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

¶ The Stag of an hert

¶ The norice of digestion is slepe Gan on hem wynke and bad hem take kepe Line 348 That moche mete and labour wol haue reste / And with a galpyng hem alle he keste / And seyde þat it was tyme to lye a doun ffor blood was in his dominacion Line 352 Cherissheþ blood natures frend quod he þey þanken him galpynge by tuo by þre And euery wight gan drawen him to his reste As sleep hem bad þey tooke it for þe beste Line 356

[6-text p 489] Line 356 here dremes schulle not mowe be told for me fful were here heedes of fumosite That causeþ drem of which þer is no charge / They sleepen til it was pryme large / Line 360 The moste part but it were Canace Sche was ful mesurable as wommen be ffor of hire fader hadde sche take hir leeue To go to reste sone after it was eue Line 364 hir list not appalled for to be ffor on þe morwe vnfestlich for to see / And slepte hir ferste sleep and awok [folio 95b] ffor swich a ioye sche in hir herte took Line 368 Boþe of hire queynte ryng and hire mirour That twenty tyme sche chaungeth hire colour And in hire sleep right for impression Of hire mirour sche hadde a vision Line 372 Wherfore ar þat þe sonne vp gan glyde Sche cleped vp on hire maystresse bysyde And seyde þat hir liste for to arise Thise olde wommen þat ben gladly wyse Line 376 As is hire maystresse answerde anon And seyde ma dame whider wolde ye gon Thus erely for folk ben alle in reste I wole quod sche arise for me leste / Line 380 No lengere sleepen but walken aboute hire maistresse clepeþ wommen a gret route / And vp þey risen wel ten or twelue vp riseþ freisshe Canace hir selue Line 384 As rody as bright as þey þe yonge sonne That in þe Ram. is ten degrees vpronne Non hiher was he whan sche redy was And forth sche walkede eesyly a pas Line 388 Arrayed after þe lusty seson soote lightly for to pleye and walke on foote Nat but .v. or .vj. of hire meyne And in a trench fer in þe park goþ sche Line 392

[6-text p 490] Line 392 The vapour which þat fro þe erþe glood makeþ þe sonne to seeme rody and brood But naþeles it was so fair a sight That it made alle here hertes for to light Line 396 What for þe sesoun and þe morwenynge And for þe foules þat sche herde synge ffor right anon sche wiste what þey mente Right by here song and knew alle here entente Line 400 // The knotte why þat euery tale is told If it be taryed til lust be cold Of hem þat han it herkned after yore [folio 96a] The sauour passeþ euer lenger þe more Line 404 ffor fulsomnesse of prolixite And by þis same resoun þenkeþ me I scholde to þe knotte condescende And maken of hire walkyng sone an ende Line 408 ¶ Amydde a tree for-drye as whit as chalk/ As Canacee was pleyng in hire walk Ther sat a ffaukon ouer hir heed ful hye That with a pitous voys so gan to crye Line 412 That al þe woode resede of hire crye And beten hadde hire self so pitously / With boþen hire wynges til þe reede blood Ran endelong/ þe tree þer as sche stood Line 416 And euer in oon sche cryed alwey and schrighte And with hire beek hir seluen so sche pighte That þer ne was tygre ne cruel beste That duelleþ eyþer in woode or in foreste Line 420 þat nolde han wept if þat he wepe couþe ffor sorwe of hire sche schright alwey so louþe ffor þer nas neuere yit/ no man on lyue If þat I couþe a fawkon wel descryue Line 424 That herde of such anoþer of fayrnesse As wel of plumage as of gentilnesse Of schap of al þat mighte rekened be A fawkon peregryn þanne semed sche Line 428

[6-text p 491] Line 428 Of fremde londe and euermore as sche stood Sche swounede now and now for lak of blood Til wel neigh is sche fallen fro þe tree This faire kinges doughter þis kanacee Line 432 That on hir fynger bar þe queynte ryng þurgh which sche vnderstood wel euery þing That any foul may in his ledne sayn And kowde answere him in his ledne agayn Line 436 haþ vnderstande þat þis fawkon sayde And wel neigh for þe rouþe almost sche deyde And to þe tree sche goþ ful hastily [folio 96b] And on þis fawkon lokeþ pitously Line 440 And held hire lappe abrood for wel sche wiste / The fawkon moste falle from þe twyste / whan þat it swownede next for lakke of blood A long while to wayte hire sche stood Line 444 Til atte laste sche spak in þis maneere Vnto þe hauk as ȝe schal after heere what is þe cause if it be for to telle That ye ben in þis furial peyne of helle Line 448 Quod Canacee vnto þis hawk aboue Is þis for sorwe of deth or los of loue ffor as I trowe þise beþ causes tuo That causen moost a gentil herte woo Line 452 Of oþer harm it redeþ nought/ to speke ffor þi your self vpon your self yow wreke which þat proueþ wel þat eyþer Ire or drede Moot ben encheson of youre cruel dede Line 456 Syn þat I se non oþer wight yow chace ffor loue of god so doþ your selue grace Or what may be your help for west nor est Ne saugh I neuer er now no bryd ne best Line 460 That ferde with himself so pitously ye slee me with youre sorwe verrayly I haue of yow so gret compassioun ffor goddes loue com fro þe tree a doun Line 464

[6-text p 492] Line 464 And as I am a kinges doughter trewe If þat I verraily þe causes knewe Of youre disease if it lay in my might I wolde amende it or þat it were night Line 468 Als wisly help me grete god of kynde And herbes schal I right ynowe fynde To hele wiþ ȝour hurtes hastily Tho schrighte þis faukon yet more pitously Line 472 Than euer sche dide and fil to grounde anon And liþ on swowne deed as ony stoon Til Canacee haþ in hir lappe hire take [folio 97a] vnto þat tyme sche gan of swowne awake / Line 476 And after þat sche of swowne gan abreide Right in hir hawkes leodne þus sche seyde That pite renneth sone in gentil herte ffeelyng his similitude in peynes smerte / Line 480 Is proued alday as men may it see As wel by werk as by auctorite ffor gentil herte kepeþ gentillesse I se wel þat ye han of my distresse Line 484 Compassion my faire Canace / Of verray wommanly benignite / That nature in youre principles haþ set But for non hope for to fare þe bet Line 488 But for to obeye vnto youre herte fre / And for to maken oþer be war by me / As by þe whelp chastised is þe leon Right for þat cause and for þat conclusion Line 492 Whil þat I haue a leyser and a space Myn harm I wol confessen er I pace And euer whil sche can hir sorwe tolde That oþer wepte as sche to water wolde Line 496 Til þat þe fawkon bad hir to be stille / And with a sike þus sche seyde hire tille Ther I was bred allas þat ilke day And fostred in a roche of marbul gray Line 500

[6-text p 493] Line 500 So tendrely þat noþing eylede me I ne wiste nought what was aduersite Til I couþe flee ful hye vnder þe sky þo dwelte a tercelet me faste by Line 504 That semede welle of alle gentilnesse Al were he ful of treson and falsnesse / It is wrapped vnder humble cheere And vnder hiew of trouþe and in swich manere Line 508 Vnder plesance and vnder bysy peyne That no wight couþe han wende he coude feyne So deepe in greyn he dyed his colours [folio 97b] Right as a serpent hit him vnder flours Line 512 Til he may se his tyme for to byte Right so þis god of loues ypocrite Doþ so his cerymonijs obeissances And kepte in semblant alle his obseruances Line 516 That sowneþ in to gentilesse of loue As in a tombe is al þe faire aboue And vnder is þe corps swich as ȝe woot Swich was þis ypocrite boþe cold and hoot Line 520 And in þis wise he serued his entente That saue þe feende non wiste what he mente Til he so longe hadde wopen and compleyned And many a yeer his seruise to me feyned Line 524 Til þat myn herte to pitous and to nyce Al Innocent of his crowned malice ffor-fered of his deþ as þoughte me vpon his oþes and his seurte Line 528 Grauntede him loue vpon þis condicion That euer mo myn honour & renoūn were saued boþe preuy and apert This is to sein þat after his dissert Line 532 I yaf him al myn herte and my þought God woot and he þat oþer wise nought And tok his herte in chaunge of myn for ay But soþ is seyd go sethen many a day Line 536

[6-text p 494] Line 536 A trewe wight and a þeef þenkeþ nat oon And whan he saugh þe þing so fer y-gon That I grauntede him fully my loue / In swich a gyse as I haue sayd aboue / Line 540 And yeuen him my trewe herte as fre / As he swore he yaf his herte to me / Anon þis Tygre ful of doublenesse ffil on his knees wiþ so deuoute humblesse Line 544 wiþ hye reuerence and as by his cheere / So lik a gentil louere of manere / So rauysshed as it semede for þe ioye [folio 98a] That neuere Iason ne paris of Troye Line 548 Iason certes ne non oþer man Syn lameth was þat Aldirfirst bygan To louen tuo as writen folk biforn Ne neuer siþþe þe firste man was born Line 552 Ne couþe man by twenty þousand part Countrefete þe sophimes of his art Ne were worþi to vnbokele his galoche Ther doublenesse or feynyng scholde aproche Line 556 Ne so couþe þanke a wight as he dide me / his manere was an heuene for to se Til eny womman were sche neuer so wys So peynted he and kembeþ at poynt devys Line 560 As wel his wordes as his continance And I so loued him for his obeissance And for þe trouþe I demed in his herte That if so were þat any þing him smerte Line 564 Al were it neuer so lite and I it wiste Me þoughte I felte deþ at myn herte twiste And schortly so ferforth þis þing went That my wille has his willes Instrument Line 568 This is to sein my wille obeyede his wille In alle þing as fer as reson fille Kepyng þe boundes of my worschipe euere Ne neuer hadde I þing so leef ne leuere Line 572

[6-text p 495] Line 572 As him god woot ne neuere schal no mo This laste lengere þan a yer or tuo ¶ That I supposed of him no þing but good But fynally þus atte laste it stood Line 576 That fortune wolde þat he moste twynne Out of þat place which þat I was Inne Wher me was wo it is no question I kan not make of it discripcion Line 580 ffor o þing dar I telle boldely I knowe what is þe peyne of deþ þer by Such harm I felte for he ne mighte beleue [folio 98a] So on a day of me he tok his leue / Line 584 So sorwfully eek I wende verrayly That he hadde feeled as moche harm as I Whan þat I herde him speke and sawe his hewe / But naþeles I þoughte he was so trewe/ Line 588 And eek þat he repaire scholde agayn Wiþinne a litel while soþ to sayn And reson wolde eek þat he moste go ffor his honour as ofte happeþ so Line 592 That I made vertu of necessite / & took it wel syn þat it / moste be As I best mighte I hidde from him my sorwe And took him by þe hond seint Iohn to borwe Line 596 And seyde þus lo I am youres al Beþ swich as I haue be to yow and schal What he answerde it needeþ nat reherse Who can seyn bet þan he who can do werse Line 600 Whan he haþ al wel seyd þan haþ he doon Therfore byhoueþ him a wel long spoon That schal eten wiþ a feend þus herde I seye / So atte laste he moot forþ his weye Line 604 And forth he fleþ til he com þer him leste Whan it com him to purpos for to reste / I trowe he hadde þilke text in mynde / [¶ Reditui suo singula gaudent/.] That alle þing repeyryng to his kynde / Line 608

[6-text p 496] Line 608 Gladeþ himself / þus seyn men as I gesse / Men louen of propre kynde newfangilnesse / As briddes doon þat men in cages feede / ffor þeigh þou night & day take of hem heede / Line 612 And strawe here cages faire as softe as silk And yeue hem sucre hony bred and mylk Yet right anon as þat his dore is vppe he wiþ his feet wil sporne doun his cuppe Line 616 And to þe woode he wole and wormes ete So newefangel ben þei of here mete And louen noueleries of propre kynde [folio 99a] No gentilesse of blood may hem bynde Line 620 So ferde þis tercelet allas þe day Though he were gentil born fressche and gay And goodly for to seen and humble and fre he saugh vpon a tyme a kyte flee Line 624 And sodeinly he loued þe kyte so That alle his loue is clene fro me go And haþ his trouþe falsed in þis wyse Thus haþ þe kite my loue in hire seruise Line 628 And I am lorn wiþoute remedye And wiþ þat word þis faukon gan to crye And swouned eft/ in Canacees barm Gret was þe sorwe for þe haukes harm Line 632 That Canacee and alle hire wommen maade They nyste how þey mighte þe fawkon glade But Canacee home bereþ hire in hire lappe And softely in plastres gan hire wrappe Line 636 Ther as sche with hir beek haþ hurt hir selue Now kan not Canace but herbes delue Out of þe grounde and maken salues newe Of herbes preciouses and fyn of hewe Line 640 To helen wiþ þe hauk fro day to nyght Sche doþ hir besynesse and alle hire myght And by hire beddes heed sche made a muwe And couered it with veluettes bluwe Line 644

[6-text p 497] Line 644 In signe of trouþe þat is in wommen seene And alle wiþoute þe muwe is peynted greene In which were peynted alle þese false fowles As ben þise tydifs tercelettes and owles Line 648 Right for þe spyte were peynted hem bysyde Pyes on hem for to crye and chyde Thus leet I Canacee hire hawk keeping I wole nomore as now speke of hire ryng Line 652 Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn how þat þis ffaukon gat hire loue ageyn Repentant as þe storie telleþ vs [folio 99b] By mediacion of Camballus Line 656 The kinges sone of which I yow tolde / But hennes forth I wol proces holde To speke of auentures and of batailles That yet was neuer herde so gret meruailles Line 660 ffirst wil I telle yow of Kambynskan That in his tyme many a cite wan And after wol I speke of Algarsif how þat he wan Theodora to his wyf Line 664 ffor whan ful ofte in gret peril he was Ne hadde he ben holpen by þe hors of bras And after wol I speken of Camballo That faught in listes with þe breþeren tuo Line 668 ffor Canacee er þat he might hir wynne And þer I lefte I wol ageyn bygynne Appolo whirleth vp his char so hye [Apollo i. sol.] Til þat þe god mercurius hous þe slye /

¶ Explicit .ij^a. pars.