The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 580]

Here begynneth the Manci ple hys tale [folio 395a]

WHan phebus dwellede heere in this erthe adoun As olde bokys makyn mencioun He was the moste lusti bacheleere In al this world & ek the beste archere Line 108 He slow Phitoun the serpent as he lay Slepynge a-geyn the sunne vp-on a day And manye a nothir noble worthi dede He with his bowe wroughte as ȝe may rede Pleeyen he coude on euery menstrelsye And syngyn that it was a melodye To heryn of his cleere voys the soun Sertis the kyng of thebes Amphioun Line 116 That with his syngyng wallede that cete Koude neuere syngyn half so wel as he Therto he was the semylyeste man That is or was sithe that the world be-gan Line 120 What nedith it hise feturis to discryue ffor in this world was non so fayr on lyue He was therwith fulfyld of gentylesse Of honour & of parfyt worthynesse. Line 124 // This phebus that was flour of bachilleri^e [folio 395b] As wel in fredom as in chyualrye ffor his disport in signe ek of victorye Of phitoun so as tellyth vs the storye Line 128 Was wont to beryn in his hand a bowe // Now hadde this phebus in his hous a Crowe Whiche in a cage he fosterede manye a day And taughte it speke as men teche a Iay Line 132

[6-text p 581] Line 132 Whit was this crowe as is a snow whit swan Line 133 And countyrfetid the speche of euery man He coude whan he schulde telle a tale Therwith in al this world non nyghtynghale Line 136 Ne coude by an hunderede thousent deel Syngyn so wondir meryely & weel // Now hadde this phebus in his hous a wyf Whiche that he louede moore than his lyf Line 140 And nyght & day dede euere his diligence Hire for to pleese & don hire reuerence Saue only the sothe that I schal sayn Ialus he was & wolde haue kep here fayn Line 144 ffor hym were loth byiapid for to bee And so is euery wight in swich degre But al in ydyl for it auaylyth noght A good wif that is slene in werk & thought Line 148 Schulde not been kept in noon a-wayt certeyn And trewely the labour is in veyn To kepe a schrewe for it wele nat bee This holde I for a verray vanytee Line 152 To spille labour for to kepe wivis Thus wrytyn olde clerkis in here lyuys But now to purpos as I ferst be-gan This worthi phebus doth al that he can Line 156 To plesyn here / wenynge that sweche plesaunce And for his manhede & hise gouernaunce That no man schulde haue put hire from hire grace But god it wot there may no man enbrace Line 160 As to discryue a thyng / whiche that nature Hath naturelly set in a cryature // Take any thyng & put it in a cage [folio 396a] And do al thyn entent & thyn corage Line 164 To fostere it tenderely with mete & drynk Of alle deynteis that thow canst be-thynk And keepe it also clenly as thow may Al thow his cage of gold be neuere so gay Line 168

[6-text p 582] Line 168 ȝit hath this bryd be twenty thousend fold Line 169 Leuere in a forest that is· rude & cold Gon ete wermys & sweche wrechedenesse ffor euere this bryd wele doon his busynesse Line 172 To escapyn out of his cage ȝif he may His lyberte this brid desiryth ay // Lat take a Cat & fostere hym weel with mylk And tendere flesch & make his couche of silk Line 176 And lat hym seen a mous goon by the wal A-non he weyvith Milk & flesch & al And eueri deynte that is in that hous Swich apetit hath he / to ete a mous Line 180 Loo heere hat lust his dominacioun And apetit flemyth discrecioun // A sche wolf hath also a dyuers kynde The lewedeste wolf that sche may fynde Line 184 Or lest of reputacioun that wele sche take In tyme whanne hire lust to han a make // Alle these ensaumplis speke I by these men That been ontrewe & no thyng by wemen Line 188 ffor men han euere a lykerous apetit On lowere thyng to parfornyn here delyt Than on here wyuys ben they neuere so fayre Ne neuere so trewe ne neuere so debonayre Line 192 fflesch is so newefangil with myschaunce That we ne cunne in nothyng han plesaunce That sounyth in-to wertew ony whyle This phebus which that thoughte on no gyle Line 196 Disceyuede was for al his Iolyte ffor vndyr hym a-nothir hadde sche A man of litil reputacioun Not worth to phebus in comparisoun Line 200 The more harm is it ofte happith so [folio 396b] Of whiche there comyth meche harm & wo And so be-fel that phebus was absent His wif a-non hath forth his leman sent Line 204

[6-text p 583] Line 204 Hire leman Certis this is a knauych speche Line 205 ffor-ȝeuyth it me & that I ȝow be-seche The wyse plato seyth as ȝe may reede The word mote nede a-corde with the dede Line 208 ȝif men schal telle propirly a thyng The word mot Cosyn be to the werkyng I am a boystoūs man ryght thus seye I Theere is no differens trewely Line 212 Be-twixe a wyf that is of high degre Ȝif of hire body disonest sche be [And a pouer/ wenche othir/ than this/. If/ it so be thei wirke bothe a mys/. [Harl. 1758 folio 202b] ] Line 216 But that the gentile in hire stat a-boue Sche schal be clepid his lady as in loue And for that othir is a pore woman Sche schal be clepid his wenche or his lemman Line 220 And god it wot myn owene deere brothir Men leyn that on as as lowe / as lyth that othir // Righ so by-twixe a titeleles tyraunt And an outlawe or a thef erraunt Line 224 The same I seye there is no difference To alysaundere was told this sentence That for the tyraunt is of grettere myght By force of meyne for to slen doun ryght Line 228 And brennyn hous & hom & make al pleyn Lo therfore is he clepid a capitayn // And for the outlawe hat but smal meyne And may not doon so gret an harm as he Line 232 Ne brynge a cuntre to so greet myschif Men clepe hym an outlawe or a thef But for I am a man not textuel I wele not telle of textys neuere a del · Line 236 I wele go to myn tale as I be-gan Whan Phebus wif hath sent for hire leman Anon they wroughtyn al here lust volage The white Crowe that heng ay in the cage Line 240

[6-text p 584] Line 240 Beheld here werk & seyde neuere a word [folio 397a] And whan that hom was come Phebus the lord This Crowe song Cokhow cokhow cokhow // What brid quod Phebus what song syngist thow Line 244 Ne were thow wone so meryely to synge That to myn herte it was a reioysynge To here thyn voys allas what Ioye is this By god quod he I synge nat a-mys Line 248 Phebus quod he for al thyn worthynes ffor al thyn beute & thyn gentiles ffor al thyn song & thyn menstralsye ffor al thyn waytyng blered is thyn eye Line 252 With on of lytyl reputacioun Nogh[t] worth to the in computacioun The mountenaunce of a gnatte so mot I thryue ffor on thyn bed thyn wif I saw hym swyue Line 256 What wele ȝe more the crowe a-non hym tollde By sadde tokenys & bi wordis bolde How that his wif hadde doon hire lecherye Hym to gret schame & to greet vilenye Line 260 And tolde hym oftyn he saw it with hise yen // This Phebus gan a-woyward for to wryen And thoute his sorweful herte brast a-to His bowe he bente & sette therin a flo Line 264 And in his yre his wif thanne hath he slayn This is theffect there is no more to seyn ffor sorwe of which he brak his menstrelcie Bothe harpe & lute geterne & sauterye Line 268 And ek he brak hise arwis & his bowe And aftyr that thus spak he to the crowe // Traytour quod he with tunge of Scorpioun Thow hast me brought to myn confusioun Line 272 Allas that I was wrought why nere I ded O deere wyf o gemme of lustiheed That were to me so sad / & ek so trewe Now lyst thow deed / with face pale of hewe Line 276

[6-text p 585] Line 276 fful gylteles that durste I swere I-wis Line 277 O rakele hand to don so foule a-mys O troubele wit O yre recheles [folio 397b] That on auysid smytist gilteles Line 280 ¶ O wantrust ful of fals suspecioun Where was thyn wit & thyn discrecioun O eueri man be war of rakilnesse Ne trowe no thyng with-oute gret witnesse Line 284 Smyt nat to sore er than ȝe wetyn why And beth auysed weel & sobirly Er ȝe doon ony execucioun Vp-on ȝoure yre for suspecioun Line 288 Allas a thousent folk han rakil yre fully fordon & brough hem in the myre Allas for sorw I wele myn seluyn sle And to the crowe o false thef quod he Line 292 I wele the quite a-non thyn false tale Thow sunge whilhom lich a Nyghtyngale Now schalt thow false thef thyn song forgon An ek thynne white federis euerichon Line 296 Ne neuere in al thyn lyf ne schalt tow speke Thus schal men on a traytour been a-wreke Thow & thynne ospryng / Schul been blake Ne neuere swete noyse schul ȝe make Line 300 But euere crye a-ȝen tempest & reyn In tokenynge that thour the myn wif is slayn And to the Crowe he styrte & that a-non And pullede hise white federis euerychon Line 304 And made hym blak & raft hym al his song And ek his speche & out ate dore hym slong Vnto the devil whiche I hym be-take And for this cas been alle crowis blake Line 308 ¶ Lordyngis by this exsaumple I ȝow preye Beth war & takyth kep what that I seye .;Ne tellyth neuere no man In ȝoure lyf How that a nothir man hath dyght his wyf Line 312

[6-text p 586] Line 312 He wele ȝow hatyn mortally certeyn Line 313 Daun Salomon as wise clerkis seyn Techith a man to kepe his tunge weel But as I seyde I ne am not tixtuel Line 316 But natheles that taughte me myn dame [folio 398a] // Myn sone thynke on the Crowe a godis name Myn sone kep weel thyn tunge & kep thyn frend A wekede tunge is werse than a feend Line 320 Myn sone from a feend men may hem blysse Myn sone god of his endeles goodnesse Wallede a tunge with teth & lippis ek ffor man schulde hym a-vise what he spek Line 324 Myn sone ful ofte for to meche speche Hath manye a man been spilt as clerkis teche But for lytil speche auysely I no man schent to speke generally Line 328 Myn sone thyn tunge schuldist thow restreyne At alle tymys but whan thow dost thyn peyne To speke of god in honour & preyere // The fyrste vertu sone ȝif thow wilt leere Line 332 Is to restreyne & kepe weel thyn tunge Thus lernede childeryn whan that they ben ȝonge Myn sone of mekyl spekynge euele avysed There lasse spekynge hadde I-now suffised Line 336 Comyth meche harm it was me told & taught In mechil speche synne wantyth naught Wist thow wh[e]rof rakyl tunge seruyth Right as a swerd forkyttyth & for-keruyth Line 340 An arm on two myn deere sone ryght so A tunge kyttyth frendsche[pe] al atwo A Iangelere is to god abamynable Reede salomon so wys & honurable Line 344 Reede Dauyth in hise psalmys rede Senekke Myn sone spek nat but with thyn heed thow bekke Dissymule as thow weere def ȝif that thow heere A Iangelere speke / of parlyous mateere Line 348

[6-text p 587] Line 348 The flemyng seyth & lerne it ȝif the leste Line 349 That lytil Iangelyng causyth meche reste Myn sone ȝif thow no wekede word hast seyd The thar nat drede the for to been by-wreyd Line 352 But he that hath mysseyd / I dare weel sen He may by no weye clepe his word a-geyn Thyng that is seid / is seyd & forth it goth [folio 398b] Thow hym repente or be hym lef or loth Line 356 He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd A tale of whiche he is now euele apayed Myn sone be war & be non autour newe Of tydyngis whedyr they been false or trewe Line 360 Wheere so thow come a-mongis highe or lowe Keek weel thyn tunge & think vp-on the Crowe Line 362

Here is endit the Mauncipell tale/

Notes

• [Painting of the Manciple on horseback.]
• [t altered]
• [w first b]
• [rede first bere]
• o
• C altered
• [delyt corrected]
• [r first ȝ]
• [er corrected]
• [w first we]
• [was corrected]
• In multi-loquio non de|est peccatum.