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THE CANTERBURY TALES
CONTENTS
PART I
The General Prologue
The Knight's Tale
The Miller's tale
PART
II
The Reeve's Tale
The Cook's Tale
The Man of Law's Tale
The Wife of Bath's Tale
The Friar's Tale
The Sompnour's Tale
The Clerk's Tale
PART
III
The Merchant's Tale
The Squire's Tale
The Franklin's Tale
The Doctor's Tale
The Pardoner's Tale
The Shipman's Tale
The Prioress's Tale
Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas
PART
IV
Chaucer's Tale of Meliboeus
The Monk's Tale
The Nun's Priest's Tale
The Second Nun's Tale
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
The Manciple's Tale
The Parson's Tale
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CHAUCER'S TALE OF MELIBOEUS.
THE PROLOGUE.
"No more of this, for Godde's dignity!"
Quoth oure Hoste; "for thou makest me
So weary of thy very lewedness,* *stupidity, ignorance <1>
That, all so wisly* God my soule bless, *surely
Mine eares ache for thy drafty* speech. *worthless <2>
Now such a rhyme the devil I beteche:* *commend to
This may well be rhyme doggerel," quoth he.
"Why so?" quoth I; "why wilt thou lette* me *prevent
More of my tale than any other man,
Since that it is the best rhyme that I can?"* *know
"By God!" quoth he, "for, plainly at one word,
Thy drafty rhyming is not worth a tord:
Thou dost naught elles but dispendest* time. *wastest
Sir, at one word, thou shalt no longer rhyme.
Let see whether thou canst tellen aught *in gest,* *by way
of
Or tell in prose somewhat, at the least, narrative*
In which there be some mirth or some doctrine."
"Gladly," quoth I, "by Godde's sweete pine,* *suffering
I will you tell a little thing in prose,
That oughte like* you, as I suppose, *please
Or else certes ye be too dangerous.* *fastidious
It is a moral tale virtuous,
*All be it* told sometimes in sundry wise *although it be*
By sundry folk, as I shall you devise.
As thus, ye wot that ev'ry Evangelist,
That telleth us the pain* of Jesus Christ, *passion
He saith not all thing as his fellow doth;
But natheless their sentence is all soth,* *true
And all accorden as in their sentence,* *meaning
All be there in their telling difference;
For some of them say more, and some say less,
When they his piteous passion express;
I mean of Mark and Matthew, Luke and John;
But doubteless their sentence is all one.
Therefore, lordinges all, I you beseech,
If that ye think I vary in my speech,
As thus, though that I telle somedeal more
Of proverbes, than ye have heard before
Comprehended in this little treatise here,
*T'enforce with* the effect of my mattere, *with which to
And though I not the same wordes say enforce*
As ye have heard, yet to you all I pray
Blame me not; for as in my sentence
Shall ye nowhere finde no difference
From the sentence of thilke* treatise lite,** *this **little
After the which this merry tale I write.
And therefore hearken to what I shall say,
And let me tellen all my tale, I pray."
Notes to the
Prologue to Chaucer's Tale of Meliboeus.
1. Chaucer crowns
the satire on the romanticists by making the very landlord
of the Tabard cry out in indignant disgust against the stuff
which he had heard recited — the good Host ascribing to
sheer ignorance the string of pompous platitudes and prosaic
details which Chaucer had uttered.
2. Drafty:
worthless, vile; no better than draff or dregs; from the
Anglo-Saxon, "drifan" to drive away, expel.

THE
TALE.
<1>
A young man called
Meliboeus, mighty and rich, begat upon his wife, that called
was Prudence, a daughter which that called was Sophia. Upon
a day befell, that he for his disport went into the fields
him to play. His wife and eke his daughter hath he left
within his house, of which the doors were fast shut. Three
of his old foes have it espied, and set ladders to the walls
of his house, and by the windows be entered, and beaten his
wife, and wounded his daughter with five mortal wounds, in
five sundry places; that is to say, in her feet, in her
hands, in her ears, in her nose, and in her mouth; and left
her for dead, and went away. When Meliboeus returned was
into his house, and saw all this mischief, he, like a man
mad, rending his clothes, gan weep and cry. Prudence his
wife, as farforth as she durst, besought him of his weeping
for to stint: but not forthy [notwithstanding] he gan to
weep and cry ever longer the more.
This noble wife
Prudence remembered her upon the sentence of Ovid, in his
book that called is the "Remedy of Love," <2> where he
saith: He is a fool that disturbeth the mother to weep in
the death of her child, till she have wept her fill, as for
a certain time; and then shall a man do his diligence with
amiable words her to recomfort and pray her of her weeping
for to stint [cease]. For which reason this noble wife
Prudence suffered her husband for to weep and cry, as for a
certain space; and when she saw her time, she said to him in
this wise: "Alas! my lord," quoth she, "why make ye yourself
for to be like a fool? For sooth it appertaineth not to a
wise man to make such a sorrow. Your daughter, with the
grace of God, shall warish [be cured] and escape. And all
[although] were it so that she right now were dead, ye ought
not for her death yourself to destroy. Seneca saith, 'The
wise man shall not take too great discomfort for the death
of his children, but certes he should suffer it in patience,
as well as he abideth the death of his own proper person.'"
Meliboeus answered
anon and said: "What man," quoth he, "should of his weeping
stint, that hath so great a cause to weep? Jesus Christ, our
Lord, himself wept for the death of Lazarus his friend."
Prudence answered, "Certes, well I wot, attempered
[moderate] weeping is nothing defended [forbidden] to him
that sorrowful is, among folk in sorrow but it is rather
granted him to weep. The Apostle Paul unto the Romans
writeth, 'Man shall rejoice with them that make joy, and
weep with such folk as weep.' But though temperate weeping
be granted, outrageous weeping certes is defended. Measure
of weeping should be conserved, after the lore [doctrine]
that teacheth us Seneca. 'When that thy friend is dead,'
quoth he, 'let not thine eyes too moist be of tears, nor too
much dry: although the tears come to thine eyes, let them
not fall. And when thou hast forgone [lost] thy friend, do
diligence to get again another friend: and this is more
wisdom than to weep for thy friend which that thou hast lorn
[lost] for therein is no boot [advantage]. And therefore if
ye govern you by sapience, put away sorrow out of your
heart. Remember you that Jesus Sirach saith, 'A man that is
joyous and glad in heart, it him conserveth flourishing in
his age: but soothly a sorrowful heart maketh his bones
dry.' He said eke thus, 'that sorrow in heart slayth full
many a man.' Solomon saith 'that right as moths in the
sheep's fleece annoy [do injury] to the clothes, and the
small worms to the tree, right so annoyeth sorrow to the
heart of man.' Wherefore us ought as well in the death of
our children, as in the loss of our goods temporal, have
patience. Remember you upon the patient Job, when he had
lost his children and his temporal substance, and in his
body endured and received full many a grievous tribulation,
yet said he thus: 'Our Lord hath given it to me, our Lord
hath bereft it me; right as our Lord would, right so be it
done; blessed be the name of our Lord."'
To these foresaid
things answered Meliboeus unto his wife Prudence: "All thy
words," quoth he, "be true, and thereto [also] profitable,
but truly mine heart is troubled with this sorrow so
grievously, that I know not what to do." "Let call," quoth
Prudence, "thy true friends all, and thy lineage, which be
wise, and tell to them your case, and hearken what they say
in counselling, and govern you after their sentence
[opinion]. Solomon saith, 'Work all things by counsel, and
thou shall never repent.'" Then, by counsel of his wife
Prudence, this Meliboeus let call [sent for] a great
congregation of folk, as surgeons, physicians, old folk and
young, and some of his old enemies reconciled (as by their
semblance) to his love and to his grace; and therewithal
there come some of his neighbours, that did him reverence
more for dread than for love, as happeneth oft. There come
also full many subtle flatterers, and wise advocates learned
in the law. And when these folk together assembled were,
this Meliboeus in sorrowful wise showed them his case, and
by the manner of his speech it seemed that in heart he bare
a cruel ire, ready to do vengeance upon his foes, and
suddenly desired that the war should begin, but nevertheless
yet asked he their counsel in this matter. A surgeon, by
licence and assent of such as were wise, up rose, and to
Meliboeus said as ye may hear. "Sir," quoth he, "as to us
surgeons appertaineth, that we do to every wight the best
that we can, where as we be withholden, [employed] and to
our patient that we do no damage; wherefore it happeneth
many a time and oft, that when two men have wounded each
other, one same surgeon healeth them both; wherefore unto
our art it is not pertinent to nurse war, nor parties to
support [take sides]. But certes, as to the warishing
[healing] of your daughter, albeit so that perilously she be
wounded, we shall do so attentive business from day to
night, that, with the grace of God, she shall be whole and
sound, as soon as is possible." Almost right in the same
wise the physicians answered, save that they said a few
words more: that right as maladies be cured by their
contraries, right so shall man warish war (by peace). His
neighbours full of envy, his feigned friends that seemed
reconciled, and his flatterers, made semblance of weeping,
and impaired and agregged [aggravated] much of this matter,
in praising greatly Meliboeus of might, of power, of riches,
and of friends, despising the power of his adversaries: and
said utterly, that he anon should wreak him on his foes, and
begin war.
Up rose then an
advocate that was wise, by leave and by counsel of other
that were wise, and said, "Lordings, the need [business] for
which we be assembled in this place, is a full heavy thing,
and an high matter, because of the wrong and of the
wickedness that hath been done, and eke by reason of the
great damages that in time coming be possible to fall for
the same cause, and eke by reason of the great riches and
power of the parties both; for which reasons, it were a full
great peril to err in this matter. Wherefore, Meliboeus,
this is our sentence [opinion]; we counsel you, above all
things, that right anon thou do thy diligence in keeping of
thy body, in such a wise that thou want no espy nor watch
thy body to save. And after that, we counsel that in thine
house thou set sufficient garrison, so that they may as well
thy body as thy house defend. But, certes, to move war or
suddenly to do vengeance, we may not deem [judge] in so
little time that it were profitable. Wherefore we ask
leisure and space to have deliberation in this case to deem;
for the common proverb saith thus; 'He that soon deemeth
soon shall repent.' And eke men say, that that judge is
wise, that soon understandeth a matter, and judgeth by
leisure. For albeit so that all tarrying be annoying,
algates [nevertheless] it is no reproof [subject for
reproach] in giving of judgement, nor in vengeance taking,
when it is sufficient and, reasonable. And that shewed our
Lord Jesus Christ by example; for when that the woman that
was taken in adultery was brought in his presence to know
what should be done with her person, albeit that he wist
well himself what he would answer, yet would he not answer
suddenly, but he would have deliberation, and in the ground
he wrote twice. And by these causes we ask deliberation and
we shall then by the grace of God counsel the thing that
shall be profitable."
Up started then the
young folk anon at once, and the most part of that company
have scorned these old wise men and begun to make noise and
said, "Right as while that iron is hot men should smite,
right so men should wreak their wrongs while that they be
fresh and new:" and with loud voice they cried. "War! War!"
Up rose then one of these old wise, and with his hand made
countenance [a sign, gesture] that men should hold them
still, and give him audience. "Lordings," quoth he, "there
is full many a man that crieth, 'War! war!' that wot full
little what war amounteth. War at his beginning hath so
great an entering and so large, that every wight may enter
when him liketh, and lightly [easily] find war: but certes
what end shall fall thereof it is not light to know. For
soothly when war is once begun, there is full many a child
unborn of his mother, that shall sterve [die] young by cause
of that war, or else live in sorrow and die in wretchedness;
and therefore, ere that any war be begun, men must have
great counsel and great deliberation." And when this old man
weened [thought, intended] to enforce his tale by reasons,
well-nigh all at once began they to rise for to break his
tale, and bid him full oft his words abridge. For soothly he
that preacheth to them that list not hear his words, his
sermon them annoyeth. For Jesus Sirach saith, that music in
weeping is a noyous [troublesome] thing. This is to say, as
much availeth to speak before folk to whom his speech
annoyeth, as to sing before him that weepeth. And when this
wise man saw that him wanted audience, all shamefast he sat
him down again. For Solomon saith, 'Where as thou mayest
have no audience, enforce thee not to speak.' "I see well,"
quoth this wise man, "that the common proverb is sooth, that
good counsel wanteth, when it is most need." Yet [besides,
further] had this Meliboeus in his council many folk, that
privily in his ear counselled him certain thing, and
counselled him the contrary in general audience. When
Meliboeus had heard that the greatest part of his council
were accorded [in agreement] that he should make war, anon
he consented to their counselling, and fully affirmed their
sentence [opinion, judgement].
(Dame Prudence,
seeing her husband's resolution thus taken, in full humble
wise, when she saw her time, begins to counsel him against
war, by a warning against haste in requital of either good
or evil. Meliboeus tells her that he will not work by her
counsel, because he should be held a fool if he rejected for
her advice the opinion of so many wise men; because all
women are bad; because it would seem that he had given her
the mastery over him; and because she could not keep his
secret, if he resolved to follow her advice. To these
reasons Prudence answers that it is no folly to change
counsel when things, or men's judgements of them, change —
especially to alter a resolution taken on the impulse of a
great multitude of folk, where every man crieth and
clattereth what him liketh; that if all women had been
wicked, Jesus Christ would never have descended to be born
of a woman, nor have showed himself first to a woman after
his resurrection and that when Solomon said he had found no
good woman, he meant that God alone was supremely good; <3>
that her husband would not seem to give her the mastery by
following her counsel, for he had his own free choice in
following or rejecting it; and that he knew well and had
often tested her great silence, patience, and secrecy. And
whereas he had quoted a saying, that in wicked counsel women
vanquish men, she reminds him that she would counsel him
against doing a wickedness on which he had set his mind, and
cites instances to show that many women have been and yet
are full good, and their counsel wholesome and profitable.
Lastly, she quotes the words of God himself, when he was
about to make woman as an help meet for man; and promises
that, if her husband will trust her counsel, she will
restore to him his daughter whole and sound, and make him
have honour in this case. Meliboeus answers that because of
his wife's sweet words, and also because he has proved and
assayed her great wisdom and her great truth, he will govern
him by her counsel in all things. Thus encouraged, Prudence
enters on a long discourse, full of learned citations,
regarding the manner in which counsellors should be chosen
and consulted, and the times and reasons for changing a
counsel. First, God must be besought for guidance. Then a
man must well examine his own thoughts, of such things as he
holds to be best for his own profit; driving out of his
heart anger, covetousness, and hastiness, which perturb and
pervert the judgement. Then he must keep his counsel secret,
unless confiding it to another shall be more profitable;
but, in so confiding it, he shall say nothing to bias the
mind of the counsellor toward flattery or subserviency.
After that he should consider his friends and his enemies,
choosing of the former such as be most faithful and wise,
and eldest and most approved in counselling; and even of
these only a few. Then he must eschew the counselling of
fools, of flatterers, of his old enemies that be reconciled,
of servants who bear him great reverence and fear, of folk
that be drunken and can hide no counsel, of such as counsel
one thing privily and the contrary openly; and of young
folk, for their counselling is not ripe. Then, in examining
his counsel, he must truly tell his tale; he must consider
whether the thing he proposes to do be reasonable, within
his power, and acceptable to the more part and the better
part of his counsellors; he must look at the things that may
follow from that counselling, choosing the best and waiving
all besides; he must consider the root whence the matter of
his counsel is engendered, what fruits it may bear, and from
what causes they be sprung. And having thus examined his
counsel and approved it by many wise folk and old, he shall
consider if he may perform it and make of it a good end; if
he be in doubt, he shall choose rather to suffer than to
begin; but otherwise he shall prosecute his resolution
steadfastly till the enterprise be at an end. As to changing
his counsel, a man may do so without reproach, if the cause
cease, or when a new case betides, or if he find that by
error or otherwise harm or damage may result, or if his
counsel be dishonest or come of dishonest cause, or if it be
impossible or may not properly be kept; and he must take it
for a general rule, that every counsel which is affirmed so
strongly, that it may not be changed for any condition that
may betide, that counsel is wicked. Meliboeus, admitting
that his wife had spoken well and suitably as to counsellors
and counsel in general, prays her to tell him in especial
what she thinks of the counsellors whom they have chosen in
their present need. Prudence replies that his counsel in
this case could not properly be called a counselling, but a
movement of folly; and points out that he has erred in
sundry wise against the rules which he had just laid down.
Granting that he has erred, Meliboeus says that he is all
ready to change his counsel right as she will devise; for,
as the proverb runs, to do sin is human, but to persevere
long in sin is work of the Devil. Prudence then minutely
recites, analyses, and criticises the counsel given to her
husband in the assembly of his friends. She commends the
advice of the physicians and surgeons, and urges that they
should be well rewarded for their noble speech and their
services in healing Sophia; and she asks Meliboeus how he
understands their proposition that one contrary must be
cured by another contrary. Meliboeus answers, that he should
do vengeance on his enemies, who had done him wrong.
Prudence, however, insists that vengeance is not the
contrary of vengeance, nor wrong of wrong, but the like; and
that wickedness should be healed by goodness, discord by
accord, war by peace. She proceeds to deal with the counsel
of the lawyers and wise folk that advised Meliboeus to take
prudent measures for the security of his body and of his
house. First, she would have her husband pray for the
protection and aid of Christ; then commit the keeping of his
person to his true friends; then suspect and avoid all
strange folk, and liars, and such people as she had already
warned him against; then beware of presuming on his
strength, or the weakness of his adversary, and neglecting
to guard his person — for every wise man dreadeth his enemy;
then he should evermore be on the watch against ambush and
all espial, even in what seems a place of safety; though he
should not be so cowardly, as to fear where is no cause for
dread; yet he should dread to be poisoned, and therefore
shun scorners, and fly their words as venom. As to the
fortification of his house, she points out that towers and
great edifices are costly and laborious, yet useless unless
defended by true friends that be old and wise; and the
greatest and strongest garrison that a rich man may have, as
well to keep his person as his goods, is, that he be beloved
by his subjects and by his neighbours. Warmly approving the
counsel that in all this business Meliboeus should proceed
with great diligence and deliberation, Prudence goes on to
examine the advice given by his neighbours that do him
reverence without love, his old enemies reconciled, his
flatterers that counselled him certain things privily and
openly counselled him the contrary, and the young folk that
counselled him to avenge himself and make war at once. She
reminds him that he stands alone against three powerful
enemies, whose kindred are numerous and close, while his are
fewer and remote in relationship; that only the judge who
has jurisdiction in a case may take sudden vengeance on any
man; that her husband's power does not accord with his
desire; and that, if he did take vengeance, it would only
breed fresh wrongs and contests. As to the causes of the
wrong done to him, she holds that God, the causer of all
things, has permitted him to suffer because he has drunk so
much honey <4> of sweet temporal riches, and delights, and
honours of this world, that he is drunken, and has forgotten
Jesus Christ his Saviour; the three enemies of mankind, the
flesh, the fiend, and the world, have entered his heart by
the windows of his body, and wounded his soul in five places
— that is to say, the deadly sins that have entered into his
heart by the five senses; and in the same manner Christ has
suffered his three enemies to enter his house by the
windows, and wound his daughter in the five places before
specified. Meliboeus demurs, that if his wife's objections
prevailed, vengeance would never be taken, and thence great
mischiefs would arise; but Prudence replies that the taking
of vengeance lies with the judges, to whom the private
individual must have recourse. Meliboeus declares that such
vengeance does not please him, and that, as Fortune has
nourished and helped him from his childhood, he will now
assay her, trusting, with God's help, that she will aid him
to avenge his shame. Prudence warns him against trusting to
Fortune, all the less because she has hitherto favoured him,
for just on that account she is the more likely to fail him;
and she calls on him to leave his vengeance with the
Sovereign Judge, that avengeth all villainies and wrongs.
Meliboeus argues that if he refrains from taking vengeance
he will invite his enemies to do him further wrong, and he
will be put and held over low; but Prudence contends that
such a result can be brought about only by the neglect of
the judges, not by the patience of the individual. Supposing
that he had leave to avenge himself, she repeats that he is
not strong enough, and quotes the common saw, that it is
madness for a man to strive with a stronger than himself,
peril to strive with one of equal strength, and folly to
strive with a weaker. But, considering his own defaults and
demerits, — remembering the patience of Christ and the
undeserved tribulations of the saints, the brevity of this
life with all its trouble and sorrow, the discredit thrown
on the wisdom and training of a man who cannot bear wrong
with patience — he should refrain wholly from taking
vengeance. Meliboeus submits that he is not at all a perfect
man, and his heart will never be at peace until he is
avenged; and that as his enemies disregarded the peril when
they attacked him, so he might, without reproach, incur some
peril in attacking them in return, even though he did a
great excess in avenging one wrong by another. Prudence
strongly deprecates all outrage or excess; but Meliboeus
insists that he cannot see that it might greatly harm him
though he took a vengeance, for he is richer and mightier
than his enemies, and all things obey money. Prudence
thereupon launches into a long dissertation on the
advantages of riches, the evils of poverty, the means by
which wealth should be gathered, and the manner in which it
should be used; and concludes by counselling her husband not
to move war and battle through trust in his riches, for they
suffice not to maintain war, the battle is not always to the
strong or the numerous, and the perils of conflict are many.
Meliboeus then curtly asks her for her counsel how he shall
do in this need; and she answers that certainly she counsels
him to agree with his adversaries and have peace with them.
Meliboeus on this cries out that plainly she loves not his
honour or his worship, in counselling him to go and humble
himself before his enemies, crying mercy to them that,
having done him so grievous wrong, ask him not to be
reconciled. Then Prudence, making semblance of wrath,
retorts that she loves his honour and profit as she loves
her own, and ever has done; she cites the Scriptures in
support of her counsel to seek peace; and says she will
leave him to his own courses, for she knows well he is so
stubborn, that he will do nothing for her. Meliboeus then
relents; admits that he is angry and cannot judge aright;
and puts himself wholly in her hands, promising to do just
as she desires, and admitting that he is the more held to
love and praise her, if she reproves him of his folly)
Then Dame Prudence
discovered all her counsel and her will unto him, and said:
"I counsel you," quoth she, "above all things, that ye make
peace between God and you, and be reconciled unto Him and to
his grace; for, as I have said to you herebefore, God hath
suffered you to have this tribulation and disease [distress,
trouble] for your sins; and if ye do as I say you, God will
send your adversaries unto you, and make them fall at your
feet, ready to do your will and your commandment. For
Solomon saith, 'When the condition of man is pleasant and
liking to God, he changeth the hearts of the man's
adversaries, and constraineth them to beseech him of peace
of grace.' And I pray you let me speak with your adversaries
in privy place, for they shall not know it is by your will
or your assent; and then, when I know their will and their
intent, I may counsel you the more surely." '"Dame," quoth
Meliboeus, '"do your will and your liking, for I put me
wholly in your disposition and ordinance."
Then Dame Prudence,
when she saw the goodwill of her husband, deliberated and
took advice in herself, thinking how she might bring this
need [affair, emergency] unto a good end. And when she saw
her time, she sent for these adversaries to come into her
into a privy place, and showed wisely into them the great
goods that come of peace, and the great harms and perils
that be in war; and said to them, in goodly manner, how that
they ought have great repentance of the injuries and wrongs
that they had done to Meliboeus her Lord, and unto her and
her daughter. And when they heard the goodly words of Dame
Prudence, then they were surprised and ravished, and had so
great joy of her, that wonder was to tell. "Ah lady!" quoth
they, "ye have showed unto us the blessing of sweetness,
after the saying of David the prophet; for the reconciling
which we be not worthy to have in no manner, but we ought
require it with great contrition and humility, ye of your
great goodness have presented unto us. Now see we well, that
the science and conning [knowledge] of Solomon is full true;
for he saith, that sweet words multiply and increase
friends, and make shrews [the ill-natured or angry] to be
debonair [gentle, courteous] and meek. Certes we put our
deed, and all our matter and cause, all wholly in your
goodwill, and be ready to obey unto the speech and
commandment of my lord Meliboeus. And therefore, dear and
benign lady, we pray you and beseech you as meekly as we can
and may, that it like unto your great goodness to fulfil in
deed your goodly words. For we consider and acknowledge that
we have offended and grieved my lord Meliboeus out of
measure, so far forth that we be not of power to make him
amends; and therefore we oblige and bind us and our friends
to do all his will and his commandment. But peradventure he
hath such heaviness and such wrath to usward, [towards us]
because of our offence, that he will enjoin us such a pain
[penalty] as we may not bear nor sustain; and therefore,
noble lady, we beseech to your womanly pity to take such
advisement [consideration] in this need, that we, nor our
friends, be not disinherited and destroyed through our
folly."
"Certes," quoth
Prudence, "it is an hard thing, and right perilous, that a
man put him all utterly in the arbitration and judgement and
in the might and power of his enemy. For Solomon saith,
'Believe me, and give credence to that that I shall say: to
thy son, to thy wife, to thy friend, nor to thy brother,
give thou never might nor mastery over thy body, while thou
livest.' Now, since he defendeth [forbiddeth] that a man
should not give to his brother, nor to his friend, the might
of his body, by a stronger reason he defendeth and
forbiddeth a man to give himself to his enemy. And
nevertheless, I counsel you that ye mistrust not my lord:
for I wot well and know verily, that he is debonair and
meek, large, courteous and nothing desirous nor envious of
good nor riches: for there is nothing in this world that he
desireth save only worship and honour. Furthermore I know
well, and am right sure, that he shall nothing do in this
need without counsel of me; and I shall so work in this
case, that by the grace of our Lord God ye shall be
reconciled unto us."
Then said they with
one voice, ""Worshipful lady, we put us and our goods all
fully in your will and disposition, and be ready to come,
what day that it like unto your nobleness to limit us or
assign us, for to make our obligation and bond, as strong as
it liketh unto your goodness, that we may fulfil the will of
you and of my lord Meliboeus."
When Dame Prudence
had heard the answer of these men, she bade them go again
privily, and she returned to her lord Meliboeus, and told
him how she found his adversaries full repentant,
acknowledging full lowly their sins and trespasses, and how
they were ready to suffer all pain, requiring and praying
him of mercy and pity. Then said Meliboeus, "He is well
worthy to have pardon and forgiveness of his sin, that
excuseth not his sin, but acknowledgeth, and repenteth him,
asking indulgence. For Seneca saith, 'There is the remission
and forgiveness, where the confession is; for confession is
neighbour to innocence.' And therefore I assent and confirm
me to have peace, but it is good that we do naught without
the assent and will of our friends." Then was Prudence right
glad and joyful, and said, "Certes, Sir, ye be well and
goodly advised; for right as by the counsel, assent, and
help of your friends ye have been stirred to avenge you and
make war, right so without their counsel shall ye not accord
you, nor have peace with your adversaries. For the law
saith, 'There is nothing so good by way of kind, [nature] as
a thing to be unbound by him that it was bound.'"
And then Dame
Prudence, without delay or tarrying, sent anon her
messengers for their kin and for their old friends, which
were true and wise; and told them by order, in the presence
of Meliboeus, all this matter, as it is above expressed and
declared; and prayed them that they would give their advice
and counsel what were best to do in this need. And when
Meliboeus' friends had taken their advice and deliberation
of the foresaid matter, and had examined it by great
business and great diligence, they gave full counsel for to
have peace and rest, and that Meliboeus should with good
heart receive his adversaries to forgiveness and mercy. And
when Dame Prudence had heard the assent of her lord
Meliboeus, and the counsel of his friends, accord with her
will and her intention, she was wondrous glad in her heart,
and said: "There is an old proverb that saith, 'The goodness
that thou mayest do this day, do it, and abide not nor delay
it not till to-morrow:' and therefore I counsel you that ye
send your messengers, such as be discreet and wise, unto
your adversaries, telling them on your behalf, that if they
will treat of peace and of accord, that they shape [prepare]
them, without delay or tarrying, to come unto us." Which
thing performed was indeed. And when these trespassers and
repenting folk of their follies, that is to say, the
adversaries of Meliboeus, had heard what these messengers
said unto them, they were right glad and joyful, and
answered full meekly and benignly, yielding graces and
thanks to their lord Meliboeus, and to all his company; and
shaped them without delay to go with the messengers, and
obey to the commandment of their lord Meliboeus. And right
anon they took their way to the court of Meliboeus, and took
with them some of their true friends, to make faith for
them, and for to be their borrows [sureties].
And when they were
come to the presence of Meliboeus, he said to them these
words; "It stands thus," quoth Meliboeus, "and sooth it is,
that ye causeless, and without skill and reason, have done
great injuries and wrongs to me, and to my wife Prudence,
and to my daughter also; for ye have entered into my house
by violence, and have done such outrage, that all men know
well that ye have deserved the death: and therefore will I
know and weet of you, whether ye will put the punishing and
chastising, and the vengeance of this outrage, in the will
of me and of my wife, or ye will not?" Then the wisest of
them three answered for them all, and said; "Sir," quoth he,
"we know well, that we be I unworthy to come to the court of
so great a lord and so worthy as ye be, for we have so
greatly mistaken us, and have offended and aguilt [incurred
guilt] in such wise against your high lordship, that truly
we have deserved the death. But yet for the great goodness
and debonairte [courtesy, gentleness] that all the world
witnesseth of your person, we submit us to the excellence
and benignity of your gracious lordship, and be ready to
obey to all your commandments, beseeching you, that of your
merciable [merciful] pity ye will consider our great
repentance and low submission, and grant us forgiveness of
our outrageous trespass and offence; for well we know, that
your liberal grace and mercy stretch them farther into
goodness, than do our outrageous guilt and trespass into
wickedness; albeit that cursedly [wickedly] and damnably we
have aguilt [incurred guilt] against your high lordship."
Then Meliboeus took them up from the ground full benignly,
and received their obligations and their bonds, by their
oaths upon their pledges and borrows, [sureties] and
assigned them a certain day to return unto his court for to
receive and accept sentence and judgement, that Meliboeus
would command to be done on them, by the causes aforesaid;
which things ordained, every man returned home to his house.
And when that Dame
Prudence saw her time she freined [inquired] and asked her
lord Meliboeus, what vengeance he thought to take of his
adversaries. To which Meliboeus answered, and said;
"Certes," quoth he, "I think and purpose me fully to
disinherit them of all that ever they have, and for to put
them in exile for evermore." "Certes," quoth Dame Prudence,
"this were a cruel sentence, and much against reason. For ye
be rich enough, and have no need of other men's goods; and
ye might lightly [easily] in this wise get you a covetous
name, which is a vicious thing, and ought to be eschewed of
every good man: for, after the saying of the Apostle,
covetousness is root of all harms. And therefore it were
better for you to lose much good of your own, than for to
take of their good in this manner. For better it is to lose
good with worship [honour], than to win good with villainy
and shame. And every man ought to do his diligence and his
business to get him a good name. And yet [further] shall he
not only busy him in keeping his good name, but he shall
also enforce him alway to do some thing by which he may
renew his good name; for it is written, that the old good
los [reputation <5>] of a man is soon gone and passed, when
it is not renewed. And as touching that ye say, that ye will
exile your adversaries, that thinketh ye much against
reason, and out of measure, [moderation] considered the
power that they have given you upon themselves. And it is
written, that he is worthy to lose his privilege, that
misuseth the might and the power that is given him. And I
set case [if I assume] ye might enjoin them that pain by
right and by law (which I trow ye may not do), I say, ye
might not put it to execution peradventure, and then it were
like to return to the war, as it was before. And therefore
if ye will that men do you obeisance, ye must deem [decide]
more courteously, that is to say, ye must give more easy
sentences and judgements. For it is written, 'He that most
courteously commandeth, to him men most obey.' And therefore
I pray you, that in this necessity and in this need ye cast
you [endeavour, devise a way] to overcome your heart. For
Seneca saith, that he that overcometh his heart, overcometh
twice. And Tullius saith, 'There is nothing so commendable
in a great lord, as when he is debonair and meek, and
appeaseth him lightly [easily].' And I pray you, that ye
will now forbear to do vengeance, in such a manner, that
your good name may be kept and conserved, and that men may
have cause and matter to praise you of pity and of mercy;
and that ye have no cause to repent you of thing that ye do.
For Seneca saith, 'He overcometh in an evil manner, that
repenteth him of his victory.' Wherefore I pray you let
mercy be in your heart, to the effect and intent that God
Almighty have mercy upon you in his last judgement; for
Saint James saith in his Epistle, 'Judgement without mercy
shall be done to him, that hath no mercy of another wight.'"
When Meliboeus had
heard the great skills [arguments, reasons] and reasons of
Dame Prudence, and her wise information and teaching, his
heart gan incline to the will of his wife, considering her
true intent, he conformed him anon and assented fully to
work after her counsel, and thanked God, of whom proceedeth
all goodness and all virtue, that him sent a wife of so
great discretion. And when the day came that his adversaries
should appear in his presence, he spake to them full goodly,
and said in this wise; "Albeit so, that of your pride and
high presumption and folly, an of your negligence and
unconning, [ignorance] ye have misborne [misbehaved] you,
and trespassed [done injury] unto me, yet forasmuch as I see
and behold your great humility, and that ye be sorry and
repentant of your guilts, it constraineth me to do you grace
and mercy. Wherefore I receive you into my grace, and
forgive you utterly all the offences, injuries, and wrongs,
that ye have done against me and mine, to this effect and to
this end, that God of his endless mercy will at the time of
our dying forgive us our guilts, that we have trespassed to
him in this wretched world; for doubtless, if we be sorry
and repentant of the sins and guilts which we have
trespassed in the sight of our Lord God, he is so free and
so merciable [merciful], that he will forgive us our guilts,
and bring us to the bliss that never hath end." Amen.
Notes to Chaucer's Tale of Meliboeus.
1. The Tale of
Meliboeus is literally translated from a French story, or
rather "treatise," in prose, entitled "Le Livre de Melibee
et de Dame Prudence," of which two manuscripts, both dating
from the fifteenth century, are preserved in the British
Museum. Tyrwhitt, justly enough, says of it that it is
indeed, as Chaucer called it in the prologue, "'a moral tale
virtuous,' and was probably much esteemed in its time; but,
in this age of levity, I doubt some readers will be apt to
regret that he did not rather give us the remainder of Sir
Thopas." It has been remarked that in the earlier portion of
the Tale, as it left the hand of the poet, a number of blank
verses were intermixed; though this peculiarity of style,
noticeable in any case only in the first 150 or 200 lines,
has necessarily all but disappeared by the changes of
spelling made in the modern editions. The Editor's purpose
being to present to the public not "The Canterbury Tales"
merely, but "The Poems of Chaucer," so far as may be
consistent with the limits of this volume, he has condensed
the long reasonings and learned quotations of Dame Prudence
into a mere outline, connecting those portions of the Tale
wherein lies so much of story as it actually possesses, and
the general reader will probably not regret the sacrifice,
made in the view of retaining so far as possible the
completeness of the Tales, while lessening the intrusion of
prose into a volume or poems. The good wife of Meliboeus
literally overflows with quotations from David, Solomon,
Jesus the Son of Sirach, the Apostles, Ovid, Cicero, Seneca,
Cassiodorus, Cato, Petrus Alphonsus — the converted Spanish
Jew, of the twelfth century, who wrote the "Disciplina
Clericalis" — and other authorities; and in some passages,
especially where husband and wife debate the merits or
demerits of women, and where Prudence dilates on the evils
of poverty, Chaucer only reproduces much that had been said
already in the Tales that preceded — such as the Merchant's
and the Man of Law's.
2. The lines which
follow are a close translation of the original
Latin, which reads:
"Quis matrem, nisi mentis inops, in funere nati
Flere vetet? non hoc illa monenda loco.
Cum dederit lacrymas, animumque expleverit aegrum,
Ille dolor verbis emoderandus erit."
Ovid, "Remedia Amoris," 127-131.
3. See the
conversation between Pluto and Proserpine, in the Merchant's
Tale.
4. "Thy name," she
says, "is Meliboeus; that is to say, a man that drinketh
honey."
5. Los: reputation;
from the past participle of the Anglo-Saxon, "hlisan" to
celebrate. Compare Latin, "laus."
|

THE MONK'S TALE.
THE PROLOGUE
WHEN ended was my tale of Melibee,
And of Prudence and her benignity,
Our Hoste said, "As I am faithful man,
And by the precious corpus Madrian,<1>
I had lever* than a barrel of ale, *rather
That goode lefe* my wife had heard this tale; *dear
For she is no thing of such patience
As was this Meliboeus' wife Prudence.
By Godde's bones! when I beat my knaves
She bringeth me the greate clubbed staves,
And crieth, 'Slay the dogges every one,
And break of them both back and ev'ry bone.'
And if that any neighebour of mine
Will not in church unto my wife incline,
Or be so hardy to her to trespace,* *offend
When she comes home she rampeth* in my face, *springs
And crieth, 'False coward, wreak* thy wife *avenge
By corpus Domini, I will have thy knife,
And thou shalt have my distaff, and go spin.'
From day till night right thus she will begin.
'Alas!' she saith, 'that ever I was shape* *destined
To wed a milksop, or a coward ape,
That will be overlad* with every wight! *imposed on
Thou darest not stand by thy wife's right.'
"This is my life,
*but if* that I will fight; *unless
And out at door anon I must me dight,* *betake myself
Or elles I am lost, but if that I
Be, like a wilde lion, fool-hardy.
I wot well she will do* me slay some day *make
Some neighebour and thenne *go my way;* *take to flight*
For I am perilous with knife in hand,
Albeit that I dare not her withstand;
For she is big in armes, by my faith!
That shall he find, that her misdoth or saith. <2>
But let us pass away from this mattere.
My lord the Monk," quoth he, "be merry of cheer,
For ye shall tell a tale truely.
Lo, Rochester stands here faste by.
Ride forth, mine owen lord, break not our game.
But by my troth I cannot tell your name;
Whether shall I call you my lord Dan John,
Or Dan Thomas, or elles Dan Albon?
Of what house be ye, by your father's kin?
I vow to God, thou hast a full fair skin;
It is a gentle pasture where thou go'st;
Thou art not like a penant* or a ghost. *penitent
Upon my faith thou art some officer,
Some worthy sexton, or some cellarer.
For by my father's soul, *as to my dome,* *in my judgement*
Thou art a master when thou art at home;
No poore cloisterer, nor no novice,
But a governor, both wily and wise,
And therewithal, of brawnes* and of bones, *sinews
A right well-faring person for the nonce.
I pray to God give him confusion
That first thee brought into religion.
Thou would'st have been a treade-fowl* aright; *cock
Hadst thou as greate leave, as thou hast might,
To perform all thy lust in engendrure,* *generation,
begettting
Thou hadst begotten many a creature.
Alas! why wearest thou so wide a cope? <3>
God give me sorrow, but, an* I were pope, *if
Not only thou, but every mighty man,
Though he were shorn full high upon his pan,* <4> *crown
Should have a wife; for all this world is lorn;* *undone,
ruined
Religion hath ta'en up all the corn
Of treading, and we borel* men be shrimps: *lay
Of feeble trees there come wretched imps.* *shoots <5>
This maketh that our heires be so slender
And feeble, that they may not well engender.
This maketh that our wives will assay
Religious folk, for they may better pay
Of Venus' payementes than may we:
God wot, no lusheburghes <6> paye ye.
But be not wroth, my lord, though that I play;
Full oft in game a sooth have I heard say."
This worthy Monk
took all in patience,
And said, "I will do all my diligence,
As far as *souneth unto honesty,* *agrees with good manners*
To telle you a tale, or two or three.
And if you list to hearken hitherward,
I will you say the life of Saint Edward;
Or elles first tragedies I will tell,
Of which I have an hundred in my cell.
Tragedy *is to say* a certain story, *means*
As olde bookes maken us memory,
Of him that stood in great prosperity,
And is y-fallen out of high degree
In misery, and endeth wretchedly.
And they be versified commonly
Of six feet, which men call hexametron;
In prose eke* be indited many a one, *also
And eke in metre, in many a sundry wise.
Lo, this declaring ought enough suffice.
Now hearken, if ye like for to hear.
But first I you beseech in this mattere,
Though I by order telle not these things,
Be it of popes, emperors, or kings,
*After their ages,* as men written find, *in chronological
order*
But tell them some before and some behind,
As it now cometh to my remembrance,
Have me excused of mine ignorance."
Notes to the
Prologue to The Monk's Tale
1. The Corpus
Madrian: the body of St. Maternus, of Treves.
2. That her misdoth
or saith: that does or says any thing to offend her.
3. Cope: An
ecclesiastcal vestment covering all the body like a cloak.
4. Though he were
shorn full high upon his pan: though he were tonsured, as
the clergy are.
5. Imps: shoots,
branches; from Anglo-Saxon, "impian," German, "impfen," to
implant, ingraft. The word is now used in a very restricted
sense, to signify the progeny, children, of the devil.
6. Lusheburghes:
base or counterfeit coins; so called because struck at
Luxemburg. A great importation of them took place during the
reigns of the earlier Edwards, and they caused much
annoyance and complaint, till in 1351 it was declared
treason to bring them into the country.

THE
TALE.
<1>
I will bewail, in
manner of tragedy,
The harm of them that stood in high degree,
And felle so, that there was no remedy
To bring them out of their adversity.
For, certain, when that Fortune list to flee,
There may no man the course of her wheel hold:
Let no man trust in blind prosperity;
Beware by these examples true and old.
At LUCIFER, though
he an angel were,
And not a man, at him I will begin.
For though Fortune may no angel dere,* *hurt
From high degree yet fell he for his sin
Down into hell, where as he yet is in.
O Lucifer! brightest of angels all,
Now art thou Satanas, that may'st not twin* *depart
Out of the misery in which thou art fall.
Lo ADAM, in the
field of Damascene <2>
With Godde's owen finger wrought was he,
And not begotten of man's sperm unclean;
And welt* all Paradise saving one tree: *commanded
Had never worldly man so high degree
As Adam, till he for misgovernance* *misbehaviour
Was driven out of his prosperity
To labour, and to hell, and to mischance.
Lo SAMPSON, which
that was annunciate
By the angel, long ere his nativity; <3>
And was to God Almighty consecrate,
And stood in nobless while that he might see;
Was never such another as was he,
To speak of strength, and thereto hardiness;* *courage
But to his wives told he his secre,
Through which he slew himself for wretchedness.
Sampson, this noble
and mighty champion,
Withoute weapon, save his handes tway,
He slew and all to-rente* the lion, *tore to pieces
Toward his wedding walking by the way.
His false wife could him so please, and pray,
Till she his counsel knew; and she, untrue,
Unto his foes his counsel gan bewray,
And him forsook, and took another new.
Three hundred foxes
Sampson took for ire,
And all their tailes he together band,
And set the foxes' tailes all on fire,
For he in every tail had knit a brand,
And they burnt all the combs of that lend,
And all their oliveres* and vines eke. *olive trees <4>
A thousand men he slew eke with his hand,
And had no weapon but an ass's cheek.
When they were
slain, so thirsted him, that he
Was *well-nigh lorn,* for which he gan to pray *near to
perishing*
That God would on his pain have some pity,
And send him drink, or elles must he die;
And of this ass's check, that was so dry,
Out of a wang-tooth* sprang anon a well, *cheek-tooth
Of which, he drank enough, shortly to say.
Thus help'd him God, as Judicum <5> can tell.
By very force, at
Gaza, on a night,
Maugre* the Philistines of that city, *in spite of
The gates of the town he hath up plight,* *plucked, wrenched
And on his back y-carried them hath he
High on an hill, where as men might them see.
O noble mighty Sampson, lefe* and dear, *loved
Hadst thou not told to women thy secre,
In all this world there had not been thy peer.
This Sampson never
cider drank nor wine,
Nor on his head came razor none nor shear,
By precept of the messenger divine;
For all his strengthes in his haires were;
And fully twenty winters, year by year,
He had of Israel the governance;
But soone shall he weepe many a tear,
For women shall him bringe to mischance.
Unto his leman*
Dalila he told, *mistress
That in his haires all his strengthe lay;
And falsely to his foemen she him sold,
And sleeping in her barme* upon a day *lap
She made to clip or shear his hair away,
And made his foemen all his craft espien.
And when they founde him in this array,
They bound him fast, and put out both his eyen.
But, ere his hair
was clipped or y-shave,
There was no bond with which men might him bind;
But now is he in prison in a cave,
Where as they made him at the querne* grind. *mill <6>
O noble Sampson, strongest of mankind!
O whilom judge in glory and richess!
Now may'st thou weepe with thine eyen blind,
Since thou from weal art fall'n to wretchedness.
Th'end of this
caitiff* was as I shall say; *wretched man
His foemen made a feast upon a day,
And made him as their fool before them play;
And this was in a temple of great array.
But at the last he made a foul affray,
For he two pillars shook, and made them fall,
And down fell temple and all, and there it lay,
And slew himself and eke his foemen all;
This is to say, the
princes every one;
And eke three thousand bodies were there slain
With falling of the great temple of stone.
Of Sampson now will I no more sayn;
Beware by this example old and plain,
That no man tell his counsel to his wife
Of such thing as he would *have secret fain,* *wish to be
secret*
If that it touch his limbes or his life.
Of HERCULES the
sov'reign conquerour
Singe his workes' land and high renown;
For in his time of strength he bare the flow'r.
He slew and reft the skin of the lion
He of the Centaurs laid the boast adown;
He Harpies <7> slew, the cruel birdes fell;
He golden apples reft from the dragon
He drew out Cerberus the hound of hell.
He slew the cruel
tyrant Busirus. <8>
And made his horse to fret* him flesh and bone; *devour
He slew the fiery serpent venomous;
Of Achelous' two hornes brake he one.
And he slew Cacus in a cave of stone;
He slew the giant Antaeus the strong;
He slew the grisly boar, and that anon;
And bare the heav'n upon his necke long. <9>
Was never wight,
since that the world began,
That slew so many monsters as did he;
Throughout the wide world his name ran,
What for his strength, and for his high bounte;
And every realme went he for to see;
He was so strong that no man might him let;* *withstand
At both the worlde's ends, as saith Trophee, <10>
Instead of boundes he a pillar set.
A leman had this
noble champion,
That highte Dejanira, fresh as May;
And, as these clerkes make mention,
She hath him sent a shirte fresh and gay;
Alas! this shirt, alas and well-away!
Envenomed was subtilly withal,
That ere that he had worn it half a day,
It made his flesh all from his bones fall.
But natheless some
clerkes her excuse
By one, that highte Nessus, that it maked;
Be as he may, I will not her accuse;
But on his back this shirt he wore all naked,
Till that his flesh was for the venom blaked.* *blackened
And when he saw none other remedy,
In hote coals he hath himselfe raked,
For with no venom deigned he to die.
Thus sterf* this
worthy mighty Hercules. *died
Lo, who may trust on Fortune *any throw?* *for a moment*
For him that followeth all this world of pres,* *near <11>
Ere he be ware, is often laid full low;
Full wise is he that can himselfe know.
Beware, for when that Fortune list to glose
Then waiteth she her man to overthrow,
By such a way as he would least suppose.
The mighty throne,
the precious treasor,
The glorious sceptre, and royal majesty,
That had the king NABUCHODONOSOR
With tongue unnethes* may described be. *scarcely
He twice won Jerusalem the city,
The vessels of the temple he with him lad;* *took away
At Babylone was his sov'reign see,* *seat
In which his glory and delight he had.
The fairest children
of the blood royal
Of Israel he *did do geld* anon, *caused to be castrated*
And maked each of them to be his thrall.* *slave
Amonges others Daniel was one,
That was the wisest child of every one;
For he the dreames of the king expounded,
Where in Chaldaea clerkes was there none
That wiste to what fine* his dreames sounded. *end
This proude king let
make a statue of gold
Sixty cubites long, and seven in bread',
To which image hathe young and old
Commanded he to lout,* and have in dread, *bow down to
Or in a furnace, full of flames red,
He should be burnt that woulde not obey:
But never would assente to that deed
Daniel, nor his younge fellows tway.
This king of kinges
proud was and elate;* *lofty
He ween'd* that God, that sits in majesty, *thought
Mighte him not bereave of his estate;
But suddenly he lost his dignity,
And like a beast he seemed for to be,
And ate hay as an ox, and lay thereout
In rain, with wilde beastes walked he,
Till certain time was y-come about.
And like an eagle's
feathers wax'd his hairs,
His nailes like a birde's clawes were,
Till God released him at certain years,
And gave him wit; and then with many a tear
He thanked God, and ever his life in fear
Was he to do amiss, or more trespace:
And till that time he laid was on his bier,
He knew that God was full of might and grace.
His sone, which that
highte BALTHASAR,
That *held the regne* after his father's day, *possessed the
kingdom*
He by his father coulde not beware,
For proud he was of heart and of array;
And eke an idolaster was he aye.
His high estate assured* him in pride; *confirmed
But Fortune cast him down, and there he lay,
And suddenly his regne gan divide.
A feast he made unto
his lordes all
Upon a time, and made them blithe be,
And then his officeres gan he call;
"Go, bringe forth the vessels," saide he,
"Which that my father in his prosperity
Out of the temple of Jerusalem reft,
And to our highe goddes thanks we
Of honour, that our elders* with us left." *forefathers
His wife, his
lordes, and his concubines
Aye dranke, while their appetites did last,
Out of these noble vessels sundry wines.
And on a wall this king his eyen cast,
And saw an hand, armless, that wrote full fast;
For fear of which he quaked, and sighed sore.
This hand, that Balthasar so sore aghast,* *dismayed
Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, and no more.
In all that land
magician was there none
That could expounde what this letter meant.
But Daniel expounded it anon,
And said, "O King, God to thy father lent
Glory and honour, regne, treasure, rent;* *revenue
And he was proud, and nothing God he drad;* *dreaded
And therefore God great wreche* upon him sent, *vengeance
And him bereft the regne that he had.
"He was cast out of
manne's company;
With asses was his habitation
And ate hay, as a beast, in wet and dry,
Till that he knew by grace and by reason
That God of heaven hath domination
O'er every regne, and every creature;
And then had God of him compassion,
And him restor'd his regne and his figure.
"Eke thou, that art
his son, art proud also,
And knowest all these thinges verily;
And art rebel to God, and art his foe.
Thou drankest of his vessels boldely;
Thy wife eke, and thy wenches, sinfully
Drank of the same vessels sundry wines,
And heried* false goddes cursedly; *praised
Therefore *to thee y-shapen full great pine is.* *great
punishment is
prepared for thee*
"This hand was sent from God, that on the wall
Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, truste me;
Thy reign is done; thou weighest naught at all;
Divided is thy regne, and it shall be
To Medes and to Persians giv'n," quoth he.
And thilke same night this king was slaw* *slain
And Darius occupied his degree,
Though he thereto had neither right nor law.
Lordings, example
hereby may ye take,
How that in lordship is no sickerness;* *security
For when that Fortune will a man forsake,
She bears away his regne and his richess,
And eke his friendes bothe more and less,
For what man that hath friendes through fortune,
Mishap will make them enemies, I guess;
This proverb is full sooth, and full commune.
ZENOBIA, of Palmyrie
the queen, <12>
As write Persians of her nobless,
So worthy was in armes, and so keen,
That no wight passed her in hardiness,
Nor in lineage, nor other gentleness.* *noble qualities
Of the king's blood of Perse* is she descended; *Persia
I say not that she hadde most fairness,
But of her shape she might not he amended.
From her childhood I
finde that she fled
Office of woman, and to woods she went,
And many a wilde harte's blood she shed
With arrows broad that she against them sent;
She was so swift, that she anon them hent.* *caught
And when that she was older, she would kill
Lions, leopards, and beares all to-rent,* *torn to pieces
And in her armes wield them at her will.
She durst the wilde
beastes' dennes seek,
And runnen in the mountains all the night,
And sleep under a bush; and she could eke
Wrestle by very force and very might
With any young man, were he ne'er so wight;* *active, nimble
There mighte nothing in her armes stond.
She kept her maidenhood from every wight,
To no man deigned she for to be bond.
But at the last her
friendes have her married
To Odenate, <13> a prince of that country;
All were it so, that she them longe tarried.
And ye shall understande how that he
Hadde such fantasies as hadde she;
But natheless, when they were knit in fere,* *together
They liv'd in joy, and in felicity,
For each of them had other lefe* and dear. *loved
Save one thing, that
she never would assent,
By no way, that he shoulde by her lie
But ones, for it was her plain intent
To have a child, the world to multiply;
And all so soon as that she might espy
That she was not with childe by that deed,
Then would she suffer him do his fantasy
Eftsoon,* and not but ones, *out of dread.* *again *without
doubt*
And if she were with
child at thilke* cast, *that
No more should he playe thilke game
Till fully forty dayes were past;
Then would she once suffer him do the same.
All* were this Odenatus wild or tame, *whether
He got no more of her; for thus she said,
It was to wives lechery and shame
In other case* if that men with them play'd. on other terms
Two sones, by this
Odenate had she,
The which she kept in virtue and lettrure.* *learning
But now unto our tale turne we;
I say, so worshipful a creature,
And wise therewith, and large* with measure,** *bountiful
**moderation
So penible* in the war, and courteous eke, *laborious
Nor more labour might in war endure,
Was none, though all this worlde men should seek.
Her rich array it
mighte not be told,
As well in vessel as in her clothing:
She was all clad in pierrie* and in gold, *jewellery
And eke she *lefte not,* for no hunting, *did not neglect*
To have of sundry tongues full knowing,
When that she leisure had, and for t'intend* *apply
To learne bookes was all her liking,
How she in virtue might her life dispend.
And, shortly of this
story for to treat,
So doughty was her husband and eke she,
That they conquered many regnes great
In th'Orient, with many a fair city
Appertinent unto the majesty
Of Rome, and with strong hande held them fast,
Nor ever might their foemen do* them flee, *make
Aye while that Odenatus' dayes last'.
Her battles, whoso
list them for to read,
Against Sapor the king, <14> and other mo',
And how that all this process fell in deed,
Why she conquer'd, and what title thereto,
And after of her mischief* and her woe, *misfortune
How that she was besieged and y-take,
Let him unto my master Petrarch go,
That writes enough of this, I undertake.
When Odenate was
dead, she mightily
The regne held, and with her proper hand
Against her foes she fought so cruelly,
That there n'as* king nor prince in all that land, *was not
That was not glad, if be that grace fand
That she would not upon his land warray;* *make war
With her they maden alliance by bond,
To be in peace, and let her ride and play.
The emperor of Rome,
Claudius,
Nor, him before, the Roman Gallien,
Durste never be so courageous,
Nor no Armenian, nor Egyptien,
Nor Syrian, nor no Arabien,
Within the fielde durste with her fight,
Lest that she would them with her handes slen,* *slay
Or with her meinie* putte them to flight. *troops
In kinges' habit
went her sones two,
As heires of their father's regnes all;
And Heremanno and Timolao
Their names were, as Persians them call
But aye Fortune hath in her honey gall;
This mighty queene may no while endure;
Fortune out of her regne made her fall
To wretchedness and to misadventure.
Aurelian, when that
the governance
Of Rome came into his handes tway, <15>
He shope* upon this queen to do vengeance; *prepared
And with his legions he took his way
Toward Zenobie, and, shortly for to say,
He made her flee, and at the last her hent,* *took
And fetter'd her, and eke her children tway,
And won the land, and home to Rome he went.
Amonges other
thinges that he wan,
Her car, that was with gold wrought and pierrie,* *jewels
This greate Roman, this Aurelian
Hath with him led, for that men should it see.
Before in his triumphe walked she
With gilte chains upon her neck hanging;
Crowned she was, as after* her degree, *according to
And full of pierrie her clothing.
Alas, Fortune! she
that whilom was
Dreadful to kinges and to emperours,
Now galeth* all the people on her, alas! *yelleth
And she that *helmed was in starke stowres,* *wore a helmet
in
And won by force townes strong and tow'rs, obstinate
battles*
Shall on her head now wear a vitremite; <16>
And she that bare the sceptre full of flow'rs
Shall bear a distaff, *her cost for to quite.* * to make her
living*
Although that NERO
were so vicious
As any fiend that lies full low adown,
Yet he, as telleth us Suetonius,<17>
This wide world had in subjectioun,
Both East and West, South and Septentrioun.
Of rubies, sapphires, and of pearles white
Were all his clothes embroider'd up and down,
For he in gemmes greatly gan delight.
More delicate, more
pompous of array,
More proud, was never emperor than he;
That *ilke cloth* that he had worn one day, *same robe*
After that time he would it never see;
Nettes of gold thread had he great plenty,
To fish in Tiber, when him list to play;
His lustes* were as law, in his degree, *pleasures
For Fortune as his friend would him obey.
He Rome burnt for
his delicacy;* *pleasure
The senators he slew upon a day,
To heare how that men would weep and cry;
And slew his brother, and by his sister lay.
His mother made he in piteous array;
For he her wombe slitte, to behold
Where he conceived was; so well-away!
That he so little of his mother told.* *valued
No tear out of his
eyen for that sight
Came; but he said, a fair woman was she.
Great wonder is, how that he could or might
Be doomesman* of her deade beauty: *judge
The wine to bringe him commanded he,
And drank anon; none other woe he made,
When might is joined unto cruelty,
Alas! too deepe will the venom wade.
In youth a master
had this emperour,
To teache him lettrure* and courtesy; *literature, learning
For of morality he was the flow'r,
As in his time, *but if* bookes lie. *unless
And while this master had of him mast'ry,
He made him so conning and so souple,* *subtle
That longe time it was ere tyranny,
Or any vice, durst in him uncouple.* *be let loose
This Seneca, of
which that I devise,* *tell
Because Nero had of him suche dread,
For he from vices would him aye chastise
Discreetly, as by word, and not by deed;
"Sir," he would say, "an emperor must need
Be virtuous, and hate tyranny."
For which he made him in a bath to bleed
On both his armes, till he muste die.
This Nero had eke of
a custumance* *habit
In youth against his master for to rise;* *stand in his
presence
Which afterward he thought a great grievance;
Therefore he made him dien in this wise.
But natheless this Seneca the wise
Chose in a bath to die in this mannere,
Rather than have another tormentise;* *torture
And thus hath Nero slain his master dear.
Now fell it so, that
Fortune list no longer
The highe pride of Nero to cherice;* *cherish
For though he were strong, yet was she stronger.
She thoughte thus; "By God, I am too nice* *foolish
To set a man, that is full fill'd of vice,
In high degree, and emperor him call!
By God, out of his seat I will him trice!* *thrust <18>
When he least weeneth,* soonest shall he fall." *expecteth
The people rose upon
him on a night,
For his default; and when he it espied,
Out of his doors anon he hath him dight* *betaken himself
Alone, and where he ween'd t'have been allied,* *regarded
with
He knocked fast, and aye the more he cried friendship
The faster shutte they their doores all;
Then wist he well he had himself misgied,* *misled
And went his way, no longer durst he call.
The people cried and
rumbled up and down,
That with his eares heard he how they said;
"Where is this false tyrant, this Neroun?"
For fear almost out of his wit he braid,* *went
And to his goddes piteously he pray'd
For succour, but it mighte not betide
For dread of this he thoughte that died,
And ran into a garden him to hide.
And in this garden
found he churles tway,
That satte by a fire great and red;
And to these churles two he gan to pray
To slay him, and to girdon* off his head, *strike
That to his body, when that he were dead,
Were no despite done for his defame.* *infamy
Himself he slew, *he coud no better rede;* *he knew no
better
Of which Fortune laugh'd and hadde game. counsel*
Was never capitain
under a king,
That regnes more put in subjectioun,
Nor stronger was in field of alle thing
As in his time, nor greater of renown,
Nor more pompous in high presumptioun,
Than HOLOFERNES, whom Fortune aye kiss'd
So lik'rously, and led him up and down,
Till that his head was off *ere that he wist.* *before he
knew it*
Not only that this
world had of him awe,
For losing of richess and liberty;
But he made every man *reny his law.* *renounce his religion
<19>
Nabuchodonosor was God, said he;
None other Godde should honoured be.
Against his hest* there dare no wight trespace, *command
Save in Bethulia, a strong city,
Where Eliachim priest was of that place.
But take keep* of
the death of Holofern; *notice
Amid his host he drunken lay at night
Within his tente, large as is a bern;* *barn
And yet, for all his pomp and all his might,
Judith, a woman, as he lay upright
Sleeping, his head off smote, and from his tent
Full privily she stole from every wight,
And with his head unto her town she went.
What needeth it of
king ANTIOCHUS <20>
To tell his high and royal majesty,
His great pride, and his workes venomous?
For such another was there none as he;
Reade what that he was in Maccabee.
And read the proude wordes that he said,
And why he fell from his prosperity,
And in an hill how wretchedly he died.
Fortune him had
enhanced so in pride,
That verily he ween'd he might attain
Unto the starres upon every side,
And in a balance weighen each mountain,
And all the floodes of the sea restrain.
And Godde's people had he most in hate
Them would he slay in torment and in pain,
Weening that God might not his pride abate.
And for that Nicanor
and Timothee
With Jewes were vanquish'd mightily, <21>
Unto the Jewes such an hate had he,
That he bade *graith his car* full hastily, *prepare his
chariot*
And swore and saide full dispiteously,
Unto Jerusalem he would eftsoon,* *immediately
To wreak his ire on it full cruelly
But of his purpose was he let* full soon. *prevented
God for his menace
him so sore smote,
With invisible wound incurable,
That in his guttes carf* it so and bote,** *cut **gnawed
Till that his paines were importable;* *unendurable
And certainly the wreche* was reasonable, *vengeance
For many a manne's guttes did he pain;
But from his purpose, curs'd* and damnable, *impious
For all his smart he would him not restrain;
But bade anon apparaile* his host. *prepare
And suddenly, ere he
was of it ware,
God daunted all his pride, and all his boast
For he so sore fell out of his chare,* *chariot
That it his limbes and his skin to-tare,
So that he neither mighte go nor ride
But in a chaire men about him bare,
Alle forbruised bothe back and side.
The wreche* of God
him smote so cruelly, *vengeance
That through his body wicked wormes crept,
And therewithal he stank so horribly
That none of all his meinie* that him kept, *servants
Whether so that he woke or elles slept,
Ne mighte not of him the stink endure.
In this mischief he wailed and eke wept,
And knew God Lord of every creature.
To all his host, and
to himself also,
Full wlatsem* was the stink of his carrain;** *loathsome
**body
No manne might him beare to and fro.
And in this stink, and this horrible pain,
He starf* full wretchedly in a mountain. *dies
Thus hath this robber, and this homicide,
That many a manne made to weep and plain,
Such guerdon* as belongeth unto pride. *reward
The story of
ALEXANDER is so commune,
That ev'ry wight that hath discretion
Hath heard somewhat or all of his fortune.
This wide world, as in conclusion,
He won by strength; or, for his high renown,
They were glad for peace to him to send.
The pride and boast of man he laid adown,
Whereso he came, unto the worlde's end.
Comparison yet never
might be maked
Between him and another conqueror;
For all this world for dread of him had quaked
He was of knighthood and of freedom flow'r:
Fortune him made the heir of her honour.
Save wine and women, nothing might assuage
His high intent in arms and labour,
So was he full of leonine courage.
What praise were it
to him, though I you told
Of Darius, and a hundred thousand mo',
Of kinges, princes, dukes, and earles bold,
Which he conquer'd, and brought them into woe?
I say, as far as man may ride or go,
The world was his, why should I more devise?* *tell
For, though I wrote or told you evermo',
Of his knighthood it mighte not suffice.
Twelve years he
reigned, as saith Maccabee
Philippe's son of Macedon he was,
That first was king in Greece the country.
O worthy gentle* Alexander, alas *noble
That ever should thee falle such a case!
Empoison'd of thine owen folk thou were;
Thy six <22> fortune hath turn'd into an ace,
And yet for thee she wepte never a tear.
Who shall me give
teares to complain
The death of gentiless, and of franchise,* *generosity
That all this worlde had in his demaine,* *dominion
And yet he thought it mighte not suffice,
So full was his corage* of high emprise? *spirit
Alas! who shall me helpe to indite
False Fortune, and poison to despise?
The whiche two of all this woe I wite.* *blame
By wisdom, manhood,
and by great labour,
From humbleness to royal majesty
Up rose he, JULIUS the Conquerour,
That won all th' Occident,* by land and sea, *West
By strength of hand or elles by treaty,
And unto Rome made them tributary;
And since* of Rome the emperor was he, *afterwards
Till that Fortune wax'd his adversary.
O mighty Caesar,
that in Thessaly
Against POMPEIUS, father thine in law, <23>
That of th' Orient had all the chivalry,
As far as that the day begins to daw,
That through thy knighthood hast them take and slaw,* slain*
Save fewe folk that with Pompeius fled;
Through which thou put all th' Orient in awe; <24>
Thanke Fortune that so well thee sped.
But now a little
while I will bewail
This Pompeius, this noble governor
Of Rome, which that fled at this battaile
I say, one of his men, a false traitor,
His head off smote, to winne him favor
Of Julius, and him the head he brought;
Alas! Pompey, of th' Orient conqueror,
That Fortune unto such a fine* thee brought! *end
To Rome again
repaired Julius,
With his triumphe laureate full high;
But on a time Brutus and Cassius,
That ever had of his estate envy,
Full privily have made conspiracy
Against this Julius in subtle wise
And cast* the place in which he shoulde die, *arranged
With bodekins,* as I shall you devise.** *daggers **tell
This Julius to the
Capitole went
Upon a day, as he was wont to gon;
And in the Capitol anon him hent* *seized
This false Brutus, and his other fone,* *foes
And sticked him with bodekins anon
With many a wound, and thus they let him lie.
But never groan'd he at no stroke but one,
Or else at two, *but if* the story lie. *unless
So manly was this
Julius of heart,
And so well loved *estately honesty *dignified propriety*
That, though his deadly woundes sore smart,* *pained him
His mantle o'er his hippes caste he,
That ne man shoulde see his privity
And as he lay a-dying in a trance,
And wiste verily that dead was he,
Of honesty yet had he remembrance.
Lucan, to thee this
story I recommend,
And to Sueton', and Valerie also,
That of this story write *word and end* *the whole* <25>
How that to these great conquerores two
Fortune was first a friend, and since* a foe. *afterwards
No manne trust upon her favour long,
But *have her in await for evermo';* *ever be watchful
against her*
Witness on all these conquerores strong.
The riche CROESUS,
<26> whilom king of Lyde, —
Of which Croesus Cyrus him sore drad,* — *dreaded
Yet was he caught amiddes all his pride,
And to be burnt men to the fire him lad;
But such a rain down *from the welkin shad,* *poured from
the sky*
That slew the fire, and made him to escape:
But to beware no grace yet he had,
Till fortune on the gallows made him gape.
When he escaped was,
he could not stint* *refrain
For to begin a newe war again;
He weened well, for that Fortune him sent
Such hap, that he escaped through the rain,
That of his foes he mighte not be slain.
And eke a sweven* on a night he mette,** *dream **dreamed
Of which he was so proud, and eke so fain,* *glad
That he in vengeance all his hearte set.
Upon a tree he was
set, as he thought,
Where Jupiter him wash'd, both back and side,
And Phoebus eke a fair towel him brought
To dry him with; and therefore wax'd his pride.
And to his daughter that stood him beside,
Which he knew in high science to abound,
He bade her tell him what it signified;
And she his dream began right thus expound.
"The tree," quoth
she, "the gallows is to mean,
And Jupiter betokens snow and rain,
And Phoebus, with his towel clear and clean,
These be the sunne's streames* sooth to sayn; *rays
Thou shalt y-hangeth be, father, certain;
Rain shall thee wash, and sunne shall thee dry."
Thus warned him full plat and eke full plain
His daughter, which that called was Phanie.
And hanged was
Croesus the proude king;
His royal throne might him not avail.
Tragedy is none other manner thing,
Nor can in singing crien nor bewail,
But for that Fortune all day will assail
With unware stroke the regnes* that be proud:<27> *kingdoms
For when men truste her, then will she fail,
And cover her bright face with a cloud.
O noble, O worthy
PEDRO, <28> glory OF SPAIN,
Whem Fortune held so high in majesty,
Well oughte men thy piteous death complain.
Out of thy land thy brother made thee flee,
And after, at a siege, by subtlety,
Thou wert betray'd, and led unto his tent,
Where as he with his owen hand slew thee,
Succeeding in thy regne* and in thy rent.** *kingdom
*revenues
The field of snow,
with th' eagle of black therein,
Caught with the lion, red-colour'd as the glede,* *burning
coal
He brew'd this cursedness,* and all this sin; *wickedness,
villainy
The wicked nest was worker of this deed;
Not Charles' Oliver, <29> that took aye heed
Of truth and honour, but of Armorike
Ganilien Oliver, corrupt for meed,* *reward, bribe
Broughte this worthy king in such a brike.* *breach, ruin
O worthy PETRO, King
of CYPRE <30> also,
That Alexandre won by high mast'ry,
Full many a heathnen wroughtest thou full woe,
Of which thine owen lieges had envy;
And, for no thing but for thy chivalry,
They in thy bed have slain thee by the morrow;
Thus can Fortune her wheel govern and gie,* *guide
And out of joy bringe men into sorrow.
Of Milan greate
BARNABO VISCOUNT,<30>
God of delight, and scourge of Lombardy,
Why should I not thine clomben* wert so high? *climbed
Thy brother's son, that was thy double ally,
For he thy nephew was and son-in-law,
Within his prison made thee to die,
But why, nor how, *n'ot I* that thou were slaw.* *I know
not* *slain*
Of th' Earl HUGOLIN
OF PISE the languour* *agony
There may no tongue telle for pity.
But little out of Pisa stands a tow'r,
In whiche tow'r in prison put was he,
Aud with him be his little children three;
The eldest scarcely five years was of age;
Alas! Fortune, it was great cruelty
Such birdes for to put in such a cage.
Damned was he to die
in that prison;
For Roger, which that bishop was of Pise,
Had on him made a false suggestion,
Through which the people gan upon him rise,
And put him in prison, in such a wise
As ye have heard; and meat and drink he had
So small, that well unneth* it might suffice, *scarcely
And therewithal it was full poor and bad.
And on a day befell,
that in that hour
When that his meate wont was to be brought,
The jailor shut the doores of the tow'r;
He heard it right well, but he spake nought.
And in his heart anon there fell a thought,
That they for hunger woulde *do him dien;* *cause him to
die*
"Alas!" quoth he, "alas that I was wrought!"* *made, born
Therewith the teares fell from his eyen.
His youngest son,
that three years was of age,
Unto him said, "Father, why do ye weep?
When will the jailor bringen our pottage?
Is there no morsel bread that ye do keep?
I am so hungry, that I may not sleep.
Now woulde God that I might sleepen ever!
Then should not hunger in my wombe* creep; *stomach
There is no thing, save bread, that one were lever."*
*dearer
Thus day by day this
child begun to cry,
Till in his father's barme* adown he lay, *lap
And saide, "Farewell, father, I must die;"
And kiss'd his father, and died the same day.
And when the woeful father did it sey,* *see
For woe his armes two he gan to bite,
And said, "Alas! Fortune, and well-away!
To thy false wheel my woe all may I wite."* *blame
His children ween'd
that it for hunger was
That he his armes gnaw'd, and not for woe,
And saide, "Father, do not so, alas!
But rather eat the flesh upon us two.
Our flesh thou gave us, our flesh take us fro',
And eat enough;" right thus they to him said.
And after that, within a day or two,
They laid them in his lap adown, and died.
Himself, despaired,
eke for hunger starf.* *died
Thus ended is this Earl of Pise;
From high estate Fortune away him carf.* *cut off
Of this tragedy it ought enough suffice
Whoso will hear it *in a longer wise,* *at greater length*
Reade the greate poet of ltale,
That Dante hight, for he can it devise <32>
From point to point, not one word will he fail.
Notes to the
Monk's Tale
1. The Monk's Tale
is founded in its main features on Bocccacio's work, "De
Casibus Virorum Illustrium;" ("Stories of Illustrious Men")
but Chaucer has taken the separate stories of which it is
composed from different authors, and dealt with them after
his own fashion.
2. Boccaccio opens
his book with Adam, whose story is told at much greater
length than here. Lydgate, in his translation from
Boccaccio, speaks of Adam and Eve as made "of slime of the
erth in Damascene the felde."
3. Judges xiii. 3.
Boccaccio also tells the story of Samson; but Chaucer seems,
by his quotation a few lines below, to have taken his
version direct from the sacred book.
4. Oliveres: olive
trees; French, "oliviers."
5. "Liber Judicum,"
the Book of Judges; chap. xv.
6. Querne: mill;
from Anglo-Saxon, "cyrran," to turn, "cweorn," a mill,
7.Harpies: the
Stymphalian Birds, which fed on human flesh.
8. Busiris, king of
Egypt, was wont to sacrifice all foreigners coming to his
dominions. Hercules was seized, bound, and led to the altar
by his orders, but the hero broke his bonds and slew the
tyrant.
9. The feats of
Hercules here recorded are not all these known as the
"twelve labours;" for instance, the cleansing of the Augean
stables, and the capture of Hippolyte's girdle are not in
this list — other and less famous deeds of the hero taking
their place. For this, however, we must accuse not Chaucer,
but Boethius, whom he has almost literally translated,
though with some change of order.
10. Trophee: One of
the manuscripts has a marginal reference to "Tropheus vates
Chaldaeorum" ("Tropheus the prophet of the Chaldees"); but
it is not known what author Chaucer meant — unless the
reference is to a passage in the "Filostrato" of Boccaccio,
on which Chaucer founded his "Troilus and Cressida," and
which Lydgate mentions, under the name of "Trophe," as
having been translated by Chaucer.
11. Pres: near;
French, "pres;" the meaning seems to be, this nearer, lower
world.
12 Chaucer has taken
the story of Zenobia from Boccaccio's work "De Claris
Mulieribus." ("Of Illustrious Women")
13. Odenatus, who,
for his services to the Romans, received from Gallienus the
title of "Augustus;" he was assassinated in A.D. 266 — not,
it was believed, without the connivance of Zenobia, who
succeeded him on the throne.
14. Sapor was king
of Persia, who made the Emperor Valerian prisoner, conquered
Syria, and was pressing triumphantly westward when he was
met and defeated by Odenatus and Zenobia.
15. Aurelain became
Emperor in A.D. 270.
16. Vitremite: The
signification of this word, which is spelled in several
ways, is not known. Skinner's explanation, "another attire,"
founded on the spelling "autremite," is obviously
insufficient.
17. Great part of
this "tragedy" of Nero is really borrowed, however, from the
"Romance of the Rose."
18. Trice: thrust;
from Anglo-Saxon, "thriccan."
19. So, in the Man
of Law's Tale, the Sultaness promises her son that she will
"reny her lay."
20. As the "tragedy"
of Holofernes is founded on the book of Judith, so is that
of Antiochus on the Second Book of the Maccabees, chap. ix.
21. By the
insurgents under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus; 2 Macc.
chap. viii.
22. Six: the highest
cast on a dicing-cube; here representing the highest favour
of fortune.
23. Pompey had
married his daughter Julia to Caesar; but she died six years
before Pompey's final overthrow.
24. At the battle of
Pharsalia, B.C. 48.
25. Word and end:
apparently a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon phrase, "ord and
end," meaning the whole, the beginning and the end.
26. At the opening
of the story of Croesus, Chaucer has copied from his own
translation of Boethius; but the story is mainly taken from
the "Romance of the Rose"
27. "This
reflection," says Tyrwhttt, "seems to have been suggested by
one which follows soon after the mention of Croesus in the
passage just cited from Boethius. 'What other thing bewail
the cryings of tragedies but only the deeds of fortune, that
with an awkward stroke, overturneth the realms of great
nobley?'" — in some manuscripts the four "tragedies" that
follow are placed between those of Zenobia and Nero; but
although the general reflection with which the "tragedy" of
Croesus closes might most appropriately wind up the whole
series, the general chronological arrangement which is
observed in the other cases recommends the order followed in
the text. Besides, since, like several other Tales, the
Monk's tragedies were cut short by the impatience of the
auditors, it is more natural that the Tale should close
abruptly, than by such a rhetorical finish as these lines
afford.
28. Pedro the Cruel,
King of Aragon, against whom his brother Henry rebelled. He
was by false pretences inveigled into his brother's tent,
and treacherously slain. Mr Wright has remarked that "the
cause of Pedro, though he was no better than a cruel and
reckless tyrant, was popular in England from the very
circumstance that Prince Edward (the Black Prince) had
embarked in it."
29. Not the Oliver
of Charlemagne — but a traitorous Oliver of Armorica,
corrupted by a bribe. Ganilion was the betrayer of the
Christian army at Roncevalles (see note 9 to the Shipman's
Tale); and his name appears to have been for a long time
used in France to denote a traitor. Duguesclin, who betrayed
Pedro into his brother's tent, seems to be intended by the
term "Ganilion Oliver," but if so, Chaucer has mistaken his
name, which was Bertrand — perhaps confounding him, as
Tyrwhttt suggests, with Oliver du Clisson, another
illustrious Breton of those times, who was also Constable of
France, after Duguesclin. The arms of the latter are
supposed to be described a little above
30. Pierre de
Lusignan, King of Cyprus, who captured Alexandria in 1363
(see note 6 to the Prologue to the Tales). He was
assassinated in 1369.
31. Bernabo
Visconti, Duke of Milan, was deposed and imprisoned by his
nephew, and died a captive in 1385. His death is the latest
historical fact mentioned in the Tales; and thus it throws
the date of their composition to about the sixtieth year of
Chaucer's age.
32. The story of
Ugolino is told in the 33rd Canto of the "Inferno."
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THE NUN'S PRIEST'S TALE.
THE PROLOGUE.
"Ho!" quoth the Knight, "good sir, no more of this;
That ye have said is right enough, y-wis,* *of a surety
And muche more; for little heaviness
Is right enough to muche folk, I guess.
I say for me, it is a great disease,* *source of distress,
annoyance
Where as men have been in great wealth and ease,
To hearen of their sudden fall, alas!
And the contrary is joy and great solas,* *delight, comfort
As when a man hath been in poor estate,
And climbeth up, and waxeth fortunate,
And there abideth in prosperity;
Such thing is gladsome, as it thinketh me,
And of such thing were goodly for to tell."
"Yea," quoth our Hoste, "by Saint Paule's bell.
Ye say right sooth; this monk hath clapped* loud; *talked
He spake how Fortune cover'd with a cloud
I wot not what, and als' of a tragedy
Right now ye heard: and pardie no remedy
It is for to bewaile, nor complain
That that is done, and also it is pain,
As ye have said, to hear of heaviness.
Sir Monk, no more of this, so God you bless;
Your tale annoyeth all this company;
Such talking is not worth a butterfly,
For therein is there no sport nor game;
Therefore, Sir Monke, Dan Piers by your name,
I pray you heart'ly, tell us somewhat else,
For sickerly, n'ere* clinking of your bells, *were it not
for the
That on your bridle hang on every side,
By heaven's king, that for us alle died,
I should ere this have fallen down for sleep,
Although the slough had been never so deep;
Then had your tale been all told in vain.
For certainly, as these clerkes sayn,
Where as a man may have no audience,
Nought helpeth it to telle his sentence.
And well I wot the substance is in me,
If anything shall well reported be.
Sir, say somewhat of hunting, <1> I you pray."
"Nay," quoth the Monk, "I have *no lust to play;* *no
fondness for
Now let another tell, as I have told." jesting*
Then spake our Host with rude speech and bold,
And said unto the Nunne's Priest anon,
"Come near, thou Priest, come hither, thou Sir John, <2>
Tell us such thing as may our heartes glade.* *gladden
Be blithe, although thou ride upon a jade.
What though thine horse be bothe foul and lean?
If he will serve thee, reck thou not a bean;
Look that thine heart be merry evermo'."
"Yes, Host," quoth he, "so may I ride or go,
But* I be merry, y-wis I will be blamed." *unless
And right anon his tale he hath attamed* *commenced <3>
And thus he said unto us every one,
This sweete priest, this goodly man, Sir John.
Notes to the Prologue to the Nun's Priest's Tale
1. The request is justified by the description of Monk in
the Prologue as "an out-rider, that loved venery."
2. On this Tyrwhitt remarks; "I know not how it has
happened, that in the principal modern languages, John, or
its equivalent, is a name of contempt or at least of slight.
So the Italians use 'Gianni,' from whence 'Zani;' the
Spaniards 'Juan,' as 'Bobo Juan,' a foolish John; the French
'Jean,' with various additions; and in English, when we call
a man 'a John,' we do not mean it as a title of honour." The
title of "Sir" was usually given by courtesy to priests.
3. Attamed: commenced, broached. Compare French,
"entamer", to cut the first piece off a joint; thence to
begin.

THE TALE.
<1>
A poor widow, *somedeal y-stept* in age, *somewhat
advanced*
Was whilom dwelling in a poor cottage,
Beside a grove, standing in a dale.
This widow, of which I telle you my tale,
Since thilke day that she was last a wife,
In patience led a full simple life,
For little was *her chattel and her rent.* *her goods and
her income*
By husbandry* of such as God her sent, *thrifty management
She found* herself, and eke her daughters two. *maintained
Three large sowes had she, and no mo';
Three kine, and eke a sheep that highte Mall.
Full sooty was her bow'r,* and eke her hall, *chamber
In which she ate full many a slender meal.
Of poignant sauce knew she never a deal.* *whit
No dainty morsel passed through her throat;
Her diet was *accordant to her cote.* *in keeping with her
cottage*
Repletion her made never sick;
Attemper* diet was all her physic, *moderate
And exercise, and *hearte's suffisance.* *contentment of
heart*
The goute *let her nothing for to dance,* *did not prevent
her
Nor apoplexy shente* not her head. from dancing* *hurt
No wine drank she, neither white nor red:
Her board was served most with white and black,
Milk and brown bread, in which she found no lack,
Seind* bacon, and sometimes an egg or tway; *singed
For she was as it were *a manner dey.* *kind of day
labourer* <2>
A yard she had, enclosed all about
With stickes, and a drye ditch without,
In which she had a cock, hight Chanticleer;
In all the land of crowing *n'as his peer.* *was not his
equal*
His voice was merrier than the merry orgon,* *organ <3>
On masse days that in the churches gon.
Well sickerer* was his crowing in his lodge, *more punctual*
Than is a clock, or an abbay horloge.* *clock <4>
By nature he knew each ascension
Of th' equinoctial in thilke town;
For when degrees fiftene were ascended,
Then crew he, that it might not be amended.
His comb was redder than the fine coral,
Embattell'd <5> as it were a castle wall.
His bill was black, and as the jet it shone;
Like azure were his legges and his tone;* *toes
His nailes whiter than the lily flow'r,
And like the burnish'd gold was his colour,
This gentle cock had in his governance
Sev'n hennes, for to do all his pleasance,
Which were his sisters and his paramours,
And wondrous like to him as of colours.
Of which the fairest-hued in the throat
Was called Damoselle Partelote,
Courteous she was, discreet, and debonair,
And companiable,* and bare herself so fair, *sociable
Since the day that she sev'n night was old,
That truely she had the heart in hold
Of Chanticleer, locked in every lith;* *limb
He lov'd her so, that well was him therewith,
But such a joy it was to hear them sing,
When that the brighte sunne gan to spring,
In sweet accord, *"My lefe is fare in land."* <6> *my love
is
For, at that time, as I have understand, gone abroad*
Beastes and birdes coulde speak and sing.
And so befell, that in a dawening,
As Chanticleer among his wives all
Sat on his perche, that was in the hall,
And next him sat this faire Partelote,
This Chanticleer gan groanen in his throat,
As man that in his dream is dretched* sore, *oppressed
And when that Partelote thus heard him roar,
She was aghast,* and saide, "Hearte dear, *afraid
What aileth you to groan in this mannere?
Ye be a very sleeper, fy for shame!"
And he answer'd and saide thus; "Madame,
I pray you that ye take it not agrief;* *amiss, in umbrage
By God, *me mette* I was in such mischief,** *I dreamed*
**trouble
Right now, that yet mine heart is sore affright'.
Now God," quoth he, "my sweven* read aright *dream, vision.
And keep my body out of foul prisoun.
*Me mette,* how that I roamed up and down *I dreamed*
Within our yard, where as I saw a beast
Was like an hound, and would have *made arrest* *siezed*
Upon my body, and would have had me dead.
His colour was betwixt yellow and red;
And tipped was his tail, and both his ears,
With black, unlike the remnant of his hairs.
His snout was small, with glowing eyen tway;
Yet of his look almost for fear I dey;* *died
This caused me my groaning, doubteless."
"Away," <7> quoth she, "fy on you, hearteless!* *coward
Alas!" quoth she, "for, by that God above!
Now have ye lost my heart and all my love;
I cannot love a coward, by my faith.
For certes, what so any woman saith,
We all desiren, if it mighte be,
To have husbandes hardy, wise, and free,
And secret,* and no niggard nor no fool, *discreet
Nor him that is aghast* of every tool,** *afraid **rag,
trifle
Nor no avantour,* by that God above! *braggart
How durste ye for shame say to your love
That anything might make you afear'd?
Have ye no manne's heart, and have a beard?
Alas! and can ye be aghast of swevenes?* *dreams
Nothing but vanity, God wot, in sweven is,
Swevens *engender of repletions,* *are caused by
over-eating*
And oft of fume,* and of complexions, *drunkenness
When humours be too abundant in a wight.
Certes this dream, which ye have mette tonight,
Cometh of the great supefluity
Of youre rede cholera,* pardie, *bile
Which causeth folk to dreaden in their dreams
Of arrows, and of fire with redde beams,
Of redde beastes, that they will them bite,
Of conteke,* and of whelpes great and lite;** *contention
**little
Right as the humour of melancholy
Causeth full many a man in sleep to cry,
For fear of bulles, or of beares blake,
Or elles that black devils will them take,
Of other humours could I tell also,
That worke many a man in sleep much woe;
That I will pass as lightly as I can.
Lo, Cato, which that was so wise a man,
Said he not thus, *'Ne do no force of* dreams,'<8> *attach
no weight to*
Now, Sir," quoth she, "when we fly from these beams,
For Godde's love, as take some laxatife;
On peril of my soul, and of my life,
I counsel you the best, I will not lie,
That both of choler, and melancholy,
Ye purge you; and, for ye shall not tarry,
Though in this town is no apothecary,
I shall myself two herbes teache you,
That shall be for your health, and for your prow;* *profit
And in our yard the herbes shall I find,
The which have of their property by kind* *nature
To purge you beneath, and eke above.
Sire, forget not this for Godde's love;
Ye be full choleric of complexion;
Ware that the sun, in his ascension,
You finde not replete of humours hot;
And if it do, I dare well lay a groat,
That ye shall have a fever tertiane,
Or else an ague, that may be your bane,
A day or two ye shall have digestives
Of wormes, ere ye take your laxatives,
Of laurel, centaury, <9> and fumeterere, <10>
Or else of elder-berry, that groweth there,
Of catapuce, <11> or of the gaitre-berries, <12>
Or herb ivy growing in our yard, that merry is:
Pick them right as they grow, and eat them in,
Be merry, husband, for your father's kin;
Dreade no dream; I can say you no more."
"Madame," quoth he, "grand mercy of your lore,
But natheless, as touching *Dan Catoun,* *Cato
That hath of wisdom such a great renown,
Though that he bade no dreames for to dread,
By God, men may in olde bookes read
Of many a man more of authority
Than ever Cato was, so may I the,* *thrive
That all the reverse say of his sentence,* *opinion
And have well founden by experience
That dreames be significations
As well of joy, as tribulations
That folk enduren in this life present.
There needeth make of this no argument;
The very preve* sheweth it indeed. *trial, experience
One of the greatest authors that men read <13>
Saith thus, that whilom two fellowes went
On pilgrimage in a full good intent;
And happen'd so, they came into a town
Where there was such a congregatioun
Of people, and eke so *strait of herbergage,* *without
lodging*
That they found not as much as one cottage
In which they bothe might y-lodged be:
Wherefore they musten of necessity,
As for that night, departe company;
And each of them went to his hostelry,* *inn
And took his lodging as it woulde fall.
The one of them was lodged in a stall,
Far in a yard, with oxen of the plough;
That other man was lodged well enow,
As was his aventure, or his fortune,
That us governeth all, as in commune.
And so befell, that, long ere it were day,
This man mette* in his bed, there: as he lay, *dreamed
How that his fellow gan upon him call,
And said, 'Alas! for in an ox's stall
This night shall I be murder'd, where I lie
Now help me, deare brother, or I die;
In alle haste come to me,' he said.
This man out of his sleep for fear abraid;* *started
But when that he was wak'd out of his sleep,
He turned him, and *took of this no keep;* *paid this no
attention*
He thought his dream was but a vanity.
Thus twies* in his sleeping dreamed he, *twice
And at the thirde time yet his fellaw again
Came, as he thought, and said, 'I am now slaw;* *slain
Behold my bloody woundes, deep and wide.
Arise up early, in the morning, tide,
And at the west gate of the town,' quoth he,
'A carte full of dung there shalt: thou see,
In which my body is hid privily.
Do thilke cart arroste* boldely. *stop
My gold caused my murder, sooth to sayn.'
And told him every point how he was slain,
With a full piteous face, and pale of hue.
"And, truste well, his dream he found full true;
For on the morrow, as soon as it was day,
To his fellowes inn he took his way;
And when that he came to this ox's stall,
After his fellow he began to call.
The hostelere answered him anon,
And saide, 'Sir, your fellow is y-gone,
As soon as day he went out of the town.'
This man gan fallen in suspicioun,
Rememb'ring on his dreames that he mette,* *dreamed
And forth he went, no longer would he let,* *delay
Unto the west gate of the town, and fand* *found
A dung cart, as it went for to dung land,
That was arrayed in the same wise
As ye have heard the deade man devise;* *describe
And with an hardy heart he gan to cry,
'Vengeance and justice of this felony:
My fellow murder'd in this same night
And in this cart he lies, gaping upright.
I cry out on the ministers,' quoth he.
'That shoulde keep and rule this city;
Harow! alas! here lies my fellow slain.'
What should I more unto this tale sayn?
The people out start, and cast the cart to ground
And in the middle of the dung they found
The deade man, that murder'd was all new.
O blissful God! that art so good and true,
Lo, how that thou bewray'st murder alway.
Murder will out, that see we day by day.
Murder is so wlatsom* and abominable *loathsome
To God, that is so just and reasonable,
That he will not suffer it heled* be; *concealed <14>
Though it abide a year, or two, or three,
Murder will out, this is my conclusioun,
And right anon, the ministers of the town
Have hent* the carter, and so sore him pined,** *seized
**tortured
And eke the hostelere so sore engined,* *racked
That they beknew* their wickedness anon, *confessed
And were hanged by the necke bone.
"Here may ye see that dreames be to dread.
And certes in the same book I read,
Right in the nexte chapter after this
(I gabbe* not, so have I joy and bliss), *talk idly
Two men that would, have passed over sea,
For certain cause, into a far country,
If that the wind not hadde been contrary,
That made them in a city for to tarry,
That stood full merry upon an haven side;
But on a day, against the even-tide,
The wind gan change, and blew right *as them lest.* *as they
wished*
Jolly and glad they wente to their rest,
And caste* them full early for to sail. *resolved
But to the one man fell a great marvail
That one of them, in sleeping as he lay,
He mette* a wondrous dream, against the day: *dreamed
He thought a man stood by his bedde's side,
And him commanded that he should abide;
And said him thus; 'If thou to-morrow wend,
Thou shalt be drown'd; my tale is at an end.'
He woke, and told his follow what he mette,
And prayed him his voyage for to let;* *delay
As for that day, he pray'd him to abide.
His fellow, that lay by his bedde's side,
Gan for to laugh, and scorned him full fast.
'No dream,' quoth he,'may so my heart aghast,* *frighten
That I will lette* for to do my things.* *delay
I sette not a straw by thy dreamings,
For swevens* be but vanities and japes.** *dreams
**jokes,deceits
Men dream all day of owles and of apes,
And eke of many a maze* therewithal; *wild imagining
Men dream of thing that never was, nor shall.
But since I see, that thou wilt here abide,
And thus forslothe* wilfully thy tide,** *idle away **time
God wot, *it rueth me;* and have good day.' *I am sorry for
it*
And thus he took his leave, and went his way.
But, ere that he had half his course sail'd,
I know not why, nor what mischance it ail'd,
But casually* the ship's bottom rent, *by accident
And ship and man under the water went,
In sight of other shippes there beside
That with him sailed at the same tide.
"And therefore, faire Partelote so dear,
By such examples olde may'st thou lear,* *learn
That no man shoulde be too reckeless
Of dreames, for I say thee doubteless,
That many a dream full sore is for to dread.
Lo, in the life of Saint Kenelm <15> I read,
That was Kenulphus' son, the noble king
Of Mercenrike, <16> how Kenelm mette a thing.
A little ere he was murder'd on a day,
His murder in his vision he say.* *saw
His norice* him expounded every deal** *nurse **part
His sweven, and bade him to keep* him well *guard
For treason; but he was but seven years old,
And therefore *little tale hath he told* *he attached little
Of any dream, so holy was his heart. significance to*
By God, I hadde lever than my shirt
That ye had read his legend, as have I.
Dame Partelote, I say you truely,
Macrobius, that wrote the vision
In Afric' of the worthy Scipion, <17>
Affirmeth dreames, and saith that they be
'Warnings of thinges that men after see.
And furthermore, I pray you looke well
In the Old Testament, of Daniel,
If he held dreames any vanity.
Read eke of Joseph, and there shall ye see
Whether dreams be sometimes (I say not all)
Warnings of thinges that shall after fall.
Look of Egypt the king, Dan Pharaoh,
His baker and his buteler also,
Whether they felte none effect* in dreams. *significance
Whoso will seek the acts of sundry remes* *realms
May read of dreames many a wondrous thing.
Lo Croesus, which that was of Lydia king,
Mette he not that he sat upon a tree,
Which signified he shoulde hanged be? <18>
Lo here, Andromache, Hectore's wife, <19>
That day that Hector shoulde lose his life,
She dreamed on the same night beforn,
How that the life of Hector should be lorn,* *lost
If thilke day he went into battaile;
She warned him, but it might not avail;
He wente forth to fighte natheless,
And was y-slain anon of Achilles.
But thilke tale is all too long to tell;
And eke it is nigh day, I may not dwell.
Shortly I say, as for conclusion,
That I shall have of this avision
Adversity; and I say furthermore,
That I ne *tell of laxatives no store,* *hold laxatives
For they be venomous, I wot it well; of no value*
I them defy,* I love them never a del.** *distrust **whit
"But let us speak of mirth, and stint* all this; *cease
Madame Partelote, so have I bliss,
Of one thing God hath sent me large* grace; liberal
For when I see the beauty of your face,
Ye be so scarlet-hued about your eyen,
I maketh all my dreade for to dien,
For, all so sicker* as In principio,<20> *certain
Mulier est hominis confusio.<21>
Madam, the sentence* of of this Latin is, *meaning
Woman is manne's joy and manne's bliss.
For when I feel at night your softe side, —
Albeit that I may not on you ride,
For that our perch is made so narrow, Alas!
I am so full of joy and of solas,* *delight
That I defy both sweven and eke dream."
And with that word he flew down from the beam,
For it was day, and eke his hennes all;
And with a chuck he gan them for to call,
For he had found a corn, lay in the yard.
Royal he was, he was no more afear'd;
He feather'd Partelote twenty time,
And as oft trode her, ere that it was prime.
He looked as it were a grim lion,
And on his toes he roamed up and down;
He deigned not to set his feet to ground;
He chucked, when he had a corn y-found,
And to him ranne then his wives all.
Thus royal, as a prince is in his hall,
Leave I this Chanticleer in his pasture;
And after will I tell his aventure.
When that the month in which the world began,
That highte March, when God first maked man,
Was complete, and y-passed were also,
Since March ended, thirty days and two,
Befell that Chanticleer in all his pride,
His seven wives walking him beside,
Cast up his eyen to the brighte sun,
That in the sign of Taurus had y-run
Twenty degrees and one, and somewhat more;
He knew by kind,* and by none other lore,** *nature
**learning
That it was prime, and crew with blissful steven.* *voice
"The sun," he said, "is clomben up in heaven
Twenty degrees and one, and more y-wis.* *assuredly
Madame Partelote, my worlde's bliss,
Hearken these blissful birdes how they sing,
And see the freshe flowers how they spring;
Full is mine heart of revel and solace."
But suddenly him fell a sorrowful case;* *casualty
For ever the latter end of joy is woe:
God wot that worldly joy is soon y-go:
And, if a rhetor* coulde fair indite, *orator
He in a chronicle might it safely write,
As for *a sov'reign notability* *a thing supremely notable*
Now every wise man, let him hearken me;
This story is all as true, I undertake,
As is the book of Launcelot du Lake,
That women hold in full great reverence.
Now will I turn again to my sentence.
A col-fox, <22> full of sly iniquity,
That in the grove had wonned* yeares three, *dwelt
By high imagination forecast,
The same night thorough the hedges brast* *burst
Into the yard, where Chanticleer the fair
Was wont, and eke his wives, to repair;
And in a bed of wortes* still he lay, *cabbages
Till it was passed undern <23> of the day,
Waiting his time on Chanticleer to fall:
As gladly do these homicides all,
That in awaite lie to murder men.
O false murd'rer! Rouking* in thy den! *crouching, lurking
O new Iscariot, new Ganilion! <24>
O false dissimuler, O Greek Sinon,<25>
That broughtest Troy all utterly to sorrow!
O Chanticleer! accursed be the morrow
That thou into thy yard flew from the beams;* *rafters
Thou wert full well y-warned by thy dreams
That thilke day was perilous to thee.
But what that God forewot* must needes be, *foreknows
After th' opinion of certain clerkes.
Witness on him that any perfect clerk is,
That in school is great altercation
In this matter, and great disputation,
And hath been of an hundred thousand men.
But I ne cannot *boult it to the bren,* *examine it
thoroughly <26>*
As can the holy doctor Augustine,
Or Boece, or the bishop Bradwardine,<27>
Whether that Godde's worthy foreweeting* *foreknowledge
*Straineth me needly* for to do a thing *forces me*
(Needly call I simple necessity),
Or elles if free choice be granted me
To do that same thing, or do it not,
Though God forewot* it ere that it was wrought; *knew in
advance
Or if *his weeting straineth never a deal,* *his knowing
constrains
But by necessity conditionel. not at all*
I will not have to do of such mattere;
My tale is of a cock, as ye may hear,
That took his counsel of his wife, with sorrow,
To walken in the yard upon the morrow
That he had mette the dream, as I you told.
Womane's counsels be full often cold;* *mischievous, unwise
Womane's counsel brought us first to woe,
And made Adam from Paradise to go,
There as he was full merry and well at case.
But, for I n'ot* to whom I might displease *know not
If I counsel of women woulde blame,
Pass over, for I said it in my game.* *jest
Read authors, where they treat of such mattere
And what they say of women ye may hear.
These be the cocke's wordes, and not mine;
I can no harm of no woman divine.* *conjecture, imagine
Fair in the sand, to bathe* her merrily, *bask
Lies Partelote, and all her sisters by,
Against the sun, and Chanticleer so free
Sang merrier than the mermaid in the sea;
For Physiologus saith sickerly,* *certainly
How that they singe well and merrily. <28>
And so befell that, as he cast his eye
Among the wortes,* on a butterfly, *cabbages
He was ware of this fox that lay full low.
Nothing *ne list him thenne* for to crow, *he had no
inclination*
But cried anon "Cock! cock!" and up he start,
As man that was affrayed in his heart.
For naturally a beast desireth flee
From his contrary,* if be may it see, *enemy
Though he *ne'er erst* had soon it with his eye *never
before*
This Chanticleer, when he gan him espy,
He would have fled, but that the fox anon
Said, "Gentle Sir, alas! why will ye gon?
Be ye afraid of me that am your friend?
Now, certes, I were worse than any fiend,
If I to you would harm or villainy.
I am not come your counsel to espy.
But truely the cause of my coming
Was only for to hearken how ye sing;
For truely ye have as merry a steven,* *voice
As any angel hath that is in heaven;
Therewith ye have of music more feeling,
Than had Boece, or any that can sing.
My lord your father (God his soule bless)
And eke your mother of her gentleness,
Have in mnine house been, to my great ease:* *satisfaction
And certes, Sir, full fain would I you please.
But, for men speak of singing, I will say,
So may I brooke* well mine eyen tway, *enjoy, possess, or
use
Save you, I hearde never man so sing
As did your father in the morrowning.
Certes it was of heart all that he sung.
And, for to make his voice the more strong,
He would *so pain him,* that with both his eyen *make such
an exertion*
He muste wink, so loud he woulde cryen,
And standen on his tiptoes therewithal,
And stretche forth his necke long and small.
And eke he was of such discretion,
That there was no man, in no region,
That him in song or wisdom mighte pass.
I have well read in Dan Burnel the Ass, <29>
Among his verse, how that there was a cock
That, for* a prieste's son gave him a knock *because
Upon his leg, while he was young and nice,* *foolish
He made him for to lose his benefice.
But certain there is no comparison
Betwixt the wisdom and discretion
Of youre father, and his subtilty.
Now singe, Sir, for sainte charity,
Let see, can ye your father counterfeit?"
This Chanticleer his wings began to beat,
As man that could not his treason espy,
So was he ravish'd with his flattery.
Alas! ye lordes, many a false flattour* *flatterer <30>
Is in your court, and many a losengeour, * *deceiver <31>
That please you well more, by my faith,
Than he that soothfastness* unto you saith. *truth
Read in Ecclesiast' of flattery;
Beware, ye lordes, of their treachery.
This Chanticleer stood high upon his toes,
Stretching his neck, and held his eyen close,
And gan to crowe loude for the nonce
And Dan Russel <32> the fox start up at once,
And *by the gorge hente* Chanticleer, *seized by the throat*
And on his back toward the wood him bare.
For yet was there no man that him pursu'd.
O destiny, that may'st not be eschew'd!* *escaped
Alas, that Chanticleer flew from the beams!
Alas, his wife raughte* nought of dreams! *regarded
And on a Friday fell all this mischance.
O Venus, that art goddess of pleasance,
Since that thy servant was this Chanticleer
And in thy service did all his powere,
More for delight, than the world to multiply,
Why wilt thou suffer him on thy day to die?
O Gaufrid, deare master sovereign, <33>
That, when thy worthy king Richard was slain
With shot, complainedest his death so sore,
Why n'had I now thy sentence and thy lore,
The Friday for to chiden, as did ye?
(For on a Friday, soothly, slain was he),
Then would I shew you how that I could plain* *lament
For Chanticleere's dread, and for his pain.
Certes such cry nor lamentation
Was ne'er of ladies made, when Ilion
Was won, and Pyrrhus with his straighte sword,
When he had hent* king Priam by the beard, *seized
And slain him (as saith us Eneidos*),<34> *The Aeneid
As maden all the hennes in the close,* *yard
When they had seen of Chanticleer the sight.
But sov'reignly* Dame Partelote shright,** *above all others
Full louder than did Hasdrubale's wife, **shrieked
When that her husband hadde lost his life,
And that the Romans had y-burnt Carthage;
She was so full of torment and of rage,
That wilfully into the fire she start,
And burnt herselfe with a steadfast heart.
O woeful hennes! right so cried ye,
As, when that Nero burned the city
Of Rome, cried the senatores' wives,
For that their husbands losten all their lives;
Withoute guilt this Nero hath them slain.
Now will I turn unto my tale again;
The sely* widow, and her daughters two, *simple, honest
Hearde these hennes cry and make woe,
And at the doors out started they anon,
And saw the fox toward the wood is gone,
And bare upon his back the cock away:
They cried, "Out! harow! and well-away!
Aha! the fox!" and after him they ran,
And eke with staves many another man
Ran Coll our dog, and Talbot, and Garland;
And Malkin, with her distaff in her hand
Ran cow and calf, and eke the very hogges
So fear'd they were for barking of the dogges,
And shouting of the men and women eke.
They ranne so, them thought their hearts would break.
They yelled as the fiendes do in hell;
The duckes cried as men would them quell;* *kill, destroy
The geese for feare flewen o'er the trees,
Out of the hive came the swarm of bees,
So hideous was the noise, ben'dicite!
Certes he, Jacke Straw,<35> and his meinie,* *followers
Ne made never shoutes half so shrill
When that they woulden any Fleming kill,
As thilke day was made upon the fox.
Of brass they broughte beames* and of box, *trumpets <36>
Of horn and bone, in which they blew and pooped,* **tooted
And therewithal they shrieked and they hooped;
It seemed as the heaven shoulde fall
Now, goode men, I pray you hearken all;
Lo, how Fortune turneth suddenly
The hope and pride eke of her enemy.
This cock, that lay upon the fox's back,
In all his dread unto the fox he spake,
And saide, "Sir, if that I were as ye,
Yet would I say (as wisly* God help me), *surely
'Turn ye again, ye proude churles all;
A very pestilence upon you fall.
Now am I come unto the woode's side,
Maugre your head, the cock shall here abide;
I will him eat, in faith, and that anon.'"
The fox answer'd, "In faith it shall be done:"
And, as he spake the word, all suddenly
The cock brake from his mouth deliverly,* *nimbly
And high upon a tree he flew anon.
And when the fox saw that the cock was gone,
"Alas!" quoth he, "O Chanticleer, alas!
I have," quoth he, "y-done to you trespass,* *offence
Inasmuch as I maked you afear'd,
When I you hent,* and brought out of your yard; *took
But, Sir, I did it in no wick' intent;
Come down, and I shall tell you what I meant.
I shall say sooth to you, God help me so."
"Nay then," quoth he, "I shrew* us both the two, *curse
And first I shrew myself, both blood and bones,
If thou beguile me oftener than once.
Thou shalt no more through thy flattery
Do* me to sing and winke with mine eye; *cause
For he that winketh when he shoulde see,
All wilfully, God let him never the."* *thrive
"Nay," quoth the fox; "but God give him mischance
That is so indiscreet of governance,
That jangleth* when that he should hold his peace."
*chatters
Lo, what it is for to be reckeless
And negligent, and trust on flattery.
But ye that holde this tale a folly,
As of a fox, or of a cock or hen,
Take the morality thereof, good men.
For Saint Paul saith, That all that written is,
*To our doctrine it written is y-wis.* <37> *is surely
written for
Take the fruit, and let the chaff be still. our instruction*
Now goode God, if that it be thy will,
As saith my Lord, <38> so make us all good men;
And bring us all to thy high bliss. Amen.
Notes to the Nun's Priest's Tale
1. The Tale of the Nun's Priest is founded on the fifth
chapter of an old French metrical "Romance of Renard;" the
same story forming one of the fables of Marie, the
translator of the Breton Lays. (See note 2 to the Prologue
to the Franklin's Tale.) Although Dryden was in error when
he ascribed the Tale to Chaucer's own invention, still the
materials on which he had to operate were out of cornparison
more trivial than the result.
2. Tyrwhitt quotes two statutes of Edward III, in which
"deys" are included among the servants employed in
agricultural pursuits; the name seems to have originally
meant a servant who gave his labour by the day, but
afterwards to have been appropriated exclusively to one who
superintended or worked in a dairy.
3. Orgon: here licentiously used for the plural, "organs"
or "orgons," corresponding to the plural verb "gon" in the
next line.
4. Horloge: French, "clock."
5. Embattell'd: indented on the upper edge like the
battlements of a castle.
6. My lefe is fare in land: This seems to have been the
refrain of some old song, and its precise meaning is
uncertain. It corresponds in cadence with the morning
salutation of the cock; and may be taken as a greeting to
the sun, which is beloved of Chanticleer, and has just come
upon the earth — or in the sense of a more local boast, as
vaunting the fairness of his favourite hen above all others
in the country round.
Transcriber's note: Later commentators explain "fare in
land" as "gone abroad" and have identified the song:
My lefe is fare in lond
Alas! Why is she so?
And I am so sore bound
I may not come her to.
She hath my heart in hold
Where ever she ride or go
With true love a thousand-fold.
(Printed in The Athenaeum, 1896, Vol II, p. 566).
7. "Avoi!" is the word here rendered "away!" It was
frequently used in the French fabliaux, and the Italians
employ the word "via!" in the same sense.
8. "Ne do no force of dreams:" "Somnia ne cares;" — Cato
"De Moribus," 1 ii, dist. 32
9. Centaury: the herb so called because by its virtue the
centaur Chiron was healed when the poisoned arrow of
Hercules had accidentally wounded his foot.
10. Fumetere: the herb "fumitory."
11. Catapuce: spurge; a plant of purgative qualities. To
its name in the text correspond the Italian "catapuzza," and
French "catapuce" — words the origin of which is connected
with the effects of the plant.
12. Gaitre-berries: dog-wood berries.
13. One of the greatest authors that men read: Cicero,
who in his book "De Divinatione" tells this and the
following story, though in contrary order and with many
differences.
14. Haled or hylled; from Anglo-Saxon "helan" hid,
concealed
15. Kenelm succeeded his father as king of the Saxon
realm of Mercia in 811, at the age of seven years; but he
was slain by his ambitious aunt Quendrada. The place of his
burial was miraculously discovered, and he was subsequently
elevated to the rank of a saint and martyr. His life is in
the English "Golden Legend."
16. Mercenrike: the kingdom of Mercia; Anglo-Saxon,
Myrcnarice. Compare the second member of the compound in the
German, "Frankreich," France; "Oesterreich," Austria.
17. Cicero ("De Republica," lib. vi.) wrote the Dream of
Scipio, in which the Younger relates the appearance of the
Elder Africanus, and the counsels and exhortations which the
shade addressed to the sleeper. Macrobius wrote an elaborate
"Commentary on the Dream of Scipio," — a philosophical
treatise much studied and relished during the Middle Ages.
18. See the Monk's Tale for this story.
19. Andromache's dream will not be found in Homer; It is
related in the book of the fictitious Dares Phrygius, the
most popular authority during the Middle Ages for the
history of the Trojan War.
20. In principio: In the beginning; the first words of
Genesis and of the Gospel of John.
21. Mulier est hominis confusio: This line is taken from
the same fabulous conference between the Emperor Adrian and
the philosopher Secundus, whence Chaucer derived some of the
arguments in praise of poverty employed in the Wife of
Bath's Tale proper. See note 14 to the Wife of Bath's tale.
The passage transferred to the text is the commencement of a
description of woman. "Quid est mulier? hominis confusio,"
&c. ("What is Woman? A union with man", &c.)
22. Col-fox: a blackish fox, so called because of its
likeness to coal, according to Skinner; though more probably
the prefix has a reproachful meaning, and is in some way
connected with the word "cold" as, some forty lines below,
it is applied to the prejudicial counsel of women, and as
frequently it is used to describe "sighs" and other tokens
of grief, and "cares" or "anxieties."
23. Undern: In this case, the meaning of "evening" or
"afternoon" can hardly be applied to the word, which must be
taken to signify some early hour of the forenoon. See also
note 4 to the Wife of Bath's tale and note 5 to the Clerk's
Tale.
24. Ganilion: a traitor. See note 9 to the Shipman's Tale
and note 28 to the Monk's Tale.
25. Greek Sinon: The inventor of the Trojan Horse. See
note 14 to the Squire's Tale
26. Boult it from the bren: Examine the matter
thoroughly; a metaphor taken from the sifting of meal, to
divide the fine flour from the bran.
27. Thomas Bradwardine, Archbishop of Canterbury in the
thirteenth century, who wrote a book, "De Causa Dei," in
controversy with Pelagius; and also numerous other
treatises, among them some on predestination.
28. In a popular mediaveal Latin treatise by one
Theobaldus, entitled "Physiologus de Naturis XII. Animalium"
("A description of the nature of twelve animals"), sirens or
mermaids are described as skilled in song, and drawing
unwary mariners to destruction by the sweetness of their
voices.
29. "Nigellus Wireker," says Urry's Glossary, "a monk and
precentor of Canterbury, wrote a Latin poem intituled
'Speculum Speculorum,' ('The mirror of mirrors') dedicated
to William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, and Lord Chancellor;
wherein, under the fable of an Ass (which he calls
'Burnellus') that desired a longer tail, is represented the
folly of such as are not content with their own condition.
There is introduced a tale of a cock, who having his leg
broke by a priest's son (called Gundulfus) watched an
opportunity to be revenged; which at last presented itself
on this occasion: A day was appointed for Gundulfus's being
admitted into holy orders at a place remote from his
father's habitation; he therefore orders the servants to
call him at first cock-crowing, which the cock overhearing
did not crow at all that morning. So Gundulfus overslept
himself, and was thereby disappointed of his ordination, the
office being quite finished before he came to the place."
Wireker's satire was among the most celebrated and popular
Latin poems of the Middle Ages. The Ass was probably as
Tyrwhitt suggests, called "Burnel" or "Brunel," from his
brown colour; as, a little below, a reddish fox is called
"Russel."
30. Flattour: flatterer; French, "flatteur."
31. Losengeour: deceiver, cozener; the word had analogues
in the French "losengier," and the Spanish "lisongero." It
is probably connected with "leasing," falsehood; which has
been derived from Anglo-Saxon "hlisan," to celebrate — as if
it meant the spreading of a false renown
32. Dan Russel: Master Russet; a name given to the fox,
from his reddish colour.
33. Geoffrey de Vinsauf was the author of a well-known
mediaeval treatise on composition in various poetical styles
of which he gave examples. Chaucer's irony is therefore
directed against some grandiose and affected lines on the
death of Richard I., intended to illustrate the pathetic
style, in which Friday is addressed as "O Veneris lachrymosa
dies" ("O tearful day of Venus").
34. "Priamum altaria ad ipsa trementem Traxit, et in
multo lapsantem sanguine nati Implicuitque comam laeva,
dextraque coruscum Extulit, ac lateri capulo tenus abdidit
ensem. Haec finis Priami fatorum." ("He dragged Priam
trembling to his own altar, slipping on the blood of his
child; He took his hair in his left hand, and with the right
drew the flashing sword, and hid it to the hilt [in his
body]. Thus an end was made of Priam") — Virgil, Aeneid. ii.
550.
35. Jack Straw: The leader of a Kentish rising, in the
reign of Richard II, in 1381, by which the Flemish merchants
in London were great sufferers.
36. Beams: trumpets; Anglo-Saxon, "bema."
37. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." — 2 Tim.
iii. 16.

THE EPILOGUE
<1>
"Sir Nunne's Priest," our hoste said anon,
"Y-blessed be thy breech, and every stone;
This was a merry tale of Chanticleer.
But by my truth, if thou wert seculere,* *a layman
Thou wouldest be a treadefowl* aright; *cock
For if thou have courage as thou hast might,
Thee were need of hennes, as I ween,
Yea more than seven times seventeen.
See, whate brawnes* hath this gentle priest, *muscles,
sinews
So great a neck, and such a large breast
He looketh as a sperhawk with his eyen
Him needeth not his colour for to dyen
With Brazil, nor with grain of Portugale.
But, Sir, faire fall you for your tale'."
And, after that, he with full merry cheer
Said to another, as ye shall hear.
Notes to the Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale
1. The sixteen lines appended to the Tale of the Nun's
Priest seem, as Tyrwhitt observes, to commence the prologue
to the succeeding Tale — but the difficulty is to determine
which that Tale should be. In earlier editions, the lines
formed the opening of the prologue to the Manciple's Tale;
but most of the manuscripts acknowledge themselves defective
in this part, and give the Nun's Tale after that of the
Nun's Priest. In the Harleian manuscript, followed by Mr
Wright, the second Nun's Tale, and the Canon's Yeoman's
Tale, are placed after the Franklin's tale; and the sixteen
lines above are not found — the Manciple's prologue coming
immediately after the "Amen" of the Nun's Priest. In two
manuscripts, the last line of the sixteen runs thus: "Said
unto the Nun as ye shall hear;" and six lines more evidently
forged, are given to introduce the Nun's Tale. All this
confusion and doubt only strengthen the certainty, and
deepen the regret, that "The Canterbury Tales" were left at
Chaucer's, death not merely very imperfect as a whole, but
destitute of many finishing touches that would have made
them complete so far as the conception had actually been
carried into performance.

THE SECOND NUN'S TALE
<1>
The minister and norice* unto vices, *nurse
Which that men call in English idleness,
The porter at the gate is of delices;* *delights
T'eschew, and by her contrar' her oppress, —
That is to say, by lawful business,* — *occupation, activity
Well oughte we to *do our all intent* *apply ourselves*
Lest that the fiend through idleness us hent.* *seize
For he, that with his thousand cordes sly
Continually us waiteth to beclap,* *entangle, bind
When he may man in idleness espy,
He can so lightly catch him in his trap,
Till that a man be hent* right by the lappe,** *seize **hem
He is not ware the fiend hath him in hand;
Well ought we work, and idleness withstand.
And though men dreaded never for to die,
Yet see men well by reason, doubteless,
That idleness is root of sluggardy,
Of which there cometh never good increase;
And see that sloth them holdeth in a leas,* *leash <2>
Only to sleep, and for to eat and drink,
And to devouren all that others swink.* *labour
And, for to put us from such idleness,
That cause is of so great confusion,
I have here done my faithful business,
After the Legend, in translation
Right of thy glorious life and passion, —
Thou with thy garland wrought of rose and lily,
Thee mean I, maid and martyr, Saint Cecilie.
And thou, thou art the flow'r of virgins all,
Of whom that Bernard list so well to write, <3>
To thee at my beginning first I call;
Thou comfort of us wretches, do me indite
Thy maiden's death, that won through her merite
Th' eternal life, and o'er the fiend victory,
As man may after readen in her story.
Thou maid and mother, daughter of thy Son,
Thou well of mercy, sinful soules' cure,
In whom that God of bounte chose to won;* *dwell
Thou humble and high o'er every creature,
Thou nobilest, *so far forth our nature,* *as far as our
nature admits*
That no disdain the Maker had of kind,* *nature
His Son in blood and flesh to clothe and wind.* *wrap
Within the cloister of thy blissful sides
Took manne's shape th' eternal love and peace,
That of *the trine compass* Lord and guide is *the trinity*
Whom earth, and sea, and heav'n, *out of release,*
*unceasingly
*Aye hery;* and thou, Virgin wemmeless,* *forever praise*
*immaculate
Bare of thy body, and dweltest maiden pure,
The Creator of every creature.
Assembled is in thee magnificence <4>
With mercy, goodness, and with such pity,
That thou, that art the sun of excellence,
Not only helpest them that pray to thee,
But oftentime, of thy benignity,
Full freely, ere that men thine help beseech,
Thou go'st before, and art their lives' leech.* *healer,
saviour.
Now help, thou meek and blissful faire maid,
Me, flemed* wretch, in this desert of gall; *banished,
outcast
Think on the woman Cananee that said
That whelpes eat some of the crumbes all
That from their Lorde's table be y-fall;<5>
And though that I, unworthy son of Eve,<6>
Be sinful, yet accepte my believe.* *faith
And, for that faith is dead withoute werkes,
For to worke give me wit and space,
That I be *quit from thennes that most derk is;* *freed from
the most
O thou, that art so fair and full of grace, dark place
(Hell)*
Be thou mine advocate in that high place,
Where as withouten end is sung Osanne,
Thou Christe's mother, daughter dear of Anne.
And of thy light my soul in prison light,
That troubled is by the contagion
Of my body, and also by the weight
Of earthly lust and false affection;
O hav'n of refuge, O salvation
Of them that be in sorrow and distress,
Now help, for to my work I will me dress.
Yet pray I you, that reade what I write, <6>
Forgive me that I do no diligence
This ilke* story subtilly t' indite. *same
For both have I the wordes and sentence
Of him that at the sainte's reverence
The story wrote, and follow her legend;
And pray you that you will my work amend.
First will I you the name of Saint Cecilie
Expound, as men may in her story see.
It is to say in English, Heaven's lily,<7>
For pure chasteness of virginity;
Or, for she whiteness had of honesty,* *purity
And green of conscience, and of good fame
The sweete savour, Lilie was her name.
Or Cecilie is to say, the way of blind;<7>
For she example was by good teaching;
Or else Cecilie, as I written find,
Is joined by a manner conjoining
Of heaven and Lia, <7> and herein figuring
The heaven is set for thought of holiness,
And Lia for her lasting business.
Cecilie may eke be said in this mannere,
Wanting of blindness, for her greate light
Of sapience, and for her thewes* clear. *qualities
Or elles, lo, this maiden's name bright
Of heaven and Leos <7> comes, for which by right
Men might her well the heaven of people call,
Example of good and wise workes all;
For Leos people in English is to say;
And right as men may in the heaven see
The sun and moon, and starres every way,
Right so men ghostly,* in this maiden free, *spiritually
Sawen of faith the magnanimity,
And eke the clearness whole of sapience,
And sundry workes bright of excellence.
And right so as these philosophers write,
That heav'n is swift and round, and eke burning,
Right so was faire Cecilie the white
Full swift and busy in every good working,
And round and whole in good persevering, <8>
And burning ever in charity full bright;
Now have I you declared *what she hight.* *why she had her
name*
This maiden bright Cecile, as her life saith,
Was come of Romans, and of noble kind,
And from her cradle foster'd in the faith
Of Christ, and bare his Gospel in her mind:
She never ceased, as I written find,
Of her prayere, and God to love and dread,
Beseeching him to keep her maidenhead.
And when this maiden should unto a man
Y-wedded be, that was full young of age,
Which that y-called was Valerian,
And come was the day of marriage,
She, full devout and humble in her corage,* *heart
Under her robe of gold, that sat full fair,
Had next her flesh y-clad her in an hair.* *garment of
hair-cloth
And while the organs made melody,
To God alone thus in her heart sang she;
"O Lord, my soul and eke my body gie* *guide
Unwemmed,* lest that I confounded be." *unblemished
And, for his love that died upon the tree,
Every second or third day she fast',
Aye bidding* in her orisons full fast. *praying
The night came, and to bedde must she gon
With her husband, as it is the mannere;
And privily she said to him anon;
"O sweet and well-beloved spouse dear,
There is a counsel,* an'** ye will it hear, *secret **if
Which that right fain I would unto you say,
So that ye swear ye will it not bewray."* *betray
Valerian gan fast unto her swear
That for no case nor thing that mighte be,
He never should to none bewrayen her;
And then at erst* thus to him saide she; *for the first time
"I have an angel which that loveth me,
That with great love, whether I wake or sleep,
Is ready aye my body for to keep;
"And if that he may feelen, *out of dread,* *without
doubt*
That ye me touch or love in villainy,
He right anon will slay you with the deed,
And in your youthe thus ye shoulde die.
And if that ye in cleane love me gie,"* *guide
He will you love as me, for your cleanness,
And shew to you his joy and his brightness."
Valerian, corrected as God wo'ld,
Answer'd again, "If I shall truste thee,
Let me that angel see, and him behold;
And if that it a very angel be,
Then will I do as thou hast prayed me;
And if thou love another man, forsooth
Right with this sword then will I slay you both."
Cecile answer'd anon right in this wise;
"If that you list, the angel shall ye see,
So that ye trow* Of Christ, and you baptise; *know
Go forth to Via Appia," quoth she,
That from this towne stands but miles three,
And to the poore folkes that there dwell
Say them right thus, as that I shall you tell,
"Tell them, that I, Cecile, you to them sent
To shewe you the good Urban the old,
For secret needes,* and for good intent; *business
And when that ye Saint Urban have behold,
Tell him the wordes which I to you told
And when that he hath purged you from sin,
Then shall ye see that angel ere ye twin* *depart
Valerian is to the place gone;
And, right as he was taught by her learning
He found this holy old Urban anon
Among the saintes' burials louting;* *lying concealed <9>
And he anon, withoute tarrying,
Did his message, and when that he it told,
Urban for joy his handes gan uphold.
The teares from his eyen let he fall;
"Almighty Lord, O Jesus Christ,"
Quoth he, "Sower of chaste counsel, herd* of us all;
*shepherd
The fruit of thilke* seed of chastity *that
That thou hast sown in Cecile, take to thee
Lo, like a busy bee, withoute guile,
Thee serveth aye thine owen thrall* Cicile, *servant
"For thilke spouse, that she took *but now,* *lately*
Full like a fierce lion, she sendeth here,
As meek as e'er was any lamb to owe."
And with that word anon there gan appear
An old man, clad in white clothes clear,
That had a book with letters of gold in hand,
And gan before Valerian to stand.
Valerian, as dead, fell down for dread,
When he him saw; and he up hent* him tho,** *took **there
And on his book right thus he gan to read;
"One Lord, one faith, one God withoute mo',
One Christendom, one Father of all also,
Aboven all, and over all everywhere."
These wordes all with gold y-written were.
When this was read, then said this olde man,
"Believ'st thou this or no? say yea or nay."
"I believe all this," quoth Valerian,
"For soother* thing than this, I dare well say, *truer
Under the Heaven no wight thinke may."
Then vanish'd the old man, he wist not where
And Pope Urban him christened right there.
Valerian went home, and found Cecilie
Within his chamber with an angel stand;
This angel had of roses and of lily
Corones* two, the which he bare in hand, *crowns
And first to Cecile, as I understand,
He gave the one, and after gan he take
The other to Valerian her make.* *mate, husband
"With body clean, and with unwemmed* thought, *unspotted,
blameless
Keep aye well these corones two," quoth he;
"From Paradise to you I have them brought,
Nor ever more shall they rotten be,
Nor lose their sweet savour, truste me,
Nor ever wight shall see them with his eye,
But he be chaste, and hate villainy.
"And thou, Valerian, for thou so soon
Assented hast to good counsel, also
Say what thee list,* and thou shalt have thy boon."** *wish
**desire
"I have a brother," quoth Valerian tho,* *then
"That in this world I love no man so;
I pray you that my brother may have grace
To know the truth, as I do in this place."
The angel said, "God liketh thy request,
And bothe, with the palm of martyrdom,
Ye shalle come unto this blissful rest."
And, with that word, Tiburce his brother came.
And when that he the savour undernome* *perceived
Which that the roses and the lilies cast,
Within his heart he gan to wonder fast;
And said; "I wonder, this time of the year,
Whence that sweete savour cometh so
Of rose and lilies, that I smelle here;
For though I had them in mine handes two,
The savour might in me no deeper go;
The sweete smell, that in my heart I find,
Hath changed me all in another kind."
Valerian said, "Two crownes here have we,
Snow-white and rose-red, that shine clear,
Which that thine eyen have no might to see;
And, as thou smellest them through my prayere,
So shalt thou see them, leve* brother dear, *beloved
If it so be thou wilt withoute sloth
Believe aright, and know the very troth. "
Tiburce answered, "Say'st thou this to me
In soothness, or in dreame hear I this?"
"In dreames," quoth Valorian, "have we be
Unto this time, brother mine, y-wis
But now *at erst* in truth our dwelling is." *for the first
time*
How know'st thou this," quoth Tiburce; "in what wise?"
Quoth Valerian, "That shall I thee devise* *describe
"The angel of God hath me the truth y-taught,
Which thou shalt see, if that thou wilt reny* *renounce
The idols, and be clean, and elles nought."
[And of the miracle of these crownes tway
Saint Ambrose in his preface list to say;
Solemnely this noble doctor dear
Commendeth it, and saith in this mannere
"The palm of martyrdom for to receive,
Saint Cecilie, full filled of God's gift,
The world and eke her chamber gan to weive;* *forsake
Witness Tiburce's and Cecilie's shrift,* *confession
To which God of his bounty woulde shift
Corones two, of flowers well smelling,
And made his angel them the crownes bring.
"The maid hath brought these men to bliss above;
The world hath wist what it is worth, certain,
Devotion of chastity to love."] <10>
Then showed him Cecilie all open and plain,
That idols all are but a thing in vain,
For they be dumb, and thereto* they be deave;** *therefore
**deaf
And charged him his idols for to leave.
"Whoso that troweth* not this, a beast he is," *believeth
Quoth this Tiburce, "if that I shall not lie."
And she gan kiss his breast when she heard this,
And was full glad he could the truth espy:
"This day I take thee for mine ally."* *chosen friend
Saide this blissful faire maiden dear;
And after that she said as ye may hear.
"Lo, right so as the love of Christ," quoth she,
"Made me thy brother's wife, right in that wise
Anon for mine ally here take I thee,
Since that thou wilt thine idoles despise.
Go with thy brother now and thee baptise,
And make thee clean, so that thou may'st behold
The angel's face, of which thy brother told."
Tiburce answer'd, and saide, "Brother dear,
First tell me whither I shall, and to what man?"
"To whom?" quoth he, "come forth with goode cheer,
I will thee lead unto the Pope Urban."
"To Urban? brother mine Valerian,"
Quoth then Tiburce; "wilt thou me thither lead?
Me thinketh that it were a wondrous deed.
"Meanest thou not that Urban," quoth he tho,* *then
"That is so often damned to be dead,
And wons* in halkes** always to and fro, *dwells **corners
And dare not ones putte forth his head?
Men should him brennen* in a fire so red, *burn
If he were found, or if men might him spy:
And us also, to bear him company.
"And while we seeke that Divinity
That is y-hid in heaven privily,
Algate* burnt in this world should we be." *nevertheless
To whom Cecilie answer'd boldely;
"Men mighte dreade well and skilfully* *reasonably
This life to lose, mine owen deare brother,
If this were living only, and none other.
"But there is better life in other place,
That never shall be loste, dread thee nought;
Which Godde's Son us tolde through his grace
That Father's Son which alle thinges wrought;
And all that wrought is with a skilful* thought, *reasonable
The Ghost,* that from the Father gan proceed, *Holy Spirit
Hath souled* them, withouten any drede.** *endowed them with
a soul
**doubt
By word and by miracle, high God's Son,
When he was in this world, declared here.
That there is other life where men may won."* *dwell
To whom answer'd Tiburce, "O sister dear,
Saidest thou not right now in this mannere,
There was but one God, Lord in soothfastness,* *truth
And now of three how may'st thou bear witness?"
"That shall I tell," quoth she, "ere that I go.
Right as a man hath sapiences* three, *mental faculties
Memory, engine,* and intellect also, *wit <11>
So in one being of divinity
Three persones there maye right well be."
Then gan she him full busily to preach
Of Christe's coming, and his paines teach,
And many pointes of his passion;
How Godde's Son in this world was withhold* *employed
To do mankinde plein* remission, *full
That was y-bound in sin and cares cold.* *wretched <12>
All this thing she unto Tiburce told,
And after that Tiburce, in good intent,
With Valerian to Pope Urban he went.
That thanked God, and with glad heart and light
He christen'd him, and made him in that place
Perfect in his learning, and Godde's knight.
And after this Tiburce got such grace,
That every day he saw in time and space
Th' angel of God, and every manner boon* *request, favour
That be God asked, it was sped* full anon. *granted,
successful
It were full hard by order for to sayn
How many wonders Jesus for them wrought,
But at the last, to telle short and plain,
The sergeants of the town of Rome them sought,
And them before Almach the Prefect brought,
Which them apposed,* and knew all their intent, *questioned
And to th'image of Jupiter them sent.
And said, "Whoso will not do sacrifice,
Swap* off his head, this is my sentence here." *strike
Anon these martyrs, *that I you devise,* *of whom I tell
you*
One Maximus, that was an officere
Of the prefect's, and his corniculere <13>
Them hent,* and when he forth the saintes lad,** *seized
**led
Himself he wept for pity that he had.
When Maximus had heard the saintes lore,* *doctrine,
teaching
He got him of the tormentores* leave, *torturers
And led them to his house withoute more;
And with their preaching, ere that it were eve,
They gonnen* from the tormentors to reave,** *began **wrest,
root out
And from Maxim', and from his folk each one,
The false faith, to trow* in God alone. *believe
Cecilia came, when it was waxen night,
With priestes, that them christen'd *all in fere;* *in a
company*
And afterward, when day was waxen light,
Cecile them said with a full steadfast cheer,* *mien
"Now, Christe's owen knightes lefe* and dear, *beloved
Cast all away the workes of darkness,
And arme you in armour of brightness.
Ye have forsooth y-done a great battaile,
Your course is done, your faith have ye conserved; <14>
O to the crown of life that may not fail;
The rightful Judge, which that ye have served
Shall give it you, as ye have it deserved."
And when this thing was said, as I devise,* relate
Men led them forth to do the sacrifice.
But when they were unto the place brought
To telle shortly the conclusion,
They would incense nor sacrifice right nought
But on their knees they sette them adown,
With humble heart and sad* devotion, *steadfast
And loste both their heades in the place;
Their soules wente to the King of grace.
This Maximus, that saw this thing betide,
With piteous teares told it anon right,
That he their soules saw to heaven glide
With angels, full of clearness and of light
Andt with his word converted many a wight.
For which Almachius *did him to-beat* *see note <15>*
With whip of lead, till he his life gan lete.* *quit
Cecile him took, and buried him anon
By Tiburce and Valerian softely,
Within their burying-place, under the stone.
And after this Almachius hastily
Bade his ministers fetchen openly
Cecile, so that she might in his presence
Do sacrifice, and Jupiter incense.* *burn incense to
But they, converted at her wise lore,* *teaching
Wepte full sore, and gave full credence
Unto her word, and cried more and more;
"Christ, Godde's Son, withoute difference,
Is very God, this is all our sentence,* *opinion
That hath so good a servant him to serve
Thus with one voice we trowe,* though we sterve.** *believe
**die
Almachius, that heard of this doing,
Bade fetch Cecilie, that he might her see;
And alderfirst,* lo, this was his asking; *first of all
"What manner woman arte thou?" quoth he,
"I am a gentle woman born," quoth she.
"I aske thee," quoth he,"though it thee grieve,
Of thy religion and of thy believe."
"Ye have begun your question foolishly,"
Quoth she, "that wouldest two answers conclude
In one demand? ye aske lewedly."* *ignorantly
Almach answer'd to that similitude,
"Of whence comes thine answering so rude?"
"Of whence?" quoth she, when that she was freined,* *asked
"Of conscience, and of good faith unfeigned."
Almachius saide; "Takest thou no heed
Of my power?" and she him answer'd this;
"Your might," quoth she, "full little is to dread;
For every mortal manne's power is
But like a bladder full of wind, y-wis;* *certainly
For with a needle's point, when it is blow',
May all the boast of it be laid full low."
"Full wrongfully begunnest thou," quoth he,
"And yet in wrong is thy perseverance.
Know'st thou not how our mighty princes free
Have thus commanded and made ordinance,
That every Christian wight shall have penance,* *punishment
But if that he his Christendom withsay,* *deny
And go all quit, if he will it renay?"* *renounce
"Your princes erren, as your nobley* doth," *nobility
Quoth then Cecile, "and with a *wood sentence* *mad
judgment*
Ye make us guilty, and it is not sooth:* *true
For ye that knowe well our innocence,
Forasmuch as we do aye reverence
To Christ, and for we bear a Christian name,
Ye put on us a crime and eke a blame.
"But we that knowe thilke name so
For virtuous, we may it not withsay."
Almach answered, "Choose one of these two,
Do sacrifice, or Christendom renay,
That thou may'st now escape by that way."
At which the holy blissful faire maid
Gan for to laugh, and to the judge said;
"O judge, *confused in thy nicety,* *confounded in thy
folly*
Wouldest thou that I reny innocence?
To make me a wicked wight," quoth she,
"Lo, he dissimuleth* here in audience; *dissembles
He stareth and woodeth* in his advertence."** *grows furious
**thought
To whom Almachius said, "Unsely* wretch, *unhappy
Knowest thou not how far my might may stretch?
"Have not our mighty princes to me given
Yea bothe power and eke authority
To make folk to dien or to liven?
Why speakest thou so proudly then to me?"
"I speake not but steadfastly," quoth she,
Not proudly, for I say, as for my side,
We hate deadly* thilke vice of pride. *mortally
"And, if thou dreade not a sooth* to hear, *truth
Then will I shew all openly by right,
That thou hast made a full great leasing* here. *falsehood
Thou say'st thy princes have thee given might
Both for to slay and for to quick* a wight, — *give life to
Thou that may'st not but only life bereave;
Thou hast none other power nor no leave.
"But thou may'st say, thy princes have thee maked
Minister of death; for if thou speak of mo',
Thou liest; for thy power is full naked."
"Do away thy boldness," said Almachius tho,* *then
"And sacrifice to our gods, ere thou go.
I recke not what wrong that thou me proffer,
For I can suffer it as a philosopher.
"But those wronges may I not endure,
That thou speak'st of our goddes here," quoth he.
Cecile answer'd, "O nice* creature, *foolish
Thou saidest no word, since thou spake to me,
That I knew not therewith thy nicety,* *folly
And that thou wert in *every manner wise* *every sort of
way*
A lewed* officer, a vain justice. *ignorant
"There lacketh nothing to thine outward eyen
That thou art blind; for thing that we see all
That it is stone, that men may well espyen,
That ilke* stone a god thou wilt it call. *very, selfsame
I rede* thee let thine hand upon it fall, *advise
And taste* it well, and stone thou shalt it find; *examine,
test
Since that thou see'st not with thine eyen blind.
"It is a shame that the people shall
So scorne thee, and laugh at thy folly;
For commonly men *wot it well over all,* *know it
everywhere*
That mighty God is in his heaven high;
And these images, well may'st thou espy,
To thee nor to themselves may not profite,
For in effect they be not worth a mite."
These wordes and such others saide she,
And he wax'd wroth, and bade men should her lead
Home to her house; "And in her house," quoth he,
"Burn her right in a bath, with flames red."
And as he bade, right so was done the deed;
For in a bath they gan her faste shetten,* *shut, confine
And night and day great fire they under betten.* *kindled,
applied
The longe night, and eke a day also,
For all the fire, and eke the bathe's heat,
She sat all cold, and felt of it no woe,
It made her not one droppe for to sweat;
But in that bath her life she must lete.* *leave
For he, Almachius, with full wick' intent,
To slay her in the bath his sonde* sent. *message, order
Three strokes in the neck he smote her tho,* *there
The tormentor,* but for no manner chance *executioner
He might not smite her faire neck in two:
And, for there was that time an ordinance
That no man should do man such penance,* *severity, torture
The fourthe stroke to smite, soft or sore,
This tormentor he durste do no more;
But half dead, with her necke carven* there *gashed
He let her lie, and on his way is went.
The Christian folk, which that about her were,
With sheetes have the blood full fair y-hent; *taken up
Three dayes lived she in this torment,
And never ceased them the faith to teach,
That she had foster'd them, she gan to preach.
And them she gave her mebles* and her thing, *goods
And to the Pope Urban betook* them tho;** *commended **then
And said, "I aske this of heaven's king,
To have respite three dayes and no mo',
To recommend to you, ere that I go,
These soules, lo; and that *I might do wirch* *cause to be
made*
Here of mine house perpetually a church."
Saint Urban, with his deacons, privily
The body fetch'd, and buried it by night
Among his other saintes honestly;
Her house the church of Saint Cecilie hight;* *is called
Saint Urban hallow'd it, as he well might;
In which unto this day, in noble wise,
Men do to Christ and to his saint service.
Notes to the Nun's Priest's Tale
1. This Tale was originally composed by Chaucer as a
separate work, and as such it is mentioned in the "Legend of
Good Women" under the title of "The Life of Saint Cecile".
Tyrwhitt quotes the line in which the author calls himself
an "unworthy son of Eve," and that in which he says, "Yet
pray I you, that reade what I write", as internal evidence
that the insertion of the poem in the Canterbury Tales was
the result of an afterthought; while the whole tenor of the
introduction confirms the belief that Chaucer composed it as
a writer or translator — not, dramatically, as a speaker.
The story is almost literally translated from the Life of St
Cecilia in the "Legenda Aurea."
2. Leas: leash, snare; the same as "las," oftener used by
Chaucer.
3. The nativity and assumption of the Virgin Mary formed
the themes of some of St Bernard's most eloquent sermons.
4. Compare with this stanza the fourth stanza of the
Prioress's Tale, the substance of which is the same.
5. "But he answered and said, it is not meet to take the
children's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth,
Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their
master's table." — Matthew xv. 26, 27.
6. See note 1.
7. These are Latin puns: Heaven's lily - "Coeli lilium";
The way of blind - "Caeci via"; Heaven and Lia - from
"Coeli", heaven, and "Ligo," to bind; Heaven and Leos - from
Coeli and "Laos," (Ionian Greek) or "Leos" (Attic Greek),
the people. Such punning derivations of proper names were
very much in favour in the Middle Ages. The explanations of
St Cecilia's name are literally taken from the prologue to
the Latin legend.
8. This passage suggests Horace's description of the wise
man, who, among other things, is "in se ipse totus, teres,
atque rotundus." ("complete in himself, polished and
rounded") — Satires, 2, vii. 80.
9. Louting: lingering, or lying concealed; the Latin
original has "Inter sepulchra martyrum latiantem" ("hiding
among the tombs of martyrs")
10. The fourteen lines within brackets are supposed to
have been originally an interpolation in the Latin legend,
from which they are literally translated. They awkwardly
interrupt the flow of the narration.
11. Engine: wit; the devising or constructive faculty;
Latin, "ingenium."
12. Cold: wretched, distressful; see note 22 to the Nun's
Priest's Tale.
13. Corniculere: The secretary or registrar who was
charged with publishing the acts, decrees and orders of the
prefect.
14. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness" — 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.
15. Did him to-beat: Caused him to be cruelly or fatally
beaten; the force of the "to" is intensive.
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THE CANON'S YEOMAN'S TALE.
<1>
THE PROLOGUE.
WHEN ended was the life of Saint Cecile,
Ere we had ridden fully five mile, <2>
At Boughton-under-Blee us gan o'ertake
A man, that clothed was in clothes black,
And underneath he wore a white surplice.
His hackenay,* which was all pomely-gris,** *nag
**dapple-gray
So sweated, that it wonder was to see;
It seem'd as he had pricked* miles three. *spurred
The horse eke that his yeoman rode upon
So sweated, that unnethes* might he gon.** *hardly **go
About the peytrel <3> stood the foam full high;
He was of foam, as *flecked as a pie.* *spotted like a
magpie*
A maile twyfold <4> on his crupper lay;
It seemed that he carried little array;
All light for summer rode this worthy man.
And in my heart to wonder I began
What that he was, till that I understood
How that his cloak was sewed to his hood;
For which, when I had long advised* me, *considered
I deemed him some Canon for to be.
His hat hung at his back down by a lace,* *cord
For he had ridden more than trot or pace;
He hadde pricked like as he were wood.* *mad
A clote-leaf* he had laid under his hood, * burdock-leaf
For sweat, and for to keep his head from heat.
But it was joye for to see him sweat;
His forehead dropped as a stillatory* *still
Were full of plantain or of paritory.* *wallflower
And when that he was come, he gan to cry,
"God save," quoth he, "this jolly company.
Fast have I pricked," quoth he, "for your sake,
Because that I would you overtake,
To riden in this merry company."
His Yeoman was eke full of courtesy,
And saide, "Sirs, now in the morning tide
Out of your hostelry I saw you ride,
And warned here my lord and sovereign,
Which that to ride with you is full fain,
For his disport; he loveth dalliance."
"Friend, for thy warning God give thee good chance,"*
*fortune
Said oure Host; "certain it woulde seem
Thy lord were wise, and so I may well deem;
He is full jocund also, dare I lay;
Can he aught tell a merry tale or tway,
With which he gladden may this company?"
"Who, Sir? my lord? Yea, Sir, withoute lie,
He can* of mirth and eke of jollity *knows
*Not but* enough; also, Sir, truste me, *not less than*
An* ye him knew all so well as do I, *if
Ye would wonder how well and craftily
He coulde work, and that in sundry wise.
He hath take on him many a great emprise,* *task,
undertaking
Which were full hard for any that is here
To bring about, but* they of him it lear.** *unless **learn
As homely as he rides amonges you,
If ye him knew, it would be for your prow:* *advantage
Ye woulde not forego his acquaintance
For muche good, I dare lay in balance
All that I have in my possession.
He is a man of high discretion.
I warn you well, he is a passing* man." *surpassing,
extraordinary
Well," quoth our Host, "I pray thee tell me than,
Is he a clerk,* or no? Tell what he is." *scholar, priest
"Nay, he is greater than a clerk, y-wis,"* *certainly
Saide this Yeoman; "and, in wordes few,
Host, of his craft somewhat I will you shew,
I say, my lord can* such a subtlety *knows
(But all his craft ye may not weet* of me, *learn
And somewhat help I yet to his working),
That all the ground on which we be riding
Till that we come to Canterbury town,
He could all cleane turnen up so down,
And pave it all of silver and of gold."
And when this Yeoman had this tale told
Unto our Host, he said; "Ben'dicite!
This thing is wonder marvellous to me,
Since that thy lord is of so high prudence,
Because of which men should him reverence,
That of his worship* recketh he so lite;** *honour **little
His *overest slop* it is not worth a mite *upper garment*
As in effect to him, so may I go;
It is all baudy* and to-tore also. *slovenly
Why is thy lord so sluttish, I thee pray,
And is of power better clothes to bey,* *buy
If that his deed accordeth with thy speech?
Telle me that, and that I thee beseech."
"Why?" quoth this Yeoman, "whereto ask ye me?
God help me so, for he shall never the* *thrive
(But I will not avowe* that I say, *admit
And therefore keep it secret, I you pray);
He is too wise, in faith, as I believe.
Thing that is overdone, it will not preve* *stand the test
Aright, as clerkes say; it is a vice;
Wherefore in that I hold him *lewd and nice."* *ignorant and
foolish*
For when a man hath over great a wit,
Full oft him happens to misusen it;
So doth my lord, and that me grieveth sore.
God it amend; I can say now no more."
"Thereof *no force,* good Yeoman, "quoth our Host; *no
matter*
"Since of the conning* of thy lord, thou know'st, *knowledge
Tell how he doth, I pray thee heartily,
Since that be is so crafty and so sly.* *wise
Where dwelle ye, if it to telle be?"
"In the suburbes of a town," quoth he,
"Lurking in hernes* and in lanes blind, *corners
Where as these robbers and these thieves by kind* *nature
Holde their privy fearful residence,
As they that dare not show their presence,
So fare we, if I shall say the soothe."* *truth
"Yet," quoth our Hoste, "let me talke to thee;
Why art thou so discolour'd of thy face?"
"Peter!" quoth he, "God give it harde grace,
I am so us'd the hote fire to blow,
That it hath changed my colour, I trow;
I am not wont in no mirror to pry,
But swinke* sore, and learn to multiply. <5> *labour
We blunder* ever, and poren** in the fire, *toil **peer
And, for all that, we fail of our desire
For ever we lack our conclusion
To muche folk we do illusion,
And borrow gold, be it a pound or two,
Or ten or twelve, or many summes mo',
And make them weenen,* at the leaste way, *fancy
That of a pounde we can make tway.
Yet is it false; and aye we have good hope
It for to do, and after it we grope:* *search, strive
But that science is so far us beforn,
That we may not, although we had it sworn,
It overtake, it slides away so fast;
It will us make beggars at the last."
While this Yeoman was thus in his talking,
This Canon drew him near, and heard all thing
Which this Yeoman spake, for suspicion
Of menne's speech ever had this Canon:
For Cato saith, that he that guilty is, <6>
Deemeth all things be spoken of him y-wis;* *surely
Because of that he gan so nigh to draw
To his Yeoman, that he heard all his saw;
And thus he said unto his Yeoman tho* *then
"Hold thou thy peace,and speak no wordes mo':
For if thou do, thou shalt *it dear abie.* *pay dearly for
it*
Thou slanderest me here in this company
And eke discoverest that thou shouldest hide."
"Yea," quoth our Host, "tell on, whatso betide;
Of all his threatening reck not a mite."
"In faith," quoth he, "no more do I but lite."* *little
And when this Canon saw it would not be
But his Yeoman would tell his privity,* *secrets
He fled away for very sorrow and shame.
"Ah!" quoth the Yeoman, "here shall rise a game;* *some
diversion
All that I can anon I will you tell,
Since he is gone; the foule fiend him quell!* *destroy
For ne'er hereafter will I with him meet,
For penny nor for pound, I you behete.* *promise
He that me broughte first unto that game,
Ere that he die, sorrow have he and shame.
For it is earnest* to me, by my faith; *a serious matter
That feel I well, what so any man saith;
And yet for all my smart, and all my grief,
For all my sorrow, labour, and mischief,* *trouble
I coulde never leave it in no wise.
Now would to God my witte might suffice
To tellen all that longeth to that art!
But natheless yet will I telle part;
Since that my lord is gone, I will not spare;
Such thing as that I know, I will declare."
Notes to the Prologue to the Canon's Yeoman's Tale
1. "The introduction," says Tyrwhitt, "of the Canon's
Yeoman to tell a Tale at a time when so many of the original
characters remain to be called upon, appears a little
extraordinary. It should seem that some sudden resentment
had determined Chaucer to interrupt the regular course of
his work, in order to insert a satire against the
alchemists. That their pretended science was much cultivated
about this time, and produced its usual evils, may fairly be
inferred from the Act, which was passed soon after, 5 H. IV.
c. iv., to make it felony 'to multiply gold or silver, or to
use the art of multiplication.'" Tyrwhitt finds in the
prologue some colour for the hypothesis that this Tale was
intended by Chaucer to begin the return journey from
Canterbury; but against this must be set the fact that the
Yeoman himself expressly speaks of the distance to
Canterbury yet to be ridden.
2. Fully five mile: From some place which the loss of the
Second Nun's Prologue does not enable us to identify.
3. Peytrel: the breast-plate of a horse's harness;
French, "poitrail."
4. A maile twyfold: a double valise; a wallet hanging
across the crupper on either side of the horse.
5. Multiply: transmute metals, in the attempt to multiply
gold and silver by alchemy.
6. "Conscius ipse sibi de se putat omnia dici" ("The
conspirator believes that everything spoken refers to
himself") — "De Moribus," I. i. dist. 17.

THE TALE.
<1>
With this Canon I dwelt have seven year,
And of his science am I ne'er the near* *nearer
All that I had I have lost thereby,
And, God wot, so have many more than I.
Where I was wont to be right fresh and gay
Of clothing, and of other good array
Now may I wear an hose upon mine head;
And where my colour was both fresh and red,
Now is it wan, and of a leaden hue
(Whoso it useth, sore shall he it rue);
And of my swink* yet bleared is mine eye; *labour
Lo what advantage is to multiply!
That sliding* science hath me made so bare, *slippery,
deceptive
That I have no good,* where that ever I fare; *property
And yet I am indebted so thereby
Of gold, that I have borrow'd truely,
That, while I live, I shall it quite* never; *repay
Let every man beware by me for ever.
What manner man that casteth* him thereto, *betaketh
If he continue, I hold *his thrift y-do;* *prosperity at an
end*
So help me God, thereby shall he not win,
But empty his purse, and make his wittes thin.
And when he, through his madness and folly,
Hath lost his owen good through jupartie,* *hazard <2>
Then he exciteth other men thereto,
To lose their good as he himself hath do'.
For unto shrewes* joy it is and ease *wicked folk
To have their fellows in pain and disease.* *trouble
Thus was I ones learned of a clerk;
Of that no charge;* I will speak of our work. *matter
When we be there as we shall exercise
Our elvish* craft, we seeme wonder wise, *fantastic, wicked
Our termes be so *clergial and quaint.* *learned and strange
I blow the fire till that mine hearte faint.
Why should I tellen each proportion
Of thinges, whiche that we work upon,
As on five or six ounces, may well be,
Of silver, or some other quantity?
And busy me to telle you the names,
As orpiment, burnt bones, iron squames,* *scales <3>
That into powder grounden be full small?
And in an earthen pot how put is all,
And, salt y-put in, and also peppere,
Before these powders that I speak of here,
And well y-cover'd with a lamp of glass?
And of much other thing which that there was?
And of the pots and glasses engluting,* *sealing up
That of the air might passen out no thing?
And of the easy* fire, and smart** also, *slow **quick
Which that was made? and of the care and woe
That we had in our matters subliming,
And in amalgaming, and calcining
Of quicksilver, called mercury crude?
For all our sleightes we can not conclude.
Our orpiment, and sublim'd mercury,
Our ground litharge* eke on the porphyry, *white lead
Of each of these of ounces a certain,* *certain proportion
Not helpeth us, our labour is in vain.
Nor neither our spirits' ascensioun,
Nor our matters that lie all fix'd adown,
May in our working nothing us avail;
For lost is all our labour and travail,
And all the cost, a twenty devil way,
Is lost also, which we upon it lay.
There is also full many another thing
That is unto our craft appertaining,
Though I by order them not rehearse can,
Because that I am a lewed* man; *unlearned
Yet will I tell them as they come to mind,
Although I cannot set them in their kind,
As sal-armoniac, verdigris, borace;
And sundry vessels made of earth and glass; <4>
Our urinales, and our descensories,
Phials, and croslets, and sublimatories,
Cucurbites, and alembikes eke,
And other suche, *dear enough a leek,* *worth less than a
leek*
It needeth not for to rehearse them all.
Waters rubifying, and bulles' gall,
Arsenic, sal-armoniac, and brimstone,
And herbes could I tell eke many a one,
As egremoine,* valerian, and lunary,** *agrimony **moon-wort
And other such, if that me list to tarry;
Our lampes burning bothe night and day,
To bring about our craft if that we may;
Our furnace eke of calcination,
And of waters albification,
Unslaked lime, chalk, and *glair of an ey,* *egg-white
Powders diverse, ashes, dung, piss, and clay,
Seared pokettes,<5> saltpetre, and vitriol;
And divers fires made of wood and coal;
Sal-tartar, alkali, salt preparate,
And combust matters, and coagulate;
Clay made with horse and manne's hair, and oil
Of tartar, alum, glass, barm, wort, argoil,* *potter's
clay<6>
Rosalgar,* and other matters imbibing; *flowers of antimony
And eke of our matters encorporing,* *incorporating
And of our silver citrination, <7>
Our cementing, and fermentation,
Our ingots,* tests, and many thinges mo'. *moulds <8>
I will you tell, as was me taught also,
The foure spirits, and the bodies seven,
By order, as oft I heard my lord them neven.* *name
The first spirit Quicksilver called is;
The second Orpiment; the third, y-wis,
Sal-Armoniac, and the fourth Brimstone.
The bodies sev'n eke, lo them here anon.
Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe* *name <9>
Mars iron, Mercury quicksilver we clepe;* *call
Saturnus lead, and Jupiter is tin,
And Venus copper, by my father's kin.
This cursed craft whoso will exercise,
He shall no good have that him may suffice;
For all the good he spendeth thereabout,
He lose shall, thereof have I no doubt.
Whoso that list to utter* his folly, *display
Let him come forth and learn to multiply:
And every man that hath aught in his coffer,
Let him appear, and wax a philosopher;
Ascaunce* that craft is so light to lear.** *as if **learn
Nay, nay, God wot, all be he monk or frere,
Priest or canon, or any other wight;
Though he sit at his book both day and night;
In learning of this *elvish nice* lore, * fantastic, foolish
All is in vain; and pardie muche more,
Is to learn a lew'd* man this subtlety; *ignorant
Fie! speak not thereof, for it will not be.
And *conne he letterure,* or conne he none, *if he knows
learning*
As in effect, he shall it find all one;
For bothe two, by my salvation,
Concluden in multiplication* *transmutation by alchemy
Alike well, when they have all y-do;
This is to say, they faile bothe two.
Yet forgot I to make rehearsale
Of waters corrosive, and of limaile,* *metal filings
And of bodies' mollification,
And also of their induration,
Oiles, ablutions, metal fusible,
To tellen all, would passen any Bible
That owhere* is; wherefore, as for the best, *anywhere
Of all these names now will I me rest;
For, as I trow, I have you told enough
To raise a fiend, all look he ne'er so rough.
Ah! nay, let be; the philosopher's stone,
Elixir call'd, we seeke fast each one;
For had we him, then were we sicker* enow; *secure
But unto God of heaven I make avow,* *confession
For all our craft, when we have all y-do,
And all our sleight, he will not come us to.
He hath y-made us spende muche good,
For sorrow of which almost we waxed wood,* *mad
But that good hope creeped in our heart,
Supposing ever, though we sore smart,
To be relieved by him afterward.
Such supposing and hope is sharp and hard.
I warn you well it is to seeken ever.
That future temps* hath made men dissever,** *time **part
from
In trust thereof, from all that ever they had,
Yet of that art they cannot waxe sad,* *repentant
For unto them it is a bitter sweet;
So seemeth it; for had they but a sheet
Which that they mighte wrap them in at night,
And a bratt* to walk in by dayelight, *cloak<10>
They would them sell, and spend it on this craft;
They cannot stint,* until no thing be laft. *cease
And evermore, wherever that they gon,
Men may them knowe by smell of brimstone;
For all the world they stinken as a goat;
Their savour is so rammish and so hot,
That though a man a mile from them be,
The savour will infect him, truste me.
Lo, thus by smelling and threadbare array,
If that men list, this folk they knowe may.
And if a man will ask them privily,
Why they be clothed so unthriftily,* *shabbily
They right anon will rownen* in his ear, *whisper
And sayen, if that they espied were,
Men would them slay, because of their science:
Lo, thus these folk betrayen innocence!
Pass over this; I go my tale unto.
Ere that the pot be on the fire y-do* *placed
Of metals, with a certain quantity
My lord them tempers,* and no man but he *adjusts the
proportions
(Now he is gone, I dare say boldely);
For as men say, he can do craftily,
Algate* I wot well he hath such a name, *although
And yet full oft he runneth into blame;
And know ye how? full oft it happ'neth so,
The pot to-breaks, and farewell! all is go'.* *gone
These metals be of so great violence,
Our walles may not make them resistence,
*But if* they were wrought of lime and stone; *unless*
They pierce so, that through the wall they gon;
And some of them sink down into the ground
(Thus have we lost by times many a pound),
And some are scatter'd all the floor about;
Some leap into the roof withoute doubt.
Though that the fiend not in our sight him show,
I trowe that he be with us, that shrew;* *impious wretch
In helle, where that he is lord and sire,
Is there no more woe, rancour, nor ire.
When that our pot is broke, as I have said,
Every man chides, and holds him *evil apaid.* *dissatisfied*
Some said it was *long on* the fire-making; *because of
<11>*
Some saide nay, it was on the blowing
(Then was I fear'd, for that was mine office);
"Straw!" quoth the third, "ye be *lewed and **nice,
*ignorant **foolish
It was not temper'd* as it ought to be." *mixed in due
proportions
"Nay," quoth the fourthe, "stint* and hearken me; *stop
Because our fire was not y-made of beech,
That is the cause, and other none, *so the'ch.* *so may I
thrive*
I cannot tell whereon it was along,
But well I wot great strife is us among."
"What?" quoth my lord, "there is no more to do'n,
Of these perils I will beware eftsoon.* *another time
I am right sicker* that the pot was crazed.** *sure
**cracked
Be as be may, be ye no thing amazed.* *confounded
As usage is, let sweep the floor as swithe;* *quickly
Pluck up your heartes and be glad and blithe."
The mullok* on a heap y-sweeped was, *rubbish
And on the floor y-cast a canevas,
And all this mullok in a sieve y-throw,
And sifted, and y-picked many a throw.* *time
"Pardie," quoth one, "somewhat of our metal
Yet is there here, though that we have not all.
And though this thing *mishapped hath as now,* *has gone
amiss
Another time it may be well enow. at present*
We muste *put our good in adventure; * *risk our property*
A merchant, pardie, may not aye endure,
Truste me well, in his prosperity:
Sometimes his good is drenched* in the sea, *drowned, sunk
And sometimes comes it safe unto the land."
"Peace," quoth my lord; "the next time I will fand*
*endeavour
To bring our craft *all in another plight,* *to a different
conclusion*
And but I do, Sirs, let me have the wite;* *blame
There was default in somewhat, well I wot."
Another said, the fire was over hot.
But be it hot or cold, I dare say this,
That we concluden evermore amiss;
We fail alway of that which we would have;
And in our madness evermore we rave.
And when we be together every one,
Every man seemeth a Solomon.
But all thing, which that shineth as the gold,
It is not gold, as I have heard it told;
Nor every apple that is fair at eye,
It is not good, what so men clap* or cry. *assert
Right so, lo, fareth it amonges us.
He that the wisest seemeth, by Jesus,
Is most fool, when it cometh to the prefe;* *proof, test
And he that seemeth truest, is a thief.
That shall ye know, ere that I from you wend;
By that I of my tale have made an end.
There was a canon of religioun
Amonges us, would infect* all a town, *deceive
Though it as great were as was Nineveh,
Rome, Alisandre,* Troy, or other three. *Alexandria
His sleightes* and his infinite falseness *cunning tricks
There coulde no man writen, as I guess,
Though that he mighte live a thousand year;
In all this world of falseness n'is* his peer. *there is not
For in his termes he will him so wind,
And speak his wordes in so sly a kind,
When he commune shall with any wight,
That he will make him doat* anon aright, *become foolishly
But it a fiende be, as himself is. fond of him*
Full many a man hath he beguil'd ere this,
And will, if that he may live any while;
And yet men go and ride many a mile
Him for to seek, and have his acquaintance,
Not knowing of his false governance.* *deceitful conduct
And if you list to give me audience,
I will it telle here in your presence.
But, worshipful canons religious,
Ne deeme not that I slander your house,
Although that my tale of a canon be.
Of every order some shrew is, pardie;
And God forbid that all a company
Should rue a singular* manne's folly. *individual
To slander you is no thing mine intent;
But to correct that is amiss I meant.
This tale was not only told for you,
But eke for other more; ye wot well how
That amonges Christe's apostles twelve
There was no traitor but Judas himselve;
Then why should all the remenant have blame,
That guiltless were? By you I say the same.
Save only this, if ye will hearken me,
If any Judas in your convent be,
Remove him betimes, I you rede,* *counsel
If shame or loss may causen any dread.
And be no thing displeased, I you pray;
But in this case hearken what I say.
In London was a priest, an annualere, <12>
That therein dwelled hadde many a year,
Which was so pleasant and so serviceable
Unto the wife, where as he was at table,
That she would suffer him no thing to pay
For board nor clothing, went he ne'er so gay;
And spending silver had he right enow;
Thereof no force;* will proceed as now, *no matter
And telle forth my tale of the canon,
That brought this prieste to confusion.
This false canon came upon a day
Unto the prieste's chamber, where he lay,
Beseeching him to lend him a certain
Of gold, and he would quit it him again.
"Lend me a mark," quoth he, "but dayes three,
And at my day I will it quite thee.
And if it so be that thou find me false,
Another day hang me up by the halse."* *neck
This priest him took a mark, and that as swithe,* *quickly
And this canon him thanked often sithe,* *times
And took his leave, and wente forth his way;
And at the thirde day brought his money;
And to the priest he took his gold again,
Whereof this priest was wondrous glad and fain.* *pleased
"Certes," quoth he, *"nothing annoyeth me* *I am not
unwiling*
To lend a man a noble, or two, or three,
Or what thing were in my possession,
When he so true is of condition,
That in no wise he breake will his day;
To such a man I never can say nay."
"What," quoth this canon, "should I be untrue?
Nay, that were *thing y-fallen all of new!* *a new thing to
happen*
Truth is a thing that I will ever keep,
Unto the day in which that I shall creep
Into my grave; and elles God forbid;
Believe this as sicker* as your creed. *sure
God thank I, and in good time be it said,
That there was never man yet *evil apaid* *displeased,
dissatisfied*
For gold nor silver that he to me lent,
Nor ever falsehood in mine heart I meant.
And Sir," quoth he, "now of my privity,
Since ye so goodly have been unto me,
And kithed* to me so great gentleness, *shown
Somewhat, to quite with your kindeness,
I will you shew, and if you list to lear,* *learn
I will you teache plainly the mannere
How I can worken in philosophy.
Take good heed, ye shall well see *at eye* *with your own
eye*
That I will do a mas'try ere I go."
"Yea," quoth the priest; "yea, Sir, and will ye so?
Mary! thereof I pray you heartily."
"At your commandement, Sir, truely,"
Quoth the canon, "and elles God forbid."
Lo, how this thiefe could his service bede!* *offer
Full sooth it is that such proffer'd service
Stinketh, as witnesse *these olde wise;* *those wise folk of
old*
And that full soon I will it verify
In this canon, root of all treachery,
That evermore delight had and gladness
(Such fiendly thoughtes *in his heart impress*) *press into
his heart*
How Christe's people he may to mischief bring.
God keep us from his false dissimuling!
What wiste this priest with whom that he dealt?
Nor of his harm coming he nothing felt.
O sely* priest, O sely innocent! *simple
With covetise anon thou shalt be blent;* *blinded; beguiled
O graceless, full blind is thy conceit!
For nothing art thou ware of the deceit
Which that this fox y-shapen* hath to thee; *contrived
His wily wrenches* thou not mayest flee. *snares
Wherefore, to go to the conclusioun
That referreth to thy confusion,
Unhappy man, anon I will me hie* *hasten
To telle thine unwit* and thy folly, *stupidity
And eke the falseness of that other wretch,
As farforth as that my conning* will stretch. *knowledge
This canon was my lord, ye woulde ween;* *imagine
Sir Host, in faith, and by the heaven's queen,
It was another canon, and not he,
That can* an hundred fold more subtlety. *knows
He hath betrayed folkes many a time;
Of his falseness it doleth* me to rhyme. *paineth
And ever, when I speak of his falsehead,
For shame of him my cheekes waxe red;
Algates* they beginne for to glow, *at least
For redness have I none, right well I know,
In my visage; for fumes diverse
Of metals, which ye have me heard rehearse,
Consumed have and wasted my redness.
Now take heed of this canon's cursedness.* *villainy
"Sir," quoth he to the priest, "let your man gon
For quicksilver, that we it had anon;
And let him bringen ounces two or three;
And when he comes, as faste shall ye see
A wondrous thing, which ye saw ne'er ere this."
"Sir," quoth the priest, "it shall be done, y-wis."*
*certainly
He bade his servant fetche him this thing,
And he all ready was at his bidding,
And went him forth, and came anon again
With this quicksilver, shortly for to sayn;
And took these ounces three to the canoun;
And he them laide well and fair adown,
And bade the servant coales for to bring,
That he anon might go to his working.
The coales right anon weren y-fet,* *fetched
And this canon y-took a crosselet* *crucible
Out of his bosom, and shew'd to the priest.
"This instrument," quoth he, "which that thou seest,
Take in thine hand, and put thyself therein
Of this quicksilver an ounce, and here begin,
In the name of Christ, to wax a philosopher.
There be full few, which that I woulde proffer
To shewe them thus much of my science;
For here shall ye see by experience
That this quicksilver I will mortify,<13>
Right in your sight anon withoute lie,
And make it as good silver, and as fine,
As there is any in your purse, or mine,
Or elleswhere; and make it malleable,
And elles holde me false and unable
Amonge folk for ever to appear.
I have a powder here that cost me dear,
Shall make all good, for it is cause of all
My conning,* which that I you shewe shall. *knowledge
Voide* your man, and let him be thereout; *send away
And shut the doore, while we be about
Our privity, that no man us espy,
While that we work in this phiosophy."
All, as he bade, fulfilled was in deed.
This ilke servant right anon out yede,* *went
And his master y-shut the door anon,
And to their labour speedily they gon.
This priest, at this cursed canon's biddIng,
Upon the fire anon he set this thing,
And blew the fire, and busied him full fast.
And this canon into the croslet cast
A powder, I know not whereof it was
Y-made, either of chalk, either of glass,
Or somewhat elles, was not worth a fly,
To blinden* with this priest; and bade him hie** *deceive
**make haste
The coales for to couchen* all above lay in order
The croslet; "for, in token I thee love,"
Quoth this canon, "thine owen handes two
Shall work all thing that here shall be do'."
*"Grand mercy,"* quoth the priest, and was full glad, *great
thanks*
And couch'd the coales as the canon bade.
And while he busy was, this fiendly wretch,
This false canon (the foule fiend him fetch),
Out of his bosom took a beechen coal,
In which full subtifly was made a hole,
And therein put was of silver limaile* *filings
An ounce, and stopped was withoute fail
The hole with wax, to keep the limaile in.
And understande, that this false gin* *contrivance
Was not made there, but it was made before;
And other thinges I shall tell you more,
Hereafterward, which that he with him brought;
Ere he came there, him to beguile he thought,
And so he did, ere that they *went atwin;* *separated*
Till he had turned him, could he not blin.* *cease <14>
It doleth* me, when that I of him speak; *paineth
On his falsehood fain would I me awreak,* *revenge myself
If I wist how, but he is here and there;
He is so variant,* he abides nowhere. *changeable
But take heed, Sirs, now for Godde's love.
He took his coal, of which I spake above,
And in his hand he bare it privily,
And while the prieste couched busily
The coales, as I tolde you ere this,
This canon saide, "Friend, ye do amiss;
This is not couched as it ought to be,
But soon I shall amenden it," quoth he.
"Now let me meddle therewith but a while,
For of you have I pity, by Saint Gile.
Ye be right hot, I see well how ye sweat;
Have here a cloth, and wipe away the wet."
And while that the prieste wip'd his face,
This canon took his coal, — *with sorry grace,* — *evil
fortune
And layed it above on the midward attend him!*
Of the croslet, and blew well afterward,
Till that the coals beganne fast to brenn.* *burn
"Now give us drinke," quoth this canon then,
"And swithe* all shall be well, I undertake. *quickly
Sitte we down, and let us merry make."
And whenne that this canon's beechen coal
Was burnt, all the limaile out of the hole
Into the crosselet anon fell down;
And so it muste needes, by reasoun,
Since it above so *even couched* was; *exactly laid*
But thereof wist the priest no thing, alas!
He deemed all the coals alike good,
For of the sleight he nothing understood.
And when this alchemister saw his time,
"Rise up, Sir Priest," quoth he, "and stand by me;
And, for I wot well ingot* have ye none; *mould
Go, walke forth, and bring me a chalk stone;
For I will make it of the same shape
That is an ingot, if I may have hap.
Bring eke with you a bowl, or else a pan,
Full of water, and ye shall well see than* *then
How that our business shall *hap and preve* *succeed*
And yet, for ye shall have no misbelieve* *mistrust
Nor wrong conceit of me, in your absence,
I wille not be out of your presence,
But go with you, and come with you again."
The chamber-doore, shortly for to sayn,
They opened and shut, and went their way,
And forth with them they carried the key;
And came again without any delay.
Why should I tarry all the longe day?
He took the chalk, and shap'd it in the wise
Of an ingot, as I shall you devise;* *describe
I say, he took out of his owen sleeve
A teine* of silver (evil may he cheve!**) *little piece
**prosper
Which that ne was but a just ounce of weight.
And take heed now of his cursed sleight;
He shap'd his ingot, in length and in brede* *breadth
Of this teine, withouten any drede,* *doubt
So slily, that the priest it not espied;
And in his sleeve again he gan it hide;
And from the fire he took up his mattere,
And in th' ingot put it with merry cheer;
And in the water-vessel he it cast,
When that him list, and bade the priest as fast
Look what there is; "Put in thine hand and grope;
There shalt thou finde silver, as I hope."
What, devil of helle! should it elles be?
Shaving of silver, silver is, pardie.
He put his hand in, and took up a teine
Of silver fine; and glad in every vein
Was this priest, when he saw that it was so.
"Godde's blessing, and his mother's also,
And alle hallows,* have ye, Sir Canon!" *saints
Saide this priest, "and I their malison* *curse
But, an'* ye vouchesafe to teache me *if
This noble craft and this subtility,
I will be yours in all that ever I may."
Quoth the canon, "Yet will I make assay
The second time, that ye may take heed,
And be expert of this, and, in your need,
Another day assay in mine absence
This discipline, and this crafty science.
Let take another ounce," quoth he tho,* *then
"Of quicksilver, withoute wordes mo',
And do therewith as ye have done ere this
With that other, which that now silver is. "
The priest him busied, all that e'er he can,
To do as this canon, this cursed man,
Commanded him, and fast he blew the fire
For to come to th' effect of his desire.
And this canon right in the meanewhile
All ready was this priest eft* to beguile, *again
and, for a countenance,* in his hande bare *stratagem
An hollow sticke (take keep* and beware); *heed
Of silver limaile put was, as before
Was in his coal, and stopped with wax well
For to keep in his limaile every deal.* *particle
And while this priest was in his business,
This canon with his sticke gan him dress* *apply
To him anon, and his powder cast in,
As he did erst (the devil out of his skin
Him turn, I pray to God, for his falsehead,
For he was ever false in thought and deed),
And with his stick, above the crosselet,
That was ordained* with that false get,** *provided
**contrivance
He stirr'd the coales, till relente gan
The wax against the fire, as every man,
But he a fool be, knows well it must need.
And all that in the sticke was out yede,* *went
And in the croslet hastily* it fell. *quickly
Now, goode Sirs, what will ye bet* than well? *better
When that this priest was thus beguil'd again,
Supposing naught but truthe, sooth to sayn,
He was so glad, that I can not express
In no mannere his mirth and his gladness;
And to the canon he proffer'd eftsoon* *forthwith; again
Body and good. "Yea," quoth the canon soon,
"Though poor I be, crafty* thou shalt me find; *skilful
I warn thee well, yet is there more behind.
Is any copper here within?" said he.
"Yea, Sir," the prieste said, "I trow there be."
"Elles go buy us some, and that as swithe.* *swiftly
Now, goode Sir, go forth thy way and hie* thee." *hasten
He went his way, and with the copper came,
And this canon it in his handes name,* *took <15>
And of that copper weighed out an ounce.
Too simple is my tongue to pronounce,
As minister of my wit, the doubleness
Of this canon, root of all cursedness.
He friendly seem'd to them that knew him not;
But he was fiendly, both in work and thought.
It wearieth me to tell of his falseness;
And natheless yet will I it express,
To that intent men may beware thereby,
And for none other cause truely.
He put this copper in the crosselet,
And on the fire as swithe* he hath it set, *swiftly
And cast in powder, and made the priest to blow,
And in his working for to stoope low,
As he did erst,* and all was but a jape;** *before **trick
Right as him list the priest *he made his ape.* *befooled
him*
And afterward in the ingot he it cast,
And in the pan he put it at the last
Of water, and in he put his own hand;
And in his sleeve, as ye beforehand
Hearde me tell, he had a silver teine;* *small piece
He silly took it out, this cursed heine* *wretch
(Unweeting* this priest of his false craft), *unsuspecting
And in the panne's bottom he it laft* *left
And in the water rumbleth to and fro,
And wondrous privily took up also
The copper teine (not knowing thilke priest),
And hid it, and him hente* by the breast, *took
And to him spake, and thus said in his game;
"Stoop now adown; by God, ye be to blame;
Helpe me now, as I did you whilere;* *before
Put in your hand, and looke what is there."
This priest took up this silver teine anon;
And thenne said the canon, "Let us gon,
With these three teines which that we have wrought,
To some goldsmith, and *weet if they be aught:* *find out if
they are
For, by my faith, I would not for my hood worth anything*
*But if* they were silver fine and good, *unless
And that as swithe* well proved shall it be." *quickly
Unto the goldsmith with these teines three
They went anon, and put them in assay* *proof
To fire and hammer; might no man say nay,
But that they weren as they ought to be.
This sotted* priest, who gladder was than he? *stupid,
besotted
Was never bird gladder against the day;
Nor nightingale in the season of May
Was never none, that better list to sing;
Nor lady lustier in carolling,
Or for to speak of love and womanhead;
Nor knight in arms to do a hardy deed,
To standen in grace of his lady dear,
Than had this priest this crafte for to lear;
And to the canon thus he spake and said;
"For love of God, that for us alle died,
And as I may deserve it unto you,
What shall this receipt coste? tell me now."
"By our Lady," quoth this canon, "it is dear.
I warn you well, that, save I and a frere,
In Engleland there can no man it make."
*"No force,"* quoth he; "now, Sir, for Godde's sake, *no
matter
What shall I pay? telle me, I you pray."
"Y-wis,"* quoth he, "it is full dear, I say. *certainly
Sir, at one word, if that you list it have,
Ye shall pay forty pound, so God me save;
And n'ere* the friendship that ye did ere this *were it not
for
To me, ye shoulde paye more, y-wis."
This priest the sum of forty pound anon
Of nobles fet,* and took them every one *fetched
To this canon, for this ilke receipt.
All his working was but fraud and deceit.
"Sir Priest," he said, "I keep* to have no los** *care
**praise <16>
Of my craft, for I would it were kept close;
And as ye love me, keep it secre:
For if men knewen all my subtlety,
By God, they woulde have so great envy
To me, because of my philosophy,
I should be dead, there were no other way."
"God it forbid," quoth the priest, "what ye say.
Yet had I lever* spenden all the good *rather
Which that I have (and elles were I wood*), *mad
Than that ye shoulde fall in such mischief."
"For your good will, Sir, have ye right good prefe,"*
*results of your
Quoth the canon; "and farewell, grand mercy." *experiments*
He went his way, and never the priest him sey * *saw
After that day; and when that this priest should
Maken assay, at such time as he would,
Of this receipt, farewell! it would not be.
Lo, thus bejaped* and beguil'd was he; *tricked
Thus made he his introduction
To bringe folk to their destruction.
Consider, Sirs, how that in each estate
Betwixte men and gold there is debate,
So farforth that *unnethes is there none.* *scarcely is
there any*
This multiplying blint* so many a one, *blinds, deceive
That in good faith I trowe that it be
The cause greatest of such scarcity.
These philosophers speak so mistily
In this craft, that men cannot come thereby,
For any wit that men have how-a-days.
They may well chatter, as do these jays,
And in their termes set their *lust and pain,* *pleasure and
exertion*
But to their purpose shall they ne'er attain.
A man may lightly* learn, if he have aught, *easily
To multiply, and bring his good to naught.
Lo, such a lucre* is in this lusty** game; *profit
**pleasant
A manne's mirth it will turn all to grame,* *sorrow <17>
And empty also great and heavy purses,
And make folke for to purchase curses
Of them that have thereto their good y-lent.
Oh, fy for shame! they that have been brent,* *burnt
Alas! can they not flee the fire's heat?
Ye that it use, I rede* that ye it lete,** *advise **leave
Lest ye lose all; for better than never is late;
Never to thrive, were too long a date.
Though ye prowl aye, ye shall it never find;
Ye be as bold as is Bayard the blind,
That blunders forth, and *peril casteth none;* *perceives no
danger*
He is as bold to run against a stone,
As for to go beside it in the way:
So fare ye that multiply, I say.
If that your eyen cannot see aright,
Look that your minde lacke not his sight.
For though you look never so broad, and stare,
Ye shall not win a mite on that chaffare,* *traffic,
commerce
But wasten all that ye may *rape and renn.* *get by hook or
crook*
Withdraw the fire, lest it too faste brenn;* *burn
Meddle no more with that art, I mean;
For if ye do, your thrift* is gone full clean. *prosperity
And right as swithe* I will you telle here *quickly
What philosophers say in this mattere.
Lo, thus saith Arnold of the newe town, <18>
As his Rosary maketh mentioun,
He saith right thus, withouten any lie;
"There may no man mercury mortify,<13>
But* it be with his brother's knowledging." *except
Lo, how that he, which firste said this thing,
Of philosophers father was, Hermes;<19>
He saith, how that the dragon doubteless
He dieth not, but if that he be slain
With his brother. And this is for to sayn,
By the dragon, Mercury, and none other,
He understood, and Brimstone by his brother,
That out of Sol and Luna were y-draw.* *drawn, derived
"And therefore," said he, "take heed to my saw. *saying
Let no man busy him this art to seech,* *study, explore
*But if* that he th'intention and speech *unless
Of philosophers understande can;
And if he do, he is a lewed* man. *ignorant, foolish
For this science and this conning,"* quoth he, *knowledge
"Is of the secret of secrets <20> pardie."
Also there was a disciple of Plato,
That on a time said his master to,
As his book, Senior, <21> will bear witness,
And this was his demand in soothfastness:
"Tell me the name of thilke* privy** stone." *that **secret
And Plato answer'd unto him anon;
"Take the stone that Titanos men name."
"Which is that?" quoth he. "Magnesia is the same,"
Saide Plato. "Yea, Sir, and is it thus?
This is ignotum per ignotius. <22>
What is Magnesia, good Sir, I pray?"
"It is a water that is made, I say,
Of th' elementes foure," quoth Plato.
"Tell me the roote, good Sir," quoth he tho,* *then
"Of that water, if that it be your will."
"Nay, nay," quoth Plato, "certain that I n'ill.* *will not
The philosophers sworn were every one,
That they should not discover it to none,
Nor in no book it write in no mannere;
For unto God it is so lefe* and dear, *precious
That he will not that it discover'd be,
But where it liketh to his deity
Man for to inspire, and eke for to defend'* *protect
Whom that he liketh; lo, this is the end."
Then thus conclude I, since that God of heaven
Will not that these philosophers neven* *name
How that a man shall come unto this stone,
I rede* as for the best to let it gon. *counsel
For whoso maketh God his adversary,
As for to work any thing in contrary
Of his will, certes never shall he thrive,
Though that he multiply term of his live. <23>
And there a point;* for ended is my tale. *end
God send ev'ry good man *boot of his bale.* *remedy for his
sorrow*
Note to the Canon's Yeoman's Tale
1. The Tale of the Canon's Yeoman, like those of the Wife
of Bath and the Pardoner, is made up of two parts; a long
general introduction, and the story proper. In the case of
the Wife of Bath, the interruptions of other pilgrims, and
the autobiographical nature of the discourse, recommend the
separation of the prologue from the Tale proper; but in the
other cases the introductory or merely connecting matter
ceases wholly where the opening of "The Tale" has been
marked in the text.
2. Jupartie: Jeopardy, hazard. In Froissart's French, "a
jeu partie" is used to signify a game or contest in which
the chances were exactly equal for both sides.
3. Squames: Scales; Latin, "squamae."
4. Descensories: vessels for distillation "per
descensum;" they were placed under the fire, and the spirit
to be extracted was thrown downwards. Croslets: crucibles;
French, "creuset.". Cucurbites: retorts; distilling-vessels;
so called from their likeness in shape to a gourd — Latin,
"cucurbita." Alembikes:stills, limbecs.
5. Seared pokettes: the meaning of this phrase is
obscure; but if we take the reading "cered poketts," from
the Harleian manuscript, we are led to the supposition that
it signifies receptacles — bags or pokes — prepared with wax
for some process. Latin, "cera," wax.
6. Argoil: potter's clay, used for luting or closing
vessels in the laboratories of the alchemists; Latin,
"argilla;" French, "argile."
7. Citrination: turning to a citrine colour, or yellow,
by chemical action; that was the colour which proved the
philosopher's stone.
8. Ingots: not, as in its modern meaning, the masses of
metal shaped by pouring into moulds; but the moulds
themslves into which the fused metal was poured. Compare
Dutch, "ingieten," part. "inghehoten," to infuse; German,
"eingiessen," part. "eingegossen," to pour in.
9. Threpe: name; from Anglo-Saxon, "threapian."
10. Bratt: coarse cloak; Anglo-Saxon, "bratt." The word
is still used in Lincolnshire, and some parts of the north,
to signify a coarse kind of apron.
11. Long on: in consequence of; the modern vulgar phrase
"all along of," or "all along on," best conveys the force of
the words in the text.
12. Annualere: a priest employed in singing "annuals" or
anniversary masses for the dead, without any cure of souls;
the office was such as, in the Prologue to the Tales,
Chaucer praises the Parson for not seeking: Nor "ran unto
London, unto Saint Poul's, to seeke him a chantery for
souls."
13. Mortify: a chemical phrase, signifying the
dissolution of quicksilver in acid.
14. Blin: cease; from Anglo-Saxon, "blinnan," to desist.
15. Name: took; from Anglo-Saxon, "niman," to take.
Compare German, "nehmen," "nahm."
16. Los: praise, reputataion. See note 5 to Chaucer's
tale of Meliboeus.
17. Grame: sorrow; Anglo-Saxon, "gram;" German, "Gram."
18. Arnaldus Villanovanus, or Arnold de Villeneuve, was a
distinguished French chemist and physician of the fourteenth
century; his "Rosarium Philosophorum" was a favourite
text-book with the alchemists of the generations that
succeeded.
19. Hermes Trismegistus, counsellor of Osiris, King of
Egypt, was credited with the invention of writing and
hieroglyphics, the drawing up of the laws of the Egyptians,
and the origination of many sciences and arts. The
Alexandrian school ascribed to him the mystic learning which
it amplified; and the scholars of the Middle Ages regarded
with enthusiasm and reverence the works attributed to him —
notably a treatise on the philosopher's stone.
20. Secret of secrets: "Secreta Secretorum;" a treatise,
very popular in the Middle Ages, supposed to contain the sum
of Aristotle's instructions to Alexander. Lydgate translated
about half of the work, when his labour was interrupted by
his death about 1460; and from the same treatise had been
taken most of the seventh book of Gower's "Confessio
Amantis."
21. Tyrwhitt says that this book was printed in the
"Theatrum Chemicum," under the title, "Senioris Zadith fi.
Hamuelis tabula chymica" ("The chemical tables of Senior
Zadith, son of Hamuel"); and the story here told of Plato
and his disciple was there related of Solomon, but with some
variations.
22. Ignotum per ignotius: To explain the unknown by the
more unknown.
23. Though he multiply term of his live: Though he pursue
the alchemist's art all his days.
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THE MANCIPLE'S TALE.
THE PROLOGUE.
WEET* ye not where there stands a little town, *know
Which that y-called is Bob-up-and-down, <1>
Under the Blee, in Canterbury way?
There gan our Hoste for to jape and play,
And saide, "Sirs, what? Dun is in the mire.<2>
Is there no man, for prayer nor for hire,
That will awaken our fellow behind?
A thief him might full* rob and bind *easily
See how he nappeth, see, for cocke's bones,
As he would falle from his horse at ones.
Is that a Cook of London, with mischance? <3>
Do* him come forth, he knoweth his penance; *make
For he shall tell a tale, by my fay,* *faith
Although it be not worth a bottle hay.
Awake, thou Cook," quoth he; "God give thee sorrow
What aileth thee to sleepe *by the morrow?* *in the day
time*
Hast thou had fleas all night, or art drunk?
Or had thou with some quean* all night y-swunk,** *whore
**laboured
So that thou mayest not hold up thine head?"
The Cook, that was full pale and nothing red,
Said to Host, "So God my soule bless,
As there is fall'n on me such heaviness,
I know not why, that me were lever* sleep, *rather
Than the best gallon wine that is in Cheap."
"Well," quoth the Manciple, "if it may do ease
To thee, Sir Cook, and to no wight displease
Which that here rideth in this company,
And that our Host will of his courtesy,
I will as now excuse thee of thy tale;
For in good faith thy visage is full pale:
Thine eyen daze,* soothly as me thinketh, *are dim
And well I wot, thy breath full soure stinketh,
That sheweth well thou art not well disposed;
Of me certain thou shalt not be y-glosed.* *flattered
See how he yawneth, lo, this drunken wight,
As though he would us swallow anon right.
Hold close thy mouth, man, by thy father's kin;
The devil of helle set his foot therein!
Thy cursed breath infecte will us all:
Fy! stinking swine, fy! foul may thee befall.
Ah! take heed, Sirs, of this lusty man.
Now, sweete Sir, will ye joust at the fan?<4>
Thereto, me thinketh, ye be well y-shape.
I trow that ye have drunken wine of ape,<5>
And that is when men playe with a straw."
And with this speech the Cook waxed all wraw,* *wrathful
And on the Manciple he gan nod fast
For lack of speech; and down his horse him cast,
Where as he lay, till that men him up took.
This was a fair chevachie* of a cook: *cavalry expedition
Alas! that he had held him by his ladle!
And ere that he again were in the saddle
There was great shoving bothe to and fro
To lift him up, and muche care and woe,
So unwieldy was this silly paled ghost.
And to the Manciple then spake our Host:
"Because that drink hath domination
Upon this man, by my salvation
I trow he lewedly* will tell his tale. *stupidly
For were it wine, or old or moisty* ale, *new
That he hath drunk, he speaketh in his nose,
And sneezeth fast, and eke he hath the pose <6>
He also hath to do more than enough
To keep him on his capel* out of the slough; *horse
And if he fall from off his capel eftsoon,* *again
Then shall we alle have enough to do'n
In lifting up his heavy drunken corse.
Tell on thy tale, of him *make I no force.* *I take no
account*
But yet, Manciple, in faith thou art too nice* *foolish
Thus openly to reprove him of his vice;
Another day he will paraventure
Reclaime thee, and bring thee to the lure; <7>
I mean, he speake will of smalle things,
As for to *pinchen at* thy reckonings, *pick flaws in*
That were not honest, if it came to prefe."* *test, proof
Quoth the Manciple, "That were a great mischief;
So might he lightly bring me in the snare.
Yet had I lever* paye for the mare *rather
Which he rides on, than he should with me strive.
I will not wrathe him, so may I thrive)
That that I spake, I said it in my bourde.* *jest
And weet ye what? I have here in my gourd
A draught of wine, yea, of a ripe grape,
And right anon ye shall see a good jape.* *trick
This Cook shall drink thereof, if that I may;
On pain of my life he will not say nay."
And certainly, to tellen as it was,
Of this vessel the cook drank fast (alas!
What needed it? he drank enough beforn),
And when he hadde *pouped in his horn,* *belched*
To the Manciple he took the gourd again.
And of that drink the Cook was wondrous fain,
And thanked him in such wise as he could.
Then gan our Host to laughe wondrous loud,
And said, "I see well it is necessary
Where that we go good drink with us to carry;
For that will turne rancour and disease* *trouble, annoyance
T'accord and love, and many a wrong appease.
O Bacchus, Bacchus, blessed be thy name,
That so canst turnen earnest into game!
Worship and thank be to thy deity.
Of that mattere ye get no more of me.
Tell on thy tale, Manciple, I thee pray."
"Well, Sir," quoth he, "now hearken what I say."
Notes to the Prologue to the Manciple's Tale
1. Bob-up-and-down: Mr Wright supposes this to be the
village of Harbledown, near Canterbury, which is situated on
a hill, and near which there are many ups and downs in the
road. Like Boughton, where the Canon and his Yeoman overtook
the pilgrims, it stood on the skirts of the Kentish forest
of Blean or Blee.
2. Dun is in the mire: a proverbial saying. "Dun" is a
name for an ass, derived from his colour.
3. The mention of the Cook here, with no hint that he had
already told a story, confirms the indication given by the
imperfect condition of his Tale, that Chaucer intended to
suppress the Tale altogether, and make him tell a story in
some other place.
4. The quintain; called "fan" or "vane," because it
turned round like a weather-cock.
5. Referring to the classification of wine, according to
its effects on a man, given in the old "Calendrier des
Bergiers," The man of choleric temperament has "wine of
lion;" the sanguine, "wine of ape;" the phlegmatic, "wine of
sheep;" the melancholic, "wine of sow." There is a
Rabbinical tradition that, when Noah was planting vines,
Satan slaughtered beside them the four animals named; hence
the effect of wine in making those who drink it display in
turn the characteristics of all the four.
6. The pose: a defluxion or rheum which stops the nose
and obstructs the voice.
7. Bring thee to his lure: A phrase in hawking — to
recall a hawk to the fist; the meaning here is, that the
Cook may one day bring the Manciple to account, or pay him
off, for the rebuke of his drunkenness.

THE TALE.
<1>
When Phoebus dwelled here in earth adown,
As olde bookes make mentioun,
He was the moste lusty* bacheler *pleasant
Of all this world, and eke* the best archer. *also
He slew Python the serpent, as he lay
Sleeping against the sun upon a day;
And many another noble worthy deed
He with his bow wrought, as men maye read.
Playen he could on every minstrelsy,
And singe, that it was a melody
To hearen of his cleare voice the soun'.
Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioun,
That with his singing walled the city,
Could never singe half so well as he.
Thereto he was the seemlieste man
That is, or was since that the world began;
What needeth it his features to descrive?
For in this world is none so fair alive.
He was therewith full fill'd of gentleness,
Of honour, and of perfect worthiness.
This Phoebus, that was flower of bach'lery,
As well in freedom* as in chivalry, *generosity
For his disport, in sign eke of victory
Of Python, so as telleth us the story,
Was wont to bearen in his hand a bow.
Now had this Phoebus in his house a crow,
Which in a cage he foster'd many a day,
And taught it speaken, as men teach a jay.
White was this crow, as is a snow-white swan,
And counterfeit the speech of every man
He coulde, when he shoulde tell a tale.
Therewith in all this world no nightingale
Ne coulde by an hundred thousand deal* *part
Singe so wondrous merrily and well.
Now had this Phoebus in his house a wife;
Which that he loved more than his life.
And night and day did ever his diligence
Her for to please, and do her reverence:
Save only, if that I the sooth shall sayn,
Jealous he was, and would have kept her fain.
For him were loth y-japed* for to be; *tricked, deceived
And so is every wight in such degree;
But all for nought, for it availeth nought.
A good wife, that is clean of work and thought,
Should not be kept in none await* certain: *observation
And truely the labour is in vain
To keep a shrewe,* for it will not be. *ill-disposed woman
This hold I for a very nicety,* *sheer folly
To spille* labour for to keepe wives; *lose
Thus writen olde clerkes in their lives.
But now to purpose, as I first began.
This worthy Phoebus did all that he can
To please her, weening, through such pleasance,
And for his manhood and his governance,
That no man should have put him from her grace;
But, God it wot, there may no man embrace
As to distrain* a thing, which that nature *succeed in
constraining
Hath naturally set in a creature.
Take any bird, and put it in a cage,
And do all thine intent, and thy corage,* *what thy heart
prompts
To foster it tenderly with meat and drink
Of alle dainties that thou canst bethink,
And keep it all so cleanly as thou may;
Although the cage of gold be never so gay,
Yet had this bird, by twenty thousand fold,
Lever* in a forest, both wild and cold, *rather
Go eate wormes, and such wretchedness.
For ever this bird will do his business
T'escape out of his cage when that he may:
His liberty the bird desireth aye. <2>
Let take a cat, and foster her with milk
And tender flesh, and make her couch of silk,
And let her see a mouse go by the wall,
Anon she weiveth* milk, and flesh, and all, *forsaketh
And every dainty that is in that house,
Such appetite hath she to eat the mouse.
Lo, here hath kind* her domination, *nature
And appetite flemeth* discretion. *drives out
A she-wolf hath also a villain's kind
The lewedeste wolf that she may find,
Or least of reputation, will she take
In time when *her lust* to have a make.* *she desires *mate
All these examples speak I by* these men *with reference to
That be untrue, and nothing by women.
For men have ever a lik'rous appetite
On lower things to perform their delight
Than on their wives, be they never so fair,
Never so true, nor so debonair.* *gentle, mild
Flesh is so newefangled, *with mischance,* *ill luck to it*
That we can in no thinge have pleasance
That *souneth unto* virtue any while. *accords with
This Phoebus, which that thought upon no guile,
Deceived was for all his jollity;
For under him another hadde she,
A man of little reputation,
Nought worth to Phoebus in comparison.
The more harm is; it happens often so,
Of which there cometh muche harm and woe.
And so befell, when Phoebus was absent,
His wife anon hath for her leman* sent. *unlawful lover
Her leman! certes that is a knavish speech.
Forgive it me, and that I you beseech.
The wise Plato saith, as ye may read,
The word must needs accorde with the deed;
If men shall telle properly a thing,
The word must cousin be to the working.
I am a boistous* man, right thus I say. *rough-spoken,
downright
There is no difference truely
Betwixt a wife that is of high degree
(If of her body dishonest she be),
And any poore wench, other than this
(If it so be they worke both amiss),
But, for* the gentle is in estate above, *because
She shall be call'd his lady and his love;
And, for that other is a poor woman,
She shall be call'd his wench and his leman:
And God it wot, mine owen deare brother,
Men lay the one as low as lies the other.
Right so betwixt a *titleless tyrant* *usurper*
And an outlaw, or else a thief errant, *wandering
The same I say, there is no difference
(To Alexander told was this sentence),
But, for the tyrant is of greater might
By force of meinie* for to slay downright, *followers
And burn both house and home, and make all plain,* *level
Lo, therefore is he call'd a capitain;
And, for the outlaw hath but small meinie,
And may not do so great an harm as he,
Nor bring a country to so great mischief,
Men calle him an outlaw or a thief.
But, for I am a man not textuel, *learned in texts
I will not tell of texts never a deal;* *whit
I will go to my tale, as I began.
When Phoebus' wife had sent for her leman,
Anon they wroughten all their *lust volage.* *light or rash
pleasure*
This white crow, that hung aye in the cage,
Beheld their work, and said never a word;
And when that home was come Phoebus the lord,
This crowe sung, "Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!"
"What? bird," quoth Phoebus, "what song sing'st thou now?
Wert thou not wont so merrily to sing,
That to my heart it was a rejoicing
To hear thy voice? alas! what song is this?"
"By God," quoth he, "I singe not amiss.
Phoebus," quoth he, "for all thy worthiness,
For all thy beauty, and all thy gentleness,
For all thy song, and all thy minstrelsy,
*For all thy waiting, bleared is thine eye* *despite all thy
watching,
With one of little reputation, thou art befooled*
Not worth to thee, as in comparison,
The mountance* of a gnat, so may I thrive; *value
For on thy bed thy wife I saw him swive."
What will ye more? the crow anon him told,
By sade* tokens, and by wordes bold, *grave, trustworthy
How that his wife had done her lechery,
To his great shame and his great villainy;
And told him oft, he saw it with his eyen.
This Phoebus gan awayward for to wrien;* *turn aside
Him thought his woeful hearte burst in two.
His bow he bent, and set therein a flo,* *arrow
And in his ire he hath his wife slain;
This is th' effect, there is no more to sayn.
For sorrow of which he brake his minstrelsy,
Both harp and lute, gitern* and psaltery; *guitar
And eke he brake his arrows and his bow;
And after that thus spake he to the crow.
"Traitor," quoth he, "with tongue of scorpion,
Thou hast me brought to my confusion;
Alas that I was wrought!* why n'ere** I dead? *made **was
not
O deare wife, O gem of lustihead,* *pleasantness
That wert to me so sad,* and eke so true, *steadfast
Now liest thou dead, with face pale of hue,
Full guilteless, that durst I swear y-wis!* *certainly
O rakel* hand, to do so foul amiss *rash, hasty
O troubled wit, O ire reckeless,
That unadvised smit'st the guilteless!
O wantrust,* full of false suspicion! *distrust <3>
Where was thy wit and thy discretion?
O! every man beware of rakelness,* *rashness
Nor trow* no thing withoute strong witness. *believe
Smite not too soon, ere that ye weete* why, *know
And *be advised* well and sickerly** *consider* *surely
Ere ye *do any execution *take any action
Upon your ire* for suspicion. upon your anger*
Alas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire
Foully fordone, and brought them in the mire.
Alas! for sorrow I will myself slee* *slay
And to the crow, "O false thief," said he,
"I will thee quite anon thy false tale.
Thou sung whilom* like any nightingale, *once on a time
Now shalt thou, false thief, thy song foregon,* *lose
And eke thy white feathers every one,
Nor ever in all thy life shalt thou speak;
Thus shall men on a traitor be awreak. *revenged
Thou and thine offspring ever shall be blake,* *black
Nor ever sweete noise shall ye make,
But ever cry against* tempest and rain, *before, in warning
of
In token that through thee my wife is slain."
And to the crow he start,* and that anon, *sprang
And pull'd his white feathers every one,
And made him black, and reft him all his song,
And eke his speech, and out at door him flung
Unto the devil, *which I him betake;* *to whom I commend
him*
And for this cause be all crowes blake.
Lordings, by this ensample, I you pray,
Beware, and take keep* what that ye say; *heed
Nor telle never man in all your life
How that another man hath dight his wife;
He will you hate mortally certain.
Dan Solomon, as wise clerkes sayn,
Teacheth a man to keep his tongue well;
But, as I said, I am not textuel.
But natheless thus taughte me my dame;
"My son, think on the crow, in Godde's name.
My son, keep well thy tongue, and keep thy friend;
A wicked tongue is worse than is a fiend:
My sone, from a fiend men may them bless.* *defend by
crossing
My son, God of his endeless goodness themselves
Walled a tongue with teeth, and lippes eke,
For* man should him advise,** what he speak. *because
**consider
My son, full often for too muche speech
Hath many a man been spilt,* as clerkes teach; *destroyed
But for a little speech advisedly
Is no man shent,* to speak generally. *ruined
My son, thy tongue shouldest thou restrain
At alle time, *but when thou dost thy pain* *except when you
do
To speak of God in honour and prayere. your best effort*
The firste virtue, son, if thou wilt lear,* *learn
Is to restrain and keepe well thy tongue;<4>
Thus learne children, when that they be young.
My son, of muche speaking evil advis'd,
Where lesse speaking had enough suffic'd,
Cometh much harm; thus was me told and taught;
In muche speeche sinne wanteth not.
Wost* thou whereof a rakel** tongue serveth? *knowest
**hasty
Right as a sword forcutteth and forcarveth
An arm in two, my deare son, right so
A tongue cutteth friendship all in two.
A jangler* is to God abominable. *prating man
Read Solomon, so wise and honourable;
Read David in his Psalms, and read Senec'.
My son, speak not, but with thine head thou beck,* *beckon,
nod
Dissimule as thou wert deaf, if that thou hear
A jangler speak of perilous mattere.
The Fleming saith, and learn *if that thee lest,* **if it
please thee*
That little jangling causeth muche rest.
My son, if thou no wicked word hast said,
*Thee thar not dreade for to be bewray'd;* *thou hast no
need to
But he that hath missaid, I dare well sayn, fear to be
betrayed*
He may by no way call his word again.
Thing that is said is said, and forth it go'th, <5>
Though him repent, or be he ne'er so loth;
He is his thrall,* to whom that he hath said *slave
A tale, *of which he is now evil apaid.* *which he now
regrets*
My son, beware, and be no author new
Of tidings, whether they be false or true; <6>
Whereso thou come, amonges high or low,
Keep well thy tongue, and think upon the crow."
Notes to the Manciple's Tale
1. "The fable of 'The Crow,' says Tyrwhitt, "which is the
subject of the Manciple's Tale, has been related by so many
authors, from Ovid down to Gower, that it is impossible to
say whom Chaucer principally followed. His skill in new
dressing an old story was never, perhaps, more successfully
exerted."
2. See the parallel to this passage in the Squire's Tale,
and note 34 to that tale.
3. Wantrust: distrust — want of trust; so "wanhope,"
despair - - want of hope.
4. This is quoted in the French "Romance of the Rose,"
from Cato "De Moribus," 1. i., dist. 3: "Virtutem primam
esse puta compescere linguam." ("The first virtue is to be
able to control the tongue")
5. "Semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum." ("A word
once uttered flies away and cannot be called back") —
Horace, Epist. 1., 18, 71.
6. This caution is also from Cato "De Moribus," 1. i.,
dist. 12: "Rumoris fuge ne incipias novus auctor haberi."
("Do not pass on rumours or be the author of new ones")
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THE PARSON'S TALE.
THE PROLOGUE.
By that the Manciple his tale had ended,
The sunne from the south line was descended
So lowe, that it was not to my sight
Degrees nine-and-twenty as in height.
Four of the clock it was then, as I guess,
For eleven foot, a little more or less,
My shadow was at thilke time, as there,
Of such feet as my lengthe parted were
In six feet equal of proportion.
Therewith the moone's exaltation,* *rising
*In meane* Libra, gan alway ascend, *in the middle of*
As we were ent'ring at a thorpe's* end. *village's
For which our Host, as he was wont to gie,* *govern
As in this case, our jolly company,
Said in this wise; "Lordings every one,
Now lacketh us no more tales than one.
Fulfill'd is my sentence and my decree;
I trow that we have heard of each degree.* from each class
or rank
Almost fulfilled is mine ordinance; in the company
I pray to God so give him right good chance
That telleth us this tale lustily.
Sir Priest," quoth he, "art thou a vicary?* *vicar
Or art thou a Parson? say sooth by thy fay.* *faith
Be what thou be, breake thou not our play;
For every man, save thou, hath told his tale.
Unbuckle, and shew us what is in thy mail.* *wallet
For truely me thinketh by thy cheer
Thou shouldest knit up well a great mattere.
Tell us a fable anon, for cocke's bones."
This Parson him answered all at ones;
"Thou gettest fable none y-told for me,
For Paul, that writeth unto Timothy,
Reproveth them that *weive soothfastness,* *forsake truth*
And telle fables, and such wretchedness.
Why should I sowe draff* out of my fist, *chaff, refuse
When I may sowe wheat, if that me list?
For which I say, if that you list to hear
Morality and virtuous mattere,
And then that ye will give me audience,
I would full fain at Christe's reverence
Do you pleasance lawful, as I can.
But, truste well, I am a southern man,
I cannot gest,* rom, ram, ruf, <1> by my letter; *relate
stories
And, God wot, rhyme hold I but little better.
And therefore if you list, I will not glose,* *mince matters
I will you tell a little tale in prose,
To knit up all this feast, and make an end.
And Jesus for his grace wit me send
To shewe you the way, in this voyage,
Of thilke perfect glorious pilgrimage, <2>
That hight Jerusalem celestial.
And if ye vouchesafe, anon I shall
Begin upon my tale, for which I pray
Tell your advice,* I can no better say. *opinion
But natheless this meditation
I put it aye under correction
Of clerkes,* for I am not textuel; *scholars
I take but the sentence,* trust me well. *meaning, sense
Therefore I make a protestation,
That I will stande to correction."
Upon this word we have assented soon;
For, as us seemed, it was *for to do'n,* *a thing worth
doing*
To enden in some virtuous sentence,* *discourse
And for to give him space and audience;
And bade our Host he shoulde to him say
That alle we to tell his tale him pray.
Our Hoste had. the wordes for us all:
"Sir Priest," quoth he, "now faire you befall;
Say what you list, and we shall gladly hear."
And with that word he said in this mannere;
"Telle," quoth he, "your meditatioun,
But hasten you, the sunne will adown.
Be fructuous,* and that in little space; *fruitful;
profitable
And to do well God sende you his grace."
Notes to the Prologue to the Parson's Tale
1. Rom, ram, ruf: a contemptuous reference to the
alliterative poetry which was at that time very popular, in
preference even, it would seem, to rhyme, in the northern
parts of the country, where the language was much more
barbarous and unpolished than in the south.
2. Perfect glorious pilgrimage: the word is used here to
signify the shrine, or destination, to which pilgrimage is
made.

THE TALE.
<1>
[The Parson begins his "little treatise" -(which, if
given at length, would extend to about thirty of these
pages, and which cannot by any stretch of courtesy or fancy
be said to merit the title of a "Tale") in these words: —]
Our sweet Lord God of Heaven, that no man will perish,
but will that we come all to the knowledge of him, and to
the blissful life that is perdurable [everlasting],
admonishes us by the prophet Jeremiah, that saith in this
wise: "Stand upon the ways, and see and ask of old paths,
that is to say, of old sentences, which is the good way, and
walk in that way, and ye shall find refreshing for your
souls," <2> &c. Many be the spiritual ways that lead folk to
our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the reign of glory; of which
ways there is a full noble way, and full convenable, which
may not fail to man nor to woman, that through sin hath
misgone from the right way of Jerusalem celestial; and this
way is called penitence. Of which men should gladly hearken
and inquire with all their hearts, to wit what is penitence,
and whence it is called penitence, and in what manner, and
in how many manners, be the actions or workings of
penitence, and how many species there be of penitences, and
what things appertain and behove to penitence, and what
things disturb penitence.
[Penitence is described, on the authority of Saints
Ambrose, Isidore, and Gregory, as the bewailing of sin that
has been wrought, with the purpose never again to do that
thing, or any other thing which a man should bewail; for
weeping and not ceasing to do the sin will not avail —
though it is to be hoped that after every time that a man
falls, be it ever so often, he may find grace to arise
through penitence. And repentant folk that leave their sin
ere sin leave them, are accounted by Holy Church sure of
their salvation, even though the repentance be at the last
hour. There are three actions of penitence; that a man be
baptized after he has sinned; that he do no deadly sin after
receiving baptism; and that he fall into no venial sins from
day to day. "Thereof saith St Augustine, that penitence of
good and humble folk is the penitence of every day." The
species of penitence are three: solemn, when a man is openly
expelled from Holy Church in Lent, or is compelled by Holy
Church to do open penance for an open sin openly talked of
in the country; common penance, enjoined by priests in
certain cases, as to go on pilgrimage naked or barefoot; and
privy penance, which men do daily for private sins, of which
they confess privately and receive private penance. To very
perfect penitence are behoveful and necessary three things:
contrition of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction;
which are fruitful penitence against delight in thinking,
reckless speech, and wicked sinful works.
Penitence may be likened to a tree, having its root in
contrition, biding itself in the heart as a tree-root does
in the earth; out of this root springs a stalk, that bears
branches and leaves of confession, and fruit of
satisfaction. Of this root also springs a seed of grace,
which is mother of all security, and this seed is eager and
hot; and the grace of this seed springs of God, through
remembrance on the day of judgment and on the pains of hell.
The heat of this seed is the love of God, and the desire of
everlasting joy; and this heat draws the heart of man to
God, and makes him hate his sin. Penance is the tree of life
to them that receive it. In penance or contrition man shall
understand four things: what is contrition; what are the
causes that move a man to contrition; how he should be
contrite; and what contrition availeth to the soul.
Contrition is the heavy and grievous sorrow that a man
receiveth in his heart for his sins, with earnest purpose to
confess and do penance, and never more to sin. Six causes
ought to move a man to contrition: 1. He should remember him
of his sins; 2. He should reflect that sin putteth a man in
great thraldom, and all the greater the higher is the estate
from which he falls; 3. He should dread the day of doom and
the horrible pains of hell; 4. The sorrowful remembrance of
the good deeds that man hath omitted to do here on earth,
and also the good that he hath lost, ought to make him have
contrition; 5. So also ought the remembrance of the passion
that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins; 6. And so
ought the hope of three things, that is to say, forgiveness
of sin, the gift of grace to do well, and the glory of
heaven with which God shall reward man for his good deeds. —
All these points the Parson illustrates and enforces at
length; waxing especially eloquent under the third head, and
plainly setting forth the sternly realistic notions
regarding future punishments that were entertained in the
time of Chaucer:-] <3>
Certes, all the sorrow that a man might make from the
beginning of the world, is but a little thing, at retard of
[in comparison with] the sorrow of hell. The cause why that
Job calleth hell the land of darkness; <4> understand, that
he calleth it land or earth, for it is stable and never
shall fail, and dark, for he that is in hell hath default
[is devoid] of light natural; for certes the dark light,
that shall come out of the fire that ever shall burn, shall
turn them all to pain that be in hell, for it sheweth them
the horrible devils that them torment. Covered with the
darkness of death; that is to say, that he that is in hell
shall have default of the sight of God; for certes the sight
of God is the life perdurable [everlasting]. The darkness of
death, be the sins that the wretched man hath done, which
that disturb [prevent] him to see the face of God, right as
a dark cloud doth between us and the sun. Land of misease,
because there be three manner of defaults against three
things that folk of this world have in this present life;
that is to say, honours, delights, and riches. Against
honour have they in hell shame and confusion: for well ye
wot, that men call honour the reverence that man doth to
man; but in hell is no honour nor reverence; for certes no
more reverence shall be done there to a king than to a knave
[servant]. For which God saith by the prophet Jeremiah; "The
folk that me despise shall be in despite." Honour is also
called great lordship. There shall no wight serve other, but
of harm and torment. Honour is also called great dignity and
highness; but in hell shall they be all fortrodden [trampled
under foot] of devils. As God saith, "The horrible devils
shall go and come upon the heads of damned folk;" and this
is, forasmuch as the higher that they were in this present
life, the more shall they be abated [abased] and defouled in
hell. Against the riches of this world shall they have
misease [trouble, torment] of poverty, and this poverty
shall be in four things: in default [want] of treasure; of
which David saith, "The rich folk that embraced and oned
[united] all their heart to treasure of this world, shall
sleep in the sleeping of death, and nothing shall they find
in their hands of all their treasure." And moreover, the
misease of hell shall be in default of meat and drink. For
God saith thus by Moses, "They shall be wasted with hunger,
and the birds of hell shall devour them with bitter death,
and the gall of the dragon shall be their drink, and the
venom of the dragon their morsels." And furthermore, their
misease shall be in default of clothing, for they shall be
naked in body, as of clothing, save the fire in which they
burn, and other filths; and naked shall they be in soul, of
all manner virtues, which that is the clothing of the soul.
Where be then the gay robes, and the soft sheets, and the
fine shirts? Lo, what saith of them the prophet Isaiah, that
under them shall be strewed moths, and their covertures
shall be of worms of hell. And furthermore, their misease
shall be in default of friends, for he is not poor that hath
good friends: but there is no friend; for neither God nor
any good creature shall be friend to them, and evereach of
them shall hate other with deadly hate. The Sons and the
daughters shall rebel against father and mother, and kindred
against kindred, and chide and despise each other, both day
and night, as God saith by the prophet Micah. And the loving
children, that whom loved so fleshly each other, would each
of them eat the other if they might. For how should they
love together in the pains of hell, when they hated each
other in the prosperity of this life? For trust well, their
fleshly love was deadly hate; as saith the prophet David;
"Whoso loveth wickedness, he hateth his own soul:" and whoso
hateth his own soul, certes he may love none other wight in
no manner: and therefore in hell is no solace nor no
friendship, but ever the more kindreds that be in hell, the
more cursing, the more chiding, and the more deadly hate
there is among them. And furtherover, they shall have
default of all manner delights; for certes delights be after
the appetites of the five wits [senses]; as sight, hearing,
smelling, savouring [tasting], and touching. But in hell
their sight shall be full of darkness and of smoke, and
their eyes full of tears; and their hearing full of
waimenting [lamenting] and grinting [gnashing] of teeth, as
saith Jesus Christ; their nostrils shall be full of
stinking; and, as saith Isaiah the prophet, their savouring
[tasting] shall be full of bitter gall; and touching of all
their body shall be covered with fire that never shall
quench, and with worms that never shall die, as God saith by
the mouth of Isaiah. And forasmuch as they shall not ween
that they may die for pain, and by death flee from pain,
that may they understand in the word of Job, that saith,
"There is the shadow of death." Certes a shadow hath the
likeness of the thing of which it is shadowed, but the
shadow is not the same thing of which it is shadowed: right
so fareth the pain of hell; it is like death, for the
horrible anguish; and why? for it paineth them ever as
though they should die anon; but certes they shall not die.
For, as saith Saint Gregory, "To wretched caitiffs shall be
given death without death, and end without end, and default
without failing; for their death shall always live, and
their end shall evermore begin, and their default shall
never fail." And therefore saith Saint John the Evangelist,
"They shall follow death, and they shall not find him, and
they shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."
And eke Job saith, that in hell is no order of rule. And
albeit that God hath created all things in right order, and
nothing without order, but all things be ordered and
numbered, yet nevertheless they that be damned be not in
order, nor hold no order. For the earth shall bear them no
fruit (for, as the prophet David saith, "God shall destroy
the fruit of the earth, as for them"); nor water shall give
them no moisture, nor the air no refreshing, nor the fire no
light. For as saith Saint Basil, "The burning of the fire of
this world shall God give in hell to them that be damned,
but the light and the clearness shall be given in heaven to
his children; right as the good man giveth flesh to his
children, and bones to his hounds." And for they shall have
no hope to escape, saith Job at last, that there shall
horror and grisly dread dwell without end. Horror is always
dread of harm that is to come, and this dread shall ever
dwell in the hearts of them that be damned. And therefore
have they lost all their hope for seven causes. First, for
God that is their judge shall be without mercy to them; nor
they may not please him; nor none of his hallows [saints];
nor they may give nothing for their ransom; nor they have no
voice to speak to him; nor they may not flee from pain; nor
they have no goodness in them that they may shew to deliver
them from pain.
[Under the fourth head, of good works, the Parson says:
—]
The courteous Lord Jesus Christ will that no good work be
lost, for in somewhat it shall avail. But forasmuch as the
good works that men do while they be in good life be all
amortised [killed, deadened] by sin following, and also
since all the good works that men do while they be in deadly
sin be utterly dead, as for to have the life perdurable
[everlasting], well may that man that no good works doth,
sing that new French song, J'ai tout perdu — mon temps et
mon labour <5>. For certes, sin bereaveth a man both the
goodness of nature, and eke the goodness of grace. For
soothly the grace of the Holy Ghost fareth like fire, that
may not be idle; for fire faileth anon as it forleteth
[leaveth] its working, and right so grace faileth anon as it
forleteth its working. Then loseth the sinful man the
goodness of glory, that only is to good men that labour and
work. Well may he be sorry then, that oweth all his life to
God, as long as he hath lived, and also as long as he shall
live, that no goodness hath to pay with his debt to God, to
whom he oweth all his life: for trust well he shall give
account, as saith Saint Bernard, of all the goods that have
been given him in his present life, and how he hath them
dispended, insomuch that there shall not perish an hair of
his head, nor a moment of an hour shall not perish of his
time, that he shall not give thereof a reckoning.
[Having treated of the causes, the Parson comes to the
manner, of contrition — which should be universal and total,
not merely of outward deeds of sin, but also of wicked
delights and thoughts and words; "for certes Almighty God is
all good, and therefore either he forgiveth all, or else
right naught." Further, contrition should be "wonder
sorrowful and anguishous," and also continual, with
steadfast purpose of confession and amendment. Lastly, of
what contrition availeth, the Parson says, that sometimes it
delivereth man from sin; that without it neither confession
nor satisfaction is of any worth; that it "destroyeth the
prison of hell, and maketh weak and feeble all the strengths
of the devils, and restoreth the gifts of the Holy Ghost and
of all good virtues, and cleanseth the soul of sin, and
delivereth it from the pain of hell, and from the company of
the devil, and from the servage [slavery] of sin, and
restoreth it to all goods spiritual, and to the company and
communion of Holy Church." He who should set his intent to
these things, would no longer be inclined to sin, but would
give his heart and body to the service of Jesus Christ, and
thereof do him homage. "For, certes, our Lord Jesus Christ
hath spared us so benignly in our follies, that if he had
not pity on man's soul, a sorry song might we all sing."
The Second Part of the Parson's Tale or Treatise opens
with an explanation of what is confession — which is termed
"the second part of penitence, that is, sign of contrition;"
whether it ought needs be done or not; and what things be
convenable to true confession. Confession is true shewing of
sins to the priest, without excusing, hiding, or forwrapping
[disguising] of anything, and without vaunting of good
works. "Also, it is necessary to understand whence that sins
spring, and how they increase, and which they be." From Adam
we took original sin; "from him fleshly descended be we all,
and engendered of vile and corrupt matter;" and the penalty
of Adam's transgression dwelleth with us as to temptation,
which penalty is called concupiscence. "This concupiscence,
when it is wrongfully disposed or ordained in a man, it
maketh him covet, by covetise of flesh, fleshly sin by sight
of his eyes, as to earthly things, and also covetise of
highness by pride of heart." The Parson proceeds to shew how
man is tempted in his flesh to sin; how, after his natural
concupiscence, comes suggestion of the devil, that is to say
the devil's bellows, with which he bloweth in man the fire
of con cupiscence; and how man then bethinketh him whether
he will do or no the thing to which he is tempted. If he
flame up into pleasure at the thought, and give way, then is
he all dead in soul; "and thus is sin accomplished, by
temptation, by delight, and by consenting; and then is the
sin actual." Sin is either venial, or deadly; deadly, when a
man loves any creature more than Jesus Christ our Creator,
venial, if he love Jesus Christ less than he ought. Venial
sins diminish man's love to God more and more, and may in
this wise skip into deadly sin; for many small make a great.
"And hearken this example: A great wave of the sea cometh
sometimes with so great a violence, that it drencheth
[causes to sink] the ship: and the same harm do sometimes
the small drops, of water that enter through a little
crevice in the thurrok [hold, bilge], and in the bottom of
the ship, if men be so negligent that they discharge them
not betimes. And therefore, although there be difference
betwixt these two causes of drenching, algates [in any case]
the ship is dreint [sunk]. Right so fareth it sometimes of
deadly sin," and of venial sins when they multiply in a man
so greatly as to make him love worldly things more than God.
The Parson then enumerates specially a number of sins which
many a man peradventure deems no sins, and confesses them
not, and yet nevertheless they are truly sins: — ]
This is to say, at every time that a man eateth and
drinketh more than sufficeth to the sustenance of his body,
in certain he doth sin; eke when he speaketh more than it
needeth, he doth sin; eke when he heareth not benignly the
complaint of the poor; eke when he is in health of body, and
will not fast when other folk fast, without cause
reasonable; eke when he sleepeth more than needeth, or when
he cometh by that occasion too late to church, or to other
works of charity; eke when he useth his wife without
sovereign desire of engendrure, to the honour of God, or for
the intent to yield his wife his debt of his body; eke when
he will not visit the sick, or the prisoner, if he may; eke
if he love wife, or child, or other worldly thing, more than
reason requireth; eke if he flatter or blandish more than he
ought for any necessity; eke if he minish or withdraw the
alms of the poor; eke if he apparail [prepare] his meat more
deliciously than need is, or eat it too hastily by
likerousness [gluttony]; eke if he talk vanities in the
church, or at God's service, or that he be a talker of idle
words of folly or villainy, for he shall yield account of
them at the day of doom; eke when he behighteth [promiseth]
or assureth to do things that he may not perform; eke when
that by lightness of folly he missayeth or scorneth his
neighbour; eke when he hath any wicked suspicion of thing,
that he wot of it no soothfastness: these things, and more
without number, be sins, as saith Saint Augustine.
[No earthly man may eschew all venial sins; yet may he
refrain him, by the burning love that he hath to our Lord
Jesus Christ, and by prayer and confession, and other good
works, so that it shall but little grieve. "Furthermore, men
may also refrain and put away venial sin, by receiving
worthily the precious body of Jesus Christ; by receiving eke
of holy water; by alms-deed; by general confession of
Confiteor at mass, and at prime, and at compline [evening
service]; and by blessing of bishops and priests, and by
other good works." The Parson then proceeds to weightier
matters:— ]
Now it is behovely [profitable, necessary] to tell which
be deadly sins, that is to say, chieftains of sins;
forasmuch as all they run in one leash, but in diverse
manners. Now be they called chieftains, forasmuch as they be
chief, and of them spring all other sins. The root of these
sins, then, is pride, the general root of all harms. For of
this root spring certain branches: as ire, envy, accidie <6>
or sloth, avarice or covetousness (to common understanding),
gluttony, and lechery: and each of these sins hath his
branches and his twigs, as shall be declared in their
chapters following. And though so be, that no man can tell
utterly the number of the twigs, and of the harms that come
of pride, yet will I shew a part of them, as ye shall
understand. There is inobedience, vaunting, hypocrisy,
despite, arrogance, impudence, swelling of hearte,
insolence, elation, impatience, strife, contumacy,
presumption, irreverence, pertinacity, vain- glory and many
another twig that I cannot tell nor declare. . . .]
And yet [moreover] there is a privy species of pride that
waiteth first to be saluted ere he will salute, all
[although] be he less worthy than that other is; and eke he
waiteth [expecteth] or desireth to sit or to go above him in
the way, or kiss the pax, <7> or be incensed, or go to
offering before his neighbour, and such semblable [like]
things, against his duty peradventure, but that he hath his
heart and his intent in such a proud desire to be magnified
and honoured before the people. Now be there two manner of
prides; the one of them is within the heart of a man, and
the other is without. Of which soothly these foresaid
things, and more than I have said, appertain to pride that
is within the heart of a man and there be other species of
pride that be without: but nevertheless, the one of these
species of pride is sign of the other, right as the gay
levesell [bush] at the tavern is sign of the wine that is in
the cellar. And this is in many things: as in speech and
countenance, and outrageous array of clothing; for certes,
if there had been no sin in clothing, Christ would not so
soon have noted and spoken of the clothing of that rich man
in the gospel. And Saint Gregory saith, that precious
clothing is culpable for the dearth [dearness] of it, and
for its softness, and for its strangeness and disguising,
and for the superfluity or for the inordinate scantness of
it; alas! may not a man see in our days the sinful costly
array of clothing, and namely [specially] in too much
superfluity, or else in too disordinate scantness? As to the
first sin, in superfluity of clothing, which that maketh it
so dear, to the harm of the people, not only the cost of the
embroidering, the disguising, indenting or barring, ounding,
paling, <8> winding, or banding, and semblable [similar]
waste of cloth in vanity; but there is also the costly
furring [lining or edging with fur] in their gowns, so much
punching of chisels to make holes, so much dagging [cutting]
of shears, with the superfluity in length of the foresaid
gowns, trailing in the dung and in the mire, on horse and
eke on foot, as well of man as of woman, that all that
trailing is verily (as in effect) wasted, consumed,
threadbare, and rotten with dung, rather than it is given to
the poor, to great damage of the foresaid poor folk, and
that in sundry wise: this is to say, the more that cloth is
wasted, the more must it cost to the poor people for the
scarceness; and furthermore, if so be that they would give
such punched and dagged clothing to the poor people, it is
not convenient to wear for their estate, nor sufficient to
boot [help, remedy] their necessity, to keep them from the
distemperance [inclemency] of the firmament. Upon the other
side, to speak of the horrible disordinate scantness of
clothing, as be these cutted slops or hanselines [breeches]
, that through their shortness cover not the shameful member
of man, to wicked intent alas! some of them shew the boss
and the shape of the horrible swollen members, that seem
like to the malady of hernia, in the wrapping of their
hosen, and eke the buttocks of them, that fare as it were
the hinder part of a she-ape in the full of the moon. And
more over the wretched swollen members that they shew
through disguising, in departing [dividing] of their hosen
in white and red, seemeth that half their shameful privy
members were flain [flayed]. And if so be that they depart
their hosen in other colours, as is white and blue, or white
and black, or black and red, and so forth; then seemeth it,
by variance of colour, that the half part of their privy
members be corrupt by the fire of Saint Anthony, or by
canker, or other such mischance. And of the hinder part of
their buttocks it is full horrible to see, for certes, in
that part of their body where they purge their stinking
ordure, that foul part shew they to the people proudly in
despite of honesty [decency], which honesty Jesus Christ and
his friends observed to shew in his life. Now as of the
outrageous array of women, God wot, that though the visages
of some of them seem full chaste and debonair [gentle], yet
notify they, in their array of attire, likerousness and
pride. I say not that honesty [reasonable and appropriate
style] in clothing of man or woman unconvenable but, certes,
the superfluity or disordinate scarcity of clothing is
reprovable. Also the sin of their ornament, or of apparel,
as in things that appertain to riding, as in too many
delicate horses, that be holden for delight, that be so
fair, fat, and costly; and also in many a vicious knave,
[servant] that is sustained because of them; in curious
harness, as in saddles, cruppers, peytrels, [breast-plates]
and bridles, covered with precious cloth and rich bars and
plates of gold and silver. For which God saith by Zechariah
the prophet, "I will confound the riders of such horses."
These folk take little regard of the riding of God's Son of
heaven, and of his harness, when he rode upon an ass, and
had no other harness but the poor clothes of his disciples;
nor we read not that ever he rode on any other beast. I
speak this for the sin of superfluity, and not for
reasonable honesty [seemliness], when reason it requireth.
And moreover, certes, pride is greatly notified in holding
of great meinie [retinue of servants], when they be of
little profit or of right no profit, and namely [especially]
when that meinie is felonous [violent ] and damageous
[harmful] to the people by hardiness [arrogance] of high
lordship, or by way of office; for certes, such lords sell
then their lordship to the devil of hell, when they sustain
the wickedness of their meinie. Or else, when these folk of
low degree, as they that hold hostelries, sustain theft of
their hostellers, and that is in many manner of deceits:
that manner of folk be the flies that follow the honey, or
else the hounds that follow the carrion. Such foresaid folk
strangle spiritually their lordships; for which thus saith
David the prophet, "Wicked death may come unto these
lordships, and God give that they may descend into hell
adown; for in their houses is iniquity and shrewedness,
[impiety] and not God of heaven." And certes, but if
[unless] they do amendment, right as God gave his benison
[blessing] to Laban by the service of Jacob, and to Pharaoh
by the service of Joseph; right so God will give his malison
[condemnation] to such lordships as sustain the wickedness
of their servants, but [unless] they come to amendment.
Pride of the table apaireth [worketh harm] eke full oft;
for, certes, rich men be called to feasts, and poor folk be
put away and rebuked; also in excess of divers meats and
drinks, and namely [specially] such manner bake-meats and
dish-meats burning of wild fire, and painted and castled
with paper, and semblable [similar] waste, so that it is
abuse to think. And eke in too great preciousness of vessel,
[plate] and curiosity of minstrelsy, by which a man is
stirred more to the delights of luxury, if so be that he set
his heart the less upon our Lord Jesus Christ, certain it is
a sin; and certainly the delights might be so great in this
case, that a man might lightly [easily] fall by them into
deadly sin.
[The sins that arise of pride advisedly and habitually
are deadly; those that arise by frailty unadvised suddenly,
and suddenly withdraw again, though grievous, are not
deadly. Pride itself springs sometimes of the goods of
nature, sometimes of the goods of fortune, sometimes of the
goods of grace; but the Parson, enumerating and examining
all these in turn, points out how little security they
possess and how little ground for pride they furnish, and
goes on to enforce the remedy against pride — which is
humility or meekness, a virtue through which a man hath true
knowledge of himself, and holdeth no high esteem of himself
in regard of his deserts, considering ever his frailty.]
Now be there three manners [kinds] of humility; as
humility in heart, and another in the mouth, and the third
in works. The humility in the heart is in four manners: the
one is, when a man holdeth himself as nought worth before
God of heaven; the second is, when he despiseth no other
man; the third is, when he recketh not though men hold him
nought worth; the fourth is, when he is not sorry of his
humiliation. Also the humility of mouth is in four things:
in temperate speech; in humility of speech; and when he
confesseth with his own mouth that he is such as he thinketh
that he is in his heart; another is, when he praiseth the
bounte [goodness] of another man and nothing thereof
diminisheth. Humility eke in works is in four manners: the
first is, when he putteth other men before him; the second
is, to choose the lowest place of all; the third is, gladly
to assent to good counsel; the fourth is, to stand gladly by
the award [judgment] of his sovereign, or of him that is
higher in degree: certain this is a great work of humility.
[The Parson proceeds to treat of the other cardinal sins,
and their remedies: (2.) Envy, with its remedy, the love of
God principally and of our neighbours as ourselves: (3.)
Anger, with all its fruits in revenge, rancour, hate,
discord, manslaughter, blasphemy, swearing, falsehood,
flattery, chiding and reproving, scorning, treachery, sowing
of strife, doubleness of tongue, betraying of counsel to a
man's disgrace, menacing, idle words, jangling, japery or
buffoonery, &c. — and its remedy in the virtues called
mansuetude, debonairte, or gentleness, and patience or
sufferance: (4.) Sloth, or "Accidie," which comes after the
sin of Anger, because Envy blinds the eyes of a man, and
Anger troubleth a man, and Sloth maketh him heavy,
thoughtful, and peevish. It is opposed to every estate of
man — as unfallen, and held to work in praising and adoring
God; as sinful, and held to labour in praying for
deliverance from sin; and as in the state of grace, and held
to works of penitence. It resembles the heavy and sluggish
condition of those in hell; it will suffer no hardness and
no penance; it prevents any beginning of good works; it
causes despair of God's mercy, which is the sin against the
Holy Ghost; it induces somnolency and neglect of communion
in prayer with God; and it breeds negligence or
recklessness, that cares for nothing, and is the nurse of
all mischiefs, if ignorance is their mother. Against Sloth,
and these and other branches and fruits of it, the remedy
lies in the virtue of fortitude or strength, in its various
species of magnanimity or great courage; faith and hope in
God and his saints; surety or sickerness, when a man fears
nothing that can oppose the good works he has under taken;
magnificence, when he carries out great works of goodness
begun; constancy or stableness of heart; and other
incentives to energy and laborious service: (5.) Avarice, or
Covetousness, which is the root of all harms, since its
votaries are idolaters, oppressors and enslavers of men,
deceivers of their equals in business, simoniacs, gamblers,
liars, thieves, false swearers, blasphemers, murderers, and
sacrilegious. Its remedy lies in compassion and pity largely
exercised, and in reasonable liberality — for those who
spend on "fool-largesse," or ostentation of worldly estate
and luxury, shall receive the malison [condemnation] that
Christ shall give at the day of doom to them that shall be
damned: (6.) Gluttony; — of which the Parson treats so
briefly that the chapter may be given in full: — ]
After Avarice cometh Gluttony, which is express against
the commandment of God. Gluttony is unmeasurable appetite to
eat or to drink; or else to do in aught to the unmeasurable
appetite and disordered covetousness [craving] to eat or
drink. This sin corrupted all this world, as is well shewed
in the sin of Adam and of Eve. Look also what saith Saint
Paul of gluttony: "Many," saith he, "go, of which I have oft
said to you, and now I say it weeping, that they be enemies
of the cross of Christ, of which the end is death, and of
which their womb [stomach] is their God and their glory;" in
confusion of them that so savour [take delight in] earthly
things. He that is usant [accustomed, addicted] to this sin
of gluttony, he may no sin withstand, he must be in servage
[bondage] of all vices, for it is the devil's hoard, [lair,
lurking-place] where he hideth him in and resteth. This sin
hath many species. The first is drunkenness, that is the
horrible sepulture of man's reason: and therefore when a man
is drunken, he hath lost his reason; and this is deadly sin.
But soothly, when that a man is not wont to strong drink,
and peradventure knoweth not the strength of the drink, or
hath feebleness in his head, or hath travailed [laboured],
through which he drinketh the more, all [although] be he
suddenly caught with drink, it is no deadly sin, but venial.
The second species of gluttony is, that the spirit of a man
waxeth all troubled for drunkenness, and bereaveth a man the
discretion of his wit. The third species of gluttony is,
when a man devoureth his meat, and hath no rightful manner
of eating. The fourth is, when, through the great abundance
of his meat, the humours of his body be distempered. The
fifth is, forgetfulness by too much drinking, for which a
man sometimes forgetteth by the morrow what be did at eve.
In other manner be distinct the species of gluttony, after
Saint Gregory. The first is, for to eat or drink before
time. The second is, when a man getteth him too delicate
meat or drink. The third is, when men take too much over
measure [immoderately]. The fourth is curiosity [nicety]
with great intent [application, pains] to make and apparel
[prepare] his meat. The fifth is, for to eat too greedily.
These be the five fingers of the devil's hand, by which he
draweth folk to the sin.
Against gluttony the remedy is abstinence, as saith
Galen; but that I hold not meritorious, if he do it only for
the health of his body. Saint Augustine will that abstinence
be done for virtue, and with patience. Abstinence, saith he,
is little worth, but if [unless] a man have good will
thereto, and but it be enforced by patience and by charity,
and that men do it for God's sake, and in hope to have the
bliss in heaven. The fellows of abstinence be temperance,
that holdeth the mean in all things; also shame, that
escheweth all dishonesty [indecency, impropriety],
sufficiency, that seeketh no rich meats nor drinks, nor doth
no force of [sets no value on] no outrageous apparelling of
meat; measure [moderation] also, that restraineth by reason
the unmeasurable appetite of eating; soberness also, that
restraineth the outrage of drink; sparing also, that
restraineth the delicate ease to sit long at meat, wherefore
some folk stand of their own will to eat, because they will
eat at less leisure.
[At great length the Parson then points out the many
varieties of the sin of (7.) Lechery, and its remedy in
chastity and continence, alike in marriage and in widowhood;
also in the abstaining from all such indulgences of eating,
drinking, and sleeping as inflame the passions, and from the
company of all who may tempt to the sin. Minute guidance is
given as to the duty of confessing fully and faithfully the
circumstances that attend and may aggravate this sin; and
the Treatise then passes to the consideration of the
conditions that are essential to a true and profitable
confession of sin in general. First, it must be in sorrowful
bitterness of spirit; a condition that has five signs —
shamefastness, humility in heart and outward sign, weeping
with the bodily eyes or in the heart, disregard of the shame
that might curtail or garble confession, and obedience to
the penance enjoined. Secondly, true confession must be
promptly made, for dread of death, of increase of
sinfulness, of forgetfulness of what should be confessed, of
Christ's refusal to hear if it be put off to the last day of
life; and this condition has four terms; that confession be
well pondered beforehand, that the man confessing have
comprehended in his mind the number and greatness of his
sins and how long he has lain in sin, that he be contrite
for and eschew his sins, and that he fear and flee the
occasions for that sin to which he is inclined. — What
follows under this head is of some interest for the light
which it throws on the rigorous government wielded by the
Romish Church in those days —]
Also thou shalt shrive thee of all thy sins to one man,
and not a parcel [portion] to one man, and a parcel to
another; that is to understand, in intent to depart [divide]
thy confession for shame or dread; for it is but strangling
of thy soul. For certes Jesus Christ is entirely all good,
in him is none imperfection, and therefore either he
forgiveth all perfectly, or else never a deal [not at all].
I say not that if thou be assigned to thy penitencer <9> for
a certain sin, that thou art bound to shew him all the
remnant of thy sins, of which thou hast been shriven of thy
curate, but if it like thee [unless thou be pleased] of thy
humility; this is no departing [division] of shrift. And I
say not, where I speak of division of confession, that if
thou have license to shrive thee to a discreet and an honest
priest, and where thee liketh, and by the license of thy
curate, that thou mayest not well shrive thee to him of all
thy sins: but let no blot be behind, let no sin be untold as
far as thou hast remembrance. And when thou shalt be shriven
of thy curate, tell him eke all the sins that thou hast done
since thou wert last shriven. This is no wicked intent of
division of shrift. Also, very shrift [true confession]
asketh certain conditions. First, that thou shrive thee by
thy free will, not constrained, nor for shame of folk, nor
for malady [sickness], or such things: for it is reason,
that he that trespasseth by his free will, that by his free
will he confess his trespass; and that no other man tell his
sin but himself; nor he shall not nay nor deny his sin, nor
wrath him against the priest for admonishing him to leave
his sin. The second condition is, that thy shrift be lawful,
that is to say, that thou that shrivest thee, and eke the
priest that heareth thy confession, be verily in the faith
of Holy Church, and that a man be not despaired of the mercy
of Jesus Christ, as Cain and Judas were. And eke a man must
accuse himself of his own trespass, and not another: but he
shall blame and wite [accuse] himself of his own malice and
of his sin, and none other: but nevertheless, if that
another man be occasion or else enticer of his sin, or the
estate of the person be such by which his sin is aggravated,
or else that be may not plainly shrive him but [unless] he
tell the person with which he hath sinned, then may he tell,
so that his intent be not to backbite the person, but only
to declare his confession. Thou shalt not eke make no
leasings [falsehoods] in thy confession for humility,
peradventure, to say that thou hast committed and done such
sins of which that thou wert never guilty. For Saint
Augustine saith, "If that thou, because of humility, makest
a leasing on thyself, though thou were not in sin before,
yet art thou then in sin through thy leasing." Thou must
also shew thy sin by thine own proper mouth, but [unless]
thou be dumb, and not by letter; for thou that hast done the
sin, thou shalt have the shame of the confession. Thou shalt
not paint thy confession with fair and subtle words, to
cover the more thy sin; for then beguilest thou thyself, and
not the priest; thou must tell it plainly, be it never so
foul nor so horrible. Thou shalt eke shrive thee to a priest
that is discreet to counsel thee; and eke thou shalt not
shrive thee for vain-glory, nor for hypocrisy, nor for no
cause but only for the doubt [fear] of Jesus' Christ and the
health of thy soul. Thou shalt not run to the priest all
suddenly, to tell him lightly thy sin, as who telleth a jape
[jest] or a tale, but advisedly and with good devotion; and
generally shrive thee oft; if thou oft fall, oft arise by
confession. And though thou shrive thee oftener than once of
sin of which thou hast been shriven, it is more merit; and,
as saith Saint Augustine, thou shalt have the more lightly
[easily] release and grace of God, both of sin and of pain.
And certes, once a year at the least way, it is lawful to be
houseled, <10> for soothly once a year all things in the
earth renovelen [renew themselves].
[Here ends the Second Part of the Treatise; the Third
Part, which contains the practical application of the whole,
follows entire, along with the remarkable "Prayer of
Chaucer," as it stands in the Harleian Manuscript:—]
De Tertia Parte Poenitentiae. [Of the third part of
penitence]
Now have I told you of very [true] confession, that is
the second part of penitence: The third part of penitence is
satisfaction, and that standeth generally in almsdeed and
bodily pain. Now be there three manner of almsdeed:
contrition of heart, where a man offereth himself to God;
the second is, to have pity of the default of his neighbour;
the third is, in giving of good counsel and comfort, ghostly
and bodily, where men have need, and namely [specially]
sustenance of man's food. And take keep [heed] that a man
hath need of these things generally; he hath need of food,
of clothing, and of herberow [lodging], he hath need of
charitable counsel and visiting in prison and malady, and
sepulture of his dead body. And if thou mayest not visit the
needful with thy person, visit them by thy message and by
thy gifts. These be generally alms or works of charity of
them that have temporal riches or discretion in counselling.
Of these works shalt thou hear at the day of doom. This alms
shouldest thou do of thine own proper things, and hastily
[promptly], and privily [secretly] if thou mayest; but
nevertheless, if thou mayest not do it privily, thou shalt
not forbear to do alms, though men see it, so that it be not
done for thank of the world, but only for thank of Jesus
Christ. For, as witnesseth Saint Matthew, chap. v., "A city
may not be hid that is set on a mountain, nor men light not
a lantern and put it under a bushel, but men set it on a
candlestick, to light the men in the house; right so shall
your light lighten before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father that is in heaven."
Now as to speak of bodily pain, it is in prayer, in
wakings, [watchings] in fastings, and in virtuous teachings.
Of orisons ye shall understand, that orisons or prayers is
to say a piteous will of heart, that redresseth it in God,
and expresseth it by word outward, to remove harms, and to
have things spiritual and durable, and sometimes temporal
things. Of which orisons, certes in the orison of the Pater
noster hath our Lord Jesus Christ enclosed most things.
Certes, it is privileged of three things in its dignity, for
which it is more digne [worthy] than any other prayer: for
Jesus Christ himself made it: and it is short, for [in
order] it should be coude the more lightly, [be more easily
conned or learned] and to withhold [retain] it the more easy
in heart, and help himself the oftener with this orison; and
for a man should be the less weary to say it; and for a man
may not excuse him to learn it, it is so short and so easy:
and for it comprehendeth in itself all good prayers. The
exposition of this holy prayer, that is so excellent and so
digne, I betake [commit] to these masters of theology; save
thus much will I say, when thou prayest that God should
forgive thee thy guilts, as thou forgivest them that they
guilt to thee, be full well ware that thou be not out of
charity. This holy orison aminisheth [lesseneth] eke venial
sin, and therefore it appertaineth specially to penitence.
This prayer must be truly said, and in very faith, and that
men pray to God ordinately, discreetly, and devoutly; and
always a man shall put his will to be subject to the will of
God. This orison must eke be said with great humbleness and
full pure, and honestly, and not to the annoyance of any man
or woman. It must eke be continued with the works of
charity. It availeth against the vices of the soul; for,
assaith Saint Jerome, by fasting be saved the vices of the
flesh, and by prayer the vices of the soul
After this thou shalt understand, that bodily pain stands
in waking [watching]. For Jesus Christ saith "Wake and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation." Ye shall understand
also, that fasting stands in three things: in forbearing of
bodily meat and drink, and in forbearing of worldly jollity,
and in forbearing of deadly sin; this is to say, that a man
shall keep him from deadly sin in all that he may. And thou
shalt understand eke, that God ordained fasting; and to
fasting appertain four things: largeness [generosity] to
poor folk; gladness of heart spiritual; not to be angry nor
annoyed nor grudge [murmur] for he fasteth; and also
reasonable hour for to eat by measure; that is to say, a man
should not eat in untime [out of time], nor sit the longer
at his meal for [because] he fasteth. Then shalt thou
understand, that bodily pain standeth in discipline, or
teaching, by word, or by writing, or by ensample. Also in
wearing of hairs [haircloth] or of stamin [coarse hempen
cloth], or of habergeons [mail-shirts] <11> on their naked
flesh for Christ's sake; but ware thee well that such manner
penance of thy flesh make not thine heart bitter or angry,
nor annoyed of thyself; for better is to cast away thine
hair than to cast away the sweetness of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And therefore saith Saint Paul, "Clothe you, as they
that be chosen of God in heart, of misericorde [with
compassion], debonairte [gentleness], sufferance [patience],
and such manner of clothing," of which Jesus Christ is more
apaid [better pleased] than of hairs or of hauberks. Then is
discipline eke in knocking of thy breast, in scourging with
yards [rods], in kneelings, in tribulations, in suffering
patiently wrongs that be done to him, and eke in patient
sufferance of maladies, or losing of worldly catel
[chattels], or of wife, or of child, or of other friends.
Then shalt thou understand which things disturb penance,
and this is in four things; that is dread, shame, hope, and
wanhope, that is, desperation. And for to speak first of
dread, for which he weeneth that he may suffer no penance,
thereagainst is remedy for to think that bodily penance is
but short and little at the regard of [in comparison with]
the pain of hell, that is so cruel and so long, that it
lasteth without end. Now against the shame that a man hath
to shrive him, and namely [specially] these hypocrites, that
would be holden so perfect, that they have no need to shrive
them; against that shame should a man think, that by way of
reason he that hath not been ashamed to do foul things,
certes he ought not to be ashamed to do fair things, and
that is confession. A man should eke think, that God seeth
and knoweth all thy thoughts, and all thy works; to him may
nothing be hid nor covered. Men should eke remember them of
the shame that is to come at the day of doom, to them that
be not penitent and shriven in this present life; for all
the creatures in heaven, and in earth, and in hell, shall
see apertly [openly] all that he hideth in this world.
Now for to speak of them that be so negligent and slow to
shrive them; that stands in two manners. The one is, that he
hopeth to live long, and to purchase [acquire] much riches
for his delight, and then he will shrive him: and, as he
sayeth, he may, as him seemeth, timely enough come to
shrift: another is, the surquedrie [presumption <12>] that
he hath in Christ's mercy. Against the first vice, he shall
think that our life is in no sickerness, [security] and eke
that all the riches in this world be in adventure, and pass
as a shadow on the wall; and, as saith St Gregory, that it
appertaineth to the great righteousness of God, that never
shall the pain stint [cease] of them, that never would
withdraw them from sin, their thanks [with their goodwill],
but aye continue in sin; for that perpetual will to do sin
shall they have perpetual pain. Wanhope [despair] is in two
manners [of two kinds]. The first wanhope is, in the mercy
of God: the other is, that they think they might not long
persevere in goodness. The first wanhope cometh of that he
deemeth that he sinned so highly and so oft, and so long
hath lain in sin, that he shall not be saved. Certes against
that cursed wanhope should he think, that the passion of
Jesus Christ is more strong for to unbind, than sin is
strong for to bind. Against the second wanhope he shall
think, that as oft as he falleth, he may arise again by
penitence; and though he never so long hath lain in sin, the
mercy of Christ is always ready to receive him to mercy.
Against the wanhope that he thinketh he should not long
persevere in goodness, he shall think that the feebleness of
the devil may nothing do, but [unless] men will suffer him;
and eke he shall have strength of the help of God, and of
all Holy Church, and of the protection of angels, if him
list.
Then shall men understand, what is the fruit of penance;
and after the word of Jesus Christ, it is the endless bliss
of heaven, where joy hath no contrariety of woe nor of
penance nor grievance; there all harms be passed of this
present life; there as is the sickerness [security] from the
pain of hell; there as is the blissful company, that rejoice
them evermore each of the other's joy; there as the body of
man, that whilom was foul and dark, is more clear than the
sun; there as the body of man that whilom was sick and
frail, feeble and mortal, is immortal, and so strong and so
whole, that there may nothing apair [impair, injure] it;
there is neither hunger, nor thirst, nor cold, but every
soul replenished with the sight of the perfect knowing of
God. This blissful regne [kingdom] may men purchase by
poverty spiritual, and the glory by lowliness, the plenty of
joy by hunger and thirst, the rest by travail, and the life
by death and mortification of sin; to which life He us
bring, that bought us with his precious blood! Amen.
Notes to the Parson's Tale
1. The Parson's Tale is believed to be a translation,
more or less free, from some treatise on penitence that was
in favour about Chaucer's time. Tyrwhitt says: "I cannot
recommend it as a very entertaining or edifying performance
at this day; but the reader will please to remember, in
excuse both of Chaucer and of his editor, that, considering
The Canterbury Tales as a great picture of life and manners,
the piece would not have been complete if it had not
included the religion of the time." The Editor of the
present volume has followed the same plan adopted with
regard to Chaucer's Tale of Meliboeus, and mainly for the
same reasons. (See note 1 to that Tale). An outline of the
Parson's ponderous sermon — for such it is — has been drawn;
while those passages have been given in full which more
directly illustrate the social and the religious life of the
time — such as the picture of hell, the vehement and rather
coarse, but, in an antiquarian sense, most curious and
valuable attack on the fashionable garb of the day, the
catalogue of venial sins, the description of gluttony and
its remedy, &c. The brief third or concluding part, which
contains the application of the whole, and the
"Retractation" or "Prayer" that closes the Tale and the
entire "magnum opus" of Chaucer, have been given in full.
2. Jeremiah vi. 16.
3. See Note 3 to the Sompnour's Tale.
4. Just before, the Parson had cited the words of Job to
God (Job x. 20-22), "Suffer, Lord, that I may a while bewail
and weep, ere I go without returning to the dark land,
covered with the darkness of death; to the land of misease
and of darkness, where as is the shadow of death; where as
is no order nor ordinance, but grisly dread that ever shall
last."
5. "I have lost everything - my time and my work."
6. Accidie: neglectfulness or indifference; from the
Greek, akedeia.
7. The pax: an image which was presented to the people to
be kissed, at that part of the mass where the priest said,
"Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum." ("May the peace of the
Lord be always with you") The ceremony took the place, for
greater convenience, of the "kiss of peace," which clergy
and people, at this passage, used to bestow upon each other.
8. Three ways of ornamenting clothes with lace, &c.; in
barring it was laid on crossways, in ounding it was waved,
in paling it was laid on lengthways.
9. Penitencer: a priest who enjoined penance in
extraordinary cases.
10. To be houseled: to receive the holy sacrament; from
Anglo- Saxon, "husel;" Latin, "hostia," or "hostiola," the
host.
11. It was a frequent penance among the chivalric orders
to wear mail shirts next the skin.
12. Surquedrie: presumption; from old French,
"surcuider," to think arrogantly, be full of conceit.
*PRECES DE CHAUCERES* <1> *Prayer of Chaucer*
Now pray I to you all that hear this little treatise or
read it, that if there be anything in it that likes them,
that thereof they thank our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom
proceedeth all wit and all goodness; and if there be
anything that displeaseth them, I pray them also that they
arette [impute] it to the default of mine unconning
[unskilfulness], and not to my will, that would fain have
said better if I had had conning; for the book saith, all
that is written for our doctrine is written. Wherefore I
beseech you meekly for the mercy of God that ye pray for me,
that God have mercy on me and forgive me my guilts, and
namely [specially] my translations and of inditing in
worldly vanities, which I revoke in my Retractions, as is
the Book of Troilus, the Book also of Fame, the Book of
Twenty-five Ladies, the Book of the Duchess, the Book of
Saint Valentine's Day and of the Parliament of Birds, the
Tales of Canter bury, all those that sounen unto sin, [are
sinful, tend towards sin] the Book of the Lion, and many
other books, if they were in my mind or remembrance, and
many a song and many a lecherous lay, of the which Christ
for his great mercy forgive me the sins. But of the
translation of Boece de Consolatione, and other books of
consolation and of legend of lives of saints, and homilies,
and moralities, and devotion, that thank I our Lord Jesus
Christ, and his mother, and all the saints in heaven,
beseeching them that they from henceforth unto my life's end
send me grace to bewail my guilts, and to study to the
salvation of my soul, and grant me grace and space of very
repentance, penitence, confession, and satisfaction, to do
in this present life, through the benign grace of Him that
is King of kings and Priest of all priests, that bought us
with his precious blood of his heart, so that I may be one
of them at the day of doom that shall be saved: Qui cum
Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivis et regnas Deus per omnia
secula. Amen. <2>
Notes to the Prayer of Chaucer
1. The genuineness and real significance of this "Prayer
of Chaucer," usually called his "Retractation," have been
warmly disputed. On the one hand, it has been declared that
the monks forged the retractation. and procured its
insertion among the works of the man who had done so much to
expose their abuses and ignorance, and to weaken their hold
on popular credulity: on the other hand, Chaucer himself at
the close of his life, is said to have greatly lamented the
ribaldry and the attacks on the clergy which marked
especially "The Canterbury Tales," and to have drawn up a
formal retractation of which the "Prayer" is either a copy
or an abridgment. The beginning and end of the "Prayer," as
Tyrwhitt points out, are in tone and terms quite appropriate
in the mouth of the Parson, while they carry on the subject
of which he has been treating; and, despite the fact that Mr
Wright holds the contrary opinion, Tyrwhitt seems to be
justified in setting down the "Retractation" as interpolated
into the close of the Parson's Tale. Of the circumstances
under which the interpolation was made, or the causes by
which it was dictated, little or nothing can now be
confidently affirmed; but the agreement of the manuscripts
and the early editions in giving it, render it impossible to
discard it peremptorily as a declaration of prudish or of
interested regret, with which Chaucer himself had nothing
whatever to do.
2. "[You] Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest
and reignest God for ever and ever. Amen."
THE END OF THE CANTERBURY TALES
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