The Canterbury tales
About this Item
- Title
- The Canterbury tales
- Author
- Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400
- Publication
- Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin
- 1957
- Rights/Permissions
-
Available at URL http://www.hti.umich.edu/c/cme/
This text has been made available through the Oxford Text Archive for personal scholarly use only. OTA number: U-1678-C
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/CT
- Cite this Item
-
"The Canterbury tales." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/CT. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2024.
Pages
Page 151
Line 553
As though thou seydest as sampsoun, sampsoun! Line 554
And yet, God woot, sampsoun drank nevere no wyn. Line 555
Thou fallest as it were a styked swyn; Line 556
Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honeste cure; Line 557
For dronkenesse is verray sepulture Line 558
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun. Line 559
In whom that drynke hath dominacioun Line 560
He kan no conseil kepe, it is no drede. Line 561
Now kepe yow fro the white and fro the rede, Line 562
And namely fro the white wyn of lepe, Line 563
That is to selle in fysshstrete or in chepe. Line 564
This wyn of spaigne crepeth subtilly Line 565
In othere wynes, growynge faste by, Line 566
Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee Line 567
That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre, Line 568
And weneth that he be at hoom in chepe, Line 569
He is in spaigne, right at the toune of lepe, -- Line 570
Nat at the rochele, ne at burdeux toun; Line 571
And thanne wol he seye sampsoun, sampsoun! Line 572
but herkneth, lordynges, o word, I yow preye, Line 573
That alle the sovereyn actes,dar I seye, Line 574
Of victories in the olde testament, Line 575
Thurgh verray god, that is omnipotent, Line 576
Were doon in abstinence and in preyere. Line 577
Looketh the bible, and ther ye may it leere. Line 578
looke, attila, the grete conquerour, Line 579
Deyde in his sleep, with shame and dishonour, Line 580
Bledynge ay at his nose in dronkenesse. Line 581
A capitayn sholde lyve in sobrenesse. Line 582
And over al this, avyseth yow right wel Line 583
What was comaunded unto lamuel -- Line 584
Nat samuel, but lamuel, seye I; Line 585
Redeth the bible, and fynde it expresly Line 586
Of wyn-yevyng to hem that han justise. Line 587
Namoore of this, for it may wel suffise. Line 588
and now that I have spoken of glotonye, Line 589
Now wol I yow deffenden hasardrye. Line 590
Hasard is verray mooder of lesynges, Line 591
And of deceite, and cursed forswerynges, Line 592
Blaspheme of crist, manslaughtre, and wast also Line 593
Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo, Line 594
It is repreeve and contrarie of honour Line 595
For to ben holde a commune hasardour. Line 596
And ever the hyer he is of estaat. Line 597
The moore is he yholden desolaat. Line 598
If that a prynce useth hasardrye. Line 599
In alle governaunce and policye Line 600
He is, as by commune opinioun, Line 601
Yholde the lasse in reputacioun. Line 602
stilboun, that was a wys embassadour, Line 603
Was sent to corynthe, in ful greet honour, Line 604
Fro lacidomye, to make hire alliaunce. Line 605
And whan he cam, hym happede, par chaunce, Line 606
That alle the gretteste that were of that lond, Line 607
Pleyynge atte hasard he hem fond. Line 608
For which, as soone as it myghte be, Line 609
He stal hym hoom agayn to his contree, Line 610
And seyde, ther wol I nat lese my name, Line 611
Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame, Line 612
Yow for to allie unto none hasardours. Line 613
Sendeth othere wise embassadours; Line 614
For, by my trouthe, me were levere dye Line 615
That I yow sholde to hasardours allye. Line 616
For ye, that been so glorious in honours, Line 617
Shul nat allyen yow with hasadours Line 618
As by my wyl, ne as by my tretee. Line 619
This wise philosophre, thus seyde hee. Line 620
looke eek that to the kyng demetrius, Line 621
The kyng of parthes, as the book seith us, Line 622
Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn, Line 623
For he hadde used hasard ther-biforn; Line 624
For which he heeld his glorie or his renoun Line 625
At no value or reputacioun. Line 626
Lordes nay fynden oother maner pley Line 627
Honest ynough to dryve the day awey. Line 628
now wol I speke of othes false and grete Line 629
A word or two, as olde bookes trete. Line 630
Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable, Line 631
And fals sweryng is yet moore reprevable. Line 632
The heighe God forbad sweryng at al, Line 633
Witnesse on mathew; but in special Line 634
Of sweryng seith the hooly jeremye, Line 635
Thou shalt swere sooth thyne othes, and nat lye, Line 636
And swere in doom, and eek in rightwisnesse; Line 637
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse. Line 638
Bihoold and se that in the firste table Line 639
Of heighe goddes heestes honurable, Line 640
Hou that the seconde heeste of hym is this -- Line 641
Take nat my name in ydel or amys. Line 642
Lo, rather be forbedeth swich sweryng Line 643
Than homycide or many a cursed thyng; Line 644
I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth; Line 645
This knoweth, that his heestes understondeth, Line 646
How that the seconde heeste of God is that. Line 647
And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat, Line 648
That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous Line 649
That of his othes is to outrageous. Line 650
By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles, Line 651
And by the blood of crist that is in hayles, Line 652
Sevene is my chaunce, and thyn is cynk and treye! Line 653
Page 152
Line 653
By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye, Line 654
This daggere shal thurghout thyn herte go! -- Line 655
This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two, Line 656
Forsweryng, ire, falsnesse, homycide. Line 657
Now, for the love of crist, that for us dyde, Line 658
Lete youre othes, bothe grete and smale. Line 659
But, sires, now wol I telle forth my tale. Line 660
thise riotoures thre of which I telle, Line 661
Longe erst er prime rong of any belle, Line 662
Were set hem in a taverne for to drynke, Line 663
And as they sat, they herde a belle clynke Line 664
Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave. Line 665
That oon of hem gan callen to his knave -- Line 666
Go bet, quod he, and axe redily Line 667
What cors is this that passeth heer forby; Line 668
And looke that thou reporte his name weel. Line 669
sire, quod this boy, it nedeth never-a-deel; Line 670
It was me toold er ye cam heer two houres. Line 671
He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres; Line 672
And sodeynly he was yslayn to-nyght, Line 673
Fordronke, as he sat on his bench upright. Line 674
Ther can a privee theef men clepeth deeth, Line 675
That in this contree al the peple sleth, Line 676
And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo, Line 677
And wente his wey withouten wordes mo. Line 678
He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence. Line 679
And, maister, er ye come in his presence. Line 680
Me thynketh that it were necessarie Line 681
For to be war of swich an adversarie. Line 682
Beth redy for to meete hym everemoore; Line 683
Thus taughte me my dame; I sey namoore. Line 684
By seinte marie! seyde this taverner, Line 685
The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer, Line 686
Henne over a mile, withinne a greet village, Line 687
Bothe man and womman, child, and hyne, and page; Line 688
I trowe his habitacioun be there. Line 689
To been avysed greet wysdom it were, Line 690
Er that he dide a man a dishonour. Line 691
ye, goddes armes! quod this riotour, Line 692
Is it swich peril with hym for to meete? Line 693
I shal hym seke by wey and eek by strete, Line 694
I make avow to goddes digne bones! Line 695
Herkneth, felawes, we thre been al ones; Line 696
Lat ech of us holde up his hand til oother, Line 697
And ech of us bicomen otheres brother. Line 698
And we wol sleen this false traytour deeth. Line 699
He shal be slayn, he that so manye sleeth, Line 700
By goddes dignitee, er it be nyght! Line 701
togidres han thise thre hir trouthes plight Line 702
To lyve and dyen ech of hem for oother, Line 703
As though he were his owene ybore brother. Line 704
And up they stirte, al dronken in this rage, Line 705
And forth they goon towardes that village Line 706
Of which the taverner hadde spoke biforn. Line 707
And many a grisly ooth thanne han they sworn, Line 708
And cristes blessed body al torente -- Line 709
Deeth shal be deed, if that they may hym hente! Line 710
whan they han goon nat fully half a mile, Line 711
Right as they wolde han troden over a stile, Line 712
An oold man and a povre with hem mette. Line 713
This olde man ful mekely hem grette, Line 714
And seyde thus, now, lordes, God yow see! Line 715
the proudeste of thise riotoures three Line 716
Answerde agayn, what, carl, with sory grace! Line 717
Why artow al forwrapped save thy face? Line 718
Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age? Line 719
this olde man gan looke in his visage, Line 720
And seyde thus -- for I ne kan nat fynde Line 721
A man, though that I walked into ynde, Line 722
Neither in citee ne in no village, Line 723
That wolde chaunge his youthe for myn age; Line 724
And therfore moot I han myn age stille, Line 725
As longe tyme as it is goddes wille. Line 726
Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf Line 727
Thus walke I, lyk a restelees kaitif, Line 728
And on the ground, which is my moodres gate, Line 729
I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late, Line 730
And seye leeve mooder, leet me in! Line 731
Lo how I vanysshe, flessh, and blood, and skyn! Line 732
Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste? Line 733
Mooder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste Line 734
That in my chambre longe tyme hath be, Line 735
Ye, for an heyre clowt to wrappe in me! Line 736
But yet to me she wol nat do that grace, Line 737
For which ful pale and welked is my face. Line 738
but, sires, to yow it is no curteisye Line 739
To speken to an old man vileynye, Line 740
But he trespasse in word, or elles in dede. Line 741
In hooly writ ye may yourself wel rede -- Line 742
Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed, Line 743
Ye sholde arise; wherfore I yeve yow reed, Line 744
Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now, Line 745
Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow Line 746
In age, if that ye so longe abyde. Line 747
And God be with yow, where ye go or ryde! Line 748
I moot go thider as I have to go. Line 749
nay, olde cherl, by god, thou shalt not so, Line 750
Seyde this oother hasardour anon; Line 751
Thou partest nat so lightly, by seint john! Line 752
Thou spak right now of thilke traytour deeth, Line 753
That in this contree alle oure freendes sleeth. Line 754
Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his espye, Line 755
Telle where he is, or thou shalt it abye, Line 756
By god, and by the hooly sacrement! Line 757
Page 153
Line 757
For soothly thou art oon of his assent Line 758
To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef! Line 759
now, sires, quod he, if that yow be so leef Line 760
To fynde deeth, turne up this croked wey, Line 761
For in that grove I lafte hym, by my fey, Line 762
Under a tree, and there he wole abyde; Line 763
Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde. Line 764
Se ye that ook? right there ye shal hym fynde. Line 765
God save yow, that boghte agayn mankynde, Line 766
And yow amende! thus seyde this olde man; Line 767
And everich of thise riotoures ran Line 768
Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde Line 769
Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde Line 770
Wel ny an eighte busshels, as hem thoughte. Line 771
No lenger thanne after deeth they soughte, Line 772
But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte, Line 773
For that the floryns been so faire and brighte, Line 774
That doun they sette hem by this precious hoord. Line 775
The worste of hem, he spak the firste word. Line 776
bretheren, quod he, taak kep what that I seye; Line 777
My wit is greet, though that I bourde and pleye. Line 778
This tresor hath fortune unto us yiven, Line 779
In myrthe and joliftee oure lyf to lyven, Line 780
And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende. Line 781
Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende Line 782
To-day that we sholde han so fair a grace? Line 783
But myghte this gold be caried fro this place Line 784
Hoom to myn hous, or elles unto youres -- Line 785
For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures -- Line 786
Thanne were we in heigh felicitee. Line 787
But trewely, by daye it may nat bee. Line 788
Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge, Line 789
And for oure owene tresor doon us honge. Line 790
This tresor moste ycaried be by nyghte Line 791
As wisely and as slyly as it myghte. Line 792
Wherfore I rede that cut among us alle Line 793
Be drawe, and lat se wher the cut wol falle; Line 794
And he that hath the cut with herte blithe Line 795
Shal renne to the toun, and that ful swithe, Line 796
And brynge us breed and wyn ful prively. Line 797
And two of us shul kepen subtilly Line 798
This tresor wel; and if he wol nat tarie, Line 799
Whan it is nyght, we wol this tresor carie, Line 800
By oon assent, where as us thynketh best. Line 801
That oon of hem the cut broghte in his fest, Line 802
And bad hem drawe, and looke where it wol falle; Line 803
And if fil on the yongeste of hem alle, Line 804
And forth toward the toun he wente anon. Line 805
And also soone as that he was gon, Line 806
That oon of hem spak thus unto that oother -- Line 807
Thou knowest wel tho art my sworen brother; Line 808
Thy profit wol I telle thee anon. Line 809
Thou woost wel that oure felawe is agon. Line 810
And heere is gold, and that ful greet plentee, Line 811
That shal departed been among us thre. Line 812
But nathelees, if I kan shape it so Line 813
That it departed were among us two, Line 814
Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee? Line 815
that oother answerde, I noot hou that may be. Line 816
He woot wel that the gold is with us tweye; Line 817
What shal we doon? what shal we to hym seye? Line 818
shal it be conseil? seyde the firste shrewe, Line 819
And I shal tellen in a wordes fewe Line 820
What we shal doon, and brynge it wel aboute. Line 821
I graunte, quod that oother, out of doute, Line 822
That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat biwreye. Line 823
now, quod the firste, thou woost wel we be tweye; Line 824
And two of us shul strenger be than oon. Line 825
Looke whan that he is set, that right anoon Line 826
Arys as though thou woldest with hym pleye, Line 827
And I shal ryve hym thurgh the sydes tweye Line 828
Whil that thou strogelest with hym as in game, Line 829
And with thy daggere looke thou do the same; Line 830
And thanne shal al this gold departed be, Line 831
My deere freend, bitwixen me and thee. Line 832
Thanne may we bothe oure lustes all fulfille, Line 833
And pleye at dees right at oure owene wille. Line 834
And thus acorded been thise shrewes tweye Line 835
To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye. Line 836
this yongeste, which that wente to the toun, Line 837
Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun Line 838
The beautee of thise floryns newe and brighte. Line 839
O lord! quod he, if so were that I myghte Line 840
Have al this tresor to myself allone, Line 841
Ther is no man that lyveth under the trone Line 842
Of God that sholde lyve so murye as i! Line 843
And atte laste the feend, oure enemy, Line 844
Putte in his thought that he sholde poysen beye, Line 845
With which he myghte sleen his felawes tweye; Line 846
For-why the feend foond hym in swich lyvynge Line 847
That he hadde leve him to sorwe brynge. Line 848
For this was outrely his fulle entente, Line 849
To sleen hem bothe, and nevere to repente. Line 850
And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he tarie, Line 851
Into the toun, unto a pothecarie, Line 852
And preyde hym that he hym wolde selle Line 853
Som poyson, that he myghte his rattes quelle; Line 854
And eek ther was a polcat in his hawe, Line 855
Page 154
Line 855
That, as he seyde, his capouns hadde yslawe, Line 856
And fayn he wolde wreke hym, if he myghte, Line 857
On vermyn that destroyed hym by nyghte. Line 858
the pothecarie answerde, and thou shalt have Line 859
A thyng that, also God my soule save, Line 860
In al this world ther is no creature, Line 861
That eten or dronken hath of this confiture Line 862
Noght but the montance of a corn of whete, Line 863
That he ne shal his lif anon forlete; Line 864
Ye, sterve he shal, and that in lasse while Line 865
Than thou wolt goon a paas nat but a mile, Line 866
This poysoun is so strong and violent. Line 867
this cursed man hath in his hond yhent Line 868
This poysoun in a box, and sith he ran Line 869
Into the nexte strete unto a man, Line 870
And borwed of hym large botelles thre; Line 871
And in the two his poyson poured he; Line 872
The thridde he kepte clene for his drynke. Line 873
For al the nyght he shoop hym for to swynke Line 874
In cariynge of the gold out of that place. Line 875
And whan this riotour, with sory grace, Line 876
Hadde filled with wyn his grete botels thre, Line 877
To his felawes agayn repaireth he. Line 878
what nedeth it to sermone of it moore? Line 879
For right as they hadde cast his deeth bifoore, Line 880
Right so they han hym slayn, and that anon. Line 881
And whan that this was doon, thus spak that oon -- Line 882
Now lat us sitte and drynke, and make us merie, Line 883
And afterward we wol his body berie. Line 884
And with that word it happed hym, par cas, Line 885
To take the botel ther the poyson was, Line 886
And drank, and yaf his felawe drynke also, Line 887
For which anon they storven bothe two. Line 888
but certes, I suppose that avycen Line 889
Wroot nevere in no canon, ne in no fen, Line 890
Mo wonder signes of empoisonyng Line 891
Than hadde thise wrecches two, er hir endyng. Line 892
Thus ended been thise homycides two, Line 893
And eek the false empoysonere also. Line 894
o cursed synne of alle cursednesse! Line 895
O traytours homycide, o wikkednesse! Line 896
O gloronye, luxurie, and hasardrye! Line 897
Thou blasphemour of crist with vileynye Line 898
And othes grete, of usage and of pride! Line 899
Allas! mankynde, how may it bitide Line 900
That to thy creatour, which that the wroghte, Line 901
And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte, Line 902
Thou art so fals and so unkynde, allas? Line 903
now goode men, God foryeve yow youre trespas, Line 904
And ware yow fro the synne of avarice! Line 905
Myn hooly pardoun may yow alle warice, Line 906
So that ye offre nobles or sterlynges, Line 907
Or elles silver broches, spoones, rynges. Line 908
Boweth youre heed under this hooly bulle! Line 909
Cometh up, ye wyves, offreth of youre wolle! Line 910
Youre names I entre heer in my rolle anon; Line 911
Into the blisse of hevene shul ye gon. Line 912
I yow assoile, by myn heigh power, Line 913
Yow that wol offre, as clene and eek as cleer Line 914
As ye were born. -- and lo, sires, thus I preche. Line 915
And jhesu crist, that is oure soules leche, Line 916
So graunte yow his pardoun to receyve, Line 917
For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve. Line 918
but, sires, o word forgat I in my tale -- Line 919
I have relikes and pardoun in my male, Line 920
As faire as any man in engelond. Line 921
Whiche were me yeven by the popes hond. Line 922
If any of yow wole, of devocion, Line 923
Offren, and han myn absolucion, Line 924
Com forth anon, and kneleth heere adoun, Line 925
And mekely receyveth my pardoun; Line 926
Or elles taketh pardoun as ye wende, Line 927
Al newe and fressh at every miles ende, Line 928
So that ye offren, alwey newe and newe, Line 929
Nobles or pens, whiche that be goode and trewe. Line 930
It is an honour to everich that is heer Line 931
That ye mowe have a suffisant pardoneer Line 932
T'assoile yow, in contree as ye ryde, Line 933
For aventures whiche that may bityde. Line 934
Paraventure ther may fallen oon or two Line 935
Doun of his hors, and breke his nekke atwo. Line 936
Looke which a seuretee is it to yow alle Line 937
That I am in youre felaweshipe yfalle, Line 938
That may assoille yow, bothe moore and lasse, Line 939
Whan that the soule shal fro the body passe. Line 940
I rede that oure hoost heere shal bigynne, Line 941
For he is moost envoluped in synne. Line 942
Com forth, sire hoost, and offre first anon, Line 943
And thou shalt kisse the relikes everychon, Line 944
Ye, for a grote! unbokele anon thy purs. Line 945
nay, nay! quod he, thanne have I cristes curs! Line 946
Lat be, quod he, it shal nat be, so theech! Line 947
Thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech, Line 948
And swere it were a relyk of a seint, Line 949
Though it were with thy fundement depeint! Line 950
But, by the croys which that seint eleyne fond, Line 951
I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond Line 952
In stide of relikes or os seintuarie. Line 953
Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie; Line 954
They shul be shryned in an hogges toord! Line 955
this pardoner answerde nat a word; Line 956
So wrooth he was, no word ne wolde he seye. Line 957
Page 155
Line 957
now, quod oure hoost, I wol no lenger pleye Line 958
With thee, ne with noon oother angry man. Line 959
But right anon the worthy knyght bigan, Line 960
Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough, Line 961
Namoore of this, for it is right ynough! Line 962
Sire pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere; Line 963
And ye, sire hoost, that been to me so deere, Line 964
I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner. Line 965
And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer, Line 966
And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye. Line 967
Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hir weye. Line 968