but seelde reverence.      2251
A wylde fyr and corrupt pestilence      2252
So falle upon youre bodyes yet to-nyght!      2253
Ne se ye nat this honurable knyght,      2254
By cause, allas! that he is blynd and old,      2255
His owene man shal make hym cokewold.      2256
Lo, where he sit, the lechour, in the tree!      2257
Now wol I graunten, of my magestee,      2258
Unto this olde, blynde, worthy knyght      2259
That he shal have ayen his eyen syght,      2260
Whan that his wyf wold doon hym vileynye.      2261
Thanne shal he knowen al hire harlotrye,      2262
Bothe in repreve of hire and othere mo.      2263
Ye shal? quod proserpyne, wol ye so?      2264
Now by my moodres sires soule I swere      2265
That I shal yeven hire suffisant answere,      2266
And alle wommen after, for hir sake;      2267
That, though they be in any gilt ytake,      2268
With face boold they shulle hemself excuse,      2269
And bere hem doun that wolden hem accuse.      2270
For lak of answere noon of hem shal dyen.      2271
Al hadde man seyn a thyng with bothe his yen,      2272
Yit shul we wommen visage it hardily,      2273
And wepe, and swere, and chyde subtilly,      2274
So that ye man shul been as lewed as gees.      2275
What rekketh me of youre auctoritees?      2276
I woot wel that this jew, this salomon,      2277
Foond of us wommen fooles many oon.      2278
But though that he ne foond no good womman,      2279
Yet hath ther founde many another man      2280
Wommen ful trewe, ful goode, and vertuous.      2281
Witnesse on hem that dwelle in cristes hous;      2282
With martirdom they preved hire constance.      2283
The romayn geestes eek make remembrance      2284
Of many a verray, trewe wyf also.      2285
But, sire, ne be nat wrooth, al be it so,      2286
Though that he seyde he foond no good womman,      2287
I prey yow take the sentence of the man;      2288
He mente thus, that in sovereyn bontee      2289
Nis noon but god, but neither he ne she.      2290
Ey! for verray god, that nys but oon,      2291
What make ye so muche of salomon?      2292
What though he made a temple, goddes hous?      2293
What though he were riche and glorious?      2294
So made he eek a temple of false goddis.      2295
How myghte he do a thyng that moore forbode is?      2296
Pardee, as faire as ye his name emplastre,      2297
He was a lecchour and an ydolastre,      2298
And in his elde he verray God forsook;      2299
And if this God ne hadde, as seith the book,      2300
Yspared hem for his fadres sake, he sholde      2301
Have lost his regne rather than he wolde.      2302
I sette right noght, of al the vileynye      2303
That ye of wommen write, a boterflye!      2304
I am a womman, nedes moot I speke,      2305
Of elles swelle til myn herte breke.      2306
For sithen he seyde that we been jangleresses,      2307
As evere hool I moote brouke my tresses,      2308
I shal nat spare, for no curteisye,      2309
To speke hym harm that wolde us vileynye.      2310
Dame, quod this pluto, be no lenger wrooth;      2311
I yeve it up! but sith I swoor myn ooth      2312
That I wolde graunten hym his sighte ageyn,      2313
My word shal stonde, I warne yow certeyn.      2314
I am a kyng, it sit me noght to lye.      2315
And I, quod she, a queene of fayerye!      2316
Hir answere shal she have, I undertake.      2317
Lat us namoore wordes heerof make;      2318
For sothe, I wol no lenger yow contrarie.      2319
Now lat us turne agayn to januarie,      2320
That in the gardyn with his faire may      2321
Syngeth ful murier than the papejay,      2322
Yow love I best, and shal, and oother noon.
Page  126
     2323
So longe aboute the aleyes is he goon,      2324
Til he was come agaynes thilke pyrie      2325
Where as this damyan sitteth ful myrie      2326
An heigh among the fresshe leves grene.      2327
This fresshe may, that is so bright and sheene,      2328
Gan for to syke, and seyde, allas, my syde!      2329
Now sire, quod she, for aught that may bityde,      2330
I moste han of the peres that I see,      2331
Or I moot dye, so soore longeth me      2332
To eten of the smale peres grene.      2333
Help, for hir love that is of hevene queene!      2334
I telle yow wel, a womman in my plit      2335
May han to fruyt so greet an appetit      2336
That she may dyen, but she of it have.      2337
Allas! quod he, that I ne had heer a knave      2338
That koude clymbe! allas, allas, quod he,      2339
For I am blynd! ye, sire, no fors, quod she;      2340
-- But wolde ye vouche sauf, for goddes sake,      2341
The pyrie inwith youre armes for to take,      2342
For wel I woot that ye mystruste me,      2343
Thanne sholde I clymbe wel ynogh, quod she,      2344
So I my foot myghte sette ypon youre bak.      2345
Certes,quod he, theron shal be no lak,      2346
Mighte I yow helpen with myn herte blood.      2347
He stoupeth doun, and on his bak she stood,      2348
And caughte hire by a twiste, and up she gooth --      2349
Ladyes, I prey yow that ye be nat wrooth;      2350
I kan nat glose, I am a rude man --      2351
And sodeynly anon this damyan      2352
Gan pullen up the smok, and in he throng.      2353
And whan that pluto saugh this grete wrong,      2354
To januarie he gaf agayn his sighte,      2355
And made hym se as wel as evere he myghte.      2356
And whan that he hadde caught his sighte agayn,      2357
Ne was ther nevere man of thyng so fayn,      2358
But on his wyf his thoght was everemo.      2359
Up to the tree he caste his eyen two,      2360
And saugh that damyan his wyf had dressed      2361
In swich manere it may nat been expressed,      2362
But if I wolde speke uncurteisly;      2363
And up he yaf a roryng and a cry,      2364
As dooth the mooder whan the child shal dye:      2365
Out! he gan to crye,      2366
O stronge lady stoore, what dostow?      2367
And she answerde, sire, what eyleth yow?      2368
Have pacience and resoun in youre mynde!      2369
I have yow holpe on bothe youre eyen blynde.      2370
Up peril of my soule, I shal nat lyen,      2371
As me was taught, to heele with youre eyen,      2372
Was no thyng bet, to make yow to see,      2373
Than strugle with a man upon a tree.      2374
God woot, I dide it in ful good entente.      2375
Strugle! quod he, ye algate in it wente!      2376
God yeve yow bothe on shames deth to dyen!      2377
He swyved thee, I saugh it with myne yen,      2378
And elles be I hanged by the hals!      2379
thanne is, quod she, my medicyne fals;      2380
For certeinly, if that ye myghte se.      2381
Ye wolde nat seyn thise wordes unto me.      2382
Ye han som glymsyng, and no parfit sighte.      2383
I se, quod he, as wel as evere I myghte,      2384
Thonked be god! with bothe myne eyen two,      2385
And by my trouthe, me thoughte he dide thee so.      2386
ye maze, maze, goode sire, quod she;      2387
This thank have I for I have maad yow see.      2388
Allas, quod she, that evere I was so kynde!      2389
Now, dame, quod he, lat al passe out of mynde.      2390
Com doun, my lief, and if I have myssayd,      2391
God helpe me so, as I am yvele apayd.      2392
But, by my fader soule, I wende han seyn      2393
How that this damyan hadde by thee leyn,      2394
And that thy smok hadde leyn upon his brest.      2395
Ye sire, quod she, ye may wene as yow lest.      2396
But, sire, a man that waketh out of his sleep,      2397
He may nat sodeynly wel taken keep      2398
Upon a thyng, ne seen it parfitly,      2399
Til that he be adawed verraily.      2400
Right so a man that longe hath blynd ybe,      2401
Ne may nat sodeynly so wel yse,      2402
First whan his sighte is newe come ageyn,      2403
As he that hath a day or two yseyn.      2404
Til that youre sighte ysatled be a while,      2405
Ther may ful many a sighte yow bigile.      2406
Beth war, I prey yow; for, by hevene kyng,      2407
Ful many a man weneth to seen a thyng,      2408
And it is al another than it semeth.      2409
He that mysconceyveth, he mysdemeth.      2410
And with that word she leep doun fro the tree,      2411
This januarie, who is glad but he?      2412
He kisseth hire, and clippeth hire ful ofte,      2413
And on hire wombe he stroketh hire ful softe,      2414
And to his palays hoom he hath hire lad.      2415
Now, goode men, I pray yow to be glad.      2416
Thus endeth heere my tale of januarie;      2417
God blesse us, and his mooder seinte marie!      2418
Page  127
The Merchant's Epilogue

Ey! goddes marcy! seyde oure hooste tho,      2419
Now swich a wyf I pray God kepe me fro!      2420
Lo, whiche sleightes and subtilitees      2421
In wommen been! for ay as bisy as bees      2422
Been they, us sely men for to deceyve,      2423
And from the soothe evere wol they weyve;      2424
By this marchauntes tale it preveth weel.      2425
But doutelees, as trewe as any steel      2426
I have a wyf, though that she povre be,      2427
Nut of hir tonge, a labbyng shrewe is she,      2428
And yet she hath an heep of vices mo;      2429
Therof no fors! lat alle swiche thynges go.      2430
But wyte ye what? in conseil be it seyd,      2431
Me reweth soore I am unto hire teyd.      2432
For, and I sholde rekenen every vice      2433
Which that she hath, ywis I were to nyce;      2434
And cause why, it sholde reported by      2435
And toold to hire of somme of this meynee, --      2436
Of whom, it nedeth nat for to declare,      2437
Syn wommen konnen outen swich chaffare;      2438
And eek my with suffiseth nat therto,      2439
To tellen al, wherfore my tale is do.      2440
Page  128
Group 5

The Squire's Prologue

Squier, com neer, if it youre wille be,      1
And sey somwhat of love; for certes ye      2
Konnen theron as muche as any man.      3
Nay, sire, quod he, but I wol seye as I kan      4
With hertly wyl; for I wol nat rebelle      5
Agayn youre lust; a tale wol I telle.      6
Have me excused if I speke amys;      7
My wyl is good, and lo, my tale is this.      8
The Squire's Tale

Part I
At sarray, in the land of tartarye,      9
Ther dwelte a kyng that werreyed russye,      10
Thurgh which ther dyde many a doughty man.      11
This noble kyng was cleped cambyuskan,      12
Which in his tyme was of so greet renoun      13
That ther was nowher in no regioun      14
So excellent a lord in alle thyng.      15
Hym lakked noght that longeth to a king.      16
As of the secte of which that he was born      17
He kepte his lay, to which that he was sworn;      18
And therto he was hardy, wys, and riche,      19
And pitous and just, alwey yliche;      20
Sooth of this word, benigne, and honurable;      21
Of his corage as any centre stable;      22
Yong, fressh, and strong, in armes desirous      23
As any bacheler of al his hous.      24
A fair persone he was and fortunat,      25
And kepte alwey so wel roial estat      26
That ther was nowher swich another man.      27
This noble kyng, this tartre cambyuskan,      28
Hadde two sones on elpheta his wyf,      29
Of whiche the eldeste highte algarsyf,      30
That oother sone was cleped cambalo.      31
A doghter hadde this worthy kyng also,      32
That yongest was, and highte canacee.      33
But for to telle yow al hir beautee,      34
It lyth nat in my tonge, n' yn my konnyng;      35
I dar nat undertake so heigh a thyng.      36
Myn englissh eek is insufficient.      37
It moste been a rethor excellent,      38
That koude his colours longynge for that art,      39
If he sholde hire discryven every part.      40
I am noon swich, I moot speke as I kan.      41
And so bifel that whan this cambyuskan      42
Hath twenty wynter born his diademe,      43
As he was wont fro yeer to yeer, I deme,      44
He leet the feeste of his nativitee      45
Doon cryen thurghout sarray his citee,      46
The laste idus of march, after the yeer.      47
Phebus the sonne ful joly was and cleer;      48
For he was neigh his exaltacioun      49
In martes face, and in his mansioun      50
In aries, the colerik hoote signe.      51
Ful lusty was the weder benigne,      52
For which the foweles, agayn the sonne sheene,      53
What for the sesoun and the yonge grene,      54
Ful loude songen hire affecciouns.      55
Hem semed han geten hem protecciouns      56
Agayn the swerd of wynter, keene and coold.      57
This cambyuskan, of which I have yow toold,      58
In roial vestiment sit on his deys,      59
With diademe, ful heighe in his paleys,      60
And halt his feeste so solempne and so ryche      61
That in this world ne was ther noon it lyche;      62
Of which if I shal tellen al th' array,      63
Thanne wolde it occupie a someres day;      64
And eek it nedeth nat for to devyse      65
At every cours the ordre of hire servyse.      66
I wol nat tellen of hir strange sewes,      67
Ne of hir swannes, ne of hire heronsewes.      68
Eek in that lond, as tellen knyghtes olde,      69
Ther is som mete that is ful deynte holde,      70
That in this lond men recche of it but smal;      71
Ther nys no man that may reporten al.      72
I wol nat taryen yow, for it is pryme,
Page  129
     73
And for it is no fruyt, but los of tyme;      74
Unto my firste I wole have my recours.      75
And so bifel that after the thridde cours,      76
Whil that this kyng sit thus in his nobleye,      77
Herknynge his mynstralles hir thynges pleye      78
Biforn hym at the bord deliciously,      79
In at the halle dore al sodeynly      80
Ther cam a knyght upon a steede of bras,      81
And in his hand a brood mirour of glas.      82
Upon his thombe he hadde of gold a ryng,      83
And by his syde a naked swerd hangyng;      84
And up he rideth to the heighe bord.      85
In al the halle ne was ther spoken a word      86
For merveille of this knyght; hym to biholde      87
Ful bisily they wayten, yonge and olde.      88
This strange knyght, that cam thus sodeynly,      89
Al armed, save his heed, ful richely,      90
Saleweth kyng and queene and lordes alle,      91
By ordre, as they seten in the halle,      92
With so heigh reverence and obeisaunce,      93
As wel in speche as in his contenaunce,      94
That gawayn, with his olde curteisye,      95
Though he were comen ayeyn out of fairye,      96
Ne koude hym nat amende with a word.      97
And after this, biforn the heighe bord,      98
He with a manly voys seide his message,      99
After the forme used in his langage,      100
Withouten vice of silable or of lettre;      101
And, for his tale sholde seme the bettre,      102
Accordant to his wordes was his cheere,      103
As techeth art of speche hem that it leere.      104
Al be it that I kan nat sowne his stile,      105
Ne kan nat clymben over so heigh a style,      106
Yet seye I this, as to commune entente,      107
Thus muche smounteth al that evere he mente,      108
If it so be that I have it in mynde.      109
He seyde, the kyng of arabe and of inde,      110
My lige lord, on this solempne day      111
Saleweth yow, as he best kan and may,      112
And sendeth yow, in honour of youre feeste,      113
By me, that am al redy at youre heeste,      114
This steede of bras, that esily and weel      115
Kan in the space of o day natureel --      116
This is to seyn, in foure and twenty houres --      117
Wher-so yow lyst, in droghte or elles shoures,      118
Beren youre body into every place      119
To which youre herte wilneth for to pace;      120
Withouten wem of yow, thurgh foul or fair;      121
Or, if yow lyst to fleen as hye in the air      122
As dooth an egle whan hym list to soore,      123
This same steede shal bere yow evere moore,      124
Withouten harm, til ye be ther yow leste,      125
Though that ye slepen on his bak or reste,      126
And turne ayeyn with writhyng of a pyn.      127
He that it wroghte koude ful many a gyn.      128
He wayted many a constellacion      129
Er he had doon this operacion,      130
And knew ful many a seel and many a bond.      131
This mirour eek, that I have in myn hond,      132
Hath swich a myght that men may in it see      133
Whan ther shal fallen any adversitee      134
Unto youre regne or to youreself also,      135
And openly who is your freend or foo.      136
And over al this, if any lady bright      137
Hath set hire herte on any maner wight,      138
If he be fals, she shal his tresoun see,      139
His newe love, and al his subtiltee,      140
So openly that ther shal no thyng hyde.      141
Wherfore, ageyn this lusty someres tyde,      142
This morour and this ryng, that ye may see,      143
He hath sent to my lady canacee,      144
Youre excellente doghter that is heere.      145
The vertu of the ryng, if ye wol heere,      146
Is this, that if hire lust it for to were      147
Upon his thombe, or in hir purs it bere,      148
Ther is no fowel that fleeth under the hevene      149
That she ne shal wel understonde his stevene,      150
And knowe his menyng openly and pleyn,      151
And answere hym in his langage ageyn;      152
And every gras that groweth upon roote      153
She shal eek knowe, and whom it wol do boote,      154
Al be his wondes never so depe and wyde.      155
This naked swerd, that hangeth by my syde,      156
Swich verty hath that, what man so ye smyte,      157
Thurgh out his armure it wole kerve an byte,      158
Were it as thikke as is a branched ook;      159
And what man that is wounded with the strook      160
Shal never be hool til that yow list, of grace,      161
To stroke hym with the plat in thilke place      162
Ther he is hurt; this is as muche to seyn,      163
Ye moote with the platte swerd ageyn      164
Stroke hym in the wounde, and it wol close.      165
This is a verray sooth, withouten glose;      166
It failleth nat whils it is in youre hoold.      167
And whan this knyght hath thus his tale toold,      168
He rideth out of halle, and doun he lighte.      169
His steede, which that shoon as sonne brighte,      170
Stant in the court as stille as any stoon.      171
This knyght is to his chambre lad anoon,      172
And is unarmed, and to mete yset.      173
The presentes been ful roially yfet, --      174
This is to seyn, the swerd and the mirour,      175
And born anon into the heighe tour      176
With certeine officers ordeyned therfore;      177
And unto canacee this ryng is bore      178
Solempnely, ther she sit at the table.
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     179
But sikerly, withouten any fable,      180
The hors of bras, that may nat be remewed,      181
It stant as it were to the ground yglewed.      182
Ther may no man out of the place it dryve      183
For noon engyn of wyndas or polyve;      184
And cause why? for they kan nat the craft.      185
And therfore in the place they han it laft,      186
Til that the knyght hath taught hem the manere      187
To voyden hym, as ye shal after heere.      188
Greet was the prees that swarmeth to and fro      189
To gauren on this hors that stondeth so;      190
For it so heigh was, and so brood and long,      191
So wel proporcioned for to been strong,      192
Right as it were a steede of lumbardye;      193
Therwith so horsly, and so quyk of ye,      194
As it a gentil poilleys courser were.      195
For certes, fro his tayl unto his ere,      196
Nature ne art ne koude hym nat amende      197
In no degree, as al the peple wende.      198
But everemoore hir mooste wonder was      199
How that it koude gon, and was of bras;      200
It was of fairye, as the peple semed.      201
Diverse folk diversely they demed;      202
As many heddes, as manye wittes ther been.      203
They murmureden as dooth a swarm of been,      204
And maden skiles after hir fantasies,      205
Rehersynge of thise olde poetries,      206
And seyden it was lyk the pegasee,      207
The hors that hadde wynges for to flee;      208
Or elles it was the grekes hors synon,      209
That broghte troie to destruccion,      210
As man moun in thise olde geestes rede.      211
Myn herte, quod oon, is everemoore in drede;      212
I trowe som men of armes been therinne,      213
That shapen hem this citee for to wynne.      214
It were right good that al swich thyng were knowe.      215
Another rowned to his felawe lowe,      216
And seyde, he lyeth, for it is rather lyk      217
An apparence ymaad by som magyk,      218
As jogelours pleyen at thise feestes grete.      219
Of sondry doutes thus they jangle and trete,      220
As lewed peple demeth comunly      221
Of thynges that been maad moore subtilly      222
Than they kan in hire lewednesse comprehende;      223
They demen gladly to the badder ende.      224
And somme of hem wondred on the mirour,      225
That born was up into the maister-tour,      226
Hou men myghte in it swiche thynges se.      227
Another answerde, and seyde it myghte wel be      228
Naturelly, by composiciouns      229
Of anglis and of slye reflexiouns,      230
And seyde that in rome was swich oon      231
They speken of alocen and vitulon,      232
And aristotle, that writen in hir lyves      233
Of queynte mirours and of perspectives,      234
As knowen they that han hire bookes herd.      235
And oother folk han wondred on the swerd      236
That wolde percen thurghout every thyng,      237
And fille in speche of thelophus the kyng,      238
And of achilles with his queynte swerd      239
For he koude with it bothe heele and dere.      240
Right in swich wise as men may with the swerd      241
Of which right now ye han youreselven herd.      242
They speken of sondry hardyng of metal,      243
And speke of medicynes therwithal,      244
And how and whanne it sholde yharded be,      245
Which is unknowe, algates unto me.      246
Tho speeke they of canacees ryng,      247
And seyden alle that swich an wonder thyng      248
Of craft of rynges herde they nevere noon,      249
Save that he moyses and kyng salomon      250
Hadde a name of konnyng in swich art.      251
Thus seyn the peple, and drawen hem apart.      252
But nathelees somme seiden that it was      253
Wonder to maken of fern-asshen glas,      254
And yet nys glas nat lyk asshen of fern;      255
But, for they han yknowen it so fern,      256
Therfore cesseth hir janglyng and hir wonder.      257
As soore wondren somme on cause of thonder,      258
On ebbe, on flood, on gossomer, and on myst,      259
And alle thyng, til that the cause is wyst.      260
Thus jangle they, and demen, and devyse,      261
Til that the kyng gan fro the bord aryse.      262
Phebus hath laft the angle meridional,      263
And yet ascendynge was the beest roial,      264
The gentil leon, with his aldiran,      265
Whan that this tartre knyg, this cambyuskan,      266
Roos fro his bord, ther as he sat ful hye.      267
Toforn hym gooth the loude mynstralcye,      268
Til he cam to his chambre of parementz,      269
Ther as they sownen diverse instrumentz,      270
That it is lyk an hevene for the heere.      271
Now dauncen lusty venus children deere,      272
For in the fyssh hir lady sat ful hye,      273
And looketh on hem with a freendly ye.      274
This noble kyng is set upon his trone.      275
This strange knyght is fet to hym ful soone,      276
And on the daunce he gooth with canacee.      277
Heere is the revel and the jolitee      278
That is nat able a dul man to devyse.      279
He moste han knowen love and his servyse,      280
And been a feestlych man as fressh as may,      281
That sholde yow devysen swich array.
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     282
Who koude telle yow the forme of daunces      283
So unkouthe, and swiche fresshe contenaunces,      284
Swich subtil lookyng and disymulynges      285
For drede of jalouse meenes aperceyvynges?      286
No man but launcelot, and he is deed.      287
Therfore I passe of al this lustiheed;      288
I sey namoore, but in this jolynesse      289
I lete hem, til men to the soper dresse.      290
The styward bit the spices for the hye,      291
And eek the wyn, in al this melodye.      292
The usshers and the squiers been ygoon,      293
The spices and the wyn is come anoon.      294
They ete and drynke; and whan this hadde and ende,      295
Unto the temple, as reson was, they wende.      296
The service doon, they soupen al by day.      297
What nedeth yow rehercen hire array?      298
Ech man woot wel that at a kynges feeste      299
Hath plentee to the meeste and to the leeste,      300
And deyntees mo than been in my knowyng.      301
At after-soper gooth this noble kyng      302
To seen this hors of bras, with al a route      303
Of lordes and of ladyes hym aboute.      304
Swich wondryng was ther on this hors of bras      305
That syn the grete sege of troie was,      306
Theras men wondreden on an hors also,      307
Ne was ther swich a wondryng as was tho.      308
But fynally the kyng axeth this knyght      309
The vertu of this courser and the myght,      310
And preyde hym to telle his governaunce.      311
This hors anoon bigan to trippe and daunce,      312
Whan that this knyght leyde hand upon his reyne,      313
And seyde, sire, ther is namoore to seyne,      314
But, whan yow list to ryden anywhere,      315
Ye mooten trille a pyn, stant in his ere,      316
Which I shal telle yow bitwix us two.      317
Ye moote nempne hym to what place also,      318
Or to what contree, that yow list to ryde.      319
And whan ye come ther as yow list abyde,      320
Bidde hym descende, and trille another pyn,      321
For therin lith th' effect of al the gyn,      322
And he wol doun descende and doon youre wille,      323
And in that place he wol abyde stille.      324
Though al the world the contrarie hadde yswore,      325
He shal nat thennes been ydrawe ne ybore.      326
Or, if yow liste bidde hym thennes goon,      327
Trille this pyn, and he wol vanysshe anoon      328
Out of the sighte of every maner wight,      329
And come agayn, be it by day or nyght,      330
Whan that yow list to clepen hym ageyn      331
In swich a gyse as I shal to yow seyn      332
Bitwixe yow and me, and that ful soone.      333
Ride whan yow list, ther is namoore to doone.      334
Enformed whan the kyng was of that knyght,      335
And hath conceyved in his wit aright      336
The manere and the forme of al this thyng,      337
Ful glad and blithe, this noble doughty kyng      338
Repeireth to his revel as biforn.      339
The brydel is unto the tour yborn      340
And kept among his jueles leeve and deere,      341
The hors vanysshed, I noot in what manere,      342
Out of hir sighte; ye gete namoore of me.      343
But thus I lete in lust and jolitee      344
This cambyuskan his lordes festeiynge,      345
Til wel ny the day bigan to sprynge.      346
Explicit prima pars.
Sequitur pars secunda
The norice of digestioun, the sleep,      347
Gan on hem wynke and bad hem taken keep      348
That muchel drynke and labour wolde han reste;      349
And with a galpyng mouth hem alle he keste,      350
And seyde that it was tyme to lye adoun,      351
For blood was in his domynacioun.      352
Cherisseth blood, natures freend, quod he.      353
They thanken hym galpynge, by two, by thre,      354
And every wight gan drawe hym to his reste,      355
As sleep hem bad; they tooke it for the beste.      356
Hire dremes shul nat now been toold for me;      357
Ful were hire heddes of fumositee,      358
That causeth dreem of which ther nys no charge.      359
They slepen til that it was pryme large,      360
The mooste part, but it were canacee.      361
She was ful mesurable, as wommen be;      362
For of hir fader hadde she take leve      363
To goon to reste soone after it was eve.      364
Hir liste nat appalled for to be,      365
Ne on the morwe unfeestlich for to se,      366
And slepte hire firste sleep, and thanne awook.      367
For swich a joye she in hir herte took      368
Bothe of hir queynte ryng and hire mirour,      369
That twenty tyme she changed hir colour;      370
And in hire sleep, right for impressioun      371
Of hire mirour, she hadde a visioun.      372
Wherfore, er that the sonne gan up glyde,      373
She cleped on hir maistresse hire bisyde,      374
And seyde that hire liste for to ryse.      375
Thise olde wommen that been gladly wyse,      376
As is hire maistresse, answerde hire anon,      377
And seyde, madame, whider wil ye goon
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     378
Thus erly, for the folk been alle on reste?      379
I wol, quod she, arise, for me leste      380
Ne lenger for to slepe, and walke aboute.      381
Hire maistresse clepeth wommen a greet route,      382
And up they rysen, wel a ten or twelve;      383
Up riseth fresshe canacee hireselve,      384
As rody and bright as dooth the yonge sonne,      385
That in the ram is foure degrees up ronne --      386
Noon hyer was he whan she redy was --      387
And forth she walketh esily a pas,      388
Arrayed after the lusty seson soote      389
Lightly, for to pleye and walke on foote,      390
Nat but with fyve or sixe of hir meynee;      391
And in a trench forth in the park gooth she.      392
The vapour which that fro the erthe glood      393
Made the sonne to seme rody and brood;      394
But nathelees it was so fair a sighte      395
That it made alle hire hertes for to lighte,      396
What for the seson and the morwenynge,      397
And for the foweles that she herde synge.      398
For right anon she wiste what they mente,      399
Right by hir song, and knew al hire entente.      400
The knotte why that every tale is toold,      401
If it be taried til that lust be coold      402
Of hem that han it after herkned yoore,      403
The savour passeth ever lenger the moore,      404
For fulsomnesse of his prolixitee;      405
And by the same resoun, thynketh me,      406
I sholde to the knotte condescende,      407
And maken of hir walkyng soone an ende.      408
Amydde a tree, for drye as whit as chalk,      409
As canacee was pleyyng in hir walk,      410
Ther sat a faucon over hire heed ful hye,      411
That with a pitous voys so gan to crye      412
That all the wode resouned of hire cry.      413
Ybeten hadde she hirself so pitously      414
With bothe hir wynges, til the rede blood      415
Ran endelong the tree ther-as she stood.      416
And evere in oon she cryde alwey and shrighte,      417
And with hir beek herselven so she prighte,      418
That ther nys tygre, ne noon so crueel beest,      419
That dwelleth outher in wode or in forest,      420
That nolde han wept, if that he wepe koude,      421
For sorwe of hire, she shrighte alwey so loude.      422
For ther nas nevere yet no man on lyve,      423
If that I koude a faucon wel discryve,      424
That herde of swich another of fairnesse,      425
As wel of plumage as of gentillesse      426
Of shap, of al that myghte yrekened be.      427
A faucon peregryn thanne semed she      428
Of fremde land; and everemoore, as she stood,      429
She swowneth now and now for lak of blood,      430
Til wel neigh is she fallen fro the tree.      431
This faire kynges doghter, canacee,      432
That on hir fynger baar the queynte ryng,      433
Thurgh which she understood wel every thyng      434
That any fowel may in his leden seyn,      435
And koude answeren hym in his ledene ageyn,      436
Hath understonde what this faucon seyde,      437
And wel neigh for the routhe almoost she deyde.      438
And to the tree she gooth ful hastily,      439
And on this faukon looketh pitously,      440
And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste      441
The faukon moste fallen fro the twiste,      442
Whan that it swowned next, for lak of blood.      443
A longe whil to wayten hire she stood,      444
Til atte laste she spak in this manere      445
Unto the hauk, as ye shal after heere:      446
What is the cause, if it be for to telle,      447
That ye be in this furial pyne of helle?      448
Quod canacee unto this hauk above.      449
Is this for sorwe of deeth or los of love?      450
For, as I trowe, thise been causes two      451
That causen moost a gentil herte wo;      452
Of oother harm it nedeth nat to speke.      453
For ye youreself upon yourself yow wreke,      454
Which proveth wel that outher ire or drede      455
Moot been enchesoun of youre cruel dede,      456
Syn that I see noon oother wight yow chace.      457
For love of god, as dooth youreselven grace,      458
Or what may been youre help? for west nor est      459
Ne saugh I nevere er now no bryd ne beest      460
That ferde with hymself so pitously.      461
Ye sle me with youre sorwe verraily,      462
I have of yow so greet compassioun.      463
For goddes love, com fro the tree adoun;      464
And as I am a kynges doghter trewe,      465
If that I verraily the cause knewe      466
Of youre disese, if it lay in my myght,      467
I wole amenden it er that it were nyght,      468
As wisly helpe me grete God of kynde!      469
And herbes shal I right ynowe yfynde      470
To heel with youre hurtes hastily.      471
Tho shrighte this faucon yet moore pitously      472
Than ever she dide, and fil to grounde anon,      473
And lith aswowne, deed and lyk a stoon,      474
Til canacee hath in hire lappe hire take      475
Unto the tyme she gan of swough awake.      476
And after that she of hir swough gan breyde,      477
Right in hir haukes ledene thus she seyde:      478
That pitee renneth soone in gentil herte,      479
Feelynge his similitude in peynes smerte,      480
Is preved alday, as men may it see,      481
As wel by werk as by auctoritee;      482
For gentil herte kitheth gentillesse.      483
I se wel that ye han of my distresse
Page  133
     484
Compassion, my faire canacee,      485
Of verray wommanly benignytee      486
That nature in youre principles hath set.      487
But for noon hope for to fare the bet,      488
But for to obeye unto youre herte free,      489
And for to maken othere be war by me,      490
As by the whelp chasted is the leon,      491
Right for that cause and that conclusion,      492
Whil that I have a leyser and a space,      493
Myn harm I wol confessen er I pace.      494
And evere, whil that oon hir sorwe tolde,      495
That oother weep as she to water wolde,      496
Til that the faucon bad hire to be stille,      497
And, with a syk, right thus she seyde hir wille:      498
Ther I was bred -- allas, that ilke day! --      499
And fostred in a roche of marbul gray      500
So tendrely that no thyng eyled me,      501
I nyste nat what was adversitee,      502
Til I koude flee ful hye under the sky.      503
Tho dwelte a tercelet me faste by,      504
That semed welle of alle gentillesse;      505
Al were he ful of treson and falsnesse,      506
It was so wrapped under humble cheere,      507
And under hewe of trouthe in swich manere,      508
Under plesance, and under bisy peyne,      509
That no wight koude han wend he koude feyne,      510
So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.      511
Right as a serpent hit hym under floures      512
Til he may seen his tyme for to byte,      513
Right so this God of loves ypocryte      514
Dooth so his cerymonyes and obeisaunces,      515
And kepeth in semblaunt alle his observaunces      516
That sownen into gentillesse of love.      517
As in a toumbe is al the faire above,      518
And under is the corps, swich as ye woot,      519
Swich was this ypocrite, bothe coold and hoot.      520
And in this wise he served his entente,      521
That, save the feend, noon wiste what he mente,      522
Til he so longe hadde wopen and compleyned,      523
And many a yeer his service to me feyned,      524
Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce,      525
Al innocent of his crouned malice,      526
Forfered of his deeth, as thoughte me,      527
Upon his othes and his seuretee,      528
Graunted hym love, on this condicioun,      529
That everemoore myn honour and renoun      530
Were saved, bothe privee and apert;      531
This is to seyn, that after his desert,      532
I yaf hym al myn herte and al my thoght --      533
God woot and he, that ootherwise noght --      534
And took his herte in chaunge of myn for ay.      535
But sooth is seyd, goon sithen many a day,      536
-- A trewe wight and a theef thenken nat oon. --      537
And whan he saugh the thyng so fer ygoon      538
That I hadde graunted hym fully my love,      539
In swich a gyse as I have seyd above,      540
And yeven hym my trewe herte as free      541
As he swoor he yaf his herte to me;      542
Anon this tigre, ful of doublenesse,      543
Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse,      544
With so heigh reverence, and, as by his cheere,      545
So lyk a gentil lovere of manere,      546
So ravysshed, as it semed, for the joye,      547
That nevere jason ne parys of troye --      548
Jason? certes, ne noon oother man      549
Syn lameth was, that alderfirst bigan      550
To loven two, as writen folk biforn --      551
Ne nevere, syn the firste man was born,      552
Ne koude man, by twenty thousand part,      553
Countrefete the sophymes of his art,      554
Ne were worthy unbokelen his galoche,      555
Ther doublenesse or feynyng sholde approche,      556
Ne so koude thonke a wight as he dide me!      557
His manere was an hevene for to see      558
Til any womman, were she never so wys,      559
So peynted he and kembde at point-devys      560
As wel his wordes as his contenaunce.      561
And I so loved hym for his obeisaunce,      562
And for the trouthe I demed in his herte,      563
That if so were that any thyng hym smerte,      564
Al were it never so lite, and I it wiste,      565
Me thoughte I felte deeth myn herte twiste.      566
And shortly, so ferforth this thyng is went,      567
That my wyl was his willes instrument;      568
This is to seyn, my wyl obeyed his wyl      569
In alle thyng, as fer as reson fil,      570
Kepynge the boundes of my worshipe evere.      571
Ne nevere hadde I thyng so lief, ne levere,      572
As hym, God woot! ne nevere shal namo.      573
This laste lenger than a yeer or two,      574
That I supposed of hym noght but good.      575
But finally, thus atte laste it stood,      576
That fortune wolde that he moste twynne      577
Out of that place which that I was inne.      578
Wher me was wo, that is no questioun;      579
I kan nat make of it discripsioun;      580
For o thyng dar I tellen boldely,      581
I knowe what is the peyne of deeth therby;      582
Swich harm I felte for he ne myghte bileve.      583
So on a day of me he took his leve,      584
So sorwefully eek that I wende verraily      585
That he had felt as muche harm as I,      586
Whan that I herde hym speke, and saugh his hewe.      587
But nathelees, I thoughte he was so trewe,      588
And eek that he repaire sholde ageyn      589
Withinne a litel while, sooth to seyn;
Page  134
     590
And resoun wolde eek that he moste go      591
For his honour, as ofte it happeth so,      592
That I made vertu of necessitee,      593
And took it wel, syn that it moste be.      594
As I best myghte, I hidde fro hym my sorwe,      595
And took hym by the hond, seint john to borwe,      596
And seyde hym thus: lo, I am youres al;      597
Beth swich as I to yow have been and shal. --      598
What he answerde, it nedeth noght reherce;      599
Who kan sey bet than he, who kan do werse?      600
Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.      601
-- Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon      602
That shal ete with a feend, -- thus herde I seye.      603
So atte laste he moste forth his weye,      604
And forth he fleeth til he cam ther hym leste.      605
Whan it cam hym to purpos for to reste,      606
I trowe he hadde thilke text in mynde,      607
That -- alle thyng, repeirynge to his kynde,      608
Gladeth hymself; -- thus seyn men, as I gesse.      609
Men loven of propre kynde newefangelnesse,      610
As briddes doon that men in cages fede.      611
For though thou nyght and day take of hem hede,      612
And strawe hir cage faire and softe as silk,      613
And yeve hem sugre, hony, breed and milk,      614
Yet right anon as that his dore is uppe,      615
He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe,      616
And to the wode he wole, and wormes ete;      617
So newefangel been they of hire mete,      618
And loven novelries of propre kynde;      619
No gentillesse of blood ne may hem bynde.      620
So ferde this tercelet, allas the day!      621
Though he were gentil born, and fressh and gay,      622
And goodlich for to seen, and humble and free,      623
He saugh upon a tyme a kyte flee,      624
And sodeynly he loved this kyte so      625
That al his love is clene fro me ago;      626
And hath his trouthe falsed in this wyse.      627
Thus hath the kyte my love in hire servyse,      628
And I am lorn withouten remedie!      629
And with that word this faucon gan to crie,      630
And swowned eft in canacees barm.      631
Greet was the sorwe for the haukes harm      632
That canacee and alle hir wommen made;      633
They nyste hou they myghte the faucon glade.      634
But canacee hom bereth hire in hir lappe,      635
And softely in plastres gan hire wrappe,      636
Ther as she with hire beek hadde hurt hirselve.      637
Now kan nat canacee but herbes delve      638
Out of the ground, and make salves newe      639
Of herbes preciouse and fyne of hewe,      640
To heelen with this hauk. Fro day to nyght      641
She dooth hire bisynesse and al hire myght,      642
And by hire beddes heed she made a mewe,      643
And covered it with veluettes blewe,      644
In signe of trouthe that is in wommen sene.      645
And al withoute, the mewe is peynted grene,      646
In which were peynted alle this false fowles,      647
As ben thise tidyves, tercelettes, and owles;      648
Right for despit were peynted hem bisyde,      649
Pyes, on hem for to crie and chyde.      650
Thus lete I canacee hir hauk kepyng;      651
I wol namoore as now speke of hir ryng,      652
Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn      653
How that this faucon gat hire love ageyn      654
Repentant, as the storie telleth us,      655
By mediacion of cambalus,      656
The kynges sone, of which that I yow tolde.      657
But hennesforth I wol my proces holde      658
To speken of aventures and of batailles,      659
That nevere yet was herd so grete mervailles.      660
First wol I telle yow of cambyuskan,      661
That in his tyme many a citee wan;      662
And after wol I speke of algarsif,      663
How that he wan theodora to his wif,      664
For whom ful ofte in greet peril he was,      665
Ne hadde he ben helpen by the steede of bras;      666
And after wol I speke of cambalo,      667
That faught in lystes with the bretheren two      668
For canacee er that he myghte hire wynne.      669
And ther I lefte I wol ayeyn bigynne.      670
Explicit secunda pars.
Incipit pars tercia.
Appollo whirleth up his chaar so hye,      671
Til that the God mercurius hous, the slye --      672
The Franklin's words to the Squire

In feith, squier, thow hast thee wel yquit      673
And gentilly. I preise wel thy wit,      674
Quod the frankeleyn, considerynge thy yowthe,      675
So feelyngly thou spekest, sire, I allow the!      676
As to my doom, ther is noon that is heere      677
Of eloquence that shal be thy peere,      678
If that thou lyve; God yeve thee good chaunce,      679
And in vertu sende thee continuance!      680
For of thy speche I have greet deyntee.
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     681
I have a sone, and by the trinitee,      682
I hadde levere than twenty pounnd worth lond,      683
Though it right now were fallen in myn hond,      684
He were a man of swich discrecioun      685
As that ye been! fy on possessioun,      686
But if a man be vertuous withal!      687
I have my sone snybbed, and yet shal,      688
For he to vertu listeth nat entende;      689
But for to pleye at dees, and to despende      690
And lese al that he hath, is his usage.      691
And he hath levere talken with a page      692
Than to comune with any gentil wight      693
Where he myghte lerne gentillesse aright.      694
Straw for youre gentillesse! quod oure hoost.      695
What, frankeleyn! pardee, sire, wel thou woost      696
That ech of yow moot tellen atte leste      697
A tale or two, or breken his biheste.      698
That knowe I wel, sire, quod the frankeleyn.      699
I prey yow, haveth me nat in desdeyn,      700
Though to this man I speke a word or two.      701
Telle on thy tale withouten wordes mo.      702
Gladly, sire hoost, quod he, I wole obeye      703
Unto your wyl; now herkneth what I seye.      704
I wol yow nat contrarien in no wyse      705
As fer as that my wittes wol suffyse.      706
I prey to God that it may plesen yow;      707
Thanne woot I wel that it is good ynow.      708
The Franklin's Prologue

Thise olde gentil britouns in hir dayes      709
Of diverse aventures maden layes,      710
Rymeyed in hir firste briton tonge;      711
Whiche leyes with hir instrumentz songe,      712
Or elles redden hem for hir plesaunce,      713
And oon of hem have I in remembraunce,      714
Which I shal seyn with good wyl as I kan.      715
But, sires, by cause I am a burel man,      716
At my bigynnyng first I yow biseche,      717
Have me excused of my rude speche.      718
I lerned nevere rethorik, certeyn;      719
Thyng that I speke, it moot be bare and pleyn.      720
I sleep nevere on the mount of pernaso,      721
Ne lerned marcus tullius scithero.      722
Colours ne knowe I none, withouten drede,      723
But swiche colours as growen in the mede,      724
Or elles swiche as men dye or peynte.      725
Colours of rethoryk been to me queynte;      726
My spririt feeleth noght of swich mateere.      727
But if yow list, my tale shul ye heere.      728
The Franklin's Tale

In armorik, that called is britayne,      729
Ther was a knyght that loved and dide his payne      730
To serve a lady in his beste wise;      731
And many a labour, many a greet emprise      732
He for his lady wroghte, er she were wonne.      733
For she was oon the faireste under sonne,      734
And eek therto comen of so heigh kynrede      735
That wel unnethes dorste this knyght, drede,      736
Telle hire his wo, his peyne, and his distresse.      737
But atte laste she, for his worthynesse,      738
And namely for his meke obeysaunce,      739
Hath swich a pitee caught of his penaunce      740
That pryvely she fil of his accord      741
To take hym for hir housbonde and hir lord,      742
Of swich lordshipe as men han over hir wyves.      743
And for to lede the moore in blisse hir lyves,      744
Of his free wyl he swoor hire as a knyght      745
That nevere in al his lyf he, day ne nyght,
Page  136
     746
Ne sholde upon hym take no maistrie      747
Agayn hir wyl, ne kithe hire jalousie,      748
But hire obeye, and folwe hir wyl in al,      749
As any lovere to his lady shal,      750
Save that the name of soveraynetee,      751
That wolde he have for shame of his degree.      752
She thanked hym, and with ful greet humblesse      753
She seyde, sire, sith of youre gentillesse      754
Ye profre me to have so large a reyne,      755
Ne wolde nevere God bitwixe us tweyne,      756
As in my gilt, were outher werre or stryf.      757
Sire, I wol be youre humble trewe wyf;      758
Have heer my trouthe, til that myn herte breste.      759
Thus been they bothe in quiete and in reste.      760
For o thyng, sires, saufly dar I seye,      761
That freendes everych oother moot obeye,      762
If they wol longe holden compaignye.      763
Love wol nat been constreyned by maistrye.      764
Whan maistrie comth, the God of love anon      765
Beteth his wynges, and farewel, he is gon!      766
Love is a thyng as any spirit free.      767
Wommen, of kynde, desiren libertee,      768
And nat to been constreyned as a thral;      769
And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal.      770
Looke who that is moost pacient in love,      771
He is at his advantage al above.      772
Pacience is an heigh vertu, certeyn,      773
For it venquysseth, as thise clerkes seyn,      774
Thynges that rigour sholde nevere atteyne.      775
For every word men may nat chide or pleyne.      776
Lerneth to suffre, or elles, so moot I goon,      777
Ye shul it lerne, wher so ye wole or noon;      778
For in this world, certein, ther no wight is      779
That he ne dooth or seith somtyme amys.      780
Ire, siknesse, or constellacioun,      781
Wyn, wo, or chaungynge of complexioun      782
Causeth ful ofte to doon amys or speken.      783
On every wrong a man may nat be wreken.      784
After the tyme moste be temperaunce      785
To every wight that kan on governaunce.      786
And therfore hath this wise, worthy knyght,      787
To lyve in ese, suffrance hire bihight,      788
And she to hym ful wisly gan to swere      789
That nevere sholde ther be defaunte in here.      790
Heere may men seen an humble, wys accord;      791
Thus hath she take hir servant and hir lord, --      792
Servant in love, and lord in mariage.      793
Thanne was he bothe in lordshipe and servage.      794
Servage? nay, but in lordshipe above,      795
Sith he hath bothe his lady and his love;      796
His lady, certes, and his wyf also,      797
The which that lawe of love acordeth to.      798
And whan he was in this prosperitee,      799
Hoom with his wyf he gooth to his contree,      800
Nat fer fro pedmark, ther his dwellyng was,      801
Where as he lyveth in blisse and in solas.      802
Who koude telle, but he hadde wedded be,      803
The joye, the ese, and the prosperitee      804
That is bitwixe and housbonde and his wyf?      805
A yeer and moore lasted this blisful lyf,      806
Til that the knyght of which I speke thus,      807
That of kayrrud was cleped arveragus,      808
Shoop hym to goon and dwelle a yeer or tweyne      809
In engelond, that cleped was eek briteyne,      810
To seke in armes worshipe and honour;      811
For al his lust he sette in swich labour;      812
And dwelled there two yeer, the book seith thus.      813
now wol I stynten of this arveragus,      814
And speken I wole of dorigen his wyf,      815
That loveth hire housbonde as hire hertes lyf,      816
For his absence wepeth she and siketh,      817
As doon thise noble wyves whan hem liketh.      818
She moorneth, waketh, wayleth, fasteth, pleyneth;      819
Desir of his presence hire so destreyneth      820
That al this wyde world she sette at noght.      821
Hire freendes, whiche that knewe hir hevy thoght,      822
Conforten hire in al that ever they may.      823
They prechen hire, they telle hire nyght and day      824
That causelees she sleeth hirself, allas!      825
And every confort possible in this cas      826
They doon to hire with al hire bisynesse,      827
Al for to make hire leve hire hevynesse.      828
by process, as ye knowen everichoon,      829
Men may so longe graven in a stoon      830
Til som figure therinne emprented be.      831
So longe han they conforted hire, til she      832
Receyved hath, by hope and by resoun,      833
The empreyntyng of hire consolacioun,      834
Thurgh which hir grete sorwe gan aswage;      835
She may nat alwey duren in swich rage      836
and eek arveragus, in al this care,      837
Hath sent hire lettres hoom of his welfare,      838
And that he wol come hastily agayn;      839
Or elles hadde this sorwe hir herte slayn.      840
hire freendes sawe hir sorwe gan to slake,      841
And preyde hire on knees, for goddes sake,      842
To come and romen hire in compaignye,      843
Awey to dryve hire derke fantasye.      844
And finally she graunted that requeste,      845
For wel she saugh that it was for the beste.      846
now stood hire castel faste by the see,      847
And often with hire freendes walketh shee,
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     848
Hire to disporte, upon the bank an heigh,      849
Where as she many a ship and barge seigh      850
Seillynge hir cours, where as hem liste go.      851
But thanne was that a parcel of hire wo,      852
For to hirself ful ofte, allas! seith she,      853
Is ther no ship, of so manye as I se,      854
Wol bryngeth hom my lord? thanne were myn herte      855
Al warisshed of his bittre peynes smerte.      856
another tyme them wolde she sitte and thynke,      857
And caste hir eyen dounward fro the brynke.      858
But whan she saugh the grisly rokkes blake,      859
For verray feere so wolde hir herte quake      860
That on hire feet she myghte hire noght sustene.      861
Thanne wolde she sitte adoun upon the grene,      862
And pitously into the see biholde,      863
And seyn right thus, with sorweful sikes colde --      864
eterne god, that thurgh thy purveiaunce      865
Ledest the world by certein governaunce,      866
In ydel, as men seyn, ye no thyng make,      867
But, lord, thise grisly feendly rokkes blake,      868
That semen rather a foul confusion      869
Of werk than any fair creacion      870
Of swich a parfit wys God and a stable      871
Why han ye wroght this werk unresonable?      872
For by this werk, south, north, ne west, ne eest,      873
Ther nys yfostred man, ne bryd, ne beest;      874
It dooth no good, to my wit, but anoyeth.      875
So ye nat, lord, how mankynde it destroyeth?      876
An hundred thousand bodyes of mankynde      877
Han rokkes slayn, al be they nat in mynde,      878
Which mankynde is so fair part of thy werk      879
That thou it madest lyk to thyn owene merk.      880
Thanne semed it ye hadde a greet chiertee      881
Toward mankynde; but how thanne may it bee      882
That ye swiche meenes make it to destroyen,      883
Whiche meenes do no good, but evere anoyen?      884
I woot wel clerkes wol seyn as hem leste,      885
By argumentz, that al is for the beste,      886
Though I ne kan the causes nat yknowe.      887
But thilke God that made wynd to blowe      888
As kepe my lord! this my conclusion.      889
To clerkes lete I al disputison.      890
But wolde God that alle thise rokkes blake      891
Were sonken into helle for his sake!      892
Thise rokkes sleen myn herte for the feere.      893
Thus wolde she seyn, with many a pitous teere.      894
hire freendes sawe that it was no disport      895
To romen by the see, but disconfort,      896
And shopen for to pleyen somwher elles.      897
They leden hire by ryveres and by welles,      898
And eek in othere places delitables;      899
They dauncen, and they pleyen at ches and tables.      900
so on a day, right in the morwe-tyde,      901
Unto a gardyn that was ther bisyde,      902
In which that they hadde maad hir ordinaunce      903
Of vitaille and of oother purveiaunce,      904
They goon and pleye hem al the longe day.      905
And this was on the sixte morwe of may,      906
Which may hadde peynted with his softe shoures      907
This gardyn ful of leves and of floures;      908
And craft of mannes hand so curiously      909
Arrayed hadde this gardyn, trewely,      910
That nevere was ther gardyn of swich prys,      911
But if it were the verray paradys.      912
The odour of floures and the fresshe sighte      913
Wolde han maked any herte lighte      914
That evere was born, but if to greet siknesse,      915
Or to greet sorwe, helde it in distresse;      916
So ful it was of beautee with plesaunce.      917
At after-dyner gonne they to daunce,      918
And synge also, save dorigen allone,      919
Which made alwey hir compleint and hir moone,      920
For she ne saugh hym on the daunce go      921
That was hir housbonde and hir love also.      922
But nathelees she moste a tyme abyde,      923
And with good hope lete hir sorwe slyde.      924
upon this daunce, amonges othere men,      925
Daunced a squier biforn dorigen,      926
That fressher was and jolyer of array,      927
As to my doom, than is the month of may.      928
He syngeth, daunceth, passynge any man      929
That is, or was, sith that the world bigan.      930
Therwith he was, if men sholde hym discryve,      931
Oon of the beste farynge man on lyve;      932
Yong, strong, right vertuous, and riche, and wys,      933
And wel biloved, and holden in greet prys.      934
And shortly, if the sothe I tellen shal,      935
Unwityng of this dorigen at al,      936
This lusty squier, servant to venus,      937
Which that ycleped was aurelius,      938
Hadde loved hire best of any creature      939
Two yeer and moore, as was his aventure,      940
But nevere dorste he tellen hire his grevaunce.      941
Withouten coppe he drank al his penaunce.      942
He was despeyred; no thyng dorste he seye,      943
Save in his songes somwhat wolde he wreye      944
His wo, as in a general compleynyng;      945
He seyde he lovede, and was biloved no thyng.      946
Of swich matere made he manye layes,      947
Songes, compleintes, roundels, virelayes,      948
How that he dorste nat his sorwe telle,
Page  138
     949
But langwissheth as a furye dooth in helle;      950
And dye he moste, he seyde, as dide ekko      951
For narcisus, that dorste nat telle hir wo.      952
In oother manere than ye heere me seye,      953
Ne dorste he nat to hire his wo biwreye,      954
Save that, paraventure, somtyme at daunces,      955
Ther yonge folk kepen hir observaunces,      956
It may wel be he looked on hir face      957
In swich a wise as man that asketh grace;      958
But nothyng wiste she of his entente.      959
Nathelees it happed, er they thennes wente,      960
By cause that he was hire neighebour,      961
And was a man of worshipe and honour,      962
And hadde yknowen hym of tyme yoore,      963
They fille in speche; and forth, moore and moore,      964
Unto his purpos drough aurelius,      965
and whan he saugh his tyme, he seyde thus --      966
madame, quod he, by God that this world made,      967
So that I wiste it myghte youre herte glade,      968
I wolde that day that youre arveragus      969
Wente over the see, that I, aurelius,      970
Hadde went ther nevere I sholde have come agayn.      971
For wel I woot my servyce is in vayn;      972
My gerdon is but brestyng of myn herte.      973
Madame, reweth upon my peynes smerte;      974
For with a word ye may me sleen or save.      975
Heere at youre feet God wolde that I were grave!      976
I ne have as now no leyser moore to seye;      977
Have mercy, sweete, or ye wol do me deye!      978
she gan to looke upon aurelius --      979
Is this youre wyl, quod she, and sey ye thus?      980
Nevere erst, quod she, ne wiste I what ye mente.      981
But now, aurelie, I knowe your entente,      982
By thilke God that yaf me soule and lyf,      983
Ne shal I nevere been untrewe wyf      984
In word ne werk, as fer as I have wit;      985
I wol been his to whom that I am knyt.      986
Taak this for fynal answere as of me.      987
But after that in pley thus seyde she --      988
aurelie, quod she, by heighe God above,      989
Yet wolde I graunte yow to been youre love,      990
Syn I yow se so pitously complayne.      991
Looke what day that endelong britayne      992
Ye remoeve alle the rokkes, stoon by stoon,      993
That they ne lette ship ne boot to goon, --      994
I seye, whan ye han maad the coost so clene      995
Of rokkes that ther nys no stoon ysene,      996
Thanne wol I love yow best of any man,      997
Have heer my trouthe, in al that evere I kan.      998
Is ther noon oother grace in yow? quod he.      999
no, by that lord, quod she, that maked me!      1000
For wel I woot that it shal never bityde.      1001
Lat swiche folies out of youre herte slyde.      1002
What deyntee sholde a man han in his lyf      1003
For to go love another mannes wyf,      1004
That hath hir body whan so that hym liketh?      1005
aurelius ful ofte soore siketh;      1006
Wo was aurelie whan that he this herde,      1007
And with a sorweful herte he thus answerde;      1008
madame, quod he, this were inpossible!      1009
Thanne moot I dye of sodeyn deth horrible.      1010
And with that word he turned hym anon.      1011
Tho coome hir othere freendes many oon,      1012
And in the aleyes romeden up and doun,      1013
And nothyng wiste of this conclusioun,      1014
But sodeynly bigonne revel newe      1015
Til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe;      1016
For th'orisonte hath reft the sonne his lyght, --      1017
This is as muche to seye as it was nyght! --      1018
And hoom they goon in joye and in solas,      1019
Save oonly wrecche aurelius, allas!      1020
He to his hous is goon with sorweful herte.      1021
He seeth he may nat fro his deeth asterte;      1022
Hym semed that he felte his herte colde.      1023
Up to the hevene his handes he gan holde,      1024
And on his knowes bare he sette hym doun,      1025
And in his ravyng seyde his orisoun.      1026
For verray wo out of his wit he breyde.      1027
He nyste what he spak, but thus he seyde;      1028
With pitous herte his pleynt hath bigonne      1029
Unto the goddes, and first unto the sonne;      1030
he seyde, appollo, God and governour      1031
Of every plaunte, herbe, tree, and flour,      1032
That yevest, after thy declinacion,      1033
To ech of hem his tyme and his seson,      1034
As thyn herberwe chaungeth lowe or heighe,      1035
Lord phebus, cast thy merciable eighe      1036
On wrecche aurelie, which that am but lorn.      1037
Lo, lord! my lady hath my deeth ysworn      1038
Withoute gilt, but thy benignytee      1039
Upon my dedly herte have som pitee.      1040
For wel I woot, lord phebus, if yow lest,      1041
Ye may me helpen, save my lady, best.      1042
Now voucheth sauf that I may yow devyse      1043
How that I may been holpen and in what wyse.      1044
youre blisful suster, lucina the sheene,      1045
That of the see is chief goddesse and queene      1046
(though neptunus have deitee in the see,,      1047
Yet emperisse aboven hym is she),      1048
Ye knowen wel, lord, that right as hir desir      1049
Is to be quyked and lighted of youre fir,
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     1050
For which she folweth yow ful bisily,      1051
Right so the see desireth naturelly      1052
To folwen hire, as she that is goddesse      1053
Bothe in the see and ryveres moore and lesse.      1054
Wherfore, lord phebus, this is my requeste --      1055
Do this miracle, or do myn herte breste --      1056
That now next at this opposicion      1057
Which in the signe shal be of the leon,      1058
As preieth hire so greet a flood to brynge      1059
That fyve fadme at the leeste it oversprynge      1060
The hyeste rokke in armorik briteyne;      1061
And lat this flood endure yeres tweyne.      1062
Thanne certes to my lady may I seye,      1063
'holdeth youre heste, the rokkes been aweye.'      1064
lord phebus, dooth this miracle for me.      1065
Preye hire she go no faster cours than ye;      1066
I seye, preyeth your suster that she go      1067
No faster cours than ye thise yeres two.      1068
Thanne shal she been evene atte fulle alwey,      1069
And spryng flood laste bothe nyght and day.      1070
And but she vouche sauf in swich manere      1071
To graunte me my sovereyn lady deere,      1072
Prey hire to synken every rok adoun      1073
Into hir owene dirke regioun      1074
Under the ground, ther pluto dwelleth inne,      1075
Or nevere mo shal I my lady wynne.      1076
Thy temple in delphos wol I barefoot seke.      1077
Lord phebus, se the teris on my cheke,      1078
And of my peyne have som compassioun.      1079
And with that word in swowne he fil adoun,      1080
And longe tyme he lay forth in a traunce.      1081
his brother, which that knew of his penaunce,      1082
Up caughte hym, and to bedde he hath hym broght.      1083
Dispeyred in this torment and this thoght      1084
Lete I this woful creature lye;      1085
Chese he, for me, wheither he wol lyve or dye.      1086
arveragus, with heele and greet honour,      1087
As he that was of chivalrie the flour,      1088
Is comen hoom, and othere worthy men.      1089
O blisful artow now, thou dorigen,      1090
That hast thy lusty housbonde in thyne armes,      1091
The fresshe knyght, the worthy man of armes,      1092
That loveth thee as his owene hertes lyf.      1093
No thyng list hym to been ymaginatyf,      1094
If any wight hadde spoke, whil he was oute,      1095
To hire of love; he hadde of it no doute.      1096
He noght entendeth to no swich mateere,      1097
But daunceth, justeth, maketh hire good cheere;      1098
And thus in joye and blisse I lete hem dwelle,      1099
And of the sike aurelius wol I telle.      1100
in langour and in torment furyus      1101
Two yeer and moore lay wrecche aurelyus,      1102
Er any foot he myghte on erthe gon;      1103
Ne confort in this tyme hadde he noon,      1104
Save of his brother, which that was a clerk.      1105
He knew of al this wo and al this werk;      1106
For to noon oother creature, certeyn,      1107
Of this matere he dorste no word seyn.      1108
Under his brest he baar it moore secree      1109
Than evere dide pamphilus for galathee.      1110
His brest was hool, withoute for to sene,      1111
But in his herte ay was the arwe kene.      1112
And wel ye knowe that of a sursanure      1113
In surgerye is perilus the cure,      1114
But men myghte touche the arwe, or come therby.      1115
His brother weep and wayled pryvely,      1116
Til atte laste hym fil in remembraunce,      1117
That whiles he was at orliens in fraunce,      1118
As yonge clerkes, that been lykerous      1119
To redern artes that been curious,      1120
Seken in every halke and every herne      1121
Particuler sciences for to lerne --      1122
He hym remembred that, upon a day,      1123
At orliens in studie a book he say      1124
Of magyk natureel, which his felawe,      1125
That was that tyme a bacheler of lawe,      1126
Al were he ther to lerne another craft,      1127
Hadde prively upon his desk ylaft;      1128
Which book spak muchel of the operaciouns      1129
Touchynge the eighte and twenty mansiouns      1130
That longen to the moone, and swich folye      1131
As in oure dayes is nat worth a flye, --      1132
For hooly chirches feith in our bileve      1133
Ne suffreth noon illusioun us to greve.      1134
And whan this book was in his remembraunce,      1135
Anon for joye his herte gan to daunce,      1136
And to hymself he seyde pryvely;      1137
My brother shal be warisshed hastily;      1138
For I am siker that ther be sciences      1139
By whiche men make diverse apparences,      1140
Swiche as thise subtile tregetoures pleye.      1141
For ofte at feestes have I wel herd seye      1142
That tregetours, withinne an halle large,      1143
Have maad come in a water and a barge,      1144
And in the halle rowen up and doun.      1145
Somtyme hath semed come a grym leoun;      1146
And sometyme floures sprynge as in a mede;      1147
Somtyme a vyne, and grapes white and rede;      1148
Somtyme a castel, al of lym and stoon;      1149
And whan hem lyked, voyded it anon.      1150
Thus semed it to every mannes sighte.      1151
Now thanne conclude I thus, that if I myghte      1152
At orliens som oold felawe yfynde      1153
That hadde thise moones mansions in mynde,
Page  140
     1154
Or oother magyk natureel above,      1155
He sholde wel make my brother han his love.      1156
For with an apparence a clerk may make,      1157
To mannes sighte, that alle the rokkes blake      1158
Of britaigne weren yvoyded everichon,      1159
And shippes by the brynke comen and gon,      1160
And in swich forme enduren a wowke or two.      1161
Thanne were my brother warisshed of his wo;      1162
Thanne moste she nedes holden hire biheste,      1163
Or elles he shal shame hire atte leeste.      1164
what sholde I make a lenger tale of this?      1165
Unto his brotheres bed he comen is,      1166
And swich confort he yaf hym for to gon      1167
To orliens that he up stirte anon,      1168
And on his wey forthward thanne is he fare      1169
In hope for to been lissed of his care.      1170
whan they were come almoost to that citee,      1171
But if it were a two furlong or thre,      1172
A yong clerk romynge by hymself they mette,      1173
Which that in latyn thriftily hem grette,      1174
And after that he seyde a wonder thyng --      1175
I knowe, quod he, the cause of youre comyng.      1176
And er they ferther any foote wente,      1177
He tolde hem al that was in hire entente.      1178
this briton clerk hym asked of felawes      1179
The whiche that he had knowe in olde dawes,      1180
And he answerde hym that they dede were,      1181
For which he weep ful ofte many a teere.      1182
doun of his hors aurelius lighte anon,      1183
And with this magicien forth is he gon      1184
Hoom to his hous, and maden hem wel at ese.      1185
Hem lakked no vitaille that myghte hem plese.      1186
So wel arrayed hous as ther was oon      1187
Aurelius in his lyf saugh nevere noon.      1188
he shewed hym, er he wente to sopeer,      1189
Forestes, parkes ful of wilde deer;      1190
Ther saugh he hertes with hir hornes hye,      1191
The gretteste that evere were seyn with ye.      1192
He saugh of hem an hondred slayn with houndes,      1193
And somme with arwes blede of bittre woundes.      1194
He saugh, whan voyded were thise wilde deer,      1195
Thise fauconers upon a fair ryver,      1196
That with hir haukes han the heron slayn.      1197
tho saugh he knyghtes justyng in a playn;      1198
And after this he dide hym swich plesaunce      1199
That he hym shewed his lady on a daunce,      1200
On which hymself he daunced, as hym thoughte.      1201
And whan this maister that this magyk wroughte      1202
Saugh it was tyme, he clapte his handes two,      1203
And farewel! al oure revel was ago,      1204
And yet remoeved they nevere out of the hous,      1205
Whil they saugh al this sighte merveillous,      1206
But in his studie, ther as his bookes be,      1207
They seten stille, and no wight but they thre.      1208
to hym this maister called his squier,      1209
And seyde hym thus -- is redy oure soper?      1210
Almoost an houre it is, I undertake,      1211
Sith I yow bad oure soper for to make,      1212
Whan that thise wrothy men wenten with me      1213
Into my studie, ther as my bookes be.      1214
sire, quod this squier, whan it liketh yow,      1215
It is al redy, though ye wol right now.      1216
Go we thanne soupe, quod he, as for the beste.      1217
Thise amorous folk somtyme moote han hir reste.      1218
at after-soper fille they in tretee      1219
What somme sholde this maistres gerdon be,      1220
To remoeven alle the rokkes of britayne,      1221
And eek from gerounde to the mouth of sayne.      1222
he made it straunge, and swoor, so God hym save,      1223
Lasse than a thousand pound he wolde nat have,      1224
Ne gladly for than somme he wolde nat goon.      1225
aurelius, with blisful herte anoon,      1226
Answerde thus -- fy on a thousand pound!      1227
This wyde world, which that men seye is round,      1228
I wolde it yeve, if I were lord of it.      1229
This bargayn is ful dryve, for we been knyt.      1230
Ye shal be payed trewely, by my trouthe!      1231
But looketh now, for no necligence or slouthe      1232
Ye tarie us heere no lenger than to-morwe.      1233
nay, quod this clerk, have heer my feith to borwe.      1234
to bedde is goon aurelius whan hym leste,      1235
And wel ny al that nyght he hadde his reste.      1236
What for his labour and his hope of blisse,      1237
His woful herte of penaunce hadde a lisse.      1238
upon the morwe, what that it was day,      1239
To britaigne tooke they the righte way,      1240
Aurelius and this magicien bisyde,      1241
And been descended ther they wolde abyde.      1242
And this was, as thise bookes me remembre,      1243
The colde, frosty seson of decembre.      1244
phebus wax old, and hewed lyk laton,      1245
That in his hoote declynacion      1246
Shoon as the burned gold with stremes brighte;      1247
But now in capricorn adoun he lighte,      1248
Where as he shoon ful pale, I dar wel seyn,      1249
The bittre frostes, with the sleet and reyn,
Page  141
     1250
Destroyed hath the grene in every yerd.      1251
Janus sit by the fyr, with double berd,      1252
And drynketh of his bugle horn the wyn;      1253
Biforn hym stant brawen of the tusked swyn,      1254
And nowel crieth every lusty man.      1255
aurelius, in al that evere he kan,      1256
Dooth to this maister chiere and reverence,      1257
And preyeth hym to doon his diligence      1258
To bryngen hym out of his peynes smerte,      1259
Or with swerd that he wolde slitte his herte.      1260
this subtil clerk swich routhe had of this man      1261
That nyght and day he spedde hym that he kan      1262
To wayten a tyme of his conclusioun;      1263
This is to seye, to maken illusioun,      1264
By swich an apparence or jogelrye --      1265
I ne kan no termes of astrologye --      1266
That she and every wight sholde wene and seye      1267
That of britaigne the rokkes were aweye,      1268
Or ellis they were sonken under grounde.      1269
So atte laste he hath his tyme yfounde      1270
To maken his japes and his wrecchednesse      1271
Of swich a supersticiuos cursednesse.      1272
His tables tolletanes forth he brought,      1273
Ful wel corrected, ne ther lakked nought,      1274
Neither his collect ne his expans yeeris,      1275
Ne his rootes, ne his othere geeris,      1276
As been his centris and his argumentz      1277
And his proporcioneles convenientz      1278
For his equacions in every thyng.      1279
And by his eighte speere in his wirkyng      1280
He knew ful wel how fer alnath was shove      1281
For the heed of thilke fixe aries above,      1282
That in the ninthe speere considered is;      1283
Ful subtilly he kalkulled al this.      1284
whan he hadde founde his firste mansioun,      1285
He knew the remenaunt by propocioun,      1286
And knew the arisyng of his moone weel,      1287
And in whos face, and terme, and everydeel;      1288
And knew ful weel the moones mansioun      1289
Acordaunt to his operacioun,      1290
And knew also his othere observaunces      1291
For swiche illusiouns and swiche meschaunces      1292
As hethen folk useden in thilke dayes.      1293
For which no lenger maked he delayes,      1294
But thurgh his magik, for a wyke or tweye,      1295
It semed that alle the rokkes were aweye.      1296
aurelius, which that yet despeired is      1297
Wher he shal han his love or fare amys,      1298
Awaitheth nyght and day on this myracle;      1299
And whan he knew that ther was noon obstacle,      1300
That voyded were thise rokkes everychon,      1301
Doun to his maistres feet he fil anon,      1302
And seyde, I woful wrecche, aurelius,      1303
Thanke yow, lord, and lady myn venus,      1304
That me han holpen fro my cares colde.      1305
And to the temple his wey forth hath he holde,      1306
Where as he knew he sholde his lady see.      1307
And whan he saugh his tyme, anon-right hee,      1308
With dredful herte and with ful humble cheere,      1309
Salewed hath his sovereyn lady deere --      1310
my righte lady, quod this woful man,      1311
Whom I moost drede and love as best I kan,      1312
And lothest were of al this world displese,      1313
Nere it that I for yow have swich disese      1314
That I moste dyen heere at youre foot anon,      1315
Noght wolde I telle how me is wo bigon.      1316
But certes outher moste I dye or pleyne;      1317
Ye sle me giltelees for verray peyne.      1318
But of my deeth thogh that ye have no routhe,      1319
Avyseth yow er that ye breke youre trouthe.      1320
Repenteth yow, for thilke God above,      1321
Er ye me sleen by cause that I yow love.      1322
For, madame, wel ye woot what ye han hight --      1323
Nat that I chalange any thyng of right      1324
Of yow, my sovereyn lady, but youre grace --      1325
But in a gardyn yond, at swich a place,      1326
Ye woot right wel what ye bihighten me;      1327
And in my hand youre trouthe plighten ye      1328
To love me best -- God woot, ye seyde so,      1329
Al be that I unworthy am therto.      1330
Madame, I speke it for the honour of yow      1331
Moore than to save myn hertes lyf right now, --      1332
I have do so as ye comanded me;      1333
And if ye vouche sauf, ye may go see.      1334
Dooth as yow list; have youre biheste in mynde,      1335
For, quyk or deed, right there ye shal me fynde.      1336
In yow lith al to do me lyve or deye, --      1337
But wel I woot the rokkes been aweye.      1338
he taketh his leve, and she astoned stood;      1339
In al hir face nas a drope of blood.      1340
She wende nevere han come in swich a trappe.      1341
Allas, quod she, that evere this sholde happe!      1342
For wende I nevere by possibilitee      1343
That swich a monstre or merveille myghte be!      1344
It is agayns the proces of nature.      1345
And hoom she goth a sorweful creature;      1346
For verray feere unnethe may she go.      1347
She wepeth, wailleth, al a day or two.      1348
And swowneth, that it routhe was to see.      1349
But why it was to no wight tolde shee,      1350
For out of towne was goon arveragus.      1351
But to hirself she spak, and seyde thus,      1352
With face pale and with ful sorweful cheere,      1353
In hire compleynt, as ye shal after heere --      1354
allas, quod she, on thee, fortune, I pleyne,
Page  142
     1355
That unwar wrapped hast me in thy cheyne,      1356
Fro which t'escape woot I no socour,      1357
Save oonly deeth or elles dishonour;      1358
Oon of thise two bihoveth me to chese.      1359
But nathelees, yet have I levere to lese      1360
My lif than of my body to have a shame,      1361
Or knowe myselven fals, or lese my name;      1362
And with my deth I may be quyt, ywis.      1363
Hath ther nat many a noble wyf er this,      1364
And many a mayde, yslayn hirself, allas!      1365
Rather than with hir body doon trespas?      1366
yis, certes, lo, thise stories beren witnesse --      1367
Whan thritty tirauntz, ful of cursednesse,      1368
Hadde slayn phidon in atthenes atte feste,      1369
They comanded his doghtres for t'areste,      1370
And bryngen hem biforn hem in despit,      1371
Al naked, to fulfille hir foul delit,      1372
And in hir fadres blood they made hem daunce      1373
Upon the pavement, God yeve hem meschaunce!      1374
For which thise woful maydens, ful of drede,      1375
Rather than they wolde lese hir maydenhede,      1376
They prively been stirt into a welle,      1377
And dreynte hemselven, as the bookes telle.      1378
they of mecene leete enquere and seke      1379
Of lacedomye fifty maydens eke,      1380
On whiche they wolden doon hir lecherye.      1381
But was ther noon of al that compaignye      1382
That she nas slayn, and with a good entente      1383
Chees rather for to dye than assente      1384
To been oppressed of hir maydenhede.      1385
Why sholde I thanne to dye been in drede?      1386
Lo, eek, the tiraunt aristoclides,      1387
That loved a mayden, heet stymphalides,      1388
Whan that hir fader slayn was on a nyght,      1389
Unto dianes temple goth she right,      1390
And hente the ymage in hir handes two,      1391
Fro which ymage wolde she nevere go.      1392
No wight ne myghte hir handes of it arace      1393
Til she was slayn, right in the selve place.      1394
now sith that maydens hadden swich despit      1395
To been defouled with mannes foul delit,      1396
Wel oghte a wyf rather hirselven slee      1397
Than be defouled, as it thynketh me.      1398
What shal I seyn of hasdrubales wyf,      1399
That at cartage birafte hirself hir lyf?      1400
For whan she saugh that romayns wan the toun,      1401
She took hir children alle, and skipte adoun      1402
Into the fyr, and chees rather to dye      1403
Than any romayn dide hire vileynye.      1404
Hath nat lucresse yslayn hirself, allas!      1405
At rome, whan that she oppressed was      1406
Of tarquyn, for hire thoughte it was a shame      1407
To lyven whan that she had lost hir name?      1408
The sevene maydens of milesie also      1409
Han slayn hemself, for verrey drede and wo,      1410
Rather than folk of gawle hem sholde oppresse.      1411
Mo than a thousand stories, as I gesse,      1412
Koude I now telle as touchynge this mateere.      1413
Whan habradate was slayn, his wyf so deere      1414
Hirselven slow, and leet hir blood to glyde      1415
In habradates woundes depe and wyde,      1416
And seyde, my body, at the leeste way,      1417
Ther shal no wight defoulen, if I may.      1418
what sholde I mo ensamples heerof sayn,      1419
Sith that so manye han hemselven slayn      1420
Wel rather than they wolde defouled be?      1421
I wol conclude that it is bet for me      1422
To sleen myself than been defouled thus.      1423
I wol be trewe unto arveragus,      1424
Or rather sleen myself in som manere,      1425
As dide demociones doghter deere      1426
By cause that she wolde nat defouled be.      1427
O cedasus, it is ful greet pitee      1428
To reden how thy doghtren deyde, allas!      1429
That slowe hemself for swich a manere cas.      1430
As greet a pitee was it, or wel moore,      1431
The theban mayden that for nichanore      1432
Hirselven slow, right for swich manere wo.      1433
Another theban mayden dide right so;      1434
For oon of macidonye hadde hire oppressed,      1435
She with hire deeth hir maydenhede redressed.      1436
What shal I seye of nicerates wyf,      1437
That for swich cas birafte hirself hir lyf?      1438
How trewe eek was to alcebiades      1439
His love, that rather for to dyen chees      1440
Than for to suffre his body unburyed be.      1441
Lo, which a wyf was alceste, quod she.      1442
What seith omer of good penalopee?      1443
Al grece knoweth of hire chastitee      1444
Pardee, of laodomya is writen thus,      1445
That whan at troie was slayn protheselaus,      1446
Ne lenger wolde she lyve after his day.      1447
The same of noble porcia telle I may;      1448
Withoute brutus koude she nat lyve,      1449
To whom she hadde al hool hir herte yive.      1450
The parfit wyfhod of arthemesie      1451
Honured is thurgh al the barbarie.      1452
O teuta, queene! thy wyfly chastitee      1453
To alle wyves may a mirour bee.      1454
The same thyng I seye of bilyea,      1455
Of rodogne, and eek valeria.      1456
thus pleyned dorigen a day or tweye,      1457
Purposynge evere that she wolde deye.      1458
But nathelees, upon the thridde nyght,      1459
Hoom cam arveragus, this worthy knyght,      1460
And asked hire why that she weep so soore;
Page  143
     1461
And she gan wepen ever lenger the moore.      1462
Allas, quod she, that evere was I born!      1463
Thus have I seyd, quod she, thus have I sworn --      1464
And toold hym al as ye han herd bifore;      1465
It nedeth nat reherce it yow namoore.      1466
This housbonde, with glad chiere, in freendly wyse      1467
Answerde and seyde as I shal yow devyse --      1468
Is ther oght elles, dorigen, but this?      1469
nay, nay, quod she, God helpe me so as wys!      1470
This is to muche, and it were goddes wille.      1471
ye, wyf, quod he, lat slepen that is stille.      1472
It may be wel, paraventure, yet to day.      1473
Ye shul youre trouthe holden, by my fay!      1474
For God so wisly have mercy upon me,      1475
I hadde wel levere ystiked for to be      1476
For verray love which I to yow have,      1477
But if ye sholde youre trouthe kepe and save.      1478
Trouthe is the hyeste thyng that man may kepe --      1479
But with that word he brast anon to wepe,      1480
And seyde, I yow forbede, up peyne of deeth,      1481
That nevere, whil thee lasteth lyf ne breeth,      1482
To no wight telle thou of this aventure, --      1483
As I may best, I wol my wo endure      1484
Ne make no contenance of hevynesse,      1485
That folk of yow may demen harm or gesse.      1486
and forth he cleped a squier and a mayde --      1487
Gooth forth anon with dorigen, he sayde,      1488
And bryngeth hire to swich a place anon.      1489
They take hir leve, and on hir wey they gon      1490
But they ne wiste why she thider wente.      1491
He nolde no wight tellen his entente.      1492
paraventure an heep of yow, ywis,      1493
Wol holden hym a lewed man in this      1494
That he wol putte his wyf in jupartie.      1495
Herkneth the tale er ye upon hire crie.      1496
She may have bettre fortune than yow semeth;      1497
And whan that ye han herd the tale, demeth.      1498
this squier, which that highte aurelius,      1499
On dorigen that was so amorous,      1500
Of aventure happed hire to meete      1501
Amydde the toun, right in the quykkest strete,      1502
As she was bown to goon the wey forth right      1503
Toward the gardyn ther as she had hight.      1504
And he was to the gardyn-ward also --      1505
For wel he spyed whan she wolde go      1506
Out of hir hous to any maner place.      1507
But thus they mette, of aventure or grace,      1508
And he saleweth hire with glad entente,      1509
And asked of hire whiderward she wente;      1510
And she answerde, half as she were mad,      1511
Unto the gardyn, as myn housbonde bad,      1512
My trouthe for to holde, allas! allas!      1513
aurelius gan wondren on this cas,      1514
And in his herte hadde greet compassioun      1515
Of hire and of hire lamentacioun,      1516
And of arveragus, the worthy knyght,      1517
That bad hire holden al that she had hight,      1518
So looth hym was his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe      1519
And in his herte he caughte of this greet routhe,      1520
Considerynge the beste on every syde,      1521
That fro his lust yet were hym levere abyde      1522
Than doon so heigh a cherlyssh wrecchednesse      1523
Agayns franchise and all gentillesse;      1524
For which in fewe wordes seyde he thus --      1525
madame, seyth to youre lord arveragus,      1526
That sith I se his grete gentillesse      1527
To yow, and eek I se wel youre distresse,      1528
That him were levere han shame (and that were routhe)      1529
Than ye to me sholde breke thus youre trouthe,      1530
I have wel levere evere to suffre wo      1531
Than I departe the love bitwix yow two.      1532
I yow relesse, madame, into youre hond      1533
Quyt every serement and every bond      1534
That ye han maad to me as heerbiforn,      1535
Sith thilke tyme which that ye were born.      1536
My trouthe I plighte, I shal yow never repreve      1537
Of no biheste, and heere I take my leve,      1538
As of the treweste and the beste wyf      1539
That evere yet I knew in al my lyf.      1540
But every wyf be war of hire biheeste!      1541
Or dorigen remembreth, atte leeste.      1542
Thus kan a squier doon a gentil dede      1543
As wel as kan a knyght, withouten drede.      1544
she thonketh hym upon hir knees al bare,      1545
And hoom unto hir housbonde is she fare,      1546
And tolde hym al, as ye han herd me sayd;      1547
And be ye siker, he was so weel apayd      1548
That it were inpossible me to wryte.      1549
What sholde I lenger of this cas endyte?      1550
arveragus and dorigen his wyf      1551
In sovereyn blisse leden forth hir lyf.      1552
Nevere eft ne was ther angre hem bitweene.      1553
He cherisseth hire as though she were a queene,      1554
And she was to hym trewe for everemoore.      1555
Of thise two folk ye gete of me namoore.      1556
aurelius, that his cost hath al forlorn,      1557
Curseth the tyme that evere he was born --      1558
Allas, quod he, allas, that I bihighte      1559
Of pured gold a thousand pound of wighte      1560
Unto this philosophre! how shal I do?
Page  144
     1561
I se namoore but that I am fordo.      1562
Myn heritage moot I nedes selle,      1563
And been a beggere; heere may I nat dwelle,      1564
And shamen al my kynrede in this place,      1565
But I of hym may gete bettre grace.      1566
But nathelees, I wole of hym assaye,      1567
At certeyn dayes, yeer by yeer, to paye,      1568
And thanke hym of his grete curteisye.      1569
My trouthe wol I kepe, I wol nat lye.      1570
with herte soor he gooth unto his cofre,      1571
And broghte gold unto his philosophre,      1572
The value of fyve hundred pound, I gesse,      1573
And hym bisecheth, of his gentillesse,      1574
To graunte hym dayes of the remenaunt;      1575
And seyde, maister, I dar wel make avaunt,      1576
I failled nevere of my trouthe as yit,      1577
For sikerly my dette shal be quyt      1578
Towardes yow, howevere that I fare      1579
To goon a-begged in my kirtle bare.      1580
But wolde ye vouche sauf, upon seuretee,      1581
Two yeer or thre for to respiten me,      1582
Thanne were I wel; for elles moot I selle      1583
Myn heritage; ther is namoore to telle.      1584
this philosophre sobrely answerde,      1585
And seyde thus, whan he thise wordes herde --      1586
Have I nat holden covenant unto thee?      1587
yes, certes, wel and trewely, quod he.      1588
hastow nat had thy lady as thee liketh?      1589
no, no, quod he, and sorwefully he siketh.      1590
what was the cause? tel me if thou kan.      1591
aurelius his tale anon bigan,      1592
And tolde hym al, as ye han herd biroore;      1593
It nedeth nat to yow reherce it moore.      1594
he seide, arveragus, of gentillesse,      1595
Hadde levere dye in sorwe and in distresse      1596
Than that his wyf were of hir trouthe fals.      1597
The sorwe of dorigen he tolde hym als;      1598
How looth hire was to been a wikked wyf,      1599
And that she levere had lost that day hir lyf,      1600
And that hir trouthe she swoor thurgh innocence,      1601
She nevere erst hadde herd speke of apparence.      1602
That made me han of hire so greet pitee;      1603
And right as frely as he sente hire me,      1604
As frely sente I hire to hym ageyn,      1605
This al and som; ther is namoore to seyn.      1606
This philosophre answerde, leeve brother,      1607
Everich of yow dide gentilly til oother.      1608
Thou art a squier, and he is a knyght;      1609
But God forbede, for his blisful myght,      1610
But if a clerk koude doon a gentil dede      1611
As wel as any of yow, it is no drede!      1612
sire, I releesse thee thy thousand pound,      1613
As thou right now were cropen out of the ground,      1614
Ne nevere er now ne haddest knowen me.      1615
For, sire, I wol nat taken a peny of thee      1616
For al my craft, ne noght for my travaille.      1617
Thou hast ypayed wel for my vitaille.      1618
It is ynogh, and farewel, have good day!      1619
And took his hors, and forth he goth his way.      1620
Lordynges, this question, thanne, wol I aske now,      1621
Which was the mooste fre, as thenketh yow?      1622
Now telleth me, er that ye ferther wende.      1623
I kan namoore; my tale is at an ende.      1624
Page  145
Group 6

The Physician's Tale

ther was, as telleth titus livius,      1
A knyght that called was virginius,      2
Fulfild of honour and of worthynesse,      3
And strong of freendes, and of greet richesse.      4
this knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf;      5
No children hadde he mo in al his lyf.      6
Fair was this mayde in excellent beautee      7
Aboven every wight that man may see;      8
For nature hath with sovereyn diligence      9
Yformed hire in so greet excellence,      10
As though she wolde seyn, lo! I, nature,      11
Thus kan I forme and peynte a creature,      12
Whan that me list; who kan me countrefete?      13
Pigmalion noght, though he ay forge and bete,      14
Or grave, or peynte; for I dar wel seyn,      15
Apelles, zanzis, sholde werche in veyn      16
Outher to grave, or peynte, or forge, or bete,      17
If they presumed me to countrefete.      18
For he that is the formere principal      19
Hath maked me his vicaire general,      20
To forme and peynten erthely creaturis      21
Right as me list, and ech thyng in my cure is      22
Under the moone, that may wane and waxe;      23
And for my werk right no thyng wol I axe;      24
My lord and I been ful of oon accord.      25
I made hire to the worshipe of my lord;      26
So do I alle myne othere creatures,      27
What colour that they han, or what figures.      28
Thus semeth me that nature wolde seye.      29
this mayde of age twelve yeer was and tweye,      30
In which that nature hadde swich delit.      31
For right as she kan peynte a lilie whit,      32
And reed a rose, right with swich peynture      33
She peynted hath this noble creature,      34
Er she were born, upon hir lymes fre,      35
Where as by right swiche colours sholde be;      36
And phebus dyed hath hire tresses grete      37
Lyk to the stremes of his burned heete.      38
And if that excellent was hire beautee,      39
A thousand foold moore vertuous was she.      40
In hire ne lakked no condicioun      41
That is to preyse, as by discrecioun.      42
As wel in goost as body chast was she;      43
For which she floured in virginitee      44
With alle humylitee and abstinence,      45
With alle attemperaunce and pacience,      46
With mesure eek of beryng and array.      47
Discreet she was in answeryng alway;      48
Though she were wis as pallas, dar I seyn,      49
Hir facound eek ful wommanly and pleyn,      50
No countrefeted termes hadde she      51
To seme wys; but after hir degree      52
She spak, and alle hire wordes, moore and lesse,      53
Sownynge in vertu and in gentillesse.      54
Shamefast she was in maydens shamefastnesse,      55
Constant in herte, and evere in bisynesse      56
To dryve hire out of ydel slogardye.      57
Bacus hadde of hir mouth right no maistrie;      58
For wyn and youthe dooth venus encresse,      59
As men in fyr wol casten oille or greesse.      60
And of hire owene vertu, unconstreyned,      61
She hath ful ofte tyme syk hire feyned,      62
For that she wolde fleen the compaignye      63
Where likly was to treten of folye,      64
As is at feestes, revels, and at daunces,      65
That been occasions of daliaunces.      66
Swich thynges maken children for to be      67
To soone rype and boold, as men may se,      68
Which is ful perilous, and hath been yoore.      69
For al to soone may she lerne loore      70
Of booldnesse, whan she woxen is a wyf.      71
and ye maistresses, in youre olde lyf,      72
That lordes doghtres han in governaunce,      73
Ne taketh of my wordes no displesaunce.      74
Thenketh that ye been set in governynges      75
Of lordes doghtres, oonly for two thynges --      76
Outher for ye han kept youre honestee,      77
Of elles ye han falle in freletee,      78
And knowen wel ynough the olde daunce,      79
And han forsaken fully swich meschaunce      80
For everemo; therfore, for cristes sake,      81
To teche hem vertu looke that ye ne slake.      82
a theef of venysoun, that hath forlaft      83
His likerousnesse and al his olde craft,      84
Kan kepe a forest best of any man.      85
Now kepeth wel, for if ye wole, ye kan.      86
Looke wel that ye unto no vice assente,      87
Lest ye be dampned for youre wikke entente;
Page  146
     88
For whoso dooth, a traitour is, certeyn.      89
And taketh kep of that that I shal seyn --      90
Of alle tresons sovereyn pestilence      91
Is whan a wight bitrayseth innocence.      92
ye fadres and ye moodres eek also,      93
Though ye han children, be it oon or mo,      94
Youre is the charge of al hir surveiaunce,      95
Whil that they been under youre governaunce.      96
Beth war, that by ensample of youre lyvynge,      97
Or by youre necligence in chastisynge,      98
That they ne perisse; for I dar wel seye,      99
If that they doon, ye shul it deere abeye.      100
Under a shepherde softe and necligent      101
The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb torent.      102
Suffiseth oon ensample now as heere,      103
For I moot turne agayn to my matere.      104
this mayde, of which I wol this tale expresse,      105
So kepte hirself hir neded no maistresse;      106
For in hir lyvyng maydens myghten rede,      107
As in a book, every good word or dede      108
That longeth to a mayden vertuous,      109
She was so prudent and so bountevous.      110
For which the fame out sprong on every syde,      111
Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde,      112
That thurgh that land they preised hire echone      113
That loved vertu, save envye allone,      114
That sory is of oother mennes wele,      115
And glad is of his sorwe and his unheele.      116
(the doctour maketh this descripcioun).      117
this mayde upon a day wente in the toun      118
Toward a temple, with hire mooder deere,      119
As is of yonge maydens the manere.      120
Now was ther thanne a justice in that toun,      121
That governour was of that regioun.      122
And so bifel this juge his eyen caste      123
Upon this mayde, avysynge hym ful faste,      124
As she cam forby ther as this juge stood.      125
Anon his herte chaunged and his mood,      126
So was he caught with beautee of this mayde,      127
And to hymself ful pryvely he sayde,      128
This mayde shal be myn, for any man!      129
anon the feend into his herte ran,      130
And taughte hym sodeynly that he by slyghte      131
The mayden to his purpos wynne myghte.      132
For certes, by no force ne by no meede,      133
Hym thoughte, he was nat able for to speede;      134
For she was strong of freendes, and eek she      135
Confermed was in swich soverayn bountee,      136
That wel he wiste he myghte hire nevere wynne      137
As for to make hire with hir body synne.      138
For which, by greet deliberacioun,      139
He sente after a cherl, was in the toun,      140
Which that he knew for subtil and for boold.      141
This juge unto this cherl his tale hath toold      142
In secree wise, and made hym to ensure      143
He sholde telle it to no creature,      144
And if he dide, he sholde lese his heed.      145
Whan that assented was this cursed reed,      146
Glad was this juge, and maked him greet cheere,      147
And yaf hym yiftes preciouse and deere.      148
whan shapen was al hire conspiracie      149
Fro point to point, how that his lecherie      150
Parfouned sholde been ful subtilly,      151
As ye shul heere it after openly,      152
Hoom gooth the cherl, that highte claudius.      153
This false juge, that highte apius,      154
(so was his name, for this is no fable,      155
But knowen for historial thyng notable;      156
The sentence of it sooth is, out of doute),      157
This false juge gooth now faste aboute      158
To hasten his delit al that he may.      159
And so bifel soone after, on a day,      160
This false juge, as telleth us the storie,      161
As he was wont, sat in his consistorie,      162
And yaf his doomes upon sondry cas.      163
This false cherl cam forth a ful greet pas,      164
And seyde, lord, if that it be youre wille,      165
As dooth me right upon this pitous bille,      166
In which I pleyne upon virginius;      167
And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus,      168
I wol it preeve, and fynde good witnesse,      169
That sooth is that my bille wol expresse.      170
the juge answerde, of this, in his absence,      171
I may nat yeve diffynytyf sentence.      172
Lat do hym calle, and I wol gladly heere;      173
Thou shalt have al right, and no wrong heere.      174
virginius cam to wite the juges wille,      175
And right anon was rad this cursed bille;      176
The sentence of it was as ye shul heere --      177
to yow, my lord, sire apius so deere,      178
Sheweth youre povre servant claudius      179
How that a knyght, called virginius,      180
Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee,      181
Holdeth, expres agayn the wyl of me,      182
My servant, which that is my thral by right,      183
Which fro myn hous was stole upon a nyght,      184
Whil that she was ful yong; this wol I preeve      185
By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greeve.      186
She nys his doghter nat, what so he seye.      187
Wherfore to yow, my lord the juge, I preye,      188
Yeld me my thral, if that it be youre wille.      189
Lo, this was al the sentence of his bille.      190
virginius gan upon the cherl biholde,      191
But hastily, er he his tale tolde,      192
And wolde have preeved it as sholde a knyght,      193
And eek by witnessyng of many a wight,
Page  147
     194
That al was fals that seyde his adversarie,      195
This cursed juge wolde no thyng tarie,      196
Ne heere a word moore of virginius,      197
But yaf his juggement, and seyde thus --      198
I deeme anon this cherl his servant have;      199
Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save.      200
Go bryng hire forth, and put hire in oure warde.      201
The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde.      202
and whan this worthy knyght virginius,      203
Thurgh sentence of this justice apius,      204
Moste by force his deere doghter yiven      205
Unto the juge, in lecherie to lyven,      206
He gooth hym hoom, and sette him in his halle,      207
And leet anon his deere doghter calle,      208
And with a face deed as asshen colde      209
Upon hir humble face he gan biholde,      210
With fadres pitee stikynge thurgh his herte,      211
Al wolde he from his purpos nat converte.      212
doghter, quod he, virginia, by thy name,      213
Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame,      214
That thou most suffre; allas, that I was bore!      215
For nevere thou deservedest wherfore      216
To dyen with a swerd or with a knyf.      217
O deere doghter, endere of my lyf,      218
Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce      219
That thou were nevere out of my remembraunce!      220
O doghter, which that art my laste wo,      221
And in my lyf my laste joye also,      222
O gemme of chastitee, in pacience      223
Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence.      224
For love, and nat for hate, thou most be deed;      225
My pitous hand moot smyten of thyn heed.      226
Allas, that evere apius the say!      227
Thus hath he falsly jugged the to-day --      228
And tolde hire al the cas, as ye bifore      229
Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it moore.      230
o mercy, deere fader! quod this mayde,      231
And with that word she bothe hir armes layde      232
Aboute his nekke, as she was wont to do.      233
The teeris bruste out of hir eyen two,      234
And seyde, goode fader, shal I dye?      235
Is ther no grace, is ther no remedye?      236
no, certes, deere doghter myn, quod he.      237
thanne yif me leyser, fader myn, quod she,      238
My deeth for to compleyne a litel space;      239
For, pardee, jepte yaf his doghter grace      240
For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas!      241
And, God it woot, no thyng was hir trespas,      242
But for she ran hir fader first to see,      243
To welcome hym with greet solempnitee.      244
And with that word she fil aswowne anon,      245
And after, whan hir swownyng is agon,      246
She riseth up, and to hir fader sayde,      247
Blissed be god, that I shal dye a mayde!      248
Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame;      249
Dooth with youre child youre wyl, a goddes name!      250
and with that word she preyed hym ful ofte      251
That with his swerd he sholde smyte softe;      252
And with that word aswowne doun she fil.      253
Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil,      254
Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente,      255
And to the juge he gan it to presente,      256
As he sat yet in doom in consistorie.      257
And whan the juge it saugh, as seith the storie,      258
He bad to take hym and anhange hym faste;      259
But right anon a thousand peple in thraste,      260
To save the knyght, for routhe and for pitee,      261
For knowen was the false iniquitee.      262
The peple anon had suspect in this thyng,      263
By manere of the cherles chalangyng,      264
That it was by the assent of apius;      265
They wisten wel that he was lecherus.      266
For which unto this apius they gon,      267
And caste hym in prisoun right anon,      268
Ther as he slow hymself; and claudius,      269
That servant was unto this apius,      270
Was demed for to hange upon a tree,      271
But that virginius, of his pitee,      272
So preyde for hym that he was exiled;      273
And elles, certes, he had been bigyled.      274
The remenant were anhanged, moore and lesse,      275
That were consentant of this cursednesse,      276
heere may men seen how synne hath his merite.      277
Beth war, for no man woot whom God wol smyte      278
In no degree, ne in which manere wyse      279
The worm of conscience may agryse      280
Of wikked lyf, though it so pryvee be      281
That no man woot therof but God and he.      282
For be he lewed man, or ellis lered,      283
He noot how soone that he shal been afered.      284
Therfore I rede yow this conseil take --      285
Forsaketh synne, er synne yow forsake.      286
Page  148
The Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale

Oure hooste gan to swere as he were wood;      287
Harrow! quod he, by nayles and by blood!      288
This was a fals cherl and a fals justise.      289
As shameful deeth as herte may devyse      290
Come to thise juges and hire advocatz!      291
Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!      292
Allas, to deere boughte she beautee!      293
Wherfore I seye al day that men may see      294
That yiftes of fortune and of nature      295
Been cause of deeth to many a creature.      296
Hire beautee was hire deth, I dar wel sayn.      297
Allas, so pitously as she was slayn!      298
Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now      299
Men han ful ofte moore for harm than prow.      300
But trewely, myn owene maister deere,      301
This is a pitous tale for to heere.      302
But nathelees, passe over, is no fors.      303
I pray to God so save thy gentil cors,      304
And eek thyne urynals and thy jurdones,      305
Thyn ypocras, and eek thy galiones,      306
And every boyste ful of the letuarie;      307
God blesse hem, and oure lady seinte marie!      308
So moot I theen, thou art a propre man,      309
And lyk a prelat, by seint ronyan!      310
Seyde I nat wel? I kan nat speke in terme;      311
But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme,      312
That I almoost have caught a cardynacle.      313
By corpus bones! but I have triacle,      314
Or elles a draughte of moyste and corny ale,      315
Or but I heere anon a myrie tale,      316
Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde.      317
Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde,      318
Telle us som myrthe or japes right anon.      319
it shal be doon, quod he, by seint ronyon!      320
But first, quod he, heere at this alestake      321
I wol bothe drynke and eten of a cake.      322
but right anon thise gentils gonne to crye,      323
Nay, lat hym telle us of no ribaudye!      324
Telle us som moral thyng, that we may leere      325
Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly heere.      326
I graunte, ywis, quod he, but I moot thynke      327
Upon som honest thyng while that I drynke.      328
The Pardoner's Prologue

lordynges, quod he, in chirches whan I preche,      329
I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche,      330
And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle,      331
For I kan al by rote that I telle.      332
My theme is alwey oon, and evere was --      333
Radix malorum est cupiditas.      334
first I pronounce wheenes that I come,      335
And thanne my bulles shewe I, alle and some.      336
Oure lige lordes seel on my patente,      337
That shewe I first, my body to warente,      338
That no man be so boold, ne preest ne clerk,      339
Me to destourbe of cristes hooly werk.      340
And after that thanne telle I forth my tales;      341
Bulles of popes and of cardynales,      342
Of patriarkes and bishopes I shewe      343
And in latyn I speke a wordes fewe,      344
To saffron with my predicacioun,      345
And for to stire hem to devocioun.      346
Thanne shewe I forth my longe cristal stones,      347
Ycrammed ful of cloutes and of bones, --      348
Relikes been they, as wenen they echoon.      349
Thanne have I in latoun a sholder-boon      350
Which that was of an hooly jewes sheep.      351
Goode men, I seye, taak of my wordes keep;      352
If that this boon be wasshe in any welle,      353
If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swelle      354
That any worm hath ete, or worm ystonge,      355
Taak water of that welle and wassh his tonge,      356
And it is hool anon; and forthermoore,
Page  149
     357
Of pokkes and of scabbe, and every soore      358
Shal every sheep be hool that of this welle      359
Drynketh a draughte. Taak kep eek what I telle --      360
If that the good-man that the beestes oweth      361
Wol every wyke, er that the cok hym croweth,      362
Fastynge, drynken of this welle a draughte,      363
As thilke hooly jew oure eldres taughte,      364
His beestes and his stoor shal multiplie.      365
and, sires, also it heeleth jalousie;      366
For though a man be falle in jalous rage,      367
Lat maken with this water his potage,      368
And nevere shal he moore his wyf mystriste,      369
Though he the soothe of hir defaute wiste,      370
Al had she taken prestes two or thre.      371
heere is a miteyn eek, that ye may se.      372
He that his hand wol putte in this mitayn,      373
He shal have multipliyng of his grayn,      374
Whan he hath sowen, be it whete or otes,      375
So that he offre pens, or elles grotes.      376
goode men and wommen, o thyng warne I yow --      377
If any wight be in this chirche now      378
That hath doon synne horrible, that he      379
Dar nat, for shame, of it yshryven be,      380
Or any womman, be she yong or old,      381
That hath ymaad hir housbonde cokewold,      382
Swich folk shal have no power ne no grace      383
To offren to my relikes in this place.      384
And whoso fyndeth hym out of swich blame,      385
He wol come up and offre in goddes name,      386
And I assoille him by the auctoritee      387
Which that by bulle ygraunted was to me.      388
by this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer,      389
An hundred mark sith I was pardoner.      390
I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet,      391
And whan the lewed peple is doun yset,      392
I preche so as ye han herd bifoore,      393
And telle an hundred false japes moore.      394
Thanne peyne I me to strecche forth the nekke,      395
And est and west upon the peple I bekke,      396
As dooth a dowve sittynge on a berne.      397
Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne      398
That it is joye to se my bisynesse.      399
Of avarice and of swich cursednesse      400
Is al my prechyng, for to make hem free      401
To yeven hir pens, and namely unto me.      402
For myn entente is nat but for to wynne,      403
And nothyng for correccioun of synne.      404
I rekke nevere, whan that they been beryed,      405
Though that hir soules goon a-blakeberyed!      406
For certes, many a predicacioun      407
Comth ofte tyme of yvel entencioun;      408
Som for plesance of folk and flaterye,      409
To been avaunced by ypocrisye,      410
And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate.      411
For whan I dar noon oother weyes debate,      412
Thanne wol I stynge hym with my tonge smerte      413
In prechyng, so that he shal nat asterte      414
To been defamed falsly, if that he      415
Hath trespased to my bretheren or to me.      416
For though I telle noght his propre name,      417
Men shal wel knowe that it is the same,      418
By signes, and by othere circumstances.      419
Thus quyte I folk that doon us displesances;      420
Thus spitte I out my venym under hewe      421
Of hoolynesse, to semen hooly and trewe.      422
but shortly myn entente I wol devyse --      423
I preche of no thyng but for coveityse.      424
Therfore my theme is yet, and evere was,      425
Radix malorum est cupiditas.      426
Thus kan I preche agayn that same vice      427
Which that I use, and that is avarice.      428
But though myself be gilty in that synne,      429
Yet kan I maken oother folk to twynne      430
From avarice, and soore to repente.      431
But that is nat my principal entente;      432
I preche nothyng but for coveitise.      433
Of this mateere it oghte ynogh suffise.      434
thanne telle I hem ensamples many oon      435
Of olde stories longe tyme agoon.      436
For lewed peple loven tales olde;      437
Swiche thynges kan they wel reporte and holde.      438
What, trowe ye, that whiles I may preche,      439
And wynne gold and silver for I teche,      440
That I wol lyve in poverte wilfully?      441
Nay, nay, I thoghte it nevere, trewwly!      442
For I wol preche and begge in sondry landes;      443
I wol nat do no labour with myne handes,      444
Ne make baskettes, and lyve therby,      445
By cause I wol nat beggen ydelly.      446
I wol noon of the apostles countrefete;      447
I wol have moneie, wolle, chese, and whete,      448
Al were it yeven of the povereste page,      449
Or of the povereste wydwe in a village,      450
Al sholde hir children sterve for famyne.      451
Nay, I wol drynke licour of the vyne,      452
And have a joly wenche in every toun.      453
But herkneth, lordynges, in conclusioun --      454
Youre likyng is that I shal telle a tale.      455
Now have I dronke a draughte of corny ale,      456
By god, I hope I shal yow telle a thyng      457
That shal be reson been at youre likyng.      458
For though myself be a ful vicious man,      459
A moral tale yet I yow telle kan,      460
Which I am wont to preche for to wynne.      461
Now hoold youre pees! my tale I wol bigynne.      462
Page  150
The Pardoner's Tale

in flaundres whilom was a compaignye      463
Of yonge folk that haunteden folye,      464
As riot, hasard, stywes, and tavernes,      465
Where as with harpes, lutes, and gyternes,      466
They daunce and pleyen at dees bothe day and nyght,      467
And eten also and drynken over hir myght,      468
Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifise      469
Withinne that develes temple, in cursed wise,      470
By superfluytee abhomynable.      471
Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable      472
That it is grisly for to heere hem swere.      473
Oure blissed lordes body they totere, --      474
Hem thoughte that jewes rente hym noght ynough;      475
And ech of hem at otheres synne lough.      476
And right anon thanne comen tombesteres      477
Fetys and smale, and yonge frutesteres,      478
Syngeres with harpes, baudes, wafereres,      479
Whiche been the verray develes officeres      480
To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye,      481
That is annexed unto glotonye.      482
The hooly writ take I to my witnesse      483
That luxurie is in wyn and dronkenesse.      484
lo, how that dronken looth, unkyndely,      485
Lay by his doghtres two, unwityngly;      486
So dronke he was, he nyste what he wroughte.      487
herodes, whoso wel the stories soghte,      488
Whan he of wyn was repleet at his feeste,      489
Right at his owene table he yaf his heeste      490
To sleen the baptist john, ful giltelees.      491
senec seith a good word doutelees;      492
He seith he kan no difference fynde      493
Bitwix a man that is out of his mynde      494
And a man which that is dronkelewe,      495
But that woodnessse, yfallen in a shrewe,      496
Persevereth lenger than doth dronkenesse.      497
O glotonye, ful of cursednesse!      498
O cause first of oure confusioun!      499
O original of oure dampnacioun,      500
Til crist hadde boght us with his blood agayn!      501
Lo, how deere, shortly for to sayn,      502
Aboght was thilke cursed vileynye      503
Corrupt was al this world for glotonye.      504
adam oure fader, and his wyf also,      505
Fro paradys to labour and to wo      506
Were dryven for that vice, it is no drede.      507
For whil that adam fasted, as I rede,      508
He was in paradys; and whan that he      509
Eet of the fruyt deffended on the tree,      510
Anon he was out cast to wo and peyne.      511
O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!      512
O, wiste a man how manye maladyes      513
Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes,      514
He wolde been the moore mesurable      515
Of his diete, sittynge at his table.      516
Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth,      517
Maketh that est and west and north and south,      518
In erthe, in eir, in water, men to swynke      519
To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drynke!      520
Of this matiere, o paul, wel kanstow trete --      521
Mete unto wombe, and wombe eek unto mete,      522
Shal God destroyen bothe, as paulus seith.      523
Allas! a foul thyng is it, by my feith,      524
To seye this word, and fouler is the dede,      525
Whan man so drynketh of the white and rede      526
That of his throte be maketh his pryvee,      527
Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee.      528
the apostel wepyng seith ful pitously,      529
Ther walken manye of whiche yow toold have I --      530
I seye it now wepyng, with pitous voys --      531
That they been enemys of cristes croys,      532
Of whiche the ende is deeth, wombe is hir god!      533
O wombe! o bely! o stynkyng cod,      534
Fulfilled of dong and of corrupcioun!      535
At either ende of thee foul is the soun.      536
How greet labour and cost is thee to fynde!      537
Thise cookes, how they stampe, and streyne, and grynde,      538
And turnen substaunce into accident,      539
To fulfille al thy likerous talent!      540
Out of the harde bones knokke they      541
The mary, for they caste noght awey      542
That may go thurgh the golet softe and swoote.      543
Of spicerie of leef, and bark, and roote      544
Shal been his sauce ymaked by delit,      545
To make hym yet a newer appetit.      546
But, certes, he that haunteth swiche delices      547
Is deed, whil that he lyveth in tho vices.      548
a lecherous thyng is wyn, and dronkenesse      549
Is ful of stryvyng and of wrecchednesse.      550
O dronke man, disfigured is thy face,      551
Sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace,      552
And thurgh thy dronke nose semeth the soun
Page  151
     553
As though thou seydest as sampsoun, sampsoun!      554
And yet, God woot, sampsoun drank nevere no wyn.      555
Thou fallest as it were a styked swyn;      556
Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honeste cure;      557
For dronkenesse is verray sepulture      558
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun.      559
In whom that drynke hath dominacioun      560
He kan no conseil kepe, it is no drede.      561
Now kepe yow fro the white and fro the rede,      562
And namely fro the white wyn of lepe,      563
That is to selle in fysshstrete or in chepe.      564
This wyn of spaigne crepeth subtilly      565
In othere wynes, growynge faste by,      566
Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee      567
That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre,      568
And weneth that he be at hoom in chepe,      569
He is in spaigne, right at the toune of lepe, --      570
Nat at the rochele, ne at burdeux toun;      571
And thanne wol he seye sampsoun, sampsoun!      572
but herkneth, lordynges, o word, I yow preye,      573
That alle the sovereyn actes,dar I seye,      574
Of victories in the olde testament,      575
Thurgh verray god, that is omnipotent,      576
Were doon in abstinence and in preyere.      577
Looketh the bible, and ther ye may it leere.      578
looke, attila, the grete conquerour,      579
Deyde in his sleep, with shame and dishonour,      580
Bledynge ay at his nose in dronkenesse.      581
A capitayn sholde lyve in sobrenesse.      582
And over al this, avyseth yow right wel      583
What was comaunded unto lamuel --      584
Nat samuel, but lamuel, seye I;      585
Redeth the bible, and fynde it expresly      586
Of wyn-yevyng to hem that han justise.      587
Namoore of this, for it may wel suffise.      588
and now that I have spoken of glotonye,      589
Now wol I yow deffenden hasardrye.      590
Hasard is verray mooder of lesynges,      591
And of deceite, and cursed forswerynges,      592
Blaspheme of crist, manslaughtre, and wast also      593
Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo,      594
It is repreeve and contrarie of honour      595
For to ben holde a commune hasardour.      596
And ever the hyer he is of estaat.      597
The moore is he yholden desolaat.      598
If that a prynce useth hasardrye.      599
In alle governaunce and policye      600
He is, as by commune opinioun,      601
Yholde the lasse in reputacioun.      602
stilboun, that was a wys embassadour,      603
Was sent to corynthe, in ful greet honour,      604
Fro lacidomye, to make hire alliaunce.      605
And whan he cam, hym happede, par chaunce,      606
That alle the gretteste that were of that lond,      607
Pleyynge atte hasard he hem fond.      608
For which, as soone as it myghte be,      609
He stal hym hoom agayn to his contree,      610
And seyde, ther wol I nat lese my name,      611
Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame,      612
Yow for to allie unto none hasardours.      613
Sendeth othere wise embassadours;      614
For, by my trouthe, me were levere dye      615
That I yow sholde to hasardours allye.      616
For ye, that been so glorious in honours,      617
Shul nat allyen yow with hasadours      618
As by my wyl, ne as by my tretee.      619
This wise philosophre, thus seyde hee.      620
looke eek that to the kyng demetrius,      621
The kyng of parthes, as the book seith us,      622
Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn,      623
For he hadde used hasard ther-biforn;      624
For which he heeld his glorie or his renoun      625
At no value or reputacioun.      626
Lordes nay fynden oother maner pley      627
Honest ynough to dryve the day awey.      628
now wol I speke of othes false and grete      629
A word or two, as olde bookes trete.      630
Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable,      631
And fals sweryng is yet moore reprevable.      632
The heighe God forbad sweryng at al,      633
Witnesse on mathew; but in special      634
Of sweryng seith the hooly jeremye,      635
Thou shalt swere sooth thyne othes, and nat lye,      636
And swere in doom, and eek in rightwisnesse;      637
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse.      638
Bihoold and se that in the firste table      639
Of heighe goddes heestes honurable,      640
Hou that the seconde heeste of hym is this --      641
Take nat my name in ydel or amys.      642
Lo, rather be forbedeth swich sweryng      643
Than homycide or many a cursed thyng;      644
I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth;      645
This knoweth, that his heestes understondeth,      646
How that the seconde heeste of God is that.      647
And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat,      648
That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous      649
That of his othes is to outrageous.      650
By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles,      651
And by the blood of crist that is in hayles,      652
Sevene is my chaunce, and thyn is cynk and treye!
Page  152
     653
By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye,      654
This daggere shal thurghout thyn herte go! --      655
This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two,      656
Forsweryng, ire, falsnesse, homycide.      657
Now, for the love of crist, that for us dyde,      658
Lete youre othes, bothe grete and smale.      659
But, sires, now wol I telle forth my tale.      660
thise riotoures thre of which I telle,      661
Longe erst er prime rong of any belle,      662
Were set hem in a taverne for to drynke,      663
And as they sat, they herde a belle clynke      664
Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave.      665
That oon of hem gan callen to his knave --      666
Go bet, quod he, and axe redily      667
What cors is this that passeth heer forby;      668
And looke that thou reporte his name weel.      669
sire, quod this boy, it nedeth never-a-deel;      670
It was me toold er ye cam heer two houres.      671
He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres;      672
And sodeynly he was yslayn to-nyght,      673
Fordronke, as he sat on his bench upright.      674
Ther can a privee theef men clepeth deeth,      675
That in this contree al the peple sleth,      676
And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo,      677
And wente his wey withouten wordes mo.      678
He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence.      679
And, maister, er ye come in his presence.      680
Me thynketh that it were necessarie      681
For to be war of swich an adversarie.      682
Beth redy for to meete hym everemoore;      683
Thus taughte me my dame; I sey namoore.      684
By seinte marie! seyde this taverner,      685
The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer,      686
Henne over a mile, withinne a greet village,      687
Bothe man and womman, child, and hyne, and page;      688
I trowe his habitacioun be there.      689
To been avysed greet wysdom it were,      690
Er that he dide a man a dishonour.      691
ye, goddes armes! quod this riotour,      692
Is it swich peril with hym for to meete?      693
I shal hym seke by wey and eek by strete,      694
I make avow to goddes digne bones!      695
Herkneth, felawes, we thre been al ones;      696
Lat ech of us holde up his hand til oother,      697
And ech of us bicomen otheres brother.      698
And we wol sleen this false traytour deeth.      699
He shal be slayn, he that so manye sleeth,      700
By goddes dignitee, er it be nyght!      701
togidres han thise thre hir trouthes plight      702
To lyve and dyen ech of hem for oother,      703
As though he were his owene ybore brother.      704
And up they stirte, al dronken in this rage,      705
And forth they goon towardes that village      706
Of which the taverner hadde spoke biforn.      707
And many a grisly ooth thanne han they sworn,      708
And cristes blessed body al torente --      709
Deeth shal be deed, if that they may hym hente!      710
whan they han goon nat fully half a mile,      711
Right as they wolde han troden over a stile,      712
An oold man and a povre with hem mette.      713
This olde man ful mekely hem grette,      714
And seyde thus, now, lordes, God yow see!      715
the proudeste of thise riotoures three      716
Answerde agayn, what, carl, with sory grace!      717
Why artow al forwrapped save thy face?      718
Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age?      719
this olde man gan looke in his visage,      720
And seyde thus -- for I ne kan nat fynde      721
A man, though that I walked into ynde,      722
Neither in citee ne in no village,      723
That wolde chaunge his youthe for myn age;      724
And therfore moot I han myn age stille,      725
As longe tyme as it is goddes wille.      726
Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf      727
Thus walke I, lyk a restelees kaitif,      728
And on the ground, which is my moodres gate,      729
I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late,      730
And seye leeve mooder, leet me in!      731
Lo how I vanysshe, flessh, and blood, and skyn!      732
Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste?      733
Mooder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste      734
That in my chambre longe tyme hath be,      735
Ye, for an heyre clowt to wrappe in me!      736
But yet to me she wol nat do that grace,      737
For which ful pale and welked is my face.      738
but, sires, to yow it is no curteisye      739
To speken to an old man vileynye,      740
But he trespasse in word, or elles in dede.      741
In hooly writ ye may yourself wel rede --      742
Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed,      743
Ye sholde arise; wherfore I yeve yow reed,      744
Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now,      745
Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow      746
In age, if that ye so longe abyde.      747
And God be with yow, where ye go or ryde!      748
I moot go thider as I have to go.      749
nay, olde cherl, by god, thou shalt not so,      750
Seyde this oother hasardour anon;      751
Thou partest nat so lightly, by seint john!      752
Thou spak right now of thilke traytour deeth,      753
That in this contree alle oure freendes sleeth.      754
Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his espye,      755
Telle where he is, or thou shalt it abye,      756
By god, and by the hooly sacrement!
Page  153
     757
For soothly thou art oon of his assent      758
To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!      759
now, sires, quod he, if that yow be so leef      760
To fynde deeth, turne up this croked wey,      761
For in that grove I lafte hym, by my fey,      762
Under a tree, and there he wole abyde;      763
Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde.      764
Se ye that ook? right there ye shal hym fynde.      765
God save yow, that boghte agayn mankynde,      766
And yow amende! thus seyde this olde man;      767
And everich of thise riotoures ran      768
Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde      769
Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde      770
Wel ny an eighte busshels, as hem thoughte.      771
No lenger thanne after deeth they soughte,      772
But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte,      773
For that the floryns been so faire and brighte,      774
That doun they sette hem by this precious hoord.      775
The worste of hem, he spak the firste word.      776
bretheren, quod he, taak kep what that I seye;      777
My wit is greet, though that I bourde and pleye.      778
This tresor hath fortune unto us yiven,      779
In myrthe and joliftee oure lyf to lyven,      780
And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende.      781
Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende      782
To-day that we sholde han so fair a grace?      783
But myghte this gold be caried fro this place      784
Hoom to myn hous, or elles unto youres --      785
For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures --      786
Thanne were we in heigh felicitee.      787
But trewely, by daye it may nat bee.      788
Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge,      789
And for oure owene tresor doon us honge.      790
This tresor moste ycaried be by nyghte      791
As wisely and as slyly as it myghte.      792
Wherfore I rede that cut among us alle      793
Be drawe, and lat se wher the cut wol falle;      794
And he that hath the cut with herte blithe      795
Shal renne to the toun, and that ful swithe,      796
And brynge us breed and wyn ful prively.      797
And two of us shul kepen subtilly      798
This tresor wel; and if he wol nat tarie,      799
Whan it is nyght, we wol this tresor carie,      800
By oon assent, where as us thynketh best.      801
That oon of hem the cut broghte in his fest,      802
And bad hem drawe, and looke where it wol falle;      803
And if fil on the yongeste of hem alle,      804
And forth toward the toun he wente anon.      805
And also soone as that he was gon,      806
That oon of hem spak thus unto that oother --      807
Thou knowest wel tho art my sworen brother;      808
Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.      809
Thou woost wel that oure felawe is agon.      810
And heere is gold, and that ful greet plentee,      811
That shal departed been among us thre.      812
But nathelees, if I kan shape it so      813
That it departed were among us two,      814
Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee?      815
that oother answerde, I noot hou that may be.      816
He woot wel that the gold is with us tweye;      817
What shal we doon? what shal we to hym seye?      818
shal it be conseil? seyde the firste shrewe,      819
And I shal tellen in a wordes fewe      820
What we shal doon, and brynge it wel aboute.      821
I graunte, quod that oother, out of doute,      822
That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat biwreye.      823
now, quod the firste, thou woost wel we be tweye;      824
And two of us shul strenger be than oon.      825
Looke whan that he is set, that right anoon      826
Arys as though thou woldest with hym pleye,      827
And I shal ryve hym thurgh the sydes tweye      828
Whil that thou strogelest with hym as in game,      829
And with thy daggere looke thou do the same;      830
And thanne shal al this gold departed be,      831
My deere freend, bitwixen me and thee.      832
Thanne may we bothe oure lustes all fulfille,      833
And pleye at dees right at oure owene wille.      834
And thus acorded been thise shrewes tweye      835
To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye.      836
this yongeste, which that wente to the toun,      837
Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun      838
The beautee of thise floryns newe and brighte.      839
O lord! quod he, if so were that I myghte      840
Have al this tresor to myself allone,      841
Ther is no man that lyveth under the trone      842
Of God that sholde lyve so murye as i!      843
And atte laste the feend, oure enemy,      844
Putte in his thought that he sholde poysen beye,      845
With which he myghte sleen his felawes tweye;      846
For-why the feend foond hym in swich lyvynge      847
That he hadde leve him to sorwe brynge.      848
For this was outrely his fulle entente,      849
To sleen hem bothe, and nevere to repente.      850
And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he tarie,      851
Into the toun, unto a pothecarie,      852
And preyde hym that he hym wolde selle      853
Som poyson, that he myghte his rattes quelle;      854
And eek ther was a polcat in his hawe,
Page  154
     855
That, as he seyde, his capouns hadde yslawe,      856
And fayn he wolde wreke hym, if he myghte,      857
On vermyn that destroyed hym by nyghte.      858
the pothecarie answerde, and thou shalt have      859
A thyng that, also God my soule save,      860
In al this world ther is no creature,      861
That eten or dronken hath of this confiture      862
Noght but the montance of a corn of whete,      863
That he ne shal his lif anon forlete;      864
Ye, sterve he shal, and that in lasse while      865
Than thou wolt goon a paas nat but a mile,      866
This poysoun is so strong and violent.      867
this cursed man hath in his hond yhent      868
This poysoun in a box, and sith he ran      869
Into the nexte strete unto a man,      870
And borwed of hym large botelles thre;      871
And in the two his poyson poured he;      872
The thridde he kepte clene for his drynke.      873
For al the nyght he shoop hym for to swynke      874
In cariynge of the gold out of that place.      875
And whan this riotour, with sory grace,      876
Hadde filled with wyn his grete botels thre,      877
To his felawes agayn repaireth he.      878
what nedeth it to sermone of it moore?      879
For right as they hadde cast his deeth bifoore,      880
Right so they han hym slayn, and that anon.      881
And whan that this was doon, thus spak that oon --      882
Now lat us sitte and drynke, and make us merie,      883
And afterward we wol his body berie.      884
And with that word it happed hym, par cas,      885
To take the botel ther the poyson was,      886
And drank, and yaf his felawe drynke also,      887
For which anon they storven bothe two.      888
but certes, I suppose that avycen      889
Wroot nevere in no canon, ne in no fen,      890
Mo wonder signes of empoisonyng      891
Than hadde thise wrecches two, er hir endyng.      892
Thus ended been thise homycides two,      893
And eek the false empoysonere also.      894
o cursed synne of alle cursednesse!      895
O traytours homycide, o wikkednesse!      896
O gloronye, luxurie, and hasardrye!      897
Thou blasphemour of crist with vileynye      898
And othes grete, of usage and of pride!      899
Allas! mankynde, how may it bitide      900
That to thy creatour, which that the wroghte,      901
And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte,      902
Thou art so fals and so unkynde, allas?      903
now goode men, God foryeve yow youre trespas,      904
And ware yow fro the synne of avarice!      905
Myn hooly pardoun may yow alle warice,      906
So that ye offre nobles or sterlynges,      907
Or elles silver broches, spoones, rynges.      908
Boweth youre heed under this hooly bulle!      909
Cometh up, ye wyves, offreth of youre wolle!      910
Youre names I entre heer in my rolle anon;      911
Into the blisse of hevene shul ye gon.      912
I yow assoile, by myn heigh power,      913
Yow that wol offre, as clene and eek as cleer      914
As ye were born. -- and lo, sires, thus I preche.      915
And jhesu crist, that is oure soules leche,      916
So graunte yow his pardoun to receyve,      917
For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve.      918
but, sires, o word forgat I in my tale --      919
I have relikes and pardoun in my male,      920
As faire as any man in engelond.      921
Whiche were me yeven by the popes hond.      922
If any of yow wole, of devocion,      923
Offren, and han myn absolucion,      924
Com forth anon, and kneleth heere adoun,      925
And mekely receyveth my pardoun;      926
Or elles taketh pardoun as ye wende,      927
Al newe and fressh at every miles ende,      928
So that ye offren, alwey newe and newe,      929
Nobles or pens, whiche that be goode and trewe.      930
It is an honour to everich that is heer      931
That ye mowe have a suffisant pardoneer      932
T'assoile yow, in contree as ye ryde,      933
For aventures whiche that may bityde.      934
Paraventure ther may fallen oon or two      935
Doun of his hors, and breke his nekke atwo.      936
Looke which a seuretee is it to yow alle      937
That I am in youre felaweshipe yfalle,      938
That may assoille yow, bothe moore and lasse,      939
Whan that the soule shal fro the body passe.      940
I rede that oure hoost heere shal bigynne,      941
For he is moost envoluped in synne.      942
Com forth, sire hoost, and offre first anon,      943
And thou shalt kisse the relikes everychon,      944
Ye, for a grote! unbokele anon thy purs.      945
nay, nay! quod he, thanne have I cristes curs!      946
Lat be, quod he, it shal nat be, so theech!      947
Thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech,      948
And swere it were a relyk of a seint,      949
Though it were with thy fundement depeint!      950
But, by the croys which that seint eleyne fond,      951
I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond      952
In stide of relikes or os seintuarie.      953
Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie;      954
They shul be shryned in an hogges toord!      955
this pardoner answerde nat a word;      956
So wrooth he was, no word ne wolde he seye.
Page  155
     957
now, quod oure hoost, I wol no lenger pleye      958
With thee, ne with noon oother angry man.      959
But right anon the worthy knyght bigan,      960
Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough,      961
Namoore of this, for it is right ynough!      962
Sire pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere;      963
And ye, sire hoost, that been to me so deere,      964
I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner.      965
And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer,      966
And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye.      967
Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hir weye.      968
Page  156
Group 7

The Shipman's Tale

a merchant whilom dwelled at seint-denys,      1
That riche was, for which men helde hym wys.      2
A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee;      3
And compaignable and revelous was she,      4
Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence      5
Than worth is al the chiere and reverence      6
That men hem doon at festes and at daunces.      7
Swiche salutaciouns and contenances      8
Passen as dooth a shadwe upon the wal;      9
But wo is hym that payen moot for al!      10
The sely housbonde, algate he moot paye,      11
He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,      12
Al for his owene worshipe richely,      13
In which array we daunce jolily.      14
And if that he noght may, par aventure,      15
Or ellis list no swich dispence endure,      16
But thynketh it is wasted and ylost,      17
Thanne moot another payen for oure cost,      18
Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.      19
this noble marchaunt heeld a worthy hous,      20
For which ne hadde alday so greet repair      21
For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,      22
That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.      23
Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale,      24
Ther was a monk, a fair man and a boold --      25
I trowe a thritty wynter he was oold --      26
That evere in oon was drawynge to that place.      27
This yonge monk, that was so fair of face,      28
Aqueynted was so with the goode man,      29
Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan,      30
That in his hous as famulier was he      31
As it is possible any freend to be.      32
and for as muchel as this goode man,      33
And eek this monk, of which that I began,      34
Were bothe two yborn in o village,      35
The monk hym claymeth as for cosynage;      36
And he agayn, he seith nat ones nay,      37
But was as glad therof as fowel of day;      38
For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.      39
Thus been they knyt with eterne alliaunce,      40
And ech of hem gan oother for t'assure      41
Of bretherhede, whil that hir lyf may dure.      42
Free was daun john, and namely of dispence,      43
As in that hous, and ful of diligence      44
To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage.      45
He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page      46
In al that hous; but after hir degree,      47
He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,      48
Whan that he cam, som manere honest thyng;      49
For which they were as glad of his comyng      50
As fowel is fayn whan that the sonne up riseth.      51
Na moore of this as now, for it suffiseth.      52
But so bifel, this marchant on a day      53
Shoop hym to make redy his array      54
Toward the toun of brugges for to fare,      55
To byen there a porcioun of ware;      56
For which he hath to parys sent anon      57
A messager, and preyed hat daun john      58
That he sholde come to seint-denys to pleye      59
With hym and with his wyf a day or tweye,      60
Er he to brugges wente, in alle wise.      61
This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,      62
Hath of his abbot, as hym list, licence,      63
By cause he was a man of heigh prudence,      64
And eek an officer, out for to ryde,      65
To seen hir graunges and hire bernes wyde,      66
And unto seint-denys he comth anon.      67
Who was so welcome as my lord daun john,      68
Oure deere cosyn, ful of curteisye?      69
With hym broghte he a jubbe of malvesye,      70
And eek another, ful of fyn vernage,      71
And volatyl, as ay was his usage.      72
And thus I lete hem ete and drynke and pleye,      73
This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.      74
The thridde day, this marchant up ariseth,      75
And on his nedes sadly hym avyseth,      76
And up into his countour-hous gooth he      77
To rekene with hymself, as wel may be,      78
Of thilke yeer how that it with hym stood,
Page  157
     79
And how that he despended hadde his good,      80
And if that he encressed were or noon.      81
His bookes and his bagges many oon      82
He leith biforn hym on his countyng-bord.      83
Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,      84
For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette;      85
And eek he nolde that no man sholde hym lette      86
Of his acountes, for the meene tyme;      87
And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.      88
Daun john was rysen in the morwe also,      89
And in the gardyn walketh to and fro,      90
And hath his thynges seyd ful curteisly.      91
This goode wyf cam walkynge pryvely      92
Into the gardyn, there he walketh softe,      93
And hym saleweth, as she hath doon ofte.      94
A mayde child cam in hire compaignye,      95
Which as hir list she may governe and gye,      96
For yet under the yerde was the mayde.      97
O deere cosyn myn, daun john, she sayde,      98
What eyleth yow so rathe for to ryse?      99
Nece, quod he, it oghte ynough suffise      100
Fyve houres for to slepe upon a nyght,      101
But it were for an old appalled wight,      102
As been thise wedded men, that lye and dare      103
As in a fourme sit a wery hare,      104
Were al forstraught with houndes grete and smale.      105
But deere nece, why be ye so pale?      106
I trowe, certes, that oure goode man      107
Hath yow laboured sith the nyght bigan,      108
That yow were nede to resten hastily.      109
And with that word he lough ful murily,      110
And of his owene thought he was reed.      111
This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed      112
And seyde thus, ye, God woot al, quod she.      113
Nay, cosyn myn, it stant nat so with me;      114
For, by that God that yaf me soule and lyf,      115
In al the reawme of france is ther no wyf      116
That lasse lust hath to that sory pley.      117
For I may synge -- allas and weylawey      118
That I was born, -- but to no wight, quod she,      119
Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me.      120
Wherfore I thynke out of this land to wende,      121
Or elles of myself to make an ende,      122
So ful am I of drede and eek of care.      123
This monk bigan upon this wyf to stare,      124
And seyde, allas, my nece, God forbede      125
That ye, for any sorwe or any drede,      126
Fordo youreself; but telleth me youre grief.      127
Paraventure I may, in youre meschief,      128
Conseille or helpe; and therfore telleth me      129
Al youre anoy, for it shal been secree.      130
For on my porthors here I make an ooth      131
That nevere in my lyf, for lief ne looth,      132
Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.      133
The same agayn to yow, quod she, I seye.      134
By God and by this porthors I yow swere,      135
Though men me wolde al into pieces tere,      136
Ne shal I nevere, for to goon to helle,      137
Biwreye a word of thyng that ye me telle,      138
Nat for no cosynage ne alliance,      139
But verraily, for love and affiance.      140
Thus been they sworn, and heerupon they kiste,      141
And ech of hem tolde oother what hem liste.      142
Cosyn, quod she, if that I hadde a space,      143
As I have noon, and namely in this place,      144
Thanne wolde I telle a legende of my lyf,      145
What I have suffred with I was a wyf      146
With myn housbonde, al be he youre cosyn.      147
Nay, quod this monk, by God and seint martyn,      148
He is na moore cosyn unto me      149
Than is this leef that hangeth on the tree!      150
I clepe hym so, by seint denys of fraunce,      151
To have the moore cause of aqueyntaunce      152
Of yow, which I have loved specially      153
Aboven alle wommen, sikerly.      154
This swere I yow on my professioun.      155
Telleth youre grief, lest that he come adoun;      156
And hasteth yow, and gooth youre wey anon.      157
My deere love, quod she, o my daun john,      158
Ful lief were me this conseil for to hyde,      159
But out it moot, I may namoore abyde.      160
Myn housbonde is to me the worste man      161
That evere was sith that the world bigan.      162
But sith I am a wyf, it sit nat me      163
To tellen no wight of oure privetee,      164
Neither abedde, ne in noon oother place;      165
God shilde I sholde it tellen, for his grace!      166
A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde      167
But al honour, as I kan understonde;      168
Save unto yow thus muche I tellen shal:      169
As helpe me god, he is noght worth at al      170
In no degree the value of a flye.      171
But yet me greveth moost his nygardye.      172
And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly      173
Desiren thynges sixe as wel as I:      174
They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be      175
Hardy, and wise, and riche, and therto free,      176
And buxom unto his wyf, and fressh abedde.      177
But by that ilke lord that for us bledde,      178
For his honour, myself for to arraye,
Page  158
     179
A sonday next I moste nedes paye      180
An hundred frankes, or ellis I am lorn.      181
Yet were me levere that I were unborn      182
Than me were doon a sclaundre or vileynye;      183
And if myn housbonde eek it myghte espye,      184
I nere but lost; and therfore I yow preye,      185
Lene me this somme, or ellis moot I deye.      186
Daun john, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes.      187
Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes,      188
If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.      189
For at a certeyn day I wol yow paye,      190
And doon to yow what plesance and service      191
That I may doon, right as yow list devise.      192
And but I do, God take on me vengeance      193
As foul as evere hadde genylon of france.      194
This gentil monk answerde in this manere:      195
Now trewely, myn owene lady deere,      196
I have, quod he, on yow so greet a routhe      197
That I yow swere, and plighte yow my trouthe,      198
That whan youre housbonde is to flaundres fare,      199
I wol delyvere yow out of this care;      200
For I wol brynge yow an hundred frankes.      201
And with that word he caughte hire by the flankes,      202
And hire embraceth harde, and kiste hire ofte.      203
Gooth now youre wey, quod he, al stille and softe,      204
And lat us dyne as soone as that ye may;      205
For by my chilyndre it is pryme of day.      206
Gooth now, and beeth as trewe as I shal be.      207
Now elles God forbede, sire, quod she;      208
And forth she gooth as jolif as a pye,      209
And bad the cookes that they sholde hem hye,      210
So that men myghte dyne, and that anon.      211
Up to hir housbonde is this wyf ygon,      212
And knokketh at his countour boldely.      213
Quy la? quod he. Peter! it am I,      214
Quod she; what, sire, how longe wol ye faste?      215
How longe tyme wol ye rekene and caste      216
Youre sommes, and youre bookes, and youre thynges?      217
The devel have part on alle swiche rekenynges!      218
Ye have ynough, pardee, of goddes sonde;      219
Com doun to-day, and lat youre bagges stonde.      220
Ne be ye nat ashamed that daun john      221
Shal fasting al this day alenge goon?      222
What! lat us heere a messe, and go we dyne.      223
Wyf, quod this man, litel kanstow devyne      224
The curious bisynesse that we have.      225
For of us chapmen, also God me save,      226
And by that lord that clepid is seint yve,      227
Scarsly amonges twelve tweye shul thryve      228
Continuelly, lastynge unto oure age.      229
We may wel make chiere and good visage,      230
And dryve forth the world as it may be,      231
And kepen oure estaat in pryvetee,      232
Til we be deed, or elles that we pleye      233
A pilgrymage, or goon out of the weye.      234
And therfore have I greet necessitee      235
Upon this queynte world t' avyse me;      236
For everemoore we moote stonde in drede      237
Of hap and fortune in oure chapmanhede.      238
To flaundres wol I go to-morwe at day,      239
And come agayn, as soone as evere I may.      240
For which, my deere wyf, I thee diseke,      241
As be to every wight buxom and meke,      242
And for to kepe oure good be curious,      243
And honestly governe wel oure hous.      244
Thou hast ynough, in every maner wise,      245
That to a thrifty houshold may suffise.      246
Thee lakketh noon array ne no vitaille;      247
Of silver in thy purs shaltow nat faille.      248
And with that word his countour-dore he shette,      249
And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette.      250
But hastily a messe was ther seyd,      251
And spedily the tables were yleyd,      252
And to the dyner faste they hem spedde,      253
And richely this monk the chapman fedde.      254
At after-dyner daun john sobrely      255
This chapman took apart, and prively      256
He seyde hym thus: cosyn, it standeth so,      257
That wel I se to brugges wol ye go.      258
Go and seint austyn spede yow and gyde!      259
I prey yow, cosyn, wisely that ye ryde.      260
Governeth yow also of youre diete      261
Atemprely, and namely in this hete.      262
Bitwix us two nedeth no strange fare;      263
Farewel, cosyn; God shilde yow fro care!      264
And if that any thyng by day or nyght,      265
If it lye in my power and my myght,      266
That ye me wol comande in any wyse,      267
It shal be doon, right as ye wol devyse.      268
O thyng, er that ye goon, if it may be,      269
I wolde prey yow; for to lene me      270
An hundred frankes, for a wyke or tweye,      271
For certein beestes that I moste beye,      272
To stoore with a place that is oures.      273
God helpe me so, I wolde it were youres!      274
I shal nat faille surely of my day,      275
Nat for a thousand frankes, a mile way.      276
But lat this thyng be secree, I yow preye,
Page  159
     277
For yet to-nyght thise beestes moot I beye.      278
And fare now wel, myn owene cosyn deere;      279
Graunt mercy of youre cost and of youre cheere.      280
This noble marchant gentilly anon      281
Answerde and seyde, o cosyn myn, daun john,      282
Now sikerly this is a smal requeste.      283
My gold is youres, whan that it yow leste,      284
And nat oonly my gold, but my chaffare.      285
Take what yow list, God shilde that ye spare.      286
But o thyng is, ye knowe it wel ynogh,      287
Of chapmen, that hir moneie is hir plogh.      288
We may creaunce whil we have a name;      289
But goldlees for to be, it is no game.      290
Paye it agayn whan it lith in youre ese;      291
After my myght ful fayn wolde I yow plese.      292
Thise hundred frankes he fette forth anon,      293
And prively he took hem to daun john.      294
No wight in al this world wiste of this loone,      295
Savynge this marchant and daun john allone.      296
They drynke, and speke, and rome a while and pleye,      297
Til that daun john rideth to his abbeye.      298
The morwe cam, and forth this marchant rideth      299
To flaundres-ward; his prentys wel hym gydeth,      300
Til he came into brugges murily.      301
Now gooth this marchant faste and bisily      302
Aboute his nede, and byeth and creaunceth.      303
He neither pleyeth at the dees ne daunceth,      304
But as a marchaunt, shortly for to telle,      305
He let him lyf, and there I lete hym dwelle.      306
The sonday next the marchant was agon,      307
To seint-denys ycomen is daun john,      308
With crowne and berd al fressh and newe yshave.      309
In al the hous ther nas so litel a knave,      310
Ne no wight elles, that he nas ful fayn      311
For that my lord daun john was come agayn.      312
And shortly to the point right for to gon,      313
This faire wyf acorded with daun john      314
That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al nyght      315
Have hire in his armes bolt upright;      316
And this acord parfourned was in dede.      317
In myrthe al nyght a bisy lyf they lede      318
Til it was day, that daun john wente his way,      319
And bad the meynee farewel, have good day!      320
For noon of hem, ne no wight in the toun,      321
Hath of daun john right no suspecioun.      322
And forth he rydeth hoom to his abbeye,      323
Or where hym list; namoore of hym I seye.      324
This marchant, whan that ended was the faire,      325
To seint-denys he gan for to repaire,      326
And with his wyf he maketh feeste and cheere,      327
And telleth hire that chaffare is so deere      328
That nedes moste he make a chevyssaunce;      329
For he was bounden in a reconyssaunce      330
To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon.      331
For which this marchant is to parys gon      332
To borwe of certeine freendes that he hadde      333
A certeyn frankes; and somme with him he ladde.      334
And whan that he was come into the toun,      335
For greet chiertee and greet affeccioun,      336
Unto daun john he gooth first, hym to pleye;      337
Nat for to axe or borwe of hym moneye,      338
But for to wite and seen of his welfare,      339
And for to tellen hym of his chaffare,      340
As freendes doon whan they been met yfeere.      341
Daun john hym maketh feeste and murye cheere,      342
And he hym tolde agayn, ful specially,      343
How he hadde wel yboght and graciously,      344
Thanked be god, al hool his marchandise;      345
Save that he moste, in alle maner wise,      346
Maken a chevyssaunce, as for his beste,      347
And thanne he sholde been in joye and reste.      348
Daun john answerde, certes, I am fayn      349
That ye in heele ar comen hom agayn.      350
And if that I were riche, as have I blisse,      351
Of twenty thousand sheeld sholde ye nat mysse,      352
For ye so kyndely this oother day      353
Lente me gold; and as I kan and may,      354
I thanke yow, by God and by seint jame!      355
But nathelees, I took unto oure dame,      356
Youre wyf, at hom, the same gold ageyn      357
Upon youre bench; she woot it wel, certeyn,      358
By certeyn tokenes that I kan hire telle.      359
Now, by youre leve, I may no lenger dwelle;      360
Oure abbot wole out of this toun anon,      361
And in his compaignye moot I goon.      362
Grete wel oure dame, myn owene nece sweete,      363
And fare wel, deere cosyn, til we meete!      364
This marchant, which that was ful war and wys,      365
Creanced hath, and payd eek in parys      366
To certeyn lumbardes, redy in hir hond,      367
The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond;      368
And hoom he gooth, murie as a papejay,      369
For wel he knew he stood in swich array      370
That nedes moste he wynne in that viage
Page  160
     371
A thousand frankes aboven al his costage.      372
His wyf ful redy mette hym atte gate,      373
As she was wont of oold usage algate,      374
And al that nyght in myrthe they bisette;      375
For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.      376
Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace      377
His wyf al newe, and kiste hire on hir face,      378
And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.      379
Namoore, quod she, by god, ye have ynough!      380
And wantownly agayn with hym she pleyde,      381
Til atte laste thus this marchant seyde:      382
By go, quod he, I am a litel wrooth      383
With yow, my wyf, although it be me looth.      384
And woot ye why? by god, as that I gesse      385
That ye han maad a manere straungenesse      386
Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun john.      387
Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon,      388
That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed      389
By redy token; and heeld hym yvele apayed,      390
For that I to hym spak of chevyssaunce;      391
Me semed so, as by his contenaunce.      392
But nathelees, by god, oure hevene kyng,      393
I thoughte nat to axen hym no thyng.      394
I prey thee, wyf, ne do namoore so;      395
Telle me alwey, er that I fro thee go,      396
If any dettour hath in myn absence      397
Ypayed thee, lest thurgh thy necligence      398
I myghte hym axe a thing that he hath payed.      399
This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed,      400
But boldely she seyde, and that anon;      401
Marie, I deffie the false monk, daun john!      402
I kepe nat of his tokenes never a deel;      403
He took me certeyn gold, that woot I weel, --      404
What! yvel thedam on his monkes snowte!      405
For, God it woot, I wende, withouten doute,      406
That he hadde yeve it me bycause of yow,      407
To doon therwith myn honour and my prow,      408
For cosynage, and eek for beele cheere      409
That he hath had ful ofte tymes heere.      410
But sith I se I stonde in this disjoynt,      411
I wol answere yow shortly to the poynt.      412
Ye han mo slakkere dettours than am i!      413
For I wol paye yow wel and redily      414
Fro day to day, and if so be I faille,      415
I am youre wyf; score it upon my taille,      416
And I shal paye as soone as ever I may.      417
For by my trouthe, I have on myn array,      418
And nat on wast, bistowed every deel;      419
And for I have bistowed it so weel      420
For youre honour, for goddes sake, I seye,      421
As be nat wrooth, but lat us laughe and pleye.      422
Ye shal my joly body have to wedde;      423
By god, I wol nat paye yow but abedde!      424
Forgyve it me, myn owene spouse deere;      425
Turne hiderward, and maketh bettre cheere.      426
This marchant saugh ther was no remedie,      427
And for to chide it nere but folie,      428
Sith that the thyng may nat amended be.      429
Now wyf, he seyde, and I foryeve it thee;      430
But, by thy lyf, ne be namoore so large.      431
Keep bet my good, this yeve I thee in charge.      432
Thus endeth now my tale, and God us sende      433
Taillynge ynough unto oure lyves ende. Amen      434
The Words of the Host to the Prioress

Wel seyd, by corpus dominus, quod oure hoost,      435
Now longe moote thou saille by the cost,      436
Sire gentil maister, gentil maryneer!      437
God yeve the monk a thousand last quade yeer!      438
A ha! felawes! beth ware of swich a jape!      439
The monk putte in the mannes hood an ape,      440
And in his wyves eek, by seint austyn!      441
Draweth no monkes moore unto youre in.      442
But now passe over, and lat us seke aboute,      443
Who shal now telle first of al this route      444
Another tale; and with that word he sayde,      445
As curteisly as it had been a mayde,      446
My lady prioresse, by youre leve,      447
So that I wiste I sholde yow nat greve,      448
I wolde demen that ye tellen sholde      449
A tale next, if so were that ye wolde.      450
Now wol ye vouche sauf, my lady deere?      451
Gladly, quod she, and seyde as ye shal heere.      452
Page  161
The Prioress' Prologue

O lord, oure lord, thy name how merveillous      453
Is in this large world ysprad, quod she;      454
For noght oonly thy laude precious      455
Parfourned is by men of dignitee,      456
But by the mouth of children thy bountee      457
Parfourned is, for on the brest soukynge      458
Somtyme shewen they thyn heriynge.      459
Wherfore in laude, as I best kan or may,      460
Of thee and of the white lyle flour      461
Which that the bar, and is a mayde alway,      462
To telle a storie I wol do my labour;      463
Nat that I may encressen hir honour,      464
For whe hirself is honour and the roote      465
Of bountee, next hir sone, and soules boote.      466
O mooder mayde! o mayde mooder free!      467
O bussh unbrent, brennynge in moyses sighte,      468
That ravyshedest doun fro the dietee,      469
Thurgh thyn humbless, the goost that in th' alighte,      470
Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte,      471
Conceyved was the fadres sapience,      472
Help me to telle it in thy reverence!      473
Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence,      474
Thy vertu, and thy grete humylitee,      475
Ther may no tonge expresse in no science;      476
For somtyme, lady, er men praye to thee,      477
Thou goost biforn of thy benyngnytee,      478
And getest us the lyght, of thy preyere,      479
To gyden us unto thy sone so deere.      480
My konnyng is so wayk, o blisful queene,      481
For to declare thy grete worthynesse      482
That I ne may the weighte nat susteene;      483
But as a child of twelf month oold, or lesse,      484
That kan unnethes any word expresse,      485
Right so fare I, and therfore I yow preye,      486
Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye.      487
The Prioress' Tale

Ther was in asye, in a greet citee,      488
Amonges cristene folk, a jewerye,      489
Sustened by a lord of that contree      490
For foule usure and lucre of vileynye,      491
Hateful to crist and to his compaignye;      492
And thurgh the strete men myghte ride or wende,      493
For it was free and open at eyther ende.      494
A litel scole of cristen folk ther stood      495
Doun at the ferther ende, in which ther were      496
Children an heep, ycomen of cristen blood,      497
That lerned in that scole yeer by yere      498
Swich manere doctrine as men used there,      499
This is to seyn, to syngen and to rede,      500
As smale children doon in hire childhede.      501
Among thise children was a wydwes sone,      502
A litel clergeon, seven yeer of age,      503
That day by day to scole was his wone,      504
And eek also, where as he saugh th' ymage      505
Of cristes mooder, hadde he in usage,      506
As hym was taught, to knele adoun and seye      507
His ave marie, as he goth by the weye.      508
Thus hath this wydwe hir litel sone ytaught      509
Oure blisful lady, cristes mooder deere,
Page  162
     510
To worshipe ay, and he forgat it naught,      511
For sely child wol alday soone leere.      512
But ay, whan I remembre on this mateere,      513
Seint nicholas stant evere in my presence,      514
For he so yong to crist dide reverence.      515
This litel child, his litel book lernynge,      516
As he sat in the scole at his prymer,      517
He alma redemptoris herde synge,      518
As children lerned hire antiphoner;      519
And as he dorste, he drough hym ner and ner,      520
And herkned ay the wordes and the noote,      521
Til he the firste vers koude al by rote.      522
Noght wiste he what this latyn was to seye,      523
For he so yong and tendre was of age.      524
But on a day his felawe gan he preye      525
T' expounden hym this song in his langage,      526
Or telle hym why this song was in usage;      527
This preyde he hym to construe and declare      528
Ful often tyme upon his knowes bare.      529
His felawe, which that elder was than he,      530
Answerde hym thus: this song, I have herd seye,      531
Was maked of our blisful lady free,      532
Hire to salue, and eek hire for to preye      533
Fo been oure help and socour whan we deye.      534
I kan namoore expounde in this mateere;      535
I lerne song, I kan but smal grammeere.      536
And is this song maked in reverence      537
Of cristes mooder? seyde this innocent.      538
Now, certes, I wol do my diligence      539
To konne it al er cristemasse be went.      540
Though that I for my prymer shal be shent,      541
And shall be beten thries in an houre,      542
I wol it konne oure lady for to honoure!      543
His felawe taughte hym homward prively,      544
For day to day, til he koude it by rote,      545
And thanne he song it wel and boldely,      546
Fro word to word, acordynge with the note.      547
Twies a day it passed thurgh his throte,      548
To scoleward and homward whan he wente;      549
On cristes mooder set was his entente.      550
As I have seyd, thurghout the juerie,      551
This litel child, as he cam to and fro,      552
Ful murily than wolde he synge and crie      553
O alma redemptoris everemo.      554
The swetnesse hath his herte perced so      555
Of cristes mooder that, to hire to preye,      556
He kan nat stynte of syngyng by the weye.      557
Oure firste foo, the serpent sathanas,      558
That hath in jues herte his waspes nest,      559
Up swal, and seide, o hebrayk peple, allas!      560
Is this to yow a thyng that is honest,      561
That swich a boy shal walken as hym lest      562
In youre despit, and synge of swich sentence,      563
Which is agayn youre lawes reverence?      564
Fro thennes forth the jues han conspired      565
This innocent out of this world to chace.      566
And homycide therto han they hyred,      567
That in an aleye hadde a privee place;      568
And as the child gan forby for to pace,      569
This cursed jew hym hente, and heeld hym faste,      570
And kitte his throute, and in a pit hym caste.      571
I seye that in a wardrobe they hym threwe      572
Where as thise jewes purgen hire entraille.      573
O cursed folk of herodes al newe,      574
What may youre yvel entente yow availle?      575
Mordre wol out, certeyn, it wol nat faille,      576
And namely ther th' onour of God shal sprede;      577
The blood out crieth on youre cursed dede.      578
O martir, sowded to virginitee,      579
Now maystow syngen, folwynge evere in oon      580
The white lamb celestial -- quod she --      581
Of which the grete evaungelist, seint john,      582
In pathmos wroot, which seith that they that goon      583
Biforn this lamb, and synge a song al newe,      584
That nevere, flesshly, wommen they ne knewe.      585
This poure wydwe awaiteth al that nyght      586
After hir litel child, but he cam noght;      587
For which, as soone as it was dayes lyght,      588
With face pale of drede and bisy thoght,      589
She hath at scole and elleswhere hym soght,      590
Til finally she gan so fer espie      591
That he last seyn was in the juerie.      592
With moodres pitee in hir brest enclosed,      593
She gooth, as she were half out of hir mynde,      594
To every place where she hath supposed      595
By liklihede hir litel child to fynde;
Page  163
     596
And evere on cristes mooder meeke and kynde      597
She cride, and atte laste thus she wroghte:      598
Among the cursed jues she hym soghte.      599
She frayneth and she preyeth pitously      600
To every jew that dwelte in thilke place,      601
To telle hire if hir child wente oght forby.      602
They seyde nay; but jhesu, of his grace,      603
Yaf in hir thoght, inwith a litel space,      604
That in that place after hir sone she cryde,      605
Where he was casten in a pit bisyde.      606
O grete god, that parfournest thy laude      607
By mouth of innocentz, lo, heere thy myght!      608
This gemme of chastite, this emeraude,      609
And eek of martirdom the ruby bright,      610
Ther he with throte ykorven lay upright,      611
He alma redemptoris gan to synge      612
So loude that al the place gan to rynge.      613
The cristene folk that thurgh the strete wente      614
In coomen for to wondre upon this thyng,      615
And hastily they for the provost sente;      616
He cam anon withouten tariyng,      617
And herieth crist that is of hevene kyng,      618
And eek his mooder, honour of mankynde,      619
And after that the jewes leet he bynde.      620
This child with pitous lamentacioun      621
Up taken was, syngynge his song alway,      622
And with honour of greet processioun      623
They carien hym unto the nexte abbay.      624
His mooder swownynge by the beere lay;      625
Unnethe myghte the peple that was theere      626
This newe rachel brynge fro his beere.      627
With torment and with shameful deeth echon      628
This provost dooth thise jewes for to sterve      629
That of this mordre wiste, and that anon.      630
He nolde no swich cursednesse observe.      631
Yvele shal have that yvele wol deserve;      632
Therfore with wilde hors he dide hem drawe,      633
And after that he heng hem by the lawe.      634
Upon this beere ay lith this innocent      635
Biforn the chief auter, whil masse laste;      636
And after that, the abbot with his covent      637
Han sped hem for to burien hym ful faste;      638
And whan they hooly water on hym caste,      639
Yet spak this child, whan spreynd was hooly water,      640
And song o alma redemptoris mater!      641
This abbot, which that was an hooly man,      642
As monkes been -- or elles oghte be --      643
This yonge child to conjure he bigan,      644
And seyde, o deere child, I halse thee,      645
In vertu of the hooly trinitee,      646
Tel me what is thy cause for to synge,      647
Sith that thy throte is kut to my semynge?      648
My throte is kut unto my nekke boon,      649
Seyde this child, and, as by wey of kynde,      650
I sholde have dyed, ye, longe tyme agon.      651
But jesu crist, as ye in bookes fynde,      652
Wil that his glorie laste and be in mynde,      653
And for the worship of his mooder deere      654
Yet may I synge o alma loude and cleere.      655
This welle of mercy, cristes mooder sweete,      656
I loved alwey, as after my konnynge;      657
And whan that I my lyf sholde forlete,      658
To me she cam, and bad me for to synge      659
This anthem verraily in my deyynge,      660
As ye han herd, and whan that I hadde songe,      661
Me thoughte she leyde a greyn upon my tonge.      662
Wherfore I synge, and synge moot certeyn,      663
In honour of that blisful mayden free,      664
Til fro my tonge of taken is the greyn;      665
And after that thus seyde she to me;      666
-- My litel child, now wol I fecche thee,      667
Whan that the greyn is fro thy tonge ytake.      668
Be nat agast, I wol thee nat forsake. --      669
This hooly monk, this abbot, hym meene I,      670
His tonge out caughte, and took awey the greyn,      671
And he yaf up the goost ful softely.      672
And whan this abbot hadde this wonder seyn,      673
His salte teeris trikled doun as reyn,      674
And gruf he fil al plat upon the grounde,      675
And stille he lay as he had ben ybounde.      676
The covent eek lay on the pavement      677
Wepynge, and herying cristes mooder deere,      678
And after that they ryse, and forth been went,      679
And tooken awey this martir from his beere;      680
And in a tombe of marbul stones cleere      681
Enclosen they his litel body sweete.      682
Ther he is now, God leve us for to meete!
Page  164
     683
O yonge hugh of lyncoln, slayn also      684
With cursed jewes, as it is notable,      685
For it is but a litel while ago,      686
Preye eek for us, we synful folk unstable,      687
That, of his mercy, God so merciable      688
On us his grete mercy multiplie,      689
For reverence of his mooder marie. Amen      690
The Prologue to the Tale of Sir Thopas

Whan seyd was al this miracle, every man      691
As sobre was that wonder was to se,      692
Til that oure hooste japen tho bigan,      693
And thanne at erst he looked upon me,      694
And seyde thus: what man artow? quod he;      695
Thou lookest as thou woldest fynde an hare,      696
For evere upon the ground I se thee stare.      697
Approche neer, and looke up murily.      698
Now war yow, sires, and lat this man have place!      699
He in the waast is shape as wel as I;      700
This were a popet in an arm t' enbrace      701
For any womman, smal and fair of face.      702
He semeth elvyssh by his contenaunce,      703
For unto no wight dooth he daliaunce.      704
Sey now somwhat, syn oother folk han sayd;      705
Telle us a tale of myrthe, and that anon.      706
Hooste, quod I, ne beth nat yvele apayd,      707
For oother tale certes kan I noon,      708
But of a rym I lerned longe agoon.      709
Ye, that is good, quod he; now shul we heere      710
Som deyntee thyng, me thynketh by his cheere.      711
The Tale of Sir Thopas

Fitt I
Listeth, lordes, in good entent,      712
And I wol telle verrayment      713
Of myrthe and of solas;      714
Al of a knyght was fair and gent      715
In bataille and in tourneyment,      716
His name was sire thopas.      717
Yborn he was in fer contree,      718
In flaundres, al biyonde the see,      719
At poperyng, in the place.      720
His fader was a man ful free,      721
And lord he was of that contree,      722
As it was goddes grace.      723
Sire thopas wax a doghty swayn;      724
Whit was his face as payndemayn,      725
His lippes rede as rose;      726
His rode is lyk scarlet in grayn,      727
And I yow telle in good certayn,      728
He hadde a semely nose.      729
His heer, his berd was lyk saffroun,      730
That to his girdel raughte adoun;      731
His shoon of cordewane.      732
Of brugges were his hosen broun,      733
His robe was of syklatoun,      734
That coste many a jane.      735
He koude hunte at wilde deer,      736
And ride an haukyng for river      737
With grey goshauk on honde;      738
Therto he was a good archeer;      739
Of wrastlyng was ther noon his peer,      740
Ther any ram shal stonde.
Page  165
     741
Ful many a mayde, bright in bour,      742
They moorne for hym paramour,      743
Whan hem were bet to slepe;      744
But he was chaast and no lechour,      745
And sweete as is the brembul flour      746
That bereth the rede hepe.      747
And so bifel upon a day,      748
For sothe, as I yow telle may,      749
Sire thopas wolde out ride.      750
He worth upon his steede gray,      751
And in his hand a launcegay,      752
A long swerd by his side.      753
He priketh thurgh a fair forest,      754
Therinne is many a wilde best,      755
Ye, bothe bukke and hare;      756
And as he priketh north and est,      757
I telle it yow, hym hadde almest      758
Bitid a sory care.      759
Ther spryngen herbes grete and smale,      760
The lycorys and the cetewale,      761
And many a clowe-gylofre;      762
And notemuge to putte in ale,      763
Wheither it be moyste or stale,      764
Or for to leye in cofre.      765
The briddes synge, it is no nay,      766
The sparhauk and the papejay,      767
That joye it was to heere;      768
The thrustelock made eek his lay,      769
The wodedowve upon the spray      770
She sang ful loude and cleere.      771
Sire thopas fil in love-longynge,      772
Al whan he herde the thrustel synge,      773
And pryked as he were wood.      774
His faire steede in his prikynge      775
So swatte that men myghte him wrynge;      776
His sydes were al blood.      777
Sire thopas eek so wery was      778
For prikyng on the softe gras,      779
So fiers was his corage,      780
That doun he leyde him in that plas      781
To make his steede som solas,      782
And yaf hym good forage.      783
O seinte marie, benedicite!      784
What eyleth this love at me      785
To bynde me so soore?      786
Me dremed al this nyght, pardee,      787
An elf-queene shal my lemman be      788
And slepe under my goore.      789
An elf-queene wol I love, ywis,      790
For in this world no womman is      791
Worthy to be my make      792
In towne;      793
Alle othere wommen I forsake,      794
And to an elf-queene I me take      795
By dale and eek by downe!      796
Into his sadel he clamb anon,      797
And priketh over stile and stoon      798
An elf-queene for t' espye,      799
Til he so longe hath riden and goon      800
That he foond, in a pryve woon,      801
The contree of fairye      802
So wilde;      803
For in that contree was ther noon      804
That to him durste ride or goon,      805
Neither wyf ne childe;      806
Til that ther cam a greet geaunt,      807
His name was sire olifaunt,      808
A perilus man of dede.      809
He seyde, child, by termagaunt!      810
But if thou prike out of myn haunt,      811
Anon I sle thy steede      812
With mace.      813
Heere is the queene of fayerye,      814
With harpe and pipe and symphonye,      815
Dwellynge in this place.      816
The child seyde, also moote I thee,      817
Tomorwe wol I meete with thee,      818
Whan I have myn armoure;      819
And yet I hope, par ma fay,      820
That thou shalt with this launcegay      821
Abyen it ful sowre.      822
Thy mawe      823
Shal I percen, if I may,      824
Er it be fully pryme of day,      825
For heere thow shalt be slawe.      826
Sire thopas drow abak ful faste;      827
This geant at hym stones caste      828
Out of a fel staf-slynge.      829
But faire escapeth child thopas,      830
And al it was thurgh goddes gras,      831
And thurgh his fair berynge.      832
Yet listeth, lordes, to my tale      833
Murier than the nightyngale,      834
For now I wol yow rowne      835
How sir thopas, with sydes smale,      836
Prikyng over hill and dale,      837
Is comen agayn to towne.
Page  166
     838
His myrie men comanded he      839
To make hym bothe game and glee,      840
For nedes moste he fighte      841
With a geaunt with hevedes three,      842
For paramour and jolitee      843
Of oon that shoon ful brighte.      844
Do come, he seyde, my mynstrale,      845
And geestours for to tellen tales,      846
Anon in myn armynge,      847
Of romances that been roiales,      848
Of popes and of cardinales,      849
And eek of love-likynge.      850
They fette hym first the sweet wyn,      851
And mede eek in a mazelyn,      852
And roial spicerye      853
Of gyngebreed that was ful fyn,      854
And lycorys, and eek comyn,      855
With sugre that is trye.      856
He dide next his white leere,      857
Of cloth of lake fyn and cleere,      858
A breech and eek a sherte;      859
And next his sherte an aketoun,      860
And over that an haubergeoun      861
For percynge of his herte;      862
And over that a fyn hawberk,      863
Was al ywroght of jewes werk,      864
Ful strong it was of plate;      865
And over that his cote-armour      866
As whit as is a lilye flour,      867
In which he wol debate.      868
His sheeld was al of gold so reed,      869
And therinne was a bores heed,      870
A charbocle bisyde;      871
And there he swoor on ale and breed      872
How that the geaunt shal be deed,      873
Bityde what bityde!      874
His jambeux were of quyrboilly,      875
His swerdes shethe of ivory,      876
His helm of latoun bright;      877
His sadel was of rewel boon,      878
His brydel as the sonne shoon,      879
Or as the moone light.      880
His spere was of fyn ciprees,      881
That bodeth werre, and nothyng pees,      882
The heed ful sharpe ygrounde;      883
His steede was al dappull gray,      884
It gooth an ambil in the way      885
Ful softely and rounde      886
In londe.      887
Loo, lordes myne, heere is a fit!      888
If ye wol any moore of it,      889
To telle it wol I fonde.      890
Fitt II
Now holde youre mouth, par charitee,      891
Bothe knyght and lady free,      892
And herkneth to my spelle;      893
Of bataille and of chivalry,      894
And of ladyes love-drury      895
Anon I wol yow telle.      896
Men speken of romances of prys,      897
Of horn child and of ypotys,      898
Of beves and sir gy,      899
Of sir lybeux and pleyndamour, --      900
But sir thopas, he bereth the flour      901
Of roial chivalry!      902
His goode steede al he bistrood,      903
And forth upon his wey he glood      904
As sparcle out of the bronde;      905
Upon his creest he bar a tour,      906
And therinne stiked a lilie flour, --      907
God shilde his cors for shonde!      908
And for he was a knyght auntrous,      909
He nolde slepen in noon hous,      910
But liggen in his hoode;      911
His brighte helm was his wonger,      912
And by hym baiteth his dextrer      913
Of herbes fyne and goode.      914
Hymself drank water of the well,      915
As dide the knyght sire percyvell      916
So worthy under wede,      917
Til on a day --      918
Page  167
The Host's Interruption of the Tale of Sir Thopas

Namoore of this, for goddes dignitee,      919
Quod oure hooste, for thou makest me      920
So wery of thy verray lewednesse      921
That, also wisly God my soule blesse,      922
Myne eres aken of thy drasty speche.      923
Now swich a rym the devel I biteche!      924
This may wel be rym dogerel, quod he.      925
Why so? quod I, why wiltow lette me      926
Moore of my tale than another man,      927
Syn that it is the beste rym I kan?      928
By god, quod he, for pleynly, at a word,      929
Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a toord!      930
Thou doost noght elles but despendest tyme.      931
Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger ryme.      932
Lat se wher thou kanst tellen aught in geeste,      933
Or telle in prose somwhat, at the leeste,      934
In which ther be som murthe or som doctryne      935
Gladly, quod I, by goddes sweete pyne!      936
I wol yow telle a litel thyng in prose      937
That oghte liken yow, as I suppose,      938
Or elles, certes, ye been to daungerous.      939
It is a moral tale vertuous,      940
Al be it told somtyme in sondry wyse      941
Of sondry folk, as I shal yow devyse.      942
As thus: ye woot that every evaungelist,      943
That telleth us the peyne of jhesu crist,      944
Ne seith nat alle thyng as his felawe dooth;      945
But nathelees hir sentence is al sooth,      946
And alle acorden as in hire sentence,      947
Al be ther in hir tellyng difference.      948
For somme of hem seyn moore, and somme seyn lesse,      949
Whan they his pitous passioun expresse --      950
I meene of mark, mathew, luc, and john --      951
But doutelees hir sentence is al oon.      952
Therfore, lordynges alle, I yow biseche,      953
If that yow thynke I varie as in my speche,      954
As thus, though that I telle somwhat moore      955
Of proverbes than ye han herd bifoore      956
Comprehended in this litel tretys heere,      957
To enforce with th' effect of my mateere,      958
And though I nat the same wordes seye      959
As ye han herd, yet to yow alle I preye      960
Blameth me nat; for, as in my sentence,      961
Shul ye nowher fynden difference      962
Fro the sentence of this tretys lyte      963
After the which this murye tale I write.      964
And therfore herkneth what that I shal seye,      965
And lat me tellen al my tale, I preye.      966
The Tale of Melibee

A yong man called melibeus, myghty and      967
Riche, bigat upon his wyf, that called was prudence,      967
a doghter which that called was sophie./      968
Upon a day bifel that he for his desport is      968
Went into the feeldes hem to pleye./ His wyf      969
And eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous,      969
Of which the dores weren faste yshette./ Thre      970
Of his olde foes han it espyed, and setten laddres      970
To the walles of his hous, and by wyndowes      970
been entred,/ and betten his wyf,      971
And wounded his doghter with fyve mortal      971
woundes in fyve sondry places, -- / this is to      972
Seyn, in hir feet, in hire handes, in hir erys, in      972
Hir nose, and in hire mouth, -- and leften hire      972
For deed, and wenten awey./      973
Whan melibeus retourned was in to his hous,      973
And saugh al this meschief, he, lyk a mad man,      973
Rentynge his clothes, gan to wepe and crie./      974
Prudence, his wyf, as ferforth as she dorste,      974
Bisoghte hym of his wepyng for to stynte;/ but      975
Nat forthy he gan to crie and wepen      975
Evere lenger the moore./      975
This noble wyf prudence remembred      976
Hire upon the sentence of ovide, in his book      976
That cleped is the remedie of love, where as      976
He seith/ he is a fool that destourbeth the      977
Mooder to wepen in the deeth of hire child,      977
Til she have wept hir fille as for a certein tyme;/      978
And thanne shal man doon his diligence with      978
Amyable wordes hire to reconforte, and preyen
Page  168
     978
Hire of hir wepyng for to stynte./ For which      979
Resoun this noble wyf prudence suffred hir      979
Housbonde for to wepe and crie as for a certein      979
Space;/ and whan she saugh hir tyme, she      980
Seyde hym in this wise: allas, my lord, quod      980
She, why make ye youreself for to be      980
Lyk a fool?/ for sothe it aperteneth nat      981
To a wys man to maken swich a sorwe./      982
Youre doghter, with the grace of god, shal      982
Warisshe and escape./ And, al were it so that      983
She right now were deed, ye ne oughte nat, as      983
For hir deeth, youreself to destroye./ Senek      984
Seith: the wise man shal nat take to greet disconfort      984
for the deeth of his children;/ but,      985
Certes, he sholde suffren it in pacience as wel      985
As he abideth the deeth of his owene      985
Propre persone. -- /      986
This melibeus answerde anon, and      986
Seyde, what man, quod he, sholde of his      986
Wepyng stente that hath so greet a cause for      986
To wepe?/ jhesu crist, oure lord, hymself      987
Wepte for the deeth of lazarus hys freend./      988
Prudence answerde: certes, wel I woot attempree      988
wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym      988
That sorweful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it      988
Is rather graunted hym to wepe./ The apostle      989
Paul unto the romayns writeth, -- man shal rejoyse      989
with hem that maken joye, and wepen      989
With swich folk as wepen. -- / ut though attempree      990
wepyng be ygraunted, outrageous      990
wepyng certes is deffended./      991
Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered,      991
after the loore that techeth us senek:/      992
-- whan that thy frend is deed, -- quod he, -- lat      992
Nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris, ne      992
To muche drye; although the teeris come to      992
Thyne eyen, lat hem nat falle;/ and whan thou      993
Hast forgoon thy freend, do diligence to gete      993
Another freend; and this is moore wysdom than      993
For to wepe for thy freend which that thou has      993
Lorn, for therinne is no boote. -- / and therfore,      994
If ye governe yow by sapience, put awey sorwe      994
Out of youre herte./ Remembre yow that      995
Jhesus syrak seith, -- a man that is joyous and      995
Glad in herte, it hym conserveth florissynge      995
In his age; but soothly sorweful herte      995
Maketh his bones drye. -- / he seith eek      996
Thus, that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many      996
A man./ Salomon seith that right as motthes      997
In shepes flees anoyeth to the clothes, and      997
The smale wormes to the tree, right so anoyeth      997
Sorwe to the herte./ Wherfore us oghte, as wel      998
In the deeth of oure children as in the los of      998
Oure othere goodes temporels, have pacience./      999
Remembre yow upon the pacient job. Whan      999
He hadde lost his children and his temporeel      999
Substance, and in his body endured and receyved      999
ful many a grevous tribulacion, yet      999
Seyde he thus:/ -- oure lord hath yeve it me;      1000
Oure lord hath biraft it me; right as oure lord      1000
Hath wold, right so it is doon; blessed      1000
Be the name of oure lord! -- /      1001
To thise forseide thynges answerde      1001
Melibeus unto his wyf prudence: alle thy      1001
Wordes, quod he, been sothe, and therto profitable;      1001
but trewely myn herte is troubled with      1001
This sorwe so grevously that I noot what to      1001
Doone./      1002
Lat calle, quod prudence, thy trewe      1002
Freendes alle, and thy lynage whiche that been      1002
Wise. Telleth youre cas, and herkneth what      1002
They seye in conseillyng, and yow governe after      1002
Hire sentence./ Salomon seith, -- werk alle thy      1003
Thynges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente.      1003
Thanne, by the conseil of his wyf prudence,      1004
This melibeus leet callen a greet congregacion      1004
Of folk;/ as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and      1005
Yonge, and somme of his olde enemys reconsiled      1005
as by hir semblaunt to his love and      1005
Into his grace;/ and therwithal ther      1006
Coomen somme of his neighebores that      1006
Diden hym reverence moore for drede than for      1006
Love, as it happeth ofte./ Ther coomen also      1007
Ful many subtille flatereres, and wise advocatz      1007
lerned in the lawe./      1008
And whan this folk togidre assembled weren,      1008
This melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his      1008
Cas./ And by the manere of his speche it      1009
Semed that in herte he baar a crueel ire, redy      1009
To doon vengeaunce upon his foes, and sodeynly      1009
desired that the werre sholde bigynne;/      1010
But nathelees, yet axed he hire conseil      1010
Upon this matiere./ A surgien, by licence      1011
and assent of swiche as weren      1011
Wise, up roos, and to melibeus seyde as ye may      1011
Heere:/      1012
Sire, quod he, as to us surgiens aperteneth      1012
that we do to every wight the beste that      1012
We kan, where as we been withholde, and to      1012
Oure pacientz that we do no damage;/ wherfore      1013
it happeth many tyme and ofte that whan      1013
Twey men han everich wounded oother, oon      1013
Same surgien heeleth hem bothe;/ wherfore      1014
Unto oure art it is nat pertinent to norice werre      1014
Ne parties to supporte./ But certes, as to the      1015
Warisshynge of youre doghter, al be it so that      1015
She perilously be wounded, we shullen do so
Page  169
     1015
Ententif bisynesse fro day to nyght that with      1015
The grace of God she shal be hool and      1015
Sound as soone as is possible./      1016
Almoost right in the same wise the      1016
Phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a      1016
Fewe woordes moore:/ that right as maladies      1017
Been cured by hir contraries, right so shul men      1017
Warisshe werre by vengeaunce./      1018
His neighebores ful of envye, his feyned      1018
Freendes that semeden reconsiled, and his flatereres/      1018
maden semblant of wepyng, and empeireden      1019
and agreggeden muchel of this matiere      1019
in preisynge greetly melibee of myght, of      1019
Power, of richesse, and of freendes, despisynge      1019
The power of his adversaries,/ and seiden outrely      1020
that he anon sholde wreken hym on      1020
His foes, and bigynne werre./      1021
Up roos thanne an advocat that was      1021
Wys, by leve and by conseil of othere that were      1021
Wise, and seide:/ lordynges, the nede for      1022
Which we been assembled in this place is a ful      1022
Hevy thyng and an heigh matiere,/ by cause      1023
Of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath      1023
Be doon, and eek by resoun of the grete damages      1023
that in tyme comynge been possible to      1023
Fallen for this same cause,/ and eek by resoun      1024
Of the grete richesse and power of the parties      1024
Bothe;/ for the whiche resouns it were a      1025
Ful greet peril to erren in this matiere./      1026
Wherfore, melibeus, this is oure sentence:      1026
we conseille yow aboven alle thyng      1026
That right anon thou do thy diligence in      1026
Kepynge of thy propre persone in swich      1026
A wise that thou ne wante noon espie ne      1026
Wacche, thy persone for to save./ And after      1027
That, we conseille that in thyn hous thou sette      1027
Sufficeant garnisoun so that they may as wel      1027
Thy body as thyn hous defende./ But certes,      1028
For to moeve werre, ne sodeynly for to doon      1028
Vengeaunce, we may nat demen in so litel      1028
Tyme that it were profitable./ Wherfore we      1029
Axen leyser and espace to have deliberacion in      1029
This cas to deme./ For the commune proverbe      1030
Seith thus: -- he that soone deemeth,      1030
Soone shal repente. -- / and eek men seyn      1031
That thilke juge is wys that soone under-      1031
Stondeth a matiere and juggeth by leyser;/ for      1032
Al be it so that alle tariyng be anoyful, algates it      1032
Is nat to repreve in yevynge of juggement ne      1032
In vengeance takyng, whan it is sufficeant      1032
And resonable./ And that shewed oure lord      1033
Jhesu crist by ensample; for whan that the      1033
Womman that was taken in avowtrie was broght      1033
In his presence to knowen what sholde be doon      1033
With hire persone, al be it so that he wiste wel      1033
Hymself what that he wolde answere, yet ne      1033
Wolde he nat answere sodeynly, but he wolde      1033
Have deliberacion, and in the ground he wroot      1033
Twies./ And thise causes weaxen deliberacioun,      1034
and we shal thanne, by the grace of      1034
God, conseille thee thyng that shal be profitable./      1034
n=11035>Up stirten thanne the yonge folk atones, and      1035
The mooste partie of that compaignye han      1035
Scorned this olde wise man, and bigonnen      1035
to make noyse, and seyden that/      1036
Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men      1036
Sholden smyte, right so men sholde wreken hir      1036
Wronges whil that they been fresshe and newe;      1036
And with loud voys they criden werre!      1036
Werre!/      1037
Up roos tho oon of thise olde wise, and with      1037
His hand made contenaunce that men sholde      1037
Holden hem stille and yeven hym audience./      1038
Lordynges, quod he, ther is ful many a man      1038
That crieth -- werre! werre! -- that woot ful litel      1038
What werre amounteth./ Werre at his bigynnyng      1039
hath so greet an entryng and so large, that      1039
Every wight may entre whan hym liketh, and      1039
Lightly fynde werre;/ but certes what ende      1040
That shal therof bifalle, it is nat light to      1040
Knowe./ For soothly, whan that werre is      1041
Ones bigonne, ther is ful many a child      1041
Unborn of his mooder that shal sterve yong by      1041
Cause of thilke werre, or elles lyve in sorwe and      1041
Dye in wrecchednesse./ And therfore, er that      1042
Any werre bigynne, men moste have greet conseil      1042
and greet deliberacion./ And whan this      1043
Olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons,      1043
Wel ny alle atones bigonne they to rise for to      1043
Breken his tale, and beden hym ful ofte his      1043
Wordes for to abregge./ For soothly, he that      1044
Precheth to hem that listen nat heeren his      1044
Wordes, his sermon hem anoieth./ For jhesus      1045
Syrak seith that musik in wepynge ia a noyous      1045
Thyng; this is to seyn: as muche availleth to      1045
Speken bifore folk to which his speche anoyeth,      1045
as it is to synge biforn hym that      1045
Wepeth./ And whan this wise man      1046
Saugh that hym wanted audience, al      1046
Shamefast he sette hym doun agayn./ For      1047
Salomon seith: ther as thou ne mayst have      1047
Noon audience, enforce thee nat to speke./      1048
I see wel, quod this wise man, that the commune      1048
proverbe is sooth, that -- good conseil      1048
Wanteth whan it is moost nede. -- /      1049
Yet hadde this melibeus in his conseil many      1049
Folk that prively in his eere conseilled hym
Page  170
     1049
Certeyn thyng, and conseilled hym the contrarie      1049
in general audience./      1050
Whan melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste      1050
partie of his conseil weren accorded that      1050
He sholde maken werre, anoon he consented to      1050
Hir conseillyng, and fully affermed hire      1050
Sentence./ Thanne dame prudence,      1051
Whan that she saugh how that hir      1051
Housbonde shoop hym for to wreken hym on      1051
His foes, and to bigynne werre, she in ful humble      1051
wise, whan she saugh hir tyme, seide to      1051
Hym thise wordes:/ my lord, quod she, I      1052
Yow biseche as hertely as I dar and kan, ne      1052
Haste yow nat to faste, and for alle gerdons, as      1052
Yeveth me audience./ For piers alfonce seith,      1053
-- whoso that dooth to thee oother good or harm,      1053
Haste thee nat to quiten it; for in this wise thy      1053
Freend wole abyde, and thyn anemy shal the      1053
Lenger lyve in drede. -- / the proverbe seith, -- he      1054
Hasteth wel that wisely kan abyde, -- and in      1054
Wikked haste is no profit./      1055
This melibee answerde unto his wyf prudence:      1055
I purpose nat, quod he, to werke by      1055
Thy conseil, for many causes and resouns.      1055
For certes, every wight wolde holde me      1055
Thanne a fool;/ this is to seyn, if I, for      1056
Thy conseillyng, wolde chaungen thynges      1056
That been ordeyned and affermed by so manye      1056
Wyse./ Secoundely, I seye that alle wommen      1057
Been wikke, and noon good of hem alle. For -- of      1057
A thousand men, -- seith salomon, -- I foond o      1057
Good man, but certes, of alle wommen, good      1057
Womman foond I nevere.--/ and also, certes,      1058
If I governed me by thy conseil, it sholde      1058
Seme that I hadde yeve to thee over me      1058
The maistrie; and God forbede that it so      1058
Weere!/ for jhesus syrak seith that -- if the      1059
Wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir      1059
Housbonde./ -- and salomon seith: -- nevere in      1060
Thy lyf to thy wyf, ne to thy child, ne to      1060
Thy freend, ne yeve no power over thy-      1060
Self; for bettre it were that thy children aske      1060
Of thy persone thynges that hem nedeth, than      1060
Thou see thyself in the handes of thy      1060
Children. -- / and also if I wolde werke      1061
By thy conseillyng, certes, my conseil      1061
Moste som tyme be secree, til it were tyme      1061
That it moste be knowe, and this ne may noght      1061
Be./ (car il est escript, la genglerie des      1062
Femmes ne puet riens celler fors ce qu' elle ne      1062
Scet./ Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais      1063
Conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et      1063
Par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil.)/      1063
n=11064>Whanne dame prudence, ful debonairly and      1064
With greet pacience, hadde herd al that hir      1064
Housbonde liked for to seye, thanne axed she      1064
Of hym licence for to speke, and seyde in this      1064
Wise:/ my lord, quod she, as to youre firste      1065
Resoun, certes it may lightly been answered.      1065
For I seye that it is no folie to chaunge conseil      1065
Whan the thyng is chaunged, or elles whan      1065
The thyng semeth ootherweyes than it      1065
Was biforn./ And mooreover, I seye      1066
That though ye han sworn and bihight      1066
To perfourne youre emprise, and nathelees ye      1066
Weyve to perfourne thilke same emprise by      1066
Juste cause, men sholde nat seyn therfore that      1066
Ye were a liere ne forsworn./ For the book      1067
Seith that -- the wise man maketh no lesyng      1067
Whan he turneth his corage to the bettre. --/      1068
And al be it so that youre emprise be establissed      1068
and ordeyned by greet multitude of folk,      1068
Yet that ye nat accomplice thilke ordinaunce,      1068
But yow like./ For the trouthe of thynges and      1069
The profit been rather founden in fewe folk that      1069
Been wise and ful of resoun, than by greet multitude      1069
of folk ther every man crieth and clatereth      1069
what that hym liketh. Soothly swich multitude      1069
is nat hones./ And as to the seconde      1070
Resoun, where as ye seyn that alle wommen      1070
Been wikke; save youre grace, certes ye despisen      1070
alle wommen in this wyse, and -- he that      1070
Al despiseth, al displeseth, -- as seith the      1070
Book./ And senec seith that -- whose      1071
Wole have sapience shal no man dispreyse,      1071
but he shal gladly techen the science      1071
That he kan withouten presumpcion or pride,/      1072
And swiche thynges as he noght ne kan, he      1072
Shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem, and enquere      1072
of lasse folk than hymself. -- / and, sire,      1073
That ther hath been many a good womman,      1073
May lightly be preved./ For certes, sire, oure      1074
Lord jhesu crist wolde nevere have descended      1074
To be born of a womman, if alle wommen hadden      1074
been wikke./ And after that, for the grete      1075
Bountee that is in wommen, oure lord jhesu      1075
Crist, whan he was risen fro deeth to lyve,      1075
Appeered rather to a womman than to      1075
His apostles./ And though that salomon      1076
seith that he ne foond nevere womman      1076
good, it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen      1076
ben wikke./ For though that he ne foond      1077
No good womman, certes, many another man      1077
Hath founden many a womman ful good and      1077
Trewe./ Or elles, per aventure, the entente of      1078
Salomon was this, that, as in sovereyn bounte,      1078
He foond no womman;/ this is to seyn, that ther
Page  171
     1079
Is no wight that hath sovereyn bountee save      1079
God allone, as he hymself recordeth in hys      1079
Evaungelie./ For ther nys no creature so good      1080
That hym ne wanteth somwhat of the      1080
Perfeccioun of god, that is his makere./      1081
Youre thridde reson is this: ye seyn that      1081
If ye governe yow by my conseil, it sholde      1081
Seme that ye hadde yeve me the maistrie and      1081
The lordshipe over youre persone./ Sire, save      1082
Youre grace, it is nat so. For if it so were that      1082
No man sholde be conseilled but oonly of hem      1082
That hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone,      1082
men wolden nat be conseilled so ofte./      1083
For soothly thilke man that asketh conseil of      1083
A purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he      1083
Wole werke by that conseil or noon./ And as      1084
To youre fourthe resoun, ther ye seyn that the      1084
Janglerie of wommen kan hyde thynges that      1084
They wot noght, as who seith that a womman      1084
Kan nat hyde that she woot;/ sire, thise wordes      1085
Been understonde of wommen that been      1085
Jangleresses and wikked;/ of whiche      1086
Wommen men seyn that thre thynges      1086
Dryven a man out of his hous, -- that is to seyn,      1086
Smoke, droppyng of reyn, and wikked wyves,/      1087
And of swiche wommen seith salomon that -- it      1087
Were bettre dwelle in desert than with a woman      1087
that is riotous. --/ and sire, by youre leve,      1088
That am nat I;/ for ye han ful ofte assayed my      1089
Grete silence and my grete pacience, and eek      1089
How wel that I kan hyde and hele thynges that      1089
Men oghte secreely to hyde./ And soothly, as      1090
To youre fifthe resoun, where as ye seyn that      1090
In wikked conseil wommen venquisshe men,      1090
God woot, thilke resoun stant heere in      1090
No stede./ For understoond now, ye      1091
Asken conseil to do wikkednesse;/ and if      1092
Ye wole werken wikkednesse, and youre wif      1092
Restreyneth thilke wikked purpos, and overcometh      1092
yow by reson and by good conseil,/      1093
Certes youre wyf oghte rather to be preised      1093
Than yblamed./ Thus sholde ye understonde      1094
The philosophre that seith, -- in wikked conseil      1094
Wommen venquisshen hir housbondes. -- / and      1095
Ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resouns,      1095
I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples      1095
That many a womman hath ben ful good, and      1095
Yet been, and hir conseils ful hoolsome      1095
And profitable./ Eek som men han seyd      1096
That the conseillynge of wommen is      1096
Outher to deere, or elles to litel of pris./ But al      1097
Be it so that ful many a womman is badde, and      1097
Hir conseil vile and noght worth, yet han men      1097
Founde ful many a good womman, and ful discret      1097
and wis in conseillynge./ Loo, jacob, by      1098
Good conseil of his mooder rebekka, wan the      1098
Benysoun of ysaak his fader, and the lordshipe      1098
Over alle his bretheren./ Judith, by hire good      1099
Conseil, delivered the citee of bethulie, in      1099
Which she dwelled, out of the handes of olofernus,      1099
that hadde it biseged and wolde have al      1099
Destroyed it./ Abygail delivered nabal hir      1100
Housbonde fro david the kyng, that wolde      1100
Have slayn hym, and apaysed the ire of the      1100
Kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseillyng./      1100
hester, by hir good conseil,      1101
Enhaunced greetly the peple of God in      1101
The regne of assuerus the kyng./ And the      1102
Same bountee in good conseillyng of many a      1102
Good womman may men telle./ And mooreover,      1103
Whan oure lord hadde creat adam, oure      1103
Forme fader, he seyde in this wise:/ -- it is nat      1104
Good to been a man alloone; make we to      1104
Hym an helpe semblable to hymself. -- / heere      1105
May ye se that if that wommen were nat      1105
Goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable,/      1105
oure lord God of hevene wolde      1106
Nevere han wroght hem, ne called hem      1106
Help of man, but rather confusioun of man./      1107
And ther seyde oones a clerk in two vers,      1107
-- What is bettre than gold? jaspre. What is      1107
Bettre than jaspre? wisedoom./ And what is      1108
Better than wisedoom? womman. And what is      1108
Bettre than a good womman? nothyng. -- / and,      1109
Sire, by manye of othre resons may ye seen      1109
That manye wommen been goode, and hir      1109
Conseils goode and profitable./ And therfore,      1110
sire, if ye wol triste to my conseil, I shal      1110
Restoore yow youre doghter hool and      1110
Sound./ And eek I wol do to yow so      1111
Muche that ye shul have honour in this      1111
Cause./      1112
Whan melibee hadde herd the wordes of his      1112
Wyf prudence, he seyde thus:/ I se wel that      1113
The word of salomon is sooth. He seith that      1113
-- Wordes that been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce      1113
been honycombes, for they yeven swetnesse      1113
to the soule and hoolsomnesse to the      1113
Body. -- / and, wyf, by cause of thy sweete      1114
Wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved      1114
Thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol      1114
Governe me by thy conseil in alle thyng./      1115
Now, sire, quod dame prudence, and syn      1115
Ye vouche sauf to been governed by my conseil,      1115
I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe      1115
Yourself in chesynge of youre conseillours./      1115
ye shul first in alle youre werkes      1116
Mekely biseken to the heighe God that
Page  172
     1116
He wol be youre conseillour;/ and shapeth yow      1117
To swich entente that he yeve yow conseil and      1117
Confort, as taughte thobie his sone:/ -- at alle      1118
Tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye hym      1118
To dresse thy weyes, and looke that alle thy      1118
Conseils been in hym for everemoore. -- / seint      1119
Jame eek seith: -- if any of yow have nede of      1119
Sapience, axe it of god. -- / and afterward      1120
Thanne shul ye taken conseil in youreself, and      1120
Examyne wel youre thoghtes of swich thyng      1120
As yow thynketh that is bes for youre      1120
Profit./ And thanne shul ye dryve fro      1121
Youre herte thre thynges that been contrariouse      1121
to good conseil;/ that is to seyn, ire,      1122
Coveitise, and hastifnesse./      1123
First, he that axeth conseil of hymself, certes      1123
He moste been withouten ire, for manye      1123
Causes./ The firste is this: he that hath greet      1124
Ire and wratthe in hymself, he weneth alwey      1124
That he may do thyng that he may nat do./      1125
And secoundely, he that is irous and      1125
Wrooth, he ne may nat wel deme;/ and      1126
He that may nat wel deme, may nat wel      1126
Conseille./ The thridde is this, that he that is      1127
Irous and wrooth, as seith senec, ne may nat      1127
Speke but blameful thynges,/ and with his      1128
Viciouse wordes he stireth oother folk to angre      1128
And to ire./ And eek, sire, ye moste dryve      1129
Coveitise out of youre herte./ For the aposthe      1130
seith that coveitise is roote of alle      1130
Harmes./ And trust wel that a coveitous      1131
Man ne kan noght deme ne thynke, but      1131
Oonly to fulfille the ende of his coveitise;/ and      1132
Certes, that ne may nevere been accompliced;      1132
For evere the moore habundaunce that he hath      1132
Of richesse, the moore he desireth./ And, sire,      1133
Ye moste also dryve out of youre herte hastifnesse;      1133
for certes,/ ye ne may nat deeme for      1134
The beste by a sodeyn thought that falleth in      1134
Youre herte, but ye moste avyse yow on it      1134
Ful ofte./ For, as ye herde her biforn, the      1135
Commune proverbe is this, that -- he that      1135
Soone deemeth, soone repenteth. -- / sire,      1136
Ye ne be nat alwey in lyk disposicioun;/      1137
For certes, somthyng that somtyme semeth to      1137
Yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it      1137
Semeth to yow the contrarie./      1138
Whan ye han taken conseil in youreself, and      1138
Han deemed by good deliberacion swich thyng      1138
As yow semeth bes,/ thanne rede I yow that      1139
Ye kepe it secree./ Biwrey nat youre conseil      1140
To no persone, but if so be that ye wenen      1140
Sikerly that thurgh youre biwreyyng youre      1140
Condicioun shal be to yow the moore profitable./      1140
for jhesus syrak seith, -- neither      1141
To thy foo, ne to thy frend, discovere nat      1141
Thy secree ne thy folie;/ for they wol yeve yow      1142
Audience and lookynge and supportacioun in      1142
Thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn absence.      1142
-- / another clerk seith that -- scarsly      1143
Shaltou fynden any persone that may kepe conseil      1143
secrely. -- / the book seith, -- whil that thou      1144
Kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest      1144
It in thy prisoun;/ and whan thou biwreyest      1145
Thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth      1145
Thee in his snare. -- / and therfore yow      1146
Is bettre to hyde youre conseil in youre      1146
Herte than praye him to whom ye han biwreyed      1146
Youre conseil that he wole kepen it cloos and      1146
Stille./ For seneca seith: -- if so be that thou      1147
Ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how      1147
Darstou prayen any oother wight thy conseil      1147
Secrely to kepe? -- / but nathelees, if thou wene      1148
Sikerly that the biwreiyng of thy conseil to a      1148
Persone wol make thy condicion to stonden in      1148
The bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen hym thy      1148
Conseil in this wise./ First thou shalt make no      1149
Semblant wheither thee were levere pees or      1149
Werre, or this or that, ne shewe hym nat thy      1149
Wille and thyn entente. / for trust wel that      1150
Comunli thise conseillours been flatereres,/      1150
namely the conseillours of grete      1151
Lordes;/ for they enforcen hem alwey      1152
Rather to speken plesante wordes, enclynynge      1152
To the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe      1152
Or profitable./ And therfore men seyn that the      1153
Riche man hath seeld good conseil, but if he      1153
Have it of hymself./      1154
And after that thou shalt considere thy      1154
Freendes and thyne enemys./ And as touchynge      1155
thy freendes, thou shalt considere which      1155
Of hem been moost feithful and moost wise      1155
And eldest and most approved in conseillyng;/      1155
and of hem shalt thou aske      1156
Thy conseil, as the caas requireth./ I      1157
Seye that first ye shul clepe to youre conseil      1157
Youre freendes that been trewe./ For salomon      1158
Seith that -- right as the herte of a man deliteth in      1158
Savour that is soote, right so the conseil of trewe      1158
Freendes yeveth swetnesse to the soule -- / he      1159
Seith also, -- ther may no thyng be likned to the      1159
Trewe freend;/ for certes gold ne silver ben nat      1160
So muche worth as the goode wyl of a      1160
Trewe freend. -- / and eek he seith that      1161
-- A trewe freend is a strong deffense;      1161
Who so that it fyndeth, certes he fyndeth a      1161
Greet tresour. -- / thanne shul ye eek considere      1162
If that youre trewe freendes been discrete and
Page  173
     1162
Wise. For the book seith, -- axe alwey thy conseil      1162
of hem that been wise. -- / and by this same      1163
Resoun shul ye clepen to youre conseil of youre      1163
Freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn      1163
And been expert in manye thynges and been      1163
Approved in conseillynges./ For the book seith      1164
That -- in olde men is the sapience, and in longe      1164
Tyme the prudence. -- / and tullius seith that      1165
-- Grete thynges ne been nat ay accompliced by      1165
Strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by      1165
Good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by      1165
Science; the whiche thre thynges ne been nat      1165
Fieble by age, but certes they enforcen      1165
And encreescen day by day. -- / and      1166
Thanne shul ye kepe this for a general      1166
Reule: first shul ye clepen to youre conseil a      1166
Fewe of youre freendes that been especiale;/      1167
For salomon seith, -- manye freendes have thou,      1167
But among a thousand chese thee oon to be      1167
Thy conseillour. -- / for al be it so that thou first      1168
Ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayst      1168
Afterward telle it to mo folk if it be nede./ But      1169
Looke alwey that thy conseillours have thilke      1169
Thre condiciouns that I have seyd bifore, that      1169
Is to seyn, that they be trewe, wise, and of      1169
Oold experience./ And werke nat alwey in      1170
Every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme      1170
bihooveth it to been conseilled by      1170
Manye./ For salomon seith, -- salvacion      1171
Of thynges is where as ther been manye      1171
Conseillours. -- /      1172
Now, sith that I have toold yow of which      1172
Folk ye sholde been conseilled, now wol I      1172
Teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe/.      1173
First, ye shul eschue the conseillyng of fooles;      1173
For salomon seith, -- taak no conseil of a fool,      1173
For he ne kan noght conseille but after his      1173
Owene lust and his affeccioun. -- / the book      1174
Seith that -- the propretee of a fool is this: he      1174
Troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly      1174
Troweth alle bountee in hymself. -- / thou shalt      1175
Eek eschue the conseillyng of alle flatereres,      1175
Swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre      1175
Persone by flaterye than for to telle yow      1175
The soothfastnesse of thynges./ Wherfore      1176
tullius seith, -- amonges alle the      1176
Pestilences that been in freendshipe the gretteste      1176
is flaterie. -- and therfore is it moore nede      1176
That thou eschue and drede flatereres than any      1176
Oother peple./ The book seith, -- thou shalt      1177
Rather drede and flee fro the sweete wordes of      1177
Flaterynge preiseres than fro the egre wordes      1177
Of thy freend that seith thee thy sothes. -- / salomon      1178
seith that -- the wordes of a flaterere is a      1178
Snare to cacche with innocentz. -- / he seith also      1179
That -- he that speketh to his freend wordes of      1179
Swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn      1179
his feet to cacche hym. -- / and therfore      1180
Seith tullius, -- enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres,      1180
ne taak no conseil of the wordes      1180
Of flaterye. -- / and caton seith, -- avyse      1181
Thee wel, and eschue the wordes of swetnesse      1181
and of plesaunce. -- / and eek thou shalt      1182
Eschue the conseillyng of thyne olde enemys      1182
That been reconsiled./ The book seith that -- no      1183
Wight retourneth saufly into the grace of his      1183
Olde enemy. -- / and isope seith, -- ne trust nat      1184
To hem to whiche thou hast had som tyme      1184
Werre or enemytee, ne telle hem nat thy      1184
Conseil. -- / and seneca telleth the cause why:      1185
-- it may nat be. -- seith he, -- that where greet      1185
Fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther      1185
Ne dwelleth som vapour of warmness.      1185
-- / and therfore seith salomon, -- in      1186
Thyn olde foo trust nevere. -- / for sikerly,      1187
Though thyn enemy be reconsiled, and maketh      1187
thee chiere of hymylitee, and lowteth to      1187
Thee with his heed, ne trust hym nevere./ For      1188
Certes he maketh thilke feyned humilitee moore      1188
For his profit than for any love of thy persone,      1188
By cause that he deemeth to have victorie over      1188
Thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the      1188
Which victorie he myghte nat have by strif or      1188
Werre./ And peter alfonce seith, -- make no      1189
Felawshipe with thyne olde enemys; for if thou      1189
Do hem bountee, they wol perverten it into      1189
Wikkednesse. -- / and eek thou most eschue      1190
The conseillyng of hem that been thy servantz      1190
and beren thee greet reverence, for      1190
Peraventure they seyn it moore for drede      1190
Than for love./ And therfore seith a philosophre      1191
in this wise: ther is no wight      1191
Parfitly trewe to hym that he to soore dredeth.      1191
-- / and tullius seith, ther nys no myght      1192
So greet of any emperour that longe may endure,      1192
but if he have moore love of the peple      1192
Than drede. -- / thou shalt also eschue the conseiling      1193
of folk that been dronkelewe, for they      1193
Ne kan no conseil hyde./ For salomon seith,      1194
-- ther is no privetee ther as regneth dronkenesse.      1194
-- / ye shul also han in suspect the conseillyng      1195
of swich folk as conseille yow o thyng      1195
Prively, and conseille yow the contrarie      1195
Openly./ For cassidorie seith that -- it      1196
Is a manere sleighte to hyndre, whan he      1196
Sheweth to doon o thyng openly and werketh      1196
Prively the contrarie. -- / thou shalt also have      1197
In suspect the conseillyng of wikked folk, for
Page  174
     1197
The book seith, -- the conseillyng of wikked folk      1197
Is alwey ful of fraude. -- / and david seith, -- blisful      1198
is that man that hath nat folwed the con --      1198
Seilyng of shrewes. -- / thou shalt also eschue      1199
The conseillyng of yong folk, for hir conseil is      1199
Nat rype./      1200
Now, sire, sith I have shewed yow of      1200
Which folk ye shul take youre conseil, and of      1200
Which folk ye shul folwe the conseil,/      1200
now wol I teche yow how ye shal      1201
Examyne youre conseil, after the doctrine      1201
of tullius./ In the examynynge thanne      1202
Of youre conseillour ye shul considere manye      1202
Thynges./ Alderfirst thou shalt considere that      1203
In thilke thyng that thou purposest, and upon      1203
What thyng thou wolt have conseil, that verray      1203
Trouthe be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn,      1203
Telle trewely thy tale./ For he that seith fals      1204
May nat wel be conseilled in that cas of which      1204
He lieth./ And after this thou shalt considere the      1205
Thynges that acorden to that thou purposest for      1205
To do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde      1205
therto;/ and eek if thy myhgt may      1206
Atteine therto; and if the moore part and      1206
The bettre part of thy conseillours acorde therto,      1206
Or noon./ Thanne shaltou considere what      1207
Thyng shal folwe of that conseillyng, as hate,      1207
Pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage, and      1207
Manye othere thynges./ And in alle thise      1208
Thynges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve      1208
Alle othere thynges./ Thanne shaltow considere      1209
of what roote is engendred the matiere of      1209
Thy conseil, and what fruyt it may conceyve      1209
And engendre./ Thou shalt eek considere      1210
Alle thise causes, fro whennes they been      1210
Sprongen./ And whan ye han examyned      1211
youre conseil, as I have seyd, and      1211
Which partie is the bettre and moore profitable,      1211
and han approved it by manye wise folk      1211
And olde,/ thanne shaltou considere if thou      1212
Mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good      1212
Ende./ For certes, resoun wol nat that any      1213
Man sholde bigynne a thyng, but if he myghte      1213
Parfourne it as hym oghte;/ ne no wight sholde      1214
Take upon hym so hevy a charge that he      1214
Myghte nat bere it./ For the proverbe seith,      1215
-- he that to muche embraceth, distreyneth      1215
litel. -- / and catoun seith, -- assay      1216
To do swich thyng as thou hast power to      1216
Doon, lest that the charge oppresse thee so      1216
Soore that thee bihoveth to weyve thyng that      1216
Thou hast bigonne. -- / and if so be that thou      1217
Be in doute wheither thou mayst parfourne a      1217
Thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than bigynne./      1217
and piers alphonce seith, -- if thou hast      1218
Myght to doon a thyng of which thou most      1218
Repente, it is bettre nay than ye. -- / this is      1219
To seyn, that thee is bettre holde thy tonge      1219
Stille than for to speke./ Thanne may ye understonde      1220
by strenger resons that if thou hast      1220
Power to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt      1220
Repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre      1220
than bigynne./ Wel seyn they that      1221
Defenden every wight to assaye a thyng      1221
Of which he is in doute wheither he may parfourne      1221
it or noon./ And after, whan ye han      1222
Examyned youre conseil, as I have seyd biforn,      1222
And knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre      1222
Emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at      1222
And ende./      1223
Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow      1223
Whanne and wherfore that ye may chaunge      1223
Youre conseillours withouten youre repreve./      1224
Soothly, a man may chaungen his purpos and      1224
His conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a newe      1224
Caas bitydeth./ For the lawe seith that -- upon      1225
Thynges that newely bityden bihoveth      1225
Newe conseil. -- / and senec seith, -- if thy      1226
Conseil is comen to the eeris of thyn enemy,      1226
chaunge thy conseil. -- / thou matst also      1227
Chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou fynde      1227
That by errour, or by oother cause, harm or      1227
Damage may bityde./ Also if thy conseil be      1228
Dishonest, or ellis cometh of dishonest cause,      1228
Chaunge thy conseil./ For the lawes seyn that      1229
-- alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no      1229
Value -- ;/ and eek if so be that it be inpossible,      1230
or may nat goodly be parfourned      1230
Or kept./      1231
And take this for a general reule, that      1231
Every conseil that is affermed so strongly that      1231
It may nat be chaunged for no condicioun that      1231
May bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked./      1231
n=11232>This melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the      1232
Doctrine of his wyf dame prudence, answerde      1232
In this wyse:/ dame, quod he, as yet into      1233
This tyme ye han wel and covenably taught me      1233
As in general, how I shal governe me in the      1233
Chesynge and in the withholdynge of my conseillours./      1233
but now wolde I fayn that ye wolde      1234
Condescende in especial,/ and telle me how liketh      1235
yow, or what semeth yow, by oure conseillours      1235
that we han chosen in oure present      1235
nede./      1236
My lord, quod she, I biseke yow in al      1236
Humblesse that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn      1236
My resouns, ne distempre youre herte, thogh I
Page  175
     1236
Speke thyng that yow displese./ For God woot      1237
That, as in myn entente, I speke it for youre      1237
Beste, for youre honour, and for youre profite      1237
Eke./ And soothly, I hope that youre benyngnytee      1238
wol taken it in pacience./ Trusteth me      1239
Wel, quod she, that youre conseil as in this      1239
Caas ne sholde nat, as to speke properly, be      1239
Called a conseillyng, but a mocioun or a moevyng      1239
of folye,/ in which conseil ye han      1240
Erred in many a sondry wise./      1241
First and forward, ye han erred in      1241
Th' assemblynge of youre conseillours./ For ye      1242
Sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to youre      1242
Conseil, and after ye myghte han shewed it      1242
To mo folk, if it hadde been nede./ But certes,      1243
Ye han sodeynly cleped to youre conseil a greet      1243
Multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous      1243
for to heere./ Also ye han erred, for theras      1244
Ye sholden oonly have cleped to youre conseil      1244
Youre trewe frendes olde and wise./ Ye han      1245
Ycleped straunge folk, yonge folk, false flatereres,      1245
And enemys reconsiled, and folk that      1245
Doon yow reverence withouten love./      1246
And ekk also ye have erred, for ye han      1246
Broght with yow to youre conseil ire, coveitise,      1246
And hastifnesse,/ the whiche thre thinges been      1247
Contrariouse to every conseil honest and profitable;/      1247
the whiche thre thinges ye han nat      1248
Anientissed or destroyed hem, neither in youreself,      1248
ne in youre conseillours, as yow oghte./      1249
Ye han erred also, for ye han shewed to youre      1249
Conseillours youre talent and youre affeccioun      1249
To make werre anon, and for to do vengeance./      1250
They han espied by youre wordes to      1250
What thyng ye been enclyned;/ and      1251
Therfore han they rather conseilled      1251
Yow to youre talent that to youre profit./      1252
Ye han erred also, for it semeth that yow      1252
Suffiseth to han been conseilled by thise      1252
Conseillours oonly, and with litel avys,/      1253
Whereas in so greet and so heigh a nede      1253
It hadde been necessarie mo conseillours      1253
And moore deliberacion to parfourne youre emprise./      1253
ye han erred also, for ye ne han nat      1254
Examyned youre conseil in the forseyde manere,      1254
ne in due manere, as the caas requireth./      1255
Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no division      1255
bitwixe youre conseillours; this is to      1255
Seyn, bitwixen youre trewe freendes and      1255
Youre feyned conseillours;/ ne ye han      1256
Nat knowe the wil of youre trewe      1256
Freendes olde and wise;/ but ye han cast alle      1257
Hire wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned      1257
Youre herte to the moore part and to the gretter      1257
Nombre, and there been ye condescended./      1258
And sith ye woot wel that men shal alwey      1258
Fynde a gretter nombre of fooles than of wise      1258
Men,/ and therfore the conseils that been at      1259
Congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, there as      1259
Men take moore reward to the nombre than to      1259
The sapience of persones,/ ye se wel that in      1260
Swiche conseillynges fooles han the maistrie./      1260
Melibeus answerde agayn, and seyde,      1261
I graunte wel that I have erred;/ but there      1262
As thou hast toold me heerbiforn that he nys      1262
Nat to blame that chaungeth his conseillours in      1262
Certein caas and for certeine juste causes,/ I am      1263
Al redy to chaunge my conseillours right as thow      1263
Wolt devyse./ The proverbe seith that -- for      1264
To do synne is mannyssh, but certes for to persevere      1264
longe in synne is werk of the devel. -- /      1265
To this sentence answered anon dame      1265
Prudence, and seyde:/ examineth,      1266
Quod she, youre conseil, and lat us see      1266
The whiche of hem han spoken most resonably      1266
And taught yow best conseil./ And for as      1267
Muche as that the examynacion is necessarie,      1267
Lat us bigynne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens,      1267
that first speeken in this matiere./ I sey      1268
Yow that the surgiens and phisiciens han      1268
Seyd yow in youre conseil discreetly, as hem      1268
Oughte;/ and in hir speche seyden ful wisely      1269
That to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to      1269
Every wight honour and profit, and no wight      1269
For to anoye;/ and after hir craft to doon greet      1270
Diligence unto the cure of hem which      1270
That they han in hir governaunce./      1271
And, sire, right as they han answered      1271
Wisely and discreetly,/ right so rede I that they      1272
Been heighly and sovereynly gerdoned for hir      1272
Noble speche;/ and eek for they sholde do the      1273
Moore ententif bisynesse in the curacion of      1273
Youre doghter deere./ For al be it so that they      1274
Been youre freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren      1274
that they serve yow for noght,/ but ye      1275
Oghte the rather gerdone hem and shewe      1275
Hem youre largesse./ And as touchynge      1276
The proposicioun which that the phisiciens      1276
encreesceden in this caas, this is to seyn./      1277
That in maladies that oon contrarie is warisshed      1277
By another contrarie,/ I wolde fayn knowe hou      1278
Ye understonde thilke text, and what is youre      1278
Sentence./      1279
Certes, quod melibeus, I understonde      1279
It in this wise:/ that right as they han      1280
Doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I      1280
Doon hem another./ For right as they
Page  176
     1281
Han venged hem on me and doon me wrong,      1281
Right so shal I venge me upon hem and doon      1281
Hem wrong;/ and thanne have I cured oon contrarie      1282
by another./      1283
Lo, lo, quod dame prudence, how lightly      1283
Is every man enclined to his owene desir and      1283
To his owene plesaunce!/ certes, quod she,      1284
The wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat      1284
Han been understonden in thys wise./ For      1285
Certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse,      1285
ne vengeance to vengeaunce, ne      1285
Wrong to wrong, but they been semblable./      1285
and therfore o vengeaucne is      1286
Nat warisshed by another vengeaunce,      1286
Ne o wroong by another wroong,/ but everich      1287
Of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth oother./      1288
But certes, the wordes of the phisiciens sholde      1288
Been understonden in this wise:/ for dood and      1289
Wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and      1289
Werre, vengeaunce and suffraunce, discord and      1289
Accord, and manye othere thynges./ But certes,      1290
Wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse,      1290
Discord by accord, werre by pees, and      1290
So forth of othere thynges./ And heerto      1291
Accordeth seint paul the apostle in      1291
Manye places./ He seith: -- ne yeldeth nat      1292
Harm for harm, ne wikked speche for wikked      1292
Speche;/ but do wel to hym that dooth thee      1293
Harm, and blesse hym that seith to thee harm./      1294
And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees      1294
And accord./ But now wol I speke to yow of      1295
The conseil which that was yeven to yow      1295
By the men of lawe and the wise      1295
Folk,/ that seyden alle by oon accord,      1296
As ye han herd bifore,/ that over alle      1297
Thynges ye shal doon youre diligence to kepen      1297
Youre persone and to warnestoore youre hous;      1297
And seyden also that in this caas yow oghten      1297
For to werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun./      1297
and, sire, as to the firste point, that      1298
Toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone,/ ye      1299
Shul understonde that he that hath werre      1299
Shal everemoore mekely and devoutly      1299
Preyen, biforn alle thynges,/ that jhesus      1300
Crist of his mercy wol han hym in his      1300
Proteccion and been his sovereyn helpyng at      1300
His nede./ For certes, in this world ther is no      1301
Wight that may be conseilled ne kept sufficeantly      1301
Withouten the kepyng of oure lord jhesu      1301
Crist./ To this sentence accordeth the prophete      1302
david, that seith,/ -- if God ne kepe the      1303
Citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth. -- /      1304
Now, sire, thanne shul ye committe the kepyng      1304
of youre persone to youre trewe freendes,      1304
That been approved and yknowe,/ and      1305
Of hem shul ye axen help youre persone      1305
For to kepe. For catoun seith: -- if thou hast      1305
Nede of help, axe it of thy freendes;/ for ther      1306
Nys noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe      1306
Freend. -- / and after this thanne shul ye kepe      1307
Yow fro alle straunge folk, and fro lyeres, and      1307
Have alwey in suspect hire compaignye./ For      1308
Piers alfonce seith, -- ne taak no compaignye by      1308
The weye of a straunge man, but if so be that      1308
Thou have knowe hym of a lenger tyme./ And      1309
If so be that he falle into thy compaignye      1309
Paraventure, withouten thyn assent,/ enquere      1310
thanne as subtilly as thou mayst of      1310
His conversacion, and of his lyf bifore, and feyne      1310
Thy wey; seye that thou wolt thider as thou      1310
Wolt nat go;/ and if he bereth a spere, hoold      1311
Thee on the right syde, and if he bere a swerd,      1311
Hoold thee on the lift syde. -- / and after this      1312
Thanne shul ye kepe yow wisely from all swich      1312
Manere peple as I have seyd bifore, and hem      1312
And hir conseil eschewe./ And after this      1313
Thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere/      1314
That, for any presumpcion of youre strengthe,      1314
That ye ne dispise nat, ne accompte nat the      1314
Myght of youre adversarie so litel, that ye lete      1314
The kepyng of youre persone for youre      1314
Presumpcioun;/ for every wys man      1315
Dredeth his enemy./ And salomon      1316
Seith: -- weleful is he that of alle hath drede;/      1317
For certes, he that thurgh the hardynesse of      1317
His herte, and thurgh the hardynesse of      1317
Hymself, hath to greet presumpcioun, hym shal      1317
Yvel bityde. -- / thanne shul ye everemoore contrewayte      1318
embusshementz and alle espiaille./      1319
For senec seith that -- the wise man that      1319
Dredeth harmes, eschueth harmes,/ ne      1320
He ne falleth into perils that perils eschueth.      1320
-- / and al be it so that it seme that      1321
Thou art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do      1321
Thy diligence in kepynge of thy persone;/ this      1322
Is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone,      1322
nat oonly for thy gretteste enemys, but      1322
Fro thy leeste enemy./ Senek seith: -- a man      1323
That is well avysed, he dredeth his leste enemy.      1323
-- / ovyde seith that -- the litel wesele      1324
Wol slee the grete bole and the wilde      1324
Hert. -- / and the book seith, -- a litel      1325
Thorn may prikke a kyng ful soore, and      1325
An hound wol holde the wolde boor. -- / but      1326
Nathelees, I sey nat thou shalt be so coward      1326
That thou doute ther wher as is no drede./ The      1327
Book seith that -- somme folk han greet lust to      1327
Deceyve, but yet they dreden hem to be deceyved.
Page  177
     1327
-- / yet shaltou drede to been empoisoned,      1328
and kepe the from the compaignye of      1328
Scorneres./ For the book seith, -- with scorneres      1329
make no compaignye, but flee hire      1329
Wordes as venym. -- /      1330
Now, as to the seconde point, where      1330
As youre wise conseillours conseilled yow to      1330
Warnestoore youre hous with gret diligence,/      1331
I wolde fayn knowe how that ye understonde      1331
Thilke wordes and what is youre sentence./      1332
Melibeus answerde, and seyde, certes, I understande      1332
it in this wise: that I shal warne --      1332
Stoore myn hous with toures, swiche as han      1332
Castelles and othere manere edifices, and armure,      1332
and artelries;/ by whiche thynges I may      1333
My persone and myn hous so kepen and deffenden      1333
that myne enemys shul been in drede      1333
Myn hous for to approche./      1334
To this sentence answerde anon prudence:      1334
Warnestooryng, quod she, of heighe toures      1334
And of grete edifices apperteyneth somtyme      1334
to pryde./ And eek men make      1335
Heighe toures, and grete edifices with      1335
Grete costages and with greet travaille; and      1335
Whan that they been accompliced, yet be they      1335
Nat worth a stree, but if they be defended by      1335
Trewe freendes that been olde and wise./ And      1336
Understoond wel that the gretteste and strongeste      1336
garnysoun that a riche man may have, as      1336
Wel to kepen his persone as his goodes, is/      1337
That he be biloved with hys subgetz and with      1337
His neighebores./ For thus seith tullius, that      1338
-- ther is a manere garnysoun that no man may      1338
Vanquysse ne disconfite, and that is/ a lord to      1339
Be biloved of his citezeins and of his      1339
Peple. -- /      1340
Now, sire, as to the thridde point,      1340
Where as youre olde and wise conseillours      1340
Seyden that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne      1340
Hastily proceden in this nede,/ but that yow      1341
Oghte purveyen and apparaillen yow in this caas      1341
With greet diligence and greet deliberacioun;/      1342
Trewely, I trowe that they seyden right wisely      1342
And right sooth./ For tullius seith: -- in every      1343
Nede, er thou bigynne it, apparaille thee with      1343
Greet diligence. -- / thanne seye I that in vengeance-      1344
takyng, in were, in bataille, and      1344
In warnestooryng,/ er thow bigynne, I      1345
Rede that thou apparaille thee therto,      1345
And do it with greet deliberacion./ For tul      1346
Lius seith that -- longe apparaillyng biforn the      1346
Bataille maketh short victorie. -- / and cassidorus      1347
seith, -- the garnysoun is stronger, whan      1347
It is longe tyme avysed. -- /      1348
But now lat us speken of the conseil that      1348
Was accorded by youre neighebores, swiche      1348
As doon yow reverence withouten love,/      1349
Youre olde enemys reconsiled, youre flatereres,/      1349
that conseilled yow certeyne      1350
Thynges prively, and openly conseilleden      1350
Yow the contrarie;/ the yonge folk also, that      1351
Conseilleden yow to venge yow, and make      1351
Werre anon./ And certes, sire, as I have seyd      1352
Biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped      1352
Swich manere folk to youre conseil,/ which      1353
Conseillours been ynogh repreved by the re/      1354
Souns aforeseyd./ But nathelees, lat us now      1355
Descende to the special. Ye shuln first      1355
Procede after the doctrine of tullius./      1356
Certes, the trouthe of this matiere, or of      1356
This conseil, nedeth nat diligently enquere;/      1357
For it is wel wist whiche they been that han      1357
Doon to yow this trespas and vileynye,/ and      1358
How manye trespassours, and in what manere      1358
They han to yow doon al this wrong and al this      1358
Vileynye./ And after this, thanne shul ye examyne      1359
the seconde condicion which that the      1359
Same tullius addeth in this matiere./ For tullius      1360
put a thyng which that he clepeth      1360
-- consentynge -- ; this is to seyn,/ who been      1361
They, and which been they and how      1361
Manye, that consenten to thy conseil in thy      1361
Wilfulnesse to doon hastif vengeance./ And      1362
Lat us considere also who been they, and how      1362
Manye been they, and whiche been they, that      1362
Consenteden to youre adversaries./ And certes,      1363
As to the first poynt, it is wel knowen whiche      1363
Folk been they that consenteden to youre hastif      1363
Wilfulnesse;/ for trewely, alle tho that conseilleden      1364
yow to maken sodeyn were ne been nat      1364
Youre freendes./ Lat us now considere whiche      1365
Been they that ye holde so greetly youre      1365
Freendes as to youre persone./ For al      1366
Be it so that ye be myghty and riche,      1366
Certes ye ne been but allone,/ for certes ye ne      1367
Han no child but a doghter,/ ne ye ne han      1368
Brotheren, ne cosyns germayns, ne noon oother      1368
Neigh kynrede,/ wherfore that youre enemys      1369
For drede wholde stinte to plede with yow, or      1369
To destroye youre persone./ Ye knowen also      1370
That youre richesses mooten been dispended      1370
in diverse parties,/ and whan      1371
That every wight hath his part, they ne      1371
Wollen taken but litel reward to venge thy      1371
Deeth./ But thyne enemys been thre, and they      1372
Han manie children, bretheren, cosyns, and      1372
Oother ny kynrede./ And though so were that      1373
Thou haddest slayn of hem two or tree, yet
Page  178
     1373
Dwellen ther ynowe to wreken hir deeth and      1373
To sle thy persone./ And though so be that      1374
Youre kynrede be moore siker and stedefast      1374
Than the kyn of youre adversarie,/ yet nathelees      1375
youre kynrede nys but a fer kynrede;      1375
they been but litel syb to yow,/      1376
And the kyn of youre enemys been ny      1376
Syb to hem. And certes, as in that, hir condicioun      1376
is bet than youres./ Thanne lat us considere      1377
also if the conseillung of hem that conseilleden      1377
yow to taken sodeyn bengeaunce,      1377
Wheither it accorde to resoun./ And certes, ye      1378
Knowe wel -- nay. -- / for, as by right and resoun,      1379
Ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight      1379
But the juge that hath the jurisdiccioun of it,/      1380
Whan it is graunted hym to take thilke vengeance      1380
hastily or attemprely, as the lawe      1380
Requireth./ And yet mooreover of thilke      1381
Word that tullius clepeth -- consentynge,      1381
-- / thou shalt considere if thy myght and      1382
Thy power may consenten and suffise to thy      1382
Wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours./ And certes      1383
Thou mayst wel seyn that -- nay. -- / for sikerly,      1384
as for to speke proprely, we may do      1384
No thyng, but oonly swich thyng as we may      1384
Doon rightfully./ And certes rightfully ne mowe      1385
Ye take no vengeance, as of youre      1385
Propre auctoritee./ Thanne mowe ye      1386
Seen that youre power ne consenteth      1386
Nat, ne accordeth nat, with youre wilfulnesse./      1387
Lat us now examyne the thridde point, that      1387
Tullius clepeth -- consequent. -- / thou shal understonde      1388
that the vengeance that thou purposest      1388
for to take is the consequent;/ and      1389
Therof folweth another vengeaunce, peril, and      1389
Werre, and othere damages withoute nombre,      1389
Of whiche we be nat war, as at this tyme./      1390
And as touchynge the fourthe point,      1390
That tullius clepeth -- engendrynge, -- /      1391
Thou shalt considere that this wrong      1391
Which that is doon to thee is engendred of the      1391
Hate of thyne enemys,/ and of the vengeance-      1392
Takynge upon that wolde engendre another      1392
Vengeance, and muchel sorwe and wastynge      1392
Of richesses, as I seyde./      1393
Now, sire, as to the point that tullius clepeth      1393
-- causes, -- which that is the laste point,/ thou      1394
Shalt understonde that the worng that thou hast      1394
Receyved hath certeine causes,/ whiche that      1395
Clerkes clepen oriens and efficiens, and causa      1395
Longinqua and causa propinqua, this is      1395
To seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause./      1396
The fer cause is almyghty god, that is      1396
Cause of alle thynges./ The neer cause is thy      1397
Thre enemys.// the cause accidental was hate./      1399
The cause material been the fyve woundes of      1399
Thy doghter./ The cause formal is the manere      1400
Of hir werkynge that broghten laddres      1400
And cloumben in at thy wyndowes./      1401
The cause final was for to sle thy doghter.      1401
it letted nat in as muche as in hem was./      1402
But for to speken of the fer cause, as to what      1402
Ende they shul come, or what shal finally bityde      1402
Of hem in this caas, ne kan I nat deeme but      1402
By conjectynge and by supposynge./ For we      1403
Shul suppose that they shul come to a wikked      1403
Ende,/ by cause that the book of decrees seith,      1404
-- seelden, or with greet peyne, been causes      1404
Ybroght to good ende whanne they been baddely      1404
bigonne. -- /      1405
Now, sire, if men wolde axe me why that      1405
God suffred men to do yow this vileynye, certes,      1405
I kan nat wel answere, as for no soothfastnesse./      1405
for th' apostle seith that -- the      1406
Sciences and the juggementz of oure      1406
Lord God almyghty been ful depe;/ ther may      1407
No man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly.      1407
-- / nathelees, by certeyne presumpciouns      1408
and conjectynges, I holde and bileeve/      1409
That god, which that is ful of justice and of      1409
Rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by juste      1409
Cause resonable./      1410
Thy name is melibee, this is to seyn,      1410
-- a man that drynketh hony. -- / thou hast      1411
Ydronke so muchel hony of sweete temporeel      1411
richesses, and delices and honours of      1411
This world,/ that thou art dronken, and hast      1412
Forgeten jhesu crist thy creatour./ Thou ne      1413
Hast nat doon to hym swich honour and reverence      1413
as thee oughte,/ ne thou ne hast nat      1414
Wel ytaken kep to the wordes of ovide, that      1414
Seith,/ -- under the hony of the goodes of      1415
The body is hyd the venym that sleeth      1415
The soule -- / and salomon seith, -- if thou      1416
Hast founden hony, ete of it that suffiseth;/      1416
for if thou ete of it out of mesure, thou      1417
Shalt spewe, -- and be nedy and povre./ And      1418
Peraventure crist hath thee in despit, and hath      1418
Turned awey fro thee his face and his eeris of      1418
Misericorde;/ and also he hath suffred that thou      1419
Hast been punysshed in the manere that thow      1419
Hast ytrespassed./ Thou hast doon      1420
Synne agayn oure lord crist;/ for certes,      1421
The three enemys of mankynde, that is to      1421
Seyn, the flessh, the feend, and the world,/      1422
Thou hast suffred hem entre in to thyn herte      1422
Wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body,/ and      1423
Hast nat defended thyself suffisantly agayns
Page  179
     1423
Hire assautes and hire temptaciouns, so that they      1423
Han wounded thy soule in fyve places;/ this is      1424
To seyn, the deedly synnes that been entred into      1424
Thyn herte by thy fyve wittes./ And in the      1425
Same manere oure lord crist hath woold and      1425
Suffred that thy three enemys been entred      1425
into thyn house by the wyndowes,/      1426
And han ywounded thy doghter in the      1426
Forseyde manere./      1427
Certes, quod melibee, I se wel that ye      1427
Enforce yow muchel by wordes to overcome      1427
Me in swich manere that I shal nat venge me      1427
Of myne enemys,/ shewynge me the perils and      1428
The yveles that myghten falle of this vengeance./      1428
but whoso wolde considere in alle      1429
Vengeances the perils and yveles that myghte      1429
Sewe of vengeance-takynge,/ a man wolde      1430
Nevere take vengeance, and that were      1430
Harm;/ for by the vengeance-takynge      1431
Been the wikked men dissevered fro the      1431
Goode men,/ and they that han wyl to do wikkednesse      1432
restreyne hir wikked purpos, whan      1432
They seen the punyssynge and chastisynge of      1432
The trespassours./      1433
(et a ce respont dame prudence, certes,      1433
Dist elle, je t' ottroye que de vengence vient      1433
Molt de maulx et de biens;/ mais vengence      1434
N' appartient pas a un chascun fors seulement      1434
Aux juges et a ceulx qui ont la juridicion sur      1434
Les malfaitteurs.)/ and yet seye I moore, that      1435
Right as singuler persone synneth in      1435
Takynge vengeance of another man,/      1436
Right so synneth the juge if he do no      1436
Vengeance of hem that it han disserved./ For      1437
Senec seith thus: -- that maister, -- he seith, -- is      1437
Good that proveth shrewes. -- / and as cassidore      1438
seith, -- a man dredeth to do outrages      1438
Whan he woot and knoweth that it despleseth      1438
To the juges and the sovereyns. -- / and another      1439
Seith, -- the juge that dredeth to do right, maketh      1439
men shrewes. -- / and seint paul the apostle      1440
seith in his epistle, whan he writeth unto      1440
The romayns, that -- the juges beren nat      1440
The spere withouten cause,/ but they      1441
Beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoers,      1441
and for to defende the goode men./ If ye      1442
Wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys, ye      1442
Shul retourne or have youre recours to the juge      1442
That hath the jurisdiccion upon hem,/ and he      1443
Shal punysse hem as the lawe axeth and requireth./      1443
A! quod melibee, this vengeance liketh      1444
Me no thyng./ I bithenke me now and take      1445
Heede how fortune hath norissed me fro my      1445
Childhede, and hath holpen me to passe      1445
Many a stroong paas./ Now wol I assayen      1446
hire, trowynge, with goddes help,      1446
That she shal helpe me my shame for to      1446
Venge./      1447
Certes, quod prudence, if ye wol werke      1447
By conseil, ye shul nat assaye fortune by      1447
No wey,/ ne ye shul nat lene or bowe unto      1448
Hire, after the word of senec;/ for -- thynges that      1449
Been folily doon, and that been in hope of      1449
Fortune, shullen nevere come to good ende. -- /      1450
And, as the same senec seith, -- the moore cleer      1450
And the moore shynyng that fortune is, the      1450
Moore brotil and the sonner broken she      1450
Is -- ./ Trusteth nat in hire, for she nys      1451
Nat stidefast ne stable;/ for whan thow      1452
Trowest to be moost seur or siker of hire help,      1452
She wol faille thee and deceyve thee./ And      1453
Where as ye seyn that fortune hath norissed      1453
Yow fro youre childhede,/ I seye that in so      1454
Muchel shul ye the lasse truste in hire and in      1454
Hir wit./ For senec seith, -- what man that is      1455
Norissed by fortune, she maketh hym      1455
A greet fool. -- / now thanne, syn ye desire      1456
and axe vengeance, and the vengeance      1456
that is doon after the lawe and bifore      1456
The juge ne liketh yow nat,/ and the vengeance      1457
That is doon in hope of fortune is perilous and      1457
Uncertein,/ thanne have ye noon oother remedie      1458
but for to have youre recours unto the sovereyn      1458
juge that vengeth alle vileynyes and      1458
Wronges./ And he shal venge yow after that      1459
Hymself witnesseth, where as he seith,/ -- leveth      1460
the vengeance to me, and I shal      1460
Do it. -- /      1461
Melibee answerde, if I ne venge me      1461
Nat of the vileynye that men han doon to me,/      1462
I sompne or warne hem that han doon to me      1462
That vileynye, and alle othere, to do me another      1462
Vileynye./ For it is writen, -- if thou take no      1463
Vengeance of an oold vileynye, thou sompnest      1463
Thyne adversaries to do thee a newe vileynye. -- /      1464
And also for my suffrance men wolden do      1464
Me so muchel vileynye that I myghte neither      1464
Bere it ne susteene,/ and so sholde I      1465
Been put and holden overlowe./ For      1466
Men seyn, -- in muchel suffrynge shul      1466
Manye thynges falle unto thee whiche thou      1466
Shalt nat mowe suffre. -- /      1467
Certes, quod prudence, I graunte yow      1467
That over -- muchel suffraunce is nat good./ But      1468
Yet ne folweth it nat therof that every persone      1468
To whom men doon vileynye take of it vengeance;/      1468
for that aperteneth and longeth al
Page  180
     1469
Oonly to the juges, for they shul venge the      1469
Vileynyes and injuries./ And therfore tho two      1470
Auctoritees that ye han seyd above been      1470
Oonly understonden in the juges./ For      1471
Whan they suffren over-muchel the      1471
Wronges and the vileynyes to be doon withouten      1471
punysshynge,/ the sompne nat a man      1472
Al oonly for to do newe wronges, but they      1472
Comanden it./ Also a wys man seith that the      1473
Juge that correcteth nat the synnere comandeth      1473
and biddeth hym do synne. -- / and the juges      1474
And sovereyns myghten in hir land so muchel      1474
Suffre of the shrewes and mysdoeres/ that they      1475
Sholden, by swich suffrance, by proces of      1475
Tyme wexen of swich power and myght that      1475
They sholden putte out the juges and the      1475
Sovereyns from hir places,/ and atte laste      1476
Maken hem lesen hire lordshipes./      1477
But lat us now putte that ye have leve to      1477
Venge yow./ I seye ye been nat of myght and      1478
Power as now to venge yow;/ for if ye wole      1479
Maken comparisoun unto the myght of youre      1479
Adversaries, ye shul fynde in manye thynges      1479
That I have shewed yow er this that hire condicion      1479
is bettre than youres./ And therfore      1480
Seye I that it is good as now that ye suffre      1480
and be pacient./      1481
Forthermoore, ye knowen wel that      1481
After the comune sawe, -- it is a woodnesse a      1481
Man to stryve with a strenger or a moore      1481
Myghty man than he is hymself;/ and for to      1482
Stryve with a man of evene strengthe, that is      1482
To seyn, with as strong a man as he is, it is      1482
Peril;/ and for to stryve with a weyker man, it      1483
Is folie. -- / and therfore sholde a man flee stryvynge      1484
as muchel as he myghte./ For salomon      1485
Seith, -- it is a greet worshipe to a man to      1485
Kepen hym fro noyse and stryf. -- / and      1486
If it so bifalle or happe that a man of      1486
Gretter myght and strengthe than thou art do      1486
Thee grevaunce,/ studie and bisye thee rather      1487
To stille the same grevaunce than for to venge      1487
Thee./ For senec seith that -- he putteth hym in      1488
Greet peril that stryveth with a gretter man      1488
Than he is hymself. -- / and catoun seith, -- if a      1489
Man of hyer estaat or degree, or moore myghty      1489
Than thou, do thee anoy or grevaunce, suffre      1489
Hym;/ for he that oones hath greved thee,      1490
May another tyme releeve thee and      1490
Helpe. -- / yet sette I caas, ye have bothe      1491
Myght and licence for to venge yow,/ I      1492
Seye that ther be ful manye thynges that shul      1492
Restreyne yow of vengeance-takynge,/ and      1493
Make yow for to enclyne to suffre, and for to      1493
Han pacience in the wronges that han been      1493
Doon to yow./ First and foreward, if ye wole      1494
Considere the defautes that been in youre      1494
Owene persone,/ for whiche defautes God hath      1495
Suffred yow have this tribulacioun, as I      1495
Have seyd yow heer-biforn./ For the      1496
Poete seith that -- we oghte paciently      1496
Taken the tribulacions that comen to us, whan      1496
We thynken and consideren that we han disserved      1496
to have hem. -- / and seint gregorie      1497
Seith that -- whan a man considereth wel the      1497
Nombre of his defautes and of his synnes,/ the      1498
Peynes and the tribulaciouns that he suffreth      1498
Semen the lesse unto hym;/ and in as muche      1499
As hym thynketh his synnes moore hevy and      1499
Grevous,/ in so muche semeth his peyne      1500
The lighter and the esier unto hym. -- /      1501
Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre      1501
Herte to take the pacience of oure lord jhesu      1501
Crist, as seith seint peter in his epistles./      1502
Jhesu crist, -- he seith, -- hath suffred for us and      1502
Yeven ensample to every man to folwe and      1502
Sewe hym;/ for he dide nevere synne, ne nevere      1503
cam ther a vileyns word out of his mouth./      1504
Whan men cursed hym, he cursed hem noght;      1504
And whan men betten hym, he manaced hem      1504
Noght. -- / also the grete pacience which the      1505
Seintes that been in paradys han had in tribulaciouns      1505
that they han ysuffred, withouten      1505
Hir desert or gilt,/ oghte muchel stiren      1506
Yow to pacience./ Forthermoore ye      1507
Sholde enforce yow to have pacience,/ considerynge      1508
that the tribulaciouns of this world but      1508
Litel while endure, and soone passed been and      1508
Goon,/ and the joye that a man seketh to have      1509
By pacience in tribulaciouns is perdurable,      1509
After that the apostle seith in his epistle./ The      1510
Joye of god, he seith, is perdurable,      1510
That is to seyn, everelastynge./ Also      1511
Troweth and bileveth stedefastly that he      1511
Nys nat wel ynorissed, ne wel ytaught, that kan      1511
Nat have pacience, or wol nat receyve pacience./      1511
for salomon seith that -- the doctrine      1512
And the wit of a man is knowen by pacience. -- /      1513
And in another place he seith that -- he that is      1513
Pacient governeth hym by greet prudence. -- /      1514
And the same salomon seith, -- the angry and      1514
Wrathful man maketh noyses, and the pacient      1514
Man atempreth hem and stilleth. -- / he seith      1515
Also, -- it is moore worth to be pacient      1515
Than for to be right strong;/ and he      1516
That may have the lordshipe of his      1516
Owene herte is moore to preyse than he that      1516
By his force or strengthe taketh grete citees. -- /
Page  181
     1517
And therfore seith seint jame in his epistle that      1517
-- pacience is a greet vertu of perfeccioun. -- /      1518
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow,      1518
Dame prudence, that pacience is greet vertu      1518
Of perfeccioun;/ but every man may nat have      1519
The perfeccioun that ye seken;/ ne I nam      1520
Nat of the nombre of right parfite men,/      1521
For myn herte may nevere been in pees      1521
Unto the tyme it be venged./ And al be it so      1522
That it was greet peril to myne enemys to do      1522
Me a vileynye in takynge vengeance upon me,/      1523
Yet tooken they noon heede of the peril, but      1523
Fulfilleden hir wikked wyl and hir corage./      1524
And therfore me thynketh men oghten nat      1524
Repreve me, though I putte me in a litel peril      1524
For to venge me,/ and though I do a greet      1525
Excesse, that is to seyn, that I venge      1525
Oon outrage by another./      1526
A, quod dame prudence, ye seyn      1526
Youre wyl and as yow liketh,/ but in no caas      1527
Of the world a man sholde nat doon outrage      1527
Ne excesse for to vengen hym./ For cassidore      1528
Seith that -- as yvele dooth he that vengeth hym      1528
By outrage as he that dooth the outrage. -- / and      1529
Therfore ye shul venge yow after the ordre of      1529
Right, that is to seyn, by the lawe, and noght      1529
By excesse ne by outrage./ And also, if ye      1530
Wol venge yow of the outrage of youre adversaries      1530
in oother manere than right comandeth,      1530
ye synne./ And therfore seith senec      1531
That -- a man shal nevere vengen shrewednesse      1531
by shrewednesse. -- / and if ye seye that      1532
Right axeth a man to defenden violence by violence,      1532
and fightyng by fightyng,/ certes ye seye      1533
Sooth, whan the defense is doon anon withouten      1533
intervalle or withouten tariyng or delay,/      1533
for to deffenden hym and nat for to      1534
Vengen hym./ And it bihoveth that a man      1535
Putte swich attemperance in his deffense/      1535
that men have no cause ne matiere      1536
to repreven hym that deffendeth      1536
Hym of excesse and outrage, for ellis were it      1536
Agayn resoun./ Pardee, ye knowen wel that      1537
Ye maken no deffense as now for to deffende      1537
Yow, but for to venge yow;/ and so seweth      1538
It that ye han no wyl to do youre dede attemprely./      1538
and therfore me thynketh that pacience      1539
is good; for salomon seith that -- he that      1539
Is nat pacient shal have a greet harm. -- /      1540
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow that      1540
Whan a man is inpacient and wrooth, of that      1540
That toucheth hym noght and that aperteneth      1540
Nat unto hym, though it harme hym, it      1540
Is no wonder./ For the lawe seith that      1541
-- he is coupable that entremetteth hym or      1541
Medleth with swych thyng as aperteneth nat      1541
Unto hym. -- / and salomon seith that -- he that      1542
Entremetteth hym of the noyse or strif of another      1542
man is lyk to hym that taketh an hound      1542
By the eris. -- / for right as he that taketh a      1543
Straunge hound by the eris is outherwhile biten      1543
With the hound,/ right in the same wise is it      1544
Resoun that he have harm that by his inpacience      1544
medleth hym of the noyse of another      1544
Man, wheras it aperteneth nat unto hym./ But      1545
Ye knowen wel that this dede, that is to seyn,      1545
My grief and my disese, toucheth me      1545
Right ny./ And therfore, though I be      1546
Wrooth and inpacient, it is no merveille./      1547
And, savynge youre grace, I kan nat seen that it      1547
Myghte greetly harme me though I tooke vengeaunce./      1547
for I am richer and moore myghty      1548
Than myne enemys been;/ and wel knowen ye      1549
That by moneye and by havynge grete possessions      1549
been alle the thynges of this world governed./      1549
and salomon seith that -- alle      1550
Thynges abeyen to moneye. -- /      1551
Whan prudence hadde herd hir housbonde      1551
avanten hym of his richesse and of his      1551
Moneye, dispreisynge the power of his adversaries,      1551
she spak, and seyde in this wise:/      1552
Certes, deere sire, I graunte yow that ye been      1552
Riche and myghty,/ and that the richesses been      1553
Goode to hem that han wel ygeten hem and wel      1553
Konne usen hem./ For right as the body of a      1554
Man may nat lyven withoute the soule, namoore      1554
May it lyve withouten temporeel goodes./ And      1555
By richesses may a man gete hym grete      1555
Freendes./ And therfore seith pamphilles:      1556
-- if a net -- herdes doghter, -- seith      1556
He, -- be riche, she may chesen of a thousand      1556
Men which she wol take to hir housbonde;/      1557
For, of a thousand men, oon wol nat forsaken      1557
Hire ne refusen hire. -- / and this pamphilles      1558
Seith also: -- if thow be right happy -- that is to      1558
Seyn, if thou be right riche -- thou shalt fynde      1558
A greet nombre of felawes and freendes./ And      1559
If thy fortune change that thou wexe povre,      1559
Farewel freendshipe and felaweshipe;/ for thou      1560
Shalt be alloone withouten any compaignye,      1560
But if it be the compaignye of povre      1560
Folk. -- / and yet seith this pamphilles      1561
Moreover that -- they that been thralle and      1561
Bonde of lynage shullen been maad worthy and      1561
Noble by the richesses. -- / and right so as by      1562
Richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so      1562
By poverte come ther manye harmes and      1562
Yveles./ For greet poverte constreyneth a man
Page  182
     1563
To do manye yveles./ And therfore clepeth      1564
Cassidore poverte the mooder of ruyne,/ that      1565
Is to seyn, the mooder of overthrowynge      1565
Or fallynge doun./ And therfore seith      1566
Piers alfonce: -- oon of the gretteste adversitees      1566
of this world is/ whan a free man by      1567
Kynde or of burthe is constreyned by poverte      1567
To eten the almesse of his enemy, -- / and the      1568
Same seith innocent in oon of his bookes. He      1568
Seith that -- sorweful and myshappy is the condicioun      1568
of a povre beggere;/ for if he axe nat      1569
His mete, he dyeth for hunger;/ and if he axe,      1570
He dyeth for shame; and algates necessitee      1570
constreyneth hym to axe. -- / and      1571
Seith salomon that -- bet it is to dye than      1571
For to have swich poverte. -- / and as the same      1572
Salomon seith, -- bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth      1572
Than for to lyven in swich wise. -- / by thise      1573
Resons that I have seid unto yow, and by manye      1573
Othere resons that I koude seye,/ I graunte yow      1574
That richesses been goode to hem that geten      1574
Hem wel, and to hem that wel usen tho richesses./      1574
and therfore wol I shewe yow hou ye      1575
Shul have yow and how ye shul bere yow in      1575
Gaderynge of richesses, and in what      1575
Manere ye shul usen hem./      1576
First, ye shul geten hem withouten      1576
Greet desir, by good leyser, sokyngly and nat      1576
Over-hastily./ For a man that is to desirynge      1577
To gete richesses abaundoneth hym first to      1577
Thefte, and to alle othere yveles;/ and therfore      1578
seith salomon, -- he that hasteth hym to      1578
Bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent. -- /      1579
He seith also that -- the richesses that hastily cometh      1579
to a man, soone and lightly gooth and      1579
Passeth fro a man;/ but that richesse that      1580
Cometh litel and litel, wexeth alwey and      1580
Multiplieth. -- / and, sire      1581
Richesses by youre wit and by youre      1581
Travaille unto youre profit;/ and that withouten      1582
Wrong or hamr doynge to any oother persone./      1583
For tha lawe seith that -- ther maketh no man      1583
Himselven riche, if he do harm to another      1583
Wight. -- / this is to seyn, htat nature deffendeth      1584
and fordedeth by right that no man make      1584
Hymself riche unto the harm of another persone./      1584
and tulliur seith that -- no sorwe, ne no      1585
Drede of deeth, ne no thyng that may      1585
Falle unto a man,/ is so muchel agayns      1586
Nature as a man to encressen his owene      1586
Profit to the harm of another man./ And      1587
Though the grete man and the myghty men      1587
Geten richesses moore lightly than thou, / yet      1588
Shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit,      1588
For thou shalt in alle wise flee ydelnesse. -- / for      1589
Salomon seith that -- ydelnesse techeth a man to      1589
Do manye yveles. -- / and the same salomon      1590
Seith that -- he that travailleth and bisieth      1590
Hym to tilien his land, shal eten breed;/      1591
But he that is ydel and casteth hym to      1591
No bisynesse ne occupacioun, shal falle into      1591
Poverte, and dye for hynger. -- / and he that is      1592
Ydel and slow kan nevere fynde covenable      1592
Tyme for to doon his profit./ For ther is a      1593
Versifiour seith that -- the ydel man excuseth hym      1593
In wynter by cause of the grete coold, and in      1593
Somer by enchesoun of the greete heete. -- / for      1594
Thise causes seith caton, -- waketh and enclyneth      1594
nat yow over -- muchel for to slepe, for overmuchel      1594
reste norisseth and causeth manye      1594
Vices. -- / and therfore seith seint jerome,      1595
-- dooth somme goode dedes that the devel,      1595
Which is oure enemy, ne fynde yow nat      1595
Unocupied. -- / for the devel ne taketh      1596
Nat lightly unto his werkynge swiche as      1596
He fyndeth occupied in goode werkes./      1597
Thanne thus, in getynge richesses, ye mosten      1597
Flee ydelnesse./ And afterward, ye shul use      1598
The richesses which ye have geten by youre wit      1598
And by youre travaille,/ in swich a manere that      1599
Men holde yow nat to scars, ne to sparynge, ne      1599
To fool-large, that is to seyen, over-large a      1599
Spendere./ For right as men blamen an avaricious      1600
man by cause of his scarsetee and      1600
Chyncherie,/ in the same wise is he to      1601
Blame that spendeth over-largely./ And      1602
Therfore seith caton: -- use, -- he seith, -- thy richesses      1602
that thou hast geten/ in swich a manere      1603
That men have no matiere ne cause to calle      1603
The neither wrecche ne chynche;/ for it is a      1604
Greet shame to a man to have a povere herte      1604
And a riche purs. -- / he seith also: -- the goodes      1605
That thou hast ygeten, use hem by mesure, --      1605
That is to seyn, spende hem mesurably;/      1605
for they that folily wasten and      1606
Despenden the goodes that they han,/      1607
What they han namoore propre of hir owene,      1607
They shapen hem to take the goodes of another      1607
Man./ I seye thanne that ye shul fleen avarice;/      1608
usynge youre richesses in swich manere      1609
That men seye nat that youre richesses been      1609
Yburyed,/ but that ye have hem in      1610
Youre myght and in youre weeldynge./      1611
For a wys man repreveth the avaricious      1611
Man, and seith thus in two vers:/ -- wherto and      1612
Why burieth a man his goodes by his grete      1612
Avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste      1612
He dye?/ for deeth is the ende of every man
Page  183
     1613
As in this present lyf. -- / and for what cause or      1614
Enchesoun joyneth he hym or knytteth he hym      1614
So faste unto his goodes/ that alle hise wittes      1615
Mowen nat disseveren hym or departen      1615
Hym from his goodes,/ and knoweth      1616
Wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is      1616
Deed he shal no thyng bere with hym out of      1616
This world?/ and therfore seith seint austyn      1617
That -- the avaricious man is likned unto helle,/      1618
That the moore it swelweth. The moore desir it      1618
Hath to swelwe and devoure. -- / and as wel as      1619
Ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious      1619
Man or chynche,/ as wel sholde ye kepe yow      1620
And governe yow in swich a wise that      1620
Men calle yow nat fool-large./ Therfore      1621
seith tullius: -- the goodes, -- he seith,      1621
-- of thyn hous ne sholde nat been hyd ne kept      1621
So cloos, but that they myghte been opened      1621
By pitee and debonairetee; -- / that is to seyn, to      1622
Yeven part to hem that han greet nede;/ -- ne      1623
Thy goodes shullen nat been so opene to been      1623
Every mannes goodes. -- / afterward, in getynge      1624
Of youre richesses and in usynge hem, ye shul      1624
Alwey have thre thynges in youre herte,/ that      1625
Is to seyn, oure lord god, conscience,      1625
And good name./ First, ye shul have      1626
God in youre herte,/ and for no richesse      1627
Ye shullen do no thyng which may in any      1627
Manere displese god, that is youre creator      1627
And makere./ For after the word of salomon,      1628
-- it is bettre to have a litel good with the love      1628
Of god,/ than to have muchel good and tresour,      1629
and lese the love of his lord god./ And      1630
The prophete seith that -- bettre it is to been      1630
A good man and have litel good and      1630
Tresour,/ than to been holden a shrewe      1631
And have grete richesses. -- / and yet seye      1632
I ferthermoore, that ye sholde alwey doon youre      1632
Bisynesse to gete yow richesses,/ so that ye      1633
Gete hem with good conscience./ And th' apostle      1634
seith that -- ther nys thyng in this world      1634
Of which we sholden have so greet joye as      1634
Whan oure conscience bereth us good witnesse.      1634
-- / and the wise man seith, -- the substance      1635
of a man is ful good, whan synne      1635
Is nat in mannes conscience. -- / afterward,      1636
in getynge of youre richesses and      1636
In usynge of hem,/ yow moste have greet bisynesse      1637
and greet diligence that youre goode      1637
Name be alwey kept and conserved./ For salomon      1638
seith that -- bettre it is an moore it availleth      1638
a man to have a good name, than for      1638
To have grete richesses. -- / and therfore he      1639
Seith in another place, -- do greet diligence,      1639
Seith salomon, -- in kepyng of thy freend and      1639
Of thy goode name;/ for it shal lenger abide      1640
With thee than any tresour, be it never      1640
So precious. -- / and certes he sholde nat      1641
Be called a gentil man that after god      1641
And good conscience, alle thynges left, ne      1641
Dooth his diligence and bisynesse to kepen his      1641
Goode name./ And cassidore seith that -- it is      1642
Signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and      1642
Desireth to han a good name. -- / and therfore      1643
Seith seint austyn that -- ther been two thynges      1643
That arn necessarie and nedefulle,/ and that      1644
Is good conscience and good loos;/ that is to      1645
Seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone      1645
Inward, and good loos for thy neighebor      1645
Outward. -- / and he that trusteth hym so      1646
Muchel in his goode conscience/ that he      1647
Displeseth, and setteth at noght his goode      1647
Name or loos, and rekketh noght though he      1647
Kepe nat his goode neam, nys but a crueel      1647
Cherl./      1648
Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul      1648
Do in getynge richesses, and how ye shullen      1648
Usen hem,/ and I se wel that for the trust      1649
That ye han in youre richesses ye wole moeve      1649
Werre and bataille./ I conseille yow that ye      1650
Bigynne no were in trust of youre richesses,      1650
For thay ne suffisen noght werres to      1650
Mayntene./ And therfore seith a philosophre,      1651
hthat man that desireth and      1651
Wole algates han werre, shal nevere have suffisaunce;/      1651
for the richer that he is, the gretter      1652
Despenses moste he make, if he wole have worshipe      1652
and victorei. -- / and salomon seith that      1653
-- the gretter richesses that a man hath, the mo      1653
Despendours he hath. -- / and, deere sire, al be      1654
It so that for youre richesses ye mowe have      1654
Muchel folk,/ yet bihoveth it nat, ne it is nat      1655
Good, to bigynne werre, whereas ye mowe in      1655
Oother manere have pees unto youre      1655
Worshipe and profit./ For the victorie      1656
Of batailles that been in this world lyth      1656
Nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple,      1656
Ne in the vertu of man,/ but it lith in the wyl      1657
And in the hand of oure lord God almyghty./      1658
And therfore judas machabeus, which was      1658
Goddes knyght,/ whan he sholde fighte agayn      1659
His adversarie that hadde a gretter nombre and      1659
A gretter multitude of folk and strenger than      1659
Was this peple of machabee,/ yet he reconforted      1660
his litel compaignye, and seyde      1660
Right in this wise:/ -- als lightly, -- quod      1661
He, -- may oure lord God almyghty yeve      1661
Victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk;/ for the
Page  184
     1662
Victorie of a bataile comth nat by the grete      1662
Nombre of peple,/ but it cometh from oure      1663
Lord God of hevene. -- / and, deere sire, for as      1664
Muchel is ther is no man certein if he be      1664
Worthy that God yeve hym victorie, (ne plus      1664
Que il est certain se il est digne de l' amour de      1664
Dieu), or naught, after that salomon seith,/      1665
Therfore every man sholde greetly drede      1665
Werres to bigynne./ And by cause that      1666
In batailles fallen manye perils,/ and      1667
Happeth outher while that as soone is the grete      1667
Man slayn as the litel man;/ and as it is writen      1668
In the seconde book of kynges, -- the dedes of      1668
Batailles been aventurouse and nothyng certeyne,/      1668
for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere      1669
As another; -- / and for ther is gret peril in      1670
Werre; therfore sholde a man flee and eschue      1670
Werre, in as muchel as a man may      1670
Goodly./ For salomon seith, -- he that      1671
Loveth peril shal falle in peril -- /      1672
After that dame prudence hadde spoken in      1672
This manere, melibee answerde, and seyde:/      1673
I see wel, dame prudence, that by youre faire      1673
Wordes, and by youre resouns that ye han      1673
Shewed me, that the werre liketh yow no      1673
Thyng;/ but I have nat yet herd youre conseil,      1674
How I shal do in this nede./      1675
Certes, quod she, I conseille yow that ye      1675
Accorde with youre adversaries and that      1675
Ye have pees with he./ For seint jame      1676
Seith in his epistles that -- by concord and      1676
Pees the smale richesses wexen grete,/ and by      1677
Debaat and discord the grete richesses fallen      1677
Doun. -- / and ye knowen wel that oon of the      1678
Gretteste and moost sovereyn thyng that is in      1678
This world is unytee and pees./ And therfore      1679
Seyde oure lord jhesu crist to his apostles in      1679
This wise:/ -- wel happy and blessed been they      1680
That loven and purchacen pees, for they      1680
Been called children of god. -- /      1681
A, quod melibee, now se I wel that      1681
Ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe./      1682
Ye knowen wel that myne adversaries han      1682
Bigonnen this debaat and bryge by hire outrage,/      1682
and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne      1683
Preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be      1683
Reconsiled./ Wol ye thanne that I go and meke      1684
Me and obeye me to hem, and crie hem      1684
Mercy?/ for sothe, that were nat my      1685
Worshipe./ For right as men seyn that      1686
-- over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge,      1686
-- so fareth it by to greet hymylitee      1686
Or mekenesse./      1687
Thanne bigan dame prudence to maken      1687
Semblant of wratthe, and seyde:/ certes, sire,      1688
Sauf youre grace, I love youre honour and youre      1688
Profit as I do myn owene, and evere have      1688
Doon;/ ne ye, ne noon oother, seyn nevere      1689
The contrarie./ And yit if I hadde seyd that      1690
Ye sholde han purchaced the pees and the      1690
Reconsilacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel      1690
Mystaken me, ne seyd amys./ For the      1691
Wise man seith, -- the dissensioun bigynneth      1691
by another man, and the reconsilyng bygynneth      1691
by thyself. -- / and the prophete seith,      1692
-- flee shrewednesse and do goodnesse;/ seke      1693
Pees and folwe it, as muchel as in thee is. -- /      1694
Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to      1694
Youre adversaries for pees than they shuln to      1694
Yow./ For I knowe wel that ye been so hard-      1695
Herted that ye wol do no thyng for      1695
Me./ And salomon seith, -- he that hath      1696
Over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal      1696
Myshappe and mystyde. -- /      1697
Whanne melibee hadde herd dame prudence      1697
Maken semblant of wratthe, he seyde in this      1697
Wise:/ dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed      1698
of thynges that I seye,/ for ye knowe      1699
Wel that I am angrey and wrooth, and that is      1699
No wonder;/ and they that been wrothe witen      1700
Nat wel what they don, ne what they      1700
Seyn./ Therfore the prophete seith that      1701
-- troubled eyen han no cleer sighte. -- / but      1702
Seyeth and conseileth me as yow liketh, for I      1702
Am redy to do right as ye wol desire;/ and if      1703
Ye repreve me of my folye, I am the moore      1703
Holden to love yow and to preyse yow./ For      1704
Salomon seith that -- he that repreveth hym      1704
That dooth folye,/ he shal fynde gretter grace      1705
Than he that deceyveth hym by sweete      1705
Wordes. -- /      1706
Thanne seide dame prudence, I      1706
Make no semblant of wratthe ne anger, but      1706
For youre grete profit./ For salomon seith,      1707
-- he is moore worth that repreveth or chideth      1707
A fool for his folye, shewynge hym semblant      1707
Of wratthe,/than he that supporteth hym and      1708
Preyseth hym in his mysdoynge, and laugheth      1708
At his folye. -- / and this same salomon seith      1709
Afterward that -- by the sorweful visage of a      1709
Man, -- that is to seyn by the sory and hevy contenaunce      1709
of a man,/ -- the fool correcteth      1710
And amendeth hymself. -- /      1711
Thanne seyde melibee, I shal nat      1711
Koone answere to so manye faire resouns as ye      1711
Putten to me and shewen./ Seyeth shorthly      1712
Youre wyl and youre conseil, and I am al redy      1712
To fulfille and parfourne it./
Page  185
     1713
Thanne dame prudence discovered al hir      1713
Wyl to hym, and seyde,/ I conseille yow,      1714
Quod she, aboven alle thynges, that ye make      1714
Pees bitwene God and yow;/ and beth      1715
Reconsiled unto hym and to his grace./      1716
For, as I have seyd yow heer biforn, god      1716
Hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and      1716
Disese for youre synnes./ And if ye do as I sey      1717
Yow, God wol sende youre adversaries unto      1717
Yow,/ and maken hem fallen at youre feet,      1718
Redy to do youre wyl and youre comande --      1718
Mentz./ For salomon seith, -- whan the condicioun      1719
of man is plesaunt and likynge to god,/      1720
He chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries      1720
and constreyneth hem to biseken      1720
hym of pees and of grace. -- / and      1721
I prey yow lat me speke with youre adversaries      1721
in privee place;/ for they shul nat      1722
Knowe that it be of youre wyl or of youre adsent./      1722
and thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and      1723
Hire entente, I may conseille yow the moore      1723
Seurely./      1724
Dame, quod melibee, dooth youre wil and      1724
Youre likynge;/ for I putte me hoolly in      1725
Youre disposicioun and ordinaunce./      1726
Thanne dame prudence, whan she      1726
Saugh the goode wyl of hir housbonde, delibered      1726
and took avys in hirself,/ thinkinge how      1727
She myghte brynge this nede unto a good conclusioun      1727
and to a good ende./ And whan she      1728
Saugh hir tyme, she sente for thise adversaries      1728
To come unto hire into a pryvee place,/ and      1729
Shewed wisely unto hem the grete goodes that      1729
Comen of pees,/ and the grete harmes      1730
And perils that been in werre;/ and      1731
Seyde to hem in a goodly manere hou      1731
That hem oughten have greet repentaunce/ of      1732
The injurie and wrong that they hadden doon      1732
To melibee hir lord, and unto hire, and to hire      1732
Doghter./      1733
And whan they herden the goodliche wordes      1733
Of dame prudence,/ they weren so supprised      1734
And ravysshed, and hadden so greet joye of      1734
Hire that wonder was to telle./ A, lady, quod      1735
They, ye han shewed unto us the blessynge      1735
Of swetnesse, after the sawe of david the      1735
Prophete;/ for the reconsilynge which      1736
We been nat worthy to have in no manere,/      1736
but we oghte requeren it with greet contricioun      1737
and humylitee,/ ye of youre grete      1738
Goodnesse have presented unto us./ Now se      1739
We wel that the science and the konnynge      1739
Of salomon is ful trewe./ For he seith that      1740
-- sweete wordes multiplien and encreescen      1740
Freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire      1740
and meeke. -- /      1741
Certes, quod they, we putten oure      1741
Dede and al oure matere and cause al hooly in      1741
Youre goode wyl/ and been redy to obeye to      1742
The speche and comandement of my lord melibee./      1742
and therfore, deere and benygne lady,      1743
We preien yow and biseke yow as mekely as we      1743
Konne and mowen,/ that it lyke unto youre      1744
Grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede youre goodliche      1744
wordes./ For we consideren and knowelichen      1745
that we han offended and greved      1745
My lord melibee out of mesure,/ so ferforth      1746
that we be nat of power to maken      1746
His amendes./ And therfore we oblige and      1747
Bynden us and oure freendes for to doon al      1747
His wyl and his comandementz./ But peraventure      1748
he hath swich hevynesse and swich wratthe      1748
To us -- ward, by cause of oure offense,/ that he      1749
Wole enjoyne us swich a peyne as we mowe      1749
Nat bere ne susteene./ And therfore, noble      1750
Lady, we biseke to youre wommanly      1750
Pitee/ to taken swich avysement in this      1751
Nede that we, ne oure freendes, be nat      1751
Desherited ne destroyed thurgh oure folye./      1752
Certes, quod prudence, it is an hard      1752
Thyng and right perilous/ that a man putte      1753
Hym al outrely in the arbitracioun and juggement,      1753
and in the myght and power of his enemys./      1753
for salomon seith, -- leeveth me, and      1754
Yeveth credence to that I shal seyn: I seye, --      1754
Quod he, -- ye peple, folk and governours of      1754
Hooly chirche,/ to thy sone, to thy wyf,      1755
To thy freend, ne to thy broother,/ ne      1756
Yeve thou nevere myght ne maistrie of      1756
Thy body whil thou lyvest. -- / now sithen he      1757
Deffendeth that man sholde nat yeven to his      1757
Broother ne to his freend the myght of his      1757
Body,/ by a strenger resoun he deffendeth and      1758
Forbedeth a man to yeven hymself to his enemy./      1758
and nathelees I conseille you that ye      1759
Mystruste nat my lord,/ for I woot wel and      1760
Knowe verraily that he is debonaire and      1760
Meeke, large, curteys,/ and nothyng desirous      1761
ne coveitous of good ne richesse./      1762
For ther nys nothyng in this world that he      1762
Desireth, save oonly worshipe and honour./      1763
Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur      1763
That he shal nothyng doon in this nede withouten      1763
my conseil;/ and I shal so werken in this      1764
Cause that, by the grace of oure lord god, ye      1764
Shul been reconsiled unto us./      1765
Thanne seyden they with o voys, worshipful      1765
lady, we putten us and oure goodes
Page  186
     1765
Al fully in youre wil and disposicioun,/      1766
And been redy to comen, what day that      1766
It like unto youre noblesse to lymyte us or assigne      1766
us,/ for to maken oure obligacioun and      1767
Boond as strong as it liketh unto youre goodnesse,/      1767
that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow      1768
And of my lord melibee./      1769
Whan dame prudence hadde herd the answeres      1769
of thise men, she bad hem goon agayn      1769
Prively;/ and she retourned to hir lord melibee,      1770
and tolde hym how she foond his      1770
Adversaries ful repentant,/ knowelechynge      1771
ful lowely hir synnes and trespas,      1771
And how they were redy to suffren al peyne,/      1772
Requirynge and preiynge hym of mercy and      1772
Pitee./      1773
Thanne seyde melibee: he is wel worthy      1773
To have pardoun and foryifnesse of his synne.      1773
That excuseth nat his synne,/ but knowelecheth      1774
It and repenteth hym, axinge indulgence./ For      1775
Senec seith, ther is the remissioun and      1775
Foryifnesse, where as the confessioun is -- ;/      1776
For confessioun is neighebor to innocence./      1776
and he seith in another place that -- he      1777
That hath shame of his synne and knowlecheth      1777
It, is worthy remissioun. -- and therfore I assente      1777
and conferme me to have pees;/ but it      1778
Is good that we do it nat withouten the assent      1778
And wyl of oure freendes./      1779
Thanne was prudence right glad and joyeful,      1779
and seyde:/ certes, sire, quod      1780
She, ye han wel and goodly answered;/      1781
For right as by the conseil, assent, and      1781
Help of youre freendes ye han been stired to      1781
Venge yow and maken werre,/ right so withouten      1782
hire conseil shul ye nat accorden yow      1782
Ne have pees with youre adversaries./ For the      1783
Lawe seith: -- ther nys no thyng so good by wey      1783
Of kynde as a thyng to be unbounde by hym      1783
That it was ybounde. -- /      1784
And thanne dame prudence, withouten delay      1784
or tariynge, sente anon hire messages for      1784
Hire kyn, and for hire olde freendes which      1784
That were trewe and wyse,/ and tolde hem      1785
By ordre in the presence of melibee al this mateere      1785
as it is aboven expressed and declared,/      1785
and preyden hem that they      1786
Wolde yeven hire avys and conseil what      1786
Best were to doon in this nede./ And whan      1787
Melibees freendes hadde taken hire avys and      1787
Deliberacioun of the forseide mateere,/ and      1788
Hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and      1788
Greet diligence,/ they yave ful conseil for to      1789
Have pees and reste,/ and that melibee sholde      1790
Receyve with good herte his adversaries      1790
To foryifnesse and mercy./      1791
And whan dame prudence hadde herd      1791
The assent of hir lord melibee, and the conseil      1791
of his freendes/ accorde with hire wille      1792
And hire entencioun,/ she was wonderly glad      1793
In hire herte, and seyde:/ ther is an old      1794
Proverbe, quod she, seith that -- the goodnesse      1794
that thou mayst do this day, do it,/      1795
And abide nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe.      1795
-- / and therfore I conseille that      1796
Ye sende youre messages, swiche as been      1796
Discrete and wise,/ unto youre adversaries,      1797
Tellynge hem on youre bihalve/ that if they      1798
Wole trete of pees and of accord,/ that they      1799
Shape hem withouten delay or tariyng to comen      1799
Unto us./ Which thyng parfourned was      1800
In dede./ And whanne thise trespassours      1801
and repentynge folk of hire folies,      1801
That is to seyn, the adversaries of melibee,/      1802
Hadden herd what thise messagers seyden unto      1802
Hem,/ they weren right glad and joyeful, and      1803
Answereden ful mekely and benignely,/ yeldynge      1804
graces and thankynges to hir lord melibee      1804
and to al his compaignye;/ and shopen      1805
Hem withouten delay to go with the messagers,      1805
And obeye to the comandement of hir      1805
Lord melibee./      1806
And right anon they tooken hire wey      1806
To the court of melibee,/ and tooken with hem      1807
Somme of hire trewe freendes to maken feith      1807
For hem and for to been hire borwes./ And      1808
Whan they were comen to the presence of      1808
Melibee, he seyde hem thise wordes:/ it standeth      1809
thus, quod melibee, and sooth it is, that      1809
Ye,/ causelees and withouten skile and      1810
Resoun,/ han doon grete injuries and      1811
Wronges to me and to my wyf prudence,      1811
And to my doghter also./ For ye han entred      1812
Into myn hous by violence,/ and have doon      1813
Swich outrage that alle men knowen wel that      1813
Ye have disserved the deeth./ And therfore      1814
Wol I knowe and wite of yow/ wheither ye      1815
Wol putte the punyssement and the chastisynge      1815
And the vengeance of this outrage in the wyl      1815
Of me and of my wyf prudence, or ye      1815
Wol nat?/      1816
Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde      1816
for hem alle, and seyde,/ sire, quod      1817
He, we knowen wel that we been unworthy      1817
To comen unto the court of so greet a lord and      1817
So worthy as ye been./ For we han so greetly      1818
Mystaken us, and han offended and agilt in      1818
Swich a wise agayn youre heigh lordshipe,/
Page  187
     1819
That trewely we han disserved the deeth./ But      1820
Yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee      1820
That al the world witnesseth of youre      1820
Persone,/ we submytten us to the excellence      1821
and benignitee of youre gracious      1821
Lordshipe,/ and been redy to obeie to alle youre      1822
Comandementz;/ bisekynge yow that of youre      1823
Merciable pitee ye wol considere oure grete      1823
Repentaunce and lowe submyssioun,/ and      1824
Graunten us foryevenesse of oure outrageous      1824
Trespas and offense./ For wel we knowe that      1825
Youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem      1825
Ferther into goodnesse than doon oure outrageouse      1825
giltes and trespas into wikkednesse,/      1825
al be it that cursedly and      1826
Dampnablely we han agilt agayn youre      1826
Heigh lordshipe./      1827
Thanne melibee took hem up fro the ground      1827
Ful benignely,/ and receyved hire obligaciouns      1828
And hir boondes by hire othes upon hire plegges      1828
And borwes,/ and assigned hem a certeyn day      1829
To retourne unto his court,/ for to accepte and      1830
Receyve the sentence and juggement that      1830
Melibee wolde comande to be doon on      1830
Hem by the causes aforeseyd./ Whiche      1831
Thynges ordeyned, every man retourned      1831
To his hous./      1832
And whan that dame prudence saugh hir      1832
Tyme, she freyned and axed hir lord melibee/      1833
What vengeance he thoughte to taken of his      1833
Adversaries./      1834
To which melibee answerde, and seyde:      1834
Certes, quod he, I thynke and purpose me      1834
Fully / to desherite hem of al that evere they      1835
Han, and for to putte hem in exil for      1835
Evere./      1836
Certes, quod dame prudence, this      1836
Were a crueel sentence and muchel agayn resoun./      1836
for ye been riche ynough, and han      1837
No nede of oother mennes good;/ and ye      1838
Myghte lightly in this wise gete yow a coveitous      1838
name,/ which is a vicious thyng, and      1839
Oghte been eschued of every good man./ For      1840
After the sawe of the word of the apostle,      1840
-- coveitise is roote of alle harmes. -- /      1841
And therfore it were bettre for yow to      1841
Lese so muchel good of youre owene, than for      1841
To taken of hir good in this manere;/ for bettre      1842
it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it      1842
Is to wynne good with vileynye and shame./      1843
And everi man oghte to doon his diligence and      1843
His bisynesse to geten hym a good name./      1844
And yet shal he nat oonly bisie hym in kepynge      1844
of his good name,/ but he shal also enforcen      1845
hym alwey to do somthyng by      1845
Which he may renovelle his good name./      1846
For it is writen that -- the olde good loos      1846
Or good name of a man is soone goon and      1846
Passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled. -- /      1847
And as touchynge that ye seyn ye wole exile      1847
Youre adversaries,/ that thynketh me muchel      1848
Agayn resoun and out of mesure,/ considered      1849
The power that they han yeve yow upon hemself./      1849
and it is writen that -- he is worthy      1850
To lesen his privilege, that mysuseth the      1850
Myght and the power that is yeven      1850
Hym. -- / and I sette cas ye myghte enjoyne      1851
hem that peyne by right and by      1851
Lawe,// which I trowe ye mowe nat do,/ I seye      1853
Ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun peraventure,/      1853
and thanne were it likly to retourne      1854
To the werre as it was biforn./ And therfore,      1855
If ye wole that men do yow obeisance,      1855
Ye moste deemen moore curteisly;/ this      1856
Is to seyn, ye moste yeven moore esy sentences      1856
and juggementz./ For it is writen that      1857
-- he that moost curteisly comandeth, to hym      1857
Men moost obeyen. -- / and therfore I prey yow      1858
That in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste      1858
Yow to overcome youre herte./ For senec seith      1859
That -- he that overcometh his herte, overcometh      1859
Twies. -- / and tullius seith: -- ther is no      1860
Thyng so comendable in a greet lord/ as      1861
Whan he is debonaire and meeke, and      1861
Appeseth him lightly. -- / and I prey yow that ye      1862
Wole forbere now to do vengeance,/ in swich      1863
A manere that youre goode name may be kept      1863
And conserved,/ and that men mowe have      1864
Cause and mateere to preyse yow of pitee and      1864
Of mercy,/ and that ye have no cause to      1865
Repente yow of thyng that ye doon./      1866
For senec seith, -- he overcometh in an      1866
Yvel manere that repenteth hym of his victorie.      1866
-- / wherfore I pray yow, lat mercy been in      1867
Youre herte,/ to th' effect and entente that      1868
God almighty have mercy on yow in his laste      1868
Juggement./ For seint jame seith in his epistle:      1869
-- juggement withouten mercy shal be doon      1869
To hym that hath no mercy of another wight. -- /      1870
Whanne melibee hadde herd the grete skiles      1870
And resouns of dame prudence, and hire      1870
Wise informaciouns and techynges,/ his      1871
Herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wif,      1871
Considerynge hir trewe entente,/ and conformed      1872
hym anon, and assented fully to werken      1872
After hir conseil;/ and thonked god, of whom      1873
Procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that      1873
Hym sente a wyf of so greet discrecioun./ And
Page  188
     1874
Whan the day cam that his adversaries sholde      1874
Appieren in his presence,/ he spak unto      1875
Hem ful goodly, and seyde in this wyse:/      1876
Al be it so that of youre pride and heigh      1876
Presumpcioun and folie, and of youre necligence      1876
and unkonnynge,/ ye have mysborn yow      1877
And trespassed unto me,/ yet for as muche as      1878
I see and biholde youre grete humylitee,/ and      1879
That ye been sory and repentant of youre      1879
Giltes,/ it constreyneth me to doon yow      1880
Grace and mercy./ Wherfore I receyve      1881
Yow to my grace,/ and foryeve yow outrely      1882
alle the offenses, injuries, and wronges that      1882
Ye have doon agayn me and myne,/ to this      1883
Effect and to this ende that God of his endelees      1883
mercy/ wole at the tyme of oure diynge      1884
Foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespassed      1884
To hym in this wrecched world./ For doutelees,      1885
if we be sory and repentant of the synnes      1885
And giltes which we han trespassed in      1885
The sighte of oure lord god,/ he is so      1886
Free and so merciable/ that he wole foryeven      1887
us oure giltes,/ and bryngen us to the      1888
Blisse that nevere hath ende. Amen.      1888
The Monk's Prologue

Whan ended was my tale of melibee,      1889
And of prudence and hire benignytee,      1890
Oure hooste seyde, as I am feithful man,      1891
And by that precious corpus madrian,      1892
I hadde levere than a barel ale      1893
That goodelief, my wyf, hadde herd this tale!      1894
For she nys no thyng of swich pacience      1895
As was this melibeus wyf prudence.      1896
By goddes bones! whan I bete my knaves,      1897
She bryngeth me forth the grete clobbed staves,      1898
And crieth, -- slee the dogges everichoon,      1899
And brek hem, bothe bak and every boon! --      1900
And if that any neighebor of myne      1901
Wol nat in chirche to my wyf enclyne,      1902
Or be so hardy to hire to trespace,      1903
Whan she comth hoom she rampeth in my face,      1904
And crieth, -- false coward, wrek thy wyf!      1905
By corpus bones, I wol have thy knyf,      1906
And thou shalt have my distaf and go spynne! --      1907
Fro day to nyght right thus she wol bigynne.      1908
-- allas! -- she seith, -- that evere I was shape      1909
To wedden a milksop, or a coward ape,      1910
That wol been overlad with every wight!      1911
Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyves right! --      1912
This is my lif, but if that I wol fighte;      1913
And out at dore anon I moot me dighte,      1914
Or elles I am but lost, but if that I      1915
Be lik a wilde leoun, fool-hardy.      1916
I woot wel she wol do me slee som day      1917
Som neighebor, and thanne go my way;      1918
For I am perilous with knyf in honde,      1919
Al be it that I dar nat hire withstonde,      1920
For she is byg in armes, by my feith:      1921
That shal he fynde that hire mysdooth or seith, --      1922
But lat us passe awey fro this mateere.      1923
My lord, the monk, quod he, by myrie of cheere,      1924
For ye shul telle a tale trewely.      1925
Loo, rouchestre stant heer faste by!      1926
Ryde forth, myn owene lord, brek nat oure game.      1927
But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat youre name.      1928
Wher shal I calle yow my lord daun john,      1929
Or daun thomas, or elles daun albon?      1930
Of what hous be ye, by youre fader kyn?      1931
I vowe to god, thou hast a ful fair skyn;      1932
It is a gentil pasture ther thow goost.      1933
Thou art nat lyk a penant or a goost:      1934
Upon my feith, thou art som officer,      1935
Som worthy sexteyn, or som celerer,      1936
For by my fader soule, as to my doom,      1937
Thou art a maister whan thou art at hoom;      1938
No povre cloysterer, ne no novts,      1939
But a governour, wily and wys,      1940
And therwithal of brawnes and of bones,      1941
A wel farynge persone for the nones.      1942
I pray to god, yeve hym confusioun      1943
That first thee broghte unto religioun!      1944
Thou woldest han been a tredefowel aright.
Page  189
     1945
Haddestow as greet a leeve, as thou hast myght,      1946
To parfourne al thy lust in engendrure,      1947
Thou haddest bigeten ful many a creature.      1948
Allas, why werestow so wyd a cope?      1949
God yeve me sorwe, but, and I were a pope,      1950
Nat oonly thou, but every myghty man,      1951
Though he were shorn ful hye upon his pan,      1952
Sholde have a wyf; for al the world is lorn!      1953
Religioun hath take up al the corn      1954
Of tredyng, and we borel men been shrympes.      1955
Of fieble trees ther comen wrecched ympes.      1956
This maketh that oure heires been so sklendre      1957
And feble that they may nat wel engendre.      1958
This maketh that oure wyves wole assaye      1959
Religious folk, for ye mowe bettre paye      1960
Of venus peiementz than mowe we;      1961
God woot, no lussheburghes payen ye!      1962
But be nat wrooth, my lord, though that I pleye.      1963
Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye!      1964
This worthy monk took al in pacience,      1965
And seyde, I wol doon al my diligence,      1966
As fer as sowneth into honestee,      1967
To telle yow a tale, or two, or three.      1968
And if yow list to herkne hyderward,      1969
I wol yow seyn the lyf of seint edward;      1970
Or ellis, first, tragedies wol I telle,      1971
Of whiche I have an hundred in my celle.      1972
Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storei,      1973
As olde bookes maken us memorie,      1974
Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee,      1975
And is yfallen out of heigh degree      1976
Into myserie, and endeth wrecchedly.      1977
And they ben versified communely      1978
Of six feet, which men clepen exametrron.      1979
In prose eek been endited many oon,      1980
And eek in meetre, in many a sondry wyse.      1981
Lo, this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise.      1982
Now herkneth, if yow liketh for to heere.      1983
But first I yow biseeke in this mateere,      1984
Though I by ordre telle nat thise thynges,      1985
Be it of popes, emperours, or kynges,      1986
After hir ages, as men writen fynde,      1987
But tellen hem som bifore and som bihynde,      1988
As it now comth unto my remembraunce,      1989
Have me excused of myn ignoraunce.      1990
The Monk's Tale

I wol biwaille, in manere of tragedie,      1991
The harm of hem that stoode in heigh degree,      1992
And fillen so that ther nas no remedie      1993
To brynge hem out of hir adversitee.      1994
For certein, whan that fortune list to flee,      1995
Ther may no man the cours of hire withholde.      1996
Lat no man truste on blynd prosperitee;      1997
Be war by thise ensamples trewe and olde.      1998
Lucifer
At lucifer, though he an angel were,      1999
And nat a man, at hym wol I bigynne.      2000
For though fortune may noon angel dere,      2001
From heigh degree yet fel he for his synne      2002
Doun into helle, where he yet is inne.      2003
O lucifer, brightest of angels alle,      2004
Now artow sathanas, that mayst nat twynne      2005
Out of miserie, in which that thou art falle.      2006
Adam
Loo adam, in the feeld of damyssene,      2007
With goddes owene fynger wroght was he,      2008
And nat bigeten of mannes sperme unclene,      2009
And welte al paradys savynge o tree.      2010
Hadde nevere worldly man so heigh degree      2011
As adam, til he for mysgovernaunce      2012
Was dryven out of hys hye prosperitee      2013
To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce.      2014
Sampson
Loo sampsoun, which that was annunciat      2015
By th' angel, longe er his nativitee,      2016
And was to God almyghty consecrat,      2017
And stood in noblesse whil he myghte see.      2018
Was nevere swich another as was hee,      2019
To speke of strengthe, and threwith hardynesse;
Page  190
     2020
But to his wyves toolde he his secree,      2021
Thurgh which he slow hymself for wrecchednesse.      2022
Sampsoun, this noble almyghty champioun,      2023
Withouten wepen, save his handes tweye,      2024
He slow and al torente the leoun,      2025
Toward his weddyng walkynge by the weye.      2026
His false wyf koude hym so plese and preye      2027
Til she his conseil knew; and she, untrewe,      2028
Unto his foos his conseil gan biwreye,      2029
And hym forsook, and took another newe.      2030
Thre hundred foxes took sampson for ire,      2031
And alle hir tayles he togydre bond,      2032
And sette the foxes tayles alle on fire,      2033
For he on every tayl had knyt a brond;      2034
And they brende alle the cornes in that lond,      2035
And alle hire olyveres, and vynes eke.      2036
A thousand men he slow eek with his hond,      2037
And hadde no wepen but an asses cheke.      2038
Whan they were slayn, so thursted hym that he      2039
Was wel ny lorn, for which he gan to preye      2040
That God wolde on his peyne han some pitee,      2041
And sende hym drynke, or elles moste he deye;      2042
And of this asses cheke, that was dreye,      2043
Out of a wang-tooth sprang anon a welle,      2044
Of which he drank ynogh, shortly to seye;      2045
Thus heelp hym god, as judicum telle.      2046
By verray force at gazan, on a nyght,      2047
Maugree philistiens of that citee,      2048
The gates of the toun he hath up plyght,      2049
And on his bak ycaryed hem hath hee      2050
Hye on an hill whereas men myghte hem see.      2051
O noble, almyghty sampsoun, lief and deere,      2052
Had thou nat toold to wommen thy secree,      2053
In al this world ne hadde been thy peere!      2054
This sampson nevere ciser drank ne wyn,      2055
Ne on his heed cam rasour noon ne sheere,      2056
By precept of the messager divyn,      2057
For alle his strengthes in his heeres weere.      2058
And fully twenty wynter, yeer by yeere,      2059
He hadde of israel the governaunce.      2060
But soone shal he wepe many a teere,      2061
For wommen shal hym bryngen to meschaunce!      2062
Unto his lemman dalida he tolde      2063
That in his heeris al his strengthe lay,      2064
And falsly to his foomen she hym solde.      2065
And slepynge in hir barm, upon a day,      2066
She made to clippe or shere his heres away,      2067
And made his foomen al his craft espyen;      2068
And whan that they hym foond in this array,      2069
They bounde hym faste and putten out his yen.      2070
But er his heere were clipped or yshave,      2071
Ther was no boond with which men myghte him bynde;      2072
But now is he in prison in a cave,      2073
Were-as they made hym at the queerne grynde.      2074
O noble sampsoun, strongest of mankynde,      2075
O whilom juge, in glorie and in richesse!      2076
Now maystow wepen with thyne eyen blynde,      2077
Sith thou fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse.      2078
The ende of this caytyf was as I shal seye.      2079
His foomen made a feeste upon a day,      2080
And made hym as hire fool biforn hem pleye;      2081
And this was in a temple of greet array.      2082
But atte laste he made a foul affray;      2083
For he two pilers shook and made hem falle,      2084
And doun fil temple and al, and ther it lay, --      2085
And slow hymself, and eek his foomen alle.      2086
This is to seyn, the prynces everichoon,      2087
And eek thre thousand bodyes, were ther slayn      2088
With fallynge of the grete temple of stoon.      2089
Of sampson now wol I namoore sayn.      2090
Beth war by this ensample oold and playn      2091
That nomen telle hir conseil til hir wyves      2092
Of swich thyng as they wolde han secree fayn,      2093
If that it touche hir lymes or hir lyves.      2094
Hercules
Of hercules, the sovereyn conquerour,      2095
Syngen his werkes laude and heigh renoun;      2096
For in his tyme of strengthe he was the flour.      2097
He slow, and frate the skyn of the leoun;      2098
He of centauros leyde the boost adoun;      2099
He arpies slow, the crueel bryddes felle;      2100
He golden apples rafte of the dragoun;      2101
He drow out cerberus, the hound of helle;      2102
He slow the crueel tyrant busirus,      2103
And made his hors to frete hem, flessh and boon;      2104
He slow the firy serpent venymus;      2105
Of acheloys two hornes he brak oon;      2106
And he slow cacus in a cave of stoon;      2107
He slow the geant antheus the stronge;
Page  191
     2108
He slow the grisly boor, and that anon;      2109
And bar the hevene on his nekke longe.      2110
Was nevere wight, sith that this world bigan,      2111
That slow so manye monstres as dide he.      2112
Thurghout this wyde world his name ran,      2113
What for his strengthe and for his heigh bountee,      2114
And every reawme wente he for to see.      2115
He was so stoong that no man myghte hym lette.      2116
At bothe the worldes endes, seith trophee,      2117
In stide of boundes he a pileer sette.      2118
A lemman hadde this noble champioun,      2119
That highte dianira, fressh as may;      2120
And as thise clerkes maken mencioun,      2121
She hath hym sent a sherte, fressh and gay.      2122
Allas! this sherte, allas and weylaway!      2123
Envenymed was so subtilly withalle,      2124
That er that he had wered it half a day,      2125
It made his flessh al from his bones falle.      2126
But nathelees somme clerkes hire excusen      2127
By oon that highte nessus, that it maked.      2128
Be as be may, I wol hire noght accusen;      2129
But on his bak this sherte he wered naked,      2130
Til that his flessh was for the venym blaked.      2131
And whan he saugh noon oother remedye,      2132
In hoote coles he hath hymselven raked,      2133
For with no venym deigned hym to dye.      2134
Thus starf this worthy, myghty hercules.      2135
Lo, who may truste on fortune and throwe?      2136
For hym that folweth al this world of prees,      2137
Er he be war, is ofte yleyd ful lowe.      2138
Ful wys is he that kan hymselven knowe!      2139
Beth war, for whan that fortune list to glose,      2140
Thanne wayteth she her man to overthrowe      2141
By swich a wey as he wolde leest suppose.      2142
Nebchadnezzar
The myghty trone, the precious tresor,      2143
The glorious ceptre, and roial magestee      2144
That hadde the kyng nabugodonosor      2145
With tonge unnethe may discryved bee.      2146
He twyes wan jerusalem the citee;      2147
The vessel of the temple he with hym ladde.      2148
At babiloigne was his sovereyn see,      2149
In which his glorie and his delit he hadde.      2150
The faireste children of the blood roial      2151
Of israel he leet do gelde anoon,      2152
And maked ech of hem to been his thral.      2153
Amonges othere daniel was oon,      2154
That was the wiseste child of everychon;      2155
For he the dremes of the kyng expowned,      2156
Whereas in chaldeye clerk ne was ther noon      2157
That wiste to what fyn his dremes sowned.      2158
This proude kyng leet maken a statue of gold,      2159
Sixty cubites long and sevene in brede;      2160
To which ymage bothe yong and oold      2161
Comanded he to loute, and have in drede,      2162
Or in a fourneys, ful of flambes rede,      2163
He shal be brent that wolde noght obeye.      2164
But nevere wolde assente to that dede      2165
Daniel, ne his yonge felawes tweye.      2166
This kyng of kynges proud was and elaat;      2167
He wente that god, that sit in magestee,      2168
Ne myghte hym nat bireve of his estaat.      2169
But sodeynly he loste his dignytee,      2170
And lyk a beest hym semed for to bee,      2171
And eet hey as an oxe, and lay theroute      2172
In reyn; with wilde beestes walked hee,      2173
Til certein tyme was ycome aboute.      2174
And lik an egles fetheres wax his heres;      2175
His nayles lyk a briddes clawes weere;      2176
Til God relessed hym a certeyn yeres,      2177
And yaf hym wit, and thanne with many a teere      2178
He thanked god, and evere his lyf in feere      2179
Was he to doon amys or moore trespace;      2180
And til that tyme he leyd was on his beere,      2181
He knew that God was ful of myght and grace.      2182
Belshazzar
His sone, which that highte balthasar,      2183
That heeld the regne after his fader day,      2184
He by his fader koude noght be war,      2185
For proud he was of herte and of array;      2186
And eek an ydolastre was he ay.      2187
His hye estaat assured hym in pryde;      2188
But fortune caste hym doun, and ther he lay,      2189
And sodeynly his regne gan divide.      2190
A feeste he made unto his lordes alle,      2191
Upon a tyme, and bad hem blithe bee;      2192
And thanne his officeres gan he calle:      2193
Gooth, bryngeth forth the vesseles, quod he,      2194
Whiche that my fader in his prosperitee      2195
Out of the temple of jerusalem birafte;      2196
And to oure hye goddes thanke we      2197
Of honour that oure eldres with us lafte.
Page  192
     2198
Hys wyf, his lordes, and his concubynes      2199
Ay dronken, whil hire appetites laste,      2200
Out of thise noble vessels sondry wynes.      2201
And on a wal this kyng his eyen caste,      2202
And saugh an hand, armlees, that wroot ful faste,      2203
For feere if which he quook and siked soore.      2204
This hand, that balthasar so soore agaste,      2205
Wroot mane, techel phares, and namoore.      2206
In all that land magicien was noon      2207
That koude expoune what this lettre mente;      2208
But daniel expowned it anoon,      2209
And seyde, kyng, God to thy fader lente      2210
Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente;      2211
And he was proud, and nothyng God ne dradde,      2212
And therfore God greet wreche upon hym sente,      2213
And hym birafte the regne that he hadde.      2214
He was out cast of mannes compaignye;      2215
With asses was his habitacioun,      2216
And eet hey as a beest in weet and drye,      2217
Til that he knew, by grace and by resoun,      2218
That God of hevene hath domynacioun      2219
Over every regne and every creature;      2220
And thanne hadde God of hym compassioun,      2221
And hym restored his regne and his figure.      2222
Eek thou, that art his sone, art proud also,      2223
And knowest alle thise thynges verraily,      2224
And art rebel to god, and art his foo.      2225
Thou drank eek of his vessels boldely;      2226
Thy wyf eek, and thy wenches, synfully      2227
Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynys;      2228
And heryest false goddes cursedly;      2229
Therfore to thee yshapen ful greet pyne ys.      2230
This hand was sent from God that on the wal      2231
Wroot mane, techel, phares, truste me;      2232
Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at al.      2233
Dyvyded is thy regne, and it shal be      2234
To medes and to perses yeven, quod he.      2235
And thilke same nyght this kyng was slawe,      2236
And darius occupieth his degree,      2237
Thogh he therto hadde neither right ne lawe.      2238
Lordynges, ensample heerby may ye take      2239
How that in lordshipe is no sikernesse;      2240
For whan fortune wole a man forsake,      2241
She bereth awey his regne and his richesse,      2242
And eek his freendes, bothe moore and lesse.      2243
For what man that hath freendes thurgh fortune,      2244
Mishap wol maken hem enemys, I gesse;      2245
This proverbe is ful sooth and ful commune.      2246
Zenobia
Cenobia, of palymerie queene,      2247
As writen persiens of hir noblesse,      2248
So worthy was in armes and so keene,      2249
That no wight passed hire in hardynesse,      2250
Ne in lynage, ne in oother gentillesse.      2251
Of kynges blood of perce is she descended.      2252
I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse,      2253
But of his shap she myghte nat been amended.      2254
From hire childhede I fynde that she fledde      2255
Office of wommen, and to wode she wente,      2256
And many a wolde hertes blood she shedde      2257
With arwes brode that she to hem sente.      2258
She was so swift that she anon hem hente;      2259
And whan that she was elder, she wolde      2260
Leouns, leopardes, and beres al torente,      2261
And in hire armes weelde hem at hir wille.      2262
She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,      2263
And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght,      2264
And slepen under a bussh, and she koude eke      2265
Wrastlen, by verray force and varray myght,      2266
With any yong man, were he never so wight.      2267
Ther myghte no thyng in hir armes stonde.      2268
She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight;      2269
To no man deigned hire for to be bonde.      2270
But atte laste hir freendes han hire maried      2271
To odenake, a prynce of that contree,      2272
Al were it so that she hem longe taried.      2273
And ye shul understonde how that he      2274
Hadde swiche fantasies as hadde she.      2275
But natheless, whan they were knyt in-feere,      2276
They lyved in joye and in felicitee;      2277
For ech of hem hadde oother lief and deere.      2278
Save o thyng, that she wolde nevere assente,      2279
By no wey, that he sholde by hire lye      2280
But ones, for it was hire pleyn entente      2281
To have a child, the world to multiplye;      2282
And also soone as that she myghte espye      2283
That she was nat with childe with that dede      2284
Thanne wolde she suffre hym doon his fantasye      2285
Eft-soone, and nat but oones, out of drede.
Page  193
     2286
And if she were with childe at thilke cast,      2287
Namoore sholde he pleyen thilke game      2288
Til fully fourty wikes weren past;      2289
Thanne wolde she ones suffre hym do the same.      2290
Al were this odenake wolde or tame,      2291
He gat namoore of hire, for thus she seyde,      2292
It was to wyves lecherie and shame,      2293
In oother caas, if that men with hem pleyde.      2294
Two sones by this odenake hadde she,      2295
The whiche she kepte in verty and lettrure;      2296
But now unto oure tale turne we.      2297
I seye, so worshipful a creature,      2298
And wys therwith, and large with mesure,      2299
So penyble in the werre, and curteis eke,      2300
Ne moore laboure myghte in werre endure,      2301
Was noon, though al this world men sholde seke.      2302
Hir riche array ne myghte nat be told,      2303
As wel in vessel as in hire clothyng.      2304
She was al clad in perree and in gold,      2305
And eek she lafte noght, for noon huntyng,      2306
To have of sondry tonges ful knowyng,      2307
Whan that she leyser hadde; and for to entende      2308
To lerne bookes was al hire likyng,      2309
How she in vertu myghte hir lyf dispende.      2310
And shortly of this storie for to trete,      2311
So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she,      2312
That they conquered manye regnes grete      2313
In the orient, with many a fair citee      2314
Apertanaunt unto the magestee      2315
Of rome, and with strong hond held hem ful faste,      2316
Ne nevere myghte hir foomen doon hem flee,      2317
Ay whil that odenakes dayes laste.      2318
Hir batailles, whoso list hem for to rede,      2319
Agayn spor the kyng and othere mo,      2320
And how that al this proces fil in dede,      2321
Why she conquered, and what title had therto,      2322
And after, of hir meschief and hire wo,      2323
How that she was biseged and ytake, --      2324
Lat hym unto my maister petrak go,      2325
That writ ynough of this, I undertake.      2326
Whan odenake was deed, she myghtily      2327
The regnes heeld, and with hire propre hond      2328
Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly      2329
That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond      2330
That he nas glad, if he that grace fond,      2331
That she ne wolde upon his lond werreye.      2332
With hire they maden alliance by bond      2333
To been in pees, and lete hire ride and pleye.      2334
The emperour of rome, claudius      2335
Ne hym bifore, the romayn galien,      2336
Ne dorste nevere been so corageus,      2337
Ne noon ermyn, ne noon egipcien,      2338
Ne surrien, ne noon arabyen,      2339
Withinne the feeld that dorste with hire fighte,      2340
Lest that she wolde hem with hir handes slen,      2341
Or with hir meignee putten hem to flighte.      2342
In kynges habit wente hir sones two,      2343
As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,      2344
And hermanno and thymalao      2345
Hir names were, as persiens hem calle.      2346
But ay fortune hath in hire hony galle;      2347
This myghty queene may no while endure.      2348
Fortune out of hir regne made hire falle      2349
To wrecchednesse and to mysaventure.      2350
Aurelian, whan that the governaunce      2351
Of rome cam into his handes tweye,      2352
He shoop upon this queene to doon vengeaunce.      2353
And with his legions he took his weye      2354
Toward cenobie, and shortly for to seye,      2355
He made hire flee, and atte laste hire hente,      2356
And fettred hire, and eek hire children tweye,      2357
And wan the land, and hoom to rome he wente.      2358
Amonges othere thynges that he wan,      2359
Hir chaar, that was with gold wroght and perree,      2360
This grete romayn, this aurelian,      2361
Hath with hym lad, for that men sholde it see.      2362
Biforen his triumphe walketh shee,      2363
With gilte cheynes on hire nekke hangynge.      2364
Coroned was she, as after hir degree,      2365
And ful of perree charged hire clothynge.      2366
Allas, fortune! she that whilom was      2367
Dredeful to kynges and to emperoures,      2368
Now gaureth al the peple on hire, allas!      2369
And she that helmed was in starke stoures,      2370
And wan by force townes stronge and toures,      2371
Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte;      2372
And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures      2373
Shal bere a distaf, hire cost for to quyte      2374
Page  194
Pedro of Castille
O noble, o worthy petro, glorie of spayne,      2375
Whom fortune heeld so hye in magestee,      2376
Wel oghten men thy pitous deeth complayne!      2377
Out of thy land thy brother made thee flee,      2378
And after, at a seege, by subtiltee,      2379
Thou were bitraysed and lad unto his tente,      2380
Where as he with his owene hand slow thee,      2381
Succedynge in thy regne and in thy rente.      2382
The feeld of snow, with th' egle of blak therinne,      2383
Caught with the lymrod coloured as the gleede,      2384
He brew this cursednesse and al this synne.      2385
The wikked nest was werker of this nede.      2386
Noght charles olyver, that took ay heede      2387
Of trouthe and honoure, but of armorike      2388
Genylon-olyver, corrupt for meede,      2389
Broghte this worthy kyng in swich a brike.      2390
De Petro Rege de Cipro
O worthy petro, kyng of cipre, also,      2391
That alisandre wan by heigh maistrie,      2392
Ful many an hethen wroghtestow ful wo,      2393
Of which thyne owene liges hadde envie,      2394
And for no thyng but for thy chivalrie      2395
They in thy bed han slayn thee by the morwe.      2396
Thus kan fortune hir wheel governe and gye,      2397
And out of joye brynge men to sorwe.      2398
De Barnabo de Lumbardia
Off melan grete barnabo viscounte,      2399
God of delit, and scourge of lumbardye,      2400
Why sholde I nat thyn infortune acounte,      2401
Sith in estaat thow cloumbe were so hye?      2402
Thy brother sone, that was thy double allye,      2403
For he thy nevew was, and sone-in-lawe,      2404
Withinne his prisoun made thee to dye, --      2405
But why, ne how, noot I that thou were slawe.      2406
De Hugelino Comite de Pize
Off the erl hugelyn of pyze the langour      2407
Ther may no tonge telle for pitee.      2408
But litel out of pize stant a tour,      2409
In which tour in prisoun put was he,      2410
And with hym been his litel children thre;      2411
The eldest scarsly fyf yeer was of age.      2412
Allas, fortune! it was greet crueltee      2413
Swiche briddes for to putte in swich a cage!      2414
Dampned was he to dyen in that prisoun,      2415
For roger, which that bisshop was of pize,      2416
Hadde on hym maad a fals suggestioun,      2417
Thurgh which the peple gan upon hym rise,      2418
And putten hym to prisoun, in swich wise      2419
As ye han herd, and mete and drynke he hadde      2420
So smal, that wel unnethe it may suffise,      2421
And therwithal it was ful povre and badde.      2422
And on a day bifil that in that hour      2423
Whan that his mete wont was to be broght,      2424
The gayler shette the dores of the tour.      2425
He herde it wel, but he spak right noght,      2426
And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght      2427
That they for hunger wolde doon hym dyen.      2428
Allas! quod he, allas, that I was wroght!      2429
Therwith the teeris fillen from his yen.      2430
His yonge sone, that thre yeer was of age,      2431
Unto hym seyde, fader, why do ye wepe?      2432
Whanne wol the gayler bryngen oure potage?      2433
Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?      2434
I am so hungry that I may nat slepe.      2435
Now wolde God that I myghte slepen evere!      2436
Thanne sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe;      2437
Ther is no thyng, save breed, that me were levere.      2438
Thus day by day this child bigan to crye,      2439
Til in his fadres barm adoun it lay,      2440
And seyde, farewel, fader, I moot dye!      2441
And kiste his fader, and dyde the same day.      2442
And whan the woful fader deed it say,      2443
For wo his armes two he gan to byte,      2444
And seyde, allas, fortune, and weylaway!      2445
Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte.      2446
His children wende that it for hunger was      2447
That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo,      2448
And seyde, fader, do nat so, allas!      2449
But rather ete the flessh upon us two.      2450
Oure flessh thou yaf us, take oure flessh us fro,      2451
And ete ynogh, -- right thus they to hym seyde,      2452
And after that, withinne a day or two,      2453
They leyde hem in his lappe adoun and deyde.      2454
Hymself, despeired, eek for hunger starf;      2455
Thus ended is this myghty erl of pize.      2456
From heigh estaat fortune awey hym carf.      2457
Of this tragedie it oghte ynough suffise;      2458
Whoso wol here it in a lenger wise,      2459
Redeth the grete poete of ytaille      2460
That highte dant, for he kan al devyse      2461
Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille.      2462
Page  195
Nero
Although that nero were as vicius      2463
As any feend that lith ful lowe adoun,      2464
Yet he, as telleth us swetonius,      2465
This wyde world hadde in subjeccioun,      2466
Bothe est and west, (south), and septemtrioun.      2467
Of rubies, saphires, and of peerles white      2468
Were alle his clothes brouded up and doun;      2469
For he in gemmes greetly gan delite.      2470
Moore delicaat, moore pompous of array,      2471
Moore proud was nevere emperour than he;      2472
That like clooth that he hadde wered o day,      2473
After that tyme he nolde it nevere see.      2474
Nettes of gold threed hadde he greet plentee      2475
To fisshe in tybre, whan hym liste pleye.      2476
His lustes were al lawe in his decree,      2477
For fortune as his freend hym wolde obeye.      2478
He rome brende for his delicasie;      2479
The senatours he slow upon a day      2480
To heere how that men wolde wepe and crie;      2481
And slow his brother, and by his suster lay.      2482
His mooder made he in pitous array,      2483
For he hire wombe slitte to biholde      2484
Where he conceyved was; so weilaway!      2485
That he so litel of his mooder tolde.      2486
No teere out of his eyen for that sighte      2487
Ne cam, but seyde, a fair womman was she!      2488
Greet wonder is how that he koude or myghte      2489
Be domesman of hire dede beautee.      2490
The wyn to bryngen hym comanded he,      2491
And drank anon, -- noon oother wo he made.      2492
Whan myght is joyned unto crueltee,      2493
Allas, to depe wol the venym wade!      2494
In yowthe a maister hadde this emperour      2495
To teche hym letterure and curteisye,      2496
For of moralitee he was the flour,      2497
As in his tyme, but if bookes lye;      2498
And whil this maister hadde of hym maistrye,      2499
He maked hym so konnyng and so sowple      2500
That longe tyme it was er tirannye      2501
Or any vice dorste on hym uncowple.      2502
This seneca, of which that I devyse,      2503
By cause nero hadde of hym swich drede,      2504
For he fro vices wolde hym ay chastise      2505
Discreetly, as by word and nat by dede, --      2506
Sire, wolde he seyn, an emperour moot nede      2507
Be vertuous and hate tirannye --      2508
For which he in a bath made hym to blede      2509
On bothe his armes, til he moste dye.      2510
This nero hadde eek of acustumaunce      2511
In youthe agayns his maister for to ryse,      2512
Which afterward hym thoughte a greet grevaunce;      2513
Therefore he made hym dyen in this wise.      2514
But natheless this seneca the wise      2515
Chees in a bath to dye in this manere      2516
Rather than han another tormentise;      2517
And thus hath nero slayn his maister deere.      2518
Now fil it so that fortune liste no lenger      2519
The ye pryde of nero to cherice,      2520
For though that he were strong, yet was she strenger.      2521
She thoughte thus, by god! I am to nyce      2522
To sette a man that is fulfild of vice      2523
In heigh degree, and emperour hym calle.      2524
By god! out of his sete I wol hym trice;      2525
Whan he leest weneth, sonnest shal he falle.      2526
The peple roos upon hym on a nyght      2527
For his defaute, and whan he it espied,      2528
Out of his dores anon he hath hym dight      2529
Allone, and ther he wende han been allied,      2530
He knokked faste, and ay the moore he cried,      2531
The fastere shette they the dores alle.      2532
Tho wiste he wel, he hadde himself mysgyed,      2533
And wente his wey; no lenger dorste he calle.      2534
The peple cried and rombled up and doun,      2535
That with his erys herde he how they seyde,      2536
Shere is this false tiraunt, this neroun?      2537
For fere almoost out of his wit he breyde,      2538
And to his goddes pitously he preyde      2539
For socour, but it myghte nat bityde.      2540
For drede of this, hym thoughte that he deyde,      2541
And ran into a gardyn hym to hyde.      2542
And in this gardyn foond he cherles tweye      2543
That seten by a fyr full greet and reed.      2544
And to thise cherles two he gan to preye      2545
To sleen hym, and to girden of his heed,      2546
That to his body, whan that he were deed,      2547
Were no despit ydoon for his defame.      2548
Hymself he slow, he koude no bettre reed,      2549
Of which fortune lough, and hadde a game.      2550
Page  196
De Oloferno
Was nevere capitayn under a kyng      2551
That regnes mo putte in subjeccioun,      2552
Ne strenger was in feeld of alle thyng,      2553
As in his tyme, ne gretter of renoun,      2554
Ne moore pompous in heigh presumpcioun      2555
Than oloferne, which fortune ay kiste      2556
So likerously, and ladde hym up and doun,      2557
Til that his heed was of, er that he wiste.      2558
Nat oonly that this world hadde hym in awe      2559
For lesynge of richesse or libertee,      2560
But he made every man reneyen his lawe.      2561
Nabugodonosor was god, seyde hee;      2562
Noon oother God sholde adoured bee.      2563
Agayns his heeste no wight dar trespace,      2564
Save in bethulia, a strong citee,      2565
Where eliachim a preest was of that place.      2566
But taak kep of the deth of oloferne:      2567
Amydde his hoost he dronke lay a-nyght,      2568
Withinne his tente, large as is a berne,      2569
And yet, for al his pompe and al his myght,      2570
Judith, a womman, as he lay upright      2571
Slepynge, his heed of smoot, and from his tente      2572
Ful pryvely she stal from every wight,      2573
And with his heed unto hir toun she wente.      2574
De Rege Antiocho illustri
What nedeth it of kyng anthiochus      2575
To telle his hye roial magestee,      2576
His hye pride, his werkes venymus?      2577
For swich another was ther noon as he.      2578
Rede which that he was in machabee,      2579
And rede the proude wordes that he seyde,      2580
And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee,      2581
And in an hill how wrecchedly he deyde.      2582
Fortune hym hadde enhaunced so in pride      2583
That verraily he wende he myghte attayne      2584
Unto the sterres upon every syde,      2585
And in balance weyen ech montayne,      2586
And alle the floodes of the see restrayne.      2587
And goddes peple hadde he moost in hate;      2588
Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne,      2589
Wenynge that God ne myghte his pride abate.      2590
And for that nichanore and thymothee      2591
Of jewes weren venquysshed myghtily,      2592
Unto the jewes swich an hate hadde he      2593
That he bad greithen his chaar ful hastily,      2594
And swoor, and seyde ful despitously      2595
Unto jerusalem he wolde eftsoone,      2596
To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly;      2597
But of his purpos he was let ful soone.      2598
God for his manace hym so soore smoot      2599
With invisible wounde, ay incurable,      2600
That in his guttes carf it so and boot      2601
That his peynes weren importable.      2602
And certeinly the wreche was resonable,      2603
For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne.      2604
But from his purpos cursed and dampnable,      2605
For al his smert, he wolde hym nat restreyne,      2606
But bad anon apparaillen his hoost;      2607
And sodeynly, er he was of it war,      2608
God daunted al his pride and al his boost.      2609
For he so soore fil out of his char      2610
That it his limes and his skyn totar,      2611
So that he neyther myghte go ne ryde,      2612
But in a chayer men aboute hym bar,      2613
Al forbrused, bothe bak and syde.      2614
The wreche of God hym smoot so cruelly      2615
That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte,      2616
And therwithal he stank so horribly      2617
That noon of al his meynee that hym kepte,      2618
Theither so he wook, or ellis slepte,      2619
Ne myghte noght the stynk of hym endure.      2620
In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte,      2621
And knew God lord of every creature.      2622
To al his hoost and to hymself also      2623
Ful wlatsom was the stynk of his careyne;      2624
No man ne myghte hym bere to ne fro.      2625
And in this stynk and this horrible peyne,      2626
He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne.      2627
Thus hath this robbour and this homycide,      2628
That many a man made to wepe and pleyne,      2629
Swich gerdoun as bilongeth unto pryde.      2630
De Alexandro
The storie of alisaundre is so commune      2631
That every wight that hath discrecioun      2632
Hath herd somwhat or al of his fortune.      2633
This wyde world, as in conclusioun,      2634
He wan by strengthe, or for his hye renoun      2635
They weren glad for pees unto hym sende.      2636
The pride of man and beest he leyde adoun,      2637
Wherso he cam, unto the worldes ende.
Page  197
     2638
Comparisoun myghte nevere yet maked      2639
Bitwixe hym and another conquerour;      2640
For al this world for drede of hym hath quaked.      2641
He was of knyghthod and of fredom flour;      2642
Fortune hym made the heir of hire honour.      2643
Save wyn and wommen, no thing myghte aswage      2644
His hye entente in armes and labour,      2645
So was he ful of leonyn corage.      2646
What pris were it to hym, though I yow tolde      2647
Of darius, and an hundred thousand mo      2648
Of kynges, prices, dukes, erles bolde      2649
Whiche he conquered, and broghte hem into wo?      2650
I seye, as fer as man may ryde or go,      2651
The world was his, -- what sholde I moore devyse?      2652
For though I write or tolde yow everemo      2653
Of his knyghthod, it myghte nat suffise.      2654
Twelf yeer he regned, as seith machabee.      2655
Philippes sone of macidoyne he was,      2656
That first was kyng in grece the contree.      2657
O worthy, gentil alisandre, allas,      2658
That evere sholde fallen swich a cas!      2659
Empoysoned of thyn owene folk thou weere;      2660
Thy sys fortune hath turned into aas,      2661
And yet for thee ne weep she never a teere.      2662
Who shal me yeven teeris to compleyne      2663
The deeth of gentillesse and of franchise,      2664
That al the world weelded in his demeyne,      2665
And yet hym thoughte it myghte nat suffise?      2666
So ful was his corage of heigh emprise.      2667
Allas! who shal me helpe to endite      2668
False fortune, and poyson to despise,      2669
The whiche two of al this wo I wyte?      2670
De Julio Cesare
By wisedom, manhede, and by greet labour,      2671
From humble bed to roial magestee      2672
Up roos he julius, the conquerour,      2673
That wan al th' occident by land and see,      2674
By strengthe of hand, or elles by tretee,      2675
And unto rome made hem tributarie;      2676
And sitthe of rome the emperour was he,      2677
Til that fortune weex his adversarie.      2678
O myghty cesar, that in thessalie      2679
Agayn pompeus, fader thyn in lawe,      2680
That of the orient hadde al the chivalrie      2681
As fer as that the day bigynneth dawe,      2682
Thou thurgh thy knyghthod hast hem take and slawe,      2683
Save fewe folk that with pompeus fledde,      2684
Thurgh which thou puttest al th' orient in awe.      2685
Thanke fortune, that so wel thee spedde!      2686
But now a litel while I wol biwaille      2687
This pompeus, this noble governour      2688
Of rome, which that fleigh at this bataille.      2689
I seye, oon of his men, a fals traitour,      2690
His heed of smoot, to wynnen hym favour      2691
Of julius, and hym the heed he broghte.      2692
Allas, pompeye, of th' orient conquerour,      2693
That fortune unto swich a fyn thee broghte!      2694
To rome agayn repaireth julius      2695
With his triumphe, lauriat ful hey;      2696
But on a tyme brutus cassius,      2697
That evere hadde of his hye estaat envye,      2698
Ful prively hath maad conspiracye      2699
Agayns this julius in subtil wise,      2700
And caste the place in which he sholde dye      2701
With boydekyns, as I shal yow devyse.      2702
This julius to the capitolie wente      2703
Upon a day, as he was wont to goon,      2704
And in the capitolie anon hym hente      2705
This false brutus and his othere foon,      2706
And stiked hym with boydekyns anoon      2707
With many a wounde, and thus they lete hym lye;      2708
But nevere gronte he at no strook but oon,      2709
Or elles at two, but if his storie lye.      2710
So manly was this julius of herte,      2711
And so wel lovede estaatly honestee,      2712
That though his deedly woundes soore smerte,      2713
His mantel over his hypes caste he,      2714
For no man sholde seen his privetee;      2715
And he lay of diyng in a traunce,      2716
And wiste verraily that deed was hee,      2717
Of honestee yet hadde he remembraunce.      2718
Lucan, to thee this storie I recomende,      2719
And to swetoun, and to valerie also,      2720
That of this storie writen word and ende,      2721
How that to thise grete conqueroures two      2722
Fortune was first freend, and sitthe foo.      2723
No man ne truste upon hire favour longe,      2724
But have hire in awayt for everemoo;      2725
Witnesse on alle thise conqueroures stronge.      2726
Page  198
Croesus
This riche cresus, whilom kyng of lyde,      2727
Of which cresus cirus soore hym dradde,      2728
Yet was he caught amyddes al his pryde,      2729
And to be brent men to the fyr hym ladde.      2730
But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde      2731
That slow the fyr, and made hym to escape;      2732
But to be war no grace yet he hadde,      2733
Til fortune on the galwes made hym gape.      2734
Whanne he escaped was, he kan nat stente      2735
For to bigynne a newe werre agayn.      2736
He wende wel, for that fortune hym sente      2737
Swich hap that he escaped thurgh the rayn,      2738
That of his foos he myghte nat be slayn;      2739
And eek a sweven upon a nyght he mette,      2740
Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn      2741
That in vengeance he al his herte sette.      2742
Upon a tree he was, as that hym thoughte,      2743
Ther juppiter hym wessh, bothe bak and syde,      2744
And phebus eek a fair towaille hym broughte      2745
To dryen hym with; and therfore was his pryde,      2746
And to his doghter, that stood hym bisyde,      2747
Which that he knew in heigh sentence habounde,      2748
He bad hire telle hym what it signyfyde,      2749
And she his dreem bigan right thus expounde:      2750
The tree, quod she, the galwes is to meene,      2751
And juppiter bitokneth snow and reyn,      2752
And phebus, with his towaille so clene,      2753
Tho been the sonne stremes for to seyn.      2754
Thou shalt anhanged be, fader, certeyn;      2755
Reyn shal thee wasshe, and sonne shal thee drye.      2756
Thus warned hym ful plat and eek ful pleyn      2757
His doghter, which that called was phanye.      2758
Anhanged was cresus, the proude kyng;      2759
His roial trone myghte hym nat availle.      2760
Tragedies noon oother maner thyng      2761
Ne kan in syngyng crie ne biwaille      2762
But that fortune alwey wole assaille      2763
With unwar strook the regnes that been proude;      2764
For whan men trusteth hire, thanne wol she faille,      2765
And covere hire brighte face with a clowde.      2766
The Knight's Interruption of the Monk's Tale

Hoo! quod the knyght, good sire, namoore of this!      2767
That ye han seyd is right ynough, ywis,      2768
And muchel moore; for litel hevynesse      2769
Is right ynough to muche folk, I gesse.      2770
I seye for me, it is a greet disese,      2771
Whereas men han been in greet welthe and ese,      2772
To heeren of hire sodeyn fal, allas!      2773
And the contrarie is joye and greet solas,      2774
As whan a man hath been in povre estaat,      2775
And clymbeth up and wexeth fortunat,      2776
And there abideth in prosperitee.      2777
Swich thyng is gladsom, as it thynketh me,      2778
And of swich thyng were goodly for to telle.      2779
Ye, quod oure hooste, by seint poules belle!      2780
Ye seye right sooth; this monk he clappeth lowde.      2781
He spak how fortune covered with a clowde      2782
I noot nevere what; and als of a tragedie      2783
Right now ye herde, and, pardee, no remedie      2784
It is for to biwaille ne compleyne      2785
That that is doon, and als it is a peyne,      2786
As ye han seyd, to heere of hevynesse.      2787
Sire monk, namoore of this, so God yow blesse!
Page  199
     2788
Youre tale anoyeth al this compaignye.      2789
Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterflye,      2790
For therinne is ther no desport ne game.      2791
Wherfore, sire monk, or daun piers by youre name,      2792
I pray yow hertely telle us somwhat elles;      2793
For sikerly, nere clunkyng of youre belles,      2794
That on youre bridel hange on every syde,      2795
By hevene kyng, that for us alle dyde,      2796
I sholde er this han fallen doun for sleep,      2797
Althogh the slough had never been so deep;      2798
Thanne hadde your tale al be toold in veyn.      2799
For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn,      2800
Whereas a man may have noon audience,      2801
Noght helpeth it to tellen his sentence.      2802
And wel I woot the substance is in me,      2803
If any thyng shal wel reported be.      2804
Sir, sey somwhat of huntyng, I yow preye.      2805
Nay, quod this monk, I have no lust to pleye.      2806
Now lat another telle, as I have toold.      2807
Thanne spak oure hoost with rude speche and boold,      2808
And seyde unto the nonnes preest anon,      2809
Com neer, thou preest, com hyder, thou sir john!      2810
Telle us swich thyng as may oure hertes glade.      2811
Be blithe, though thou ryde upon a jade.      2812
What thogh thyn hors be bothe foul and lene?      2813
If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene.      2814
Looke that thyn herte be murie everemo.      2815
Yis, sir, quod he, yis, hoost, so moot I go,      2816
But I be myrie, ywis I wol be blamed.      2817
And right anon his tale he hath attamed,      2818
And thus he seyde unto us everichon,      2819
This sweete preest, this goodly man sir john.      2820
The Nun's Priest's Tale

A povre wydwe, somdeel stape in age      2821
Was whilom dwellyng in a narwe cotage,      2822
Biside a grove, stondynge in a dale.      2823
This wydwe, of which I telle yow my tale,      2824
Syn thilke day that she was last a wyf,      2825
In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf,      2826
For litel was hir catel and hir rente.      2827
By housbondrie of swich as God hire sente      2828
She foond hirself and eek hir doghtren two.      2829
Thre large sowes hadde she, and namo,      2830
Three keen, and eek a sheep that highte malle.      2831
Ful sooty was hire bour and eek hir halle,      2832
In which she eet ful many a sklendre meel.      2833
Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel.      2834
No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte;      2835
Hir diete was accordant to hir cote.      2836
Repleccioun ne made hire nevere sik;      2837
Attempree diete was al hir phisik,      2838
And exercise, and hertes suffisaunce.      2839
The goute lette hire nothyng for to daunce,      2840
N' apoplexie shente nat hir heed.      2841
No wyn ne drank she, neither whit ne reed;      2842
Hir bord was served moost with whit and blak, --      2843
Milk and broun breed, in which she foond no lak,      2844
Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye;      2845
For she was, as it were, a maner deye.      2846
A yeerd she hadde, enclosed al aboute      2847
With stikkes, and a drye dych withoute,      2848
In which she hadde a cok, hight chauntecleer.      2849
In al the land, of crowyng nas his peer.      2850
His voys was murier than the murie orgon      2851
On messe-dayes that in the chirche gon.      2852
Wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge      2853
Than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge.      2854
By nature he knew ech ascencioun      2855
Of the equynoxial in thilke toun;      2856
For whan degrees fiftene weren ascended,      2857
Thanne crew he, that it myghte nat been amended.      2858
His coomb was redder than the fyn coral,
Page  200
     2859
And batailled as it were a castel wal;      2860
His byle was blak, and as the jeet it shoon;      2861
Lyk asure were his legges and his toon;      2862
His nayles whitter than the lylye flour,      2863
And lyk the burned gold was his colour.      2864
This gentil cok hadde in his governaunce      2865
Sevene hennes for to doon al his plesaunce,      2866
Whiche were his sustres and his paramours,      2867
And wonder lyk to hym, as of colours;      2868
Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte      2869
Was cleped faire damoysele pertelote.      2870
Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire,      2871
And compaignable, and bar hyrself so faire,      2872
Syn thilke day that she was seven nyght oold,      2873
That trewely she hath the herte in hoold      2874
Of chauntecleer, loken in every lith;      2875
He loved hire so that wel was hym therwith.      2876
But swich a joye was it to here hem synge,      2877
Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge,      2878
In sweete accord, my lief is faren in londe!      2879
For thilke tyme, as I have understonde,      2880
Beestes and briddes koude speke and synge.      2881
And so bifel that in a dawenynge,      2882
As chauntecleer among his wyves alle      2883
Sat on his perche, that was in the halle,      2884
And next hym sat this faire pertelote,      2885
This chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte,      2886
As man that in his dreem is drecched soore.      2887
And whan that pertelote thus herde hym roore,      2888
She was agast, and seyde, herte deere,      2889
What eyleth yow, to grone in this manere?      2890
Ye been a verray sleper; fy, for shame!      2891
And he answerde, and seyde thus: madame,      2892
I pray yow that ye take it nat agrief.      2893
By god, me mette I was in swich meschief      2894
Right now, that yet myn herte is soore afright.      2895
Now god, quod he, my swevene recche aright,      2896
And kepe my body out of foul prisoun!      2897
Me mette how that I romed up and doun      2898
Withinne our yeerd, wheer as I saugh a beest      2899
Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areest      2900
Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed.      2901
His colour was bitwixe yelow and reed,      2902
And tipped was his tayl and bothe his eeris      2903
With blak, unlyk the remenant of his heeris;      2904
His snowte smal, with glowynge eyen tweye.      2905
Yet of his look for feere almoost I deye;      2906
This caused me my gronyng, doutelees.      2907
Avoy! quod she, fy on yow, hertelees!      2908
Allas! quod she, for, by that God above,      2909
Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love.      2910
I kan nat love a coward, by my feith!      2911
For certes, what so any womman seith,      2912
We alle desiren, if it myghte bee,      2913
To han housbondes hardy, wise, and free,      2914
And secree, and no nygard, ne no fool,      2915
Ne hym that is agast of every tool,      2916
Ne noon avauntour, by that God above!      2917
How dorste ye seyn, for shame, unto youre love      2918
That any thyng myghte make yow aferd?      2919
Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd?      2920
Allas! and konne ye been agast of swevenys?      2921
Nothyng, God woot, but vanitee in sweven is.      2922
Swevenes engendren of replecciouns,      2923
And ofte of fume and of complecciouns,      2924
Whan humours been to habundant in a wight.      2925
Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-nyght,      2926
Cometh of the greete superfluytee      2927
Of youre rede colera, pardee,      2928
Which causeth folk to dreden in hir dremes      2929
Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes,      2930
Of rede beestes, that they wol hem byte,      2931
Of contek, and of whelpes, grete and lyte;      2932
Right as the humour of malencolie      2933
Causeth ful many a man in sleep to crie      2934
For feere of blake beres, or boles blake,      2935
Or elles blake develes wole hem take.      2936
Of othere humours koude I telle also      2937
That werken many a man sleep ful wo;      2938
But I wol passe as lightly as I kan.      2939
Lo catoun, which that was so wys a man,      2940
Seyde he nat thus, -- ne do no fors of dremes? --      2941
Now sire, quod she, whan we flee for the bemes,      2942
For goddes love, as taak som laxatyf.      2943
Up peril of my soule and of my lyf,      2944
I conseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye,      2945
That bothe of colere and of malencolye      2946
Ye purge yow; and for ye shal nat tarie,      2947
Though in this toun is noon apothecarie,      2948
I shal myself to gerbes techen yow      2949
That shul been for youre hele and for youre prow;      2950
And in oure yeerd tho herbes shal I fynde      2951
The whiche han of hire propretee by kynde      2952
To purge yow bynethe and eek above.      2953
Foryet nat this, for goddes owene love!      2954
Ye been ful coleryk of compleccioun;      2955
Ware the sonne in his ascencioun      2956
Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hoote.      2957
And if it do, I dar wel leye a grote,
Page  201
     2958
That ye shul have a fevere tercaine,      2959
Of an agu, that may be youre bane.      2960
A day or two ye shul have digestyves      2961
Of wormes, er ye take youre laxatyves      2962
Of lawriol, centaure, and fumetere,      2963
Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there,      2964
Of katapuce, or of gaitrys beryis,      2965
Of herbe yve, growyng in oure yeerd, ther mery is;      2966
Pekke hem up right as they growe and ete hem yn.      2967
By myrie, housbonde, for youre fader kyn~      2968
Dredeth no dreem, I kan sey yow namoore.      2969
Madame, quod he, graunt mercy of youre loore.      2970
But nathelees, as touchyng daun catoun,      2971
That hath of wysdom swich a greet renoun,      2972
Though that he bad no dremes for to drede,      2973
By god, men may in olde bookes rede      2974
Of many a man moore of auctorite      2975
Than evere caton was, so moot I thee,      2976
That al the revers seyn of this sentence,      2977
And han wel founden by experience      2978
That dremes been significaciouns      2979
As wel of joye as of tribulaciouns      2980
That folk enduren in this lif present.      2981
Ther nedeth make of this noon argument;      2982
The verray preeve sheweth it in dede.      2983
Oon of the gretteste auctour that men rede      2984
Seith thus: that whilom two felawes wente      2985
On pilgrimage, in a ful good entente;      2986
And happed so, yhey coomen in a toun      2987
Wher as ther was swich congregacioun      2988
Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage,      2989
That they ne founde as muche as cotage      2990
In which they bothe myghte ylogged bee.      2991
Wherfore they mosten of necessitee,      2992
As for that nyght,departen compaignye;      2993
And ech of hem gooth to his hostelrye,      2994
And took his loggyng as it wolde falle.      2995
That oon of hem was logged in a stalle,      2996
Fer in a yeerd, with oxen of the plough;      2997
That oother man was logged wel ynough,      2998
As was his aventure or his fortune,      2999
That us governeth alle as in commune.      3000
And so bifel that, longe er it were day,      3001
This man mette in his bed, ther as he lay      3002
How that his felawe gan upon hym calle,      3003
And seyde,, -- allas! for in an oxes stalle      3004
This nyght I shal be mordred ther I lye.      3005
Now help me,deere brother, or I dye.      3006
In alle haste com to me! -- he sayde.      3007
This man out of his sleep for feere abrayde;      3008
But whan that he was wakened of this sleep,      3009
He turned hym, and took of this no keep.      3010
Hym thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitte.      3011
Thus twies in his slepyng dremed hee;      3012
And atte thridde tyme yet his felawe      3013
Cam, as hym thoughte, and seide, -- I am now slawe.      3014
Bihood my bloody woundes depe and wyde!      3015
Arys up erly in the morwe tyde,      3016
And at the west gate of the toun, -- quod he,      3017
-- A carte ful of dong ther shaltow se,      3018
In which my body is hid ful prively;      3019
Do thilke carte arresten boldely.      3020
My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn.,      3021
And tolde hym every point how he was slayn,      3022
With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe.      3023
And truste wel, his dreem he foond ful trewe,      3024
For on the morwe, as soone as it was day,      3025
To his felawes in he took the way;      3026
And whan that he cam to his oxes stalle,      3027
After his felawe he bigan to calle.      3028
The hostiler answerede hym anon,      3029
And seyde,,sire, your felawe is agon.      3030
As soone as day he wente out of the toun.,      3031
This man gan fallen suspecioun,      3032
Remembrynge on his dremes that he mette,      3033
And forth he gooth no lenger wolde he lette      3034
Unto the west gate of the toun, and fond      3035
A dong carte, wente as it were to donge lond,      3036
That was arrayed in that same wise      3037
As ye han herd the dede man devyse.      3038
And with an hardy herte he gan to crye      3039
Vengeance and justice of this felonye.      3040
My felawe mordred is this same nyght,      3041
And in this carte he lith gapyng upright.      3042
I crye out on the ministres, -- quod he,      3043
-- That sholden kepe and reulen this citee.      3044
Harrow! allas! heere lith my felawe slayn! --      3045
What sholde I moore unto this tale sayn?      3046
The peple out sterte and caste the cart to grounde,      3047
And in the myddel of the dong they founde      3048
The dede man, that mordred was al newe.      3049
O blisful god, that art so just and trewe,      3050
Lo, how that thou biwryest mordre alway!      3051
Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.      3052
Mordre is so wlatsom and abhomynable      3053
To god, that is so just and resonable,      3054
That he ne wol nat suffre it heled be,      3055
Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or thre.      3056
Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun.
Page  202
     3057
And right anon, ministres of that toun      3058
Han hent the carter and so soore hym pyned,      3059
And eek the hostiler so soore engyned,      3060
That they biknewe hire wikkednesse anon,      3061
And were anhanged by the nekke bon.      3062
Heere may men seen that dremes been to drede.      3063
And certes in the same book I rede,      3064
Right in the nexte chapitre after this      3065
I gabbe nat, so have I joye or blis      3066
Two men that wolde han passed over see,      3067
For certeyn cause, into a fer contree,      3068
If that the wynd ne hadde been contrarie,      3069
That made hem in a citee for to tarie      3070
That stood ful myrie upon an haven-syde;      3071
But on a day, agayn the even-tyde,      3072
The wynd gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste.      3073
Jolif and glad they wente unto hir reste,      3074
And casten hem ful erly for to saille.      3075
But to that o man fil a greet mervaille:      3076
That oon of hem,in slepyng as he lay,      3077
Hym mette a wonder dreem agayn the day.      3078
Hym thoughte a man stood by his beddes syde,      3079
And hym comanded that he sholde abyde,      3080
And seyde hym thus: -- if thou tomorwe wende,      3081
Thow shalt be dreynt; my tale is at an ende.      3082
He wook, and tolde his felawe what he mette,      3083
And preyde hym his viage for to lette;      3084
As for that day, he preyde hym to byde.      3085
His felawe, that lay by his beddes syde,      3086
Gan for to laughe, and scorned him ful faste.      3087
-- no dreem, -- quod he, -- may so myn herte agaste      3088
That I wol lette for to do my thynges.      3089
I sette nat a straw by thy dremynges,      3090
For swevenes been but vantees and japes.      3091
Men dreme alday of owles and of apes,      3092
And eek of many a maze therwithal;      3093
Men dreme of thyng that nevere was ne shal.      3094
But sith I see that thou wolt heere abyde,      3095
And thus forslewthen wilfully thy tyde,      3096
God woot, it reweth me; and have good day! --      3097
And thus he took his leve, and wente his way.      3098
But er that he hadde half his cours yseyled,      3099
Noot I nat why, ne what myschaunce it eyled,      3100
But casuelly the shippes botme rente,      3101
And ship and man under the water wente      3102
In sighte of othere shippes it bisyde,      3103
That with hem seyled at the same tyde.      3104
And therfore, faire pertelote so deere,      3105
By swiche ensamples olde maistow leere      3106
That no man sholde been to recchelees      3107
Of dremes; for I seye thee, doutelees,      3108
That many a dreem ful soore is for to drede.      3109
Lo, in the lyf of seint kenelm I rede,      3110
That was kenulphus sone, the noble kyng      3111
Of mercenrike, how kenelm mette a thyng.      3112
A lite er he was mordred, on a day,      3113
His mordre in his avysioun he say.      3114
His norice hym expowned every deel      3115
His sweven, and bad hym for to kepe hym weel      3116
For traisoun; but he nas but seven yeer oold,      3117
And therfore lite tale hath he toold      3118
Of any dreem, so hooly was his herte.      3119
By god! I hadde levere than my sherte      3120
That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I.      3121
Dame pertelote, I sey yow trewely,      3122
Macrobeus, that writ the avisioun      3123
In affrike of the worthy cipioun,      3124
Affermeth dremes, and seith that they been      3125
Warnynge of thynges that men after seen.      3126
And forthermoore, I pray yow, looketh wel      3127
In the olde testament, of daniel,      3128
If he heeld dremes any vanitee.      3129
Reed eek of joseph, and ther shul ye see      3130
Wher dremes be somtyme -- I sey nat alle --      3131
Warnynge of thynges that shul after falle.      3132
Looke of egipte the kyng, daun pharao,      3133
His bakere and his butiller also,      3134
Wher they ne felte noon effect in dremes.      3135
Whoso wol seken actes of sondry remes      3136
May rede of dremes many a wonder thyng.      3137
Lo cresus, which that was of lyde kyng,      3138
Mette he nat that he sat upon a tree,      3139
Which signified he sholde anhanged bee?      3140
Lo heere andromacha, ectores wyf,      3141
That day that ector sholde lese his lyf,      3142
She dremed on the same nyght biforn      3143
How that the lyf of ector sholde be lorn,      3144
If thilke day he wente into bataille.      3145
She warned hym, but it myghte nat availle;      3146
He wente for to fighte natheles,      3147
But he was slayn anon of achilles.      3148
But thilke tale is al to longe to telle,      3149
And eek it is ny day, I may nat dwelle.      3150
Shortly I seye, as for conclusioun,      3151
That I shal han of this avisioun      3152
Adversitee; and I seye forthermoor,      3153
That I ne telle of laxatyves no stoor,      3154
For they been venymous, I woot it weel;      3155
I hem diffye, I love hem never a deel!      3156
Now let us speke of myrthe, and stynte al this.      3157
Madame pertelote, so have I blis,      3158
Of o thyng God hath sent me large grace;
Page  203
     3159
For whan I se the beautee of youre face,      3160
Ye been so scarlet reed aboute youre yen,      3161
It maketh al my drede for to dyen;      3162
For al so siker as in principio,      3163
Mulier est hominis confusio, --      3164
Madame, the sentence of this latyn is,      3165
-- womman is mannes joye and al his blis. --      3166
For whan I feele a-nyght your softe syde,      3167
Al be it that I may nat on yow ryde,      3168
For that oure perche is maad so narwe, allas!      3169
I am so ful of joye and of solas,      3170
That I diffye bothe sweven and dreem.      3171
And with that word he fley doun fro the beem,      3172
For it was day, and eke his hennes alle,      3173
And with a chuk he gan hem for to calle,      3174
For he hadde founde a corn, lay in the yerd.      3175
Real he was, he was namoore aferd.      3176
He fethered pertelote twenty tyme,      3177
And trad hire eke as ofte, er it was pryme.      3178
He looketh as it were a grym leoun,      3179
And on his toos he rometh up and doun;      3180
Hym deigned nat to sette his foot to grounde.      3181
He chukketh whan he hath a corn yfounde,      3182
And to hym rennen thanne his wyves alle.      3183
Thus roial, as a prince is in his halle,      3184
Leve I this chauntecleer in his pasture,      3185
And after wol I telle his aventure.      3186
Whan that the month in which the world bigan,      3187
That highte march, whan God first maked man,      3188
Was compleet, and passed were also,      3189
Syn march bigan, thritty dayes and two,      3190
Bifel that chauntecleer in al his pryde,      3191
His sevene wyves walkynge by his syde,      3192
Caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne,      3193
That in the signe of taurus hadde yronne      3194
Twenty degrees and oon, and somwhat moore,      3195
And knew by kynde, and by noon oother loore,      3196
That it was pryme, and crew with blisful stevene.      3197
The sonne, he seyde, is clomben up on-evene      3198
Fourty degrees and oon, and moore ywis.      3199
Madame pertelote, my worldes blis,      3200
Herkneth thise blisful briddes how they synge,      3201
And se the fresshe floures how they sprynge;      3202
Ful is myn herte of revel and solas!      3203
But sodeynly hym fil a sorweful cas,      3204
For evere the latter ende of joye is wo.      3205
God woot that worldly joye is soone ago;      3206
And if a rethor koude faire endite,      3207
He in a cronycle saufly myghte it write      3208
As for a sovereyn notabilitee.      3209
Now every wys man, lat him herkne me;      3210
This storie is also trewe, I undertake,      3211
As is the book of launcelot de lake,      3212
That wommen holde in ful greet reverence.      3213
Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence.      3214
A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee,      3215
That in th grove hadde woned yeres three,      3216
By heigh ymaginacioun forncast,      3217
The same nyght thurghout the hegges brast      3218
Into the yerd ther chauntecleer the faire      3219
Was wont, and eek his wyves, to repaire;      3220
And in a bed of wortes stille he lay,      3221
Til it was passed undren of the day,      3222
Waitynge his tyme on chauntecleer to falle,      3223
As gladly doon thise homycides alle      3224
That in await liggen to mordre men.      3225
O false mordrour, lurkynge in thy den!      3226
O newe scariot, newe genylon,      3227
False dissymulour, o greek synon,      3228
That broghtest troye al outrely to sorwe!      3229
O chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe      3230
That thou into that yerd flaugh fro the bemes!      3231
Thou were ful wel ywarned by thy dremes      3232
That thilke day was perilous to thee;      3233
But what that God forwoot moot nedes bee,      3234
After the opinioun of certein clerkis.      3235
Witnesse on hym that any parfit clerk is,      3236
That in scole is greet altercacioun      3237
In this mateere, and greet disputisoun,      3238
And hath been of an hundred thousand men.      3239
But I ne kan nat bulte it to the bren      3240
As kan the hooly doctour augustyn,      3241
Or boece, or the bisshop bradwardyn,      3242
Wheither that goddes worthy forwityng      3243
Streyneth me nedely for to doon a thyng, --      3244
Nedely clepe I symple necessitee;      3245
Or elles, if free choys be graunted me      3246
To do that same thyng, or do it noght,      3247
Though God forwoot it er that was wroght;      3248
Or if his wityng streyneth never a deel      3249
But by necessitee condicioneel.      3250
I wol nat han to do of swich mateere;      3251
My tale is of a cok, as ye may heere,      3252
That tok his conseil of his wyf, with sorwe,      3253
To walken in the yerd upon that morwe      3254
That he hadde met that dreem that I yow tolde.      3255
Wommennes conseils been ful ofte colde;      3256
Wommannes conseil broghte us first to wo,      3257
And made adam fro paradys to go,      3258
Ther as he was ful myrie and wel at ese.      3259
But for I noot to whom it myght displese,
Page  204
     3260
If I conseil of wommen wolde blame,      3261
Passe over, for I seyde it in my game.      3262
Rede auctours, where they trete of swich mateere,      3263
And what they seyn of wommen ye may heere.      3264
Thise been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne;      3265
I kan noon harm of no womman divyne.      3266
Faire in the soond, to bathe hire myrily,      3267
Lith pertelote, and alle hire sustres by,      3268
Agayn the sonne, and chauntecleer so free      3269
Soong murier than the mermayde in the see;      3270
For phisiologus seith sikerly      3271
How that they syngen wel and myrily.      3272
And so bifel that, as he caste his ye      3273
Among the wortes on a boterflye,      3274
He was war of this fox, that lay ful lowe.      3275
Nothyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe,      3276
But cride anon, cok! cok! and up he sterte      3277
As man that was affrayed in his herte.      3278
For natureelly a beest desireth flee      3279
Fro his contrarie, if he may it see,      3280
Though he never erst hadde seyn it with his ye.      3281
This chauntecleer, whan he gan hym espye,      3282
He wolde han fled, but that the fox anon      3283
Seyde, gentil sire, allas! wher wol ye gon?      3284
Be ye affrayed of me that am youre freend?      3285
Now, certes, I were worse than a feend,      3286
If I to yow wolde harm or vileynye!      3287
I am nat come youre conseil for t' espye,      3288
But trewely, the cause of my comynge      3289
Was oonly for to herkne how that ye synge.      3290
For trewely, ye have as myrie a stevene      3291
As any aungel hath that is in hevene.      3292
Therwith ye han in musyk moore feelynge      3293
Than hadde boece, or any that kan synge.      3294
My lord youre fader -- God his soule blesse! --      3295
And eek youre mooder, of hire gentillesse,      3296
Han in myn hous ybeen to my greet ese;      3297
And certes, sire, ful fayn wolde I yow plese.      3298
But, for men speke of syngyng, I wol seye, --      3299
So moote I brouke wel myne eyen tweye, --      3300
Save yow, I herde nevere man so synge      3301
As dide youre fader in the morwenynge.      3302
Certes, it was of herte, al that he song.      3303
And for to make his voys the moore strong,      3304
He wolde so peyne hym that with bothe his yen      3305
He moste wynke, so loude he wolde cryen,      3306
And stonden on his tiptoon therwithal,      3307
And strecche forth his nekke long and smal.      3308
And eek he was of swich descrecioun      3309
That ther nas no man in no regioun      3310
That hym in song or wisedom myghte passe.      3311
I have wel rad in -- daun burnel the asse --,      3312
Among his vers, how that ther was a cok,      3313
For that a preestes sone yaf hym a knok      3314
Upon his leg whil he was yong and nyce,      3315
He made hym for to lese his benefice.      3316
But certeyn, ther nys no comparisoun      3317
Bitwixe the wisedom and discrecioun      3318
Of youre fader and of his subtiltee.      3319
Now syngeth, sire, for seinte charitee;      3320
Lat se, konne ye youre fader countrefete?      3321
This chauntecleer his wynges gan to bete,      3322
As man that koude his traysoun nat espie,      3323
So was he ravysshed with his flaterie.      3324
Allas! ye lordes, many a fals flatour      3325
Is in youre courtes, and many a losengeour,      3326
That plesen yow wel moore, by my feith,      3327
Than he that soothfastnesse unto yow seith.      3328
Redeth ecclesiaste of flaterye;      3329
Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye.      3330
This chauntecleer stoond hye upon his toos,      3331
Strecchynge his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos,      3332
And gan to crowe loude for the nones.      3333
And daun russell the fox stirte up atones,      3334
And by the gargat hente chauntecleer,      3335
And on his bak toward the wode hym beer,      3336
For yet ne was ther no man that hym sewed.      3337
O destinee, that mayst nat been eschewed!      3338
Allas, that chauntecleer fleigh fro the bemes!      3339
Allas, his wyf ne roghte nat of dremes!      3340
And on a friday fil al this meschaunce.      3341
o venus, that art goddesse of plesaumce,      3342
Syn that thy servant was this chauntecleer,      3343
And in thy servyce dide al his poweer,      3344
Moore for delit than world to multiplye,      3345
Why woldestow suffre hym on thy day to dye?      3346
O gaufred, deere maister soverayn,      3347
That whan thy worthy kyng richard was slayn      3348
With shot, compleynedest his deeth so soore,      3349
Why ne hadde I now thy sentence and thy loore,      3350
The friday for to chide, as diden ye?      3351
For on a friday, soothly, slayn was he.      3352
Thanne wolde I shewe yow how that I koude pleyne      3353
For chauntecleres drede and for his peyne.      3354
Certes, swich cry ne lamentacion,      3355
Was nevere of ladyes maad whan ylion      3356
Was wonne, and pirrus with his streite swerd,      3357
Whan he hadde hent kyng priam by the berd,      3358
And slayn hym, as seith us eneydos,      3359
As maden alle the hennes in the clos,      3360
Whan they had seyn of chauntecleer the sighte.
Page  205
     3361
But sovereynly dame pertelote shrighte      3362
Ful louder than dide hasdrubales wyf,      3363
Whan that hir housbonde hadde lost his lyf,      3364
And that the romayns hadde brend cartage.      3365
She was so ful of torment and of rage      3366
That wilfully into the fyr she sterte,      3367
And brende hirselven with a stedefast herte.      3368
O woful hennes, right so criden ye,      3369
As, whan that nero brende the citee      3370
Of rome, cryden senatoures wyves      3371
For that hir husbondes losten alle hir lyves, --      3372
Withouten gilt this nero hath hem slayn.      3373
Now wole I turne to my tale agayn.      3374
This sely wydwe and eek hir doghtres two      3375
Herden thise hennes crie and maken wo,      3376
And out at dores stirten they anon,      3377
And syen the fox toward the grove gon,      3378
And bar upon his bak the cok away,      3379
And cryden, out! harrow! and weylaway!      3380
Ha! ha! the fox! and after hym they ran,      3381
And eek with staves many another man,      3382
Ran colle oure dogge, and talbot and gerland,      3383
And malkyn, with a dystaf in hir hand;      3384
Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges,      3385
So fered for the berkyng of the dogges      3386
And shoutyng of the men and wommen eeke,      3387
They ronne so hem thoughte hir herte breeke.      3388
They yolleden as feendes doon in helle;      3389
The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle;      3390
The gees for feere flowen over the trees;      3391
Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees.      3392
So hydous was the noyse, a, benedicitee!      3393
Certes, he jakke straw and his meynee      3394
Ne made nevere shoutes half so shrille      3395
Whan that they wolden any flemyng kille,      3396
As thilke day was maad upon the fox.      3397
Of bras they broghten bemes, and of box,      3398
Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and powped,      3399
And therwithal they skriked and they howped.      3400
It semed as that hevene sholde falle.      3401
Now, goode man, I prey yow herkenth alle:      3402
Lo, how fortune turneth sodeynly      3403
The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy!      3404
This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak,      3405
In al his drede unto the fox he spak,      3406
And seyde, sire, if that I were as ye,      3407
Yet sholde I seyn, as wys God helpe me,      3408
Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle!      3409
A verray pestilence upon yow falle!      3410
Now am I come unto the wodes syde;      3411
Maugree youre heed, the cok shal heere abyde.      3412
I wol hym ete, in feith, and that anon!      3413
The fox answerde, in feith, it shal be don.      3414
And as he spak that word, al sodeynly      3415
This cok brak from his mouth delyverly,      3416
And heighe upon a tree he fleigh anon.      3417
And whan the fox saugh that the cok was gon,      3418
Allas! quod he, o chauntecleer, allas!      3419
I have to yow, quod he, ydoon trespas,      3420
In as muche as I maked yow aferd      3421
Whan I yow hente and broghte out of the yerd.      3422
But, sire, I dide it in no wikke entente.      3423
Com doun, and I shal telle yow what I mente;      3424
I shal seye sooth to yow, God help me so!      3425
Nay thanne, quod he, I shrewe us bothe two.      3426
And first I shrewe myself, bothe blood and bones,      3427
If thou bigyle me ofter than ones.      3428
Thou shalt namoore, thurgh thy flaterye,      3429
Do me to synge and wynke with myn ye;      3430
For he that wynketh, whan he sholde see,      3431
Al wilfully, God lat him nevere thee!      3432
Nay, quod the fox, but God yeve hym meschaunce,      3433
That is so undiscreet of governaunce      3434
That jangleth whan he sholde holde his pees.      3435
Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees      3436
And necligent, and truste on flaterye.      3437
But ye that holden this tale a folye,      3438
As of a fox, or of a cok and hen,      3439
Taketh the moralite, goode men.      3440
For seint paul seith that al that writen is,      3441
To oure doctrine it is ywrite, ywis;      3442
Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille.      3443
Now, goode god, if that it be thy wille,      3444
As seith my lord, so make us alle goode men,      3445
And brynge us to his heighe blisse! amen.      3446
Page  206
The Epilogue of the Nun's Priest's Tale

Sire Nonnes Preest," oure Hooste seide anoon,      3447
I-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!      3448
This was a murie tale of Chauntecleer.      3449
But by my trouthe, if thou were seculer,      3450
Thou woldest ben a trede-foul aright.      3451
For if thou have corage as thou hast myght,      3452
Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene,      3453
Ya, moo than seven tymes seventene.      3454
See, whiche braunes hath this gentil preest      3455
So gret a nekke, and swich a large breest!      3456
He loketh as a sperhauk with his yen;      3457
Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen      3458
With brasile, ne with greyn of Portyngale.      3459
Now, sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!      3460
And after that he, with ful merie chere,      3461
Seide unto another, as ye shuln heere.      3462
Page  207
Group 8

The Second Nun's Prologue

The ministre and norice unto vices      1
Which that men clepe in englissh ydelnesse,      2
That porter of the gate is of delices,      3
To eschue, and by hire contrarie hire oppresse,      4
That is to seyn, by leveful bisynesse,      5
Wel oghten we to doon al oure entente,      6
Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us hente.      7
For he that with his thousand cordes slye      8
Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,      9
Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,      10
He kan so lightly cache hym in his trappe,      11
Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,      12
He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde.      13
Wel oghte us werche, and ydelnesse withstonde.      14
And though men dradden nevere for to dye,      15
Yet seen men wel by resoun, doutelees,      16
That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,      17
Of which ther nevere comth no good n' encrees,      18
And syn that slouthe hire holdeth in a lees      19
Oonly to slepe, and for to ete and drynke,      20
And to devouren al that othere swynke,      21
And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse,      22
That cause is of so greet confusioun,      23
I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse      24
After the legende, in translacioun      25
Right of thy glorious lif and passioun,      26
Thou with thy gerland wroght with rose and lilie, --      27
Thee meene I, mayde and martyr, seint cecile.      28
Invocacio ad mariam
And thow that flour of birgines art alle,      29
Of whom that bernard list so wel to write,      30
To thee at my bigynnyng first I calle;      31
Thou confort of us wrecches, do me endite      32
Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hire merite      33
The eterneel lyf, and of the feend victorie,      34
As man may after reden in hire storie.      35
Thow mayde and mooder, doghter of thy sone,      36
Thow welle of mercy, synful soules cure,      37
In whom that God for bountee chees to wone,      38
Thow humble, and heigh over every creature,      39
Thow nobledest so ferforth oure nature,      40
That no desdeyn the makere hadde of kynde      41
His sone in blood and flessh to clothe and wynde.      42
Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydis      43
Took mannes shap the eterneel love and pees,      44
That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is,      45
Whom erthe and see and hevene, out of relees,      46
Ay heryen; and thou, virgine wemmelees,      47
Baar of thy body -- and dweltest mayden pure --      48
The creatour of every creature.      49
Assembled is in thee magnificence      50
With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee      51
That thou, that art the sonne of excellence      52
Nat oonly helpest hem that preyen thee,      53
But often tyme, of thy benygnytee,      54
Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche,      55
Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche.      56
Now help, thow meeke and blisful faire mayde,      57
Me, flemed wrecche, in this desert of galle;      58
Thynk on the womman cananee, that sayde      59
That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle      60
That from hir lordes table been yfalle;      61
And though that I, unworthy sone of eve,      62
Be synful, yet accepte my bileve.      63
And, for that teith is deed withouten werkis,      64
So for to werken yif me wit and space,      65
That I be quit fro thennes that most derk is!      66
O thou, that art so fair and ful of grace,      67
Be myn advocat in that heighe place
Page  208
     68
Theras withouten ende is songe osanne,      69
Thow cristes mooder, doghter deere of anne!      70
And of thy light my soule in prison lighte,      71
That troubled is by the contagioun      72
Of my body, and also by the wighte      73
Of erthely lust and fals affeccioun;      74
O havene of refut, o salvacioun      75
Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse,      76
Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse.      77
Yet preye I yow that reden that I write,      78
Foryeve me that I do no diligence      79
This ilke storie subtilly to endite,      80
For bothe have I the wordes and sentence      81
Of hym that at the seintes reverence      82
The storie wroot, and folwen hire legende,      83
And pray yow that ye wole my wek amende.      84
interpretacio nominis Cecilie quam ponit Frater Jacobus Januensis in legenda
First wolde I yow the name of seint cecilie      85
Expowne, as men may in hir storie see.      86
It is to seye in englissh hevenes lilie,      87
For pure chaastnesse of virginitee;      88
Or, ofr she whitnesse hadde of honestee,      89
And grene of conscience, and of good fame      90
The soote savour, lilie was hir name.      91
Or cecilie is to seye the wey to blynde,      92
For she ensample was by good techynge;      93
Or elles cecile, as I writen fynde,      94
Is joyned, by a manere conjoynynge      95
Of hevene and lia; and heere, in figurynge,      96
The hevene is set for thoght of hoolynesse,      97
And lia for hire lastynge bisynesse.      98
Cecile may eek be seyd in this manere,      99
Wantynge of blyndnesse, for hir grete light      100
Of sapience, and for hire thewes cleere;      101
Or elles, loo, this maydens name bright      102
Of hevene and leos comth, for which by right      103
Men myghte hire wel the hevene of peple calle,      104
Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle.      105
For leos peple in englissh is to seye,      106
And right as men may in the hevene see      107
The sonne and moone and sterres every weye,      108
Right so men goostly in this mayden free      109
Seyen of feith the magnanymytee,      110
And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,      111
And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.      112
And right so as thise philosophres write      113
That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge,      114
Right so was faire cecilie the white      115
Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge,      116
And round and hool in good perseverynge,      117
And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte.      118
Now have I yow declared what she highte.      119
The Second Nun's Tale

This mayden bright cecilie, as hir lif seith,      120
Was comen of romayns, and of noble kynde,      121
And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith      122
Of crist, and bar his gospel in hir mynde.      123
She nevere cessed, as I writen fynde,      124
Of hir preyere, and God to love and drede,      125
Bisekynge hym to kepe hir maydenhede.      126
And whan this mayden sholde unto a man      127
Ywedded be, that was ful yong of age,      128
Which that ycleped was valerian,      129
And day was comen of hir marriage,      130
She, ful devout and humble in hir corage,      131
Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful faire,      132
Hadde next hire flessh yclad hire in an haire.      133
And whil the organs maden melodie,      134
To God allone in herte thus sang she:      135
O lord, my soule and eek my body gye      136
Unwemmed, lest that it confounded be.      137
And, for his love that dyde upon a tree,
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     138
Every seconde and thridde day she faste,      139
Ay biddynge in hire orisons ful faste.      140
The nyght cam, and to bedde moste she gon      141
With hire housbonde, as ofte is the manere,      142
And pryvely to hym she seyde anon,      143
O sweete and wel biloved spouse deere,      144
Ther is a conseil, and ye wolde it heere,      145
Which that right fayn I wolde unto yow seye,      146
So that ye swere ye shul it nat biwreye.      147
Valerian gan faste unto hire swere      148
That for no cas, ne thyng that myghte be,      149
He sholde nevere mo biwreyen here;      150
And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she:      151
I have an aungel which that loveth me,      152
That with greet love, wher so I wake or sleepe,      153
Is redy ay my body for to kepe.      154
And if that he may feelen, out of drede,      155
That ye me touche, or love in vileynye,      156
He right anon wol sle yow with the dede,      157
And in youre yowthe thus ye shullen dye;      158
And if that ye in clene love me gye,      159
He wol yow loven as me, for youre clennesse,      160
And shewen yow his joye and his brightnesse.      161
Valerian, corrected as God wolde,      162
Answerde agayn, if I shal trusten thee,      163
Lat me that aungel se, and hym biholde;      164
And if that it a verray angel bee,      165
Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me;      166
And if thou love another man, for sothe      167
Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe.      168
Cecile answerde anon-right in this wise:      169
If that yow list, the angel shul ye see,      170
So that ye trowe on crist and yow baptize.      171
Gooth forth to via apia, quod shee,      172
That fro this toun ne stant but miles three,      173
And to the povre folkes that ther dwelle,      174
Sey hem right thus, as that I shal yow telle.      175
Telle hem that I, cecile, yow to hem sente,      176
To shewen yow the goode urban the olde,      177
For secree nedes and for good entente.      178
And whan that ye seint urban han biholde,      179
Telle hym the wordes whiche I to yow tolde;      180
And whan that he hath purged yow fro synne,      181
Thanne shul ye se that angel, er ye twynne.      182
Valerian is to the place ygon,      183
And right as hym was taught by his lernynge,      184
He foond this hooly olde urban anon      185
Among the seintes buryeles lotynge.      186
And he anon, withouten tariynge,      187
Dide his message; and whan that he it tolde,      188
Urban for joye his handes gan up holde.      189
The teeris from his eyen leet he falle.      190
Almyghty lord, o jhesu crist, quod he,      191
Sower of chaast conseil, hierde of us alle,      192
The fruyt of thilke seed of chastitee      193
That thou hast sowe in cecile, taak to thee!      194
Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gile,      195
Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral cecile.      196
For thilke spouse that she took but now      197
Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth heere,      198
As meke as evere was any lomb, to yow!      199
And with that word anon ther gan appeere      200
An oold man, clad in white clothes cleere,      201
That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde,      202
And gan bifore valerian to stonde.      203
Valerian as deed fil doun for drede      204
Whan he hym saugh, and he up hente hym tho,      205
And on his book right thus he gan to rede:      206
O lord, o feith, o god, withouten mo,      207
O cristendom, and fader of alle also,      208
Aboven alle and over alle everywhere.      209
Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were.      210
Whan this was rad, thanne seyde this olde man,      211
Leevestow this thyng or no? sey ye or nay.      212
I leeve al this thyng, quod valerian,      213
For sother thyng than this, I dar wel say,      214
Under the hevene no wight thynke may.      215
Tho vanysshed the olde man, he nyste where,      216
And pope urban hym cristned right there.      217
Valerian gooth hoom and fynt cecilie      218
Withinne his chambre with an angel stonde.      219
This angel hadde of roses and of lilie      220
Corones two, the which he bar in honde;      221
And first to cecile, as I understonde,      222
He yaf that oon, and after gan he take      223
That oother to valerian, hir make.      224
With body clene and with unwemmed though      225
Kepeth ay wel thise corones, quod he;      226
Fro paradys to yow have I hem broght,      227
Ne nevere mo ne shal they roten bee,      228
Ne lese hir soote savour, trusteth me;
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     229
Ne nevere wight shal seen hem with his ye,      230
But he be chaast and hate vileynye.      231
And thow, valerian, for thow so soone      232
Assentedest to good conseil also,      233
Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy boone.      234
I have a brother,quod valerian tho,      235
That in this world I love no man so.      236
I pray yow that my brother may han grace      237
To knowe the trouthe, as I do in this place.      238
The angel seyde,god liketh thy requeste,      239
And bothe, with the palm of martirdom,      240
Ye shullen come unto his blisful feste.      241
And with that word tiburce his brother coom.      242
And whan that he the savour undernoom,      243
Which that the roses and the lilies caste,      244
Withinne his herte he gan to wondre faste,      245
And seyde,i wondre, this tyme of the yeer      246
Whennes that soote savour cometh so      247
Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer.      248
For though I hadde hem in myne handes two.      249
The savour myghte in me no depper go.      250
The sweete smel that in myn herte I fynde      251
Hath chaunged me al in another kynde.      252
Valerian seyde: two corones han we,      253
Snow white and rose reed, that shynen cleere,      254
Whiche that thyne eyen han no myght to see;      255
And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere,      256
So shaltow seen hem,leeve brother deere,      257
If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe,      258
Bileve aright and knowen verray troughe,      259
Tiburce answerde, seistow this to me      260
In soothnesse, or in dreem I herkne this?      261
In dremes, quod valerian, han we be      262
Unto this tyme, brother myn, ywis.      263
But now at erst in trouthe oure dwellyng is.      264
How woostow this? quod tiburce, and in what wyse?      265
Quod valerian, that shal I thee devyse.      266
The aungel of God hath me the trouthe ytaught      267
Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye      268
The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught.      269
And of the myracle of thise corones tweye      270
Seint ambrose in his preface list to seye;      271
Solempnely this noble doctour deere      272
Commendeth it, and seith in this manere:      273
The palm of martirdom for to receyve,      274
Seinte cecile, fulfild of goddes yifte,      275
The world and eek hire chambre gan she weyve;      276
Witnesse tyburces and valerians shrifte,      277
To whiche God of his bountee wolde shifte      278
Corones two of floures wel smellynge,      279
And make his angel hem the corones brynge.      280
The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above;      281
The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn,      282
Devocioun of chastitee to love.      283
Tho shewed hym cecile al open and pleyn      284
That alle ydoles nys but a thyng in veyn,      285
For they been dombe, and therto they been deve,      286
And charged hym his ydoles for to leve.      287
Whoso that troweth nat this, a beest he is,      288
Quod tho tiburce, if that I shal nat lye.      289
And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this,      290
And was ful glad he koude trouthe espye.      291
This day I take thee for myn allye,      292
Seyde this blisful faire mayde deere,      293
And after that, she seyde as ye may heere:      294
Lo, right so as the love of crist, quod she,      295
Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wise      296
Anon for myn allye heer take I thee,      297
Syn that thou wolt thyne ydoles despise.      298
Go with thy brother now, and thee baptise,      299
And make thee clene, so that thou mowe biholde      300
The angels face of which thy brother tolde.      301
Tiburce answerde and seyde, brother deere,      302
First el me whider I shal, and to what man?      303
To whom? quod he, com forth with right good cheere,      304
I wol thee lede unto the pope urban.      305
Til urban?brother myn valerian,      306
Quod tho tiburce, woltow me thider lede?      307
Me thynketh that it were a wonder dede.      308
Ne menestow nat urban,quod he tho,      309
That is so ofte dampned to be deed,      310
And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro,      311
And dar nat ones putte forth his heed?      312
Men sholde hym brennen in a fyr so reed      313
If he were founde, or that men myghte hym spye,      314
And we also, to bere hym compaignye;
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     315
And whil we seken thile divinitee      316
That is yhid in hevene pryvely,      317
Algate ybrend in this world shul we bel      318
To whom cecile answerde boldely,      319
Men myghten dreden wel and skilfully      320
This lyf to lese, myn owene deere brother,      321
If this were lyvynge oonly and noon oother.      322
But ther is bettre lif in oother place,      323
That nevere shal be lost, ne drede thee noght,      324
Which goddes sone us tolde thurgh his grace.      325
That fadres sone hath alle thyng ywroght,      326
And al that wroght is with a skilful though,      327
The goost, that fro the fader gan procede,      328
Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede.      329
By word and by myracle heigh goodes sone      330
Whan he was in this world, declared heere      331
That ther was oother lyf ther men may wone.      332
To whom answerde tiburce,o suster deere,      333
Ne seydestow right now in this manere,      334
Ther nys but o god, lord in soothfastnesse?      335
And now of three how maystow bere witnesse?      336
That shal I telle,quod she, er I go.      337
Right as a man hath sapiences three,      338
Memorie, engyn, and intellect also,      339
So in o beynge of divinitee,      340
Thre persones may ther wright wel bee.      341
Tho gan she hym ful bisily to preche      342
Of cristes come, and of his peynes teche,      343
And manye pointes of his passioun;      344
How goddes sone in this world was withholde      345
To doon mankynde pleyn remissioun,      346
That was ybounde in synne and cares colde,      347
Al this thyng she unto tiburce tolde.      348
And after this, tiburce in good entente      349
With valerian to pope urban he wente,      350
That thanked god, and with glad herte light      351
He cristned hyn, and made hym in that place      352
Parfit in his lernynge, goddes knyght.      353
And after this, tiburce gat swich grace      354
That every day he saugh, in tyme and space,      355
The aungel of god; and every maner boone      356
That he God axed, it was sped ful soone.      357
If were ful hard by ordre for to seyn      358
How manye wondres jhesus for hem wroghte;      359
But atte laste, to tellen short and pleyn,      360
The sergeantz of the toun of rome hem soghte,      361
And hem biforn almache, the prefect, broghte,      362
Which hem apposed, and knew al hire entente,      363
And to the ymage of juppiter hem sente,      364
And seyde, whoso wol nat sacrifise,      365
Swape of his heed; this my sentence heer.      366
Anon thise martirs that I yow devyse,      367
Oon maximus, that was an officer      368
Of the prefectes, and his corniculer,      369
Hem hente, and whan he forth the seintes ladde,      370
Hymself he weep for pitee that he hadde.      371
Whan maximus had herd the seintes loore,      372
He gat hym of the tormentoures leve,      373
And ladde hem to his hous withoute moore,      374
And with hir prechyng, er that it were eve,      375
They gonnen fro the tormentours to reve,      376
And fro maxime, and fro his fold echone,      377
The false feith, to trowe in God allone.      378
Cecile cam, whan it was woxen nyght,      379
With preestes that hem cristned alle yfeere;      380
And afterward, whan day was woxen light,      381
Cecile hem seyde with a ful stedefast cheere,      382
Now, christes owene knyghtes leeve and deere,      383
Cast alle awey the werkes of derknesse,      384
And armeth yow in armure of brightnesse.      385
Ye han for sothe ydoon a greet bataille,      386
Youre cours is doon, youre feith han ye conserved.      387
Gooth to the corone of lif that may nat faille;      388
The rightful juge, which that ye han served,      389
Shal yeve it yow, as ye han it deserved.      390
And whan this thyng was seyd as I devyse,      391
Men ledde hem forth to doon the sacrefise.      392
But whan they weren to the place broght      393
To tellen shortly the conclusioun,      394
They nolde encense ne sacrifise right noght,      395
But on hir knees they setten hem adoun      396
With humble herte and sad devocioun,      397
And losten bothe hir hevedes in the place.      398
Hir soules wenten to the kyng of grace.      399
This maximus, that saugh this thyng bityde,      400
With pitous teeris tolde it anonright,      401
That he hir soules saugh to hevene glyde      402
With aungels ful of cleernesse and of light,      403
And with his word converted many a wight;      404
For which almachius dide hym so tobete      405
With whippe of leed, til he his lif gan lete.
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     406
Cecile hym took and buryed hym anon      407
By tiburce and valerian softely      408
Withinne hire buriyng place, under the stoon;      409
And after this, almachius hastily      410
Bad his ministres fecchen openly      411
Cecile, so that she myghte in his presence      412
Doon sacrifice, and juppiter encense.      413
But they, converted at hir wise loore,      414
Wepten ful soore, and yaven ful credence      415
Unto hire word, and cryden moore and moore,      416
Crist, goddes sone, withouten difference,      417
Is verray God -- this is al oure sentence --      418
That hath so good a servant hym to serve.      419
This with o voys we trowen, thogh we sterve!      420
Almachius, that herde of this doynge,      421
Bad fecchen cecile, that he myghte hire see,      422
And alderfirst, lo! this was his axynge.      423
What maner womman artow? tho quod he.      424
I am a gentil womman born, quod she.      425
I axe thee, quod he, though it thee greeve,      426
Of thy religioun and of thy bileeve.      427
Ye han bigonne youre questioun folily,      428
Quod she, that wolden two answers conclude      429
In o demande; ye axed lewedly.      430
Almache answerde unto that similitude,      431
Of whennes comth thyn answeryng so rude?      432
Of whennes? quod she, whan that she was freyned,      433
Of conscience and of good feith unfeyned.      434
Almachius seyde, ne takestow noon heede      435
Of my power? and she answerde hym this:      436
Youre myght, quod she, ful litel is to dreede.      437
For every mortal mannes power nys      438
But lyk a bladdre ful of wynd ywys.      439
For with nedles poynt, whan it is blowe,      440
May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe.      441
Ful wrongfully bigonne thow, quod he,      442
And yet in wrong is thy perserveraunce.      443
Wostow nat how oure myghty princes free      444
Han thus comanded and maad ordinaunce,      445
That every cristen wight shal han penaunce      446
But if that he his cristendom withseye,      447
And foon al quit, if he wole it reneye?      448
Yowre princes erren, as youre nobleye dooth,      449
Quod tho cecile, and with a wood sentence      450
Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth.      451
For ye, that knowen wel oure innocence,      452
For as muche as we doon a reverence      453
To crist, and for we berre a cristen name,      454
Ye putte on us a cryme, and eek a blame.      455
But we that knowen thilke name so      456
For vertuous, we may it nat withseye.      457
Almache answerde, chees oon of thise two:      458
Do sacrifice, or cristendom reneye,      459
That thou mowe now escapen by that weye.      460
At which the hooly blisful faire mayde      461
Gan for to laughe, and to juge sayde:      462
O juge, confus in thy nycetee,      463
Woltow that I reneye innocence,      464
To make me a wikked wight? quod shee.      465
Lo, he dissymuleth heere in audience;      466
He stareth, and woodeth in his advertence!      467
To whom almachius, unsely wrecche,      468
Ne woostow nat how fer my myght may strecche?      469
Han noght oure myghty princes to me yiven,      470
Ye, bothe power and auctoritee      471
To maken folk to dyen or to lyven?      472
Why spekestow so proudly thanne to me?      473
I speke noght but stedfastly, quod she;      474
Nat prudly, for I seye, as for my syde,      475
We haten deedly thilke vice of pryde.      476
And if thou drede nat a sooth to heere,      477
Thanne wol I shewe al openly, by right,      478
That thou hast maad a ful gret lesyng heere.      479
Thou seyst thy princes han thee yeven myght      480
Bothe for to sleen and for to quyken a wight;      481
Thou, that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireve,      482
Thou hast noon oother power ne no leve.      483
But thou mayst seyn thy princes han thee maked      484
Ministre of deeth; for if thou speke of mo,      485
Thou lyest, for thy power is ful naked.      486
Do wey thy booldnesse, seyde almachius tho,      487
And sacrifice to oure goddes, er thou go!      488
Irecche nat what wrong that thou me profre,      489
For I kan suffre it as a philosophre;      490
But thilke wronges may I nat endure      491
That thou spekest of oure goddes heere, quod      492
Cecile answerde, o nyce creature!      493
Thou seydest no word syn thou spak to me      494
That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee;      495
And that thou were, in every maner wise,      496
A lewed officer and a veyn justise.
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     497
Ther lakketh no thyng to thyne outer yen      498
That thou n' art blynd; for thyng that we seen alle      499
That it is stoon, -- that men may wel espyen, --      500
That ilke stoon a God tho wolt it calle.      501
I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle,      502
And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it fynde,      503
Syn that thou seest nat with thyne eyen blynde.      504
It is a shame that the peple shal      505
So scorne thee, and laughe at thy folye;      506
For communly men woot it wel overal      507
That myghty God is in his hevenes hye;      508
And thise ymages, wel thou mayst espye,      509
To thee ne to hemself mowen noght profite,      510
For in effect thy been nat worth a myte.      511
Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she,      512
And he weex wroth, and bad men sholde hir lede      513
Hom til hir hous, and in hire hous, quod he,      514
Brenne hire right in a bath of flambes rede.      515
And as he bad, right so was doon the dede;      516
For in a bath they gonne hire faste shetten,      517
And nyght and day greet fyr they under betten.      518
The longe nyght, and eek a day also,      519
For al the fyr, and eek the bathes heete,      520
She sat al coold, and feelede no wo.      521
It made hire nat a drope for to sweete.      522
But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete,      523
For he almachius, with ful wikke entente,      524
To sleen hire in the bath his sonde sente.      525
Thre strokes in the nekke he smoot hire tho,      526
The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce      527
He myghte noght smyte al hir nekke atwo;      528
And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce      529
That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce      530
The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or soore,      531
This tormentour ne dorste do namoore,      532
But half deed, with hir nekke ycorven there,      533
He lefte hir lye, and on his wey is went.      534
The cristen folk, which that aboute hire were,      535
With sheetes han the blood ful faire yhent.      536
Thre dayes lyved she in this torment,      537
And nevere cessed hem the feithe to teche      538
That she hadde fostred; hem she gan to preche,      539
And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thyng,      540
And to the pope urban bitook hem tho,      541
And seyde, I axed this of hevene kyng,      542
To han respit thre dayes and namo,      543
To recomende to yow, er that I go,      544
Thise soules, lo! and that I myghte do werche      545
Heere of myn hous perpetuilly a cherche.      546
Seint urban, with his deknes, prively      547
The body fette, and buryed it by nyghte      548
Among his othere seintes honestly.      549
Hir hous the chirche of seint cecilie highte;      550
Seint urban halwed it, as he wel myghte;      551
In which, into this day, in noble wyse,      552
Men doon to crist and to his seint servyse.      553
The Canon Yeoman's Prologue

Whan ended was the lyf of seinte cecile,      554
Er we hadde riden fully fyve mile,      555
A tboghtoun under blee us gan atake      556
A man that clothed was in clothes blake,      557
And under-nethe he hadde a whyt surplys.      558
His hakeney, that wasal pomely grys,      559
So swatte that it wonder was to see;      560
It semed as he had priked miles three.      561
The hors eek that his yeman rood upon      562
So swatte that sunnethe myghte it gon.      563
Aboute the peytrel sood the foom ful hye;      564
He was of foom al flekked a a pye.      565
A male tweyfoold on his croper lay;      566
It semed that he caried lite array.      567
Al light for somer rood this worthy man,      568
And in myn herte wondren I bigan      569
What that he was, til that I understood      570
How that his cloke was sowed to his good;      571
For which, whan I hadde longe avysed me,      572
I demed hym som chanoun for to be.      573
His hat heeng at his bak doun by a laas,      574
For he hadde riden moore than trot or paas;      575
He hadde ay priked lik as he were wood.      576
A clote-leef he hadde under his hood
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     577
For swoot, and for to keep his heed from heete.      578
But it was joye for to seen hym swete!      579
His forheed dropped as a stillatorie,      580
Were ful of plantayne and of paritorie.      581
And whan that he was come, he ban to crye,      582
God save, quod he, this joly compaignye!      583
Faste have I priked,!quod he, for youre sake,      584
By cause that I woldeyow atake,      585
To riden in this myrie compaignye.      586
His yeman eek was ful of curteisye,      587
And seyde, sires, now in the morwe-tyde      588
Out of youre hostelrie I saugh yow ryde,      589
And warned heer my lord and my soverayn,      590
Which that to ryden with yow is ful fayn      591
For his desport; he loveth daliaunce.      592
freend, for thy warnyng God yeve thee good chaunce!      593
Thanne seyde oure hoost, for certein it wolde seme      594
Thy lord were wys, and so I may wel deme.      595
He is ful jocunde also, dar I leye!      596
Can he oght telle a myrie tale or tweye,      597
With which he glade may his compaignye?      598
Who, sire? my lord? ye, ye, withouten lye,      599
He kan of murthe and eek of jolitee      600
Nat but ynough: also, sire, trusteth me,      601
And ye hym knewe as wel as do I,      602
Ye wolde wondre how wel and craftily      603
He koude werke, and that in sondry wise.      604
He hath take on hym many a greet emprise,      605
Which were ful hard for any that is heere      606
To brynge aboute, but they of hym it leere.      607
As hoomly as he rit amonges yow,      608
If ye hym kniewe, it wolde be for youre prow.      609
Ye wolde nat forgoon his aqueyntaunce      610
For muchel good, I dar leye in balaunce      611
Al that I have in my possessioun.      612
He is a man of heigh discrecioun;      613
I warne yow wel, he is a passyng man.      614
Wel, quod oure hoost, I pray thee tel me than,      615
Is he a clerk, or noon? telle what he is.      616
Nay, he is gretter than a clerk, ywis,      617
Seyde this yeman, and in wordes fewe,      618
Hoost, of his craft somwhat I wol yow shewe.      619
I seye, my lord kan swich subtilitee --      620
But al his craft ye may nat wite at me,      621
And somwhat helpe I yet to his wirkyng --      622
That al this ground on which we been ridyng,      623
Til that we come to caunterbury toun,      624
He koude al clene turne it up-so-doun,      625
And pave it al of silver and of gold.      626
And whan this yeman hadde this tale ytold      627
Unto oure hoost, he seyde, benedicitee!      628
This thyng is wonder merveillous to me,      629
Syn that thy lord is of so heigh prudence,      630
By cause of which men sholde hym reverence,      631
That of his worshipe rekketh he so lite.      632
His overslope nys nat worth a myte,      633
As in effect, to hym, so moot I go!      634
It is al baudy and totore also.      635
Why is thy lord so sluttissh, I the preye,      636
And is of power bettre clooth to beye,      637
Of that his dede accorde with thy speche?      638
Telle me that, and that I thee biseche.      639
Why? quod this yeman, wherto axe ye me?      640
God help me so, for he shal nevere thee!      641
(but I wol nat avowe that I seye,      642
And therfore keepe it secree, I yow preye.)      643
He is to wys, in feith, as I bileeve.      644
That that is overdoon, it wol nat preeve      645
Aright, as clerkes seyn; it is a vice.      646
Wherfore in that I holde hym lewed and nyce.      647
For whan a man hath over-greet a wit,      648
Ful oft hym happeth to mysusen it.      649
So doothy my lord, and that me greveth soore;      650
God it amende! I kan sey yow namoore.      651
Ther-of no fors, good yeman, quod oure hoost;      652
Syn of the konnyng of thy lord thow woost,      653
Telle how he dooth, I pray thee hertely,      654
Syn that he is so crafty and so sly.      655
Where dwelle ye, if it to telle be?      656
In the suburbes of a toun, quod he,      657
Lurkynge in hernes and in lanes blynde,      658
Wheras this robbours and thise theves by kynde      659
Holden hir pryvee fereful residence,      660
As they that dar nat shewen hir presence;      661
So faren we, if I shal seye the sothe.      662
Now, quod oure hoost, yit lat me talke to the.      663
Why artow so discoloured of thy face?      664
Peter! quod he, God yeve it harde grace,      665
I am so used in the fyr to blowe      666
That it hath chaunged my colour, I trowe.      667
I am nat wont in no mirour to prie,      668
But swynke soore and lerne multiplie.      669
We blondren evere and pouren in the fir,      670
And for al that we faille of oure desir,      671
For evere we lakken oure conclusioun.      672
To muchel folk we doon illusioun,      673
And borwe gold, be it a pound or two,      674
Or ten, or twelve, or manye sommes mo,      675
And make hem wenen, at the leeste weye,      676
That of a pound we koude make tweye.      677
Yet is it fals, but ay we han good hope
Page  215
     678
It for to doon, and after it we grope.      679
But that science is so fer us biforn,      680
We mowen nat, although we hadden it sworn,      681
It overtake, it slit awey so faste.      682
It wole us maken beggers atte laste.      683
Whil this yeman was thus in his talkyng,      684
This chanoun drough hym neer, and herde al thyng      685
Which that this yeman spak, for suspecioun      686
Of mennes speche evere hadde this chanoun.      687
For catoun seith that he that gilty is      688
Demeth alle thyng be spoke of hym, ywis.      689
That was the cause he gan so ny hym drawe      690
To his yeman, to herknen al his sawe.      691
And thus he seyde unto his yeman tho:      692
Hoold thou thy pees, and spek no wordes mo,      693
For if thou do, thou shalt it deere abye.      694
Thou sclaundrest me heere in this compaignye,      695
And eek discoverest that thou sholdest hyde.      696
Ye, quod oure hoost, telle on, what bityde.      697
Of al his thretyng rekke nat a myte!      698
In feith, quod he, namoore I do but lyte.      699
And whan this chanon saugh it wolde nat bee,      700
But his yeman wolde telle his pryvetee,      701
He fledde awey for verray sorwe and shame.      702
A! quod the yeman, heere shal arise game;      703
Al that I kan anon now wol I telle.      704
Syn he is goon, the foule feend hym quelle!      705
For nevere heerafter wol I with hym meete      706
For peny ne for pound, I yow biheete.      707
He that me broghte first unto that game,      708
Er that he dye, sorwe have he and shame!      709
For it is ernest to me, by me feith;      710
That feele I wel, what so any man seith.      711
And yet, for al my smert and al my grief,      712
For al my sorwe, labour, and meschief,      713
I koude nevere leve it in no wise.      714
Now wolde God my wit myghte suffise      715
To tellen al that longeth to that art!      716
But nathelees yow wol I tellen part.      717
Syn that my lord is goon, I wol nat spare;      718
Swich thyng as that I knowe, I wol declare.      719
The Canon Yeoman's Tale

Part I
With this chanoun I dwelt have seven yeer,      720
And of his science am I never the neer.      721
Al that I hadde I have lost therby,      722
And, God woot, so hath many mo than I.      723
Ther I was wont to be right fressh and gay      724
Of clothyng and of oother good array,      725
Now may I were an hose upon myn heed;      726
And wher my colour was bothe fressh and reed      727
Now is it wan and of a leden hewe --      728
Whoso it useth, soore shal he rewe! --      729
And of my swynk yet blered is myn ye.      730
Lo! which avantage is to multiplie!      731
That slidynge science hath me maad so bare      732
That I have no good, wher that evere I fare;      733
And yet I am endetted so therby,      734
Of gold that I have borwed, trewely,      735
That whil I lyve I shal it quite nevere.      736
Lat every man be war by me for evere!      737
What maner man that casteth hym therto,      738
If he continue, I holde his thrift ydo.      739
For so helpe me god, therby shal he nat wynne,      740
But empte his purs, and make his wittes thynne.      741
And whan he, thurgh his madnesse and folye,      742
Hath lost his owene good thurgh jupartye,      743
Thanne he exciteth oother folk therto,      744
To lesen hir good, as he hymself hath do.      745
For unto shrewes joye it is and ese      746
To have hir felawes in peyne and disese.      747
Thus was I ones lerned of a clerk.      748
Of that no charge, I wol speke of oure werk.      749
Whan we been there as we shul exercise      750
Oure elvysshe craft, we semen wonder wise,      751
Oure termes been so clerigal and so queynte.      752
I blowe the fir til that myn herte feynte.      753
What sholde I tellen ech proporcion      754
Of thynges whiche that we werche upon      755
As on fyve or sixe ounces, may wel be,      756
Of silver, or som oother quantitee --      757
And bisye me to telle yow the names
Page  216
     758
Of orpyment, brent bones, iren squames,      759
That into poudre grounden been ful smal;      760
And in an erthen pot how put is al,      761
And salt yput in, and also papeer,      762
Biforn thise poudres that I speke of heer;      763
And wel ycovered with a lampe of glas;      764
And of muche oother thyng which that ther was;      765
And of the pot and glasses enlutyng,      766
That of the eyr myghte passe out nothyng;      767
And of the esy fir, and smart also,      768
Which that was maad, and of the care and wo      769
That we hadde in oure matires sublymyng,      770
And in amalgamyng and calcenyng      771
Of quyksilver, yclept mercurie crude?      772
For alle oure sleightes we kan nat conclude.      773
Oure orpyment and sublymed mercurie,      774
Oure grounden litarge eek on the porfurie,      775
Of ech of thise of ounces a certeyn --      776
Noght helpeth us, oure labour is in veyn.      777
Ne eek oure spirites ascencioun,      778
Ne oure materes that lyen al fix adoun,      779
Mowe in oure werkyng no thyng us availle,      780
For lost is al oure labour and travaille;      781
And al the cost, a twenty devel waye,      782
Is lost also, which we upon it laye.      783
Ther is also ful many another thyng      784
That is unto oure craft apertenyng.      785
Though I by ordre hem nat reherce kan,      786
By cause that I am a lewed man,      787
Yet wol I telle hem as they come to mynde,      788
Thogh I ne kan nat sette hem in hir kynde:      789
As boole armonyak, verdegrees, boras,      790
And sondry vessels maad of erthe and glas,      791
Oure urynales and oure descensories,      792
Violes, crosletz, and sublymatories,      793
Cucurbites and alambikes eek,      794
And othere swiche, deere ynough a leek.      795
Nat nedeth it for to reherce hem alle, --      796
Watres rubifyng, and boles galle,      797
Arsenyk, sal armonyak and brymstoon;      798
And herbes koude I telle eek many oon,      799
As egremoyne, valerian, and lunarie,      800
And othere swiche, if that me liste tarie;      801
Oure lampes brennyng bothe nyght and day,      802
To brynge aboute oure purpos, if we may;      803
Oure fourneys eek of calcinacioun,      804
And of watres albificacioun;      805
Unslekked lym,chalk, and gleyre of an ey,      806
Poudres diverse, asshes, donge, pisse, and cley,      807
Cered pokkets, sal peter, vitriole,      808
And diverse fires maad of wode and cole;      809
Sal tartre, alkaly, and sal preparat,      810
And combust materes and coagulat;      811
Cley maad with hors of mannes heer, and oille      812
Of tartre, alum glas, berme, wort, and argoille,      813
Resalgar, and oure materes enbibyng,      814
And eek of oure materes encorporyng,      815
And of oure silver citrinacioun,      816
Oure cementyng and fermentacioun,      817
Oure yngottes, testes, and many mo.      818
I wol yow telle, as was me taught also,      819
The foure spirites and the bodies sevene,      820
By ordre, as ofte I herde my lord hem nevene.      821
The firste spirit quyksilver called is,      822
The seconde orpyment, the thridde, ywis,      823
Sal armonyak, and the ferthe brymstoon.      824
The bodyes sevene eek, lo! hem heere anoon:      825
Sol gold is, and luna silver we threpe,      826
Mars ire, mercurie quyksilver we clepe,      827
Saturnus leed, and juppiter is tyn,      828
And venus coper, by my fader kyn!      829
This cursed craft whoso wole excercise,      830
He shal no good han that hym may suffise;      831
For al the good he spendeth theraboute      832
He lese shal; therof have I no doute.      833
Whoso that listeth outen his folie,      834
Lat hym come forth and lerne multiplie;      835
And every man that oght hath in his cofre,      836
Lat hym appiere, and wexe a philosophre.      837
Ascaunce that craft is so light to leere?      838
Nay, nay, God woot, al be he monk or frere,      839
Preest or chanoun, or any oother wyght,      840
Though he sitte at his book bothe day and nyght      841
In lernyng of this elvysshe nyce loore,      842
Al is in veyn, and parde! muchel moore.      843
To lerne a lewed man this subtiltee --      844
Fy! spek nat therof, for it wol nat bee;      845
And konne he letterure, or konne he noon,      846
As in effect, he shal fynde it al oon.      847
For bothe two, by my savacioun,      848
Concluden in multiplicacioun      849
Ylike wel, whan they han al ydo;      850
This is to seyn, they faillen bothe two.      851
Yet forgat I to maken rehersaille      852
Of watres corosif, and of lymaille,      853
And of bodies mollificacioun,      854
And also of hire induracioun;      855
Oilles, ablucions, and metal fusible, --      856
To tellen al wolde passen any bible      857
That owher is; wherfore, as for beste,      858
Of alle thise names now wol I me reste.      859
For, as I trowe, I have yow toold ynowe      860
To reyse a feend, al looke he never so rowe.      861
A!nay! lat be; the philosophres stoon,      862
Elixer clept, we sechen faste echoon;      863
For hadde we hym, thanne were we siker ynow.
Page  217
     864
But unto God of hevene I make avow,      865
For al oure craft, whan we han al ydo,      866
And al oure sleighte, he wol nat come us to.      867
He hath ymaad us spenden muchel good,      868
For sorwe of which almoost we wexen wood,      869
But that good hope crepeth in oure herte,      870
Supposynge evere, though we sore smerte,      871
To be releeved by hym afterward.      872
Swich supposyng and hope is sharp and hard;      873
I warne yow wel, it is to seken evere.      874
That futur temps hath maad men to dissevere,      875
In trust therof, from al that evere they hadde.      876
Yet of that art they kan nat wexen sadde,      877
For unto hem it is a bitter sweete, --      878
So semeth it, -- for nadde they but a sheete,      879
Which that they myghte wrappe hem inne a-nyght,      880
And a brat to walken inne by daylyght,      881
They wolde hem selle and spenden on this craft.      882
They kan nat stynte til no thyng be laft.      883
And everemoore, where that evere they goon      884
Men may hem knowe by smel of brymstoon.      885
For al the world they stynken as a goot;      886
Hir savour is so rammyssh and so hoot      887
That though a man from hem a mile be,      888
The savour wole infecte hym, trusteth me.      889
And thus by smel, and by threedbare array,      890
If that men liste, this folk they knowe may.      891
And if a man wole aske hem pryvely      892
Why they been clothed so unthriftily,      893
They right anon wol rownen is his ere,      894
And seyn that if that they espied were,      895
Men wolde hem slee by cause of hir science.      896
Lo, thus this folk bitrayen innocence!      897
Passe over this; if go my tale unto.      898
Er that the pot be on the fir ydo,      899
Of metals with a certeyn quantitee,      900
My lord hem tempreth, and no man be he --      901
Now he is goon, I dar seyn boldely --      902
For, as men seyn, he kan doon craftily.      903
Algate I woot wel he hath swich a name,      904
And yet ful ofte he renneth in a blame.      905
And wite ye how? ful ofte it happeth so,      906
The pot tobreketh, and farewel, al is go!      907
Thise metals been of so greet violence,      908
Oure walles mowe nat make hem resistence,      909
But if they weren wroght of lym and stoon;      910
They percen so, and thurgh the wal they goon.      911
And somme of hem synken into the ground --      912
Thus han we lost by tymes many a pound --      913
And somme are scatered al the floor aboute;      914
Somme lepe into the roof. Withouten doute,      915
Though that the feend noght in oure sighte hym shewe,      916
I trowe he with us be, that ilke shrewe!      917
In helle, where that he lord is and sire,      918
Nis ther moore wo, ne moore rancour ne ire.      919
Whan that oure pot is broke, as I have sayd,      920
Every man chit, and halt hym yvele apayd.      921
Somme seyde it was long on the fir makyng;      922
Somme seyde nay, it was on the blowyng, --      923
Thanne was I fered, for that was myn office.      924
Straw! quod the thridde, ye been lewed and nyce.      925
It was nat tempred as it oghte be.      926
Nay, quod the fourthe, stynt and herkne me.      927
By cause oure fir ne was nat maad of beech,      928
That is the cause, and oother noon, so theech!      929
I kan nat telle wheron it was long,      930
But wel I woot greet strif is us among.      931
What, quod my lord, ther is namoore to doone;      932
Of thise perils I wol be war eftsoone.      933
I am right siker that the pot was crased.      934
Be as be may, be ye no thyng amased;      935
As usage is, lat swepe the floor as swithe,      936
Plukke up youre hertes, and beeth glad and blithe.      937
The mullok on an heep ysweped was,      938
And on the floor ycast a canevas,      939
And al this mullok in a syve ythrowe,      940
And sifted, and ypiked mayn a throwe.      941
Pardee, quod oon, somwhat of oure metal      942
Yet is ther heere, though that we han nat al.      943
Although this thyng myshapped have as now,      944
Another tyme it may be well ynow.      945
Us moste putte oure good in aventure.      946
A marchant, pardee, may nat ay endure,      947
Trusteth me wel, in his prosperitee.      948
Somtyme his good is drowned in the see,      949
And somtyme comth it sauf unto the londe.      950
Pees! quod my lord, the nexte tyme I wol fonde      951
To bryngen oure craft al in another plite,      952
And but I do, sires, lat me han the wite.      953
Ther was defaute in somwhat, wel I woot,      954
Another seyde the fir was over-hoot, --      955
But, be it hoot or coold, I dar seye this,      956
That we concluden everemoore amys.      957
We faille of that which that we wolden have,      958
And in oure madnesse everemoore we rave.      959
And whan we been togidres everichoon,      960
Every man semeth a salomon.      961
But al thyng which that shineth as the gold      962
Nis nat gold, as that I have herd it told;      963
Ne every appul that is fair at eye
Page  218
     964
Ne is nat good, what so men clappe or crye.      965
Right so, lo, fareth it amonges us:      966
He that semeth the wiseste, by jhesus!      967
Is moost fool, whan it cometh to the preef;      968
And he that semeth trewest is the theef.      969
That shul ye knowe, er that I fro yow wende,      970
By that I of my tale have maad an ende.      971
Explicit prima pars.
Et sequitur pars secunda.
Ther is a chanoun of religioun      972
Amounges us, wolde infecte al a toun,      973
Thogh it as greet were as was nynyvee,      974
Rome, alisaundre, troye, and othere three.      975
His sleightes and his infinite falsnesse      976
Ther koude no man writen, as I gesse,      977
Though that he myghte lyve a thousand yeer.      978
In al this world of falshede nis his peer;      979
For in his termes he wol hym so wynde,      980
And speke his wordes in so sly a kynde,      981
Whanne he commune shal with any wight,      982
That he wol make hym doten anonright,      983
But it a feend be, as hymselven is.      984
Ful many a man hath he bigiled er this,      985
And wole, if that he lyve may a while;      986
And yet men ride and goon ful many a mile      987
Hym for to seke and have his aqueyntaunce,      988
Noght knowynge of his false governaunce.      989
And if yow list to yeve me audience,      990
I wol it tellen heere in youre presence.      991
But worshipful chanons religious,      992
Ne demeth nat that I sclaundre youre hous,      993
Although that my tale of a chanoun bee.      994
Of every ordre som shrewe is, pardee,      995
And God forbede that al a compaignye      996
Sholde rewe o singuleer mannes folye.      997
To sclaundre yow is no thyng myn entente,      998
But to correcten that is mys I mente.      999
This tale was nat oonly toold for yow      1000
But eek for othere mo; ye woot wel how      1001
That among cristes apostelles twelve      1002
Ther nas no traytour but judas hymselve.      1003
Thanne why sholde al the remenant have a blame      1004
That giltlees were? by yow I seye the same,      1005
Save oonly this, if ye wol herke me:      1006
If any judas in youre covent be,      1007
Remoeveth hym bitymes, I yow rede,      1008
If shame or los may causen any drede.      1009
And beeth no thyng displesed, I yow preye,      1010
But in this cas herkneth what I shal seye.      1011
In londoun was a preest, an annueleer,      1012
That therinne dwelled hadde mayn a yeer,      1013
Which was so plesaunt and se servysable      1014
Unto the wyf, where as he was at table,      1015
That she wolde suffre hym no thyng for to paye      1016
For bord ne clothyng, wente he never so gaye;      1017
And spendyng silver hadde he right ynow.      1018
Therof no fors; I wol procede as now,      1019
And telle forth my tale of the chanoun      1020
That broghte this preest to confusioun.      1021
This false chanon cam upon a day      1022
Unto this preestes chambre, wher he lay,      1023
Bisechynge hym to lene hym a certeyn      1024
Of gold, and he wolde quite it hym ageyn.      1025
Leene me a marc, quod he, but dayes three,      1026
And at my day I wol it quiten thee.      1027
And if so be that thow me fynde fals,      1028
Another day do hange me by the hals!      1029
This preest hym took a marc, and that as swithe,      1030
And this chanoun hym thanked ofte sithe,      1031
And took his leve, and wente forth his weye,      1032
And at the thridee day broghte his moneye,      1033
And to the preest he took his gold agayn,      1034
Wherof this preest was wonder glad and fayn.      1035
Certes, quod he, no thyng anoyeth me      1036
To lene a man a noble, or two, or thre,      1037
Or what thyng were in my possessioun,      1038
Whan he so trewe is of condicioun      1039
That in no wise he breke wole his day;      1040
To swich a man I kan never seye nay.      1041
What! quod this chanoun, sholde I be untrewe?      1042
Nay, that were thyng yfallen al of newe.      1043
Trouthe is a thyng that I wol evere kepe      1044
Unto that day in which that I shal crepe      1045
Into my grave, and ellis God forbede.      1046
Bileveth this as siker as your crede.      1047
God thanke I, and in good tyme be it sayd,      1048
That ther was nevere man yet yvele apayd      1049
For gold ne silver that he to me lente,      1050
Ne nevere falshede in myn herte I mente.      1051
And sire, quod he, now of my pryvetee,      1052
Syn ye so goodlich han been unto me,      1053
And kithed to me so greet gentillesse,      1054
Somwhat to quyte with youre kyndenesse      1055
I wol yow shewe, and if yow list to leere,      1056
I wol yow teche pleynly the manere      1057
Yow I kan werken in philosophie.      1058
Taketh good heede, ye shul wel seen at ye      1059
That I wol doon a maistrie er I go.      1060
Ye, quod the preest, ye, sire, and wol ye so?      1061
Marie! therof I pray yow hertely.
Page  219
     1062
At youre comandement, sire, trewely,      1063
Quod the chanoun, and ellis God forbeede!      1064
Loo, how this theef koude his service beede!      1065
Ful sooth it is that swich profred servyse      1066
Stynketh, as witnessen thise olde wyse,      1067
And that, ful soone I wol it verifie      1068
In this chanoun, roote of al trecherie,      1069
That everemoore delit hath and gladnesse --      1070
Swiche feendly thoghtes in his herte impresse --      1071
How cristes peple he may to meschief brynge.      1072
God kepe us from his false dissymulynge!      1073
Noght wiste this preest with whom that he delte,      1074
Ne of his harm comynge he no thyng felte.      1075
O sely preest! o sely innocent!      1076
With coveitise anon thou shalt be blent!      1077
O gracelees, ful blynd is thy conceite,      1078
No thyng ne artow war of the deceite      1079
Which that this fox yshapen hath to thee!      1080
His wily wrenches thou ne mayst nat flee.      1081
Wherfore, to go to the conclusion,      1082
That refereth to thy confusion,      1083
Unhappy man, anon I wol me hye      1084
To tellen thyn unwit and thy folye,      1085
And eek the falsnesse of that oother wrecche,      1086
As ferforth as that my konnyng wol strecche.      1087
This chanon was my lord, ye wolden weene?      1088
Sire hoost, in feith, and by the hevenes queene,      1089
It was another chanoun, and nat hee,      1090
That kan an hundred foold moore subtiltee.      1091
He hath bitrayed folkes many tyme;      1092
Of his falsnesse it dulleth me to ryme.      1093
Evere whan that I speke of his falshede,      1094
For shame of hym my chekes wexen rede.      1095
Algates they bigynnen for to glowe,      1096
For reednesse have I noon, right wel I knowe,      1097
In my visage; for fumes diverse      1098
Of metals, whiche ye han herd me reherce,      1099
Consumed and wasted han my reednesse.      1100
Now taak heede of this chanons cursednesse!      1101
Sire, quod he to the preest, lat youre man gon      1102
For quyksilver, that we it hadde anon;      1103
And lat hym bryngen ounces two or three;      1104
And whan he comth, as faste shal ye see      1105
A wonder thyng, which ye saugh nevere er this.      1106
Sire, quod the preest, it shal be doon, ywis.      1107
He bad his servant fecchen hym this thyng,      1108
And he al redy was at his biddyng,      1109
And wente hym forth, and cam anon agayn      1110
With this quyksilver, shortly for to sayn,      1111
And took thise ounces thre to the chanoun;      1112
And he hem leyde faire and wel adoun,      1113
And bad the servant coles for to brynge,      1114
That he anon myghte go to his werkynge.      1115
The coles right anon weren yfet,      1116
And this chanoun took out a crosselet      1117
Of his bosom, and shewed it to the preest.      1118
This instrument, quod he, which that thou seest,      1119
Taak in thy hand, and put thyself therinne      1120
Of this quyksilver an ounce, and heer bigynne,      1121
In name of crist, to wexe a philosofre.      1122
Ther been ful fewe to whiche I wolde profre      1123
To shewen hem thus muche of my science.      1124
For ye shul seen heer, by experience,      1125
That this quyksilver I wol mortifye      1126
Right in youre sighte anon, withouten lye,      1127
And make it as good silver and as fyn      1128
As ther is any in youre purs or myn,      1129
Or elleswhere, and make it malliable;      1130
And elles holdeth me fals and unable      1131
Amonges folk for evere to appeere.      1132
I have poudre heer, that coste me deere,      1133
Shal make al good, for it is cause of al      1134
My konnyng, which that I yow shewen shal.      1135
Voyde youre man, and lat hym be theroute,      1136
And shette the dore, whils we been aboute      1137
Oure pryvetee, that no man us espie,      1138
Whils that we werke in this philosophie.      1139
Al as he bad fulfilled was in dede.      1140
This ilke servant anonright out yede      1141
And his maister shette the dore anon,      1142
And to hire labour spedily the gon.      1143
This preest, at this cursed chanons biddyng,      1144
Upon the fir anon sette this thyng,      1145
And blew the fir, and bisyed hym ful faste.      1146
And this chanoun into the crosselet caste      1147
A poudre, noot I wherof that it was      1148
Ymaad, outher of chalk, outher of glas,      1149
Or somwhat elles, was nat worth a flye,      1150
To blynde with this preest; and bad hym hye      1151
The coles for to couchen al above      1152
The crosselet. For in tokenyng I thee love,      1153
Quod this chanoun, thyne owene handes two      1154
Shul werche al thyng which that shal heer be do.      1155
Graunt mercy, quod the preest, and was ful glad,      1156
And couched coles as that the chanoun bad.      1157
And while he bisy was, this feendly wrecche,      1158
This false chanoun -- the foule feend hym fecche! --      1159
Out of his bosom took a bechen cole,      1160
In which ful subtilly was maad an hole,
Page  220
     1161
And therinne put was of silver lemaille      1162
An ounce, and stopped was, withouten faille,      1163
This hole with wex, to kepe the lemaille in.      1164
And understondeth that this false gyn      1165
Was nat maad ther, but it was maad bifore;      1166
And othere thynges I shal tellen moore      1167
Herafterward, whiche that he with hym broghte.      1168
Er he cam there, hym to bigile he thoghte,      1169
And so he dide, er that they wente at wynne;      1170
Til he had terved hym, koude he nat blynne.      1171
It dulleth me whan that I of hym speke.      1172
On his falshede fayn wolde I me wreke,      1173
If I wiste how, but he is heere and there;      1174
He is so variaunt, be abit nowhere.      1175
But taketh heed now, sires, for goddes love!      1176
He took his cole of which I spak above,      1177
And in his hand he baar it pryvely.      1178
And whiles the preest couched bisily      1179
The coles, as I tolde yow er this,      1180
This chanoun seyde, freend, ye doon amys.      1181
This is nat couched as it oghte be;      1182
But soone I shal amenden it, quod he.      1183
Now lat me medle therwith but a while,      1184
For of yow have I pitee, by seint gile!      1185
Ye been right hoot; I se wel how ye swete.      1186
Have heere a clooth, and wipe awey the wete.      1187
And whiles that the preest wiped his face,      1188
This chanoun took his cole -- with sory grace! --      1189
And leyde it above upon the myddeward      1190
Of the crosselet, and blew wel afterward,      1191
Til that the coles gonne faste brenne.      1192
Now yeve us drynke, quod the chanoun thenne;      1193
As swithe al shal be wel, I undertake.      1194
Sitte we doun, and lat us myrie make.      1195
And whan that this chanounes bechen cole      1196
Was brent, al the lemaille out of the hole      1197
Into the crosselet fil anon adoun;      1198
And as it moste nedes, by resoun,      1199
Syn it so even aboven it couched was.      1200
But therof wiste the preest nothyng, alas!      1201
He demed alle the coles yliche good;      1202
For of that sleighte he nothyng understood.      1203
And whan this alkamystre saugh his tyme,      1204
Ris up, quod he, sire preest, and stondeth by me;      1205
And for I woot wel ingot have ye noon,      1206
Gooth, walketh forth, and brynge us a chalk stoon;      1207
For I wol make it of the same shap      1208
That is an ingot, if I may han hap.      1209
And bryngeth eek with yow a bolle or a panne      1210
Ful of water, and ye shul se wel thanne      1211
How that oure bisynesse shal thryve and preeve.      1212
And yet, for ye shul han no mysbileeve      1213
New wrong conceite of me in youre absence,      1214
I ne wol nat been out of youre presence,      1215
But go with yow, and come with yow ageyn.      1216
The chambre dore, shortly for to seyn,      1217
They opened and shette, and wente hir weye.      1218
And forth with hem they carieden the keye,      1219
And coome agayn withouten any delay.      1220
What sholde I tarien al the longe day?      1221
He took the chalk, and shoop it in the wise      1222
Of an ingot, as I shal yow devyse.      1223
I seye, he took out of his owene sleeve      1224
A teyne of silver -- yvele moot he cheeve! --      1225
Which that ne was nat but an ounce of weighte.      1226
And taaketh heede now of his cursed sleighte!      1227
He shoop his ingot, in lengthe and in breede      1228
Of this teyne, withouten any drede,      1229
So slyly that the preest it nat espide,      1230
And in his sleve agayn he gan it hide,      1231
And fro the fir he took up his mateere,      1232
And in th' yngot putte it with myrie cheere,      1233
And in the water-vessel he it caste,      1234
Whan that hym luste, and bad the preest as faste,      1235
Loke what ther is, put in thyn hand and grope.      1236
Thow fynde shalt ther silver, as I hope.      1237
What, devel of helle! sholde it elles be?      1238
Shaving of silver silver is, pardee!      1239
He putte his hand in and took up a teyne      1240
Of silver fyn, and glad in every veyne      1241
Was this preest, whan he saugh that it was so.      1242
Goddes blessyng, and his moodres also,      1243
And alle halwes, have ye, sire chanoun,      1244
Seyde the preest, and I hir malisoun,      1245
But, and ye vouche-sauf to techen me      1246
This noble craft and this subtilitee,      1247
I wol be youre in al that evere I may.      1248
Quod the chanoun, yet wol I make assay      1249
The seconde tyme, that ye may taken heede      1250
And been expert of this, and in youre neede      1251
Another day assaye in myn absence      1252
This disciplyne and this crafty science.      1253
Lat take another ounce, quod he tho,      1254
Of quyksilver, withouten wordes mo,      1255
And do therwith as ye han doon er this      1256
With that oother, which that now silver is.      1257
This preest hym bisieth in al that he kan      1258
To doon as this chanoun, this cursed man,      1259
Comanded hym, and faste he blew the fir,      1260
For to come to th' effect of his desir.      1261
And this chanon, right in the meene while,
Page  221
     1262
Al redy was this preest eft to bigile,      1263
And for a contenaunce in his hand he bar      1264
An holwe stikke -- taak kep and be war! --      1265
In the ende of which an ounce, and namoore,      1266
Of silver lemaille put was, as bifore      1267
Was in his cole, and stopped with wex weel      1268
For to kepe in his lemaille every deel.      1269
And whil this preest was in his bisynesse,      1270
This chanoun with his stikke gan hym dresse      1271
To hym anon, and his poudre caste in      1272
As he dide er -- the devel out of his skyn      1273
Hym terve, I pray to god, for his falshede!      1274
For he was evere fals in thoght and dede --      1275
And with this stikke, above the crosselet,      1276
That was ordeyned with that false jet      1277
He stired the coles til relente gan      1278
The wex agayn the fir, as every man,      1279
But it a fool be, woot wel it moot nede,      1280
And al that in the stikke was out yede,      1281
And in the crosselet hastily it fel.      1282
Now, good sires, what wol ye bet than wel?      1283
Whan that this preest thus was bigiled ageyn,      1284
Supposynge noght but treuthe, sooth to seyn,      1285
He was so glad that I kan nat expresse      1286
In no manere his myrthe and his gladnesse;      1287
And to the chanoun he profred eftsoone      1288
Body and good. Ye, quod the chanoun soone,      1289
Though poure I be, crafty thou shalt me fynde.      1290
I warne thee, yet is ther moore bihynde.      1291
Is ther any coper herinne? seyde he.      1292
Ye, quod the preest, sire, I trowe wel ther be.      1293
Elles go bye us som, and that as swithe;      1294
Now, goode sire, go forth thy wey and hy the.      1295
He wente his wey, and with the coper cam,      1296
And this chanon it in his handes nam,      1297
And of that coper weyed out but an ounce.      1298
Al to symple is my tonge to pronounce,      1299
As ministre of my wit, the doublenesse      1300
Of this chanoun, roote of alle cursednesse!      1301
He semed freendly to hem that knewe hym noght,      1302
But he was feendly bothe in werk and thoght.      1303
It weerieth me to telle of his falsnesse,      1304
And nathelees yet wol I it expresse,      1305
To th' entente that men may be war therby,      1306
And for noon oother cause, trewely.      1307
He putte this ounce of coper in the crosselet,      1308
And on the fir as swithe he hath it set,      1309
And caste in poudre, and made the preest to blowe,      1310
And in his werkyng for to stoupe lowe,      1311
As he dide er, -- and al nas but a jape;      1312
Right as hym liste, the preest he made his ape!      1313
And afterward in the ingot he it caste,      1314
And in the panne putte it at the laste      1315
Of water, and in he putte his owene hand,      1316
And in his sleve (as ye biforen-hand      1317
Herde me telle) he hadde a silver teyne.      1318
He slyly took it out, this cursed heyne,      1319
Unwityng this preest of his false craft,      1320
And in the pannes botme he hath it laft;      1321
And in the water rombled to and fro,      1322
And wonder pryvely took up also      1323
The coper teyne, noght knowynge this preest,      1324
And hidde it, and hym hente by the breest,      1325
And to hym spak, and thus seyde in his game:      1326
Stoupeth adoun, by god, ye be to balme!      1327
Helpeth me now, as I dide yow whileer;      1328
Putte in youre hand, and looketh what is theer.      1329
This preest took up this silver teyne anon,      1330
And thanne seyde the chanoun, lat us gon      1331
With thise thre teynes, whiche that we han wroght,      1332
To som goldsmyth, and wite if they been oght.      1333
For, by my feith, I nolde, for myn hood,      1334
But if that they were silver fyn and good,      1335
And that as swithe preeved it shal bee.      1336
Unto the goldsmyth with thise teynes three      1337
They wente, and putte thise teynes in assay      1338
Fo fir and hamer; myghte no man seye nay,      1339
But that they weren as hem oghte be.      1340
This sotted preest, who was gladder than he?      1341
Was nevere brid gladder agayn the day,      1342
Ne nyghtyngale, in the sesoun of may,      1343
Was nevere noon that luste bet to synge;      1344
Ne lady lustier in carolynge,      1345
Or for to speke of love and wommanhede,      1346
Ne knyght in armes to doon an hardy dede,      1347
To stonden in grace of his lady deere,      1348
Than hadde this preest this soory craft to leere.      1349
And to the chanoun thus he spak and seyde:      1350
For love of god, that for us alle deyde,      1351
And as I may deserve it unto yow,      1352
What shal this receite coste? telleth now!      1353
By oure lady, quod this chanon, it is deere,      1354
I warne yow wel; for save I and a frere,      1355
In engelond ther kan no man it make.      1356
No fors, quod he, now, sire, for goddes sake,      1357
What shal I paye? telleth me, I preye.      1358
Ywis, quod he, it is ful deere, I seye.      1359
Sire, at o word, if that thee list it have,      1360
Ye shul paye fourty pound, so God me save!
Page  222
     1361
And nere the freendshipe that ye dide er this      1362
To me, ye sholde paye moore, ywis.      1363
This preest the somme of fourty pound anon      1364
Of nobles fette, and took hem everichon      1365
To this chanoun, for this ilke receite.      1366
Al his werkyng nas but fraude and deceite.      1367
Sire preest, he seyde, I kepe han no loos      1368
Of my craft, for I wolde it kept were cloos;      1369
And, as ye love me, kepeth it secree.      1370
For, and men knewen al my soutiltee,      1371
By god, they wolden han so greet envye      1372
To me, by cause of my philosophye,      1373
I sholde be deed; ther were noon oother weye.      1374
God it forbeede, quod the preest, what sey ye?      1375
Yet hadde I levere spenden al the good      1376
Which that I have, and elles wexe I wood,      1377
Than that ye sholden falle in swich mescheef.      1378
For youre good wyl, sire, have ye right good preef,      1379
Quod the chanoun, and farwel, grant mercy!      1380
He wente his wey, and never the preest hym sy      1381
After that day; and whan that this preest shoolde      1382
Maken assay, at swich tyme as he wolde,      1383
Of this receit, farwel! it wolde nat be.      1384
Lo, thus byjaped and bigiled was he!      1385
Thus maketh he his introduccioun,      1386
To brynge folk to hir destruccioun.      1387
Considereth, sires, how that, in ech estaat,      1388
Bitwixe men and gold ther is debaat      1389
So ferforth that unnethes is ther noon.      1390
This multiplying blent so many oon      1391
That in good feith I trowe that it bee      1392
The cause grettest of swich scarsetee.      1393
Philosophres speken so mystily      1394
In this craft that men kan nat come therby,      1395
For any wit that men han now-a-dayes.      1396
They mowe wel chiteren as doon thise jayes,      1397
And in hir termes sette hir lust and peyne,      1398
But to hir purpos shul they nevere atteyne.      1399
A man may lightly lerne, if he have aught,      1400
To multiplie, and brynge his good to naught!      1401
Lo! swich a lucre is in this lusty game,      1402
A mannes myrthe it wol turne unto grame,      1403
And empten also grete and hevye purses,      1404
And maken folk for to purchacen curses      1405
Of hem that han hir good therto ylent.      1406
O! fy, for shame! they that han been brent,      1407
Allas! kan they nat flee the fires heete?      1408
Ye that it use, I rede ye it leete,      1409
Lest ye lese al; for bet than nevere is late.      1410
Nevere to thryve were to long a date.      1411
Though ye prolle ay, ye shul it nevere fynde.      1412
Ye been as boold as is bayard the blynde,      1413
That blondreth forth, and peril casteth noon.      1414
He is as boold to renne agayn a stoon      1415
As for to goon bisides in the weye.      1416
So faren ye that multiplie, I seye.      1417
If that youre eyen kan nat seen aright,      1418
Looke that youre mynde lakke noght his sight.      1419
For though ye looken never so brode and stare,      1420
Ye shul nothyng wynne on that chaffare,      1421
But wasten al that ye may rape and renne.      1422
Withdraweth the fir, lest it to faste brenne;      1423
Medleth namoore with that art, I mene,      1424
For if ye doon, youre thrift is goon ful clene.      1425
And right as swithe I wol yow tellen heere      1426
What philosophres seyn in this mateere.      1427
Lo, thus seith arnold of the newe toun,      1428
As his rosarie maketh mencioun;      1429
He seith right thus, withouten any lye:      1430
Ther may no man mercurie mortifie      1431
But it be with his brother knowlechyng.      1432
How be that he which that first seyde this thyng      1433
Of philosophres fader was, hermes --      1434
He seith how that the dragon, doutelees,      1435
Ne dyeth nat, but if that he be slayn      1436
With his brother; and that is for to sayn,      1437
By the dragon, mercurie, and noon oother      1438
He understood, and brymstoon by his brother,      1439
That out of sol and luna were ydrawe.      1440
And therfore, seyde he, -- taak heede to my sawe --      1441
Lat no man bisye hym this art for to seche,      1442
But if that he th' entencioun and speche      1443
Of philosophres understonde kan;      1444
And if he do, he is a lewed man.      1445
For this science and this konnyng, quod he,      1446
Is of the secree of secrees, pardee.      1447
Also ther was a disciple of plato,      1448
That on a tyme seyde his maister to,      1449
As his book senior wol bere witnesse,      1450
And this was his demande in soothfastnesse:      1451
Telle me the name of the privee stoon?      1452
And plato answerde unto hym anoon,      1453
Take the stoon that titanos men name.      1454
Which is that? quod he. Magnasia is the same,      1455
Seyde plato. Ye, sire, and is it thus?      1456
This is ignotum per ignocius.      1457
What is magnasia, good sire, I yow preye?      1458
It is a water that is maad, I seye,      1459
Of elementes foure, quod plato.      1460
Telle me the roote, good sire, quod he tho,      1461
Of that water, if it be youre wil.      1462
Nay, nay, quod plato, certein, that I nyl.      1463
The philosophres sworn were everychoon
Page  223
     1464
That they sholden discovere it unto noon,      1465
Ne in no book it write in no manere.      1466
For unto crist it is so lief and deere      1467
That he wol nat that it discovered bee,      1468
But where it liketh to his deitee      1469
Men for t' enspire, and eek for to deffende      1470
Whom that hym liketh; lo, this is the ende.      1471
Thanne conclude I thus, sith that God of hevene      1472
Ne wil nat that the philosophres nevene      1473
How that a man shal come unto this stoon,      1474
I rede, as for the beste, lete it goon.      1475
For whoso maketh God his adversarie,      1476
As for to werken any thyng in contrarie      1477
Of his wil, certes, never shal he thryve,      1478
Thogh that he multiplie terme of his lyve.      1479
And there a poynt; for ended is my tale.      1480
God sende every trewe man boote of his bale!      1481
Page  224
Group 9

The Manciple's Prologue

Woot ye nat where ther stant a litel toun      1
Which that ycleped is bobbe-up-and-doun,      2
Under the blee, in caunterbury weye?      3
Ther gan oure hooste for to jape and pleye,      4
And seyde, sires, what! dun is in the myre!      5
Is ther no man, for preyere ne for hyre,      6
That wole awake oure felawe al bihynde?      7
A theef myghte hym ful lightly robbe and bynde.      8
See how he nappeth! see how, for cokkes bones,      9
That he wol falle fro his hors atones!      10
Is that a cook of londoun, with meschaunce?      11
Do hym come forth, he knoweth his penaunce;      12
For he shal telle a tale, by my fey,      13
Although it be nat worth a botel hey.      14
Awake, thou cook, quod he, God yeve thee sorwe!      15
What eyleth thee to slepe by the morwe?      16
Hastow had fleen al nyght, or artow dronke?      17
Or hastow with som quene al nyght yswonke,      18
So that thow mayst nat holden up thyn heed?      19
This cook, that was ful pale and no thyng reed,      20
Seyde to oure hoost, so God my soule blesse,      21
As ther is falle on me swich hevynesse,      22
Noot I nat why, that me were levere slepe      23
Than the beste galon wyn in chepe.      24
Wel, quod the maunciple, if it may doon ese      25
To thee, sire cook, and to no wight displese,      26
Which that heere rideth in this compaignye,      27
And that oure hoost wole, of his curteisye,      28
I wol as now excuse thee of thy tale.      29
For, in good feith, thy visage is ful pale,      30
Thyne eyen daswen eek, as that me thynketh,      31
And, wel I woo, thy breeth ful soure stynketh:      32
That sheweth wel thou art nat wel disposed.      33
Of me, certeyn, thou shalt nat been yglosed.      34
See how he ganeth, lo! this dronken wight,      35
As though he wolde swolwe us anonright.      36
Hoold cloos thy mouth, man, by thy fader kyn!      37
The devel of helle sette his foot therin!      38
Thy cursed breeth infecte wole us alle.      39
Fy, stynkyng swyn! fy, foule moote thee falle!      40
A! taketh heede, sires, of this lusty man.      41
Now, sweete sire, wol ye justen atte fan?      42
Therto me thynketh ye been wel yshape!      43
I trowe that ye dronken han wyn ape,      44
And that is whan men pleyen with a straw.      45
And with this speche the cook wax wrooth and wraw,      46
And on the manciple he gan nodde faste      47
For lakke of speche, and doun the hors hym caste,      48
Where as he lay, til that men hym up took.      49
This was a fair chyvachee of a cook!      50
Allas! he nadde holde hym by his ladel!      51
And er that he agayn were in his sadel,      52
Ther was greet showvyng bothe to and fro      53
To lifte hym up, and muchel care and wo,      54
So unweeldy was this sory palled goost.      55
And to the manciple thanne spak oure hoost:      56
By cause drynke hath dominacioun      57
Upon this man, by my savacioun,      58
I trowe he lewedly wolde telle his tale.      59
For, were it wyn, or oold or moysty ale,      60
That he hath dronke, he speketh in his nose,      61
And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose.      62
He hath also to do moore than ynough      63
To kepen hym and his capul out of the slough;      64
And if he falle from his capul eftsoone,      65
Thanne whal we alle have ynogh to doone      66
In liftyng up his hevy dronken cors.      67
Telle on thy tale; of hym make I no fors.      68
But yet, manciple, in feith thou art to nyce,      69
Thus openly repreve hym of his vice.      70
Another day he wole, peraventure,      71
Reclayme thee and brynge thee to lure;      72
I meene, he speke wole of smale thynges,      73
As for to pynchen at thy rekenynges,      74
That were nat honest, if it cam to preef.      75
No, quod the manciple, that were a greet mescheef!      76
So myghte he lightly brynge me in the snare.      77
Yet hadde I levere payen for the mare      78
Which he rit on, than he sholde with me stryve.      79
I wol nat wratthen hym, also moot I thryve!      80
That that I spak, I seyde it in my bourde.      81
And wite ye what? I have heer in a gourde      82
A draghte of wyn, ye, of a ripe grape,
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     83
And right anon ye shul seen a good jape.      84
This cook shal drynke therof, if I may.      85
Up peyne of deeth, he wol nat seye me nay.      86
And certeynly, to tellen as it was,      87
Of this vessel the cook drank faste, allas!      88
What neded hym? he drank ynough biforn.      89
And whan he hadde pouped in this horn,      90
To the manciple he took the gourde agayn;      91
And of that drynke the cook was wonder fayn,      92
And thanked hym in swich wise as he koude.      93
Thanne gan oure hoost to laughen wonder loude,      94
And seyde, I se wel it is necessarie,      95
Where that we goon, good drynke with us carie;      96
For that wol turne rancour and disese      97
T' acord and love, and many a wrong apese.      98
O thou bacus, yblessed be thy name,      99
That so kanst turnen ernest into game!      100
Worshipe and thank be to thy deitee!      101
Of that mateere ye gete namoore of me.      102
Telle on thy tale, manciple, I thee preye.      103
Wel, sire, quod he, now herkneth what I seye.      104
The Manciple's Tale

Whan phebus dwelled heere in this erthe adoun,      105
As olde bookes maken mencioun,      106
He was the mooste lusty bachlier      107
In al this world, and eek the beste archer.      108
He slow phitoun, the serpent, as he lay      109
Slepynge agayn the soone upon a day;      110
And many another noble worthy dede      111
He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede.      112
Pleyen he koude on every mynstralcie,      113
And syngen, that it was a melodie      114
To heeren of his cleere voys the soun.      115
Certes the kyng of thebes, amphioun,      116
That with his syngyng walled that citee,      117
Koude nevere syngen half so wel as hee.      118
Therto he was the semelieste man      119
That is or was, sith that the world bigan.      120
What nedeth is his fetures to discryve?      121
For in this world was noon so faire on-lyve.      122
He was therwith fulfild of gentillesse,      123
Of honour, and of parfit worthynesse.      124
This phebus, that was flour of bachilrie,      125
As wel in fredom as in chivalrie,      126
For his desport, in signe eek of victorie      127
Of phitoun, so as telleth us the storie,      128
Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe.      129
Now hadde this phebus in his hous a crowe      130
Which in a cage he fostred many a day,      131
And taughte it speken, as men teche a jay.      132
Whit was this crowe as in a snow-whit swan,      133
And countrefete the speche of every man      134
He koude, whan he sholde telle a tale.      135
Therwith in al this world no nyghtygale      136
Ne koude, by an hondred thousand deel,      137
Syngen so wonder myrily and weel.      138
Now hadde this phebus in his hous a wyf      139
Which that he lovede moore than his lyf,      140
And nyght and day dide evere his diligence      141
Hir for to plese, and doon hire reverence,      142
Save oonly, if the sothe that I shal sayn.      143
Jalous he was, and wolde have kept hire fayn.      144
For hym were looth byjaped for to be,      145
And so is every wight in swich degree;      146
But al in ydel, for it availleth noght.      147
A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thought,      148
Sholde nat been kept in noon awayt, certayn;      149
And trewely, the labour is in vayn      150
To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat bee.      151
This holde I for a verray nycetee,      152
To spille labour for to kepe wyves:      153
Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves.      154
But now to purpos, as I first bigan:      155
This worthy phebus dooth al that he kan      156
To plesen hire, wenynge for swich plesaunce,      157
And for his manhede and his governaunce,      158
That no man sholde han put hym from hir grace.      159
But God it woot, ther may no man embrace      160
As to destreyne a thyng which that nature      161
Hath natureelly set in a creature.      162
Taak any bryd, and put it in a cage,      163
And do al thyn entente and thy corage      164
To fostre it tendrely with mete and drynke      165
Of alle deyntees that thou kanst bithynke,      166
And keep it al so clenly as thou may,      167
Although his cage of gold be never so gay,
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     168
Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand foold,      169
Levere in a forest, that is rude and coold,      170
Goon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse.      171
For evere this brid wol doon his bisynesse      172
To escape out of his cage, yif he may.      173
His libertee this brid desireth ay.      174
Lat take a cat and fostre hym wel with milk      175
And tendre flessh, and make his couche of silk,      176
And lat hym seen a mous go by the wal,      177
Anon he weyveth milk and flessh and al,      178
And every deyntee that is in that hous,      179
Swich appetit hath he to ete a mous.      180
Lo heere hath lust his dominacioun,      181
And appetit fleemeth discrecioun,      182
A she-wolf hath also a vileyns knyde.      183
The lewedeste wolf that she may fynde,      184
Or leest of reputacoun, wol she take,      185
In tyme whan hir lust to han a make.      186
Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men      187
That been untrewe, and nothyng by wommen.      188
For men han evere a likerous appetit      189
On lower thyng to parfourne hire delit      190
Than on hire wyves, be they never so faire,      191
Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire.      192
Flessh is so newefangel, with meschaunce,      193
That we ne konne in nothyng han plesaunce      194
That sowneth into vertu any while.      195
This phebus, which that thoghte upon no gile,      196
Deceyved was, for al his jolitee.      197
For under hym another hadde shee,      198
A man of litel reputacioun,      199
Nat worth to phebus in comparisoun.      200
The moore harm is, it happeth ofte so,      201
Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo.      202
And so bifel, whan phebus was absent,      203
His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent.      204
Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavyssh speche!      205
Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche.      206
The wise plato seith, as ye may rede,      207
The word moot nede accorde with the dede.      208
If men shal telle proprely a thyng.      209
The word moot cosyn be to the werkyng.      210
I am a boystous man, right thus seye I,      211
Ther nys no difference, trewely,      212
Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree,      213
If of hir body dishonest she bee,      214
And a povre wenche, oother than this --      215
If it so be they werke bothe amys --      216
But that the gentile, in estaat above,      217
She shal be cleped his lady, as in love;      218
And for that oother is a povre womman,      219
She shal be cleped his wenche or his lemman,      220
And, God it woot, myn owene deere brother.      221
Men leyn that oon as lowe as lith that oother.      222
Right so bitwixe a titleees tiraunt      223
And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt,      224
The same I seye, ther is no difference.      225
To alisaundre was toold this sentence,      226
That, for the tirant is of gretter myght,      227
By force of meynee, for to sleen dounright,      228
And brennen hous and hoom, and make al playn,      229
Lo, therfore is he cleped a capitayn;      230
And for the outlawe hath but smal meynee,      231
And may nat doon so greet an harm as he,      232
Ne brynge a contree to so greet mescheef,      233
Men clepen hym an outlawe or a theef.      234
But, for I am a man noght textueel,      235
I wold noght telle of textes never a deel;      236
I wol go to my tale, as I bigan.      237
Whan phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman,      238
Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage.      239
The white crowe, that heeng ay in the cage.      240
Biheeld hire werk, and seyde never a word.      241
And whan that hoom was come phebus, the lord,      242
This crowe sang cokkow! cokkow! cokkow!      243
What bryd! quod phebus, what song dyngestow?      244
Ne were thow wont so myrily to synge      245
That to myn herte it was a rejoysynge      246
To heere thy voys? allas! what song is this?      247
By god! quod he, I synge nat amys.      248
Phebus, quod he, for al thy worthynesse,      249
For al thy beautee and thy gentilesse,      250
For al thy song and al thy mynstralcye,      251
For al thy waityng, blered is thyn ye      252
With oon of litel reputacioun,      253
Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun,      254
The montance of a gnat, so moote I thryve!      255
For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh hym swyve.      256
What wol ye moore? the crowe anon hym tolde,      257
By sadde tokenes and by wordes bolde,      258
How that his wyf had doon hire lecherye,      259
Hym to greet sham and to greet vileynye;      260
And tolde hym ofte he saugh it with his yen.      261
His phebus gan aweyward for to wryen,      262
And thoughte his sorweful herte brast atwo.      263
His bowe he bente, and sette therinne a flo,      264
And in his ire his wyf thanne hath he slayn.      265
This is th' effect, ther is namoore to sayn;      266
For sorwe of which he brak his mynstralcie,      267
Bothe harpe, and lute, and gyterne, and sautrie;      268
And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe,      269
And after that thus spak he to the crowe;
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     270
Traitour, quod he, with tonge of scorpioun,      271
Thou hast me broght to my confusioun;      272
Allas, that I was wroght! why nere I deed?      273
O deere wyf! o gemme of lustiheed!      274
That were to me so sad and eek so trewe,      275
Now listow deed, with face pale of hewe,      276
Ful gilteless, that dorste I swere, ywys!      277
O rakel hand, to doon so foule amys!      278
O trouble wit, o ire recchelees,      279
That unavysed smyteth gilteles!      280
O wantrust, ful of fals suspecion,      281
Where was thy wit and thy discrecion?      282
O every man, be war of rakelinesse!      283
Ne trowe no thyng withouten strong witnesse.      284
Smyt nat to soone, er that ye witen why,      285
And beeth avysed wel and sobrely      286
Er ye doon any execucion      287
Upon youre ire for suspecion.      288
Allas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire      289
Fully fordoon, and broght hem in the mire.      290
Allas! for sorwe I wol myselven slee!      291
And to crowe, o false theef! seyde he,      292
I wol thee quite anon thy false tale.      293
Thou songe whilom lyk a nyghtyngale;      294
Now shaltow, false theef, thy song forgon,      295
And eek thy white fetheres everichon,      296
Ne nevere in al thy life ne shaltou speke.      297
Thus shal men on a traytour been awreke;      298
Thou and thyn ofspryng evere shul be blake,      299
Ne nevere sweete noyse shul ye make,      300
But evere crie agayn tempest and rayn,      301
In tokenynge that thurgh thee my wyf is slayn.      302
And to the crowe he stirte, and that anon,      303
And pulled his white fetheres everychon,      304
And made hym blak, and refte hym al his song,      305
And eek his speche, and out at dore hym slong      306
Unto the devel, which I hym bitake;      307
And for this caas been alle crowes blake.      308
Lordynges, by this ensamble I yow preye,      309
Beth war, and taketh kep what that ye seye:      310
Ne telleth nevere no man in youre lyf      311
How that another man hath dight his wyf;      312
He wol yow haten mortally, certeyn.      313
Daun salomon, as wise clerkes seyn,      314
Techeth a man to kepen his tonge weel.      315
, but as I seyde, I am noght textueel.      316
But nathelees, thus taughte me my dame:      317
My sone, thenk on the crowe, a goodes name!      318
My sone, keep wel thy tonge, and keep thy freend.      319
A wikked tonge is worse than a feend;      320
My sone, from a feend men may hem blesse.      321
My sone, God of his endelees goodnesse      322
Walled a tonge with teeth and lippes eke,      323
For man sholde hym avyse what he speeke.      324
My sone, ful ofte, for to muche speche      325
Hath many a man been spilt, as clerkes teche;      326
But for litel speche avysely      327
Is no man shent, to speke generally.      328
My sone, thy tonge sholdestow restreyne      329
At alle tymes, but whan thou doost thy peyne      330
To speke of god, in honour and preyere.      331
The firste vertu, sone, if thou wolt leere,      332
Is to restreyne and kepe wel thy tonge;      333
Thus lerne children whan that they been yonge.      334
My sone, of muchel spekyng yvele avysed,      335
Ther lasse spekyng hadde ynough suffised,      336
Comth muchel harm; thus was me toold and taught.      337
In muchel speche synne wanteth naught.      338
Wostow wherof a rakel tonge serveth?      339
Right as a swerd forkutteth and forkerveth      340
An arm a-two, my deere done, right so      341
A tonge kutteth freendshipe al a-two.      342
A jangler is to God abhomynable.      343
Reed salomon, so wys and honurable;      344
Reed david in his psalmes, reed senekke.      345
My sone, spek nat, but with thyn heed thou bekke.      346
Dissimule as thou were deef, if that thou heere      347
A janglere speke of perilous mateere.      348
The flemyng seith, and lerne it if thee leste,      349
That litel janglyng causeth muchel reste.      350
My sone, if thou no wikked word hast seyd,      351
Thee thar nat drede for to be biwreyd;      352
But he that hath mysseyd, I dar wel sayn,      353
He may by no wey clepe his word agayn.      354
Thyng that is seyd is seyd, and forth it gooth,      355
Though hym repente, or be hym nevere so looth.      356
He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd      357
A tale of which he is now yvele apayd.      358
My sone, be war, and be noon auctour newe      359
Of tidynges, wheither they been false or trewe.      360
Whereso thou come, amonges hye or lowe,      361
Kepe wel thy tonge, and thenk upon the crowe.      362
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Group 10

The Parson's Prologue

By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended,      1
The sonne fro the south lyne was descended      2
So lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte,      3
Degrees nyne and twenty as in highte.      4
Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse,      5
For ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse,      6
My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there,      7
Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were      8
In sixe feet equal of proporcioun.      9
Therwith the moones exaltacioun,      10
I meene libra, alwey gan ascende,      11
As we were entryng at a thropes ende;      12
For which oure hoost, as he was wont to gye,      13
As in this caas, oure joly compaignye,      14
Seyde in this wise: lordynges everichoon,      15
Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon.      16
Fulfilled is my sentence and my decree;      17
I trowe that we han herd of ech degree;      18
Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce.      19
I pray to god, so yeve hym right good chaunce,      20
That telleth this tale to us lustily.      21
Sire preest, quod he, artow a vicary?      22
Or arte a person? sey sooth, by the fey!      23
Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley;      24
For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale.      25
Unbokele, and shewe us what is in thy male;      26
For, trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere      27
Thou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere.      28
Telle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones!      29
This persoun answerde, al atones,      30
Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me;      31
For paul, that writeth unto thymothee,      32
Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse,      33
And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.      34
Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest,      35
Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?      36
For which I seye, if that yow list to heere      37
Moralitee and vertuous mateere,      38
And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience,      39
I wol ful fayn, at cristes reverence,      40
Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan.      41
But trusteth wel, I am a southren man,      42
I kan nat geeste -- rum, ram, ruf, -- by lettre,      43
Ne, God woot, ryn holde I but litel bettre;      44
And therfore, if yow list -- I wol nat glose --      45
I wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose      46
To knytte up al this feeste, and make an ende.      47
And jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende      48
To shewe yow the wey, in this viage,      49
Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage      50
That highte jerusalem celestial.      51
And if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal      52
Bigynne upon my tale, for which I preye      53
Telle youre avys, I kan no bettre seye.      54
But nathelees, this meditacioun      55
I putte it ay under correccioun      56
Of clerkes, for I am nat textueel;      57
I take but the sentence, trusteth weel.      58
Therfore I make protestacioun      59
That I wol stonde to correccioun.      60
Upon this word we han assented soone,      61
For, as it seemed, it was for to doone,      62
To enden in som vertuous sentence,      63
And for to yeve hym space and audience;      64
And bade oure hoost he sholde to hym seye      65
That alle we to telle his tale hym preye.      66
Oure hoost hadde the wordes for us alle:      67
Sire preest, quod he, now faire yow bifalle!      68
Telleth, quod he, youre meditacioun.      69
But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun;      70
Beth fructuous, and that in litel space,      71
And to do wel God sende yow his grace!      72
Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere.      73
And with that word he seyde in this manere.      74
Page  229
The Parson's Tale

Part I
Oure sweete lord God of hevene, that no      75
Man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle      75
Yo yhr knoweleche of hym, and to the blisful      75
lif that is perdurable,/ amonesteth us      76
By the prophete jeremie, that seith in thys      76
Wyse:/ stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth      77
And axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde      77
Sentences) which is the goode wey./ And wald      78
Eth in that wey, and ye shal fynde refresshynge      78
For youre soules, etc./ Manye been the weyes      79
Espirituels that leden fold to oure lord jhesu      79
Crist, and to the regne of glorie./ Of whiche      80
Weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and ful covenable,      80
which may nat fayle to man ne to womman      80
that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro      80
The righte wey of jerusalem celestial;/ and      81
This wey is cleped penitence, of which man      81
Sholde gladly herknen and enquere with      81
His herte,/ to wyten what is penitence, and      82
Wheenes it is cleped penitence, and in how      82
Manye maners been the acciouns or werkynges      82
of penitence,/ and how manye speces      83
Ther been of penitence, and whiche thynges      83
Apertenen and bihoven to penitence, and      83
Whiche thynges destourben penitence./      84
Seint ambrose seith that penitence is the      84
Pleynynge of man for the gilt that he hath      84
Doon, and namoore to do any thyng for which      84
Hym oghte to pleyne./ And som doctour seith.      85
Penitence is the waymentynge of man that      85
Sorweth for his synne, and pyneth hymself      85
for he hath mysdoon./ Penitence,      86
With certeyne circumstances, is varray repentance      86
of a man that halt hymself in sorwe      86
And oother peyne for his giltes. / and for he      87
Shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwaylen      87
The synnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly      87
Purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe,      87
And to doon satisfaccioun, / and nevere to doon      88
Thyng for which hym oghte moore to biwayle      88
Or to compleyne, and to continue in goode      88
Werkes, or elles his repentance may nat availle. /      89
For, as seith seint ysidre, he is a japere and      89
A gabbere, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone      89
dooth thyng for which hym oghte repente./      89
wepynge, and nat for to stynte to      90
Do synne, may nat avayle./ But nathelees,      91
Men shal hope that every tyme that man      91
Falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise      91
Thurgh penitence, if he have grace; but certeinly      91
it is greet doute./ For, as seith seint      92
Gregorie, unnethe ariseth he out of his synne,      92
That is charged with the charge of yvel usage./      93
And therfore repentant folk, that stynte for to      93
Synne, and forlete synne er that synne forlete      93
Hem, hooly chirche holdeth hem siker of hir      93
Savacioun. / and he that synneth and verraily      94
Repenteth hym in his laste, hooly chirche yet      94
Hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of      94
Oure lord jhesu crist, for his repentaunce; but      94
Taak the siker wey./      95
And now, sith I have declared yow what      95
Thyng is penitence, now shul ye understonde      95
That ther been three acciouns of penitence./      95
the firste is that if a man be baptized      96
after that he hath synned,/ seint augustyn      97
seith, but he be penytent for his olde      97
Synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe clene      97
Lif./ For, certes, if he be baptized withouten      98
Penitence of his olde gilt, he receyveth the mark      98
Of baptesme, but nat the grace ne the remission      98
Of his synnes, til he have repentance verray./      99
Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly      99
Synne after that they han receyved baptesme./      100
The thridde defaute is that men fallen in      100
Venial synnes after hir baptesme, fro day      100
To day./ Therof seith seint augustyn that      101
Penitence of goode and humble folk is the      101
Penitence of every day./      102
The speces of penitence been three. That      102
Oon of hem is solempne, another is commune,      102
And the thridde is privee./ Thilke penance that      103
Is solempne is in two maneres; as to be put out      103
Of hooly chirche in-lente, for slaughtre of children      103
and swich maner thyng./ Another is,      104
Whan a man hath synned openly, of which      104
Synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree,      104
and thanne hooly chirche by juggement      104
Destreyneth hym for to do open penaunce./      105
Commune penaunce is that preestes enjoynen      105
Men communly in certeyn caas, as for to goon      105
Peraventure naked in pilgrimages, or barefoot./
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     105
Prevee penaunce is thilke that men      106
Doon alday for privee synnes, of whiche we      106
Shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce./      107
Now shaltow understande what is bihovely      107
And necessarie to verray perfit penitence. And      107
This stant on three thynges:/ contricioun of      108
Herte, confessioun of mouth, and satisfaction.      108
/ for which seith seint crisostomz      109
Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benygnely      109
every peyne that hym is enjoyned,      109
With contricioun of herte, and shrift of mouth,      109
With satisfaccioun; and in werkynge of alle      109
Manere humylitee./ And this is fruytful penitence      110
agayn three thinges in which we      110
Wratthe oure lord jhesu crist:/ this is to      111
Seyn, by delit in thynkynge, by reccheleesnesse      111
in spekynge, and by wikked synful werknyge./      111
and agayns thise wikkede giltes is penitence,      112
that may be likned unto a tree./      113
The roote of this tree is contricioun, that      113
Hideth hym in the herte of hym that is verray      113
Repentaunt, right as the roote of a tree gydeth      113
Hym in the erthe./ Of the roote of contricioun      114
Spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and      114
Leves of confessioun, and fruyt of satisfaccioun./      114
for which crist seith in his gospel:      115
Dooth digne fruyt of penitence; for by this      115
Fruyt may men knowe this tree, and nat by the      115
Roote that is hyd in the herte of man, ne by the      115
Braunches, ne by the leves of confessioun./      115
and therfore oure lord jhesu      116
Crist seith thus: by the fruyt of hem shul      116
Ye knowen hem./ Of this roote eek spryngeth      117
A seed of grace, the which seed is mooder of      117
Sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot./ The      118
Grace of this seed spryngeth of God thurgh remembrance      118
of the day of doom and on the      118
Peynes of helle./ Of this matere seith salomon      119
that in the drede of God man forleteth his      119
Synne./ The heete of this seed is the love of      120
God, and the desiryng of the joye perdurable./      120
this heete draweth the herte      121
Of a man to god, and dooth hym haten his      121
Synne./ For soothly ther is nothyng that savoureth      122
so wel to a child as the milk of his      122
Norice, ne nothyng is to hym moore abhomnyable      122
than thilke milk whan it is medled with      122
Oother mete./ Right so the synful man that      123
Loveth his synne, hym semeth that it is to him      123
Moost sweete of any thyng;/ but fro that tyme      124
That he loveth sadly oure lord jhesu crist, and      124
Desireth the lif perdurable, ther nys to him no      124
Thyng moore abhomynable./ For soothly the      125
Lawe of God is the love of god; for which      125
David the prophete seith: I have loved thy      125
Lawe, and hated wikkednesse and hate; he      125
That loveth God kepeth his lawe and his      125
Word./ This tree saugh the prophete      126
Daniel in spirit, upon the avysioun of the      126
Kyng nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled hym      126
To do penitence./ Penaunce is the tree of lyf      127
To hem that is receyven, and he that holdeth      127
Hym in verray penitence is blessed, after the      127
Sentence of solomon./      128
In this penitence or contricioun man shal      128
Understonde foure thynges; that is to seyn, what      128
Is contricioun, and whiche been the causes that      128
Moeven a man to contricioun, and how he      128
Sholde be contrit, and what contricioun availleth      128
to the soule./ Thanne is it thus: that contricioun      129
is the verray sorwe that a man receyveth      129
in his herte for his synnes, with sad purpos      129
To shryve hum, and to do penaunce, and neveremoore      129
to do synne./ And this sorwe shal      130
Been in this manere, as seith seint bernard: it      130
Shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharp      130
And poynaunt in herte./ First, for man      131
Hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and      131
Moore sharp and poynaunt, for he hath agilt hys      131
Fader celestial;/ and yet moore sharp and      132
Poynaunt, for he hath wrathed and agilt hym      132
That boghte hym, that with his precious blood      132
Hath delivered us fro the bondes of synne, and      132
Fro the crueltee of the deve, and fro the peynes      132
Of helle./      133
The causes that oghte moeve a man to contricioun      133
been sixe. First a man shal remembre      133
Hym of his synnes;/ but looke he that thilke      134
Remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no      134
Qwy, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt.      134
For job seith, synful men doon werkes worthy      134
Of confusioun./ And therfore seith ezechie,      135
I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my      135
Lyf in bitternesse of myn herte./ And      136
God seith in the apocalipse, remembreth      136
Yow fro whennes that ye been falle; for biforn      136
That tyme that ye synned, ye were the children      136
Of god, and lymes of the regne of god;/ but for      137
Youre synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and      137
Membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre      137
of hooly chirche, and foode of the false      137
Serpent; prepetueel matere of the fir of helle:/      138
And yet moore foul and abhomynable, for ye      138
Trespassen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that      138
Retourneth to eten his spewyng./ And yet be      139
Ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne      139
And youre synful usage, for which ye be roten      139
In yore synne, as a beest in the dong./ Swiche
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     140
Manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame      140
Of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by      140
The prophete ezechiel:/ ye shal remembre      141
yow of youre weyes, and they shuln      141
Displese yow. Soothly synnes been the weyes      141
That leden folk of helle./      142
The seconde cause that oghte make a man      142
To have desdeyn of synne is this: that, as seith      142
Seint peter, whoso that dooth synne is thral      142
Of synne; and synne put a man in greet thraldom./      142
and therfore seith the prophete ezechiel:      143
I wente sorweful in desdayn of mysekf.      143
Certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of synne,      143
And withdrawe hym from that thraldom and      143
Vileynye./ And lo, what seith seneca in this      144
Matere? he seith thus: though I wiste that      144
Neither God ne man ne sholde nevere knowe      144
It, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne./      145
And the same seneca also seith: I am born to      145
Gretter thynges that to be thral to my body,      145
Or than for to maken of my body a thral./      146
Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman      146
Maken of his body that for to yeven his body      146
To synne./ Al were it the fouleste cherl or the      147
Fouleste womman that lyveth, and leest of      147
~alue, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore      147
In servitute./ Evere fro the hyer degree that      148
Man falleth, the moore is he thral, and moore      148
To God and to the world vile and abhomynable./      148
o goode god, wel oghte man have desdayn      149
of synne, sith that thurgh synne, ther he      149
Was free, now is he maked bonde./ And therfore      150
seyth seint augustyn: if thou hast desdayn      150
of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have      150
Thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself      150
Sholdest do synne./ Tak reward of thy      151
Value, that thou ne be foul to thyself./      152
Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to      152
Been servauntz and thralles to synne, and soore      152
Been ashamed of hemself,/ that God of his      153
Endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat,      153
or yeven hem wit, strenghte of body,      153
Heele, beautee, prosperitee,/ and boghte hem      154
Fro the deeth with his herte-blood. That they      154
So unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym      154
So vileynsly to slaughtre of hir owene soules./      155
O goode god, ye wommen that been of so greet      155
Beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe      155
Of salomon. He seith:/ likneth a fair      156
Womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to      156
A ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a      156
Soughe./ For right as a soughe wrotheth in      157
Everich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in      157
The stynkynge ordure of synne./      158
The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man      158
To contricioun is drede of the day of doom and      158
Of the horrible peynes of helle./ For, as seint      159
Jerome seith, at every tyme that me remembreth      159
of the day of doom I quake;/ for whan      160
I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere      160
Semeth me that the trompe sowneth in      160
Myn ere:/ -- riseth up, ye that been dede,      161
And cometh to the juggement. -- / o goode      162
God, muchel oghte a man to drede wich a      162
Juggement, ther as we shullen been alle, as      162
Seint poul seith, biforn the seete of oure lord      162
Jhesu crist;/ whereas he shal make a general      163
Congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent./      163
for certes there availleth noon essoyne      164
Ne excusacioun./ And nat oonly that oure defautes      165
shullen be jugged, but eek that alle      165
Oure werkes shullen openly be knowe./      166
And as seith seint bernard, ther ne shal      166
No pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen      166
Yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word./ Ther      167
Shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved      167
ne corrput. And why? for, certes, alle      167
Oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym; ne      167
For preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt./      167
and therfore seith salomon, the      168
Wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for      168
Prevere ne for yifte; and therfore, at the day      168
Of doom, ther nys noon hope to escape./ Wherfore,      169
as seith seint anselm, ful greet angwyssh      169
shul the synful folk have at that tyme;/      170
Ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte      170
Above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle      170
Open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his      170
Synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed      170
Biforn God and biforn every creature;/      171
And in the left syde mo develes that herte      171
May bithynke, for the harye and drawe the synful      171
soules to the peyne of helle;/ and withinne      172
The hertes of folk shall be bitynge conscience,      172
and withoute forth shal be the orld      172
Al brennynge./ Whider shall thanne the      173
Wrecched synful man flee th hiden hym?      173
Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come      173
Forth and shewen hym./ For certes, as seith      174
Seint jerome, the erthe shal casten hym out      174
Of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that      174
Shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges./      174
now soothly, whoso wel remembreth      175
Hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne      175
Shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet      175
Sorwe, for drede of the peyne of helle./      176
And therfore seith job to god: suffre,      176
Lord, that I may a while biwaille and wepe.
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     176
Er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lord,      176
Covered with the derknesse of deeth;/ to the      177
Lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the      177
Shadwe of deeth; whereas ther is noon ordre or      177
Ordinaunce, but grisly drede that evere shal      177
Laste./ Loo, heere may ye seen that job      178
Preyde repit a while, to biwepe and waille his      178
Trespas; for soothly oo day of respit is bettre      178
Than al the tresor of this world./ And forasmuche      179
as a man may acquiten hymself biforn      179
God by penitence in this world, and nat by      179
Tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve      179
Hymrespit a while to biwepe and biwaillen      179
His trespas./ For certes, al the sorwe that a      180
Man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the      180
World nys but a litel thyng at regard of the      180
Sorwe of helle./ The cause why that job      181
Clepeth helle the lond of derknesse;/ understondeth      182
that he clepeth it lond or erthe,      182
For it is stable, and nevere shal faille; derk,      182
For he that is in helle hath defaute of light material./      182
for certes, the derke light that shal      183
Come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal      183
Furne hym al to peyne that is in helle; for it      183
Sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym      183
Tormenten./ Covered with the derknesse of      184
Deeth, that is to seyn, that he that is in helle      184
Shal have defaute of the sighte of god; for      184
Certes, the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable./      185
The derknesse of deeth been the synnes that      185
The wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben      185
hym to see the face of god, right as      185
Dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the      185
Sonne./ Lond of misese, by cause that      186
Ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn      186
Three thynges that folk of this world han in this      186
Present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delices, and      186
Richesses./ Agayns honour, have they in helle      187
Shame and confusioun./ For wel ye woot that      188
Men clepen honour the reverence that man      188
Doth to man; but in helle is noon honour ne      188
Reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal      188
Be doon there to a kyng than to a knave./ For      189
Which God seith by the prophete jeremye,      189
Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in      189
Despit./ Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe;      190
Ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm      190
And torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee      190
and heighnesse, but in helle shul      190
They been al fortroden of develes./ And      191
God seith, the horrible develes shulle      191
Goon and comen upon the hevedes of the      191
Dampned folk. And this is for as muche as the      191
Hyer that they were in this present lyf, the      191
Moore shulle they been abated and defouled      191
In helle./ Agayns the richesse of this world      192
Shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte      192
shal been in foure thynges:/ in defaute of      193
Tresor, of which that david seith, the riche      193
Folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte      193
To tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge      193
of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden      193
In hir handes of al hir tresor./ And moore-over      194
the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute      194
Of mete and rinke./ For God seith thus by      195
Moyses: they shul been wasted with hunger,      195
And the briddes of helle shul devouren hem      195
With bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon      195
Shal been hire drynke, and the venym of      195
The dragon hire morsels./ And forther      196
Over, hire myseyse shal been in defaute of      196
Clothyng; for they shulle be naked in body as      196
Of clothyng, save the fyr in which they bree      196
And othere filthes;/ and naked shul they been      197
Of soule, as of alle manere vertues, which that      197
Is the clothyng of the soule. Where been      197
Thannne the gaye robes, and the softe shetes,      197
And the smale shertes?/ loo, what seith god      198
Of hem by the prophete ysaye: that under hem      198
Shul been strawed motthes, and hire covertures      198
Shulle been of womres of helle./ And forther      199
Over, hir myseyse shal been in defaute of      199
Freendes. For he nys nat povre that hath goode      199
Freendes; but there is no frend,/ for neither      200
God ne no creature shal been freend to hem,      200
And everich of hem shal haten oother      200
With deedly hat./ The sones and the      201
Doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader      201
And mooder, and kynrede agauns kynrede, and      201
Chiden and despisen everich of hem oother      201
Bothe day nad nyght, as God seith by the      201
Prophete michias./ And the lovynge children,      202
That whilom loveden so flesshly everich oother,      202
Wolden everich of hem eten oother if they      202
Myghte./ For how sholden they love hem togidre      203
in the peyne of helle, whan they hated      203
Everich of hem oother in the progenitee of this      203
Lyr?/ for truste wel, hir flesshly love was      204
Deedly hate, as seith the prophete david:      204
Whoso that loveth wikkednesse, he hateth his      204
Soule./ And whoso hateth his owene soule,      205
Certes, he may love noon oother wight in      205
No manere./ And therfore, in helle is no      206
Solas ne no freendshipe, but evere the      206
Moore flesshly kynredes that been in helle, the      206
Moore cursynges, the more chidynges, and the      206
Moore deedly hate ther is among hem./ And      207
Forther over, they shul have defaute of alle
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     207
Manere delices. For certes, delices been after      207
The appetites of the fyve wittes, as sighte, herynge,      207
smellynge, savorynge, and touchynge./      208
But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse      208
And of smoke, and therfore ful of teeres; and      208
Hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of grynt      208
Ynge of teeth, as seith jhesu crist./ Hir nose-      209
Thirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk; and      209
As seith ysaye the prophete, hir savoryng shal      209
Be ful of bitter galle;/ and touchynge of al hir      210
Body ycovered with fir that nevere shal      210
Quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul      210
Dyen, as God seith by the mouth of      210
Ysaye./ And for as muche as they shul      211
Nat wene that they may dyen for peyne,      211
And by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they      211
Understonden by the word of job, that seith,      211
Ther as is the shadwe of deeth./ Certes, a      212
Shadwe hath the liknesse of the thyng of which      212
It is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng      212
Of which it is shadwe./ Right so fareth the      213
Peune of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible      213
Angwissh, and why? for it peyneth hem evere,      213
As though they sholde dye anon; but certes,      213
They shal nat dye./ For, as seith seint gregorie,      214
to wrecche caytyves shal be deeth      214
Withoute deeth, adn end withouten ende, and      214
Defaute withoute failynge./ For hir deeth shal      215
Alwey lyven, and hir ende shal everemo bigynne,      215
and hir defaute shal nat faille./      216
And therfore seith seint john the evaungelist:      216
they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul      216
Nat fynde hym; and they shul desiren to dye,      216
And deeth shal flee fro hem./ And eek job      217
Seith that in helle is noon ordre of rule./ And      218
Al be it so that God hath creat alle thynges      218
In right ordre, and no thyng withouten ordre,      218
But alle thynges been ordeyned and nombred;      218
yet, nathelees, they that been dampned      218
Been nothyng in ordre, ne holden noon ordre./      219
For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt./ For      220
As the prophete david seith, God shal destroie      220
The fruyt of the erthe as fro hem; ne water ne      220
Shal yeve hem no moisture, ne the eyr no      220
Refresshyng, ne fyr no light./ For, as      221
Seith seint basilie, the brennynge of the      221
Fyr of this world shal God yeven in helle to hem      221
That been dampned,/ but the light and the cleernesse      222
shal be yeven in hevene to this childre;      222
Right as the goode man yeveth flessh to his      222
Children and bones to his houndes./ And for      223
They shullen have noon hope to escape, seith      223
Seint job atte laste that ther shal horrour and      223
Grisly drede dwellen withouten ende./ Horrour      224
is alwey drede of harm that is to come,      224
And this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes      224
Of hem that been dampned. And therfore han      224
They lorn al hire hope, for sevene causes./      225
First, for god, that is hir juge, shal be withouten      225
mercy to hem; and they may nat plese      225
Hym ne noon of his halwes; ne they ne      225
May yeve no thyng for hir raunsoun;/ ne      226
They have no voys to speke to hym; ne      226
They may nat fle fro peyne; ne they have no      226
Goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to      226
Delivere hem fro peyne./ And therfore seith      227
Salomon: the wikked man dyeth, and whan      227
He is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape      227
Fro peyne./ Whoso thanne wolde wel understande      228
thise peynes, and bithynke hym weel      228
That he hath deserved thilke peynes for his      228
Synnes, errtes, he sholde have moore talent to      228
Siken and to wepe, than for to syngen and to      228
Pleye./ For, as that seith salomon, whoso      229
That hadde the science to knowe the peynes      229
That been establissed and ordeyned for synne,      229
He wolde make sorwe./ Thilke science, as      230
Seith seint augustyn, maketh a man to      230
Waymenten in his herte./      231
The fourthe point that oghte maken a      231
Man to have contricion is the sorweful remembraunce      231
of the good that he hath left to      231
Doon heere in erthe, and eek the good that he      231
Hath lorn./ Soothly, the goode werkes that he      232
Hath lost, outher they been the goode werkes      232
That he wroghte er he fel into deedly synne, or      232
Elles the goode werkes that he wroghte while      232
He lay in synne./ Soothly, the goode werkes      233
That he dide biforn that he fil in synne been al      233
Mortefied and astoned and dulled by the ofte      233
Synnyng./ The othere goode werkes, that he      234
Wroghte whil he lay in deedly synne, thei been      234
Outrely dede, as to the lyf perdurable in hevene./      234
thanne thikle goode werkes that been      235
Mortefied by ofte synnyng, whiche goode      235
Werkes he dide whil he was in charitee, ne      235
Mowe nevere quyken agayn withouten verray      235
penitence./ And therof seith God by      236
The mouth of ezechiel, that if the rightful      236
Man returne agayn from his rightwisnesse and      236
Werke wikkednesse, shal he lyve?/ nay, for      237
Alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne      237
Shul nevere been in remembraunce, for he shal      237
Dyen in this synne./ And upon thilke chapitre      238
Seith seint gregorie thus: that we shulle understonde      238
this principally;/ that whan we doon      239
Deedly synne, it is for noght thanne to rehercen      239
Or drawen into memorie the goode werkes that
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We han wroght biforn. / for certes, in the      240
Werkynge of the deedly synne, ther is no trust      240
To no good werk that we can doon biforn; that      240
Is to seyn, as for to have therby the lyf      240
Perdurable in hevene./ But nathelees, the      241
Goode werkes quyken agayn, and comen      241
Agayn, and helpen, and availlen to have the      241
Lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han contricioun./      241
but soothly, the goode werkes that      242
Men doon whil they been in deedly synne, for      242
As muche as they were doon in deedly synne,      242
They may nevere quyke agayn./ For certes      243
Thyng that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quykene;      243
and nathelees, al be it that they ne availle      243
Noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet availlen      243
They to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles      243
To geten temporal richesse,/ or elles that god      244
Wole the rather enlumyne and lightne the herte      244
Of the synful man to have repentaunce;/ and      245
Eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon      245
Goode werkes, that the feend have the      245
Lasse power of his soule./ And thus the      246
Curteis lord jhesu crist ne wole that no      246
Good werk be lost; for in somwhat it shal      246
Availle./ But, for as muche as the goode werkes      247
That men doon whil they been in good lyf been      247
Al mortefied by synne folwynge, and eek sith      247
That alle the goode werkes that men doon whil      247
They been in deedly synne been outrely dede as      247
For to have the lyf perdurable;/ wel may that      248
Man that no good werk ne dooth synge thilke      248
Newe frenshe song, jay tout perdu mon temps      248
Et mon labour./ For certes, synne bireveth a      249
Man bothe goodnesse of nature and eek the      249
Goodnesse of grace./ For soothly, the grace of      250
The hooly goost fareth lyk fyr, that may nat      250
Been ydel; for fyr fayleth anoon as it forleteth      250
His wirkynge, and right so grace fayleth      250
Anoon as it forleteth his werkynge./ Then      251
Leseth the synful man the goodnesse of      251
Glorie, that oonly is bihight to goode men that      251
Labouren and werken./ Wel may he be sory      252
Thanne, that oweth al his lif to God as longe      252
As he hath lyved, and eek as longe as he shal      252
Lyve, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with      252
His dette to God to whom he oweth al his lyf./      253
For trust wel, he shal yeven acountes, as seith      253
Seint bernard, of alle the goodes that han be      253
Yeven hym in this present lyf, and how he hath      253
Hem despended;/ in so muche that ther shal      254
Nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment      254
Of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that      254
He ne shal yeve of it a rekenyng./      255
The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to      255
Contricioun is remembrance of the passioun      255
That oure lord jhesu crist suffred for oure      255
Synnes./ For, as seith seint bernard,      256
Whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance      256
of the travailles that oure lord crist      256
Suffred in prechyng;/ his werynesse in travaillyng,      257
his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe      257
Wakynges whan he preyde, hise teeres whan      257
That he weep for pitee of good peple;/ the      258
Wo and the shame and the filthe that men      258
Seyden to hym; of the foule spittyng that men      258
Spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men      258
Yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves      258
that men to hym seyden;/ of the nayles      259
With whiche he was nayled to the croys, and      259
Of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred      259
for my synnes, and no thyng for his gilt./      260
And ye shul understonde that in mannes synne      260
Is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce      260
Turned up-so-doun./ For it is sooth that      261
God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and the      261
Body of man been so ordeyned that everich of      261
Thise foure thynges sholde have lordshipe over      261
That oother;/ as thus: God sholde have lordshipe      262
over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee,      262
And sensualitee over the body of man./ But      263
Soothly, whan man synneth, al this ordre or      263
Ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun./ And therfore,      264
thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man      264
Ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god, that      264
Is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe      264
that it sholde have over sensualitee, and      264
Eek over the body of man./ And why? for      265
Sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun,      265
And by that way leseth resoun the lordshipe      265
over sensualitee and over the body./      266
For right as resoun is rebel to god, right so      266
Is bothe sensualitee rebel to resoun and the      266
Body also./ And certes this disordinaunce and      267
This rebellioun oure lord jhesu crist aboghte      267
Upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth      267
In which wise./ For as muche thanne as resoun      268
is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy      268
To have sorwe and to be deed./ This suffred      269
Oure lord jhesu crist for man, after that he      269
Hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned      269
and bounde, so that his blood brast      269
Out at every nayl of his handes, as seith seint      269
Augustyn./ And forther over, for as muchel
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As resoun of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee      270
whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have      270
Shame; and this suffred oure lord jhesu      270
Crist for man, whan they spetten in his      270
Visage./ And forther over, for as muchel      271
Thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel      271
Bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore is      271
It worthy the deeth./ And this suffred oure      272
Lord jhesu crist for man upon the croys      272
Where as ther was no part of his body free      272
Withouten greet peyne and bitter passioun. /      273
And al this suffred jhesu crist, that nevere      273
Forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd      273
Jhesu in this manere: to muchel am I      273
Peyned for the thynges that I nevere deserved,      273
And to muche defouled for shendshipe that      273
Man is worthy to have./ And therfore may      274
The synful man wel seye, as seith seint bernard,      274
Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne, for      274
Which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse./      274
for certes, after the diverse disordinaunces      275
of oure wikkednesses was the passioun      275
of jhesu crist ordeyned in diverse      275
Thynges,/ as thus. Certes, synful mannes      276
Soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise      276
Of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite      276
whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet      276
Is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee,      276
And bispet by servage and subjeccioun of      276
Synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally./ For      277
This disordinaunce of synful man was jhesu      277
Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he      277
Bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of synne      277
And peyne./ Thanne was he byscorned, that      278
Oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges      278
And of alle thynges./ Thanne was his visage,      279
That oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde,      279
in which visage aungels desiren to looke,      279
Vileynsly bispet./ Thanne was he scourged,      280
That no thyng hadde agilt; and finally,      280
Thanne was he crucified and slayn./      281
Thanne was acompliced the word of ysaye,      281
He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled      281
for oure felonies./ Now sith that jhesu      282
Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure      282
Wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen      282
And biwayle, that for his synnes goddes sone      282
Of hevene sholde al this peyne endure./      283
The sixte thyng that oghte moeve a man to      283
Contricioun is the hope of three thynges; that      283
Is to seyn, foryifnesse of synne, and the yifte to      283
Grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene,      283
With which God shal gerdone man for his      283
Goode dedes./ And for as muche as jhesu      284
Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse and      284
Of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped      284
Jhesus nazarenus rex judeorum./ Jhesus is to      285
Seyn saveour or salvacioun, on whom men      285
Shul hope to have foryifnesse of synnes,      285
Which that is proprely salvacioun of      285
Synnes./ And terfore seyde the aungel      286
To joseph, thou shalt clepen his name      286
Jhesus, that shal saven his peple of hir synnes./      287
And heerof seith seint peter: ther is noon      287
Oother name under hevene that is yeve to any      287
Man, by which a man may be saved, but oonly      287
Jhesus./ Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as      288
Florisshynge, in which a man shal hope that      288
He that yeveth hym remissioun of synnes shal      288
Yeve hym eek grace wel for to do. For in the      288
Flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge, and in      288
Foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel for to      288
Do./ I was atte dore of thyn herte, seith      289
Jhesus, and cleped for to entre. He that openeth      289
to me shal have foryifnesse of synne./ I      290
Wol entre into hym by my grace, and soupe      290
With hym, by the goode werkes that he shal      290
Doon, whiche werkes been the foode of god;      290
And he shal soupe with me, by the grete      290
Joye that I shal yeven hym./ Thus shal      291
Man hope, for his werkes of penaunce,      291
That God shal yeven hym his regne, as he bihooteth      291
hym in the gospel./      292
Now shal a man understonde in which manere      292
shal been his contricioun. I seye that it      292
Shal been universal and total. This is to seyn,      292
A man shal be verray repentaunt for alle his      292
Synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght;      292
For delit is ful perilous./ For ther been two      293
Manere of consentynges: that oon of hem is      293
Cleped consentynge of affeccioun, whan a man      293
Is moeved to do synne, and deliteth hym longe      293
For to thynke on that synne;/ and his reson      294
Aperceyveth it wel that it is synne agayns the      294
Lawe of god, and yet his resoun refreyneth nat      294
His foul delit or talent, though he se wel apertly      294
That it is agayns the reverence of god. Although      294
his resoun ne consente noght to doon      294
That synne in dede,/ yet seyn somme doctours      295
That swich delit that dwelleth longe, it is      295
Ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite./ And      296
Also a man sholde sorwe namely for al that      296
Evere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god      296
With perfit consentynge of his resoun; for therof      296
Is no doute, that it is deedly synne in consentynge./      296
for certes, ther is no deedly synne, that      297
It nas first in mannes thought, and after that      297
In his delit, and so forth into consentynge and      297
Into dede./ Wherfore I seye that many men      298
Ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and      298
Delites, ne nevere shryven hem of it, but oonly      298
Of the dede of grete synnes outward./ Wherfore      299
I seye that swiche wikked delites and wikked
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     299
thoghtes been subtile bigileres of hem that      299
Shullen be dampned./ Mooreover man oghte      300
To sorwe for his wikkede wordes as wel as for      300
His wikkede dedes. For certes, the repentaunce      300
Of a synguler synne, and nat repente of alle his      300
Ohter synnes, or elles repenten hym of alle his      300
Othere synnes, and nat of a synguler synne,      300
May nat availle./ For certes, God almyghty      301
is al good; and therfore he foryeveth      301
al, or elles right noght./ And heerof      302
Seith seint augustyn:/ I wot certeynly that      303
God is enemy to everich synnere; and how      303
Thanne, he that observeth o synne, shal he have      303
Foryifnesse of the remenaunt of his othere      303
Synnes? nay./ And forther over, contrcioun      304
Sholde be wonder sorweful and angwissous;      304
And therfore yeveth hym God pleynly his      304
Mercy; and therfore, whan my soule was angwissous      304
withinne me, I hadde remembrance      304
Of God that my preyere myghte come to hym./      305
Forther over, contricioun moste be continueel,      305
And that man have stedefast purpos to shriven      305
Hum, and for to amenden hym of his      305
Lyf./ For soothly, whil contricioun lasteth,      306
Man may evere have hope of foryifnesse;      306
And of this comth hate of synne, that destroyeth      306
synne, bothe in himself, and eek in oother      306
Folk, at his power./ For which seith david:      307
Ye that loven god, hateth wikkednesse. For      307
Trusteth wel, to love God is for to love that he      307
Loveth, and hate that he hateth./      308
The laste thyng that men shal understonde      308
In contricioun is this: wherof avayleth contricioun.      308
I seye that somtyme contricioun delivereth      308
a man fro synne;/ of which that david      309
Seith, I seye, quod david (that is to seyn,      309
I purposed fermely) to shryve me, and thow,      309
Lord, relessedest my synne./ And right so as      310
Contricion availleth noght withouten sad purpos      310
of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right      310
So litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun      310
Withouten contricioun./ And mooreover      311
Contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle,      311
And maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes      311
Of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the      311
Hooly goost and of alle goode vertues;/ and      312
It clenseth the soule of synne, and delivereth      312
The soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the      312
Compaignye of the devel, and fro the servage      312
Of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels,      312
and to the compaignye and communyoun      312
Of hooly chirche./ And forther over, it maketh      313
Hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone      313
Of grace; and alle thise thynges been preved      313
By hooly writ./ And therfore, he that wolde      314
Sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful      314
Wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat thanne in al      314
His lyf have corage to synne, but yeven his body      314
And al his herte to the service of jhesu crist,      314
And therof doon hym hommage./ For soothly      315
Oure sweete lord jhesu crist hath spared us      315
So debonairly in oure folies, that if he ne hadde      315
Pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we      315
Myghten alle synge./      316
Part II
The seconde partie of penitence is confressioun,      316
that is signe of contricioun./ Now shul      317
Ye understonde what is confessioun, and      317
Wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and      317
Whiche thynges been covenable to verray confessioun./      317
First shaltow understonde that confessioun      318
Is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest./      319
This is to seyn verray, for he moste confessen      319
Hym of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his      319
Synne, as ferforth as he kan./ Al moot be seyd,      320
And no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped,      320
And noght avaunte thee of thy goode      320
Werkes./ And forther over, it is necessarie      321
to understonde whennes that synnes      321
Spryngen, and how they encreessen and whiche      321
They been./      322
Of the spryngynge of synnes seith seint paul      322
In this wise: that right as by a man synne entred      322
first into this world, and thurgh that synne      322
Deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into alle      322
Men that synneden./ And this man was adam,      323
By whom synne entred into this world, whan      323
He brak the comaundementz of god./ And      324
Therfore, he that first was so myghty that he      324
Sholde nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he      324
Moste nedes dye, wheither he wolde or noon,      324
And al his progenye in this world, that in thilke      324
Man synneden./ Looke that in th' estaat of innocence,      325
whan adam and eve naked weren      325
In paradys, and nothyng ne hadden shame      325
Of hir nakednesse,/ how that the serpent,      326
That was moost wily of alle othere beestes      326
That God hadde maked, seyde to the womman:      326
Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat      326
Eten of every tree in paradys?/ the womman
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Answerde: of the fruyt, quod she, of the trees      327
In paradys we feden us, but soothly, of the      327
Fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of paradys,      327
god forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen      327
It, lest per aventure we sholde dyen./ The      328
Serpent seyde to the womman: nay, nay, ye      328
Shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God woot      328
That what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen      328
Shul opene, and ye shul been as goddes, knowynge      328
good and harm./ The womman thanne      329
Saugh that the tree was good to feedyng, and      329
Fair to the eyen, and delitable to the sighte.      329
She took of the fruyt of the tree, and eet it,      329
And yaf to hire housbonde, and he eet, and      329
Anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden./ And      330
Whan that they knewe that they were naked,      330
They sowed of fige leves a maner of      330
Breches to hiden hire membres./ There      331
May ye seen that deedly synne hath, first,      331
Suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by      331
The naddre; and afterward, teh delit of the      331
Flessh, as sheweth heere by eve; and after that,      331
The consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere      331
By adam./ For trust wel, though so were that      332
The feend tempted eve, that is to seyn, the      332
Flessh, and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee      332
Of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that resoun,      332
That is to seyn, adam, consented to the etynge      332
Of the fruyt, yet stood he in th' estaat of innocence./      332
of thilke adam tooke we thilke wynne      333
Original; for of hym flesshly descended be we      333
Alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere./      333
and whan the soule is put in oure body,      334
Right anon is contract original synne; and that      334
That was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence,      334
is afterward bothe peyne and synne./      335
And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe      335
And of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme      335
that we receyven, which bynymeth us      335
The culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth      335
With us, as to temptacioun, which peyne      335
Highte concupiscence./ And this concupiscence,      336
whan it is wrongfully disposed      336
Or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite,      336
By coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte      336
Of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek      336
Coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte./      337
Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise,      337
That is concupiscence, after the lawe of oure      337
Membres, that weren lawefulliche ymaked and      337
By rightful juggement of god;/ I seye, forasmuche      338
as man is nat obeisaunt to god, that is      338
His lord, therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt      338
thurgh concupiscence, whigh yet is      338
Cleped norrissynge, of synne and occasioun      338
Of synne./ Therfore, al the while that a      339
Man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence,      339
it is impossible but he be tempted      339
Somtime and moeved in his flessh to synne./      340
And this thyng may nat faille as longe      340
As he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille      340
By vertu of baptesme, and by the grace of      340
God thurgh penitence;/ but fully ne shal      341
It nevere quenche, that he ne shal som      341
Tyme be moeved in hymself, but if he were al      341
Refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie,      341
Or colde drynkes./ For lo, what seith seint      342
Paul: the flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and      342
The spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie      342
and so stryven that a man may nat alway      342
doon as he wolde./ The same seint paul,      343
After his grete penaunce in water and in lond,      343
-- in water by nyght and by day in greet peril      343
And in greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and      343
Thurst, in coold and cloothelees, and ones stoned      343
Almoost to the deeth,/-- yet seyde he, allas,      344
I caytyf man! who sahl delivere me fro the      344
Prisoun of my caytyf body?/ and seint jerome,      345
whan he longe tyme hadde woned in      345
Desert, where as he hadde no compaignye but      345
Of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete      345
But herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed      345
But the naked erthe, for which his flessh was      345
Blak as an ethiopeen for heete, and ny destroyed      345
for coold,/ yet seyde he that the      346
Brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his      346
Body./ Wherfore I woot wel sykerly that they      347
Been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat      347
Empted in hir body./ Witnesse on seint jame      348
The apostel, that seith that every wight is      348
Tempted in his owene concupiscence; that is      348
To seyn, that everich of us hath matere and      348
Occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of      348
Synne that is in his body./ And therfore seith      349
Seint john the evaungelist: if that we seyn      349
That we be withoute synne, we deceyve us      349
Selve, and trouthe is nat in us./      350
Now hal ye understonde in what manere      350
That synne wexeth or encreesseth in man. The      350
Firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of      350
Which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence./      350
and after that comth the      351
Subjeccioun of the devel, this is to seyn,      351
The develes bely, with which he bloweth in man      351
The fir of flesshly concupiscence./ And after      352
That, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol      352
Doon, or no, thilke thing to which he is      352
Tempted./ And thanne, if that a man withstonde
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and weyve the firste entisynge of his      353
Flessh and of the feend, thanne is it no synne;      353
And if it so be that he do nat so, thanne feeleth      353
he anoon a flambe of delit./ And thanne      354
Is it good to be war, and kepen hym wel, or      354
Elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of      354
Synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have      354
Tyme and place./ And of this matere seith      355
Moyses by the devel in this manere: the      355
Feend seith, -- I wole chace and pursue the man      355
By wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym      355
By moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol      355
Departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun,      355
And my lust shal been acompliced in delit.      355
I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge -- /      356
For certes, right as a swerd departeth a      356
Thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth      356
god fro man -- and thanne wol I      356
Sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne;      356
Thus seith the feend./ For certes, thanne is      357
A man al deed in soule. And thus is synne      357
Acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by      357
Consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped      357
Actueel./      358
For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher      358
It is venial, or deedly synne. Soothly, whan      358
Man loveth any creature moore than jhesu      358
Crist oure creatour, thanne is it deedly synne.      358
And venial synne is it, if man love jhesu crist      358
Lasse than hym oghte./ For sothe, the dede      359
Of this venial synne is ful perilous; for it      359
Amenuseth the love that men sholde han to      359
God moore and moore./ And therfore, it a      360
Man charge hymself with manye swiche venial      360
Synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme      360
Descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe      360
Ful lightly amenuse in hym al the love that      360
He hath to jhesu crist;/ and in this wise      361
Skippeth venial into deedly synne. For      361
Certes, the moore that a man chargeth his      361
Soule with venial synnes, the moore is he enclyned      361
to fallen into deedly synne./ And therfore      362
lat us nat be necligent to deschargen us      362
Of venial synnes. For the proverbe seith that      362
Manye smale maken a greet./ And herkne      363
This ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth      363
Som tyme with so greet a violence that it      363
Drencheth the ship. And the same harm doon      363
Som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren      363
thurgh a litel crevace into the thurrok,      363
And in the botme of the ship, if men be so      363
Necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by      363
Tyme./ And therfore, although ther be a difference      364
bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge,      364
Algates the ship is dreynt./ Right so fareth it      365
Somtyme of deedly synne, and of anoyouse      365
Veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man      365
So greetly that the love of thilke worldly      365
Thynges that he loveth, thurgh whiche he synneth      365
venyally, is as greet in his herte as      365
The love of god, or moore./ And therfore,      366
the love of every thyng that is nat      366
Biset in god, ne doon principally for goddes      366
Sake, although that a man love it lasse than      366
God, yet is it venial synne;/ and deedly synne      367
Whan the love of any thyng weyeth in the      367
Herte of man as muchel as the love of god, or      367
Moore./ Deedly synne, as seith seint augustyn,      368
is whan a man turneth his herte fro      368
God, which that is verray sovereyn bountee,      368
That may nat chaunge, and yeveth his herte      368
To thyng that may chaunge and flitte./ And      369
Certes, that is every thyng save God of hevene.      369
For sooth is that if a man yeve his love, the      369
Which that he oweth al to God with al his      369
Herte, unto a creature, certes, as muche of his      369
Love as he yeveth to thilke creature, so muche      369
He bireveth fro god;/ and therfore dooth he      370
Synne. For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth      370
nat to God al his dette, that is to seyn,      370
Al the love of his herte./      371
Now sith man understondeth generally      371
Which is venial synne, thanne is it covenable      371
To tellen specially of synnes whiche that many      371
A man peraventure ne demeth hem nat synnes,      371
And ne shryveth him nat of the same thynges,      371
And yet natheless they been synnes;/ soothly, as      372
Thise clerkes writen, this is to seyn, that at every      372
Tyme that a man eteth or drynketh moore than      372
Suffiseth to the sustenaunce of his body, in certein      372
he dooth synne./ And eek whan he speketh      373
moore than it nedeth, it is synne. Eke      373
Whan he herkneth nat benignely the compleint      373
Of the povre;/ eke whan he is in heele of body,      374
And wol nat faste whan other folk faste, withouten      374
cause resonable; eke whan he slepeth      374
Moore than nedeth, or whan he comth by thilke      374
Enchesoun to late to chirche, or to othere werkes      374
Of charite;/ eke whan he useth his wyf, withouten      375
sovereyn desir of engendrure to the honour      375
of god, or for the entente to yelde to      375
His wyf the dette of his body;/ eke whan      376
He wol nat visite the sike and the prisoner,      376
If he may; eke if he love wyf or child, or oother      376
Worldly thyng, moore than resoun requireth;      376
Eke if he flatere or blandise moore than hym      376
Oghte for any necessitee;/ eke if he amenuse      377
Or withdrawe the almesse of the povre; eke if
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He apparailleth his mete moore deliciously than      377
Nede is, or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse;/      378
Eke if he tale vanytees at chirche or at goddes      378
Service, or that he be a talker of ydel wordes of      378
Folye or of vileynye, for he shal yelden acountes      378
Of it at the day of doom;/ eke whan he biheteth      379
or assureth to do thynges that he may nat      379
Perfourne; eke whan that he by lightnesse or      379
Folie mysseyeth or scorneth his neighebor;/      380
Eke whan he hath any wikked suspecioun      380
Of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse:/      380
thise thynges, and no withoute      381
nombre, been synnes, as seith seint      381
Augustyn./      382
Now shal men understonde that, al be it so      382
That noon erthely man may eschue alle venial      382
Synnes, yet may be refreyne hym by the brennynge      382
love that he hath to oure lord jhesu      382
Christ, and by preyeres and confessioun and      382
Othere goode werkes, so that it shal but litel      382
Greve./ For, as seith seint augustyn, if a man      383
Love God in swich manere that al that evere he      383
Dooth is in the love of god, and for the love of      383
God, verraily, for he brenneth in the love of      383
God,/ looke, how muche that a drope of water      384
that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth      384
Or greveth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne      384
Unto a man that is perfit in the love of jhesu      384
Crist./ Men may also refreyne venial synne      385
By receyvynge worthily of the precious      385
Body of jhesu crist;/ by receyvynge eek      386
Of booly water; by almesdede; by general      386
Confessioun of confiteor at masse and at complyn;      386
and by blessynge of bisshopes and of      386
Preestes, and by oothere goode werkes./      387
Part III
Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche      387
Been the sevene deedly synnes, this is to seyn,      387
Chiefaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o      387
Lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they      387
Cleped chieftaynes, for as muche as they been      387
Chief and spryng of alle othere synnes./ Of      388
The roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne, is      388
Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of      388
This roote spryngen certein braunches, as ire,      388
Envye, accidie or slewthe, avarice or coveitise      388
(to commune understondynge), glotonye, and      388
Lecherye./ And everich of thise chief synnes      389
Hath his braunches and his twigges, as shal be      389
Declared in hire chapitres folwynge./      390
And thogh so be that no man kan outerly      390
Telle the nombre of the twigges and of the      390
Harmes that cometh of pride, yet wol I shewe      390
A partie of hem, as ye shul understonde./      390
ther is inobedience, avauntynge,      391
ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence,      391
swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun,      391
Inpacience, strif, contumacie, presumpcioun,      391
Irreverence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many      391
Another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient      392
is he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz      392
of god, and to his sovereyns, and      392
To his goostly fader./ Avauntour is he that      393
Bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he      393
Hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to      394
Shewe hym swich as he is, and sheweth hym      394
Swich as he noght is./ Despitous is he that      395
Hath desdeyn of his neighebor, that is to seyn, of      395
His evene-cristene, or hath despit to doon      395
That hym oghte to do./ Arrogant is he      396
That thynketh that he hath thilke bountees      396
In hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he      396
Sholde have hem by his desertes, or elles he      396
Demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Inpudent      397
Is he that for his pride hath no shame of his      397
Synnes./ Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth      398
hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent      399
is he that despiseth in his juggement alle      399
Othere folk, as to regatd of his value, and of his      399
Konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng./      399
elacioun is whan he ne may neither      400
Suffre to have maister ne felawe./ Inpacient      401
is he that wol nat been ytaught ne      401
Undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth      401
Troughe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye./      402
Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun      402
Is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem      402
That been his sovereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan      403
A man undertaketh an emprise that hym oghte
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Nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this      403
Is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men      403
Do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon,      403
And waiten to be reverenced./ Pertinacie is      404
Whan man deffendeth his folie, and truseth to      404
Muchel to his owene wit./ Veyneglorie is for      405
To have pompe and delit in his temporeel      405
Hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly      405
Estaat./ Janglynge is whan a man speketh      406
To muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a      406
Mille, and taketh no keep what he seith./      407
And yet is ther a privee spece of pride, that      407
Waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe,      407
Al be be lasse worth than that oother is peraventure;      407
and eek he waiteth or desireth to      407
Sitte, or elles to goon above hym in the wey,      407
Or kisse pax, or been encensed, or goon to      407
Offryng biforn his neighebor,/ and swiche sem0      408
Blable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure,      408
But that he hath his herte and his entente in      408
Swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured      408
biforn the peple./      409
Now been ther two maneres of pride: that      409
Oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and      409
That oother is withoute./ Of whiche, soothly,      410
Thise forseyde thynges, and no that I have      410
Seyd, apertenen to pride that is in the herte      410
Of man; and that othere speces of pride      410
Been withoute./ But natheles that oon      411
Of thise speces of pride is signe of that      411
Oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne      411
Is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And      412
This is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce,      412
and in outrageous array of clothyng./      412
for certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne      413
In clothyng, crist wolde nat so soone have      413
Noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke      413
Riche man in the gospel./ And as seith seint      414
Gregorie, that cprecious clothyng is cowpable      414
For the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and      414
For his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for      414
The superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse      414
Of it./ Allas! may man nat seen, as in oure      415
Dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge,      415
And namely in to muche superfluite, or      415
Elles in to desordinat scantnesse?/      416
As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee      416
of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere,      416
To harm of the peple;/ nat oonly the cost of      417
Embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge,      417
owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge,      417
and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee;/      418
But ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes,      418
So muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken      418
Holes, so muche daggynge of sheres;/ forthwith      419
the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide      419
Gowens, trailynge in the dong and in the mire,      419
On horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as      419
Of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily      419
As in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and      419
Roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the      419
Povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre      419
Folk./ And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn      420
That the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore      420
Moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse./      420
and forther over, if so be that      421
They wolde yeven swich pownsoned and      421
Dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is      421
Nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant      421
to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro      421
The distemperance of the firmament./ Upon      422
That oother side, to speken of the horrible disordiant      422
scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise      422
Kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire      422
Shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres      422
of man, to wikked entente./ Allas! somme      423
Of hem shewen the boce or hir shap, and the      423
Horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the      423
Maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir      423
Hoses;/ and eek the buttokes of hem faren as      424
It were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle      424
Of the moone./ And mooreover, the wrecched      425
Swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge,      425
in departynge of hire hoses in whit and      425
Reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee      425
Membres weren flayne./ And if so be that      426
They departen hire hoses in othere colours,      426
As is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak      426
And reed, and so forth,/ thanne semeth it, as      427
By variaunce of colour, that half the partie of      427
Hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir      427
Of seint antony, or by cancre, or by oother      427
Swich meschaunce./ Of the hyndre part of hir      428
Buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes,      428
In that partie of hir body ther as they purgen      428
Hir stynkynge ordure,/ that foule partie shewe      429
They to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee,      429
which honestitee that jhesu crist and      429
His freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve./      430
Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen,      430
God woot that though the visages of somme of      430
Hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie      430
They in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and      430
Pride./ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge      431
of man or womman is uncovenable,      431
But certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee      431
of clothynge is reprevable./ Also the synne      432
Of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that
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Apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat      432
Horses that been hoolden for dlit, that been so      432
Faire, fatte, and costlewe;/ and also in many a      433
Vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem,      433
And in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in      433
Crouperes, peytrels, and bridles coverd      433
Precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates      433
Of gold and of silver./ For which God seith      434
By zakarie the prophete, I wol confounde the      434
Rideres of swiche horses./ This folk taken litel      435
Reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of hevene,      435
and of his harneys whan he rood upon      435
The asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys      435
But the povre clother of his disciples; ne we ne      435
Rede nat that evere he rood on oother      435
Beest./ I speke this for the synne of superfluitee,      436
and nat for resonable honestitee,      436
Whan reson it requireth./ And forther over,      437
Certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of      437
Greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or      437
Of right no profit;/ and namely whan that      438
Meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple      438
By hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of      438
Offices./ For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne      439
Hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they      439
Sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee./ Or      440
Elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke      440
That holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of      440
Hire hostilers, and that is in many manere      440
Of deceites./ Thilke manere of folk been      441
The flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the      441
Houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde      441
folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;/      442
For which thus seith david the prophete: wikked      442
deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes,      442
And God yeve that they moote descenden into      442
Helle al doun; for in hire houses been iniquitees      442
And shrewednesses, and nat God of hevene./      443
And certes, but if they doon amendement,      443
Right as God yaf his benysoun to (laban) by      443
The service of jacob, and to (pharao) by the      443
Service of joseph, right so God wol yeve his      443
Malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the      443
Wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to      443
Amendement./ Pride of the table appeereth      444
Eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped      444
To festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked./      444
also in excesse of diverse metes and      445
Drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes      445
And dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and      445
Peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable      445
wast, so that it is abusioun for to      445
Thynke./ And eek in to greet preciousnesse      446
of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie,      446
by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices      446
of luxurie,/ if so be that he sette his herte      447
The lasse upon oure lord jhesu crist, certeyn it      447
Is a synne; and certeinly the delices myghte      447
Been so grete in this caas that man myghte      447
Lightly falle by hem into deedly synne. / the      448
Especes that sourden of pride, soothly whan      448
They sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and      448
Forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes,      448
It is no doute. / and whan they sourden by      449
Freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen      449
Ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse      449
That they ne been nat deedly. / now myghte      450
Men axe wherof that pride sourdeth and      450
Spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth      450
Of the goodes of nature, and somtyme of the      450
Goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the      450
Goodes of grace./ Certes, the goodes of      451
Nature stonden outher in goodes of body      451
Or in goodes of soule./ Certes, goodes of body      452
Been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse,      452
Beautee, gentrice, franchise./ Goodes of nature      453
of the soule been good wit, sharp understondynge,      453
subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good      453
Memorie./ Goodes of fortune been richesse,      454
Hyghe degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the      454
Peple./ Goodes of grace been science, power      455
To suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee, vertuous      455
contemplacioun, withstondynge of      455
Temptacioun, and semblable thynges./ Of      456
Whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is a ful      456
Greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem      456
Alle./ Now as for to speken of goodes of nature,      457
God woot that somtyme we han hem in nature      457
As muche to oure damage as to oure profit./      458
As for to speken of heele of body, certes it      458
Passeth ful lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun      458
of the siknesse of oure soule. For, god      458
Woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the      458
Soule; and therfore, the moore that the body      458
Is hool, the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke      459
For to pride hym in his strengthe of body, it      459
Is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh coveiteth      459
agayn the spirit; and ay the moore strong      459
That the flessh is, the sorier may the soule be./      460
And over al this, strengthe of body and worldly      460
Hardynesse causeth ful ofte many a man to      460
Peril and meschaunce./ Eek for to pride      461
Hym of his gentrie is ful greet folie; for      461
Ofte tyme the gentrie of the body binymeth      461
The gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle      461
Of o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been      461
Of o nature, roten and corrupt, bothe riche and      461
Povre./ For sothe, o manere gentrie is for to
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Preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with      462
Vertues and moralitees, and maketh hym cristes      462
Child./ For truste wel that over what man that      463
Synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl to      463
Synne./      464
Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse,      464
As eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage      464
Of synne, in word, in werk, and contenaunce;/      465
And usynge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and      465
To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure;      465
For thilke that passeth mesure is folie and      465
Synne./ Another is to remembre hym of      466
Bountee, that he of oother folk hath receyved./      466
another is to be benigne to his goode      467
Subetis; wherfore seith senek, ther is no      467
Thing moore covenable to a man of heigh estaat      467
than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore      468
thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan      468
They maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that      468
Hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another      469
is, a man to have a noble herte and      469
A diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse      469
Thynges./ Now certes, a man to pride hym in      470
The goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folie;      470
For thilke yifte of grace that sholde have turned      470
Hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth      470
Hym to venym and to confusioun, as seith      470
Seint gregorie./ Certes also, whoso prideth      471
hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a      471
Ful greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet      471
Lord by the morwe, that is a caytyf and a      471
Wrecche er it be nyght;/ and somtyme the      472
Richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme      472
the delices of a man ben cause of the      472
Grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth./      473
Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is      473
Somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste;      473
This day they preyse, tomorwe they blame./      474
God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek      474
Of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy      474
Man./      475
Now sith that so is that ye han understonde      475
What is pride, and whiche been the speces of it,      475
And whennes pride sourdeth and spryngeth,/      475
now shul ye understonde which is      476
The remedie agayns the synne of pride;      476
And that is hymylitee, or mekenesse./ That is      477
A vertu thurgh which a man hath verray      477
Knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself      477
no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his      477
Desertes, considerynge evere his freletee./ Now      478
Been ther three maneres of hymylitee: as humylitee      478
in herte; another hymylitee is in his      478
Mouth; the thridde in his werkes./ The humilitee      479
in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is      479
Whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth      479
Biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne      479
Despiseth noon oother man./ The thridde is      480
Whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym      480
Noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys      480
Nat sory of his humiliacioun./ Also the      481
Humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in      481
Attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche,      481
And whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth      481
That he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in      481
His herte. Another is whan he preiseth the      481
Bountee of another man, and nothyng therof      481
Amenuseth./ Humilitee eek in werkes is in      482
Foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth      482
Othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to      482
Chese the loweste place over al. The thridde      482
Is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The      483
Ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his      483
Sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree.      483
Certein, this is a greet werk of hymylitee./      484
After pride wol I speken of the foule synne      484
Of envye, which that is, as by the word of the philosophre,      484
sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee;      484
And after the word of seint augustyn, it is sorwe      484
Of oother mennes wele, and joye of othere      484
Mennes harm./ This foule synne is platly      485
Agayns the hooly goost. Al be it so that every      485
Synne is agayns the hooly goost, yet nathelees,      485
For as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to      485
The hooly goost, and envye comth proprely      485
Of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the      485
Bountee of the hooly goost./ Now hath      486
Malice two speces; that is to seyn, ahrdnesse      486
of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flessh      486
Of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that      486
He is in synne, or rekketh nat that he is in synne,      486
Which is the hardnesse of the devel./ That      487
Oother spece of malice is whan a man werreyeth      487
trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe;      487
And eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god      487
Hath yeve to his neighebor; and al this is by      487
Envye./ Certes, thanne is envye the worste      488
Synne that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes      488
Been somtyme oonly agayns o special vertu;/      489
But certes, envye is agayns alle vertues and      489
Agayns alle goodnesses. For it is sory of alle
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     489
The bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere      489
it is divers from alle othere synnes./ For      490
Wel unnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath      490
Som delit in itself, save oonly envye, that      490
Evere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe./      491
The speces of envye been thise. Ther is      491
First, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and      491
Of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely      491
Matere of joye; thanne is envye a synne agayns      491
Kynde./ The seconde spece of envye is joye      492
Of oother mannes harm; and that is proprely      492
Lyk to the devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of      492
Mannes harm./ Of thise two speces comth bakbityng;      493
and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion      493
hath certeine speces, as thus. Som man      493
Preiseth his neighebor by a wikked entente;/      494
For he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste      494
Ende. Alwey he maketh a but atte laste ende,      494
That is digne of moore blame, than worth is al      494
The preisynge./ The seconde spece is that if a      495
Man be good, and dooth or seith a thing to      495
Good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke      495
Goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente./      495
the thridde is to amenuse the      496
Bountee of his neighebor./ The fourthe      497
Spece of bakbityng is this, that if men speke      497
Goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere      497
Seyn, parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he;      497
In dispreisynge of hym that men preise./ The      498
Fifte spece is this, for to consente gladly and      498
Herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of      498
Oother folk. This synne is ful greet, and ay      498
Encreesseth after the wikked entente of the      498
/bakbitere./ After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng      500
or murmuracioun; and somtyme it      500
Spryngeth of inpacience agayns god, and som-tyme      500
agayns man./ Agayn God it is, whan      501
A man gruccheth agayn the peyne of helle, or      501
Agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn      501
Or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes      501
Han prosperitee, or elles for the goode      501
Men han adversitee./ And alle thise      502
Thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for      502
They comen by the rightful juggement and      502
Ordinaunce of god./ Somtyme comth grucching      503
of avarice; as judas grucched agayns the      503
Magdaleyne, whan she enoynted the heved of      503
Oure lord jhesu crist with hir precious oynement./      503
this manere murmure is swich as whan      504
Man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself      504
Dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene      504
Catel./ Somtyme comth murmure of pride; as      505
Whan simon the pharisse gruchched agayn the      505
Magdaleyne, whan she approched to jhesu      505
Crist, and weep at his feet for hire synnes./      506
And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of envye;      506
Whan men discovereth a mannes harm that      506
Was pryvee, or bereth hym on hond      506
Thyng that is fals./ Murmure eek is ofte      507
Amonges servauntz that grucceh whan hir      507
Sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges; /      508
And forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye      508
the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet      508
Wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure      508
prively for verray despit;/ whiche wordes      509
Men clepen the develes pater noster, though      509
So be that the devel ne hadde nevere pater      509
Noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a      509
Name./ Somtyme it comth of ire or pive hate,      510
That norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I      510
Shal declare./ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse      511
Of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good      511
Dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter      511
and unsavory./ Thanne cometh discord,      512
that unbyndeth alle manere of      512
Freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his      512
Neighebor, al do he never so weel./ Thanne      513
Comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun      513
to anoyen his neighebor, which that is      513
Lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe      513
Nyght and day to accusen us alle./ Thanne      514
Comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth      514
his neighebor prively, if he may;/ and if      515
He noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal      515
Nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely,      515
Or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable      515
thynges./      516
Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this      516
Foule synne of envye. First is the love of god      516
Principal, and lovyng of his neighebor as hymself;      516
for soothly, that oon ne may nat been      516
Withoute that oother./ And truste wel that      517
In the name of thy neighebor thou shalt      517
Understonde the name of thy brother; for certes      517
Alle we have o fader flesshly, and o mooder,      517
That is to seyn, adam and eve; and eek o fader      517
Espiritueel, and that is God of hevene./ Thy      518
Neighebor artow holden for to love, and wilne      518
Hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god,      518
Love thy neighebor as thyselve, that is to      518
Seyn, to salvacioun bothe of lyf and of soule./      519
And mooreover thou shalt love hym in word,      519
And in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge,      519
And conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for      519
Hym with al thyn herte./ And in dede thou
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     520
Shalt love hym in swich wise that thou shalt      520
Doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that      520
It were doon to thyn owene persone./ And      521
Therfore thou ne shalt doon hym no damage      521
In wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in      521
His catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of      521
Wikked ensample./ Thou shalt nat desiren      522
His wyf, ne none of his thynges. Understoond      522
eek that in the name of neighebor is      522
Comprehended his enemy./ Certes, man shal      523
Loven his enemy, by the comandement of god,      523
And soothyly thy freend shaltow love in god./      524
I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes      524
Sake, by his comandement. For if it were reson      524
That man sholde haten his enemy, for so he      524
God nolde nat receyven us to his love that been      524
His enemys./ Agayns three manere of wronges      525
That his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon      525
Three thynges, as thus./ Agayns hate and rancour      526
of herte, he shal love hym in herte.      526
Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes, he shal      526
Preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked dede      526
Of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee./      526
for crist seith: loveth youre enemys,      527
and preyeth for hem that speke yow      527
Harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and      527
Pursewen, and dooth bountee to hem that yow      527
Haten. Loo, thus comaundeth us oure lord      527
Jhesu crist to do to oure enemys./ For smoothly,      528
Nature dryveyh us to loven oure freends, and      528
Parfey, oure enemys han moore nede to love      528
That oure freendes; and they that moore nede      528
Have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;/      529
And certes, in thilke dede have we remembraunce      529
of the love of jhesu crist that deyde      529
For his enemys./ And in as muche as thilke      530
Love is the moore grevous to perfourne, so      530
Muche is the moore gret the merite; and therfore      530
the lovynge of oure enemy hath confounded      530
the venym of the devel./ For right      531
As the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right      531
So is he wounded to the deeth by love of      531
Oure enemy./ Certes, thanne is love the      532
Medicine that casteth out the venym of      532
Envye fro mannes herte./ The speces of this      533
Paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir      533
Chapitres folwynge./      534
And envye wol I discryven the synne      534
Ire. For soothly, whoso hath envye upon his      534
Neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde hym      534
A matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns      534
Hym to whom he hath envye./ And as wel      535
Comth ire of pride, as of envye; for soothly,      535
He that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth./      536
This synne of ire, after the discryvyng of      536
Seint augustyn, is wikked wil to been      536
Avenged by word, or by dede./ Ire, after      537
The philosophre, is the fervent blood of      537
Man yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he      537
Wole harm to hym that he hateth./ For certes,      538
The herte of man, by eschawfynge and moevynge      538
of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is      538
Out of alle juggement of resoun./ But ye shal      539
Understonde that ire is in two maneres; that      539
Oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked./      539
the goode ire is by jalousie of goodnesse,      540
thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse      540
and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore      540
seith a wys man that ire is bet than pley./      541
This ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth      541
Withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the      541
Man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man,      541
As seith the prophete david, irasciminI      541
Et nolite peccare./ Now understondeth      542
That wikked ire is in two maneres; that is      542
To seyn, sodeyn ire or hastif ire, withouten      542
Avisement and consentynge of resoun./ The      543
Menyng and the sens of this is, that the resoun      543
Of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn ire;      543
And thanne is it venial./ Another ire is ful      544
Wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed      544
And cast biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance,      544
and therto his resoun consenteth; and      544
Soothly this is deedly synne./ This ire is so      545
Displesant to God that it troubleth his hous,      545
And chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes      545
Soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse      545
Of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in      545
Mannes soule,/ and put in hym the liknesse      546
Of the devel, and bynymeth the man fro      546
God, that is his rightful lord./ This ire      547
Is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for      547
It is the develes fourneys, that is eschawfed      547
With the fir of helle./ For certes, right so as      548
Fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely thynges      548
Than any oother element, right so ire is myghty      548
To destroyen alle spiritueel thynges./ Looke how      549
That fir of smale gleedes, that been almost dede      549
Under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they      549
Been touched with brymstoon; right so ire wol      549
Everemo quyken agayn, whan it is touched by      549
The pride that is covered in mannes herte./      550
For certes, fir ne may nat comen out of no      550
Thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng      550
Natureely, as fir is drawen out of flyntes with
Page  245
     550
Steel./ And right so as pride is ofte tyme matere      551
of ire, right so is rancour norice and      551
Kepere of ire./ Ther is a maner tree, as      552
Seith seint ysidre, that whan men maken      552
Fir of thilke tree, and covere the coles of      552
With asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten      552
A yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it      553
Rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the      553
Hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure      553
from oon estre day unto another      553
Estre day, and moore./ But certes, thilke man      554
Is ful fer fro the mercy of God al thilke while./      555
In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen      555
Three shrewes: pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth      555
the fir by chidynge and wikked      555
Wordes;/ thanne stant envye, the holdeth the      556
Hoote iren upon the herte of man with a      556
Peire of longe toonges of long rancour;/      557
And thanne stant the synne of contumelie,      557
Or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth      557
By vileyns reprevynges./ Certes, this cursed      558
Synne annoyeth bothe to the man hymself and      558
Eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost al      558
The harm that any man dooth to his neighebor      558
Comth of wratthe./ For certes, outrageous      559
Wratthe dooth al that evere the devel hym      559
Comaundeth; for he ne spareth neigher crist ne      559
His sweete mooder./ And in his outrageous anger      560
and ire, allas! allas! ful many oon at that      560
Tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe      560
Of crist and eek of alle his halwes./ Is nat this      561
A cursed vice? yis, certes. Allas! it bynymeth      561
From man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire      561
lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his      561
Soule./ Certes, it bynymeth eek goddes      562
Due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule,      562
And the love of his neighebores. It stryveth      562
Eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the      562
Quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule./      563
Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures:      563
First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh      563
Which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he      563
Hath loved ful longe;/ and thanne cometh      564
Werre, and every manere of wrong that man      564
Dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel./      565
Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek manslaughtre.      565
and understonde wel that homycide,      565
That is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som      565
Manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is      565
Bodily./ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe      566
Thynges. First by hate, as seith seint john:      566
He that hateth his brother is an homycide./      566
homycide is eek by babkbitynge,      567
Of whiche bakbiteres seith salomon that      567
They han two swerdes with whiche they sleen      567
Hire neighebores. For soothly, as wikke is to      567
Bynyme his good name as his lyf./ Homycide is      568
Eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude;      568
As for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful      568
Custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith salomon:      569
leon rorynge and bere hongry been like      569
To the crueel lordshipes in witholdynge or      569
Abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of      569
The wages of sevauntz, or elles in usure, or      569
In withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk./      570
For which the wise man seith, fedeth hym that      570
Almoost dyeth for honger; for soothly, but if      570
Thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise      570
Been deedly synnes./ Bodily manslaughtre is,      571
Whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother      571
Manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a      571
Man, or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen      571
A man./ Manslaughtre in dede is in foure      572
Maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a      572
Justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the      572
Deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do      572
It rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to      572
Spille blood, but for kepynge of rightwisnesse./      573
Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee,      573
As whan o man sleeth another is his defendaunt,      573
and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape      573
from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if      574
He may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie,      574
and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and      574
He shal bere penance as for deedly synne./      575
Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe,      575
Or caste a stoon, with which he sleeth a man,      575
He is homycide./ Eek if a womman by necligence      576
overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng,      576
It is homycide and deedly synne./ Eek      577
Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a      577
Child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne      577
By drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which      577
She may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by      577
Drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material      577
thynges in hire secree places to slee the      577
Child,/ or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by      578
Which man or womman shedeth hire nature      578
In manere or in place ther as a child may nat      578
Be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved,      578
and hurt hirself and sleeth the child,      578
Yet is it homycide./ What seye we eek of      579
Wommen that mordren hir children for drede      579
Of worldly shame? certes, an horrible homicide./      579
homycide is eek if a man approcheth      580
To a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which      580
The child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman      580
Wityngly, thurgh which she leseth hir child.
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     580
Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly      580
Synnes./ Yet comen ther of ire manye mo      581
Synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in      581
Dede; as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth      581
god of thyng of which he is hymself      581
Gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as      581
Doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse      581
Contrees./ This cursed synne doon they,      582
Whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly      582
Of God and of his halwes./ Also whan they      583
Treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter,      583
Thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it      583
Been releessed, but that the mercy of god      583
Passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he      583
So benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre.      584
Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte      584
To forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be anfry,      585
and answeren hokerly and angrily, and      585
Deffended or excusen his synne by unstedefastnesse      585
of his flessh; or elles he dide it for      585
To holde compaignye with his felawes; or elles,      585
He seith, the feend enticed hym;/ or elles he      586
Dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun      586
is so corageous that he may nat forbere;      586
Or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a      586
Certein age; or eles, he seith, it cometh hym      586
Of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable      586
thynges./ Alle thise manere of folk      587
So wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne      587
Wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight      587
That excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may      587
Nat been delivered of his synne, til that he      587
Mekely biknoweth his synne./ After this,      588
Thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn      588
The comandement of god; and this bifalleth      588
Ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: thow      589
Shalt nat take the name of thy lord God in      589
Veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord jhesu crist      589
Weith, by the word of seint mathew,/ ne wol      590
Ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene,      590
for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for      590
It is the bench of his feet; ne by jerusalem,      590
For it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn      590
Heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit      590
Ne blak./ But seyeth by youre word -- ye, he, --      591
And -- nay, nay -- ; and what that is moore, it      591
Is of yvel, -- thus seith crist./ For cristes      592
Sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge      592
of crist by soule, herte, bones, and      592
Body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that      592
The cursede jewes ne dismembred nat ynough      592
The preciouse persone of crist, but ye dismembre      592
hym moore./ And if so be that the lawe      593
Compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after      593
The lawe of God in youre sweriyng, as seith      593
Jeremye, quarto capitulo: thou shalt kepe      593
Three condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe,      593
In doom, and in rightwisnesse./ This is to      594
Seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesynge      594
Is agayns crist. For crist is verray trouthe.      594
And thynk wel this, that every greet swerere      594
Nat compedded lawefully to swere, the wounde      594
Shal nat departe from his hous whil he useth      594
Swich unleveful swerying./ Thou shalt sweren      595
Eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy      595
Domesman to witnessen the trouthe./ Eek thow      596
Shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for      596
Meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun      596
Of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng      596
Of thyne evene-cristene./ And therefore      597
Every man that taketh goodes name in      597
Ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles      597
Taketh on hym the name of crist, to be called      597
A cristen man, and lyveth agayns cristed lyvynge      597
and his techynge, alle they taken goddes      597
Name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint peter      598
Seith, actuum, quarto, non est aliud nomen sub      598
Celo, etc., ther nys noon oother name, seith      598
Seint peter, under hevene yeven to men, in      598
Which they mowe be saved; that is to seyn,      598
But the name of jhesu crist./ Take kep eek      599
How precious is the name of crist, as seith      599
Seint paul, ad philipenses, secundo, in nomine      599
Jhesu, etc., that in the name of jhesu every      599
Knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle      599
Sholde bowe; for it is so heigh and so worshipful      599
that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen      599
to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth      600
It that men that sweren so horribly by his      600
Blessed name, that they despise it moore      600
Booldely that dide the cursede jewes, or elles      600
The devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his      600
Name./      601
Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it      601
Be lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended,      601
Muche worse is forsweryng falsly, and yet      601
Nedelees./      602
What seye we eek of hem that deliten      602
Hem in sweryng, and holden it a gentrie or a      602
Manly dede to swere grete others? and what      602
Of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to      602
Swere grete othes, al be the cause nat worth      602
A straw? certes, this is horrible synne./ Swerynge      603
sodeynly withoute avysement is eek a      603
Synne./ But lat us go now to thilke horrible      604
Sweryng of adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as      604
Doon thise false enchauntours or nigromanciens      604
in bacyns ful of water, or in a bright
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     604
Swerd, in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon      604
of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they      605
Doon cursedly and dampnably agayns crist and      605
Al the feith of hooly chirche./      606
What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes,      606
as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or      606
Of beestes, or by sort, by nigromancie, by dremes,      606
By chirkynge of dores, or crakkynge of houses,      606
By gnawynge of rattes, and swich manere      606
Wrecchednesse?/ certes, al this thyng is      607
Deffended by God and by hooly chirche.      607
For which they been acursed, til they come      607
To amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire      607
Bileeve./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of      608
Men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it      608
May be peraventure that God suffreth it, for      608
Folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence      608
to his name./      609
Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally      609
is fals signyficaunce of word, in entente to      609
Deceyven his evene-cristene./ Som lesynge is      610
Of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight;      610
And som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit      610
Of o man, and to disese and damage of another      610
Man./ Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf      611
Of his catel. Another lesynge comth of delit      611
For to lye, in which delit they wol forge a      611
Long tale, and peynten it with alle circumstaunces,      611
where al the ground of the tale      611
Is fals./ Som lesynge comth, for he wole      612
Sustene his word; and som lesynge comth      612
Of reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and      612
Semblable thynges./      613
Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge,      613
Which ne comth nat gladly but for drede or      613
For coveitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful      614
Preisynge. Flatereres been the develes norices,      614
That norissen his children with milk losengerie./      614
for sothe, salomon seith that flaterie      615
Is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion      615
maketh an hauteyn man be the moore      615
Humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes      615
Flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his      615
Herte and his contenance./ Flatereres been      616
The develes enchauntours; for they make a      616
Man to wene of hymself be lyk that he nys      616
Nat lyk./ They been lyk to judas that bitraysen      617
a man to sellen hym to his enemy,      617
That is to the devel./ Flatereres been the develes      618
chapelleyns, that syngen evere placebb./      619
I rekene flaterie in the vices of ire; for ofte      619
Tyme, if o man be wrooth with another, thanne      619
Wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his      619
Querele./      620
Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth      620
Of irous herte. Malisoun generally may be      620
Seyd every maner power of harm. Swich cursynge      620
bireveth man fro the regne of god, as      620
Seith seint paul. / and ofte tyme swiche cursynge      621
wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that      621
Curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to      621
His owene nest./ And over alle thyng men      622
Oghten eschewe to cursen hir children,      622
And yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as      622
Ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril      622
And greet synne./      623
Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche,      623
whiche been ful grete woundes in      623
Mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of      623
Freendshipe in mannes herte./ For certes, unnethes      624
may a man pleynly been accorded with      624
Hym that hath hym openly revyled and repreved      624
and disclaundred. This ia a ful grisly      624
Synne, as crist seith in the gospel./ And taak      625
Kep now, that he that repreveth his neighebor,      625
Outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne      625
That he hath on his body, as mesel, croked      625
Harlot, or by som synne that he dooth./ Now      626
If he repreve hym by harm of peyne, thanne      626
Turneth the repreve to jhesu crist, for peyne      626
Is sent by the rightwys sonde of god, and      626
By his suffrance, be it meselrie, or maheym,      626
or maladie./ And if he repreve hym      627
Uncharitably of synne, as thou holour,      627
Thou dronkelewe harlot, and so forth, thanne      627
Aperteneth that to the rejoysynge of the devel,      627
That evere hath joyde that men doon synne./      628
And certes, chidynge may nat come but out      628
Of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance      628
Of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And      629
Ye shul understonde that looke, by the wey,      629
Whan any man shal chastise another, that he      629
Be war from chidynge or reprevynge. For      629
Trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly      629
Quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which      629
That he sholde quenche, and peraventure sleeth      629
Hym, which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./      629
for as seith salomon, the amyable      630
Tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn, of lyf      630
Espiritueel; and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth      630
Spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of      630
Hym that is repreved./ Loo, what seith seint      631
Augustyn: ther is nothyng so lyk the develes      631
Child as he that ofte chideth. Seint paul seith      631
Eek, the servant of God bihoveth nat to      631
Chide./ And how that chidynge be a      632
Vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk,      632
Yet is it certes moost uncovenable bitwixe a
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     632
Man and his wyf; for there is nevere reste. And      632
Wherfore seith salomon, an hous that is uncovered      632
and droppynge, and a chidynge wyf,      632
Been lyke./ A man that is in a droppynge      633
Hous in manye places, though he eschewe the      633
Droppynge in a place, it droppeth on hym in      633
Another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf;      633
But shc chide hym in o place, she wol chide      633
Hym in another./ And therfore, bettre is a      634
Morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of      634
Delices with chidynge, seith salomon./ Seint      635
Paul seith: oye wommen, be ye subgetes to      635
Youre housbondes as bihoveth in god, and ye      635
Men loveth youre wyves. Add colossenses,      635
Tertio./      636
Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is      636
A wikked synne, and namely whan he      636
Scorneth a man for his goode werkes./      637
For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the      637
Foule tode, that may nat endure to smelle the      637
Soote savour of the vyne whanne it florissheth./      638
Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the      638
Devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth,      638
and sorwe whan he leseth./ They been      639
Adversaries of jhesu crist, for they haten that      639
He loveth, that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule./      640
Speke we now of wikked conseil; for he that      640
Wikked conseil yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth      640
hym that trusteth in hym, ut achitofel      640
Ad absolonem. But nathelees, yet is his wikked      640
Conseil first agayn hymself/ for, as seith the      641
Wise man, every fals lyvynge hath this propertee      641
in hymself, that he that wole anoye      641
Another man, he anoyeth first hymself./      642
And men shul understonde that man shal      642
Nat taker his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry      642
Folk, or grevous folk, ne of folk that lovern      642
Specially to muchel hir owene profit, ne to      642
Muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of      642
Soules./      643
Now comth the synne of hem that sowen      643
And maken discord amounges folk, which is a      643
Synne that crist hateth outrely. And no wonder      643
is; for he deyde for to make concord./ And      644
Moore shame do they to crist, than dide they      644
That hym crucifiede; for God loveth bettre that      644
Freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his      644
Owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee.      644
Therfore been they likned to the devel, that      644
Evere is aboute to maken discord./      645
Now comth the synne of double tonge;      645
Swiche as speken faire byforn folk, and wikkedly      645
bihynde; or elles they maken semblant      645
As though they speeke of good entencioun, or      645
Elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of      645
Wikked entente./      646
Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh      646
Which a man is defamed; certes, unnethe      646
May be restoore the damage./      647
Now comth manace, that is an open      647
Folye; for he that ofte manaceth, he threteth      647
Moore than he may perfourne ful ofte tyme./      648
Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten      648
Profit of hym that speketh tho wordes, and eek      648
Of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel      648
Wordes been tho that been nedelees, or withouten      648
entente of natureel profit./ And al be it      649
That ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne,      649
Yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul yeve      649
Rekenynge of hem bifore god./      650
Now comth janglynge, that may nat been      650
Withoute synne. And, as seith salomon, it is      650
A sygne a apert folye./ And therfore a phI      651
Losophre seyde, whan men axed hym how that      651
Men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde      651
Do manye goode werkes, and spek fewe      651
Jangles./      652
After this comth the synne of japeres,      652
That been the develes apes; for they maken      652
Folk to laughe at hire japerie as folk doon at      652
The gawdes of an ape. Swiche japes deffendeth      652
seint paul./ Looke how that vertuouse      653
Wordes and hooly conforten hem that travaillen      653
In the service of crist, right so conforten the      653
Vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that      653
Travaillen in the service of the devel./ Thise      654
Been the synnes that comen of the tonge that      654
Comen of ire and of ohtere synnes mo./      655
The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men      655
Clepen mansuetude, that is debonairette; and      655
Eek another vertu, that men callen pacience or      655
Suffrance./      656
Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the      656
Stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage      656
In his herte, in swich manere that they ne      656
Skippe nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance      657
suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces      657
And the wronges that men doon to man outward./      657
seint jerome seith thus of debonairetee,      658
That it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith;      658
Ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he      658
Ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This      659
Vertu somtyme comth of nature; for, as seith      659
The philosophre, a man is a quyk thyng, by
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     659
Nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse;      659
But whan debonairetee is enformed of grace,      659
Thanne is it the moore worth./      660
Pacience, that is another remedie agayns iro,      660
Is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes      660
Goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm      660
That is doon to hym./ The philosophre seith      661
That pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth      661
Debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee      661
And every wikked word./ This vertu maketh      662
a man lyk to god, and maketh hym      662
Goddes owene deere child, as seith grist. This      662
Vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And therfore      662
Seith the wise man. If thow wolt venquysse      662
Thyn enemy, lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt      663
Understonde that man suffreth foure manere of      663
Grevances in outward thynges, agayns the      663
Whiche foure he moot have foure manere of      663
Paciences./      664
The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes.      664
Thilke suffrede jhesu crist withouten grucchyng,      664
ful paciently, whan the jewes despised      664
And repreved hym ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore      665
paciently; for the wise man seith, if thou      665
Stryve with a fool, though the fool be wrooth      665
Or though he laughe, algate thou shalt have no      665
Reste./ That oother grevance outward is to      666
Have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred      666
crist ful paciently, whan he was despoyled      666
Of al that he hadde in this lyf, and that nas      666
But his clothes./ The thridde grevance is a      667
Man to have harm in his body. That suffred      667
crist ful paciently in al his passioun./ The      668
Fourthe grevance is in outrageous labour in      668
Werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken      668
Hir servantz to travaillen to grevously, or out      668
Of tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet      668
Synne./ Heer-agayns suffred crist ful paciently      669
And taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon      669
His blissed shulder the croys upon which e      669
Sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere man      670
Men lerne to be pacient; for certes noght oonly      670
Cristen men been pacient, for love of jhesu      670
Crist, and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that      670
Is perdurable, but certes, the olde payens that      670
Nevere were cristene, commendeden and useden      670
the vertu of pacience./      671
A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have      671
Beten his disciple for his grete trespas, for      671
Which he was greetly amoeved, broghte      671
A yerde to scoure with the child;/ and      672
Whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde      672
To his maister, what thenke ye do?? I wol      672
Bete thee, quod the maister, for thy correccioun./      672
for sothe, quod the child, ye      673
Oghten first correcte youreself, that han lost      673
Al youre pacience for the gilt of a child./      674
For sothe, quod the maister al wepynge,      674
Thow seyst sooth. Have thow the yerde, my      674
Deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience./      674
of pacience comth obedience, thurgh      675
Which a man is obedient to crist and to alle      675
Hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in      675
Crist./ And understond wel that obedience is      676
Perfit, whan that a man dooth gladly and      676
Hastily, with good herte entierly, al that      676
He sholde do./ Obedience generally is to      677
Perfourne the doctrine of God and of his      677
Sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt      677
in alle rightwisnesse./      678
After the synne of envye and of ire, now      678
Wol I speken of the synne of accidie. For      678
Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and ire      678
Troubleth a man, and accidie maketh hym      678
Hevy, thoghtful, and wraw./ Envye and ire      679
Maker bitternesse in herte, which bitternesse      679
Is mooder of accidie, and bynymeth hym the      679
Love of alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the      679
Angwissh of troubled herte; and seint augustyn      679
Seith, it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of      679
Harm./ Certes, this is a dampnable synne;      680
For it dooth worng to jhesu crist, in as muche      680
As it bynymeth the service that men oghte doon      680
To crist with alle diligence, as seith salomon./      681
But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He      681
Dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse,      681
slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with      681
Ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith,      681
Acursed be he that dooth the service of      681
God necligently. / thanne is accidie enemy      682
to everich estaat of man; for certes,      682
The estaat of man is in three maneres. / outher      683
It is th,estaat of innocence, as was th,estaat of      683
Adam biforn that he fil into synne;in which      683
Estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge      683
And adowrynge of god. / another estaat is the      684
Estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been      684
Holden to laboure in preiynge to God for      684
Amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole      684
Graunte hem to arysen out of hir symmes. / another      685
estaat is th,estaat of grace; in which estaat      685
He is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes,      685
To alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and contrarie,      685
for he lovethno bisynesse at al. / now      686
Certes, this foule synne, accidie, is eek a ful
Page  250
     686
Greet enemy to the liflode of the body; for it      686
Ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee;      686
For it forsleweth and forsluggeth and      686
Destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by      686
Reccheleesnesse. /      687
the fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk      687
Hem that been in the peyne of helle, by cause      687
Of hir slouthe and of hire hevynesse; for they      687
That been dampned been so bounde that they      687
Ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of      688
Accidie comth first, that a man is anoyed and      688
Encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and      688
Maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich      688
Accidie, as seith seint john. /      689
now comth slouthe, that wol nat suffre      689
Noon hardnesse ne no penaunce. For soothly,      689
Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith      689
Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse      689
Ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that      689
He dooth. / agayns this roten-herted synne of      690
Accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself      690
To doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously      690
Cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge      690
That oure lord jhesu crist quiteth every good      690
Dede, be it never so lite. / usage of labour is      691
A greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith seint bernard,      691
The laborer to have stronge armes and      691
Harde synwes; and slouthe maketh hem      691
Feble and tendre. / thanne comth drede      692
To bigynne to werke anye goode werkes.      692
For certes, he that is enclyned to synne, hym      692
Thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to undertake      692
To doon werkes of goodnesse, / and      693
Casteth in his herte that the circumstances of      693
Goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt      693
For to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do      693
Werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint gregorie. /      694
now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the      694
Mercy of god, that comth somtyme of to muche      694
Outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of to muche      694
Drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche      694
Synne that it wol nat availlen hym, though      694
He wolde repenten hym and forsake synne; /      695
Thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth      695
Al his herte to every maner synne, as seith      695
Seint augustin. / which dampnable synne, if      696
That it continue unto his ende, it is cleped      696
Synnyng in the hooly goost. / this horrible      697
Synne is so perilous that he that is      697
Despeired, ther nys no felonye ne no synne that      697
He douteth for to do; as shewed wel by judas. /      698
Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne      698
Moost displesant to crist, and moost adversarie. /      699
Soothly, he that despeireth hym is lyk      699
The coward champious recreant, that seith,      699
Creant withoute nede, allas! akkas! bedekes us      699
He recreant and nedelees despeired. / certes,      700
The mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent,      700
And is aboven alle his werkes. / allas! kan a      701
Man nat bithynke hym on the gospel of seint      701
Luc, 15, where as crist seith that as wel shal      701
Ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that      701
Dooth penitence, as upon nynty and nyne      701
Rightful men that neden no penitence. /      702
Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye      702
And the feeste of the goode man that hadde      702
Lost his sone, whan his sone with repentaunce      702
Was retourned to his fader. / kan they nat remembren      703
Hem eek that, as seith seint luc, 23,      703
How that the theef that was hanged bisyde      703
Jhesu crist, seyde -- lord, remembre of me,      703
Whan thow comest into thy regne? / for      704
Sothe, seyde crist, I seye to thee, to-day      704
Shaltow been with me in paradys. / certes,      705
Ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it      705
Ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence,      705
Thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth      705
Of crist. / allas! what nedeth man thanne to      706
Been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy      706
Is and large? axe and have. / thanne cometh      707
Sompnolence, that is, sloggy slombrynge,      707
Which maketh a man be hevy and dul      707
In body and in soule; and this synne comth      707
Of slouthe. / and certes, the tyme that, by eey      708
Of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the      708
Morwe, but if ther were cause resonable. / for      709
Soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a      709
Man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on      709
God, and for to honoure god, and to yeven      709
Almesse to the povre that first cometh in the      709
Name of crist. / lo, what seith salomon --      710
Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and      710
Seke me, he shal fynde. / thanne cometh necligence,      711
Or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of      711
No thyng. And how that ignoraunce be      711
Mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence      711
Is the norice. / necligence ne dooth no      712
Fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither      712
He do it weel or baddely /      713
of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith      713
The wise man, that he that dredeth god, he      713
Spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon. /      714
And he that loveth god, he wol doon diligence      714
To plese God by his werkes, and abaundone      714
Hymself, with al his myght, wel for to doon. /      715
Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate of alle      715
Harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath      715
No walles; the develes may entre on every syde,
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     715
Or sheten at hym at discovert, by temptacion      715
On every syde. / this ydelnesse is the thurrok      716
Of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes, and of      716
Alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure. /      717
Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that      717
Wol labourn, and nat to ydel folk. Eek david      717
Seith that they ne been nat in the labour of      717
Men, ne they shul nat been whipped with men,      717
That is to seyn, in purgatorie. / certes, thanne      718
Semeth it, they shul be tormented with the      718
Devel in helle, but if they doon penitence. /      719
thanne comth the synne that men clepen      719
Tarditas, as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge,      719
Er he wole turne to god; and certes, that      719
Is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in      719
The dych, and wol nat arise. / and this vice      720
Comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh that he      720
Shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte. /      721
thanne comth lachesse; that is he, that      721
Whan he biginneth any good werk, anon he      721
Shal forleten it and stynten; as doon they that      721
Han any wight to governe, and ne taken of      721
Hym namoore kep, anon as they fynden      721
Any contrarie or any anoy. / thise been      722
The newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep      722
Wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the      722
Breres, or do no fors of hir owene governaunce. /      723
Of this comth poverte and destruccioun, bothe      723
Of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne      723
Comth a manere cooldnesse, that freseth al th      723
Herte of a man. / thanne comth devoccioun,      724
Thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith seint      724
Bernard, and hath swich languour in soule that      724
He may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche,      724
Ne heere ne thynke of no devoioun, ne travaille      724
With his handes in no good werk, that it nys      724
Hym unsavory and al apalled. / thanne wexeth      725
He slough and slombry, and soone wol be      725
Wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to      725
Envye. / thanne comth the synne of worldly      726
Sorwe, swich as is cleped tristicia, that      726
Sleeth man, as seith seint paul. / for      727
Certes, swich sorwe werketh to the deeth      727
Of the soule and of the body also; for therof      727
Comth that a man is anoyed of his owene lif. /      728
Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif      728
Of man, er that his tyme be come by wey of      728
Kynde. /      729
agayns this horrible synne of accidie, an      729
The branches of the same, ther is a vertu that      729
Is called fortitudo or strentthe, that is an affeccioun      729
Thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse      729
Thinges. / this vertu is so myghty and so vigerous      730
That it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely      730
Kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and      730
Wrastle agayn the assautes of the devel. / for      731
It enhaunceth and enforceth the soule, right as      731
Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For this      731
Fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce      731
The travailles that been covenable. /      732
this vertu hath manye speces; and the      732
Firste is cleped magnanimitee, that is to seyn,      732
Greet corage. For certes, ther bihoveth greet      732
Corage agains accidie, lest that it ne swolwe      732
The soule by the synne of sorwe, or destroye it      732
By wanhope. / this vertu maketh folk to undertake      733
Harde thynges and grevouse thynges,      733
By hir owene wil, wisely and resonably. / and      734
For as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a      734
Man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than      734
By strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden      734
Hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun. /      735
Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope      735
In God and in his seintes, to acheve and acomplice      735
The goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth      735
Fermely to continue. / thanne comth      736
Seuretee or sikernesse; and that is whan a man      736
Ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of      736
The goode werkes that a man hath bigonne. /      737
Thanne comth magnificence, that      737
Is to seyn, whan a man dooth and perfourneth      737
Grete werkes of goodnesse; and that      737
Is the ende why that men sholde do goode      737
Werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode      737
Werkes lith the grete gerdoun. / thanne is ther      738
Constaunce, that is, stablenesse of corage; and      738
This sholde been in herte by stedefast feith,      738
And in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere,      738
And in dede. / eke ther been mo speciale remedies      739
Against accidie in diverse werkes, and      739
In consideracioun of the peynes of helle and      739
Of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the      739
Grace of the holy goost, that wole yeve hym      739
Myght to perfourne his goode entente. /      740
after accidie wol I speke of avarice and of      740
Coveitise, of which synne seith seint paul that      740
The roote of alle harmes is coveitise. Ad      740
Thimotheum sexto. / for soothly, whan the      741
Herte of a man is confounded in itself and      741
Troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort      741
Of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas      741
Of worldly thynges. /
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     742
avarice, after the descripcioun of seint      742
Augustyn, is a likerousnesse in herte to have      742
Erthely thynges. / som oother folk seyn that      743
Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely      743
Thynges, and no thyng yeve to hem that han      743
Nede. / and understoond that avarice ne stant      744
Nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in      744
Science and in glorie, and in every manere      744
Of outrageous thyng is avarice and coveitise. /      745
And the difference bitwixe avarice and coveitise      745
Is this -- coveitise is for to coveite swiche      745
Thynges as thou hast nat; and avarice is for      745
To withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou      745
Hast, withoute rightful nede. / soothly, this      746
Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable;      746
For al hooly writ curseth it, and speketh agayns      746
That vice; for it dooth wrong to jhesu      746
Crist. / for it bireveth hym the love that      747
Men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward      747
Agayns alle resoun, / and maketh that the avaricious      748
Man hath moore hope in his catel than      748
In jhesu crist, and dooth moore observance in      748
Kepynge of his tresor than he dooth to the      748
Service of jhesu crist. / and therfore seith      749
Seint paul ad ephesios, quinto, that an avaricious      749
Man is in the thraldom of ydolatrie. /      750
what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and      750
An avaricious man, but that an ydolastre, per      750
Aventure, ne hath but o mawmet or two, and      750
The avaricious man hath manye? for certes,      750
Every floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. / and      751
Certes, the synne of mawmettrie is the firste      751
Thyng that God deffended in the ten comaundementz      751
As bereth witnesse in exodi capitulo      751
Vicesimo. / thou shalt have no false      752
Goddes bifore me, ne thou shalt make to      752
Thee no grave thyng. Thus is an avaricious      752
Man, that loveth his tresor biforn god, an      752
Ydolastre, / thurgh this cursed synne of avarice.      753
Of coveitise comen thise harde lordshipes,      753
Thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages,      753
Custumes, and cariages, moore than hire      753
Duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of      753
Hire bonde-men amercimentz, whiche myghten      753
Moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than      753
Amercimentz. / of whiche amercimentz and      754
Raunsonynge of boonde-men somme hordes stywards      754
Seyn that it is ryghtful, for as muche as      754
A cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his      754
Lordes, as they seyn. / but certes, thise lordshipes      755
Doon wrong that bireven hire bondefolk      755
Thynges that they nevere yave hem. Augustinus,      755
De civitate, libro nono. / sooth is      756
That the condicioun of thraldom and the firste      756
Cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis,      756
Nono. /      757
thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth      757
Thraldom, but nat nature./ Wherfore thise      758
Lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in      758
Hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion      758
They been nat lordes over thralles, but that      758
Thraldom comth first by the desert of synne. /      759
And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that      759
Temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the      759
Goodes of hir lordeshipes, ye, that is for to understonde,      759
The goodes of the emperour, to deffenden      759
Hem in hir right, but nat for to robben      759
Hem ne reven hem. / and therfore seith      760
Seneca, thy prudence sholde lyve benignely      760
With thy thralles. / thilke that thou clepest      761
Thy thralles been goddes peple; for humble      761
Folk been cristes freendes; they been contubernyal      761
With the lord. /      762
thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles      762
Spryngen, of swich seed spryngen lordes. As      762
Wel may the cherl be saved as the lord. / the      763
Same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth      763
Taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so      763
With the cherl, as thou woldest that thy lord      763
Dide with thee, if thou were in his plit. / every      764
Synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee,      764
Certes, that thou, lord, werke in swich wise      764
With thy cherles that they rather love thee than      764
Drede. / I woot wel ther is degree above degree,      765
As reson is; and skile is that men do hir devoir      765
Ther as it is due; but certes, extorcions and      765
Despit of youre underlynges is dampnable. /      766
and forther over, understoond wel that thise      766
Conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles      766
Of hem that been born of as roial blood as      766
Been they that hem conqueren. / this      767
Name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth,      767
Til that noe seyde that his sone canaan sholde      767
Be thral to his bretheren for his synne. / what      768
Seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon      768
Extorcions to hooly chirche? certes, the swerd      768
That men yeven first to a knyght, whan he is      768
Newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde deffenden      768
Hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne      768
Pilen it; and whoso dooth is traitour to crist. /      769
And, as seith seint augustyn, they been the      769
Develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of      769
Jhesu crist; and doon worse than wolves. /      770
For soothly, whan the wolf hath ful his wombe,      770
He styntheth to strangle sheep. But soothly, the      770
Pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly      770
Chirche no do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere      770
To pile. / now as I have seyd, sith so is that
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     771
Synne was first cause of thraldom, thanne is it      771
Thus, that thilke tyme that al this world was      771
In synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom      771
And subjeccioun. / but certes, sith the      772
Time of grace cam, God ordeyned that som      772
Folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in      772
Degree, and som folk moore lough, and that      772
Everich sholde be served in his estaat and in      772
His degree. / and therfore in somme contrees,      773
Ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned      773
Hem to the feith, they maken hire thralles free      773
Out of thraldom. And therfore, certes, the lord      773
Oweth to his man that the man oweth to his      773
Lord. / the pope calleth hymself servant of the      774
Servantz of god; but for as muche as the estaat      774
Of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be,      774
Ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept,      774
Ne pees and rest in erthe, but if God hadde      774
Ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and      774
Som men lower, / therfore was sovereyntee ordeyned,      775
To kepe and mayntene and deffenden      775
Hire underlynges or hire subgetz in resoun, as      775
Ferforth as it lith in hire power, and nat to destroyen      775
Hem ne confounde. / wherfore I seye      776
That thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that      776
Devouren the possessiouns or the catel of povre      776
Folk wrongfully, withouten mercy or mesure, /      777
They shul receyven, by the same      777
Mesure that they han mesured to povre      777
Folk, the mercy of jhesu crist, but if it be      777
Amended. / now comth deciete bitwixe marchaunt      778
And marchant. And thow shalt understonde      778
That marchandise is in manye maneres;      778
That oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly;      778
That oon is honest and leveful, and that oother      778
Is deshonest and unleveful. / of thilke bodily      779
Marchandise that is leveful and honest is this --      779
That, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne      779
Or a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is      779
It honest and leveful that of habundaunce of      779
This contree, that men helpe another contree      779
That is moore needy. / and therfore ther moote      780
Been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree      780
To that oother hire marchandises. / that oother      781
Marchandise, that men haunten with fraude and      781
Trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and      781
False othes, is cursed and dampnable. / espiritueel      782
Marchandise is proprely symonue,      782
That is, ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel,      782
That is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie      782
Of God and to cure of the soule. / this desir,      783
If so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen      783
It, al be it that his desir ne take noon      783
Effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if      783
He be ordred, he is irreguler. / certes symonye      784
Is cleped of simon magus, that wolde han      784
Boght for temporeel catel the yifte that god      784
Hadde yeven, by the hooly goost, to seint      784
Peter and to the apostles. / and therfore understoond      785
That bothe he that selleth and he that      785
Beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals,      785
Be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or      785
By flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly      785
Freendes, or espiritueel freendes. / flesshly in      786
Two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes.      786
Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat      786
Worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the      786
Benefice; and if he be worthy and able,      786
Ther nys noon. / that oother manere is      787
Whan men or wommen preyen for folk to      787
Avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun      787
That they han unto the persone; and      787
That is foul symonye. / but certes, in service,      788
For which men yeven thynges espirituels unto      788
Hir servauntz, it moot been understonde that the      788
Service moot been honest, and elles nat; and      788
Eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that      788
The persone be able. / for, as seith seint damasie,      789
Alle the synnes of the world, at regard      789
Of this synne, arn as thyng of noght. For it      789
Is the gretteste synne that may be, after the      789
Synne of lucifer and antecrist. / for by this      790
Synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule      790
That he boghte with his precious blood, by hem      790
That yeven chirches to hem that been nat      790
Digne. / for they putten in theves that stelen      791
The soules of jhesu crist and destroyen his      791
Patrimoyne. / by swiche undigne preestes      792
And curates han lewed men the lasse reverence      792
Of the sacramentz of hooly chirche; and      792
Swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children      792
Of crist, and putten into the chirche the      792
Develes owene sone. / they sellen the soules      793
That lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth      793
Hem. And therfore shul they nevere han      793
Part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse      793
Of hevene. / now comth hasardrie with his      794
Apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which      794
Comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle      794
Ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of god,      794
And hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes,      794
Mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre. /      795
Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat      795
Been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte      795
That craft. / of avarice comen eek lesynges,      796
Thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye      796
Shul understonde that thise been grete synnes,      796
And expres agayn the comaundementz of
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     796
God, as I have seyd. / fals witnesse is in      797
Word and eek in dede. In word, as for to      797
Bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals      797
Witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his      797
Heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for      797
Ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals      797
Witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by      797
Thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself      797
Falsly. / ware yow, questemongeres and notaries!      798
Certes, for fals witnessyng was susanna      798
In ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another      798
Mo. / the synne of thefte is eek expres agayns      799
Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel      799
Or spiritueel. / corporeel, as for to take      800
Thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by      800
Force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; /      801
By stelyng eek of false enditementz upon      801
Hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel,      801
In entente nevere to payen it agayn, and      801
Semblable thynges. / espiritueel thefte is      802
Sacrilege, that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly      802
Thynges, or of thynges sacred to crist, in two      802
Maneres -- by reson of the hooly place, as      802
Chirches or chirche-hawes, / for which every      803
Vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places      803
May be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in      803
The semblable places; also, they that withdrawen      803
Falsly the rightes that longen to hooly      803
Chirche. / and pleynly and generally, sacrilege      804
Is to reven hooly thyng fro hooly place, or unhooly      804
Thyng out of hooly place, or hooly thing      804
Out of unhooly place. /      805
niw shul ye understonde that the releevynge      805
Of avarice is misericorde, and pitee largely      805
Taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde      805
And pitee is releevynge of avarice. /      806
Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne      806
Misericorde to the nedeful man, for he deliteth      806
Hym in the kepynge of his tresor, and nat      806
In the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-cristen.      806
And therfore speke I first of misericorde. /      807
Thanne is misericorde, as seith      807
The philosophre, a vertu by which the corage      807
Of a man is stired by the mysese of hym      807
That is mysesed. / upon which misericorde      808
Folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable      808
Werkes of misericorde. / and certes, thise      809
Thynges moeven a man to the misericorde of      809
Jhesu crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt,      809
And suffred deeth for misericorde, and forgay      809
Us oure originale synnes, / and therby relessed      810
Us fro the peynes of helle, and amenused the      810
Peynes of purgatorie by penitence, and yeveth      810
Grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse of      810
Hevene. / the speces of misericorde been, as      811
For to lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven      811
And relesse, and for to han pitee in herte      811
And compassioun of the meschief of his evene-cristene,      811
And eek to chastise, there as nede      811
Is. /another manere of remedie agayns      812
Avarice is resonable largesse; but soothly,      812
Heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace      812
Of jhesu crist, and of his temporeel goodes,      812
And eek of the goodes perdurables, that crist      812
Yaf to us; / and to han remembrance of the      813
Deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne,      813
Where, ne how; and eek that he shal forgon al      813
That he hath, save oonly that he hath despended      813
In goode werkes. /      814
but for as muche as som folk been unmesurable,      814
Men oghten eschue fool-largesse, that      814
Men clepen wast. / certes, he that is fool-large      815
Ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth iis catel.      815
Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne      815
Glorie, as to mynstrals and to folk, for to beren      815
His renoun in the world, he hath synne therof,      815
And noon almesse. / certes, he leseth foule his      816
Good, that ne seketh with the yifte of his      816
Good nothyng but synne. / he is lyk to an      817
Hors that seketh rather to drynken drovy      817
Or trouble water than for to drynken water of      817
The clere welle. / and for as muchel as they      818
Yeven ther as they sholde nat yeven, to hem      818
Aperteneth thilke malisoun that crist shal      818
Yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen      818
Been dampned. /      819
after avarice comth glotonye, which is expres      819
Eek agayn the comandement of god. Glotonye      819
Is unmesurable appetit toete or to drynke,      819
Or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit      819
And desordeynee coveitise to eten or to      819
Drynke. / this synne corrumped al this world,      820
As is wel shewed in the synne of adam and of      820
Eve. Looke eek what seith saint paul, of glotonye -- /      821
Manye, seith seint paul, goon, of      821
Whiche I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I      821
Seye it wepynge, that been the enemys of the      821
Croys of crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and      821
Of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire      821
Glorie in confusioun of hem that so savouren      821
Erthely thynges. / he that is      822
Usaunt to this synne of glotonye, he ne
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     822
May no synne withstonde. He moot been in      822
Servage of alle vices, for it is the develes hoord      822
Ther he hideth hym and resteth. / this synne      823
Hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse,      823
That is the horrible sepulture of mannes resoun;      823
And therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath      823
Lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne. / but      824
Soothly, whan that a man is nat wont to strong      824
Drynke, and peraventure ne knoweth nat the      824
Strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his      824
Heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh      824
The moore, al be he sodeynly caught with      824
Drynke, it is no deedly synne, but venyal. / the      825
Seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit      825
Of a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse      825
Bireveth hym the discrecioun of his wit. / the      826
Thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man devoureth      826
His mete, and hath no rightful      826
Manere of etynge. / the fourthe is whan,      827
Thurgh the grete habundaunce of his mete,      827
The humours in his body been distempred. / the      828
Fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge;      828
For which somtymee a man foryeteth er the      828
Morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght      828
Biforn. /      829
in oother manere been distinct the speces of      829
Glotonye, after seint gregorie. The firste is      829
For to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is      829
Whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or      829
Drynke. / the thridde is whan men taken to      830
Muche over mesure. The fourthe is curiositee,      830
With greet entente to maken and apparaillen      830
His mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. /      831
Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes      831
Hand, by whiche he draweth folk to      831
Synne. /      832
agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence,      832
As seith galien; but that holde I nat meritorie,      832
If he do it oonly for the heele of his body.      832
Seint augustyn wole that abstinence be doon      832
For vertu and with pacience. / abstinence,      833
He seith, is litel worth, but if a man have good      833
Wil therto, and but it be enforced by pacience      833
And by charitee, and that men doon it for      833
Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of      833
Hevene./      834
The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce,      834
that holdeth the meene in alle thynges;      834
Eek shame, that aschueth alle deshonestee; surfisance,      834
that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes,      834
Ne dooth no fors of to outrageous appariailynge      834
of mete;/ mesure also, that restreyneth      835
By resoun the deslavee appetit of etynge; sobrenesse      835
also, that restreyneth the outrage of      835
Drynke;/ sparynge also, that restreyneth the      836
Delacaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and      836
Softely, wherfore some folk stonden of      836
Hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./      837
After glotonye thanne comth lecherie, for      837
Thise two synnes been so ny cosyns that ofte      837
Tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot, this      838
Synne is ful displesaunt thyng to god; for he      838
Seyde hymself, do no lecherie. And therfore      838
he putte grete peynes agayns this synne      838
In the olde lawe./ If waomman thral were taken      839
In this synne, she sholde be beten with staves      839
To the deeth; and if she were a gentil womman,      839
She sholde be slayn with stones; and if she      839
Were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been      839
Brent, by goddes comandement./ Forther      840
Over, by the synne of lecherie God dreynte      840
Al the world at the diluge. And after that he      840
Brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sak      840
Hem into helle./      841
Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge      841
Synne of lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of      841
Wedded folk, that is to seyn, if that oon of      841
Hem be wedded, or elles bothe./ Seint john      842
Seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle,      842
In a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston;      842
In fyr, for hire lecherye; in brymston, for the      842
Stynk of hire ordure./ Certes, the brekynge of      843
This sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was      843
Maked of God hymself in paradys, and confermed      843
by jhesu crist, as witnesseth seint      843
Mathew in the gospel: a man shal lete fader      843
And mooder, and taken hym to his wif, and      843
They shullen be two in o flesh./ This sacrement      844
bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of crist      844
And of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god      845
Forbad avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded      845
That thou sholdest nat coveite thy neighebores      845
Wyf./ In this heeste, seith seint augustyn,      846
Is forboden alle manere coveitise to doon lecherie.      846
lo, what seith seint mathew in the gospel,      846
that whose seeth a womman to coveitise      846
Of his lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire      846
In his herte./ Heere may ye seen that      847
Nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden,      847
but eek the desire to doon that synne./      848
This cursed synne anoyeth grevousliche hem      848
That it haunten. And first to hire soule, for he
Page  256
     848
Obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that      848
Is perdurable./ Unto the body anoyeth it grevously      849
also, for it dreyeth hym, and wasteth him,      849
And shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice      849
to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his      849
Catel and his substaunce./ And certes, if it be      850
A foul thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen,      850
yet is it a fouler thyng whan that, for      850
Swich ordure, wommen dispenden upon men      850
Hir catel and substaunce./ This synne, as seith      851
The prophete, bireveth man and womman hir      851
Goode fame and al hire honour; and it is ful      851
Plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth      851
He the mooste partie of this world./ And      852
Right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in      852
Chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right      852
So deliteth the fend in this ordure./      853
This is that oother hand of the devel with      853
Fyve fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye./      853
the firste fynger is the fool lookynge      854
Of the fool womman and of the fool man, that      854
Sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the      854
Venym of his sighte; for the coveitise of eyen      854
Folweth the coveitise of the herte./ The seconde      855
fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede      855
manere. And therfore seith salomon that      855
Whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he      855
Fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun that      855
Styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge;      855
as whoso toucheth warm pych,      855
It shent his fyngres./ The thridde is foule      856
Wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that right anon      856
Brenneth the herte./ The fourthe fynger      857
Is the kissynge; and trewely he were a      857
Greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a      857
Brennynge oven or of a fourneys./ And moore      858
Fooles been they that kissen in vileynye, for      858
That mouth is the mouth of helle; and namely      858
Thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they kisse,      858
Though they may nat do, and smatre hem./      859
Certes, they been lyk to houndes; for an hound,      859
Whan he comth by the roser or by othere      859
(bushes), though he may nat pisse, yet wole      859
He heve up his leg and make a contenaunce      859
To pisse./ And for that many man weneth that      860
He may nat synne, for no likerousnesse that      860
He dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is      860
Fals. God woot, a man may sleen hymself with      860
His owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken      860
Of his owene tonne./ Certes, be it wyf, be it      861
Child, or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn      861
god, it is his mawmet, and he is an      861
Ydolastre./ Man sholde loven hys wyf by      862
Discrecioun, paciently and atemprely; and      862
Thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The      863
Fifthe fynger of the develes hand is the stynkynge      863
dede of leccherie./ Certes, the fyve fyngres      864
of glotonie the feend put in the wombe      864
Of a man, and with his fyve fingres of lecherie      864
he gripeth hym by the reynes, for to      864
Throwen hym into the fourneys of helle./ Ther      865
As they shul han the fyr and the wormes that      865
Evere shul lasten, and wepynge and wailynge      865
Sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of      865
Develes, that shullen al totrede hem without      865
Repit and withouten ende./ Of leccherie, as      866
I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as fornicacioun,      866
That is bitwixe man and womman that been      866
Nat maried; and this is deedly synne, and      866
Agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun      867
to nature is agayns nature./      868
Parfay, the resoun of a man telleth eek hym      868
Wel that is is deedly synne, for as muche as      868
God forbad leccherie. And seint paul yeveth      868
Hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight but      868
To hem that doon deedly synne./ Another      869
Synne of leccherie is to bireve a mayden of      869
Hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes,      869
He casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree      869
That is in this present lif,/ and bireveth hir      870
Thilke percious fruyt that the book clepeth the      870
Hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon oother-wewyes      870
in englissh, but in latyn it highte centesimus      870
fructus./ Certes, he that so dooth is      871
Cause of manye damages and vileynyes, mo      871
Than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme      871
Is cause of alle damages that beestes don in      871
The feeld, that breketh the hegge or the closure,      871
Thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat      871
Been restoored./ For certes, namoore may      872
Maydenhede be restoored than a arm that      872
Is smyten fro the body may retourne agany to      872
Wexe./ She may have mercy, this woot I wel,      873
If she do penitence; but nevere shal it be that      873
She nas corrupt./ And al be it so that I have      874
Spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good to      874
Shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for      874
To eschue that foule synne./ Avowtrie in latyn      875
Is for to seyn, approchynge of oother mannes      875
Bed, thurgh which tho that whilom weren a      875
Flessh abowndone hir bodyes to othere persones./      875
of this synne, as seith the wise man,      876
Folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith;      876
And certes, in feith is the keye of cristendom./      876
and whan that feith is broken      877
And lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn      877
And withouten fruyt./ This synne is eek a      878
Thefte; for thefte generally is for to reve a
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     878
Wight his thyng agayns his wille./ Certes, this      879
Is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a      879
Womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde,      879
And yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire;      879
And steleth hir soule fro crist, and yeveth it to      879
The devel./ This is a fouler thefte than for to      880
Breke a chirche and stele the chalice; for thise      880
Avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually      880
And stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body      880
And the soule, for which crist shal destroyen      880
Hem, as seith seint paul./ Soothly, of this      881
Thefte douted gretly joseph, whan that his      881
Lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he      881
Seyde, lo, my lady, how my lord hath take      881
To me under my warde al that he hath in this      881
World, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of      881
My power, but oonly ye, that been his      881
Wyf./ And how sholde I thanne do this      882
Wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns      882
God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede!      882
Allas! al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./      883
The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which      883
They breken the comandement of god, and defoulen      883
the auctour of matrimoyne, that is      883
Crist./ For certes, in so muche as the sacrement      884
of mariage is so noble and so digne, so      884
Muche is it gretter synne for to breken it; for      884
God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of      884
Innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service      884
of god./ And therfore is the brekynge      885
Therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge      885
Comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully      885
Ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol      885
Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that      885
Is heritage to goode folk./ Of this brekynge      886
Comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden      886
Or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and      886
Namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels      886
Of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to      886
A commune gong, where as men purgen      886
Hire ordure./ What seve we eek of putours      887
that lyven by the horrible synne of      887
Putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem      887
A certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye,      887
Somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as      887
Doon thise bawdes? certes, thise been cursede      887
Synnes./ Understoond eek that avowtrie is set      888
Gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte      888
And manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte      888
That may be, for it is thefte of body and of      888
Soule. / and it is lyk to homycide, for it herveth      889
atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were      889
Maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe      889
Of god, they sholde by slayn./ But nathelees,      890
By the lawe of jhesu crist, that is lawe of pitee,      890
Whan he seyde to the womman that was      890
Founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn      890
With stones, after the wyl of the jewes, as was      890
Hir lawe, go, quod jhesu crist, and have      890
Namoore wyl to synne, or, wille namoore      890
To do synne./ Soothly the vengeaunce of      891
Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle,      891
But if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./      891
yet been ther mo speces of this      892
Cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem      892
Is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been      892
Entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or      892
Preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that      892
He is in ordre, the gretter is the synne./ The      893
Thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the      893
Brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they      893
Receyved the ordre./ And forther over, sooth      894
Is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of      894
Good, and his especial signe and mark of chastitee,      894
to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee,      894
which that is the moost precious lyf that      894
Is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled      895
To god, and of the special meignee of god,      895
For which, whan they doon deedly synne, they      895
Been the special traytours of God and of his      895
Peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for      895
.,/the peple, and whike they been suche traitours,      896
Here preyer avayleth nat to the peple.      896
Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir      896
Mysterye; but for sothe, seint paul seith that      896
Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel      896
Of light./ Soothly, the preest that haunteth      897
deedly synne, he may be likned to the      897
Aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel      897
Of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for      897
Sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche      898
Preestes been the sones of helie, as sweweth      898
In the book of kynges, that they weren the      898
Sones of belial, that is, the devel./ Belial is to      899
Seyn, withouten juge; and so faren they; hem      899
Thynketh they been free, and han no juge, namoore      899
than hath a free bole that taketh which      899
Cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren      900
They by wommen. For right as a free bole is      900
Ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest      900
Corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al      900
A contree./ Thise preestes, as seith the book,      901
Ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple,      901
ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde      901
Hem nat apayd, as seith the book, os soden      901
Flessh that was to hem offred, but they      901
Tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./      902
Certes, so thise shrewes ne holden hem nat
Page  258
     902
Apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with      902
Which the peple feden hem in greet reverence,      902
But they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves      902
And hir doghtres./ And certes, thise wommen      903
That consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet      903
Wrong to crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle      903
Halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle      903
Thise hym that sholde worshipe crist and hooly      903
Chirche, and preye for cristene soules./ And      904
Therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes      904
eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the      904
Malisoun of al the court cristien, til they come      904
To amendement./ The thridde spece of avowtrie      905
is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and      905
That is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge      905
but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as      905
Seith seint jerome,/ and ne rekken of nothyng      906
but that they been assembled; by cause      906
That they been maried, al is good ynough,      906
As thynketh to hem./ But in swich folk      907
Hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel      907
Raphael to thobie, for in hire assemblynge      907
They putten jhesu crist out of hire herte, and      907
Yeven hemself to alle ordure./ The fourthe      908
Spece is the assemblee of hem that been of      908
Hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee,      908
or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres      908
Or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie.      908
this synne maketh hem lyk to houndes,      908
That taken no kep to kynrede./ And certes, parentele      909
is in two maneres, outher goostly or      909
Flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his god-sibbes./      909
for right so as he that engendreth a      910
Child is his flesshly fader, right so in his god-fader      910
his fader espiritueel. For which a womman      910
may in no lasse synne assemblen with      910
Hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly      910
Brother./ The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable      911
synne, of which that no man unnethe      911
Oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is      911
Openly reherced ib holy writ./ This cursednesse      912
doon men and wommen in      912
Diverse entente and in diverse manere; but      912
Though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne,      912
Certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore      912
than the sonne that shyneth on the      912
Mixne./ Another synne aperteneth to leccherie,      913
That comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh      913
Ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem      913
That been corrupt; and this synne men clepen      913
Polucioun, that comth in foure maneres./ Somtyme      914
of langwissynge of body, for the humours      914
Been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body      914
Of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse      914
Of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion;      914
Somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and      915
Somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed      915
In mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe,      915
Which may nat been withoute synne; for which      915
Men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men      915
Synnen ful grevously./      916
Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie,      916
And that is generally chastitee and continence,      916
that restreyneth alle the desordeynee      916
Moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes./      916
and evere the gretter merite shal      917
He han, that moost restreyneth the wikkede      917
eschawfynges of the ardour of this synne.      917
And this is in two maneres, that is to seyn,      917
Chastitee in mariage, and chastitee of widwehod./      917
now shaltow understonde that matrimoyne      918
is leefful assemblynge of man and of      918
Womman that receyven by vertu of the sacrement      918
the boond thurgh which they may nat      918
Be departed in al hir lyf, that is to seyn, whil      918
That they lyven bothe./ This, as seith the book,      919
Is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I      919
Have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be      919
Born in mariage./ And for to halwen mariage      920
He was at a weddynge, where as he turned water      920
into wyn; which was the firste miracle that      920
He wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples./      921
Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun      921
And replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage;      921
For that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth      921
deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem      921
That been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al      921
Oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as      921
The bodies./ This is verray mariage, that      922
Was establissed by god, er that synne bigan,      922
whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt      922
In paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde      922
Have but o womman, and o womman but o man,      922
As seith seint augustyn, by manye resouns./      923
First, for mariage is figured bitwixe crist      923
And holy chirche. And that oother is for a      923
Man is heved of a womman; algate, by ordinaunce      923
it sholde be so./ For if a womman      924
Hadde mo men that oon, thanne sholde she      924
Have moo hevedes than oon, and that were an      924
Horrible thyng biforn god; and eek a womman      924
Ne myghte nat plese to many folk at oones.      924
And also ther ne sholde nevere be pees ne      924
Reste amonges hem; for everich wolde axen his      924
Owene thyng./ And forther over, no man ne
Page  259
     925
Sholde knowe his owene engendrure, ne who      925
Sholde have his heritage; and the womman      925
Sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that      925
She were conjoynt to many men./      926
Now comth how that a man sholde bere      926
Hym with his wif, and namely in two      926
Thynges, that is to seyn, in suffraunce and      926
Reverence, as shewed crist whan he made      926
First womman./ For he ne made hire nat      927
Of the heved of adam, for she sholde nat      927
Clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the      928
Womman hath the maistrie, she maketh to      928
Muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of      928
This; the experience of day by day oghte suffise./      928
also, certes, God ne made nat womman      929
Of the foot of adam, for she ne sholde nat      929
Been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently      929
Suffre. But God made womman of the ryb of      929
Adam, for womman sholde be felawe unto      929
Man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in      930
Feith, in trouthe, and in love, as seith seint      930
Paul, that a man sholde loven his wyf as crist      930
Loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel      930
That he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his      930
Wyf, if it were nede./      931
Now how that a womman sholde be subget      931
to hire housbonde, that telleth seint      931
Peter. First, in obedience./ And eek as      932
Seith the decree, a womman that is wyf,      932
As longe as she is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee      932
to swere ne to bere witnesse withoute leve      932
Of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he      932
Sholde be so by resoun./ She sholde eek serven      933
Hym in alle honestee, and been attempree of      933
Hire array. I woot wel that they sholde setten      933
Hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat      933
By hire queyntise of array./ Seint jerome      934
Seith that wyves that been apparailled in silk      934
And in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen      934
Hem in jhesu crist. Loke what seith seint      934
John eek in thys matere?/ seint gregorie eek      935
Seith that no wight seketh precious array but      935
Oonly for veyne glorie, to been honoured the      935
Moore biforn the peple./ It is a greet folye,      936
A womman to have a fair array outward      936
And in hirself be foul inward./ A wyf      937
Sholde eek be mesurable in lookynge and      937
In berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet      937
In alle hire wordes and hire dedes./ And      938
Aboven alle worldy thyng she sholde loven hire      938
Houbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be      938
Trewe of hir body./ So sholde an housbonde      939
Eek be to his wyf. For sith that al the body      939
Is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte been,      939
Or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that,      939
No parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men understonde      940
that for thre thynges a man and his wyf      940
Flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente      940
of engendrure of children to the service      940
Of god; for certes that is the cause final of      940
Matrimoyne./ Another cause is to yelden everich      941
of hem to oother the dette of hire bodies;      941
For neither of hem hath power of his owene      941
Body. The thridde is for to eschewe leccherye      941
and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe      941
Deedly synne./ As to the firste, it is mertorie;      942
the seconde also, for, as seith the      942
Decree, that she hath merite of chastitee that      942
Yeldeth to hire housbonde the dette of hir body,      942
Ye, though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust      942
Of hire herte./ The thridde manere is venyal      943
Synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of      943
Thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion      943
and for the delit./ The fourthe manere      944
Is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly      944
For amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde      944
Causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge      944
Delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it      944
Is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme      944
Folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to      944
Hire appetit suffiseth./      945
The seconde manere of chastitee is for to      945
Been a clene wydewe, and eschue the embracynges      945
of man, and desiren the embracynge of      945
Jhesu crist./ Thise been tho that han been      946
Wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and      946
Eek wommen that han doon leccherie and      946
Been releeved by penitence./ And certes,      947
If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast      947
By licence of hir housbonde, so that she yeve      947
Nevere noon occasion that he agilte, it were      947
To hire a greet merite./ Thise manere wommen      948
that observen chastitee moste be clene      948
In herte as wel as in body and in though, and      948
Mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce;      948
And been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge,      948
In spekynge, and in dede. They been the vessel      948
or the boyste of the blissed magdelene, that      948
Fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour./ The      949
Thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and      949
It bihoveth that she be hooly in herte and clene      949
Of body. Thanne is she spouse to jhesu crist,      949
And she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge      950
of this world, and she is as thise martirs      950
In egalitee; she hath in hire that tonge may      950
Nat telle ne herte thynke./ Virginitee baar      951
Oure lord jhesu crist, and virgine was      951
Hymselve./
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     952
another remedie agayns leccherie is specially      952
to withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve      952
Occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge, and      952
Drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth      952
Strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the      952
Fyr. / slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek      953
A greet norice to leccherie. /      954
Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a      954
Man or a womman eschue the compaignye of      954
Hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted; for      954
Al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet      954
Is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly, a whit      955
Wal, although it ne brenne noght fully by      955
Stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of      955
The leyt./ Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man      956
Truste in his owene perfeccioun, but he be      956
Stronger than sampson, and hoolier than      956
David, and wiser than salomon./      957
Now after that I have declared yow, as      957
I kan, the sevene deedly synnes, and somme      957
Of hire braunches and hire remedies, soothly,      957
If I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz./      957
but so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines.      958
nathelees, I hope to god, they been      958
Touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle./      959
Now for as muche as the seconde partie of      959
Penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I      959
Bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, seint augustyn      959
seith:/ synne is every word and every      960
Dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe      960
Of jhesu crist; and this is for to synne in herte,      960
In mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that      960
Been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or      960
Savourynge, and feelynge./ Now is it good      961
To understonde the circumstances that      961
Agreggen muchel every synne./ Thou      962
Shalt considere what thow art that doost      962
The synne, wheither thou be male or femele,      962
Yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant,      962
Hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred,      962
wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;/ if she      963
Be of thy kynrded, bodily of goostly, or noon;      963
If any of thy kynrede have synned with hire,      963
Or noon; and manye mo thinges./      964
Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it      964
Be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon;      964
Incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of      964
Homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or      964
Smale; and how longe thou hast continued in      964
Synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the      965
Place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in      965
Oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld      965
Or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche      965
Dedicaat or noon./ For if the chirche be      966
Halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde      966
Inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked      966
temptacioun, the chirche is entredited      966
Til it be reconsiled by the bysshop./ And      967
The preest sholde be enterdited that dide      967
Swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde      967
Namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde      967
Doon deedly synne at every time that he so      967
Songe masse./ The fourthe circumstaunce is      968
By whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers,      968
as for enticement, or for consentement to      968
Bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many      968
A swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to      968
The devel of helle./ Wherfore they that eggen      969
Or consenten to the synne been parteners of      969
The synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere./      969
The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye      970
Tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde,      970
And how ofte that he hath falle./ For he that      971
Ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy      971
Of god, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde      971
to crist; and he wexeth the moore      971
Fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth      971
The moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth,      972
And is the moore eschew for to shryven      972
Hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour./      973
For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in      973
Hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde      973
Confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen      973
Hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich      973
Departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of      973
His synnes./ The sixte sircumstaunce is why      974
That a man synneth, as by which temptacioun;      974
And if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by      974
The excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne      974
With a womman by force, or by hire owene      974
Assent;/ of if the womman, maugree hir hed,      975
Hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she      975
Telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was      975
Hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere      975
Harneys./ The seventhe circumstaunce is in      976
What manere he hath doon his synne, or how      976
That she hath suffred that folk han doon      976
To hire./ And the same shal the man telle      977
Pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and      977
Wheither he hath synned with comune bordel      977
Wommen, or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly      978
Tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or      978
Biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte;/      979
And hath peraventure broken therfore his penance
Page  261
     979
enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil;      979
By sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle      980
Thise thynges, after that they been grete or      980
Smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And      980
Eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre      980
Been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of      980
Thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun./      980
for understond wel that after tyme      981
That a man hath defouled his baptesme by      981
Synne, if he wole come to salvaciou, ther is      981
Noon other wey but by penitence and      981
Shrifte and satisfaccioun;/ and namely by      982
The two, if ther be a confessour to which      982
He may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he      982
Have lyf to parfournen it./      983
Thanne shal man looke and considere that      983
If he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun,      983
ther moste be foure condiciouns./      984
First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of      984
Herte, as seyde the kyng ezechias to god: I      984
Wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in      984
Bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of      985
Bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste is that      985
Confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to coyere      985
ne hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his      985
God and defouled his soule./ And herof seith      986
Seint augustyn: the herte tavailleth for      986
Shame of his synne; and for he hath greet      986
Shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet      986
Mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun      987
of the publican that wolde nat heven      987
Up his eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended      987
God of hevene; for which shamefastnesse he      987
Hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof      988
Seith seint augustyn that swich shamefast folk      988
Been next foryevenesse and remissioun./ Another      989
signe is humylitee in confessioun; of      989
Which seith seint peter,~humbleth yow under      989
The myght of god. The hond of God is      989
Myghty in confessiou, for therby God foryeveth      989
thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the      989
Power./ And this humylitee shal been in herte,      990
And in signe outward; for right as he hath humylitee      990
to God in his herte, right so sholde he      990
Humble his body outward to the preest, that      990
Sit in goddes place./ For which in no manere,      991
sith that crist is sovereyn, and the preest      991
Meene and mediatour bitwixe crist and the      991
Synnere, and the synnere is the laste by      991
Wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the      992
Synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour,      992
But knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie      992
destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep      992
Who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth./      992
a man that hath trespased to a lord,      993
And comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord,      993
and set him doun anon by the lord, men      993
Wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy      993
So soone for to have remissioun ne mercy./ The      994
Thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde      994
Be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may      994
Nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe      994
In herte./ Swich was the confession of seint      995
Peter, for after that he hadde forsake jhesu      995
Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly./      996
The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat      996
For shame to shewen his confessioun./      997
Swich was the confessioun of the magdalene,      997
that ne spared, for no shame of hem      997
That weren atte feeste, for to go to oure lord      997
Jhesu crist and biknowe to hym hire synne./      998
The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman      998
Be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym      998
Is enjoyned ofr his synnes, for certes, jhesu      998
Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to      998
The deeth./      999
The seconde condicion of verray confession      999
Is that it be hastily doon. For certes, if a man      999
Hadde a deedly wounde, evere the lenger that      999
He taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde      999
It corrupte and haste hym to his deeth; and      999
Eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to      999
Heele./ And right so fareth synne that longe      1000
Tyme is in a man unshewed./ Certes, a man      1001
Oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye      1001
Causes; as for drede of deeth, that cometh ofte      1001
Sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it shal be,      1001
Ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge      1001
of o synne draweth in another;/ and      1002
Eek the lenger that he tarieth, the ferther      1002
He is fro crist. And if he abide to his laste day,      1002
Scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym      1002
Of his synnes or repenten hym, for the grevous      1002
Maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he      1003
Ne hath nat in his lyf herkned jhesu crist      1003
Whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to jhesu      1003
Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he      1003
Herkne hym./ And understond that this condicioun      1004
moste han foure thunges. Thi shrift      1004
Moste be purveyed bifore and avysed; for      1004
Wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man      1004
Konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride,      1004
Or of envye, and so forth with the speces and      1004
Circumstances;/ and that he have comprehended      1005
in hys mynde the nombre and the      1005
Greetnesse of his synnes, and how longe that      1005
He hath leyn in synne;/ and eek that he be      1006
Contrit of his synnes, and in stidefast purpos,
Page  262
     1006
By the grace of god, nevere eft to falle in      1006
Synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite      1006
Hymself, that he fle the occasiouns of      1006
Synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also      1007
Thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes      1007
To o man, and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel      1007
to another; that is to understonde, in entente      1007
To departe thy confessioun, as for shame of      1007
Drede; for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./      1008
For certes jhesu crist is entierly al good; in      1008
Hym nys noon imperfeccioun; and therfore      1008
Outher he foryeveth al parfitly or never a deel./      1009
I seye nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer      1009
for certein synne, that thow art bounde      1009
To shewen hym al the remenaunt fo thy synnes,      1009
Of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaal,      1009
But if it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is      1009
No departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye nat, ther      1010
As I speke of divisioun of confessioun, that      1010
If thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet      1010
and an honest preest, where thee liketh,      1010
And by licence of thy curaat, that thow ne      1010
Mayst wel shryve thee to him al alle thy      1010
Synnes./ But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no      1011
Synne been untoold, as fer as thow hast      1011
Remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be      1012
Shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle      1012
The synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were      1012
Last yshryven; this is no wikked entente of divisioun      1012
of shrifte./      1013
Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns.      1013
first, that thow shryve thee by thy      1013
Free wil, noght constreyned, ne for shame of      1013
Folk, ne for maladie, ne swich thynges. For      1013
It is resoun that he that trespaseth by his free      1013
Wyl, that by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/      1013
and that noon oother man telle his synne      1014
But he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye      1014
His synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest      1014
For his amonestynge to lete synne./ The seconde      1015
condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful,      1015
That is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee,      1015
And eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun,      1015
Been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;/      1016
And that a man ne be nat despeired of the      1016
Mercy of jhesu crist, as caym or judas./      1017
And eek a man moot accusen hymself of      1017
His owene trespas, and nat another; but he      1017
Shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene      1017
Malice of his synne, and noon oother./ But      1018
Nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or      1018
Enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone      1018
be swich thurgh which his synne is      1018
Agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly      1018
Shryven hym but he telle the persone with      1018
Which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,/      1019
So that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the      1019
Persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun./      1019
Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in      1020
Thy confessioun, for humylitee, peraventure, to      1020
Seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche      1020
Thow were nevere gilty./ For seint augustyn      1021
Seith, if thou, by cause of thyn hymylitee,      1021
Makest lesynges on thyself, though thow ne      1021
Were nat in synne biforn, yet artow thanne      1021
In synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou      1022
Most eek shewe thy synne by thyn owene      1022
Propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and      1022
Nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the      1022
Synne, thou shalt have the shame therfore./      1023
Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by      1023
Faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy      1023
Synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat      1023
The preest. Thow most tellen it platly, be it      1023
Nevere so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt      1024
Eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to      1024
Conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve      1024
Thee for veyne glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no      1024
Cause but oonly for the doute of jhesu crist and      1024
The heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek      1025
Renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym      1025
Lightly thy synne, as whoso telleth a jape or      1025
A tale, but avysely and with greet devocioun./      1026
And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou      1026
Ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./      1027
And though thou shryve thee ofter than      1027
Ones of synne of which thou hast be shryven,      1027
It is the moore merite. And, as seith seint      1027
Augustyn, thow shalt have the moore lightly      1027
Relessyng and grace fo god, bothe of synne and      1027
Of peyne./ And certes, oones a yeere atte leeste      1028
Wey it is laweful for to been housled; for certes,      1028
Oones a yeere alle thynges renovellen./      1029
Now have I toold yow of verray confessioun,      1029
that is the seconde partie of penitence./      1030
The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun,      1030
and that stant moost generally in almesse      1030
and in bodily peyne./ Now been ther thre      1031
Manere of almesse: contricion of herte, where      1031
A man offreth hymself to god; another is to      1031
Han pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the      1031
Thridde is in yevynge of good conseil and comfort,      1031
goostly and bodily, where men han nede,
Page  263
     1031
And namely in sustenaunce of mannes      1031
Foode./ And tak kep that a man hath      1032
Nede of thise thinges generally: he hath      1032
Nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng      1032
and herberwe, he hath nede of charitable      1032
conseil and visitynge in prisone and      1032
In maladie, and sepulture of his dede body./      1033
And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful      1033
with thy persone, visite hym by thy      1033
Message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been general      1034
almesses or werkes of chritee of hem that      1034
Han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge.      1034
of thise werkes shaltow heren at the      1034
Day of doom./      1035
Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene      1035
Propre thynges, and hastily and prively, if      1035
Thow mayst./ But nathelees, if thow mayst      1036
Ant doon it prively, thow shalt nat forbere to      1036
Doon almesse though men seen it, so that it      1036
Be nat doon for thank of the world, but      1036
Oonly for thank of jhesu crist./ For, as      1037
Witnesseth seint mathew, capitulo quinto,      1037
A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a      1037
Montayne, ne men lighte nat a lanterne and      1037
Put it under a busshel, but men sette it on a      1037
Candle-stikke to yeve light to the men in the      1037
Hous./ Right so shal youre light lighten bifore      1038
Men, that they may seen youre goode werkes,      1038
And glorifie youre fader that is in hevene./      1039
Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant      1039
In preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse      1039
techynges of orisouns./ And ye shul      1040
Understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to      1040
Seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it      1040
In God and expresseth it by word outward, to      1040
Remoeven harmes and to han thynges espiritueel      1040
and durable, and somtyme temporele      1040
Thynges; of whiche orisouns, certes, in the      1040
Orison of the pater noster hath jhesu crist enclosed      1040
moost thynges./ Certes, it is privyleged      1041
of thre thynges in his dignytee, for      1041
Which it is moore digne than any oother      1041
Preyere; for that jhesu crist hymself      1041
Maked it;/ and it is short, for it sholde      1042
Be koud the moore lightly, and for to      1042
Withholden it the moore esily in herte, and      1042
Helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun,/      1043
And for a man sholde be the lasse wery to      1043
Seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym      1043
To lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it      1043
Comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres./      1044
The exposicioun of this hooly preyere, that is      1044
So excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres      1044
of theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn;      1044
That whan thow prayest that God sholde for      1044
Yeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem that      1044
Agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne      1044
Be nat out of charitee./ This hooly orison      1045
Amenuseth eek venyal synne, and therfore it      1045
Aperteneth specially to penitence./      1046
This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in      1046
Verray feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly      1046
and discreetly and devoutly; and alwey      1046
A man shal putten his wyl to be subget to      1046
The wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek      1047
Been seyd with greet humblesse and ful      1047
Pure; honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of      1047
Any man or womman. It moste eek been continued      1047
with the werkes of chritee./ It avayleth      1048
eek agayn the vices of the soule; for, as      1048
Seith seint jerome, by fastynge been saved the      1048
Vices of the flessh, and by preyere the vices of      1048
The soule./      1049
After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily      1049
peyne stant in wakynge; for jhesu crist      1049
Seith, waketh and preyeth, that ye ne entre      1049
In wikked temptacioun./ Ye shul understanden      1050
also that fastynge stant in thre thynges:      1050
In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke, and      1050
In forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in forberynge      1050
of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a      1050
Man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al      1050
His might. /      1051
And thou shalt understanden eek that god      1051
Ordeyned fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen      1051
foure thinges:/ largenesse to      1052
Povre folk; gladnesse of herte espiritueel,      1052
Nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for      1052
He fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete;      1052
Ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal      1052
Nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his      1052
Table to ete for he fasteth./      1053
Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily      1053
Peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge, by word,      1053
Or by writynge, or in ensample; also in werynge      1053
of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons      1053
on hire naked flessh, for cristes sake,      1053
And swiche manere penances./ But war thee      1054
Wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy      1054
Flessh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry      1054
Or anoyed of thyself; for bettre is to caste awey      1054
Thyn heytre, that for to caste awey the swetenesse      1054
of jhesu crist./ And therfore seith seint      1055
Paul, clothe yow, as they that been chosen      1055
Of god, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee,      1055
Suffraunce, and swich manere of clothynge;      1055
Of whiche jhesu crist is moore apayed than      1055
Of heyres, or haubergeouns, or hauberkes./
Page  264
     1056
Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of      1056
Thy brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in      1056
Knelynges, in tribulaciouns,/ in suffrynge      1057
Paciently wronges that been doon to thee,      1057
And eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or      1057
Lesynge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child,      1057
Or othere freendes./      1058
Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges      1058
Destourben penaunce; and this is in foure      1058
Maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope,      1058
that is, desperacion./ And for to speke      1059
First of drede; for which he weneth that he      1059
May suffre no penaunce;/ ther-agayns is remedie      1060
for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but      1060
Short and litel at regard of the peyne of helle,      1060
That is so crueel and so long that it lasteth      1060
Withouten ende./      1061
Now again the shame that a man hath to      1061
Shryven hym, and namely thise ypocrites that      1061
Wolden been holden so parfite that they      1061
Han no nede to shryven hem;/ agayns that      1062
Shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey      1062
Of resoun, that he that hath nat been shamed      1062
To doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat      1062
Been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is      1062
Confessiouns./ A man sholde eek thynke that      1063
God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes and alle      1063
His werkes; to hym may no thyng been hyd      1063
Ne covered./ Men sholden eek remembren      1064
Hem of the shame that is to come at the day      1064
Of doom to hem that been nat penitent and      1064
Shryven in this present lyf./ For alle the      1065
Creatures in hevene, in erthe, and in helle      1065
Shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this      1065
World./      1066
Now for to speken of the hope of hem that      1066
Been necligent and slowe to shryven      1066
Hem, that stant in two maneres./ That      1067
Oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe      1067
And for to purchacen muche richesse for his      1067
Delit, and thanne he wol shryven hym; and      1067
As he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely      1067
Ynough to come to shrifte./ Another is of      1068
Surquidrie that he hath in cristes mercy./      1069
Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure      1069
Life is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the      1069
Richesses in this world ben in aventure, and      1069
Passen as a shadwe on the wal;/ and , as seith      1070
Seint gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete      1070
Righwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne      1070
Stynte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen      1070
Hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay continue      1070
In synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne      1070
Shul they han perpetueel peyne./      1071
Wanhope is in two maneres; the firste wanhope      1071
is in the mercy of crist; that oother is      1071
That they thynken that they ne myghte      1071
That longe persevere in goodnesse./ The      1072
Firste wanhope comth of that he demeth      1072
That he hath synned so greetly and so ofte,      1072
And so longe leyn in synne, that he shal      1072
Nat be saved./ Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope      1073
sholde he thynke that the passion of jhesu      1073
Crist is moore strong for to bynde than      1073
Synne is strong for to bynde. / agayns the      1074
Seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte      1074
As he falleth he may arise agayn by penitence.      1074
And though he never so longe have leyn in      1074
Synne, the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiven      1074
hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope      1075
That he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere      1075
in goodnesse, he shal thynke that the      1075
Feblesse of the devel may nothyng doon, but      1075
If men wol suffren hym;/ and eek he shal han      1076
Strengthe of the help of god, and of al hooly      1076
Chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels,      1076
if hym list./      1077
Thanne shal men understonde what is      1077
The fruyt of penaunce; and, after the word of      1077
Jhesu crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene,/      1077
ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo      1078
Ne grevaunce; ther alle harmes been passed      1078
Of this present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro      1078
The peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful compaignye      1078
that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of      1078
Otheres joye;/ ther as the body of man, that      1079
Whilom was foul and derk, is moore cleer than      1079
The sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was      1079
Syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal,      1079
And so strong and so hool that ther may no      1079
Thyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither hunger,      1080
thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed      1080
with the sighte of the parfit knowynge      1080
Of god./ This blisful regne may men purchace      1081
by poverte espiritueel, and the glorie by      1081
Lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and      1081
Thurst, and the reste by travaille, and the      1081
Lyf by deeth and mortificacion of synne./      1082
Page  265
Retraction

Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this      1082
Litel tretys or rede, that if ther be any thynge      1082
In it that liketh hem, that therof they thanken      1082
Oure lord jhesu crist, of whom procedeth al      1082
Wit and al goodnesse./ And if ther be any      1083
Thyng that displese hem, I preye hem also that      1083
They arrette it to the defaute of myn unkonnynge,      1083
and nat to my wyl, that wolde ful fayn      1083
Have seyd bettre if I hadde had konnynge./      1084
For oure book seith, al that is writen is writen      1084
For our doctrine, and that is myn entente./      1085
Wherfore I biseke yow mekely, for the mercy      1085
Of go, that ye preye for me that crist have      1085
Mercy on me and foryeve me my giltes;/ and      1086
Namely of my translacions and enditynges of      1086
Worldly vanitees, the whiche I revoke in      1086
My retracciouns:/ as is the book of troilus;      1087
the book also of fame; the book of      1087
The xxv. Ladies; the book of the duchesse;      1087
The book of seint valentynes day of the parlemen      1087
of briddes; the tales of counterbury,      1087
Thilke that sownen into synne;/ the book of the      1088
Leoun; and many another book. If they were      1088
In my remembrance, and many a song and      1088
Many a leccherous lay; that crist for his grete      1088
Mercy foryeve me the synne./ But of the translacion      1089
of boece de consolacione, and othere      1089
Bookes of legendes of seintes, and omelies and      1089
Moralitee, and devocioun./ That thanke I oure      1090
Lord jhesu crist and his blisful mooder, and      1090
Alle the seintes of hevene,/ bisekynge hem that      1091
They from hennes forth unto my lyves ende      1091
Sende me grace to biwayle my giltes, and to      1091
Studie to the salvacioun of my soule, and      1091
Graunte me grace of verray penitence, confessioun      1091
and satisfaccioun to doon in this      1091
Present lyf,/ thurgh the benigne grace of      1092
Hym that is kyng of kynges and preest      1092
Over alle preestes, that boghte us with the      1092
Precious blood of his herte;/ so that is may      1093
Been oon of hem at the day of doom that shulle      1093
Be saved. Qui cum patre et spiritu sancto vivit      1093
Et regnat deus per omnia secula. Amen.      1093