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

§ 4. THE SHIPMAN'S TALE.

¶ Here bygynneþ þe schipmannes tale [on leaf 204]

A Marchaunt whilom dwelled at Seint Denys [Ca^m] That riche was for which men heelde him wys [xvij^m.] A wyf he hadde of excellent beaute And compynable and reuerent was sche Which is a þing þat causeþ more dispence þen worþ is alle þe cheere and reuerence Line 1196 That men haue doon at festes and at daunces Suche salutaciouns and contynances Passeþ as doþ þe schadewe on a wal But woo is him þat paye moot for al Line 1200 þe sely housband algates he moste paye he moot vs cloþe and vs arraye As for his owen worschipe richely In which aray we daunce Iolyly Line 1204 And if þat he nouȝt may per aduenture [folio 204b] Or elles luste no suche spenses endure / But þenkeþ it is waste and y-loste / Thenne moot anoþer payen for oure coste Line 1208 Or lene us golde and þat is perilous þis noble marchand held a noble hous ffor which he hadde alday gret repayre ffor his largenesse and for his wyf was fayre Line 1212 þat wonder is but herkeneþ to my tale Amonges all his gestes grete and smale / þer was a monk a fair man and a bolde I trowe a þritty wynter he was olde / Line 1216 That euer in oon was drawyng to þe place þis ȝonge monk þat was so fair of face

[6-text p 169] Aqueynted was so wiþ þis goode man Siþenes þat here firste knowleche bygan Line 1220 That in his hous as ffamuler was he As it is possible eny frend to be And for as mekel as þe goode man And eek þis monk of which þat I bygan Line 1224 Were boþe tuo y-born in o village The monk him claymeþ as for cosynage And he aȝein he saiþ nought ones nay But was as glad þer of as foul of day Line 1228 ffor to his herte it was a gret plesaunce þus ben þay knitte wiþ eterne alliaunce / And ilke of hem gan oþer for to assure / Of broþerhode whiles þat here lyf may dure Line 1232 ffre was daun Iohn and namely of dispense As in þat hous and ful of diligence To do plesaunce and also gret costage / he nought forgat to ȝiue þe leste page / Line 1236 In al þat hous but after here degre He ȝaf þe lord and seþins al his meyne / Whan þat he came som maner honest þing ffor which þey were al glad of his comyng Line 1240 As foul is fayn whan sonne vp ariseþ [folio 205a] Namore of þis as now for it suffiseþ But so bifell þis marchaund vpon a day Schop him to make redy his array Line 1244 Toward þe toun of Bruges for to fare To byen þere a porcioun of ware ffor which he haþ to Parys sent anon A messanger and preyed haþ doun Ion Line 1248 That he schulde come to seint Denys and pleye Wiþ him and with his wyf a day or tweye Or he to Bruges wente in all wyse This noble monk of which I ȝou deuyse Line 1252 haþ of his abbot as him lust licence By cause he was a man of heih prudence

[6-text p 170] And eek an officer out for to ryde To see here graunges and here bernes wyde Line 1256 And vnto seynt Denys he comeþ anon Who was so welcome as my lord daun Iohn Oure deere cosyn ful of curtesye Wiþ him brought he a Iobbe of maluesye Line 1260 And eek anoþer ful of good vernage And volatille as ay was his vsage And þus I lete hem ete and drynke and pleye This marchand and þis monk a day or tweye / Line 1264 The þridde day þis marchand vp ariseþ And on his needes sadly him aviseþ And vp in to his countourhous goþ he / To rekne wiþ himselue wel may be Line 1268 Of þilke ȝeer how þat it with him stood And how þat he despended hadde his good And if þat he encresed were or non his bokes and his bagges many oon Line 1272 he leyþ bifore him on his countyng bord fful riche was his tresour and his hoord ffor which ful faste his counterhous dore he schette And eek he nolde noman schulde him lette Line 1276 Of his acountes for þe mene tyme [folio 205b] And þus he sitte til it was passed prime Daun Iohn was rysen in þe morne also / And in þe gardyn walkeþ to and fro Line 1280 And haþ his þinges sayde deuoutely þis goode wyf cam walkynge pryuely In to þe gardyn þer he walkeþ softe And him salueth as sche haþ don ofte Line 1284 A mayden childe came in hire companye Which at hire luste may gouerne and gye ffor ȝit vnder þe ȝerde was þe mayde O deere Cosyn myn daun Iohn sche sayde / Line 1288 What eyleþ ȝou so raþe to aryse Nece quod he it aughte ynough suffise

[6-text p 171] ffyue houres for to slepen on a nyght But it were for an olde palled knight Line 1292 As ben þese wedded men þat lye and dare As in a forme sitte alway an hare Were al forstraught wiþ houndes grete and smale But deere neece why be ȝe so pale / Line 1296 I trowe certes þat oure goode man haþ ȝou laboured seþenes þe night bygan þat ȝou were neede to resten hastily And wiþ þat word he lough ful meryly Line 1300 And of his owne þought he wax al reed This fayre wyf gan to schake hire heed And sayde þus ȝe god wot al quod sche Nay cosyn myn it stant nouȝt so wiþ me / Line 1304 ffor by þat god þat ȝaff/ me soule and lyf In all þe rewme of ffraunce is þer no wyf That lasse lust haþ to þat sory pley ffor I may synge allas and welawey Line 1308 þat I was born but to no wight quod sche Dar I nouȝt telle how it stant wiþ me Wherfore I þenke out of þis lond to wende Or elles of myself to make an ende / Line 1312 So ful am I of drede and of care [folio 206a] This monk bygan vpon þis wyf to stare And sayde allas my neece god it forbede That ȝe for eny sorwe or ony drede Line 1316 ffordo ȝoure self but telleþ forþ ȝoure greef Peraduenture I may in ȝour mescheef Counseile or helpe and þerfore telleþ me All ȝoure annoye for it schal be secre Line 1320 ffor on my portos I make an oth þat neuer in my lijf for leef ne loþ Ne schal I of no counseil ȝou bewreye The same aȝein to ȝou quod sche I seye Line 1324 By god and by þis portos I swere þey men wolde me al to peeces tere

[6-text p 172] Ne schal I neuer for to go in to helle Bewreye a word of þing þat ȝe me telle / Line 1328 Nought for no cosynage ne alliaunce But verreily for loue and affiaunce Thus ben þey swore and her-vpon y-kiste And ilk of hem tolde oþer what hem liste Line 1332 Cosyn quod sche if I hadde a space As I haue non and namely in þis place þanne wolde I telle a legende of my lyf What I haue suffred sethens I was a wyf Line 1336 Wiþ myn housband and þeigh he be ȝour cosyn Nay quod þis monk by god and by seint Martyn he nys no more cosyn vnto me þan is þis leef þat hangeþ on þe tre Line 1340 I clepe him so by seint Denys in ffraunce To haue þe more cause of acqueyntaunce Of ȝou which I haue loued specially Abouen all wommen sikerly Line 1344 This were ynough on my profession Telleþ ȝoure greef lest þat he come a-doun And hasteþ ȝou and goþ ȝoure wey anon My deere loue quod sche O daun Iohn Line 1348 fful leef me were þis counseil to hyde [folio 206b] But out it mot it may no lenger abyde myn housbond is to me þe worste man þat euer was siþenes þe world bygan Line 1352 But siþenes I am a wyf it sit nouȝt me To telle no wight of oure pryuyte Neyþer a bedde ne in non oþer place God schilde I scholde telle it for his grace Line 1356 A wyf ne schal nat seyn of hire housband But all honour as I can vnderstande Saue vnto ȝou þus moche telle I schal As help me god he nys nouȝt worþ at al Line 1360 In no degre þe value of a flye But ȝit me greueþ most his nyggardye

[6-text p 173] And wel ȝe woot þat wommen naturelly Desyren þinges seuen as wel as I Line 1364 þey wolden þat here housbandes scholde be hardy and wys riche and þer-to fre And buxum to his wyf and freissch a bedde But by þat ilke lord þat for vs bledde Line 1368 ffor his honour my selue to arraye A sonday next I moste paye An hundred ffrankes or elles am I lorn Ȝet were me leuer þat I were vnborn Line 1372 þenne me were don a sclaunder or vilenye And if myn housbande eeke might aspye I nere but lost and þerfore I ȝou preye lene me þis somme and elles mot I deye Line 1376 Daun Iohn I say lene me þese hundred frankes Par de I wol not fayle þe my þankes If þat ȝou luste to do þat I ȝou pray ffor at a certein day I wole ȝou pay Line 1380 And do to ȝou what plesaunce and seruise That I may do right as ȝou lust deuyse And but I do god take on me vengaunce As foule as hadde genylon of ffraunce Line 1384 This gentil monk answerde in þis manere [folio 207a] Now trewely myn owen lady deere I haue quod he on ȝou so gret a rouþe That I ȝou swere and plighte ȝou my trouþe Line 1388 That whan ȝoure housbonde is to fflaundres fare I wol delyuer ȝou out of þis worldes care / ffor I wol bringen ȝou an hundred frankes And wiþ þat he caught hir by þe schankes Line 1392 And hire enbraced harde and kissed ofte Goþ now ȝoure weye quod he al stille and softe And let vs dyne as sone as euer ȝe may ffor by my chilyndre it is prime of þe day Line 1396 Goþ now and beþ as trewe as I schal be / Now elles god forbede sire quod sche

[6-text p 174] And forþ sche goþ as gelous as a pye And bad þe cokes þat þey schulde hem hye Line 1400 So þat men mighte dyne and þat anon vp to hir housbonde is þis wyf y-gon And knokkeþ at his countour boldely Quy la quod he peter it am I Line 1404 Quoþ sche what how longe wol ȝe faste / how longe tyme wol ȝe rekne and caste Ȝoure sommes ȝoure bokes and ȝoure þinges þe deuyl haue part on all suche rekenynges Line 1408 Ȝe han ynough parde of goddes sonde Come doun to day and lete ȝoure bagge stonde Ne be ȝe nought aschamed þat Daun Iohn Schal fastyng al þis day elenge gon Line 1412 What lete vs heere masse go we dyne Wyf quod þis man ful lytel canstow dyuyne The curious busynesse þat we haue ffor of vs chapmen so god me saue Line 1416 And by þat lord þat called is seint yue Skarsly amonges twelue tweye schuln þriue Continuelly lastyng vnto oure age We may wel make chere and good visage Line 1420 And dryue forþ þe world as it may be [folio 207b] And kepen oure estate in priuite Til we be deed or elles þat we pleye A pylgrymage or gon out of þe weye Line 1424 And þerfore haue I gret necessite vpon þis queynte worlde to auyse me ffor euermore we mote stande in drede Of happe and fortune in oure chapmanhede Line 1428 To fflaundres wol I go to morne at day And come aȝein as sone as euer I may ffor which my deere wyff I þe beseke As be to euery wight buxom and meke Line 1432 And for to kepe oure good be curious And honestly gouerne wel oure hous

[6-text p 175] þou hast ynough in euery maner wyse That to a thrifty housbonde may suffise Line 1436 The lakkeþ non array ne no vitayle Of Siluer in þi purs þou mayst nouȝt fayle And wiþ þat word his countour dore he schette And doun he goþ no lenger nolde he lette Line 1440 And hastyly a masse was þer sayde And speedly þe tables were layde And to þe dyner faste þey hem speede And richely þis monk þe Chapman fedde Line 1444 And after dyner daun Iohn soburly This Chapman took a part al pryuyly he seyde him þus cosyn it standeþ so þat wel I see to Bruges wolle ȝe go Line 1448 God and seint austyn spede ȝou and gyde I pray ȝou Cosyn wysly þat ȝe ryde Gouerneþ ȝou also of ȝoure dyete And temperally and namely in þis hete Line 1452 Bytwixe vs tuo needeþ no straunge fare ffare wel cosyn god schilde ȝou fro care If eny þing þer be by day or by night If it ligge in my power and my might Line 1456 That ȝe me wol comaunde in eny wyse [folio 208a] It schal be doon right as ȝe wil deuyse O þing er þat ȝe gon if þat it may be I wolde preye ȝou for þe loue of me Line 1460 An hundred frankes for a wyke or tweye ffor certeyn bestes þat I moste beye To store with a place þat is owres God helpe me I wolde þat it were ȝowres Line 1464 I schal nought fayle suerly of my day Nought for a þousand frankes a myle way But lete þis þing be secre I ȝou preye Ȝe schulle be payed wher þat I lyue or deye Line 1468 And fare now wel myn owen cosyn dere Graunt mercy of ȝoure cost and of ȝoure chere

[6-text p 176] This noble marchaunt gentilly anon Answerde and sayde O Cosyn daun Iohn Line 1472 Now sikerly þis is a smal requeste My gold is ȝoures whan þat euer ȝou leste And nought oonly my gold but my chaffare Tak what ȝou leste god schilde þat ȝe spare Line 1476 But o þing is ȝe knowe it wel ynough Of chapmen þat here monee is here plough We may creaunce whiles we haue a name / But goldles for to be it is no game Line 1480 Pay it aȝein whan it liþ in ȝour ese After my might ful fayn wolde l ȝou plese þise hundred frankes he fette forþ anon And pryuyly he took hit to daun Iohn Line 1484 No wight in al þis world wist of þis lone Sauyng þis marchaunt and daun Iohn allone þey dranken and romed out to pleye Til þat daun Iohn rydeþ to his abbeye Line 1488 þe morne came and forþ þis marchaunt rydeþ To fflaundres ward his prentys wel him gydeþ Til he cam in to Bruges meryly Now goþ þis marchaunt faste and bysyly Line 1492 Aboute his neede and byeþ and creaunceþ [folio 208b] he neyþer pleyeþ at þe dys ne daunceþ But as a marchand schortly for to telle he leet his wyf and þer I lete him dwelle Line 1496 þe sonday next þe marchaunt was agon To seint Denys I-comen is Daun Iohn Wiþ croune and berde freissch and newe schaue In al þe hous þer nas so lite a knaue Line 1500 Ne no wight elles þat he nas fayn ffor þat my lord doun Iohn was come agayn And schortly to here poynt for to gon þis fayre wyf acordeþ to daun Iohn Line 1504 And for þis hundred ffrankes he schulde al night haue hire in his armes bolt vpright

[6-text p 177] And þis acorde parfourmed was in dede In myrþe al night / a busy lyf þey lede Line 1508 Til it was day þat daun Iohn went his way And bade þe meyne far wel haue good day ffor non of hem ne no wight in þe toun haþ of daun Iohn right non suspecioun Line 1512 and forþ he rydeþ home to his abbay Or wher him luste no more of him I say This marchaunt whan þat ended was þe ffayre To seint Denys he gan for to repayre Line 1516 And wiþ his wyf he makeþ feste and chere And telleþ hire þat chaffare is so deere þat needes moste he make a Cheuesaunce ffor he was bounden in a reconysaunce Line 1520 To paye xx þousand scheldes anon ffor which þis marchaunt is y-wont to gon To borwe of certein frendes þat he hadde A certeyn frankes and some wiþ him he ladde Line 1524 And whan þat he was come in to þe toun ffor gret chierte and gret/ affeccioun vnto daun Iohn he ferst him goþ to pleye Nought for to borwe of him no moneye Line 1528 But for to wite and se of his welfare [folio 209a] And for to tellen him of his chaffare As frendes don when þey ben mette in feere Daun Iohn him makeþ feste and mery cheere Line 1532 And he him tolde aȝein ful specially how he hadde brought ful wel and graciously þanked be god al hool his marchaundise Saue þat he moste in all maner wyse Line 1536 Maken a cheuysance as for his beste And þenne he schulde be in ioye and reste Daun Iohn answerde certes I am fayn þat ȝe in hele be come home agayn Line 1540 And if þat I were riche as haue I blisse Of twenty þousand scheldes scholde ȝe nouȝt misse

[6-text p 178] ffor ȝe so kyndely þis oþer day Lente me golde as I can and may Line 1544 I þanke ȝou by god and by seint Iame But naþeles I took vnto oure dame Ȝoure wyf at home þe same gold aȝain vpon ȝoure benche sche wot it wel certain Line 1548 By certein toknes þat I can hire telle / Now by ȝoure leue I may no lenger dwelle Oure abbot wol out of þis toun anon And in his companye mot I gon Line 1552 Gret wel oure dame myn owen nece swete And fare wel dere cosyn til we mete This marchaunt wiþ þat was ful war and wys Creaunsed haþ and eek payed in Parys Line 1556 To certein lumbardes redy in here hand þis somme of gold and gat of hem þe band And home he goþ mery as popyngay ffor wel he knew he stood in such aray Line 1560 þat needes moste he wynne in such a viage A þousend frankes abouen al his costage his wyf ful redy mette him atte gate As sche was wont of old vsage algate Line 1564 And al þat night in mirþe þey besette / [folio 209b] ffor he was riche and clerly out of dette Whan it was day þis marchant gan enbrace / his wyf al newe and kissed hire on hire face Line 1568 And vp he goþ and makeþ it wonder tough No more quod sche by god ȝe haue ynough And wantounly aȝein wiþ him sche pleyde Tille atte laste þat þis marchant seyde Line 1572 By god quod he I am a litel wroþ Wiþ ȝou my wyf þough it be me loth And wote ȝe why by god as þat I gesse ffor ye haue made a maner straungenesse Line 1576 Bytwixen me and my cosyn daun Iohn Ȝe schulde haue warned me er I hadde gon

[6-text p 179] þat he hadde ȝou an hundred frankes payed By redy tokne and he him held yuel payed Line 1580 ffor þat I to him spak of cheuysaunce Me semed so as by his contynaunce But naþeles by god and heuen king I þoughte nought to axe of him no þing Line 1584 I pray þe wyf ne do no more so Telle me alway er þat I fro þe go If eny dettour haþ in myn absence I-payed þe leste þurgh þin necligence Line 1588 I might him axe a þing þat he haþ payed þis was nas nough affered ne affrayed But boldely sche seyde and þat anon Mary I diffye þat false monk daun Iohn Line 1592 I kepe nought of his tokenes neuer a deel he tok me certein gold þis wot I wel What euele þedam on his monkes snowte / ffor god it wot I wende wiþouten doute / Line 1596 þat he hadde ȝoue it me by cause of ȝou To do þer wiþ myn honour and my prow ffor cosynage and eek for bele chere þat he haþ had fulofte tyme heere [[Skip a leaf which is headed Thopas.]] But seþins I see I stonde in such disioynt [folio 211a] I wol answere ȝou schortly to þis poynt Ȝe haue mo slakker dettours þen am I ffor I wol paye ȝow wel and redily Line 1604 ffro day to day and if so be I fayle I am ȝour wyf score it vpon my tayle And I schal paye as sone as euer I may ffor by my trouþe I haue on myn array Line 1608 And nought on waste bestowed euery del And for I haue bestowed it so wel To ȝoure honour for goddes sake I say As be nought wroþ but lete vs laughe and play Line 1612 Ȝe schuln my ioly body haue to wedde / By god I nyl nought paye ȝou but a bedde

[6-text p 180] fforȝiue it me myn owen spouse deere / Turne hiderward and makeþ bettre cheere Line 1616 This marchaunt seyh þer was no remedye And for to chyde it nere but folye / Seþins þat þe þing may nought amended be Now wyf he sayde and I forȝiue it þe Line 1620 But by þin lyf ne be no more so large kepe bet my good þis ȝiue I þe in charge / þus endeþ now my tale and god vs sende Toylyng ynough vnto oure lyues ende Line 1624

Here endeþ þe schipmannes tale

¶ Explicit