The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 560]

[THE TALE.]

Ther is a chanoun of religioun Amonges vs wold infecte al a toun Line 973 Though it as gret were as was Niniue Rome alisaundre troye and oþer þre / his sleight and his infinite falsnesse / Ther couþe no man writen as I gesse Line 977 Though þat he mighte lyuen a þousand ȝeer Of al þis world of falsheed nys his peer For in his termes he wol him so wynde [folio 175a] And speke his wordes in so sleygh a kynde Line 981 whan he comune schal wiþ eny wight That he wil make him dote anoon right But it a feend be as himseluen is Ful many a man hath he bygiled er this Line 985 And wol if þat/ he lyue may a while / And ȝet men ryde and goon ful many a myle / Him for to seeke and haue his aqueintaunce / Nought knowyng of his false gouernaunce Line 989 And if ȝow list to ȝeue me audience I wol it telle here in ȝoure presence But worschipful chanouns religious Ne demeþ nought þat I sclaundre ȝoure hous Line 993 Al þough my tale of a chanoun be / Of euery ordre som schrewe is par dee / And god forbede þat al a companye Schulde rewe a singuler mannes folye Line 997 To sclaundre ȝow is no þing myn entent/ But to correcten þat is mys I-ment

[6-text p 561] This tale was not oonly told for ȝow But eek for oþer moo ȝe woot wel how Line 1001 That among criste apostles twelue / Ther was no traytour but Iudas himselue Than why schulde þe remenaunt haue a blame That gulteles were by ȝow I say þe same Line 1005 Saue oonly þis if ye wol herkene me If any Iudas in ȝoure couent be Remewe him by tyme I ȝow rede / If schame or los may causen eny drede / Line 1009 And beþ no þing displesed I ȝou pray But in þis caas herkeneþ what I say [¶ Narrat]

IN londoun was a prest an annueler That þer In duelled hadde many a ȝer Line 1013 which was so plesaunt and so seruisable / Vnto þe wyf wher as he was at table That sche wolde suffre him no þing for to pay For bord ne cloþing went he neuer so gay Line 1017 And spendyng siluer had he right ynough [folio 175b] Ther-of no force I wol procede as now And telle forþ my tale of þe chanoun That brought þis prest to confusioun Line 1021 This false chanoun cam vpon a day Vnto þe prestes chambre wher he lay Biseching him to lene him a certeyn Of gold and he wold quyt hit him ageyn Line 1025 Lene me a mark quod he but dayes þre / And at my day I wil it quyte þe / And if so be þat þou fynde me fals Anoþer day hong/ me vp by þe hals Line 1029 This prest him took a mark and þat as swithe And þis Chanoun him þankid ofte siþe And took his leue and wente forþ his wey And atte þridde day brought his money / Line 1033 And to þe prest he took þis gold agayn wher-of þis prest was wonder glad and fayn

[6-text p 562] Certes quod he no þing annoyeþ me To lene a man a noble or tuo or þre/ Line 1037 Or what þing/ were in my possessioun whan he so trewe is of condicioun That in no wise he breke wol his day To such a man I can neuer say nay Line 1041 what quod þis chanoun schold I be vntrewe; Nay þat were þing I-fallen of þe newe / Trouþe is a þing þat I wol euer kepe / Vnto þat day in which þat I schal crepe Line 1045 In to my graue and elles god forbede / Bilieueth þis as siker as ȝour crede / God þank I and in good tyme be it sayd That þer was neuer man ȝet euel a-payd Line 1049 For gold ne siluer þat he to me lent Ne neuer falshed in myn hert I ment And sire quod he now of my priuete Syn ȝe so goodlich haue be vnto me Line 1053 And kyþed to me so gret gentilesce Som-what to quyte wiþ ȝoure kyndenesse I wil ȝow schewe and if ȝow lust/ to lere [folio 176a] [¹I wil ȝow teche pleynly the manere¹ [[^1_1 In a later hand.]] ] Line 1057 how I kan werken in philosophie Takith good heed. ȝe schul seen wel at ye That I wol doon a maystry er I go Ȝe quod þe prest . ȝe sire and wol ȝe so Line 1061 Mary þer of I pray ȝow hertily At ȝoure comaundement sire trewely Quod þe chanoun and elles god forbede Lo how þis þeef couþe his seruise beede / Line 1065 Ful soth it is þat such profred seruise Stynkeþ as witnessen þese olde wise And þat ful soone I wol it verefye / In þis chanoun roote of al treccherie Line 1069 That euermor delit haþ and gladnesse / Such feendly þoughtes in his hert empresse

[6-text p 563] How cristes poeple he may to meschief bringe God kepe vs from his fals dissimilynge / Line 1073 what wiste þis prest/ wiþ whom þat he delte Ne of his harm comyng he no þing felte O seely prest . o sely Innocent / wiþ coueytise anoon þou schalt be blent/ Line 1077 O graceles ful blynd is þy conceyt No þing art þou war of þe deceyt which þat þis fox I-schapen haþ to þe his wily wrenches y-wis þou maist not fle Line 1081 wherfor to go to þe conclusioun That referreth to þy confusioun Vnhappy man anoon I wil me hie / To tellen þin vnwitte and þy folye / Line 1085 And eek þe falsnesse of þat oþer wrecche / Als ferforþ as my connyng wol strecche / This Chanoun was my lord ȝe wolde weene Sire ost in faith and by þe heuen queene / Line 1089 It was anoþer chanoun and not he That can an hundred fold more subtilte he hath bitrayed folkes many tyme / Of his falnes it dullith me to ryme Line 1093 Euer when I speke of his falshede / [folio 176b] For schame of him my cheekes wexen reede/ Algates þay bygynne for to glowe / For reednes haue I noon riȝt/ wel I knowe / Line 1097 In my visage for fumes diuerse Of metals which ȝe han me herd reherse Consumed and wasted han my reednesse Now tak heed of þis chanouns cursednesse / Line 1101 Sir quod he to þe prest let ȝour man goon For quyk siluer þat/ we it hadde anoon And let him bringe ounces tuo or thre / And whan he comeþ as faste schul ȝe see / Line 1105 A wonder þing which ȝe saugh neuer er þis Sire quod þe prest it schal be doon I-wis

[6-text p 564] He bad his seruaunt fecche him his þinges And he al redy wax at his biddynges Line 1109 And went him forth and com anoon agayn wiþ þis quyk siluer schortly for to sayn / And took þese ounces þre to þe chanoun And he it layde faire and wel a doun Line 1113 And bad þe seruaunt coles for to bringe That/ he anoon might go to his werkynge The coles right anoon weren I-fett And þis chanoun took out a croselett Line 1117 Out of his bosom and schewed it þe prest This instrument quod he which þat þou sest Tak in þin hond and put þiself þer Inne / Of þis quyksiluer an vnce and her bygynne Line 1121 In þe name of crist to wax a philosophre / Ther ben ful fewe whiche þat I wol profre To schewe hem þus moche of my science For ȝe schul seen heer by experience Line 1125 That þis quiksiluer I wol mortifye Right in ȝoure sight anoon wiþouten lye / And make it as good siluer and as fyn As þer is any in ȝoure purs or myn Line 1129 Or elles wher and make it malleable / And elles holdeth . me fals and vnable / Amonges folk for euer to appeere / [folio 177a] I haue a pouder heer þat cost me deere Line 1133 Schal make al good for it is cause of al My connyng which þat I ȝou schewe schal Voydith ȝoure man and let him be þer oute And schet þe dore whils we ben aboute Line 1137 Oure priuetee þat no man vs aspye / whiles we werken in þis philosophie / Al as he bad fulfilled was in dede / This ilke seruaunt anoon right out ȝede / Line 1141 And his maister schitte þe dore anoon And to here labour speedily þai goon

[6-text p 565] This prest/ at þis cursed chanouns biddyng Vppon þe fuyr anoon sette þis þing Line 1145 And blew þe fuyr and busied him ful fast/ And þis chanoun in to þe croslet cast A pouder noot I wher-of þat it was I-maad ouþer of chalk ouþer of glas Line 1149 Or som what elles was nouȝt worþ a flye To blynde wiþ þis prest and bad him hye These coles for to couchen al aboue; The croislet/. for in tokenyng I þe loue Line 1153 Quod þis chanoun þin oughne handes tuo Schal wirche al þing which þat schal be do Graunt mercy quod þe prest and was ful glad And couchede coles as þe chanoun bad Line 1157 And whil he besy was. þis feendly wrecche This false chanoun þe foule feend him fecche Out of his bosom took a bechen cole In which ful subtilly was maad an hole / Line 1161 And þer-In put was of siluer lymayle / And vnce and stopped was wiþoute fayle This hole with wex to kepe þe lymail In / And vnderstondith þat þis false gyn Line 1165 was not maad þer but it was maad bifore And oþer þinges I schal telle more / Her afterward which þat he with him brought Er he com þere to bigyle him he þought / Line 1169 And so he dede er þay wente atwynne [folio 177b] Til he had torned him couþe he nought blynne / It dulleþ me whan þat I of him speke / On his falshede fayn wold I me wreke / Line 1173 If I wist how but he is heer and þere he is so variant he byt no where / But takeþ heed now sires for goddes loue He took his cole of which I spak aboue / Line 1177 And in his hond he bar it priuely And whiles þe preste couched bysily

[6-text p 566] The coles as I tolde ȝow er þis This chanoun sayde freend ȝe doon amys Line 1181 This is not couched as it oughte be But soone I schal amenden it quod he / Now let me melle þer with but a while / For of ȝow haue I pitee by seint Gile Line 1185 Ȝe been right hoot / I se wel how ȝe swete haue heer a cloþ and wype a-way þe wete And whiles þat þis prest him wyped haas This chanoun took his cole I schrewe his faas Line 1189 And layd it abouen on þe mydward Of þe croslet/ and blew wel afterward Til þat þe coles gonne faste brenne Now ȝeue vs drinke quod þe chanoun þenne / Line 1193 Als swiþe al schal be wel I vndertake Sitte we doun and let vs mery make / And whan þe chanouns bechene cole / was brent al þe lymail out of þe hole Line 1197 In to þe crosselet anoon fel a doun And so it moste needes by resoun Sins it so euen aboue couched was But þer of wist þe prest no þing allas Line 1201 He demed alle þe colis I-liche goode For of þe sleight he no þing vnderstood And whan þis alcamister saugh his tyme Rys vp sire prest quod he and stonde byme Line 1205 And fo I wot wel Ingot haue ȝe noon Goth walkith forth and brynge a chalkstoon For I wol make it of þe same schap [folio 178a] That is an Ingold if I may haue hap / Line 1209 And bringe with ȝou a bolle or a panne Ful of water and ȝe schul wel se þanne / how þat oure besynes schal happe and preue And ȝit for ȝe schul haue no mysbileeue Line 1213 Ne wrong conceyt of me in ȝoure absence I ne wol nought ben out of ȝoure presence /

[6-text p 567] But go with ȝou and come wiþ ȝou agayn The chambur dore schortly for to sayn Line 1217 Thay opened and schette and wente forþ here weye And forth with hem þey caryed þe keye / And comen agayn wiþouten eny delay / what schuld I tary al þe longe day Line 1221 he took þe chalk/ and schop it in þe wise / Of an Ingot as I schal ȝow deuyse / I say he took out of his oughne sleeue A teyne of siluer euel mot he cheeue Line 1225 which þat was but an vnce of wight And takeþ heed now of his cursed slight he schop his Ingot/ in lengþe and in brede / Of þis teyne wiþouten eny drede Line 1229 So sleighly þat þe prest it nought aspyde And in his sleeue agayn he gan it hyde / And fro þe fuyr he took vp his mateere / And in to þe Ingot put it with mery cheere / Line 1233 And in to þe watir vessel he it cast whan þat him list and bad þis prest as fast Loke what þer is put in þin hond and grope Thou fynde þer siluer schalt as I hope / Line 1237 what deuel of helle schold it elles be / Schauyng of siluer siluer is par de He putte in his hond and tok vp a teyne Of siluer fyn and glad in euery veyne; Line 1241 was þis prest whan he saugh it was so Goddes blessyng and his modres also And alle halwes haue ȝe sire chanoun Seyde þe prest and I her malisoun Line 1245 But and ȝe vouche sauf to teche me [folio 178b] This nobil craft and þis subtilite I wil be ȝoure in al þat euer I may Quod þis chanoun ȝet wol I make assay Line 1249 The secound tyme þat ȝe mow taken heede And ben expert of þis and in ȝour neede

[6-text p 568] Anoþer day ȝour self in myn absence This discipline and þis crafty science Line 1253 Let take another vnce quod he þo Of quyksiluer wiþouten wordes mo And do þer with as ȝe haue doon er þis wiþ þat oþer which now siluer is Line 1257 The prest him busyeth in al þat he can To doon as þis chanoun þis cursed man Comaunded him and faste blew þe fuyr For to come to theffect of his desyr Line 1261 And þis chanoun right in þe mene while Al redy was þis prest eft to bygile And for a countenaunce in his hond bar An holow stikke tak keep and be war Line 1265 In þende of which an vnce and no more Of siluer lymail put was as bifore was in his cole and stopped wiþ wex wel For to kepe in his limail euery del Line 1269 And whil þe prest/ was in his besynesse This chanoun with his stikke gan him dresse / To him anoon and his pouder cast In As he dede er þe deuel out of his skyn Line 1273 him torne I pray to god for his falshede For he was euer fals in oth and deede And wiþ þis stikke alone þe croslet That was ordeyned wiþ þat false get Line 1277 He styred þe coles til relente gan The wex agayn þe fuyr as euery man But/ it a fool be woot wel it moot nede / And al þat in þe hole was out ȝede / Line 1281 And in to þe creslet hastily it fel [¹Now good sires what wol ȝe bet þen wel; whan þat þis prest thus was begiled a-gayn,¹ [[^1_1 In a later hand.]] ] Supposyng not but trouþe soþ to sayn [folio 179a] Line 1285 he was so glad þat I can nought/ expresse / In no maner his myrþe and his gladnesse

[6-text p 569] And to þe chanoun he profred eft soone Body and good ȝe quod þe chanoun soone / Line 1289 Though pore I be crafty þou schalt me fynde / I warne þe ȝet is þer more byhynde Is þer any coper her Inne quod he ȝe sir quod þis prest I trowe þer be Line 1293 Elles go bye som and þat as swithe Now goode sire go forth þy way and hythe he went/ his way and with þis coper cam And þis chanoun it in his hondes nam Line 1297 And of that coper weyed out but an ounce Al to simple is my tongue to pronounce The minister and of his witt þe doublenesse / Of þis chanoun roote of cursednesse Line 1301 he semed frendly to hem þat knew him nought But he was fendly boþe in werk and þought It werieþ me to telle of his falsnesse / And naþeles ȝit wol I it expresse Line 1305 To þat entent men may be war þer by And for noon oþer cause trewely / he put þis vnce of coper in þe croslet And on þe fuyr als swithe he haþ it set Line 1309 And cast in pouder and made þe prest/ to blowe And in his worching for to stoupe lowe As he dede er and al nas but a iape Right as him list þe prest he made his ape / Line 1313 And afterward in þe Ingot he it cast And in þe panne putte it atte last/ Of water and in he put his owne hond And in his sleeue as ȝe byforenhond Line 1317 herde me telle he had a siluer teyne he sleyghly took it out þis cursed heyne Vnwitynge þis prest of his false craft/ And in þe pannes botme he haþ it laft Line 1321 And in þe water rumbleþ to and fro And wonder priuely took vp also [folio 179b]

[6-text p 570] The coper teyne nought knowyng þis prest And hidde it and hent him by þe brest/ Line 1325 And to him spak and þus sayde in his game Stoupeth a-doun by god ȝe ben to blame helpeþ me now as I dede ȝow whil er Put in ȝour hond and loke what is þer Line 1329 This prest took vp þis siluer teyne anoon And þanne sayde þe chanoun let vs goon wiþ þese þre teynes whiche þat we han wrought To som goldsmyth and wite if it be ought Line 1333 For by my faith I nolde for myn hood But if þey were siluer fyn and good And þat as swiþe proued schal it be Vnto þe goldsmith wiþ þese teynes þre Line 1337 Thay went and putte þese teynes in assay To fuyr and hamer might no man say nay But þay were as hem oughte be This sotted prest who was gladder þan he // Line 1341 was neuer brid gladder agayn þe day Ne nightyngale in þe sesoun of may was neuer noon þat liste better to synge / Ne lady lustier in carolynge Line 1345 And for to speke of loue and wommanhede Ne knyght in armes doon an hardy deede/ To stonde in grace of his lady deere Than hadde þis prest þis craft for to lere Line 1349 And to þe chanoun thus he spak and seyde For þe loue of god þat for vs deyde And as I may deserue it vnto ȝow what schal þis receyt coste telleþ now Line 1353 By oure lady quod þe chanoun it is deere I warne ȝow wel for sire I and a freere In Engelond þer can man it make / No fors quoþ he now sire for goddes sake / Line 1357 what schal I paye telleþ me I pray I-wis quod he it is ful dere I say

[6-text p 571] Sire at a word if þat ȝe lust it haue Ȝe schul pay fourty pound so god me saue / [folio 180a] Line 1361 And nere þe frendschipe þat ȝe dede er þis To me. ȝe schulde paye more I-wys This prest þe somme of fourty pound anoon Of nobles fette and took hem euerychoon Line 1365 To þis chanoun for þis ilk receyt Al his werkyng nas but fraude and deceyt/ Sire prest he seyde I kepe haue no loos Of my craft for I wold it kept were cloos Line 1369 And as ȝe loueth me kepeþ it secre For and men knewe / al my sotilte By god men wolden haue so gret enuye To me by cause of my philosophie Line 1373 I schulde be deed þer were noon oþer weye God it forbede quoþ þe prest what seye ȝet had I leuer spenden al þe good which þat I haue and elles wax I wood Line 1377 Than þat ȝe schulde falle in such meschief For ȝour good wil sir haue ȝe right good preef Quoþ þe chanoun· and far wel graunt mercy he went his way and neuer þe prest him sey Line 1381 After þis day and whan þat þis prest scholde / Maken assay at such tyme as he wolde / Of þis receyt far wel it wold not be / lo þus byiaped and bygilt was he Line 1385 Thus makeþ he his introductioun To bringe folk to here destruccioun Considereth sires how þat in ech astaat Bitwixe men and gold þer is debaat Line 1389 So ferforth þat vnneþe þer is noon This multiplying blent so many oon That in good faith I trowe þat it be / The cause grettest of which skarsete Line 1393 Philosophres speken so mistyly In þis craft þat men conne not come þer by

[6-text p 572] For any witt þat men han now on dayes They may wel chiteren as doon þese iayes Line 1397 And in here termes sette lust and peyne But to her purpos schul þay neuer atteyne [folio 180b] A man may lightly lerne if he haue ought To multiplie and bringe his good to nought Line 1401 Lo such a lucre is in þis lusty game/ A mannes mirþe it wol torne in to grame / And empte also grete and heuy purses And make folk to purchace curses Line 1405 Of hem þat han her good þer-to I-lent O fy for schame þay þat haue be brent Allas can þay not fle þe fuyres hete ȝe þat it vsen I rede ȝe it lete Line 1409 lest ȝe lesen al for bet þan neuer is late Neuer to þriue were to long a date / Though ȝe prolle ay ȝe schul it neuer fynde Ȝe ben as bolde as is bayard þe blynde Line 1413 That blundreþ forþ and peril casteth noon he is as bold to renne a-gayn a stoon As for to go bysides in þe wey / So fare ȝe þat multiplie I sey Line 1417 If þat ȝoure yȝen can nought seen aright loke þat ȝoure mynde lakke nought his sight For þough ȝe loke neuer so brode and stare / Ȝe schul nought wynne vpon þat chaffare / Line 1421 But wasten al þat þay may rape and renne wiþdrawe þe fuyr lest it so faste brenne Medleþ no more wiþ þat art I mene / For ȝif ȝe doon ȝoure þrift is goon ful clene Line 1425 And right as swithe I wol ȝow telle heere what þat þe philosophres sein in þis mateere / ¶ lo þus saiþ arnold of þe newe toun As his Rosarie maketh mencioun Line 1429 He saith right þus wiþouten eny lye Ther may no man mercury mortifye

[6-text p 573] But hit be with his broþer knowleching how þat he which þat first sayd þis þing Line 1433 Of philosophres fader was hermes he saiþ how þe dragoun douteles he dyeþ nought but if þat he be slayn wiþ his broþer and þat is for to sayn [folio 181a] Line 1437 By þe dragoun mercury and noon oþer he vnderstood and brimstoon be his broþer That out of sol and luna were I-drawe And þerfore sayde he take heed to my sawe / Line 1441 Let no man besy him þis art to seche / But þat he thentencioun and speche / Of philosophres vnderstonde can And if he do he is a lewed man Line 1445 For þis sciens and þis connyng quod he Is of þe secre of secretȝ par de Also þer was a disciple of plato That on a tyme sayde his maister to Line 1449 As his book somer wil bere witnesse And þis was his demaunde in sothfastnesse / Tel me þe name of þe priue stoon And plato answered vnto him anoon Line 1453 Take þe stoon þat titanos men name / which is þat quod he magnasia is þe same Sayde plato ȝe sire and is it þus This ignotus per ignotius Line 1457 what is magnasia good sir I ȝou pray It is a water þat is maad I say Of elementes foure quod plato Telle me þe rooche good sire quod he þo Line 1461 Of þat water if it be ȝour wille Nay nay quod plato certeyn þat I nylle The philosophres sworn were euerich oon That thay scholde discouere it vnto man noon Line 1465 Ne in no book it write in no manere / For vnto crist it is so leef and deere

[6-text p 574] That he wil not þat it discouered be / But wher it likeþ to his deite / Line 1469 Man to enspire and eek for to defende whom þat him likeþ lo þis is þe ende Than conclude I þus syn god of heuene / Ne wol not þat þe philosophres neuene / Line 1473 how þat a man schal come vnto þis stoon I rede as for þe beste let it goon [folio 181b] For who-so makeþ god his aduersarie As for to werke eny þing in contrarie Line 1477 Vnto his wil certes neuer schal he þriue Though þat he multiplie terme of al his lyue And þer a poynt for ended is my tale God send euery trewe man boote of his bale / Line 1481