Middle English humorous tales in verse / edited by George H. McKnight.

Sir Cleges

[L]ystyns, lordynges, and ȝe schall here [Ashmole MS. 61.] Off ansytourres, þat be-fore vs were, Bothe herdy and wyght, Yn tyme of vter and pendragonn, Kyng artour fader of grete renoune, Line 5 A sembly man of syght. He had a knyȝht, hyȝt sir clegys; A douȝtyer man was non at nedys Of þe ronde-tabull ryȝht. He was man of hy statour Line 10 And þer-to feyre of all fetour, A man of mekyll myȝht.

Mour curtas knyȝht þan he was one Yn all þis werld was þer non. He was so gentyll and fre, Line 15 To squyres þat traueyled in lond of werre And wer fallyn in pouerte bare, He gaff þem gold and fe. Hys tenantes feyr he wold rehete; No man he wold buske ne bete; Line 20 Meke as meyd was he. Hys mete was redy to euery man That wold com and vyset hym than; He was full of plente.

The knyght had a gentyll wyffe, Line 25 A better myȝht non be of lyfe, Ne non semblyer in syght. Dame clarys hyght þat lady; Off all godnes sche had treuly Glad chere boþe dey and nyȝht. Line 30 Grete almus-folke boþe þei were Both to pore man and to frere; They cheryd many a wyȝht. ffor þem had no man ouȝht lore Wheþer þei wer ryche or pore, Line 35 Of hym þei schuld haue ryȝht.

Euery ȝere sir clegys wold In crystyn-mes a fest hold Yn þe worschype of þat dey, [As Ryall in all thynge Line 40 As he hade ben A kynge, For-soth as I you saye.] [Verses 40-42 are supplied from the Edinburgh MS.] Ryche and pore in þat contre At þat fest þei schuld be; Ther wold no man sey nay. Line 45 Mynstrellus wold not be be-hynd, Myrthys wer þei may ffynd, That is most to þer pay.

Mynstrellus when þe fest was don, Schuld not with-outyn gyftes gon Line 50 That wer both rych and gode,

Hors and robys and rych thynges, Gold and syluer and oþer thynges, To mend with þer mode X ȝere our xii sych festes þei held Line 55 Yn worschype of hym, þat all weld And for vs dyȝed vpon þe rode. Be than his gode be-gan to schake, Sych festes he gan make, The knyght of jentyll blode. Line 60

To hold hys feste he wold not lete; Hys rych maners to wede he sete; He thouȝt hym-selue oute to quyte. Thus he festyd many a ȝere Both gentyll men and comener Line 65 Yn þe name of god all-myȝht. So at þe last, soth to sey, All hys gode was spendyd a-way; Than he had bot a lyte. Thoff hys god were ne-hond leste, Line 70 Yn þe wyrschyp he made a feste; He hopyd god wold hym quyte.

Hys ryalty he forderyd ay, To hys maners wer sold a-wey, That hym was left bot one; Line 75 And þat was of lytell valew, That he and hys wyfe so trew Oneth myȝht lyfe þer-one.

Hys men, þat wer so mych of pride, Wente a-wey onne euery syde; Line 80 With hym þer left not one. To duell with hym þer left no mo Bot hys wyfe and his chylder two; Than made he mekyll mone.

Yt fell on a crystenmes eue; Line 85 Syr clegys and his wyfe, They duellyd by cardyff syde. When it drew to-werd þe none, Syr clegys fell in swownyng sone; Wo be-thought hym þat tyde, Line 90 What myrth he was wonte to hold, And he, he had hys maners solde, Tenandrys and landes wyde. Mekyll sorow made he þer; He wrong hys hondes and wepyd sore, Line 95 ffor fallyd was hys pride.

And as he walkyd vppe and done, Sore syȝeng, he herd a sowne Off dyuerse mynstralsy, Off trumpers, pypers, and nakerners, Line 100 Off herpers, notys and gytherners. Off sytall and of sautrey. Many carrals and grete dansyng Yn euery syde herd he syng, In euery place, treuly. Line 105

Line 105 He wrong hys hondes and wepyd sore; Mekyll mon he made þer, Syȝeng full pytewysly.

"A Ihesu, heuen-kyng, Off nouȝht þou madyst all thyng; Line 110 Y thanke þe of thy sonde. The myrth þat I was won to make Yn þis tyme for þi sake. Y fede both fre and bond, And all þat euer com in þi name, Line 115 They wantyd noþer wylde ne tame, That was in any lond, Off rych metys and drynkes gode That longes for any manus fode, Off cost I wold not wonde." Line 120

Als he stode in mournyng so, And hys wyfe com hym to, Yn armys sche hym hente. Sche kyssed hym with glad chere, And seyd: "My trew wedyd fere, Line 125 Y herd wele what ȝe ment. Ȝe se wele, sir, it helpys nouȝht, To take sorow in ȝour thouȝht; Ther-for I rede ȝe stynte. [Let youre sorowe A-waye gon Line 130 And thanke God of hys lone Of all þat he hath sent.] [Verses 130-132 are supplied from the Edinburgh MS.]

Be crystes sake, I rede ȝe lyne Of all þe sorow þat ȝe be Ine A-ȝene þis holy dey. Line 135 Now euery man schuld be mery and glad With sych godes as þei had; Be ȝe so, I ȝou pray. Go we to ouer mete be-lyue And make vs both merry and blythe, Line 140 Als wele as euer we may. I hold it for þe best, trewly; Y haue made owre mete treuly, Y hope, vnto ȝour pay."

"Now I assent," quoþ cleges tho. [MS. the.] Line 145 Yn with hyr he gan go Som-what with better chere. When he fell in thouȝt and care, Sche comforth hym euer mour, Hys sorow for-to stere. Line 150 After he gan to wex blyth And wyped hys terys blyue, That hang on hys lyre. Than þei wesch and went to mete, With sych god as þei myȝht gete, Line 155 And made mery chere.

When þei had ete, þe soth to sey, With myrth þei drofe þe dey a-wey, The best wey þat they myȝht. With þer chylder pley þei dyde Line 160 And after euensong went to bede At serteyn of þe nyght. The sclepyd, to it rong at þe chyrche, Godes seruys forto wyrche, As it was skyll and ryght. Line 165 Vp þei ros and went þeþer, They and þer chylder togeþer, When þei were redy dyȝht.

Syr cleges knelyd on hys kne, To Ih[es]u cryst prayd he Line 170 Be chesyn of hys wyfe: "Grasyos lord," he seyd tho, "My wyfe and my chylder two, Kepe vs out of stryffe." The lady prayd hym ageyn; Sche seyd: "god kepe my lord fro peyn Yn-to euer-lastyng lyffe." Line 175 Seruys was don and hom þey wente; The thankyd god omnipotent They went home so ryfe.

When he to hys palys com, Line 180 He thouȝt his sorow was ouer-gon;

Hys sorow he gan stynt. He made hys wyfe be-for hym gon And hy[s]chylder euerychon; Hym-selue a-lone he wente Yn-to a garthyn þer be-syde. Line 185 He knelyd a-don in þat tyde And prayd to god verament. He thankyd god with all hys hert Of all desesyd in pouerte That euer to hym he sente. Line 190

As he knelyd onne hys kne Vnder-neth a chery tre, Makying hys praere, He rawȝht a bowȝe in hys hond, Line 195 To ryse þer-by and vp-stond; No lenger knelyd he þer. When þe bowȝhe was in hys hond, Gren leuys þer-on he fond And ronde beryes in fere. Line 200 He seyd: "Dere god in trinyte, What maner beryes may þis be, That grow þis tyme of ȝere?"

"Y haue not se þis tyme of ȝere, That treys any fruyt schuld bere, Line 205 Als ferre as I haue sought." He thouȝt to tayst it, yff he couthe;

One of þem he put in hys mouthe; Spare wold he nouȝht. Line 210 After a chery it relesyd clene, The best þat euer he had sene, Seth he was man wrouȝht. A lytell bow he gan of-slyfe; And thouȝht he wold schew it hys wyfe; Line 215 Yn hys hond he it brouȝht.

"Lo, dame, here is a nowylte; In ouer garthyn vpon a tre Y found it, sykerly. Line 220 Y ame a-ferd, it is tokenyng Be-cause of ouer grete plenyng, That mour greuans is ny." His wyfe seyd: "It is tokenyng Off mour godnes þat is comyng; Line 225 We shall haue mour plente. Haue we les our haue we mour, All-wey thanke we god þer-fore; Yt is þe best treulye."

The lady seyd with gode cher: Line 230 "Late vs fyll a panyer Off þe frute þat god hath sente. To-morow, when þe dey do spryng, Ȝe schall to cardyff to þe kyng, ffull feyre hym to presente.

Sych a gyft ȝe may hafe þer, Line 235 That a[ll] we schall ye beter fare; I tell ȝou, verament." Sir clegys grantyd sone þer-to: "To-morow to cardyff I wyll go After ȝour entent." Line 240

The morne, when it was dey-lyght, The lady had þe pannyer dyght; To hyr eldyst son seyd sche: "Take vp þis pannyer gladly And bere it at thy bake esyly Line 245 After þi fader so fre." Syr clegys þan a staff he toke; He had no hors, so seyth þe boke, To ryde hys jorneye, Neþer sted ne palferey, Line 250 Bot a staff was his hakney, As maner in pouerte.

Syr cleges and hys son gent The ryght wey to cardyfe went On crystenmes dey. Line 255 To þe castell-ȝate þei com full ryȝht, As þei wer to mete dyght, At none, þe soth to sey. As sir cleges wold in go, Yn pore clothyng was he tho, Line 260 In a symple aray.

The porter seyd full spytously: "Thow schall with-draw þe smertly, Y rede, with-oute deley.

Els, be god and seynt mary, Line 265 Y schall breke þi hede smertly, To stond in begers route. Yff þou draw any mour in-werd, Thow schall rew it afterwerd; Y schall þe so cloute." Line 270 "Gode sir," seyd sir cleges tho, "Y pray ȝou, late me in go; Thys is with-outen doute. The kyng I haue a present browȝt ffro hym, þat made all thinge of nouȝt; Line 275 Be-hold and loke a-boute!"

The pourter to þe pannyer wente; Sone þe lyde vp he hente; The cherys he gan be-hold. Wele he wyst, for his commyng, Line 280 ffor hys present to þe kyng, Grete gyftes haue he schuld. He seyd: "Be hym þat me dere bouȝht, Yn at þis ȝate commys þou nouȝht, Be hym þat made þis mold, Line 285 The thyrd parte bot þou graunte me Off þat the kyng wyll gyff þe, Wheþer it be syluer our gold."

Syr cleges seyd: "þer-to I sente." He ȝaue hym leue, and in he wente Line 290 With-outen mour lettyng. Yn he went a grete pas; The offycers at þe dore was With a staff standyng. Yn com sir cleges so wyght; Line 295 He seyd: "Go, chorle, out of my syght, With-out any mour lettyng. Y schall þe bete euery lythe, Hede and body, with-outyn grythe, And þou make mour presyng." Line 300

"Gode sir," seyd sir cleges than, "For hys loue, þat made man, Sese ȝour angry mode! ffor I haue a presante brouȝt ffro hym þat made all thyng of nowȝht Line 305 And dyed vpon þe rode. Thys nyght þis fruyt grew; Be-hold, wheþer I be fals our trew; They be gentyll and gode." The vsscher lyfte vp þe lyde smertly; Line 310 The feyrest cherys þat euer he sey; He meruyllyd in his mode."

The vsscher seyd: "Be mary suete, Thou comyst not in þis halle on fete, Y tell þe, sykerly, Line 315

Line 315 Bot þou graunte me, with-out wernyng, The thyrd parte of þi wyneng, When þou comyst a-geyn to me." Syr cleges sey non oþer wone, Bot þer he grantyd hym a-non; Line 320 Yt wold non oþer-weys be. Than sir cleges with heuy chere Toke his son and his pannyer; In-to þe hall went he.

The stewerd stert fast in þe hall, Line 325 Among þe lordes in þe halle, That weryd ryche wede. He went to sir cleges boldly And seyd: "Who made þe so herdy, To come heþer, our þou were bede? Line 330 Cherle," he seyd, "þou arte to bolde. With-draw þe with þe clothes olde, Smertly, I þe rede." He seyd: "Sir, I haue a presant brouȝt ffro þat lord þat vs dere bouȝht Line 335 And on þe rode gan bled."

The stewerd stert forth wele sone And plukyd vp þe lyde a-non, Als smertly as he mouȝht. The stewerd seyd: "Be mary dere, Line 340 Thys saw I neuer þis tyme of ȝere, Seth I was man I-wrouȝht.

Thow schall cum no nere þe kyng, Bot if þou grante me myn askyng, Be hym þat me dere bouȝht. Line 345 The thyrd parte of þe kynges gyfte Y wyll haue, be my thryfte, Or els go truse þe oute!"

Syr cleges stode and be-thouȝt hym þan: "And I schuld parte be-twyx thre men, Line 350 My-selue schuld haue no-thyng. ffor my traueyll schall I not gete, Bot if it be a melys mete." Thus thouȝht hym sore syȝeng. He seyd: "Herlot, has þou no tong? Line 355 Speke to me and tary not long And grante me myn askyng, Or with a staff I schall þe twake And bete þi ragges to þi bake And schofe þe out hedlyng!" Line 360

Syr cleges saw non oþer bote, Hys askyng grante hym he mote, And seyd with syȝhyng sore: "What þat euer þe kyng rewerd, Ȝe schall haue þe thyrd parte, Line 365 Wheþer it be lesse our more." When sir cleges had seyd þat word, The stewerd and he wer a-corde And seyd to hym no more.

Vp to þe kyng sone he went; Line 370 ffull feyn he proferd hys presente, Knelyng onne hys kne hym be-fore.

Syr cleges vn-coueryd þe pannyer And schewyd þe kyng þe cherys clere, Vpon þe ground knelyng. Line 375 He seyd: "Ihesu, ouer sauyoure, Sente ȝou þis fruyt with grete honour Thys dey onne erth growyng." The kyng saw þe cherys fressch and new, And seyd: "I thanke þe, swete Ihesu, Line 380 Here is a feyre newyng." He comandyd sir cleges to mete, A word after with hym to speke, With[out] any feylyng

The kyng þer-for made a presente Line 385 And send vn-to a lady gente, Was born in corne-weyle. Sche was a lady bryght and schen; After sche was hys awne quen, With-outen any feyle. Line 390 The cherys wer serued throuȝhe þe hall. Than seyd þe kyng, a lord ryall: "Be mery, be my conseyle! And he þat brouȝt me þis present, Y schall make hym so content, Line 395 It schall hym wele a-vayle."

When all men wer merye and glad, Anon þe kyng a squyre bade: "Bryng hym me be-forne, The pore man þat þe cherys brouȝt." Line 400 Anon he went and taryd nouȝht, With-outen any scorne. He brouȝht cleges be-for þe kyng; Anon he fell in knelyng, He wend hys gyft had be lorn. Line 405 He spake to þe kyng with wordes felle. He seyd: "Lege lord, what is ȝour wylle? Y ame ȝour man fre-borne."

"I thanke þe hertely," seyd þe kyng, "Off þi grete presentyng. Line 410 That þou hast to me do. Thow hast honouryd all my feste With þi deyntes, moste and leste, And worschyped me all-so. What þat euer thou wyll haue, Line 15 Y wyll þe grante, so god me saue, That þin hert stondes to, Wheþer it be lond our lede, Or oþer gode, so god me spede, How-þat- euer it go." Line 420

He seyd: "Garemersy, lege kyng! Thys is to me a hye thing. ffor sych one as I be.

fforto grante me lond our lede Or any gode, so god me spede, Line 425 Thys is to myche for me. Bot seth þat I schall ches my-selue, I aske no-thyng bot strokes XII ffrely now grante ȝe me, With my staff to pay þem all, Line 430 Myn aduersarys in þis hall, ffor seynt charyte."

Than ansuerd vter, þe kyng; He seyd: "I repent my grantyng, The couenand þat I made." Line 435 He seyd: "Be hym þat made me and the, Thou had be better take gold our fe; Mour nede þer-to þou hade." Syr cleges seyd with-outen warryng: "Lord, it is ȝour awne grante[yng]; Line 440 Yt may not be deleyd." The kyng was angary and greuyd sore; Neuer-þe-les he grante hym thore, The dyntes schuld be payd.

Syr cleges went in-to þe hall Line 445 Among þe grete lordes all, With-outen any mour. He souȝht after þe stewerd; He thouȝt, to pay hym his rewerd, ffor he had greuyd hym sore. Line 450

Line 450 He gafe þe stewerd sych a stroke, That he fell doune lyke a bloke Among all þat ther were. And after he gaff hym strokes thre,— He seyd: "Sir, for þi curtasse, Line 455 Stryke þou me no mour!"

Out of þe hall sir cleges wente; To pay mo strokes he had mente, With-owtyn any lette. To þe vsscher he gan go; Line 460 Sore strokes ȝaffe he tho, When þei to-geder mette, That after-werd many a dey He wold wern no man þe wey; So grymly he hym grete. Line 465 Syr [cleges] seyd: "Be my thryfte, Thou hast the thyrd parte of my gyfte, Ryght euyn as I þe hyȝht."

To þe porter com he ȝare; ffoure strokes payd he thare; Line 470 His parte had he tho. Aftyr-werd many a dey He wold wern no man þe wey, Neþer to ryde ne go. The fyrst stroke he leyd hym onne, Line 475 He brake a-two hys schulder bone And hys ryȝht arme also.

Syr cleges seyd: "Be my thryfte, Thow hast þe thyrd parte of my gyfte; Couenant made we so." Line 480

The kyng was sett in hys parlere, Myrth and reuell forto here; Syr cleges theder wente. An harper had a geyst I-seyd, That made þe kyng full wele apayd, Line 485 As to hys entente. Than seyd þe kyng to þis herper; "Mykyll þou may ofte-tyme here, ffor thou hast ferre wente. Tell me trew, if þou can; Line 490 Knowyst þou thys pore man That þis dey me presente?"

He seyd: "My lege, with-outen les, Som-tyme men callyd hym cleges; He was a knyght of ȝoure. Line 495 Y may thinke, when þat he was ffull of fortone and of grace, A man of hye stature." The kyng seyd: "Þis is not he in-dede; Yt is long gon þat he was dede Line 500 That I louyd paramour. Wold god þat he wer wyth me; Y had hym leuer than knyghtes thre, That knyght was styff in stoure."

Syr cleges knelyd be-for þe kyng; Line 505 ffor he had grantyd hym hys askyng, He thankyd hym curtasly. Spesyally þe kyng hym prayd, The thre men, þat he strokes payd, Where-for it was and why. Line 510 He seyd: "I myght not com in-werd, To I grantyd Iche of þem þe thyrd parte Off þat ȝe wold gyff me. Be þat I schuld haue noȝht my-selue; To dele among theym strokys xii Line 515 Me thouȝt it best, trewly."

The lordes lewȝe, both old and ȝenge, And all þat ther wer wyth þe kyng, They made solas I-nowȝe. They lewȝe, so þei myȝt not sytte; Line 520 They seyd: "It was a nobull wytte, Be cryst we make a vow." The kyng send after hys stewerd And seyd: "And he grante þe any rewerd, Askyth it be þe law." Line 525 The stewerd seyd and lukyd grym; "Y thynke neuer to haue a-do with hym; Y wold I had neuer hym knaw."

The kyng seyd: "With-outen blame, Tell me, gode man, what is þi name, Line 530 Befor me anon-ryght!"

"My lege," he seyd, "Þis man ȝou tellys, Som-tyme men callyd me sir cleges; Y was ȝour awne knyght." "Arte þou my knyght, þat seruyd me, Line 535 That was so gentyll and so fre, Both strong, herdy and wyght?" "Ȝe, lord," he seyd, "so mote I the, Tyll god all-myȝht hath vyset me; Thus pouerte hath me dyȝht." Line 540

The kyng gaffe hym anon-ryȝht All þat longes to a knyght, To a-ray hys body with. The castell of cardyff also With all þe pourtenans þer-to, Line 545 To hold with pes and grythe. Than he made hym hys stuerd Of all hys londys after-werd, Off water, lond, and frythe, A cowpe of gold he gafe hym blythe, Line 550 To bere to dam clarys, hys wyfe, Tokenyng of Ioy and myrthe.

The kyng made hys son squyre And gafe hym a coler forte were With a hundryth pownd of rente. Line 555 When þei com home in þis maner, Dame clarys, þat lady clere, Sche thankyd god verament.

Sche thanked god of all maner, For sche had both knyght and squyre Line 560 Som-what to þer entente. Vpon þe dettys þat they hyght, They payd als fast as þei myght, To euery man wer content.

A gentyll stewerd he was hold; Line 565 All men hym knew, ȝong and hold, Yn lond wer þat he wente. Ther fell to hym so grete ryches, He vansyd hys kynne, mour and les, The knyght curtas and hend. Line 570 Hys lady and he lyued many ȝere With Ioy and mery chere, Tyll god dyde for them send. ffor þer godnes þat þei dyd here, Ther saulys went to heuen clere, Line 575 Ther is Ioy with-outen ende.

Amen.