The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

LOrdynges / ther is in yorkshire / as I gesse A merssh contree / called Holdernesse [[Painting of the Summoner]] In which / ther wente a lymytour aboute To preche / and eek to begge / it is no doute Line 1712 And so bifel / that on a day / this frere Hadde preched at a chirche in his manere And specially / abouen euery thyng/ Excited he the peple / in his prechyng Line 1716 To trentals / and to yeue for goddes sake Wher-with / men myghte hooly houses make Ther as diuine seruyce is honoured Nat ther as it is wasted and deuoured Line 1720 Ne ther it nedeth nat/ for to be yeue As to possessioners / that mowen lyue Thanked be god / in wele and habundaunce [folio 85b] Trentals seyde he / deliueren fro penaunce Line 1724 Hir freendes soules / as wel olde as yonge Ye / whan þat they been hastily ysonge Nat for to holde a preest Ioly and gay He syngeth nat but o masse in a day Line 1728 Deliuereth out quod he / anon the soules fful hard it is / with flesshhook or with oules To been yclawed / or to brenne or bake Now spede yow hastily / for cristes sake Line 1732 And whan this frere / had seyd al his entente With / qui cum patre / forth his wey he wente ¶ Whan folk in chirche / had yeue him / what hem lest He went his wey / no lenger wolde he reste Line 1736

[6-text p 386] Line 1736 With scrippe and tipped staf/ ytukked hye In euery hous / he gan to poure and prye And beggeth mele / and chese / or elles corn His felawe hadde a staf / tipped with horn Line 1740 A peyre of tables / al of yuory And a poyntel / polysshed fetisly And wroote the names / alwey as he stood Of alle folk/ that yaf hym any good Line 1744 Asaunces / that he wolde for hem prey Yif hym a busshel whete / Malt or Reye A goddes kechyl / or a trype of chese Or elles what yow lyst we may nat cheese Line 1748 A goddes halfpeny / or a masse peny Or yif vs of youre brawn / if ye haue eny A dagon of youre blanket leeue dame Oure suster deere / lo heere I write youre name Line 1752 Bacon or beef/ or swich thyng as ye fynde ¶ A sturdy harlot/ wente ay hem bihynde That was hir hostes man / and bar a sak And what men yaf hem / leyde it on his bak Line 1756 And whan þat he / was out at dore anon He planed awey / the names euerichon That he biforn / had writen in his tables He serued hem / with nyfles and with fables Line 1760 ¶ Nay ther thou lixt thou Somonour quod the frere ¶ Pees quod oure Hoost for cristes mooder deere Tel forth thy tale / and spare it nat at al ¶ So thryue I quod this Somonour / so I shal Line 1764 ¶ So longe he wente hous by hous / til he Cam til an hous / ther he was wont to be Refresshed moore / than in an hundred placis Syk lay the goode man / whos the place is Line 1768 Bedrede vp-on a couche lowe he lay Deus hic/ quod he / o Thomas freend good day Seyde this frere / curteisly and softe [folio 86a] Thomas quod he / god yelde yow / ful ofte Line 1772

[6-text p 387] Line 1772 Haue I / vp-on this bench / faren ful weel Heere haue I eten / many a myrie meel And fro the bench / he droof awey the cat And leyde adoun / his potente and his hat Line 1776 And eek his scrippe / and sette hym softe adoun His felawe / was go walked in-to toun fforth with his knaue / in-to that hostelrye Where as he shoope hym / thilke nyght to lye Line 1780 ¶ O deere maister / quod this sike man How han ye fare / sith þat March bigan? I saugh yow noght/ this fourtnyght or moore God woot quod he / laboured I haue ful soore Line 1784 And specially / for thy sauacion Haue I seyd / many a precious orison And for oure othere freendes / god hem blesse I haue to day / been at youre chirche at messe / Line 1788 And seyd a sermon / after my symple wit Nat al after/ the text of hooly writ/ ffor it is hard to yow / as I suppose And therfore / wol I teche yow al the glose Line 1792 Glosynge / is a glorious thyng certeyn ffor lettre sleeth / so as thise clerkes seyn [¶ Litera oceidit & cetera] There haue I taught hem to be charitable And spende hir good / ther it is resonable Line 1796 And there I saugh oure dame / a where is she? ¶ Yond in the yerd / I trowe þat she be Seyde this man / and she wol come anon ¶ Ey maister / wel come be ye / by seint Iohn Line 1800 Seyde this wyf / how fare ye hertely? ¶ The frere ariseth vp ful curteisly And hire embraceth in his Armes narwe And kiste hire sweete / and chirteth as a sparwe Line 1804 With his lyppes /. dame quod he right weel? As he / that is youre seruant euery deel Thanked be god / þat yow yaf soule and lyf Yet saugh I nat this day / so fair a wyf Line 1808

[6-text p 388] Line 1808 In al the chirche / god so saue me ¶ Ye / god amende defautes / sire quod she Algates / wel come be ye / by my fey Graunt mercy dame / this haue I founde alwey Line 1812 But of youre grete goodnesse / by youre leue I wolde prey yow / þat ye nat yow greue I wole with Thomas speke a litel throwe Thise curatz / been ful necligent and slowe Line 1816 To grope tendrely a conscience In shrift in prechyng is my diligence And studie / in Petres wordes / and in Poules [folio 86b] I walke / and fisshe cristen mennes soules Line 1820 To yelden Ihesu crist / his propre rente To sprede his word / is set al myn entente ¶ Now by youre leue / o deere sire quod she Chideth him weel / for seinte Trinitee Line 1824 He is as angry / as a pissemyre Though þat he haue / al that he kan desire Though I him wrye a-nyght/ and make hym warm And on hym leye my leg outher myn Arm Line 1828 He groneth lyk oure boor / lith in oure sty Oother desport ryght noon of hym haue I I may nat plese hym / in no maner cas ¶ O Thomas / Ie vous dy / Thomas / Thomas Line 1832 This maketh the feend / this moste ben amended Ire is a thyng that hye god defended And ther-of/ wol I speke a word or two ¶ Now maister quod the wyf er þat I go Line 1836 What wol ye dyne /? I wol go ther-aboute ¶ Now dame quod he / Ie vous dy sanz doute Haue I nat of a capon / but the lyuere And of youre softe breed / nat but a shyuere Line 1840 And after that a rosted pigges heed But that I nolde / no beest for me were deed Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce I am a man / of litel sustenaunce Line 1844

[6-text p 389] Line 1844 My spirit hath his fostryng in the Bible The body is ay / so redy and penyble To wake / that my stomak is destroyed I prey yow dame / ye be nat anoyed Line 1848 Though I so freendly / yow my conseil shewe By god / I wolde nat telle it but a fewe ¶ Now sire quod she / but o word er I go My child is deed / with-Inne thise wykes two Line 1852 Soone after / þat ye wente out of this toun ¶ His deeth / saugh I by reuelacioun Seith this frere / at hoom in oure dortour I dar wel seyn / that er þat half an hour Line 1856 After his deeth / I saugh hym born to blisse In myn Avision / so god me wisse So dide our Sexteyn / and oure ffermerer That han been trewe freres / fifty yeer Line 1860 They may now / god be thanked of his loone Maken hir Iubilee / and walke allone And vp I roos / and al oure Couent eke With many a teare / triklyng on my cheke Line 1864 Withouten noyse / or claterynge of belles Te deum was oure song and no thyng elles Saue / that to crist I seyde an orison [folio 87a] Thankynge hym / of his reuelacion Line 1868 ffor sire and dame / trusteth me right weel Oure orisons / been wel moore effectueel And moore we seen / of cristes secree thynges Than burel folk/ al though they weren kynges Line 1872 We lyue in pouerte / and in abstinence And burell folk / in richesse and despence Of mete and drynke / and in hir foul delit We han this worldes lust al in despit/ Line 1876 Lazar and diues / lyueden diuersly And diuerse gerdon / hadden they ther-by Who so wol preye / he moot faste and be clene And fatte his soule / and make his body lene [Melius est animam saginare quam corpus]

[6-text p 390] We fare as seith thapostle / clooth and foode [¶ Victum & vesti|tum / hiis contenti sumus & cetera] Suffisen vs / though they be nat ful goode The clennesse and the fastynge of vs freres Maketh / þat crist accepteth oure preyeres Line 1884 ¶ Lo Moyses / fourty dayes / and fourty nyght [¶ de orationibus & Ieiunijs .] ffasted / er þat the heighe god of myght Spak with hym / in the mount of Synay With empty wombe / fastynge many a day Line 1888 Receyued he the lawe / that was writen With goddes fynger / and Elye wel ye witen In mount Oreb / er he hadde any speche With hye god / that is oure lyues leche Line 1892 He fasted longe / and was in contemplaunce ¶ Aaron / that hadde the temple in gouernaunce And eek/ that othere preestes euerichon In-to the temple / whan they sholde gon Line 1896 To preye for the peple / and do seruyse They nolden drynken / in no maner wyse No drynke / which þat myghte hem dronke make But there / in abstinence preye and wake Line 1900 Lest that they deyden / taak heede what I seye But they be sobre / that for the peple preye War that /· I seye namoore / for it suffiseth Oure lord Ihesu / as hooly writ deuyseth Line 1904 Yaf vs ensample / of fastynge and preyeres Therfore / we mendynantz / we sely freres Been wedded / to pouerte and continence To charite / humblesse / and abstinence Line 1908 To persecucion / for rightwisnesse To wepynge / Misericorde and clennesse And therfore may ye se / þat oure preyeres I speke of vs / we mendynantz we freres Line 1912 Been to the hye god / moore acceptable Than youres / with youre feestes at the table ffro Paradys first if I shal nat lye [folio 87b] Was man out chaced / for his glotonye Line 1916

[6-text p 391] Line 1916 And chaast was man / in Paradys certeyn ¶ But herkne Thomas / what I shal seyn I ne haue no text of it/ as I suppose But I shal fynde it/ in a maner glose Line 1920 That specially / oure sweete lord Ihesus Spak this by freres / whan he seyde thus ¶ Blessed be they / that pouere in spirit been And so forth / al the gospel / may ye seen Line 1924 Wher it be likker / oure professioun Or hirs / that swymmen in possessioun ffy on hire pompe / and hire glotonye And for hir lewednesse / I hem diffye Line 1928 ¶ Me thynketh / they been lyk Iovinyan ffat as a whale / and walkynge as a swan Al vinolent as Botel in the spence Hir preyere / is of ful greet reuerence Line 1932 Whan they for soules / seye the psalm of Dauit/ Lo / but they seye / cor meum eructauit/ Who folweth / cristes gospel / and his foore? But we þat humble been / and chaast and poore Line 1936 Werkeris of goddes word / not Auditours Therfore / right as an hauk vp at a sours Vp springeth in-to their / right so prayeres Of charitable / and chaste bisy freres Line 1940 Maken hir sours / to goddes eres two Thomas Thomas / so moote I ryde or go And by that lord / þat clepid is seint Yue Nere thou oure brother / sholdestou nat thryue Line 1944 In our Chapitre / praye we day and nyght To crist/ þat he thee sende / heele and myght Thy body / for to weelden hastily ¶ God woot quod he / no thyng ther-of feele I Line 1948 As help me crist as in a fewe yeres I han spent / vp-on diuerse manere freres fful many a pound / yet fare I neuer the bet Certeyn my good / I haue almoost biset Line 1952

[6-text p 392] Line 1952 ffarwel my gold / for it is al ago ¶ The frere answerde / o Thomas dostow so? What nedeth yow / diuerse freres seche What nedeth hym / þat hath a parfit leche Line 1956 To sechen / othere leches in the toun? Youre inconstance / is youre confusioun Holde ye thanne me / or elles oure Couent To praye for yow / been insufficient? Line 1960 Thomas that Iape / nys nat worth a myte Youre maladye / is for we han to lyte A yif that Couent/ half a quarter otes [folio 88a] A yif that Couent/ .xxiiij. grotes Line 1964 A yif that frere a peny / and lat hym go Nay nay Thomas / it may no thyng be so What is a ferthyng worth / parted in twelue Lo ech thyng that is oned / in it selue [Omnis virtus vnita / forcior est seipsa dispersa] Is moore strong than whan it is toscatered Thomas / of me / thou shalt nat been yflatered Thou woldest han oure labour al for noght The hye god / that al this world hath wroght Line 1972 Seith that the werkman / worthy is his hyre [¶ Dignus est operarius mercede & cetera] Thomas / noght of youre tresor I desire As for my self but that al oure Couent To preye for yow / is ay so diligent Line 1976 And for to buylden / cristes owene chirche Thomas / if ye wol lernen for to wirche Of buyldynge vp of chirches / may ye fynde If it be good / in Thomas lyf of Inde Line 1980 Ye lye heere / ful of Anger of Ire With which / the deuel set youre herte afyre And chiden heere / the sely Innocent Youre wyf/ that is so meke and pacient Line 1984 And therfore Thomas / trowe me if thee leste Ne stryue nat with thy wyf/ as for thy beste And ber this word awey / now by thy feith Touchynge this thyng lo what the wise seith Line 1988

[6-text p 393] Line 1988 ¶ With-Inne thyn hous ne be thou no leoun [¶ Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua / euertens domesticos tuos op|primens subiectos tibi.] To thy subgitz / do noon oppressioun Ne make thyne aqueyntances / nat for to flee And Thomas / yet eft-soones I charge thee Line 1992 Be war from hire / þat in thy bosom slepeth Be war/ fro the serpent/ that so slily crepeth Vnder the gras / and styngeth subtilly Be war my sone / and herkne paciently Line 1996 That twenty thousand men / han lost hir lyues ffor stryuyng with hir lemmans and hir wyues Now sith ye han / so hooly meke a wyf What nedeth yow Thomas / to maken stryf Line 2000 Ther nys ywys / no serpent so cruel What man tret on his tayl / ne half so fel As womman is / whan she hath caught an Ire Vengeance is thanne / al that they desire Line 2004 Ire is a synne / oon of the grete of seuene Abhomynable / vn-to the god of heuene And to hym self/ it is destruccion This euery lewed viker or person Line 2008 Kan seye / how Ire engendreth homycide Ire is in sooth / executour of pryde I koude of Ire seye / so muche sorwe [folio 88b] My tale / sholde laste / til tomorwe Line 2012 And therfore / preye I god / bothe day and nyght An Irous man / god sende hym litel myght It is greet harm / and eek greet pitee To sette an Irous man / in heigh degree Line 2016

WHilom / ther was an Irous potestat/ [¶ de quodam potes|tate Iracundo] As seith Senek that durynge his estaat Vp-on a day / out ryden knyghtes two And as ffortune / wolde that it were so Line 2020 That oon of hem cam hoom/ that oother noght Anon the knyght bifore the Iuge is broght That seyde thus / thou hast thy felawe slayn ffor which / I deme thee to the deeth certayn Line 2024

[6-text p 394] Line 2024 And to another knyght comanded he Go lede hym to the deeth / I charge thee And happed / as they wente by the weye Toward the place / ther he sholde deye Line 2028 The knyght cam / which men wenden had be deed Thanne thoughte they / it was the beste reed To lede hem bothe / to the Iuge agayn They seiden lord / the knyght ne hath nat slayn Line 2032 His felawe / heere he standeth hool alyue Ye shul be deed quod he / so moot I thryue That is to seyn / bothe oon / and two / and thre And to the firste knyght right thus spak he Line 2036 I dampned thee / thou most algate be deed And thou also / most nedes lese thyn heed ffor thou art cause / why thy felawe deyth And to the thridde knyght right thus he seith Line 2040 Thou hast nat doon / that I comanded thee And thus / he dide doon sleen hem alle thre

Irous Cambises / was eek dronkelewe And ay delited hym / to been a shrewe Line 2044 And so bifel / a lord of his meynee That loued vertuous moralitee Seyde on a day / bitwene hem two right thus ¶ A lord is lost if he be vicius Line 2048 And dronkenesse / is eek/ a foul record Of any man / and namely in a lord Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere Awaityng on a lord / and he noot where Line 2052 ffor goddes loue / drynk moore attemprely Wyn maketh man / to lesen wrecchedly His mynde / and hise lymes euerichon ¶ The reuers shaltou se / quod he anon Line 2056 And preeue it by thyn owene experience That wyn / ne dooth to folk no swich offence Ther is no wyn / bireueth me my myght [folio 89a] Of hand ne foot/ ne of myne eyen sight Line 2060

[6-text p 395] Line 2060 And for despit/ he drank ful muchel moore And hondred part/ than he hadde bifoore And right anon / this Irous cursed wrecche Leet/ this knyghtes sone / bifore hym fecche Line 2064 Comandynge hym / he sholde bifore hym stonde And sodeynly / he took his bowe in honde And vp the streng he pulled to his ere And with an arwe / he slow the child right there Line 2068 Now / wheither haue I / a siker hand or noon Quod he / is al my myght and mynde agon Hath wyn bireft me myne eyen sight ¶ What sholde I telle / thanswere of the knyght Line 2072 His sone was slayn / ther is namoore to seye Beth war therfore / with lordes how ye pleye Syngeth Placebo / and I shal if I kan But if it be / vn-to a poure man Line 2076 To a poure man / men sholde hise vices telle But nat to a lord / thogh he sholde go to helle

LO Irous Cirus / thilke Percien How he destroyed / the ryuer of Gysen Line 2080 ffor that an hors of his was dreynt ther-Inne Whan þat he wente / Babiloigne to wynne He made / that the Ryuer / was so smal That wommen / myghte wade it ouer al Line 2084 Lo what seyde he / that so wel teche kan Ne be no felawe to an Irous man Ne with no wood man / walke by the weye Lest thee repente / ther is namoore to seye Line 2088

NOw Thomas leeue brother / lef thyn Ire Thou shalt me fynde / as Iust/ as is a squyre Hoold nat the deueles knyf ay at thyn herte Thyn angre dooth thee / al to soore smerte Line 2092 But shewe to me / al thy confession ¶ Nay quod the sike man / by Seint Symon I haue be shryuen this day / at my curat I haue hym toold hoolly al myn estat Line 2096

[6-text p 396] Line 2096 Nedeth namoore / to speken of it seith he But if me list/ of myn humylitee ¶ Yif me thanne of thy gold / to make oure cloystre Quod he / for many a Muscle / and many an oystre Line 2100 Whan othere men / han ben ful wel at eyse Hath been oure foode / our cloystre for to reyse And yet god woot vnnethe the fundement Parfourned is / ne of our pauement Line 2104 Nys nat a tyl yet/ with-Inne oure wones By god / we owen fourty pound for stones ¶ Now help Thomas / for hym that harwed helle [folio 89b] ffor elles / moste we oure bookes selle Line 2108 And if ye lakke / oure predicacion Thanne goth the world / al to destruccion ffor who so wolde / vs fro this world bireue So god me saue / Thomas by youre leue Line 2112 He wolde bireue / out of this world the sonne ffor who kan teche / and werchen as we konne And that is nat of litel tyme quod he But syn Ennok was / or Elise Line 2116 Han freres been / that fynde I of record In charitee / ythanked be oure lord Now Thomas / helpe for seinte charitee And doun anon / he sette hym on his knee Line 2120

THis sike man / wax wel ny wood for Ire He wolde / þat the frere / had been on fire With his false dissymulacion Swich thyng as is in my possession Line 2124 Quod he / that may I yeuen / and noon oother Ye sey me thus / that I am youre brother ¶ Ye certes quod the frere / trusteth weel I took oure dame / oure lettre and oure seel Line 2128 ¶ Now wel quod he / and som what shal I yeue Vn-to youre hooly Couent whil I lyue And in thyn hand / thou shalt it haue anon On this condicion / and oother noon Line 2132

[6-text p 397] Line 2132 That thou departe it so / my leeue brother That euery frere / haue also muche as oother This shaltou swere / on thy profession With-outen fraude / or cauillacion Line 2136 ¶ I swere it quod this frere / by my feith And ther-with-al / his hand in his he leith Lo heer my feith / in me shal be no lak ¶ Now thanne put In thyn hand doun by my bak Line 2140 Seyde this man / and grope wel bihynde Bynethe my buttok ther shaltow fynde A thyng that I haue hyd in pryuetee ¶ A thoghte this frere / this shal go with me Line 2144 And doun his hand / he launcheth to the clifte In hope / for to fynde there a yifte And whan this sike man / felte this frere Aboute his tuwel / grope there and heere Line 2148 Amydde his hand / he leet the frere a fart Ther nys no capul / drawynge in a Cart That myghte haue lete a fart of swich a soun ¶ The frere vp stirte / as dooth a wood leoun Line 2152 A fals cherl quod he / for goddes bones This hastow for despit doon for the nones Thou shalt abye this fart if that I may [folio 90a] ¶ His meynee / whiche that herden this affray Line 2156 Cam lepynge In / and chaced out the frere And forth he gooth / with a ful Angry cheere And fette his felawe / ther as lay his stoor He looked / as it were a wilde boor Line 2160 He grynte with his teeth / so was he wrooth A sturdy paas / doun to the lordes court he gooth Wher as woned a man / of greet honour To whom / that he was alwey confessour Line 2164 This worthy man / was lord of that village This frere cam / as he were in a rage Where as this lord / sat etyng at his bord Vnnethes / myghte the frere / speke a word Line 2168

[6-text p 398] Line 2168 Til atte laste / he seyde / god yow see ¶ This lord bigan to looke / and seide benedicitee What frere Iohn / what maner world is this? I trowe / som maner thyng ther is amys Line 2172 Ye looken / as the wode / were ful of theuys Sit doun anon / and tel me what youre grief is And it shal been amended / if that I may ¶ I haue quod he / had a despit this Day Line 2176 God yelde yow / adoun in youre village That in this world / is noon so poure a page That he nolde haue abhomynacioun Of that I haue receyued in youre toun Line 2180 And yet greueth me / no thyng so soore As that this olde cherl / with lokkes hoore Blasphemed hath / oure hooly Couent eke ¶ Now maister quod this lord / I yow biseke Line 2184 ¶ No maister quod he / but seruitour Thogh I haue had in scole swich honour God liketh nat that Raby men vs calle Neither in Market ne in youre large halle Line 2188 ¶ No fors quod he / but tel me al youre grief ¶ Sire quod he / an odious meschief/ This day bityd is / to myn ordre and me And so per consequens / in ech degree Line 2192 Of hooly chirche / god amende it soone ¶ Sire quod the lord / ye woot what is to doone Distempre yow noght / ye be my Confessour Ye been the salt of the erthe / and the savour Line 2196 ffor goddes loue / youre pacience ye holde Tel me youre grief/ and he anon hym tolde As ye han herd biforn / ye woot wel what ¶ The lady of the hous / al stille sat/ Line 2200 Til she had herd / what the frere sayde Ey goddes mooder quod she / blisful mayde Is ther oght elles / telle me feithfully [folio 90b] ¶ Madame quod he / how thynke ye her-by? Line 2204

[6-text p 399] Line 2204 ¶ How that me thynketh quod she? so god me speede I seye / a cherle hath doon / a cherles dede What shold I seye / god lat hym neuere thee His sike heed / is ful of vanytee Line 2208 I holde hym / in a manere frenesye ¶ Madame quod he / by god I shal nat lye But I on hym / oother weyes be wreke I shal disclaundre hym / ouer al ther I speke Line 2212 This false blasphemour / that charged me To parte / that wol nat departed be To euery man yliche / with meschaunce ¶ The lord sat stille / as he were in a traunce Line 2216 And in his herte / he rolled vp and doun How hadde the cherl / this ymaginacioun? To shewe swich a probleme / to the frere Neuere erst er now / herd I of swich mateere Line 2220 I trowe / the deuel / putte it in his mynde In Ars Metrik shal ther no man fynde Biforn this day / of swich a question Certes / it was a shrewed conclusion Line 2224 That euery man / sholde haue yliche his part As of the soun / or savour/ of a fart O vile proude cherl / I shrewe his face Lo sires quod the lord / with harde grace Line 2228 Who herd euere of swich a thyng er now To euery man ylike / tel me how? It is an inpossible / it may nat be Ey nyce cherl / god lete thee neuere thee Line 2232 The rumblynge of a fart/ and euery soun Nis but of Eir reuerberacioun And euere it wasteth / litel and litel awey Ther is no man / kan demen by my fey Line 2236 If that it were departed equally What lo my cherl / lo yet how shrewedly Vn-to my confessour / to day he spak I holde hym certeyn / a demonyak Line 2240

[6-text p 400] Line 2240 Now ete youre mete / and lat the cherl go pleye Lat hym go honge hymself a deuel weye