The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 372]

¶ Here bygynneth þe ¶ ffreres tale

Whilom þer was dwellyng in Couentre An erchedekne a man of heih degre That boldely dide execuciōn In punysschyng of fornicacion Line 1304 Of wichcraf and eek of Bawderie Of diffamacion and auoutrie Of chirche reeues and of testamentes Of contractes and of lak of sacramentes Line 1308 Of vsure and Symonye also But certes lecchours dede he grettest wo They scholden syngen if þey were hent And smale tyþeres weren foule y-schent Line 1312 If eny person wolde vpon hem pleyne Ther might astirte him no pecunial peyne ffor smale tyþes and eek for smal offrynge he made þe poeple spitously to synge Line 1316 ffor or þe bisschop caught hem wiþ his hook They weren in þe Erchedeknes book And þanne hadde he þurgh his Iurdiction Power to don on hem correction Line 1320 he hadde a somnour redy to his hande [folio 116a] A sleyere boy was non in engelande ffor sotilly he hadde his especiaile That taughte him where þat him mighte auayle Line 1324 he coude spare of lecchours on or tuo To techen him to foure and twenty mo ffor þough þis somnour wood were as an hare To telle his harlottrie I wil not spare Line 1328

[6-text p 373] Line 1328 ffor we ben oute of here correction They han of vs no Iuresdiction We neuer schullen terme of alle hire lyues Petur so ben þe wommen of þe Styues Line 1332 Quod þis Somnour y-putt out of oure cure Pees with meschance and with mysauenture Thus seyde oure host and let him telle his tale Now telleþ forþ and late þe somnour gale Line 1336 Ne spareþ nought myn oughne maister deere This false þeef þis somnour quod þe ffrere / hadde alwey bawdes redy to his hond As eny hauke to lure in Engelond Line 1340 That telle him al þe secre þat þey knewe ffor here aqueintance was nat come of newe þey weren his approwours priuely he tok himself a gret profyt þerby Line 1344 his maister knew nat alwey what he wan Wiþouten maundement of a lewed man he coude somne on peyne of cristes curs And þey were ynly gladde to fille his purs Line 1348 And made him grete festes atte nale And right as Iudas hadde purses smale And was a þeef right swich a þeef was he his mayster hadde but half his dewete Line 1352 he was if I schal ȝiuen him his laude A theef and eek a sompnour and a baude he hadde eek wenches of his retenue That wheþer þat sir Roberd or sir huwe Line 1356 Or Iohn or Rauf or who þat it were [folio 116b] That lay by hem þat tolde it in his eere Thus was þe wenche and he of oon assent And he wolde fecche a feyned maundement Line 1360 And somne hem to þe Chapitre boþe tuo And pile þe man and late þe wenche go þanne wolde he seye I schal freend for þy sake Do strike þe out of oure lettres blake Line 1364

[6-text p 374] Line 1364 þe þar nomore as in þis cas trauayle I am þi frend þer I þe may auayle Certein he knew of briberies mo þan possible is to telle ȝou vnto Line 1368 ffor in þis worlde is dogge for no bowe That knew an hurt deer from an old bite kowe Than þat þis sompnour knew a sleigh lecchour Or avouter or elles a paramour Line 1372 And for þat was þe fruyt of alle þe rent Therfore on it he sette al his entent And so bifelle þat ones on a day This somnour euer waytyng on his pray Line 1376 Rode for to somne an old wijf a ribibe ffeynyng a cause for he wolde bribe And happede þat he seigh byfore hym ryde / A gay yoman vnder a forest syde Line 1380 A bowe he bar and arwes bright and keene he hadde vppon a courtepy of grene / An hatte vppon his heed wiþ frenges blake Sire quod þis Sompnour hail and wel atake / Line 1384 Welcome quod he and euery good felawe Whider ridestow vnder þis greene schawe Seyde þis ȝeman wilt þou fer to day This somnour him answerde and seyde nay Line 1388 here faste by quod he is myn entente To ryden for to reysen vp a rente / It longeþ to my lordes dewete Art þou þanne a baillif ȝe quod he Line 1392 he dorste nouȝt for verray filþe and schame [folio 117a] Seie þat he was a somnour for þe name Depardieux quod þis ȝoman dere broþer þou art a bailly and I am anoþer Line 1396 I am vnknowen as in þis cuntre Of þin aqueintance I wil preye þe And eek of breþerhode if þat þou leste I haue golde and siluer in my cheste Line 1400

[6-text p 375] Line 1400 If þat þe happed come in-to oure schire Al schal be þin right as þou wolt desyre Graunt mercy quod þis somnour by my feiþ Euerich in oþeres hond his trouþe leiþ Line 1404 ffor to be swore broþer til þey deye and wiþ þat word þey ryden forþ here weye This somnour wiþ þat was so / As ful of venym ben þis wary-angles Line 1408 And euer enquiryng vpon euery þing Broþer quod he wher is ȝoure dwellyng Anoþer day if I scholde ȝou seche This ȝoman him answerde in softe speche Line 1412 Broþer quod he fer in þe Norþ cuntre Wher as I hope som tyme I schal þe se Or we departe I schal þe so wel wisse That of myn hous schalt þou neuer misse / Line 1416 Now broþer quod þis sompnour I ȝou pray Teche me whil we ryden by þe way / Syn þat ȝe ben a baillyf as am I Som subtilte telle me feiþfully Line 1420 In myn office how þat I may most wynne And spareþ not for conscience ne synne But as my broþer tell me how do ȝe Now by my trouþe broþer deere seyde he Line 1424 As I schal tellen þe a feiþful tale / My wages ben ful streyte and smale / My lord is hard to me and daungerous And my office ful laborious Line 1428 And þerfore by extorciouns I lyue [folio 117b] ffor soþe I [take] al þat men wil me ȝiue Algate be sleigte or violence ffrom ȝeer to ȝer I wynne al my dispence / Line 1432 I can no bettre tellen feiþfully Now certes quod þis sompnour so fare I I spare not to take god it wot But if it be to heuy or to hoot Line 1436

[6-text p 376] Line 1436 What I may gete in counseil priuely No maner conscience of þat haue I Ner myn extorcion I might noȝt lyuen Of swiche iapes wil I nat be schriuen Line 1440 Stomake ne fro conscience knowe I noon I schrewe þese schriftefadres euerichon Wel be we mette by god and by seint Iame But leeue broþer telle me þanne þy name Line 1444 Quod þis somnour in þis mene while This ȝeman gan a litel for to smyle Broþer quod he wiltow þat I þe telle I am a steue my dwellyng is in helle Line 1448 And heer I ryde aboute my purchasyng To wite wher men wil ȝif me eny þing my purchace is to fette of alle my rente loke how þou rydest for þe same entente Line 1452 To wynne good þou rekkest neuer how Right so fare I for ryde wolde I now vnto þe worldes ende for a preye A quod þis somnour benedicite what ȝe seye Line 1456 I wende ȝe were a yoman trewely Ȝe han a mannes schappe as wel as I han ȝe a figure þanne determinat In helle þer ȝe ben in ȝoure estat Line 1460 Nay certeinly quod he þer han we noon But whan vs likeþ we can take vs oon Or elles make ȝou wene we ben schape Som tyme [like] a man or like an ape / Line 1464 Or lik an aungel can I ryde or go [folio 118a] It is no wonder þing þough it be so A lousy iogulour can deceyue þe And par de ȝit can I more craft þan he / Line 1468 Why quod þis somnour ryde ȝe þanne or gon In sondry schappe and nat alwey in oon ffor we quod he wille vs swich forme make As most able is oure prayes for to take Line 1472

[6-text p 377] Line 1472 What makeþ ȝou to han al þis labour fful many a cause leeue sire somonour Seyde þis feend but al þing haþ tyme The day is schort and it is passed prime Line 1476 And ȝet ne wan I no þing in þis day I wil entende to wynnyng if I may And nat entende oure wittes to declare ffor broþer myn þi witte is al to bare Line 1480 To vnderstonde þough I tolde hem þe But for þou axest whi labouren we ffor somtyme ben we goddes instrumentz And menes to do his comaundementz Line 1484 Whan þat him list vpon his creatures In diuerse acte and in diuers figures Wiþouten him we han no might certayn If þat him liste to stonden þer agayn Line 1488 And som time at oure praye han we leue Only þe body and not þe soule greeue / Witnesse on Iob whom þat we dyden wo And som tyme han we might of boþe tuo Line 1492 þis is to seyn of soule and body eeke And som tyme we ben suffred for to seeke vpon a man and do his soule vnreste Nat his body and al is for þe beste Line 1496 Whan he wiþstondeþ oure temptacion It is a cause of his saluacion Al be it þat it was not oure entente he schulde be sauf but þat we wolde him hente Line 1500 And som tyme be we seruantz vn-to man [folio 118b] As þe erchebisschope seint Dunstan And to þe apostles seruant/ was I ȝet telleþ me quod þe somnour feiþfully Line 1504 Make ȝe ȝow newe bodyes þus alwey Of elementz þe feend answerde nay Som tyme we feyne and som tyme we arise / Wiþ dede bodyes in ful sondry wise Line 1508

[6-text p 378] Line 1508 And speke as renabely and faire and wel As to þe phitonessa dede Samuel / And ȝit wol some men say it was nat he I do no force of ȝoure diuinite Line 1512 But o þing warne I þe I wil nat Iape Thou wilt algates wite how we be schape / þou schalt her aftirward my broþer deere Come wher þe needeþ nat of me to leere Line 1516 ffor þou schalt by þin owne experience Come in-to þe chayer rede þis sentence Bet þan virgile whil he was a lyue Or dante also now lat vs ryde blyue Line 1520 ffor I wil holde company wiþ þe Til it be so þat þou forsake me Nay quod þis somnour þat schal nat betyde I am a ȝeman knowe is ful wyde Line 1524 my trouþe wil I holde to þe as in þis cas ffor þey þou were þe deuyl Sathanas My trouþe wil I holde to my broþer As I am sworne and eche of vs to oþer Line 1528 ffor to be trewe broþer in þis cas And broþer we gon to oure purchas Take þou þy part what men þe wole yiue And I schal myn þus may we boþe lyue Line 1532 And if þat eny of vs haue more þan oþer lat him be trewe and parte it wiþ his broþer I graunte quod þe deuyl by my fay And wiþ þat word þey ryden forþ here way Line 1536 And right at þentryng of þe tounes ende [folio 119a] To which þe somnour schop him for to wende They say a carte þat charged was with hey Which þat a cartere drof forþ on his wey Line 1540 Deep was þe wey for whiche þe carte strood This cartere smot and striued as he were wood hayt brok hayt scot what spare we for þe stones The feend quoþ he ȝow fecche boþe body and bones / Line 1544

[6-text p 379] Line 1544 As ferforþly as euere were ȝe foled So moche woo as I haue for ȝou þoled þe deuel haue al boþe hors and cart and hey þoughte þis somnour he schulle we haue a pley Line 1548 And neer þe feend he drough as nought ne were fful priuely and rouned in his eere herkne my broþer herkne by þy feiþ herestow nat how þe cartere seiþ Line 1552 hente it anone for he haþ ȝiuen þe Boþe hey and carte and eek his caples þre / Nay quod þe deuyl god not neuer a del It is not his entente truste me wel Line 1556 Aske him þiself if þou nat trowest me Or elles stynte a while and þou schalt se This carter þakked his hors on þe croupe / And þey bygonne to drawe and to stoupe / Line 1560 hayt now quod he þat Ihesu crist ȝou blisse And alle his hondywerk boþe more and lesse / þat was wel twight myn owne lyard boy I pray god saue þe and seinte Loy. Line 1564 Now is my carte out/ of þe slough par de lo broþer quod þe feend what tolde I þe / here may ye see myn oughne deere broþer The carle spak o þing but he þought anoþer Line 1568 late vs go forþ abouten oure viage here wynne I noþing vpon cariage Whan þat þey comen somwhat out of þe toun Þis somnour to his broþer gan to roun Line 1572 Broþer quod he here woneþ an old rebekke [folio 119b] That hadde almost as leef to leese hire necke As for to ȝiue a peny of hire good I wil haue twelue pens þough þat sche be wood Line 1576 Or I wille sompne hire to oure office And ȝit god woot of hire knowe I no vice But for þou canst nat as in þis contre Wynne þi coste tak here ensample of/ me Line 1580

[6-text p 380] Line 1580 This somnour clappeþ at þe wydowes gate Com out he seyde þou olde viritrate I trowe þou hast som frere or prest wiþ þe Who clappeþ seyde þis wijf benedicite Line 1584 God saue ȝou sire what is ȝour swete wille I haue quod he a somonur of þe here a bille vp peyne of cursyng loke þat þou be To morwe biforn oure erchedekenes kne Line 1588 To answere to þe court of certein þinges Now lord quod sche crist ihesu heuen kinges So wisly helpe me as I ne may I haue ben syk and þat ful many a day Line 1592 I may nat gon so fer quod sche ne ryde But I be deed so prikeþ it in my syde / May I nat axe a libel sire somonour And answere þere by my procutour Line 1596 To swich a þing as men wolde appose me / ȝis quod þis somnour pay anon lat se Twelue pens to me and I wil þe aquite I schal no profyt haue þer-by but lite Line 1600 My maister haþ þe profyt/ and nat I Come of and late me ryden hastily Ȝeue me twelue [pens] I may no lenger tarye twelue quod sche lady seinte marie Line 1604 So wisly help me out of care and synne þis wyde world þough þat I scholde it wynne Ne haue I not xij. pens wiþinne myn holde ȝe knowen wel þat I am pouer and olde Line 1608 kyþe ȝoure almesse on me pouere wrecche [folio 120a] Nay þanne quod he þe foule feend me fecche If I þe excuse þough þou scholde be spilt Allas quod sche god wot I haue no gilt Line 1612 Pay me quod he or by þe swete seint anne As I wol bere a-way þy newe panne / ffor dette which þou owest me of old Whan þat þou madest þin housbond kukkewold Line 1616

[6-text p 381] Line 1616 I preyde at home for þy correction Thow lixt quod sche by my sauacion Ne was I neuer or now wydewe ne wijf Somoned vnto your court in al my lijf Line 1620 Ne neuer I nas but of my body trewe / vnto þe deuel blake and rowe of hewe yeue I þy body and my panne And whan þe deuyl herde hir curse so Line 1624 vpon hir knees he seyde in þis manere Now mabely myn owne mooder deere It is ȝour wille in ernest þat ȝe seye þe deuyl quod sche fette him or he deye / Line 1628 And panne and al but he wil him repente Nay olde stot þat is not myn entente Quoþ þis somnour for to repente me ffor any þing þat I haue had of þe Line 1632 I wolde I hadde þy smok and euery cloþ Now broþer quod þe deuyl be nat wroþ þy body and þis panne is myn by right þou schalt wiþ me to helle yet to night Line 1636 Wher þou schalt knowen of oure priuete More þan a mayster of diuinite And wiþ þat word þis foule feend him hent Body and soule he with þe deuyl went Line 1640 Where þat somnours han here heritage And god þat made after his ymage Mankynde saue and gyde vs alle and some And leeue þis somnour good man to bycome Line 1644 lordinges I couþe han told ȝou quod þis frere [folio 120b] hadde I had leysir for þis somnour heere After þe tixte of crist poule and Iohn And of oure oþer doctours many oon Line 1648 Suche peynes þat ȝoure hertes might agrise Al be it so no tonge may deuyse / þough þat I might a þousand wynter telle þe peyne of þilke cursed hous of helle Line 1652

[6-text p 382] Line 1652 But for to kepe vs fro þat cursed place Wakeþ and prayeþ ihesu for his grace So kepe vs fro þe temptour Sathanas herkneþ þis word be war as in þis cas Line 1656 þe leoun sitte in his awayte alway To sle þe Innocent if þat he may Disposeþ ay ȝour hertes to wiþstonde þe feend þat ȝou wolde make þralle and bonde Line 1660 he may nat tempten yow ouer your might ffor crist wille be ȝour champion and knight And preyeþ þat þis somnour him repente Line 1663 Of his mysdede or þat þe feend him hente

¶ Her endeþ þe ffrere his tale /

¶ Explicit