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

[6-text p 580]

Incipit fabula Mancipij.

WHan phebus dwelled here in þis erþe adoune Line 105 As olde bokes makeþ mencioune He was þe most lusti bacheller Of al þis werlde & eke þe best archer Line 108 He slowe phiton þe serpent as he leye Slepeinge a-ȝeine sonne vpon a daie And mony anoþere worþe noble dede He wiþ his bowe brouht as men mowe rede Line 112 Pleynge he couþe of euery mynstralcye And singen þat it was a melodye To heren of his clere voice þe soune Certes þe kinge of Thebes amphione Line 116 þat wiþ his singeinge walled þat Cite Couþe neuer singen half so wele as he Therto he was þe semelest man þat is or was seþþe þe werlde be-ganne Line 120 Whatt nedeþ it his fetures for to discryue For in þis werld was none so faire on lyue He was þer-wiþ fulfilled of gentillesse Of honour & of parfite worþinesse Line 124 þis Phebus þat was floure ob Bachellarie As wele in fredam as in Cheualrye For disport in signe eke of victorie Of Pheton so as telleþ vs þe storie Line 128 Was worþi to beren in his honde a bowe Now hadde þis Phebus in his hous a crowe Whiche in cage he fostred moni a daie And tauht it speke as men techeþ a iaie Line 132

[6-text p 581] Line 132 White was þis crowe as is a snowe white swanne Line 133 And counterfede þe speche of euery manne He couþe whān he schold tel a tale þere wiþ in al þis werlde no nyhtinggale Line 136 Ne couþe be an hundreþ þousand dele Singen so wonderli mery & wele Nowe hadde þis Phebus in his hous a wif [folio 227a] Whiche þat he loued more þan his owen lif Line 140 And nyht & daie dide euer his diligence Hire for to plese & done hire reuerence Saue onely if þe soþe þat .I. schal seye Ielowse he was & wolde haue kepped hire feyne Line 144 For him were loþe Iaped for to be And so euery whiht in suche degre Bot al for nouht for it a-vaileþ nouht A good wif þat is clene of werke & þouht Line 148 Schold not be kepped in none awaite certeine And trewly þe labour is in veyne To kepe a schrewe for it wil nouht be þis holde .I. for a verraie nycete Line 152 To spill a labour for to kepe wives Thus writen olde clerkes in her lyues Bot nowe to purpos as .I. first began þis worþi phebus doþ al þat he can Line 156 To plesen hire weneinge be suche plesance And for his manhode & his gouernance þat noman schold haue put him fro hire grace Bot god it wote þer maie noman enbrace Line 160 As to discryue a þinge whiche þat nature Haþe naturelly sette in a creature Tak any birde & put it in a kage And do al þine entente & þi Corage Line 164 To foster it tendurli wiþ mete & drinke Of al Deynteþes þou canst be-þinke And kepe it as clenly as þou maie Al-þou-he his cage of golde be neuere so gaie Line 168

[6-text p 582] Line 168 Ȝit haþ þis berde be twenti þousande folde Line 169 Leuer in a forest þat is wilde & colde gone ete wermes & suche wrechednesse For euer þis birde wil done his besinesse Line 172 To ascape oute of his cage whan he maie His liberte þe birde desireþ aie Lat take a katte & foster him wele wiþ melke And tendre flessche & make his couche of selke Line 176 And late him sene a mouse go by þe wall And anone he weyueþ melke flesche & all And euery deynte þat is in þat house Suche appetite haþ he to ete a mouse Line 180 Lo he[re] haþ lust his dampnacione And appetite flemeþ discrecione [folio 227b] As þe wolfe haþe also a veleyns kinde þe lewdest wolf þat sche maie finde Line 184 Or lewedest of Reputacione þat will sche take In time whan hir list to haue a maake Al þes ensamples speke .I. be þis men þat bien vntrewe & no þinge be wemmen Line 188 For men haue euere a lykerous appetite On lower þink to performe her delite þan on here wives bien þei neuer so faire Ne neuere so trewe ne so debonaire Line 192 Flesche is so new fangul wiþ meschance That we ne kunne in noþinge haue plesaunce þat sownet in to vertew any while This Phebus whiche þat þouht vpon no gile Line 196 Deceyved was for al his Iolyte For under him a noþere hadde sche A man of litel Reputacione Not worþe to Phebus in comparaciōne Line 200 þe more harme is it happeþe oft soo Of whiche þere commeþ muche harme & wo. And so be-fel whan Phebus was absent His wif anone haþ for hire lemman sent Line 204

[6-text p 583] Line 204 Here lemman sertes þis is a knauysche speche Line 205 Forȝeuen it me & þat .I. ȝow beseche The wise plauto seiþ as ȝe maie rede The worde mot nede accorde wiþ þe dede Line 208 If men schal tel properly a þinge The worde mot Cosine be to þe worcheinge .I. am a bustuse man riht þus seie .I. There is no difference treuly Line 212 Be-twex a wif þat is of hihe degre If of hir body dishonest sche be And a pouerer wenche oþere þan þis If it so be þei werken boþe amys Line 216 Botte þat þe gentil is in astate aboue Sche schal be cleped his ladi as in loue And for þat toþer is a p[o]uere womman Sche schal be cleped his wenche or his lemman Line 220 And god it woote myne owen dere broþere Men leyþe þe tone as lowe as lyþe þat oþere Riht so be-twyx a titles tirānt And an owtelawe & a þefe errant [folio 228a] þe sam .I. seie þere is no difference To Alisander was tolde þis sentence þat for þe terant is of gretter myht Be fors of meyne to sle doune riht Line 228 And birne hous & home and maken al pleyne Lo þerefore he is clepe a Capiteigne And for þe outelawe haþe bot smal menȝe And may nouht do so grete an harme as he Line 232 Ne bringe a contre to so grete meschefe Men klepen him an outelawe or elles an þef Bot for .I. am a man not texed wele .I. wil note tel of titus neuer a dele Line 236 .I. wil go to my tale as .I. beganne Whan Phebus wif hadde sent for hir lemman Anone þei wrouht al her lust volage þis white crowe þat honge aye in þe cage Line 240

[6-text p 584] Line 240 Be-helde her werke & seide neuere a worde Line 241 And whan þat home was commen phebus þe lorde This Crowe sange kokkow kokkowe cokkowe What birde quod Phebus what songe singes þou Line 244 Ne were þow wonte so merilye to singe þat to myne herte it was a reioysinge To here þi voice alace what songe is þis Be god quod he .I. singe nouht amys Line 248 Phebus quod he for al þi worþinesse For al þi beute and þi gentillesse For al þi songe & al þi Minstralcye For al þi wayteinge blered is þine eye Line 252 Wiþ one of luytel reputacion Nouht worþ to þe as in comparison The mountance of a gnate so mot [I] priue For on þi bedde þi wif .I. sawe him swyue Line 256 What wile ȝe more þe crowe anone him tolde Be sadde tokenes & be wordes bolde Howe þat his wif hadde done her lycherie Him to grete schame & to grete velanye Line 260 And tolde him oft he sawe it wiþ his eyȝen This Phebus gan awaiwarde for to wrien Him þouht his sorweful herte a brast in tuo His bowe he bente & sette þerinne a floo Line 264 And in his .Ire þan haþe he his wif sleyne This es þe effecte þere is nomore to seine [folio 228b] For sorwe of whiche he brak his mynstralcy Bothe harpe & Lute getern & sautrie Line 268 And eke he brak his arwes & his bowe And after þat þus spake he to þe crowe Traytour quod he wiþ tonge of scorpione þou hast me brouht to my confusione Line 272 Alas þat .I. was wrouht whi nere .I. dede O dere wif o Iemme of lustihede That were to me so sadde & eke so trewe Nowe liest þou dede wiþ face pale of hewe Line 276

[6-text p 585] Line 276 Ful giltles þat dorst [I] swere .I.-wys Line 277 O rachel hounde to done so foule amys O trouble witte o yre recheles þat vnavised smytest giltles Line 280 O wanne trust ful of fals suspeccion Where was þi witte and þi discrecione Of euery mair be war of rechelnesse Ne trowe no þinge wiþ outen stronge wittenesse Line 284 Smyte nouhte to sone ar þat þou wyt why Ande be auisede wele & soburlye Or ȝe do any execucion Vpon ȝoure ire for suspecciōn Line 288 Alas a þousand folke haue Rachel ire Fully for-done or brouht hem in þe myre Alas for sorwe .I. wil my self sle And to þe crowe o fals þef seide he Line 292 .I. wil þe qwite anone þi fals tale þow songe whilom like a nyht gale Nowe schalt þou fals þef þi songe for-gone Eke þine white feþers euerychon Line 296 Ne neuer in al þi lif schal þu speke þus schal men on a traitur buen y-wreke þou & þin hofspringe euere schal be blake Ne neuere swete noise schal ȝe maake Line 300 Bot euere Crie a-ȝeine tempest & reyne In tokeneynge þat þoruhe þe my wif is sleyne And to þe crowe he sterte & þat anone And pullede his white feþers euerychone Line 304 And maad him blake & raft him al his songe And eke his speche & oute at þe dore him slonge Vn-to þe deuel whiche .I. him be-take And for þis cas bene al crowes blake [folio 229a] Line 308 Lordeinges be þis ensample .I. ȝowe preye Beþe ware & takeþ kepe what þat ȝe seye Ne telleþ neuere no man in ȝoure lif Howe þat anoþere man haþ swyved his wif Line 312

[6-text p 586] Line 312 He wil ȝowe hate mortally certeyne Line 313 Daun Salomon as wise clerkes seyne Techeþ a man to kepe his tunge wele Bot as .I. seide .I. am nouht text wele Line 316 Bot naþeles þus tauht me my dame My sonne þinke on þe crowe a goddes name My sonne kepe wele þi tonge & kepe þi frende A wikked tonge is wers þan a fende Line 320 My sonne frome a fende men may hem blisse My sonne god of his endles goodenesse Walled a tonge wiþ teþe & lippes eke For man schold him a-vise what he speke Line 324 Mi sonne ful oft for to mechel speche Haþe mony a man be spilt as clerkes teche Bot for litel speche avisily Is no man schent to spek generaly Line 328 My sonne þi tonge scholdest þou restreine Att alle time bot whan þou dost þi peine To speke of god in honour & preyere The first vertue sonne if þou wilt lere Line 332 Is to restreyne & kepe wel þi tonge þus leren childern whan þe be ȝonge My sonne of Mechel spekeinge yuel avisede þere lasse spekeinge had .I.-nowhe suffised Line 336 Comeþ mochel harme þus was me tolde & tauht In muchel specheþ sinne wanteþ nouht Wostowe where-of a rachel tonge serueþ Riht as swerde for-kotteþ & for-kerueþ Line 340 And arm a tuo . my dere sone riht so A tunge kutteþ frenschep al a two A Iangler is to god abhominable Rede Salomon so wyse & honurable Line 344 Rede dauid & his psalmys rede seneke My sone speke nouht bot wiþ þine hede þu bekke Dissimule as þou were def if þat þou here A Iangelere spekeþ of perilous matere Line 348

[6-text p 587] Line 348 The flemynge seiþe & lerne ȝif þe lest Line 349 Þat litel Iangelinge causeþ mechel rest [folio 229b] My sone if þou no wykked worde hast seide Þe þar nouht drede for to be bewreide Line 352 Bot he þat haþ my-saide .I. dare wele seine He may be no weye clepe his worde aȝeine þinge þat is seide is seide & forþ it goþe þouhe him repent or be him neuer so loþe Line 356 He is his þral to whome þat he haþ seide A tale of whiche he is nowe yuel apaide My sone be war & be none auctor newe Of Tyþinges wheþere þei be fals or trewe Line 360 Where so þou comme amonges hihe or lowe Kepe wele þi tonge & þinke vpon þe crowe Line 362

Explicit ffabula Mancipij.