The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400., Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.
§ 1. THE MANCIPLE'S HEAD-LINK. CAMBRIDGE MS.
Heryth the merye wordys of the Host to the cok of Lundene.*. [[Gap of two lines in the MS.]]
[folio 393b]WOte ȝe not where there stant a lityl toun
Which*. [[word scratcht out]] that I-clepid is Bobbe vp & doun
Vndyr the ble in Cauntyrbury weye
Theere gan oure ost for to Iape & pleye
4
And seyde seris what doun is in the myre
Is there no man for preyere ne for hire
That wole a-wake oure felawe here be-hynde
A thef myghte ful lightely hym robbe & bynde
8
Se how he nappith so how for*. [[word scratcht out]] Cokkis bonys
That he wele falle from his hors at onys
Is that a cok of lundene with myschaunce
Do hym come forth he knowith his penaunce
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ffor he schal telle a tale be myn fey
Al thow it be not worth a botel hey*. [[otel hey, later?]]
A-wake thow cok quod he god ȝeue the sorwe
What eylith the to slepe by the morwe
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Hast thow had flen al nyght or art thow dronke
Or hast thow with sum quene al nyght I-swonkyn
So that thow mayst nat holdyn vp thyn hed
This cok that was ful pale & no thing red
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Seyde to oure hoost so god me blysse
As there is fallyn on me swich heuynesse
Not I not why that me were leuere slepe
Than the beste galoun wyn in chepe
Page 568 [6-text p 577]
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// Wel quod the Maunciple ȝif it may doon ese
25
To the sere Cook & to no whight displese
Whiche that here rydyth in this cumpaynye
And that oure host wele of his curteysye
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I wele as now excuse the of thyn tale
ffor in good fey thyn visage is ful pale
Thynne eyne daswe ek as that me thynkith
And weel I wot thyn breth ful soure stynkith
32
That schewith weel thow art nat weel disposed [folio 394a]
Of me certeyn thow schalt nat been I-glosed
Se how he ganyth lo this dronkene wight
As thow he wolde swelwe vs a-noon right
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Hold clos thyn mouth man by thyn fadyr kyn
The deuyl of helle set his foot ther in
Thyn cursede breth wele enfecte vs alle
ffy stynkynge swyn fy foule mote the be-falle
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A takyth hede seris of this lusty man
Now swete seris wole ȝe Iuste at the fan
There-to me thynkyth ȝe been weel I-schape
I trowe that ȝe dronkyn han wyn ape
44
And that is whan men pleyen with a straw
And with his speche the Cook wex wroth & wraw
And on the Manciple he gan nodde faste
ffor lak of speche & doun the hors hym caste
48
Wheere as he lay tyl that the hym vp tok
This was a fayr chiuache of a cook
Allas ne hadde holde hym bi his ladil
And er that he ageyn were in his sadil
52
Theere was greet schowyng / bothe two & fro
To lyfte hym vp & meche care & wo
So vnwery was this sorye pallede gost
And to the mauncyple thanne spak oure hoost
56
By-cause drynk hat dominacioun
Vp-on this man by myn saluacioun
I trowe lewedely he wolde telle his tale
ffor were it wyn or old / or moysti ale
Page 569 [6-text p 578]
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That he hath dronkyn he spekyth in his nose
61
And sneseth faste & ek he hath the pose
He hath also to don moore than I-nogh
To kepe hym & his capil out of the slow
64
And If he falle from his capil eft sone
Thanne schal we alle han I-nogh to done
To liftyn vp his heuy dronkene cors
Telle on thyn tale of hym make I no fors
68
// But ȝit Manciple In feyth thow art to nyce
Thus opynly repreue hym of his vyce
Anothir day he wele parauenture [folio 394b]
Reclayme the & brynge the to loure
72
I mene he speke wele of smale thyngis
As for to pynche at thynne rekenyngis
That were nat onest ȝif that it come to pref
// No quod the Manciple that were a greet myschef
76
So myght he lyghtely brynge me in the snare
Ȝit hadde I leuere payen for the mare
Whiche he rit on than he schulde with me stryue
I wele nat wrathe hym also mote I thyrue
80
That that I spak I seyde but in borde
And wete ȝe weel I haue heere in a gorde
A draght of wyn ȝa of a ripe grape
And right a-noon ȝe schul seen a good Iape
84
This cok schal drenke therof If I may
Vp peyne of deth he wele nat sey me nay
And certeynly to tellyn as it was
Of this vessel this Cook drank faste allas
88
What nedith hym he drank I-now by-forn
And whan he hadde poupid in this horn
To the manciple he tok the gorde a-geyn
And of that drenk the Cook was wondyr fayn
92
And thankede hym in swich wyse as he coude
Thanne gan oure hoost to laghe wondyr loude
And seyde I se weel it is necessarie
96
ffor that wele turne rancour & disese.
97
To a-cord & loue & manye a wrong appese.
O Bacus I-blyssede 1be thyn name.1*. [[1_1 corrected]]
That so canst turne ernest in-to game.
100
Worchipe & thank be to thyn deite.
Of that matiere ȝe gete namore of me.
Telle on thyn tale manciple I the preye.
Weel sere quod he herkenyth what I schal seye.*. [[The remainder of the page is blank.]]
104