Group 7
The Shipman's Tale
a merchant whilom dwelled at seint-denys,
1
That riche was, for which men helde hym wys.
2
A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee;
3
And compaignable and revelous was she,
4
Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence
5
Than worth is al the chiere and reverence
6
That men hem doon at festes and at daunces.
7
Swiche salutaciouns and contenances
8
Passen as dooth a shadwe upon the wal;
9
But wo is hym that payen moot for al!
10
The sely housbonde, algate he moot paye,
11
He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,
12
Al for his owene worshipe richely,
13
In which array we daunce jolily.
14
And if that he noght may, par aventure,
15
Or ellis list no swich dispence endure,
16
But thynketh it is wasted and ylost,
17
Thanne moot another payen for oure cost,
18
Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.
19
this noble marchaunt heeld a worthy hous,
20
For which ne hadde alday so greet repair
21
For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,
22
That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.
23
Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale,
24
Ther was a monk, a fair man and a boold --
25
I trowe a thritty wynter he was oold --
26
That evere in oon was drawynge to that place.
27
This yonge monk, that was so fair of face,
28
Aqueynted was so with the goode man,
29
Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan,
30
That in his hous as famulier was he
31
As it is possible any freend to be.
32
and for as muchel as this goode man,
33
And eek this monk, of which that I began,
34
Were bothe two yborn in o village,
35
The monk hym claymeth as for cosynage;
36
And he agayn, he seith nat ones nay,
37
But was as glad therof as fowel of day;
38
For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.
39
Thus been they knyt with eterne alliaunce,
40
And ech of hem gan oother for t'assure
41
Of bretherhede, whil that hir lyf may dure.
42
Free was daun john, and namely of dispence,
43
As in that hous, and ful of diligence
44
To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage.
45
He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page
46
In al that hous; but after hir degree,
47
He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,
48
Whan that he cam, som manere honest thyng;
49
For which they were as glad of his comyng
50
As fowel is fayn whan that the sonne up riseth.
51
Na moore of this as now, for it suffiseth.
52
But so bifel, this marchant on a day
53
Shoop hym to make redy his array
54
Toward the toun of brugges for to fare,
55
To byen there a porcioun of ware;
56
For which he hath to parys sent anon
57
A messager, and preyed hat daun john
58
That he sholde come to seint-denys to pleye
59
With hym and with his wyf a day or tweye,
60
Er he to brugges wente, in alle wise.
61
This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
62
Hath of his abbot, as hym list, licence,
63
By cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
64
And eek an officer, out for to ryde,
65
To seen hir graunges and hire bernes wyde,
66
And unto seint-denys he comth anon.
67
Who was so welcome as my lord daun john,
68
Oure deere cosyn, ful of curteisye?
69
With hym broghte he a jubbe of malvesye,
70
And eek another, ful of fyn vernage,
71
And volatyl, as ay was his usage.
72
And thus I lete hem ete and drynke and pleye,
73
This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.
74
The thridde day, this marchant up ariseth,
75
And on his nedes sadly hym avyseth,
76
And up into his countour-hous gooth he
77
To rekene with hymself, as wel may be,
78
Of thilke yeer how that it with hym stood, Page 157
79
And how that he despended hadde his good,
80
And if that he encressed were or noon.
81
His bookes and his bagges many oon
82
He leith biforn hym on his countyng-bord.
83
Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
84
For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette;
85
And eek he nolde that no man sholde hym lette
86
Of his acountes, for the meene tyme;
87
And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.
88
Daun john was rysen in the morwe also,
89
And in the gardyn walketh to and fro,
90
And hath his thynges seyd ful curteisly.
91
This goode wyf cam walkynge pryvely
92
Into the gardyn, there he walketh softe,
93
And hym saleweth, as she hath doon ofte.
94
A mayde child cam in hire compaignye,
95
Which as hir list she may governe and gye,
96
For yet under the yerde was the mayde.
97
O deere cosyn myn, daun john, she sayde,
98
What eyleth yow so rathe for to ryse?
99
Nece, quod he, it oghte ynough suffise
100
Fyve houres for to slepe upon a nyght,
101
But it were for an old appalled wight,
102
As been thise wedded men, that lye and dare
103
As in a fourme sit a wery hare,
104
Were al forstraught with houndes grete and smale.
105
But deere nece, why be ye so pale?
106
I trowe, certes, that oure goode man
107
Hath yow laboured sith the nyght bigan,
108
That yow were nede to resten hastily.
109
And with that word he lough ful murily,
110
And of his owene thought he was reed.
111
This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed
112
And seyde thus, ye, God woot al, quod she.
113
Nay, cosyn myn, it stant nat so with me;
114
For, by that God that yaf me soule and lyf,
115
In al the reawme of france is ther no wyf
116
That lasse lust hath to that sory pley.
117
For I may synge -- allas and weylawey
118
That I was born, -- but to no wight, quod she,
119
Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me.
120
Wherfore I thynke out of this land to wende,
121
Or elles of myself to make an ende,
122
So ful am I of drede and eek of care.
123
This monk bigan upon this wyf to stare,
124
And seyde, allas, my nece, God forbede
125
That ye, for any sorwe or any drede,
126
Fordo youreself; but telleth me youre grief.
127
Paraventure I may, in youre meschief,
128
Conseille or helpe; and therfore telleth me
129
Al youre anoy, for it shal been secree.
130
For on my porthors here I make an ooth
131
That nevere in my lyf, for lief ne looth,
132
Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.
133
The same agayn to yow, quod she, I seye.
134
By God and by this porthors I yow swere,
135
Though men me wolde al into pieces tere,
136
Ne shal I nevere, for to goon to helle,
137
Biwreye a word of thyng that ye me telle,
138
Nat for no cosynage ne alliance,
139
But verraily, for love and affiance.
140
Thus been they sworn, and heerupon they kiste,
141
And ech of hem tolde oother what hem liste.
142
Cosyn, quod she, if that I hadde a space,
143
As I have noon, and namely in this place,
144
Thanne wolde I telle a legende of my lyf,
145
What I have suffred with I was a wyf
146
With myn housbonde, al be he youre cosyn.
147
Nay, quod this monk, by God and seint martyn,
148
He is na moore cosyn unto me
149
Than is this leef that hangeth on the tree!
150
I clepe hym so, by seint denys of fraunce,
151
To have the moore cause of aqueyntaunce
152
Of yow, which I have loved specially
153
Aboven alle wommen, sikerly.
154
This swere I yow on my professioun.
155
Telleth youre grief, lest that he come adoun;
156
And hasteth yow, and gooth youre wey anon.
157
My deere love, quod she, o my daun john,
158
Ful lief were me this conseil for to hyde,
159
But out it moot, I may namoore abyde.
160
Myn housbonde is to me the worste man
161
That evere was sith that the world bigan.
162
But sith I am a wyf, it sit nat me
163
To tellen no wight of oure privetee,
164
Neither abedde, ne in noon oother place;
165
God shilde I sholde it tellen, for his grace!
166
A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde
167
But al honour, as I kan understonde;
168
Save unto yow thus muche I tellen shal:
169
As helpe me god, he is noght worth at al
170
In no degree the value of a flye.
171
But yet me greveth moost his nygardye.
172
And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly
173
Desiren thynges sixe as wel as I:
174
They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be
175
Hardy, and wise, and riche, and therto free,
176
And buxom unto his wyf, and fressh abedde.
177
But by that ilke lord that for us bledde,
178
For his honour, myself for to arraye, Page 158
179
A sonday next I moste nedes paye
180
An hundred frankes, or ellis I am lorn.
181
Yet were me levere that I were unborn
182
Than me were doon a sclaundre or vileynye;
183
And if myn housbonde eek it myghte espye,
184
I nere but lost; and therfore I yow preye,
185
Lene me this somme, or ellis moot I deye.
186
Daun john, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes.
187
Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes,
188
If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.
189
For at a certeyn day I wol yow paye,
190
And doon to yow what plesance and service
191
That I may doon, right as yow list devise.
192
And but I do, God take on me vengeance
193
As foul as evere hadde genylon of france.
194
This gentil monk answerde in this manere:
195
Now trewely, myn owene lady deere,
196
I have, quod he, on yow so greet a routhe
197
That I yow swere, and plighte yow my trouthe,
198
That whan youre housbonde is to flaundres fare,
199
I wol delyvere yow out of this care;
200
For I wol brynge yow an hundred frankes.
201
And with that word he caughte hire by the flankes,
202
And hire embraceth harde, and kiste hire ofte.
203
Gooth now youre wey, quod he, al stille and softe,
204
And lat us dyne as soone as that ye may;
205
For by my chilyndre it is pryme of day.
206
Gooth now, and beeth as trewe as I shal be.
207
Now elles God forbede, sire, quod she;
208
And forth she gooth as jolif as a pye,
209
And bad the cookes that they sholde hem hye,
210
So that men myghte dyne, and that anon.
211
Up to hir housbonde is this wyf ygon,
212
And knokketh at his countour boldely.
213
Quy la? quod he. Peter! it am I,
214
Quod she; what, sire, how longe wol ye faste?
215
How longe tyme wol ye rekene and caste
216
Youre sommes, and youre bookes, and youre thynges?
217
The devel have part on alle swiche rekenynges!
218
Ye have ynough, pardee, of goddes sonde;
219
Com doun to-day, and lat youre bagges stonde.
220
Ne be ye nat ashamed that daun john
221
Shal fasting al this day alenge goon?
222
What! lat us heere a messe, and go we dyne.
223
Wyf, quod this man, litel kanstow devyne
224
The curious bisynesse that we have.
225
For of us chapmen, also God me save,
226
And by that lord that clepid is seint yve,
227
Scarsly amonges twelve tweye shul thryve
228
Continuelly, lastynge unto oure age.
229
We may wel make chiere and good visage,
230
And dryve forth the world as it may be,
231
And kepen oure estaat in pryvetee,
232
Til we be deed, or elles that we pleye
233
A pilgrymage, or goon out of the weye.
234
And therfore have I greet necessitee
235
Upon this queynte world t' avyse me;
236
For everemoore we moote stonde in drede
237
Of hap and fortune in oure chapmanhede.
238
To flaundres wol I go to-morwe at day,
239
And come agayn, as soone as evere I may.
240
For which, my deere wyf, I thee diseke,
241
As be to every wight buxom and meke,
242
And for to kepe oure good be curious,
243
And honestly governe wel oure hous.
244
Thou hast ynough, in every maner wise,
245
That to a thrifty houshold may suffise.
246
Thee lakketh noon array ne no vitaille;
247
Of silver in thy purs shaltow nat faille.
248
And with that word his countour-dore he shette,
249
And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette.
250
But hastily a messe was ther seyd,
251
And spedily the tables were yleyd,
252
And to the dyner faste they hem spedde,
253
And richely this monk the chapman fedde.
254
At after-dyner daun john sobrely
255
This chapman took apart, and prively
256
He seyde hym thus: cosyn, it standeth so,
257
That wel I se to brugges wol ye go.
258
Go and seint austyn spede yow and gyde!
259
I prey yow, cosyn, wisely that ye ryde.
260
Governeth yow also of youre diete
261
Atemprely, and namely in this hete.
262
Bitwix us two nedeth no strange fare;
263
Farewel, cosyn; God shilde yow fro care!
264
And if that any thyng by day or nyght,
265
If it lye in my power and my myght,
266
That ye me wol comande in any wyse,
267
It shal be doon, right as ye wol devyse.
268
O thyng, er that ye goon, if it may be,
269
I wolde prey yow; for to lene me
270
An hundred frankes, for a wyke or tweye,
271
For certein beestes that I moste beye,
272
To stoore with a place that is oures.
273
God helpe me so, I wolde it were youres!
274
I shal nat faille surely of my day,
275
Nat for a thousand frankes, a mile way.
276
But lat this thyng be secree, I yow preye, Page 159
277
For yet to-nyght thise beestes moot I beye.
278
And fare now wel, myn owene cosyn deere;
279
Graunt mercy of youre cost and of youre cheere.
280
This noble marchant gentilly anon
281
Answerde and seyde, o cosyn myn, daun john,
282
Now sikerly this is a smal requeste.
283
My gold is youres, whan that it yow leste,
284
And nat oonly my gold, but my chaffare.
285
Take what yow list, God shilde that ye spare.
286
But o thyng is, ye knowe it wel ynogh,
287
Of chapmen, that hir moneie is hir plogh.
288
We may creaunce whil we have a name;
289
But goldlees for to be, it is no game.
290
Paye it agayn whan it lith in youre ese;
291
After my myght ful fayn wolde I yow plese.
292
Thise hundred frankes he fette forth anon,
293
And prively he took hem to daun john.
294
No wight in al this world wiste of this loone,
295
Savynge this marchant and daun john allone.
296
They drynke, and speke, and rome a while and pleye,
297
Til that daun john rideth to his abbeye.
298
The morwe cam, and forth this marchant rideth
299
To flaundres-ward; his prentys wel hym gydeth,
300
Til he came into brugges murily.
301
Now gooth this marchant faste and bisily
302
Aboute his nede, and byeth and creaunceth.
303
He neither pleyeth at the dees ne daunceth,
304
But as a marchaunt, shortly for to telle,
305
He let him lyf, and there I lete hym dwelle.
306
The sonday next the marchant was agon,
307
To seint-denys ycomen is daun john,
308
With crowne and berd al fressh and newe yshave.
309
In al the hous ther nas so litel a knave,
310
Ne no wight elles, that he nas ful fayn
311
For that my lord daun john was come agayn.
312
And shortly to the point right for to gon,
313
This faire wyf acorded with daun john
314
That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al nyght
315
Have hire in his armes bolt upright;
316
And this acord parfourned was in dede.
317
In myrthe al nyght a bisy lyf they lede
318
Til it was day, that daun john wente his way,
319
And bad the meynee farewel, have good day!
320
For noon of hem, ne no wight in the toun,
321
Hath of daun john right no suspecioun.
322
And forth he rydeth hoom to his abbeye,
323
Or where hym list; namoore of hym I seye.
324
This marchant, whan that ended was the faire,
325
To seint-denys he gan for to repaire,
326
And with his wyf he maketh feeste and cheere,
327
And telleth hire that chaffare is so deere
328
That nedes moste he make a chevyssaunce;
329
For he was bounden in a reconyssaunce
330
To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon.
331
For which this marchant is to parys gon
332
To borwe of certeine freendes that he hadde
333
A certeyn frankes; and somme with him he ladde.
334
And whan that he was come into the toun,
335
For greet chiertee and greet affeccioun,
336
Unto daun john he gooth first, hym to pleye;
337
Nat for to axe or borwe of hym moneye,
338
But for to wite and seen of his welfare,
339
And for to tellen hym of his chaffare,
340
As freendes doon whan they been met yfeere.
341
Daun john hym maketh feeste and murye cheere,
342
And he hym tolde agayn, ful specially,
343
How he hadde wel yboght and graciously,
344
Thanked be god, al hool his marchandise;
345
Save that he moste, in alle maner wise,
346
Maken a chevyssaunce, as for his beste,
347
And thanne he sholde been in joye and reste.
348
Daun john answerde, certes, I am fayn
349
That ye in heele ar comen hom agayn.
350
And if that I were riche, as have I blisse,
351
Of twenty thousand sheeld sholde ye nat mysse,
352
For ye so kyndely this oother day
353
Lente me gold; and as I kan and may,
354
I thanke yow, by God and by seint jame!
355
But nathelees, I took unto oure dame,
356
Youre wyf, at hom, the same gold ageyn
357
Upon youre bench; she woot it wel, certeyn,
358
By certeyn tokenes that I kan hire telle.
359
Now, by youre leve, I may no lenger dwelle;
360
Oure abbot wole out of this toun anon,
361
And in his compaignye moot I goon.
362
Grete wel oure dame, myn owene nece sweete,
363
And fare wel, deere cosyn, til we meete!
364
This marchant, which that was ful war and wys,
365
Creanced hath, and payd eek in parys
366
To certeyn lumbardes, redy in hir hond,
367
The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond;
368
And hoom he gooth, murie as a papejay,
369
For wel he knew he stood in swich array
370
That nedes moste he wynne in that viage Page 160
371
A thousand frankes aboven al his costage.
372
His wyf ful redy mette hym atte gate,
373
As she was wont of oold usage algate,
374
And al that nyght in myrthe they bisette;
375
For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.
376
Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace
377
His wyf al newe, and kiste hire on hir face,
378
And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.
379
Namoore, quod she, by god, ye have ynough!
380
And wantownly agayn with hym she pleyde,
381
Til atte laste thus this marchant seyde:
382
By go, quod he, I am a litel wrooth
383
With yow, my wyf, although it be me looth.
384
And woot ye why? by god, as that I gesse
385
That ye han maad a manere straungenesse
386
Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun john.
387
Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon,
388
That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed
389
By redy token; and heeld hym yvele apayed,
390
For that I to hym spak of chevyssaunce;
391
Me semed so, as by his contenaunce.
392
But nathelees, by god, oure hevene kyng,
393
I thoughte nat to axen hym no thyng.
394
I prey thee, wyf, ne do namoore so;
395
Telle me alwey, er that I fro thee go,
396
If any dettour hath in myn absence
397
Ypayed thee, lest thurgh thy necligence
398
I myghte hym axe a thing that he hath payed.
399
This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed,
400
But boldely she seyde, and that anon;
401
Marie, I deffie the false monk, daun john!
402
I kepe nat of his tokenes never a deel;
403
He took me certeyn gold, that woot I weel, --
404
What! yvel thedam on his monkes snowte!
405
For, God it woot, I wende, withouten doute,
406
That he hadde yeve it me bycause of yow,
407
To doon therwith myn honour and my prow,
408
For cosynage, and eek for beele cheere
409
That he hath had ful ofte tymes heere.
410
But sith I se I stonde in this disjoynt,
411
I wol answere yow shortly to the poynt.
412
Ye han mo slakkere dettours than am i!
413
For I wol paye yow wel and redily
414
Fro day to day, and if so be I faille,
415
I am youre wyf; score it upon my taille,
416
And I shal paye as soone as ever I may.
417
For by my trouthe, I have on myn array,
418
And nat on wast, bistowed every deel;
419
And for I have bistowed it so weel
420
For youre honour, for goddes sake, I seye,
421
As be nat wrooth, but lat us laughe and pleye.
422
Ye shal my joly body have to wedde;
423
By god, I wol nat paye yow but abedde!
424
Forgyve it me, myn owene spouse deere;
425
Turne hiderward, and maketh bettre cheere.
426
This marchant saugh ther was no remedie,
427
And for to chide it nere but folie,
428
Sith that the thyng may nat amended be.
429
Now wyf, he seyde, and I foryeve it thee;
430
But, by thy lyf, ne be namoore so large.
431
Keep bet my good, this yeve I thee in charge.
432
Thus endeth now my tale, and God us sende
433
Taillynge ynough unto oure lyves ende. Amen
434
The Words of the Host to the Prioress
Wel seyd, by corpus dominus, quod oure hoost,
435
Now longe moote thou saille by the cost,
436
Sire gentil maister, gentil maryneer!
437
God yeve the monk a thousand last quade yeer!
438
A ha! felawes! beth ware of swich a jape!
439
The monk putte in the mannes hood an ape,
440
And in his wyves eek, by seint austyn!
441
Draweth no monkes moore unto youre in.
442
But now passe over, and lat us seke aboute,
443
Who shal now telle first of al this route
444
Another tale; and with that word he sayde,
445
As curteisly as it had been a mayde,
446
My lady prioresse, by youre leve,
447
So that I wiste I sholde yow nat greve,
448
I wolde demen that ye tellen sholde
449
A tale next, if so were that ye wolde.
450
Now wol ye vouche sauf, my lady deere?
451
Gladly, quod she, and seyde as ye shal heere.
452
The Prioress' Prologue
O lord, oure lord, thy name how merveillous
453
Is in this large world ysprad, quod she;
454
For noght oonly thy laude precious
455
Parfourned is by men of dignitee,
456
But by the mouth of children thy bountee
457
Parfourned is, for on the brest soukynge
458
Somtyme shewen they thyn heriynge.
459
Wherfore in laude, as I best kan or may,
460
Of thee and of the white lyle flour
461
Which that the bar, and is a mayde alway,
462
To telle a storie I wol do my labour;
463
Nat that I may encressen hir honour,
464
For whe hirself is honour and the roote
465
Of bountee, next hir sone, and soules boote.
466
O mooder mayde! o mayde mooder free!
467
O bussh unbrent, brennynge in moyses sighte,
468
That ravyshedest doun fro the dietee,
469
Thurgh thyn humbless, the goost that in th' alighte,
470
Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte,
471
Conceyved was the fadres sapience,
472
Help me to telle it in thy reverence!
473
Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence,
474
Thy vertu, and thy grete humylitee,
475
Ther may no tonge expresse in no science;
476
For somtyme, lady, er men praye to thee,
477
Thou goost biforn of thy benyngnytee,
478
And getest us the lyght, of thy preyere,
479
To gyden us unto thy sone so deere.
480
My konnyng is so wayk, o blisful queene,
481
For to declare thy grete worthynesse
482
That I ne may the weighte nat susteene;
483
But as a child of twelf month oold, or lesse,
484
That kan unnethes any word expresse,
485
Right so fare I, and therfore I yow preye,
486
Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye.
487
The Prioress' Tale
Ther was in asye, in a greet citee,
488
Amonges cristene folk, a jewerye,
489
Sustened by a lord of that contree
490
For foule usure and lucre of vileynye,
491
Hateful to crist and to his compaignye;
492
And thurgh the strete men myghte ride or wende,
493
For it was free and open at eyther ende.
494
A litel scole of cristen folk ther stood
495
Doun at the ferther ende, in which ther were
496
Children an heep, ycomen of cristen blood,
497
That lerned in that scole yeer by yere
498
Swich manere doctrine as men used there,
499
This is to seyn, to syngen and to rede,
500
As smale children doon in hire childhede.
501
Among thise children was a wydwes sone,
502
A litel clergeon, seven yeer of age,
503
That day by day to scole was his wone,
504
And eek also, where as he saugh th' ymage
505
Of cristes mooder, hadde he in usage,
506
As hym was taught, to knele adoun and seye
507
His ave marie, as he goth by the weye.
508
Thus hath this wydwe hir litel sone ytaught
509
Oure blisful lady, cristes mooder deere, Page 162
510
To worshipe ay, and he forgat it naught,
511
For sely child wol alday soone leere.
512
But ay, whan I remembre on this mateere,
513
Seint nicholas stant evere in my presence,
514
For he so yong to crist dide reverence.
515
This litel child, his litel book lernynge,
516
As he sat in the scole at his prymer,
517
He alma redemptoris herde synge,
518
As children lerned hire antiphoner;
519
And as he dorste, he drough hym ner and ner,
520
And herkned ay the wordes and the noote,
521
Til he the firste vers koude al by rote.
522
Noght wiste he what this latyn was to seye,
523
For he so yong and tendre was of age.
524
But on a day his felawe gan he preye
525
T' expounden hym this song in his langage,
526
Or telle hym why this song was in usage;
527
This preyde he hym to construe and declare
528
Ful often tyme upon his knowes bare.
529
His felawe, which that elder was than he,
530
Answerde hym thus: this song, I have herd seye,
531
Was maked of our blisful lady free,
532
Hire to salue, and eek hire for to preye
533
Fo been oure help and socour whan we deye.
534
I kan namoore expounde in this mateere;
535
I lerne song, I kan but smal grammeere.
536
And is this song maked in reverence
537
Of cristes mooder? seyde this innocent.
538
Now, certes, I wol do my diligence
539
To konne it al er cristemasse be went.
540
Though that I for my prymer shal be shent,
541
And shall be beten thries in an houre,
542
I wol it konne oure lady for to honoure!
543
His felawe taughte hym homward prively,
544
For day to day, til he koude it by rote,
545
And thanne he song it wel and boldely,
546
Fro word to word, acordynge with the note.
547
Twies a day it passed thurgh his throte,
548
To scoleward and homward whan he wente;
549
On cristes mooder set was his entente.
550
As I have seyd, thurghout the juerie,
551
This litel child, as he cam to and fro,
552
Ful murily than wolde he synge and crie
553
O alma redemptoris everemo.
554
The swetnesse hath his herte perced so
555
Of cristes mooder that, to hire to preye,
556
He kan nat stynte of syngyng by the weye.
557
Oure firste foo, the serpent sathanas,
558
That hath in jues herte his waspes nest,
559
Up swal, and seide, o hebrayk peple, allas!
560
Is this to yow a thyng that is honest,
561
That swich a boy shal walken as hym lest
562
In youre despit, and synge of swich sentence,
563
Which is agayn youre lawes reverence?
564
Fro thennes forth the jues han conspired
565
This innocent out of this world to chace.
566
And homycide therto han they hyred,
567
That in an aleye hadde a privee place;
568
And as the child gan forby for to pace,
569
This cursed jew hym hente, and heeld hym faste,
570
And kitte his throute, and in a pit hym caste.
571
I seye that in a wardrobe they hym threwe
572
Where as thise jewes purgen hire entraille.
573
O cursed folk of herodes al newe,
574
What may youre yvel entente yow availle?
575
Mordre wol out, certeyn, it wol nat faille,
576
And namely ther th' onour of God shal sprede;
577
The blood out crieth on youre cursed dede.
578
O martir, sowded to virginitee,
579
Now maystow syngen, folwynge evere in oon
580
The white lamb celestial -- quod she --
581
Of which the grete evaungelist, seint john,
582
In pathmos wroot, which seith that they that goon
583
Biforn this lamb, and synge a song al newe,
584
That nevere, flesshly, wommen they ne knewe.
585
This poure wydwe awaiteth al that nyght
586
After hir litel child, but he cam noght;
587
For which, as soone as it was dayes lyght,
588
With face pale of drede and bisy thoght,
589
She hath at scole and elleswhere hym soght,
590
Til finally she gan so fer espie
591
That he last seyn was in the juerie.
592
With moodres pitee in hir brest enclosed,
593
She gooth, as she were half out of hir mynde,
594
To every place where she hath supposed
595
By liklihede hir litel child to fynde; Page 163
596
And evere on cristes mooder meeke and kynde
597
She cride, and atte laste thus she wroghte:
598
Among the cursed jues she hym soghte.
599
She frayneth and she preyeth pitously
600
To every jew that dwelte in thilke place,
601
To telle hire if hir child wente oght forby.
602
They seyde nay; but jhesu, of his grace,
603
Yaf in hir thoght, inwith a litel space,
604
That in that place after hir sone she cryde,
605
Where he was casten in a pit bisyde.
606
O grete god, that parfournest thy laude
607
By mouth of innocentz, lo, heere thy myght!
608
This gemme of chastite, this emeraude,
609
And eek of martirdom the ruby bright,
610
Ther he with throte ykorven lay upright,
611
He alma redemptoris gan to synge
612
So loude that al the place gan to rynge.
613
The cristene folk that thurgh the strete wente
614
In coomen for to wondre upon this thyng,
615
And hastily they for the provost sente;
616
He cam anon withouten tariyng,
617
And herieth crist that is of hevene kyng,
618
And eek his mooder, honour of mankynde,
619
And after that the jewes leet he bynde.
620
This child with pitous lamentacioun
621
Up taken was, syngynge his song alway,
622
And with honour of greet processioun
623
They carien hym unto the nexte abbay.
624
His mooder swownynge by the beere lay;
625
Unnethe myghte the peple that was theere
626
This newe rachel brynge fro his beere.
627
With torment and with shameful deeth echon
628
This provost dooth thise jewes for to sterve
629
That of this mordre wiste, and that anon.
630
He nolde no swich cursednesse observe.
631
Yvele shal have that yvele wol deserve;
632
Therfore with wilde hors he dide hem drawe,
633
And after that he heng hem by the lawe.
634
Upon this beere ay lith this innocent
635
Biforn the chief auter, whil masse laste;
636
And after that, the abbot with his covent
637
Han sped hem for to burien hym ful faste;
638
And whan they hooly water on hym caste,
639
Yet spak this child, whan spreynd was hooly water,
640
And song o alma redemptoris mater!
641
This abbot, which that was an hooly man,
642
As monkes been -- or elles oghte be --
643
This yonge child to conjure he bigan,
644
And seyde, o deere child, I halse thee,
645
In vertu of the hooly trinitee,
646
Tel me what is thy cause for to synge,
647
Sith that thy throte is kut to my semynge?
648
My throte is kut unto my nekke boon,
649
Seyde this child, and, as by wey of kynde,
650
I sholde have dyed, ye, longe tyme agon.
651
But jesu crist, as ye in bookes fynde,
652
Wil that his glorie laste and be in mynde,
653
And for the worship of his mooder deere
654
Yet may I synge o alma loude and cleere.
655
This welle of mercy, cristes mooder sweete,
656
I loved alwey, as after my konnynge;
657
And whan that I my lyf sholde forlete,
658
To me she cam, and bad me for to synge
659
This anthem verraily in my deyynge,
660
As ye han herd, and whan that I hadde songe,
661
Me thoughte she leyde a greyn upon my tonge.
662
Wherfore I synge, and synge moot certeyn,
663
In honour of that blisful mayden free,
664
Til fro my tonge of taken is the greyn;
665
And after that thus seyde she to me;
666
-- My litel child, now wol I fecche thee,
667
Whan that the greyn is fro thy tonge ytake.
668
Be nat agast, I wol thee nat forsake. --
669
This hooly monk, this abbot, hym meene I,
670
His tonge out caughte, and took awey the greyn,
671
And he yaf up the goost ful softely.
672
And whan this abbot hadde this wonder seyn,
673
His salte teeris trikled doun as reyn,
674
And gruf he fil al plat upon the grounde,
675
And stille he lay as he had ben ybounde.
676
The covent eek lay on the pavement
677
Wepynge, and herying cristes mooder deere,
678
And after that they ryse, and forth been went,
679
And tooken awey this martir from his beere;
680
And in a tombe of marbul stones cleere
681
Enclosen they his litel body sweete.
682
Ther he is now, God leve us for to meete! Page 164
683
O yonge hugh of lyncoln, slayn also
684
With cursed jewes, as it is notable,
685
For it is but a litel while ago,
686
Preye eek for us, we synful folk unstable,
687
That, of his mercy, God so merciable
688
On us his grete mercy multiplie,
689
For reverence of his mooder marie. Amen
690
The Prologue to the Tale of Sir Thopas
Whan seyd was al this miracle, every man
691
As sobre was that wonder was to se,
692
Til that oure hooste japen tho bigan,
693
And thanne at erst he looked upon me,
694
And seyde thus: what man artow? quod he;
695
Thou lookest as thou woldest fynde an hare,
696
For evere upon the ground I se thee stare.
697
Approche neer, and looke up murily.
698
Now war yow, sires, and lat this man have place!
699
He in the waast is shape as wel as I;
700
This were a popet in an arm t' enbrace
701
For any womman, smal and fair of face.
702
He semeth elvyssh by his contenaunce,
703
For unto no wight dooth he daliaunce.
704
Sey now somwhat, syn oother folk han sayd;
705
Telle us a tale of myrthe, and that anon.
706
Hooste, quod I, ne beth nat yvele apayd,
707
For oother tale certes kan I noon,
708
But of a rym I lerned longe agoon.
709
Ye, that is good, quod he; now shul we heere
710
Som deyntee thyng, me thynketh by his cheere.
711
The Tale of Sir Thopas
Fitt I
Listeth, lordes, in good entent,
712
And I wol telle verrayment
713
Of myrthe and of solas;
714
Al of a knyght was fair and gent
715
In bataille and in tourneyment,
716
His name was sire thopas.
717
Yborn he was in fer contree,
718
In flaundres, al biyonde the see,
719
At poperyng, in the place.
720
His fader was a man ful free,
721
And lord he was of that contree,
722
As it was goddes grace.
723
Sire thopas wax a doghty swayn;
724
Whit was his face as payndemayn,
725
His lippes rede as rose;
726
His rode is lyk scarlet in grayn,
727
And I yow telle in good certayn,
728
He hadde a semely nose.
729
His heer, his berd was lyk saffroun,
730
That to his girdel raughte adoun;
731
His shoon of cordewane.
732
Of brugges were his hosen broun,
733
His robe was of syklatoun,
734
That coste many a jane.
735
He koude hunte at wilde deer,
736
And ride an haukyng for river
737
With grey goshauk on honde;
738
Therto he was a good archeer;
739
Of wrastlyng was ther noon his peer,
740
Ther any ram shal stonde. Page 165
741
Ful many a mayde, bright in bour,
742
They moorne for hym paramour,
743
Whan hem were bet to slepe;
744
But he was chaast and no lechour,
745
And sweete as is the brembul flour
746
That bereth the rede hepe.
747
And so bifel upon a day,
748
For sothe, as I yow telle may,
749
Sire thopas wolde out ride.
750
He worth upon his steede gray,
751
And in his hand a launcegay,
752
A long swerd by his side.
753
He priketh thurgh a fair forest,
754
Therinne is many a wilde best,
755
Ye, bothe bukke and hare;
756
And as he priketh north and est,
757
I telle it yow, hym hadde almest
758
Bitid a sory care.
759
Ther spryngen herbes grete and smale,
760
The lycorys and the cetewale,
761
And many a clowe-gylofre;
762
And notemuge to putte in ale,
763
Wheither it be moyste or stale,
764
Or for to leye in cofre.
765
The briddes synge, it is no nay,
766
The sparhauk and the papejay,
767
That joye it was to heere;
768
The thrustelock made eek his lay,
769
The wodedowve upon the spray
770
She sang ful loude and cleere.
771
Sire thopas fil in love-longynge,
772
Al whan he herde the thrustel synge,
773
And pryked as he were wood.
774
His faire steede in his prikynge
775
So swatte that men myghte him wrynge;
776
His sydes were al blood.
777
Sire thopas eek so wery was
778
For prikyng on the softe gras,
779
So fiers was his corage,
780
That doun he leyde him in that plas
781
To make his steede som solas,
782
And yaf hym good forage.
783
O seinte marie, benedicite!
784
What eyleth this love at me
785
To bynde me so soore?
786
Me dremed al this nyght, pardee,
787
An elf-queene shal my lemman be
788
And slepe under my goore.
789
An elf-queene wol I love, ywis,
790
For in this world no womman is
791
Worthy to be my make
792
In towne;
793
Alle othere wommen I forsake,
794
And to an elf-queene I me take
795
By dale and eek by downe!
796
Into his sadel he clamb anon,
797
And priketh over stile and stoon
798
An elf-queene for t' espye,
799
Til he so longe hath riden and goon
800
That he foond, in a pryve woon,
801
The contree of fairye
802
So wilde;
803
For in that contree was ther noon
804
That to him durste ride or goon,
805
Neither wyf ne childe;
806
Til that ther cam a greet geaunt,
807
His name was sire olifaunt,
808
A perilus man of dede.
809
He seyde, child, by termagaunt!
810
But if thou prike out of myn haunt,
811
Anon I sle thy steede
812
With mace.
813
Heere is the queene of fayerye,
814
With harpe and pipe and symphonye,
815
Dwellynge in this place.
816
The child seyde, also moote I thee,
817
Tomorwe wol I meete with thee,
818
Whan I have myn armoure;
819
And yet I hope, par ma fay,
820
That thou shalt with this launcegay
821
Abyen it ful sowre.
822
Thy mawe
823
Shal I percen, if I may,
824
Er it be fully pryme of day,
825
For heere thow shalt be slawe.
826
Sire thopas drow abak ful faste;
827
This geant at hym stones caste
828
Out of a fel staf-slynge.
829
But faire escapeth child thopas,
830
And al it was thurgh goddes gras,
831
And thurgh his fair berynge.
832
Yet listeth, lordes, to my tale
833
Murier than the nightyngale,
834
For now I wol yow rowne
835
How sir thopas, with sydes smale,
836
Prikyng over hill and dale,
837
Is comen agayn to towne. Page 166
838
His myrie men comanded he
839
To make hym bothe game and glee,
840
For nedes moste he fighte
841
With a geaunt with hevedes three,
842
For paramour and jolitee
843
Of oon that shoon ful brighte.
844
Do come, he seyde, my mynstrale,
845
And geestours for to tellen tales,
846
Anon in myn armynge,
847
Of romances that been roiales,
848
Of popes and of cardinales,
849
And eek of love-likynge.
850
They fette hym first the sweet wyn,
851
And mede eek in a mazelyn,
852
And roial spicerye
853
Of gyngebreed that was ful fyn,
854
And lycorys, and eek comyn,
855
With sugre that is trye.
856
He dide next his white leere,
857
Of cloth of lake fyn and cleere,
858
A breech and eek a sherte;
859
And next his sherte an aketoun,
860
And over that an haubergeoun
861
For percynge of his herte;
862
And over that a fyn hawberk,
863
Was al ywroght of jewes werk,
864
Ful strong it was of plate;
865
And over that his cote-armour
866
As whit as is a lilye flour,
867
In which he wol debate.
868
His sheeld was al of gold so reed,
869
And therinne was a bores heed,
870
A charbocle bisyde;
871
And there he swoor on ale and breed
872
How that the geaunt shal be deed,
873
Bityde what bityde!
874
His jambeux were of quyrboilly,
875
His swerdes shethe of ivory,
876
His helm of latoun bright;
877
His sadel was of rewel boon,
878
His brydel as the sonne shoon,
879
Or as the moone light.
880
His spere was of fyn ciprees,
881
That bodeth werre, and nothyng pees,
882
The heed ful sharpe ygrounde;
883
His steede was al dappull gray,
884
It gooth an ambil in the way
885
Ful softely and rounde
886
In londe.
887
Loo, lordes myne, heere is a fit!
888
If ye wol any moore of it,
889
To telle it wol I fonde.
890
Fitt II
Now holde youre mouth, par charitee,
891
Bothe knyght and lady free,
892
And herkneth to my spelle;
893
Of bataille and of chivalry,
894
And of ladyes love-drury
895
Anon I wol yow telle.
896
Men speken of romances of prys,
897
Of horn child and of ypotys,
898
Of beves and sir gy,
899
Of sir lybeux and pleyndamour, --
900
But sir thopas, he bereth the flour
901
Of roial chivalry!
902
His goode steede al he bistrood,
903
And forth upon his wey he glood
904
As sparcle out of the bronde;
905
Upon his creest he bar a tour,
906
And therinne stiked a lilie flour, --
907
God shilde his cors for shonde!
908
And for he was a knyght auntrous,
909
He nolde slepen in noon hous,
910
But liggen in his hoode;
911
His brighte helm was his wonger,
912
And by hym baiteth his dextrer
913
Of herbes fyne and goode.
914
Hymself drank water of the well,
915
As dide the knyght sire percyvell
916
So worthy under wede,
917
Til on a day --
918
The Host's Interruption of the Tale of Sir Thopas
Namoore of this, for goddes dignitee,
919
Quod oure hooste, for thou makest me
920
So wery of thy verray lewednesse
921
That, also wisly God my soule blesse,
922
Myne eres aken of thy drasty speche.
923
Now swich a rym the devel I biteche!
924
This may wel be rym dogerel, quod he.
925
Why so? quod I, why wiltow lette me
926
Moore of my tale than another man,
927
Syn that it is the beste rym I kan?
928
By god, quod he, for pleynly, at a word,
929
Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a toord!
930
Thou doost noght elles but despendest tyme.
931
Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger ryme.
932
Lat se wher thou kanst tellen aught in geeste,
933
Or telle in prose somwhat, at the leeste,
934
In which ther be som murthe or som doctryne
935
Gladly, quod I, by goddes sweete pyne!
936
I wol yow telle a litel thyng in prose
937
That oghte liken yow, as I suppose,
938
Or elles, certes, ye been to daungerous.
939
It is a moral tale vertuous,
940
Al be it told somtyme in sondry wyse
941
Of sondry folk, as I shal yow devyse.
942
As thus: ye woot that every evaungelist,
943
That telleth us the peyne of jhesu crist,
944
Ne seith nat alle thyng as his felawe dooth;
945
But nathelees hir sentence is al sooth,
946
And alle acorden as in hire sentence,
947
Al be ther in hir tellyng difference.
948
For somme of hem seyn moore, and somme seyn lesse,
949
Whan they his pitous passioun expresse --
950
I meene of mark, mathew, luc, and john --
951
But doutelees hir sentence is al oon.
952
Therfore, lordynges alle, I yow biseche,
953
If that yow thynke I varie as in my speche,
954
As thus, though that I telle somwhat moore
955
Of proverbes than ye han herd bifoore
956
Comprehended in this litel tretys heere,
957
To enforce with th' effect of my mateere,
958
And though I nat the same wordes seye
959
As ye han herd, yet to yow alle I preye
960
Blameth me nat; for, as in my sentence,
961
Shul ye nowher fynden difference
962
Fro the sentence of this tretys lyte
963
After the which this murye tale I write.
964
And therfore herkneth what that I shal seye,
965
And lat me tellen al my tale, I preye.
966
The Tale of Melibee
A yong man called melibeus, myghty and
967
Riche, bigat upon his wyf, that called was prudence,
967
a doghter which that called was sophie./
968
Upon a day bifel that he for his desport is
968
Went into the feeldes hem to pleye./ His wyf
969
And eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous,
969
Of which the dores weren faste yshette./ Thre
970
Of his olde foes han it espyed, and setten laddres
970
To the walles of his hous, and by wyndowes
970
been entred,/ and betten his wyf,
971
And wounded his doghter with fyve mortal
971
woundes in fyve sondry places, -- / this is to
972
Seyn, in hir feet, in hire handes, in hir erys, in
972
Hir nose, and in hire mouth, -- and leften hire
972
For deed, and wenten awey./
973
Whan melibeus retourned was in to his hous,
973
And saugh al this meschief, he, lyk a mad man,
973
Rentynge his clothes, gan to wepe and crie./
974
Prudence, his wyf, as ferforth as she dorste,
974
Bisoghte hym of his wepyng for to stynte;/ but
975
Nat forthy he gan to crie and wepen
975
Evere lenger the moore./
975
This noble wyf prudence remembred
976
Hire upon the sentence of ovide, in his book
976
That cleped is the remedie of love, where as
976
He seith/ he is a fool that destourbeth the
977
Mooder to wepen in the deeth of hire child,
977
Til she have wept hir fille as for a certein tyme;/
978
And thanne shal man doon his diligence with
978
Amyable wordes hire to reconforte, and preyen Page 168
978
Hire of hir wepyng for to stynte./ For which
979
Resoun this noble wyf prudence suffred hir
979
Housbonde for to wepe and crie as for a certein
979
Space;/ and whan she saugh hir tyme, she
980
Seyde hym in this wise: allas, my lord, quod
980
She, why make ye youreself for to be
980
Lyk a fool?/ for sothe it aperteneth nat
981
To a wys man to maken swich a sorwe./
982
Youre doghter, with the grace of god, shal
982
Warisshe and escape./ And, al were it so that
983
She right now were deed, ye ne oughte nat, as
983
For hir deeth, youreself to destroye./ Senek
984
Seith: the wise man shal nat take to greet disconfort
984
for the deeth of his children;/ but,
985
Certes, he sholde suffren it in pacience as wel
985
As he abideth the deeth of his owene
985
Propre persone. -- /
986
This melibeus answerde anon, and
986
Seyde, what man, quod he, sholde of his
986
Wepyng stente that hath so greet a cause for
986
To wepe?/ jhesu crist, oure lord, hymself
987
Wepte for the deeth of lazarus hys freend./
988
Prudence answerde: certes, wel I woot attempree
988
wepyng is no thyng deffended to hym
988
That sorweful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it
988
Is rather graunted hym to wepe./ The apostle
989
Paul unto the romayns writeth, -- man shal rejoyse
989
with hem that maken joye, and wepen
989
With swich folk as wepen. -- / ut though attempree
990
wepyng be ygraunted, outrageous
990
wepyng certes is deffended./
991
Mesure of wepyng sholde be considered,
991
after the loore that techeth us senek:/
992
-- whan that thy frend is deed, -- quod he, -- lat
992
Nat thyne eyen to moyste been of teeris, ne
992
To muche drye; although the teeris come to
992
Thyne eyen, lat hem nat falle;/ and whan thou
993
Hast forgoon thy freend, do diligence to gete
993
Another freend; and this is moore wysdom than
993
For to wepe for thy freend which that thou has
993
Lorn, for therinne is no boote. -- / and therfore,
994
If ye governe yow by sapience, put awey sorwe
994
Out of youre herte./ Remembre yow that
995
Jhesus syrak seith, -- a man that is joyous and
995
Glad in herte, it hym conserveth florissynge
995
In his age; but soothly sorweful herte
995
Maketh his bones drye. -- / he seith eek
996
Thus, that sorwe in herte sleeth ful many
996
A man./ Salomon seith that right as motthes
997
In shepes flees anoyeth to the clothes, and
997
The smale wormes to the tree, right so anoyeth
997
Sorwe to the herte./ Wherfore us oghte, as wel
998
In the deeth of oure children as in the los of
998
Oure othere goodes temporels, have pacience./
999
Remembre yow upon the pacient job. Whan
999
He hadde lost his children and his temporeel
999
Substance, and in his body endured and receyved
999
ful many a grevous tribulacion, yet
999
Seyde he thus:/ -- oure lord hath yeve it me;
1000
Oure lord hath biraft it me; right as oure lord
1000
Hath wold, right so it is doon; blessed
1000
Be the name of oure lord! -- /
1001
To thise forseide thynges answerde
1001
Melibeus unto his wyf prudence: alle thy
1001
Wordes, quod he, been sothe, and therto profitable;
1001
but trewely myn herte is troubled with
1001
This sorwe so grevously that I noot what to
1001
Doone./
1002
Lat calle, quod prudence, thy trewe
1002
Freendes alle, and thy lynage whiche that been
1002
Wise. Telleth youre cas, and herkneth what
1002
They seye in conseillyng, and yow governe after
1002
Hire sentence./ Salomon seith, -- werk alle thy
1003
Thynges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente.
1003
Thanne, by the conseil of his wyf prudence,
1004
This melibeus leet callen a greet congregacion
1004
Of folk;/ as surgiens, phisiciens, olde folk and
1005
Yonge, and somme of his olde enemys reconsiled
1005
as by hir semblaunt to his love and
1005
Into his grace;/ and therwithal ther
1006
Coomen somme of his neighebores that
1006
Diden hym reverence moore for drede than for
1006
Love, as it happeth ofte./ Ther coomen also
1007
Ful many subtille flatereres, and wise advocatz
1007
lerned in the lawe./
1008
And whan this folk togidre assembled weren,
1008
This melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his
1008
Cas./ And by the manere of his speche it
1009
Semed that in herte he baar a crueel ire, redy
1009
To doon vengeaunce upon his foes, and sodeynly
1009
desired that the werre sholde bigynne;/
1010
But nathelees, yet axed he hire conseil
1010
Upon this matiere./ A surgien, by licence
1011
and assent of swiche as weren
1011
Wise, up roos, and to melibeus seyde as ye may
1011
Heere:/
1012
Sire, quod he, as to us surgiens aperteneth
1012
that we do to every wight the beste that
1012
We kan, where as we been withholde, and to
1012
Oure pacientz that we do no damage;/ wherfore
1013
it happeth many tyme and ofte that whan
1013
Twey men han everich wounded oother, oon
1013
Same surgien heeleth hem bothe;/ wherfore
1014
Unto oure art it is nat pertinent to norice werre
1014
Ne parties to supporte./ But certes, as to the
1015
Warisshynge of youre doghter, al be it so that
1015
She perilously be wounded, we shullen do so Page 169
1015
Ententif bisynesse fro day to nyght that with
1015
The grace of God she shal be hool and
1015
Sound as soone as is possible./
1016
Almoost right in the same wise the
1016
Phisiciens answerden, save that they seyden a
1016
Fewe woordes moore:/ that right as maladies
1017
Been cured by hir contraries, right so shul men
1017
Warisshe werre by vengeaunce./
1018
His neighebores ful of envye, his feyned
1018
Freendes that semeden reconsiled, and his flatereres/
1018
maden semblant of wepyng, and empeireden
1019
and agreggeden muchel of this matiere
1019
in preisynge greetly melibee of myght, of
1019
Power, of richesse, and of freendes, despisynge
1019
The power of his adversaries,/ and seiden outrely
1020
that he anon sholde wreken hym on
1020
His foes, and bigynne werre./
1021
Up roos thanne an advocat that was
1021
Wys, by leve and by conseil of othere that were
1021
Wise, and seide:/ lordynges, the nede for
1022
Which we been assembled in this place is a ful
1022
Hevy thyng and an heigh matiere,/ by cause
1023
Of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath
1023
Be doon, and eek by resoun of the grete damages
1023
that in tyme comynge been possible to
1023
Fallen for this same cause,/ and eek by resoun
1024
Of the grete richesse and power of the parties
1024
Bothe;/ for the whiche resouns it were a
1025
Ful greet peril to erren in this matiere./
1026
Wherfore, melibeus, this is oure sentence:
1026
we conseille yow aboven alle thyng
1026
That right anon thou do thy diligence in
1026
Kepynge of thy propre persone in swich
1026
A wise that thou ne wante noon espie ne
1026
Wacche, thy persone for to save./ And after
1027
That, we conseille that in thyn hous thou sette
1027
Sufficeant garnisoun so that they may as wel
1027
Thy body as thyn hous defende./ But certes,
1028
For to moeve werre, ne sodeynly for to doon
1028
Vengeaunce, we may nat demen in so litel
1028
Tyme that it were profitable./ Wherfore we
1029
Axen leyser and espace to have deliberacion in
1029
This cas to deme./ For the commune proverbe
1030
Seith thus: -- he that soone deemeth,
1030
Soone shal repente. -- / and eek men seyn
1031
That thilke juge is wys that soone under-
1031
Stondeth a matiere and juggeth by leyser;/ for
1032
Al be it so that alle tariyng be anoyful, algates it
1032
Is nat to repreve in yevynge of juggement ne
1032
In vengeance takyng, whan it is sufficeant
1032
And resonable./ And that shewed oure lord
1033
Jhesu crist by ensample; for whan that the
1033
Womman that was taken in avowtrie was broght
1033
In his presence to knowen what sholde be doon
1033
With hire persone, al be it so that he wiste wel
1033
Hymself what that he wolde answere, yet ne
1033
Wolde he nat answere sodeynly, but he wolde
1033
Have deliberacion, and in the ground he wroot
1033
Twies./ And thise causes weaxen deliberacioun,
1034
and we shal thanne, by the grace of
1034
God, conseille thee thyng that shal be profitable./
1034
n=11035>Up stirten thanne the yonge folk atones, and
1035
The mooste partie of that compaignye han
1035
Scorned this olde wise man, and bigonnen
1035
to make noyse, and seyden that/
1036
Right so as, whil that iren is hoot, men
1036
Sholden smyte, right so men sholde wreken hir
1036
Wronges whil that they been fresshe and newe;
1036
And with loud voys they criden werre!
1036
Werre!/
1037
Up roos tho oon of thise olde wise, and with
1037
His hand made contenaunce that men sholde
1037
Holden hem stille and yeven hym audience./
1038
Lordynges, quod he, ther is ful many a man
1038
That crieth -- werre! werre! -- that woot ful litel
1038
What werre amounteth./ Werre at his bigynnyng
1039
hath so greet an entryng and so large, that
1039
Every wight may entre whan hym liketh, and
1039
Lightly fynde werre;/ but certes what ende
1040
That shal therof bifalle, it is nat light to
1040
Knowe./ For soothly, whan that werre is
1041
Ones bigonne, ther is ful many a child
1041
Unborn of his mooder that shal sterve yong by
1041
Cause of thilke werre, or elles lyve in sorwe and
1041
Dye in wrecchednesse./ And therfore, er that
1042
Any werre bigynne, men moste have greet conseil
1042
and greet deliberacion./ And whan this
1043
Olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons,
1043
Wel ny alle atones bigonne they to rise for to
1043
Breken his tale, and beden hym ful ofte his
1043
Wordes for to abregge./ For soothly, he that
1044
Precheth to hem that listen nat heeren his
1044
Wordes, his sermon hem anoieth./ For jhesus
1045
Syrak seith that musik in wepynge ia a noyous
1045
Thyng; this is to seyn: as muche availleth to
1045
Speken bifore folk to which his speche anoyeth,
1045
as it is to synge biforn hym that
1045
Wepeth./ And whan this wise man
1046
Saugh that hym wanted audience, al
1046
Shamefast he sette hym doun agayn./ For
1047
Salomon seith: ther as thou ne mayst have
1047
Noon audience, enforce thee nat to speke./
1048
I see wel, quod this wise man, that the commune
1048
proverbe is sooth, that -- good conseil
1048
Wanteth whan it is moost nede. -- /
1049
Yet hadde this melibeus in his conseil many
1049
Folk that prively in his eere conseilled hym Page 170
1049
Certeyn thyng, and conseilled hym the contrarie
1049
in general audience./
1050
Whan melibeus hadde herd that the gretteste
1050
partie of his conseil weren accorded that
1050
He sholde maken werre, anoon he consented to
1050
Hir conseillyng, and fully affermed hire
1050
Sentence./ Thanne dame prudence,
1051
Whan that she saugh how that hir
1051
Housbonde shoop hym for to wreken hym on
1051
His foes, and to bigynne werre, she in ful humble
1051
wise, whan she saugh hir tyme, seide to
1051
Hym thise wordes:/ my lord, quod she, I
1052
Yow biseche as hertely as I dar and kan, ne
1052
Haste yow nat to faste, and for alle gerdons, as
1052
Yeveth me audience./ For piers alfonce seith,
1053
-- whoso that dooth to thee oother good or harm,
1053
Haste thee nat to quiten it; for in this wise thy
1053
Freend wole abyde, and thyn anemy shal the
1053
Lenger lyve in drede. -- / the proverbe seith, -- he
1054
Hasteth wel that wisely kan abyde, -- and in
1054
Wikked haste is no profit./
1055
This melibee answerde unto his wyf prudence:
1055
I purpose nat, quod he, to werke by
1055
Thy conseil, for many causes and resouns.
1055
For certes, every wight wolde holde me
1055
Thanne a fool;/ this is to seyn, if I, for
1056
Thy conseillyng, wolde chaungen thynges
1056
That been ordeyned and affermed by so manye
1056
Wyse./ Secoundely, I seye that alle wommen
1057
Been wikke, and noon good of hem alle. For -- of
1057
A thousand men, -- seith salomon, -- I foond o
1057
Good man, but certes, of alle wommen, good
1057
Womman foond I nevere.--/ and also, certes,
1058
If I governed me by thy conseil, it sholde
1058
Seme that I hadde yeve to thee over me
1058
The maistrie; and God forbede that it so
1058
Weere!/ for jhesus syrak seith that -- if the
1059
Wyf have maistrie, she is contrarious to hir
1059
Housbonde./ -- and salomon seith: -- nevere in
1060
Thy lyf to thy wyf, ne to thy child, ne to
1060
Thy freend, ne yeve no power over thy-
1060
Self; for bettre it were that thy children aske
1060
Of thy persone thynges that hem nedeth, than
1060
Thou see thyself in the handes of thy
1060
Children. -- / and also if I wolde werke
1061
By thy conseillyng, certes, my conseil
1061
Moste som tyme be secree, til it were tyme
1061
That it moste be knowe, and this ne may noght
1061
Be./ (car il est escript, la genglerie des
1062
Femmes ne puet riens celler fors ce qu' elle ne
1062
Scet./ Apres, le philosophre dit, en mauvais
1063
Conseil les femmes vainquent les hommes: et
1063
Par ces raisons je ne dois point user de ton conseil.)/
1063
n=11064>Whanne dame prudence, ful debonairly and
1064
With greet pacience, hadde herd al that hir
1064
Housbonde liked for to seye, thanne axed she
1064
Of hym licence for to speke, and seyde in this
1064
Wise:/ my lord, quod she, as to youre firste
1065
Resoun, certes it may lightly been answered.
1065
For I seye that it is no folie to chaunge conseil
1065
Whan the thyng is chaunged, or elles whan
1065
The thyng semeth ootherweyes than it
1065
Was biforn./ And mooreover, I seye
1066
That though ye han sworn and bihight
1066
To perfourne youre emprise, and nathelees ye
1066
Weyve to perfourne thilke same emprise by
1066
Juste cause, men sholde nat seyn therfore that
1066
Ye were a liere ne forsworn./ For the book
1067
Seith that -- the wise man maketh no lesyng
1067
Whan he turneth his corage to the bettre. --/
1068
And al be it so that youre emprise be establissed
1068
and ordeyned by greet multitude of folk,
1068
Yet that ye nat accomplice thilke ordinaunce,
1068
But yow like./ For the trouthe of thynges and
1069
The profit been rather founden in fewe folk that
1069
Been wise and ful of resoun, than by greet multitude
1069
of folk ther every man crieth and clatereth
1069
what that hym liketh. Soothly swich multitude
1069
is nat hones./ And as to the seconde
1070
Resoun, where as ye seyn that alle wommen
1070
Been wikke; save youre grace, certes ye despisen
1070
alle wommen in this wyse, and -- he that
1070
Al despiseth, al displeseth, -- as seith the
1070
Book./ And senec seith that -- whose
1071
Wole have sapience shal no man dispreyse,
1071
but he shal gladly techen the science
1071
That he kan withouten presumpcion or pride,/
1072
And swiche thynges as he noght ne kan, he
1072
Shal nat been ashamed to lerne hem, and enquere
1072
of lasse folk than hymself. -- / and, sire,
1073
That ther hath been many a good womman,
1073
May lightly be preved./ For certes, sire, oure
1074
Lord jhesu crist wolde nevere have descended
1074
To be born of a womman, if alle wommen hadden
1074
been wikke./ And after that, for the grete
1075
Bountee that is in wommen, oure lord jhesu
1075
Crist, whan he was risen fro deeth to lyve,
1075
Appeered rather to a womman than to
1075
His apostles./ And though that salomon
1076
seith that he ne foond nevere womman
1076
good, it folweth nat therfore that alle wommen
1076
ben wikke./ For though that he ne foond
1077
No good womman, certes, many another man
1077
Hath founden many a womman ful good and
1077
Trewe./ Or elles, per aventure, the entente of
1078
Salomon was this, that, as in sovereyn bounte,
1078
He foond no womman;/ this is to seyn, that ther Page 171
1079
Is no wight that hath sovereyn bountee save
1079
God allone, as he hymself recordeth in hys
1079
Evaungelie./ For ther nys no creature so good
1080
That hym ne wanteth somwhat of the
1080
Perfeccioun of god, that is his makere./
1081
Youre thridde reson is this: ye seyn that
1081
If ye governe yow by my conseil, it sholde
1081
Seme that ye hadde yeve me the maistrie and
1081
The lordshipe over youre persone./ Sire, save
1082
Youre grace, it is nat so. For if it so were that
1082
No man sholde be conseilled but oonly of hem
1082
That hadden lordshipe and maistrie of his persone,
1082
men wolden nat be conseilled so ofte./
1083
For soothly thilke man that asketh conseil of
1083
A purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he
1083
Wole werke by that conseil or noon./ And as
1084
To youre fourthe resoun, ther ye seyn that the
1084
Janglerie of wommen kan hyde thynges that
1084
They wot noght, as who seith that a womman
1084
Kan nat hyde that she woot;/ sire, thise wordes
1085
Been understonde of wommen that been
1085
Jangleresses and wikked;/ of whiche
1086
Wommen men seyn that thre thynges
1086
Dryven a man out of his hous, -- that is to seyn,
1086
Smoke, droppyng of reyn, and wikked wyves,/
1087
And of swiche wommen seith salomon that -- it
1087
Were bettre dwelle in desert than with a woman
1087
that is riotous. --/ and sire, by youre leve,
1088
That am nat I;/ for ye han ful ofte assayed my
1089
Grete silence and my grete pacience, and eek
1089
How wel that I kan hyde and hele thynges that
1089
Men oghte secreely to hyde./ And soothly, as
1090
To youre fifthe resoun, where as ye seyn that
1090
In wikked conseil wommen venquisshe men,
1090
God woot, thilke resoun stant heere in
1090
No stede./ For understoond now, ye
1091
Asken conseil to do wikkednesse;/ and if
1092
Ye wole werken wikkednesse, and youre wif
1092
Restreyneth thilke wikked purpos, and overcometh
1092
yow by reson and by good conseil,/
1093
Certes youre wyf oghte rather to be preised
1093
Than yblamed./ Thus sholde ye understonde
1094
The philosophre that seith, -- in wikked conseil
1094
Wommen venquisshen hir housbondes. -- / and
1095
Ther as ye blamen alle wommen and hir resouns,
1095
I shal shewe yow by manye ensamples
1095
That many a womman hath ben ful good, and
1095
Yet been, and hir conseils ful hoolsome
1095
And profitable./ Eek som men han seyd
1096
That the conseillynge of wommen is
1096
Outher to deere, or elles to litel of pris./ But al
1097
Be it so that ful many a womman is badde, and
1097
Hir conseil vile and noght worth, yet han men
1097
Founde ful many a good womman, and ful discret
1097
and wis in conseillynge./ Loo, jacob, by
1098
Good conseil of his mooder rebekka, wan the
1098
Benysoun of ysaak his fader, and the lordshipe
1098
Over alle his bretheren./ Judith, by hire good
1099
Conseil, delivered the citee of bethulie, in
1099
Which she dwelled, out of the handes of olofernus,
1099
that hadde it biseged and wolde have al
1099
Destroyed it./ Abygail delivered nabal hir
1100
Housbonde fro david the kyng, that wolde
1100
Have slayn hym, and apaysed the ire of the
1100
Kyng by hir wit and by hir good conseillyng./
1100
hester, by hir good conseil,
1101
Enhaunced greetly the peple of God in
1101
The regne of assuerus the kyng./ And the
1102
Same bountee in good conseillyng of many a
1102
Good womman may men telle./ And mooreover,
1103
Whan oure lord hadde creat adam, oure
1103
Forme fader, he seyde in this wise:/ -- it is nat
1104
Good to been a man alloone; make we to
1104
Hym an helpe semblable to hymself. -- / heere
1105
May ye se that if that wommen were nat
1105
Goode, and hir conseils goode and profitable,/
1105
oure lord God of hevene wolde
1106
Nevere han wroght hem, ne called hem
1106
Help of man, but rather confusioun of man./
1107
And ther seyde oones a clerk in two vers,
1107
-- What is bettre than gold? jaspre. What is
1107
Bettre than jaspre? wisedoom./ And what is
1108
Better than wisedoom? womman. And what is
1108
Bettre than a good womman? nothyng. -- / and,
1109
Sire, by manye of othre resons may ye seen
1109
That manye wommen been goode, and hir
1109
Conseils goode and profitable./ And therfore,
1110
sire, if ye wol triste to my conseil, I shal
1110
Restoore yow youre doghter hool and
1110
Sound./ And eek I wol do to yow so
1111
Muche that ye shul have honour in this
1111
Cause./
1112
Whan melibee hadde herd the wordes of his
1112
Wyf prudence, he seyde thus:/ I se wel that
1113
The word of salomon is sooth. He seith that
1113
-- Wordes that been spoken discreetly by ordinaunce
1113
been honycombes, for they yeven swetnesse
1113
to the soule and hoolsomnesse to the
1113
Body. -- / and, wyf, by cause of thy sweete
1114
Wordes, and eek for I have assayed and preved
1114
Thy grete sapience and thy grete trouthe, I wol
1114
Governe me by thy conseil in alle thyng./
1115
Now, sire, quod dame prudence, and syn
1115
Ye vouche sauf to been governed by my conseil,
1115
I wol enforme yow how ye shul governe
1115
Yourself in chesynge of youre conseillours./
1115
ye shul first in alle youre werkes
1116
Mekely biseken to the heighe God that Page 172
1116
He wol be youre conseillour;/ and shapeth yow
1117
To swich entente that he yeve yow conseil and
1117
Confort, as taughte thobie his sone:/ -- at alle
1118
Tymes thou shalt blesse god, and praye hym
1118
To dresse thy weyes, and looke that alle thy
1118
Conseils been in hym for everemoore. -- / seint
1119
Jame eek seith: -- if any of yow have nede of
1119
Sapience, axe it of god. -- / and afterward
1120
Thanne shul ye taken conseil in youreself, and
1120
Examyne wel youre thoghtes of swich thyng
1120
As yow thynketh that is bes for youre
1120
Profit./ And thanne shul ye dryve fro
1121
Youre herte thre thynges that been contrariouse
1121
to good conseil;/ that is to seyn, ire,
1122
Coveitise, and hastifnesse./
1123
First, he that axeth conseil of hymself, certes
1123
He moste been withouten ire, for manye
1123
Causes./ The firste is this: he that hath greet
1124
Ire and wratthe in hymself, he weneth alwey
1124
That he may do thyng that he may nat do./
1125
And secoundely, he that is irous and
1125
Wrooth, he ne may nat wel deme;/ and
1126
He that may nat wel deme, may nat wel
1126
Conseille./ The thridde is this, that he that is
1127
Irous and wrooth, as seith senec, ne may nat
1127
Speke but blameful thynges,/ and with his
1128
Viciouse wordes he stireth oother folk to angre
1128
And to ire./ And eek, sire, ye moste dryve
1129
Coveitise out of youre herte./ For the aposthe
1130
seith that coveitise is roote of alle
1130
Harmes./ And trust wel that a coveitous
1131
Man ne kan noght deme ne thynke, but
1131
Oonly to fulfille the ende of his coveitise;/ and
1132
Certes, that ne may nevere been accompliced;
1132
For evere the moore habundaunce that he hath
1132
Of richesse, the moore he desireth./ And, sire,
1133
Ye moste also dryve out of youre herte hastifnesse;
1133
for certes,/ ye ne may nat deeme for
1134
The beste by a sodeyn thought that falleth in
1134
Youre herte, but ye moste avyse yow on it
1134
Ful ofte./ For, as ye herde her biforn, the
1135
Commune proverbe is this, that -- he that
1135
Soone deemeth, soone repenteth. -- / sire,
1136
Ye ne be nat alwey in lyk disposicioun;/
1137
For certes, somthyng that somtyme semeth to
1137
Yow that it is good for to do, another tyme it
1137
Semeth to yow the contrarie./
1138
Whan ye han taken conseil in youreself, and
1138
Han deemed by good deliberacion swich thyng
1138
As yow semeth bes,/ thanne rede I yow that
1139
Ye kepe it secree./ Biwrey nat youre conseil
1140
To no persone, but if so be that ye wenen
1140
Sikerly that thurgh youre biwreyyng youre
1140
Condicioun shal be to yow the moore profitable./
1140
for jhesus syrak seith, -- neither
1141
To thy foo, ne to thy frend, discovere nat
1141
Thy secree ne thy folie;/ for they wol yeve yow
1142
Audience and lookynge and supportacioun in
1142
Thy presence, and scorne thee in thyn absence.
1142
-- / another clerk seith that -- scarsly
1143
Shaltou fynden any persone that may kepe conseil
1143
secrely. -- / the book seith, -- whil that thou
1144
Kepest thy conseil in thyn herte, thou kepest
1144
It in thy prisoun;/ and whan thou biwreyest
1145
Thy conseil to any wight, he holdeth
1145
Thee in his snare. -- / and therfore yow
1146
Is bettre to hyde youre conseil in youre
1146
Herte than praye him to whom ye han biwreyed
1146
Youre conseil that he wole kepen it cloos and
1146
Stille./ For seneca seith: -- if so be that thou
1147
Ne mayst nat thyn owene conseil hyde, how
1147
Darstou prayen any oother wight thy conseil
1147
Secrely to kepe? -- / but nathelees, if thou wene
1148
Sikerly that the biwreiyng of thy conseil to a
1148
Persone wol make thy condicion to stonden in
1148
The bettre plyt, thanne shaltou tellen hym thy
1148
Conseil in this wise./ First thou shalt make no
1149
Semblant wheither thee were levere pees or
1149
Werre, or this or that, ne shewe hym nat thy
1149
Wille and thyn entente. / for trust wel that
1150
Comunli thise conseillours been flatereres,/
1150
namely the conseillours of grete
1151
Lordes;/ for they enforcen hem alwey
1152
Rather to speken plesante wordes, enclynynge
1152
To the lordes lust, than wordes that been trewe
1152
Or profitable./ And therfore men seyn that the
1153
Riche man hath seeld good conseil, but if he
1153
Have it of hymself./
1154
And after that thou shalt considere thy
1154
Freendes and thyne enemys./ And as touchynge
1155
thy freendes, thou shalt considere which
1155
Of hem been moost feithful and moost wise
1155
And eldest and most approved in conseillyng;/
1155
and of hem shalt thou aske
1156
Thy conseil, as the caas requireth./ I
1157
Seye that first ye shul clepe to youre conseil
1157
Youre freendes that been trewe./ For salomon
1158
Seith that -- right as the herte of a man deliteth in
1158
Savour that is soote, right so the conseil of trewe
1158
Freendes yeveth swetnesse to the soule -- / he
1159
Seith also, -- ther may no thyng be likned to the
1159
Trewe freend;/ for certes gold ne silver ben nat
1160
So muche worth as the goode wyl of a
1160
Trewe freend. -- / and eek he seith that
1161
-- A trewe freend is a strong deffense;
1161
Who so that it fyndeth, certes he fyndeth a
1161
Greet tresour. -- / thanne shul ye eek considere
1162
If that youre trewe freendes been discrete and Page 173
1162
Wise. For the book seith, -- axe alwey thy conseil
1162
of hem that been wise. -- / and by this same
1163
Resoun shul ye clepen to youre conseil of youre
1163
Freendes that been of age, swiche as han seyn
1163
And been expert in manye thynges and been
1163
Approved in conseillynges./ For the book seith
1164
That -- in olde men is the sapience, and in longe
1164
Tyme the prudence. -- / and tullius seith that
1165
-- Grete thynges ne been nat ay accompliced by
1165
Strengthe, ne by delivernesse of body, but by
1165
Good conseil, by auctoritee of persones, and by
1165
Science; the whiche thre thynges ne been nat
1165
Fieble by age, but certes they enforcen
1165
And encreescen day by day. -- / and
1166
Thanne shul ye kepe this for a general
1166
Reule: first shul ye clepen to youre conseil a
1166
Fewe of youre freendes that been especiale;/
1167
For salomon seith, -- manye freendes have thou,
1167
But among a thousand chese thee oon to be
1167
Thy conseillour. -- / for al be it so that thou first
1168
Ne telle thy conseil but to a fewe, thou mayst
1168
Afterward telle it to mo folk if it be nede./ But
1169
Looke alwey that thy conseillours have thilke
1169
Thre condiciouns that I have seyd bifore, that
1169
Is to seyn, that they be trewe, wise, and of
1169
Oold experience./ And werke nat alwey in
1170
Every nede by oon counseillour allone; for somtyme
1170
bihooveth it to been conseilled by
1170
Manye./ For salomon seith, -- salvacion
1171
Of thynges is where as ther been manye
1171
Conseillours. -- /
1172
Now, sith that I have toold yow of which
1172
Folk ye sholde been conseilled, now wol I
1172
Teche yow which conseil ye oghte to eschewe/.
1173
First, ye shul eschue the conseillyng of fooles;
1173
For salomon seith, -- taak no conseil of a fool,
1173
For he ne kan noght conseille but after his
1173
Owene lust and his affeccioun. -- / the book
1174
Seith that -- the propretee of a fool is this: he
1174
Troweth lightly harm of every wight, and lightly
1174
Troweth alle bountee in hymself. -- / thou shalt
1175
Eek eschue the conseillyng of alle flatereres,
1175
Swiche as enforcen hem rather to preise youre
1175
Persone by flaterye than for to telle yow
1175
The soothfastnesse of thynges./ Wherfore
1176
tullius seith, -- amonges alle the
1176
Pestilences that been in freendshipe the gretteste
1176
is flaterie. -- and therfore is it moore nede
1176
That thou eschue and drede flatereres than any
1176
Oother peple./ The book seith, -- thou shalt
1177
Rather drede and flee fro the sweete wordes of
1177
Flaterynge preiseres than fro the egre wordes
1177
Of thy freend that seith thee thy sothes. -- / salomon
1178
seith that -- the wordes of a flaterere is a
1178
Snare to cacche with innocentz. -- / he seith also
1179
That -- he that speketh to his freend wordes of
1179
Swetnesse and of plesaunce, setteth a net biforn
1179
his feet to cacche hym. -- / and therfore
1180
Seith tullius, -- enclyne nat thyne eres to flatereres,
1180
ne taak no conseil of the wordes
1180
Of flaterye. -- / and caton seith, -- avyse
1181
Thee wel, and eschue the wordes of swetnesse
1181
and of plesaunce. -- / and eek thou shalt
1182
Eschue the conseillyng of thyne olde enemys
1182
That been reconsiled./ The book seith that -- no
1183
Wight retourneth saufly into the grace of his
1183
Olde enemy. -- / and isope seith, -- ne trust nat
1184
To hem to whiche thou hast had som tyme
1184
Werre or enemytee, ne telle hem nat thy
1184
Conseil. -- / and seneca telleth the cause why:
1185
-- it may nat be. -- seith he, -- that where greet
1185
Fyr hath longe tyme endured, that ther
1185
Ne dwelleth som vapour of warmness.
1185
-- / and therfore seith salomon, -- in
1186
Thyn olde foo trust nevere. -- / for sikerly,
1187
Though thyn enemy be reconsiled, and maketh
1187
thee chiere of hymylitee, and lowteth to
1187
Thee with his heed, ne trust hym nevere./ For
1188
Certes he maketh thilke feyned humilitee moore
1188
For his profit than for any love of thy persone,
1188
By cause that he deemeth to have victorie over
1188
Thy persone by swich feyned contenance, the
1188
Which victorie he myghte nat have by strif or
1188
Werre./ And peter alfonce seith, -- make no
1189
Felawshipe with thyne olde enemys; for if thou
1189
Do hem bountee, they wol perverten it into
1189
Wikkednesse. -- / and eek thou most eschue
1190
The conseillyng of hem that been thy servantz
1190
and beren thee greet reverence, for
1190
Peraventure they seyn it moore for drede
1190
Than for love./ And therfore seith a philosophre
1191
in this wise: ther is no wight
1191
Parfitly trewe to hym that he to soore dredeth.
1191
-- / and tullius seith, ther nys no myght
1192
So greet of any emperour that longe may endure,
1192
but if he have moore love of the peple
1192
Than drede. -- / thou shalt also eschue the conseiling
1193
of folk that been dronkelewe, for they
1193
Ne kan no conseil hyde./ For salomon seith,
1194
-- ther is no privetee ther as regneth dronkenesse.
1194
-- / ye shul also han in suspect the conseillyng
1195
of swich folk as conseille yow o thyng
1195
Prively, and conseille yow the contrarie
1195
Openly./ For cassidorie seith that -- it
1196
Is a manere sleighte to hyndre, whan he
1196
Sheweth to doon o thyng openly and werketh
1196
Prively the contrarie. -- / thou shalt also have
1197
In suspect the conseillyng of wikked folk, for Page 174
1197
The book seith, -- the conseillyng of wikked folk
1197
Is alwey ful of fraude. -- / and david seith, -- blisful
1198
is that man that hath nat folwed the con --
1198
Seilyng of shrewes. -- / thou shalt also eschue
1199
The conseillyng of yong folk, for hir conseil is
1199
Nat rype./
1200
Now, sire, sith I have shewed yow of
1200
Which folk ye shul take youre conseil, and of
1200
Which folk ye shul folwe the conseil,/
1200
now wol I teche yow how ye shal
1201
Examyne youre conseil, after the doctrine
1201
of tullius./ In the examynynge thanne
1202
Of youre conseillour ye shul considere manye
1202
Thynges./ Alderfirst thou shalt considere that
1203
In thilke thyng that thou purposest, and upon
1203
What thyng thou wolt have conseil, that verray
1203
Trouthe be seyd and conserved; this is to seyn,
1203
Telle trewely thy tale./ For he that seith fals
1204
May nat wel be conseilled in that cas of which
1204
He lieth./ And after this thou shalt considere the
1205
Thynges that acorden to that thou purposest for
1205
To do by thy conseillours, if resoun accorde
1205
therto;/ and eek if thy myhgt may
1206
Atteine therto; and if the moore part and
1206
The bettre part of thy conseillours acorde therto,
1206
Or noon./ Thanne shaltou considere what
1207
Thyng shal folwe of that conseillyng, as hate,
1207
Pees, werre, grace, profit, or damage, and
1207
Manye othere thynges./ And in alle thise
1208
Thynges thou shalt chese the beste, and weyve
1208
Alle othere thynges./ Thanne shaltow considere
1209
of what roote is engendred the matiere of
1209
Thy conseil, and what fruyt it may conceyve
1209
And engendre./ Thou shalt eek considere
1210
Alle thise causes, fro whennes they been
1210
Sprongen./ And whan ye han examyned
1211
youre conseil, as I have seyd, and
1211
Which partie is the bettre and moore profitable,
1211
and han approved it by manye wise folk
1211
And olde,/ thanne shaltou considere if thou
1212
Mayst parfourne it and maken of it a good
1212
Ende./ For certes, resoun wol nat that any
1213
Man sholde bigynne a thyng, but if he myghte
1213
Parfourne it as hym oghte;/ ne no wight sholde
1214
Take upon hym so hevy a charge that he
1214
Myghte nat bere it./ For the proverbe seith,
1215
-- he that to muche embraceth, distreyneth
1215
litel. -- / and catoun seith, -- assay
1216
To do swich thyng as thou hast power to
1216
Doon, lest that the charge oppresse thee so
1216
Soore that thee bihoveth to weyve thyng that
1216
Thou hast bigonne. -- / and if so be that thou
1217
Be in doute wheither thou mayst parfourne a
1217
Thing or noon, chese rather to suffre than bigynne./
1217
and piers alphonce seith, -- if thou hast
1218
Myght to doon a thyng of which thou most
1218
Repente, it is bettre nay than ye. -- / this is
1219
To seyn, that thee is bettre holde thy tonge
1219
Stille than for to speke./ Thanne may ye understonde
1220
by strenger resons that if thou hast
1220
Power to parfourne a werk of which thou shalt
1220
Repente, thanne is it bettre that thou suffre
1220
than bigynne./ Wel seyn they that
1221
Defenden every wight to assaye a thyng
1221
Of which he is in doute wheither he may parfourne
1221
it or noon./ And after, whan ye han
1222
Examyned youre conseil, as I have seyd biforn,
1222
And knowen wel that ye may parfourne youre
1222
Emprise, conferme it thanne sadly til it be at
1222
And ende./
1223
Now is it resoun and tyme that I shewe yow
1223
Whanne and wherfore that ye may chaunge
1223
Youre conseillours withouten youre repreve./
1224
Soothly, a man may chaungen his purpos and
1224
His conseil if the cause cesseth, or whan a newe
1224
Caas bitydeth./ For the lawe seith that -- upon
1225
Thynges that newely bityden bihoveth
1225
Newe conseil. -- / and senec seith, -- if thy
1226
Conseil is comen to the eeris of thyn enemy,
1226
chaunge thy conseil. -- / thou matst also
1227
Chaunge thy conseil if so be that thou fynde
1227
That by errour, or by oother cause, harm or
1227
Damage may bityde./ Also if thy conseil be
1228
Dishonest, or ellis cometh of dishonest cause,
1228
Chaunge thy conseil./ For the lawes seyn that
1229
-- alle bihestes that been dishoneste been of no
1229
Value -- ;/ and eek if so be that it be inpossible,
1230
or may nat goodly be parfourned
1230
Or kept./
1231
And take this for a general reule, that
1231
Every conseil that is affermed so strongly that
1231
It may nat be chaunged for no condicioun that
1231
May bityde, I seye that thilke conseil is wikked./
1231
n=11232>This melibeus, whanne he hadde herd the
1232
Doctrine of his wyf dame prudence, answerde
1232
In this wyse:/ dame, quod he, as yet into
1233
This tyme ye han wel and covenably taught me
1233
As in general, how I shal governe me in the
1233
Chesynge and in the withholdynge of my conseillours./
1233
but now wolde I fayn that ye wolde
1234
Condescende in especial,/ and telle me how liketh
1235
yow, or what semeth yow, by oure conseillours
1235
that we han chosen in oure present
1235
nede./
1236
My lord, quod she, I biseke yow in al
1236
Humblesse that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn
1236
My resouns, ne distempre youre herte, thogh I Page 175
1236
Speke thyng that yow displese./ For God woot
1237
That, as in myn entente, I speke it for youre
1237
Beste, for youre honour, and for youre profite
1237
Eke./ And soothly, I hope that youre benyngnytee
1238
wol taken it in pacience./ Trusteth me
1239
Wel, quod she, that youre conseil as in this
1239
Caas ne sholde nat, as to speke properly, be
1239
Called a conseillyng, but a mocioun or a moevyng
1239
of folye,/ in which conseil ye han
1240
Erred in many a sondry wise./
1241
First and forward, ye han erred in
1241
Th' assemblynge of youre conseillours./ For ye
1242
Sholde first have cleped a fewe folk to youre
1242
Conseil, and after ye myghte han shewed it
1242
To mo folk, if it hadde been nede./ But certes,
1243
Ye han sodeynly cleped to youre conseil a greet
1243
Multitude of peple, ful chargeant and ful anoyous
1243
for to heere./ Also ye han erred, for theras
1244
Ye sholden oonly have cleped to youre conseil
1244
Youre trewe frendes olde and wise./ Ye han
1245
Ycleped straunge folk, yonge folk, false flatereres,
1245
And enemys reconsiled, and folk that
1245
Doon yow reverence withouten love./
1246
And ekk also ye have erred, for ye han
1246
Broght with yow to youre conseil ire, coveitise,
1246
And hastifnesse,/ the whiche thre thinges been
1247
Contrariouse to every conseil honest and profitable;/
1247
the whiche thre thinges ye han nat
1248
Anientissed or destroyed hem, neither in youreself,
1248
ne in youre conseillours, as yow oghte./
1249
Ye han erred also, for ye han shewed to youre
1249
Conseillours youre talent and youre affeccioun
1249
To make werre anon, and for to do vengeance./
1250
They han espied by youre wordes to
1250
What thyng ye been enclyned;/ and
1251
Therfore han they rather conseilled
1251
Yow to youre talent that to youre profit./
1252
Ye han erred also, for it semeth that yow
1252
Suffiseth to han been conseilled by thise
1252
Conseillours oonly, and with litel avys,/
1253
Whereas in so greet and so heigh a nede
1253
It hadde been necessarie mo conseillours
1253
And moore deliberacion to parfourne youre emprise./
1253
ye han erred also, for ye ne han nat
1254
Examyned youre conseil in the forseyde manere,
1254
ne in due manere, as the caas requireth./
1255
Ye han erred also, for ye han maked no division
1255
bitwixe youre conseillours; this is to
1255
Seyn, bitwixen youre trewe freendes and
1255
Youre feyned conseillours;/ ne ye han
1256
Nat knowe the wil of youre trewe
1256
Freendes olde and wise;/ but ye han cast alle
1257
Hire wordes in an hochepot, and enclyned
1257
Youre herte to the moore part and to the gretter
1257
Nombre, and there been ye condescended./
1258
And sith ye woot wel that men shal alwey
1258
Fynde a gretter nombre of fooles than of wise
1258
Men,/ and therfore the conseils that been at
1259
Congregaciouns and multitudes of folk, there as
1259
Men take moore reward to the nombre than to
1259
The sapience of persones,/ ye se wel that in
1260
Swiche conseillynges fooles han the maistrie./
1260
Melibeus answerde agayn, and seyde,
1261
I graunte wel that I have erred;/ but there
1262
As thou hast toold me heerbiforn that he nys
1262
Nat to blame that chaungeth his conseillours in
1262
Certein caas and for certeine juste causes,/ I am
1263
Al redy to chaunge my conseillours right as thow
1263
Wolt devyse./ The proverbe seith that -- for
1264
To do synne is mannyssh, but certes for to persevere
1264
longe in synne is werk of the devel. -- /
1265
To this sentence answered anon dame
1265
Prudence, and seyde:/ examineth,
1266
Quod she, youre conseil, and lat us see
1266
The whiche of hem han spoken most resonably
1266
And taught yow best conseil./ And for as
1267
Muche as that the examynacion is necessarie,
1267
Lat us bigynne at the surgiens and at the phisiciens,
1267
that first speeken in this matiere./ I sey
1268
Yow that the surgiens and phisiciens han
1268
Seyd yow in youre conseil discreetly, as hem
1268
Oughte;/ and in hir speche seyden ful wisely
1269
That to the office of hem aperteneth to doon to
1269
Every wight honour and profit, and no wight
1269
For to anoye;/ and after hir craft to doon greet
1270
Diligence unto the cure of hem which
1270
That they han in hir governaunce./
1271
And, sire, right as they han answered
1271
Wisely and discreetly,/ right so rede I that they
1272
Been heighly and sovereynly gerdoned for hir
1272
Noble speche;/ and eek for they sholde do the
1273
Moore ententif bisynesse in the curacion of
1273
Youre doghter deere./ For al be it so that they
1274
Been youre freendes, therfore shal ye nat suffren
1274
that they serve yow for noght,/ but ye
1275
Oghte the rather gerdone hem and shewe
1275
Hem youre largesse./ And as touchynge
1276
The proposicioun which that the phisiciens
1276
encreesceden in this caas, this is to seyn./
1277
That in maladies that oon contrarie is warisshed
1277
By another contrarie,/ I wolde fayn knowe hou
1278
Ye understonde thilke text, and what is youre
1278
Sentence./
1279
Certes, quod melibeus, I understonde
1279
It in this wise:/ that right as they han
1280
Doon me a contrarie, right so sholde I
1280
Doon hem another./ For right as they Page 176
1281
Han venged hem on me and doon me wrong,
1281
Right so shal I venge me upon hem and doon
1281
Hem wrong;/ and thanne have I cured oon contrarie
1282
by another./
1283
Lo, lo, quod dame prudence, how lightly
1283
Is every man enclined to his owene desir and
1283
To his owene plesaunce!/ certes, quod she,
1284
The wordes of the phisiciens ne sholde nat
1284
Han been understonden in thys wise./ For
1285
Certes, wikkednesse is nat contrarie to wikkednesse,
1285
ne vengeance to vengeaunce, ne
1285
Wrong to wrong, but they been semblable./
1285
and therfore o vengeaucne is
1286
Nat warisshed by another vengeaunce,
1286
Ne o wroong by another wroong,/ but everich
1287
Of hem encreesceth and aggreggeth oother./
1288
But certes, the wordes of the phisiciens sholde
1288
Been understonden in this wise:/ for dood and
1289
Wikkednesse been two contraries, and pees and
1289
Werre, vengeaunce and suffraunce, discord and
1289
Accord, and manye othere thynges./ But certes,
1290
Wikkednesse shal be warisshed by goodnesse,
1290
Discord by accord, werre by pees, and
1290
So forth of othere thynges./ And heerto
1291
Accordeth seint paul the apostle in
1291
Manye places./ He seith: -- ne yeldeth nat
1292
Harm for harm, ne wikked speche for wikked
1292
Speche;/ but do wel to hym that dooth thee
1293
Harm, and blesse hym that seith to thee harm./
1294
And in manye othere places he amonesteth pees
1294
And accord./ But now wol I speke to yow of
1295
The conseil which that was yeven to yow
1295
By the men of lawe and the wise
1295
Folk,/ that seyden alle by oon accord,
1296
As ye han herd bifore,/ that over alle
1297
Thynges ye shal doon youre diligence to kepen
1297
Youre persone and to warnestoore youre hous;
1297
And seyden also that in this caas yow oghten
1297
For to werken ful avysely and with greet deliberacioun./
1297
and, sire, as to the firste point, that
1298
Toucheth to the kepyng of youre persone,/ ye
1299
Shul understonde that he that hath werre
1299
Shal everemoore mekely and devoutly
1299
Preyen, biforn alle thynges,/ that jhesus
1300
Crist of his mercy wol han hym in his
1300
Proteccion and been his sovereyn helpyng at
1300
His nede./ For certes, in this world ther is no
1301
Wight that may be conseilled ne kept sufficeantly
1301
Withouten the kepyng of oure lord jhesu
1301
Crist./ To this sentence accordeth the prophete
1302
david, that seith,/ -- if God ne kepe the
1303
Citee, in ydel waketh he that it kepeth. -- /
1304
Now, sire, thanne shul ye committe the kepyng
1304
of youre persone to youre trewe freendes,
1304
That been approved and yknowe,/ and
1305
Of hem shul ye axen help youre persone
1305
For to kepe. For catoun seith: -- if thou hast
1305
Nede of help, axe it of thy freendes;/ for ther
1306
Nys noon so good a phisicien as thy trewe
1306
Freend. -- / and after this thanne shul ye kepe
1307
Yow fro alle straunge folk, and fro lyeres, and
1307
Have alwey in suspect hire compaignye./ For
1308
Piers alfonce seith, -- ne taak no compaignye by
1308
The weye of a straunge man, but if so be that
1308
Thou have knowe hym of a lenger tyme./ And
1309
If so be that he falle into thy compaignye
1309
Paraventure, withouten thyn assent,/ enquere
1310
thanne as subtilly as thou mayst of
1310
His conversacion, and of his lyf bifore, and feyne
1310
Thy wey; seye that thou wolt thider as thou
1310
Wolt nat go;/ and if he bereth a spere, hoold
1311
Thee on the right syde, and if he bere a swerd,
1311
Hoold thee on the lift syde. -- / and after this
1312
Thanne shul ye kepe yow wisely from all swich
1312
Manere peple as I have seyd bifore, and hem
1312
And hir conseil eschewe./ And after this
1313
Thanne shul ye kepe yow in swich manere/
1314
That, for any presumpcion of youre strengthe,
1314
That ye ne dispise nat, ne accompte nat the
1314
Myght of youre adversarie so litel, that ye lete
1314
The kepyng of youre persone for youre
1314
Presumpcioun;/ for every wys man
1315
Dredeth his enemy./ And salomon
1316
Seith: -- weleful is he that of alle hath drede;/
1317
For certes, he that thurgh the hardynesse of
1317
His herte, and thurgh the hardynesse of
1317
Hymself, hath to greet presumpcioun, hym shal
1317
Yvel bityde. -- / thanne shul ye everemoore contrewayte
1318
embusshementz and alle espiaille./
1319
For senec seith that -- the wise man that
1319
Dredeth harmes, eschueth harmes,/ ne
1320
He ne falleth into perils that perils eschueth.
1320
-- / and al be it so that it seme that
1321
Thou art in siker place, yet shaltow alwey do
1321
Thy diligence in kepynge of thy persone;/ this
1322
Is to seyn, ne be nat necligent to kepe thy persone,
1322
nat oonly for thy gretteste enemys, but
1322
Fro thy leeste enemy./ Senek seith: -- a man
1323
That is well avysed, he dredeth his leste enemy.
1323
-- / ovyde seith that -- the litel wesele
1324
Wol slee the grete bole and the wilde
1324
Hert. -- / and the book seith, -- a litel
1325
Thorn may prikke a kyng ful soore, and
1325
An hound wol holde the wolde boor. -- / but
1326
Nathelees, I sey nat thou shalt be so coward
1326
That thou doute ther wher as is no drede./ The
1327
Book seith that -- somme folk han greet lust to
1327
Deceyve, but yet they dreden hem to be deceyved. Page 177
1327
-- / yet shaltou drede to been empoisoned,
1328
and kepe the from the compaignye of
1328
Scorneres./ For the book seith, -- with scorneres
1329
make no compaignye, but flee hire
1329
Wordes as venym. -- /
1330
Now, as to the seconde point, where
1330
As youre wise conseillours conseilled yow to
1330
Warnestoore youre hous with gret diligence,/
1331
I wolde fayn knowe how that ye understonde
1331
Thilke wordes and what is youre sentence./
1332
Melibeus answerde, and seyde, certes, I understande
1332
it in this wise: that I shal warne --
1332
Stoore myn hous with toures, swiche as han
1332
Castelles and othere manere edifices, and armure,
1332
and artelries;/ by whiche thynges I may
1333
My persone and myn hous so kepen and deffenden
1333
that myne enemys shul been in drede
1333
Myn hous for to approche./
1334
To this sentence answerde anon prudence:
1334
Warnestooryng, quod she, of heighe toures
1334
And of grete edifices apperteyneth somtyme
1334
to pryde./ And eek men make
1335
Heighe toures, and grete edifices with
1335
Grete costages and with greet travaille; and
1335
Whan that they been accompliced, yet be they
1335
Nat worth a stree, but if they be defended by
1335
Trewe freendes that been olde and wise./ And
1336
Understoond wel that the gretteste and strongeste
1336
garnysoun that a riche man may have, as
1336
Wel to kepen his persone as his goodes, is/
1337
That he be biloved with hys subgetz and with
1337
His neighebores./ For thus seith tullius, that
1338
-- ther is a manere garnysoun that no man may
1338
Vanquysse ne disconfite, and that is/ a lord to
1339
Be biloved of his citezeins and of his
1339
Peple. -- /
1340
Now, sire, as to the thridde point,
1340
Where as youre olde and wise conseillours
1340
Seyden that yow ne oghte nat sodeynly ne
1340
Hastily proceden in this nede,/ but that yow
1341
Oghte purveyen and apparaillen yow in this caas
1341
With greet diligence and greet deliberacioun;/
1342
Trewely, I trowe that they seyden right wisely
1342
And right sooth./ For tullius seith: -- in every
1343
Nede, er thou bigynne it, apparaille thee with
1343
Greet diligence. -- / thanne seye I that in vengeance-
1344
takyng, in were, in bataille, and
1344
In warnestooryng,/ er thow bigynne, I
1345
Rede that thou apparaille thee therto,
1345
And do it with greet deliberacion./ For tul
1346
Lius seith that -- longe apparaillyng biforn the
1346
Bataille maketh short victorie. -- / and cassidorus
1347
seith, -- the garnysoun is stronger, whan
1347
It is longe tyme avysed. -- /
1348
But now lat us speken of the conseil that
1348
Was accorded by youre neighebores, swiche
1348
As doon yow reverence withouten love,/
1349
Youre olde enemys reconsiled, youre flatereres,/
1349
that conseilled yow certeyne
1350
Thynges prively, and openly conseilleden
1350
Yow the contrarie;/ the yonge folk also, that
1351
Conseilleden yow to venge yow, and make
1351
Werre anon./ And certes, sire, as I have seyd
1352
Biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped
1352
Swich manere folk to youre conseil,/ which
1353
Conseillours been ynogh repreved by the re/
1354
Souns aforeseyd./ But nathelees, lat us now
1355
Descende to the special. Ye shuln first
1355
Procede after the doctrine of tullius./
1356
Certes, the trouthe of this matiere, or of
1356
This conseil, nedeth nat diligently enquere;/
1357
For it is wel wist whiche they been that han
1357
Doon to yow this trespas and vileynye,/ and
1358
How manye trespassours, and in what manere
1358
They han to yow doon al this wrong and al this
1358
Vileynye./ And after this, thanne shul ye examyne
1359
the seconde condicion which that the
1359
Same tullius addeth in this matiere./ For tullius
1360
put a thyng which that he clepeth
1360
-- consentynge -- ; this is to seyn,/ who been
1361
They, and which been they and how
1361
Manye, that consenten to thy conseil in thy
1361
Wilfulnesse to doon hastif vengeance./ And
1362
Lat us considere also who been they, and how
1362
Manye been they, and whiche been they, that
1362
Consenteden to youre adversaries./ And certes,
1363
As to the first poynt, it is wel knowen whiche
1363
Folk been they that consenteden to youre hastif
1363
Wilfulnesse;/ for trewely, alle tho that conseilleden
1364
yow to maken sodeyn were ne been nat
1364
Youre freendes./ Lat us now considere whiche
1365
Been they that ye holde so greetly youre
1365
Freendes as to youre persone./ For al
1366
Be it so that ye be myghty and riche,
1366
Certes ye ne been but allone,/ for certes ye ne
1367
Han no child but a doghter,/ ne ye ne han
1368
Brotheren, ne cosyns germayns, ne noon oother
1368
Neigh kynrede,/ wherfore that youre enemys
1369
For drede wholde stinte to plede with yow, or
1369
To destroye youre persone./ Ye knowen also
1370
That youre richesses mooten been dispended
1370
in diverse parties,/ and whan
1371
That every wight hath his part, they ne
1371
Wollen taken but litel reward to venge thy
1371
Deeth./ But thyne enemys been thre, and they
1372
Han manie children, bretheren, cosyns, and
1372
Oother ny kynrede./ And though so were that
1373
Thou haddest slayn of hem two or tree, yet Page 178
1373
Dwellen ther ynowe to wreken hir deeth and
1373
To sle thy persone./ And though so be that
1374
Youre kynrede be moore siker and stedefast
1374
Than the kyn of youre adversarie,/ yet nathelees
1375
youre kynrede nys but a fer kynrede;
1375
they been but litel syb to yow,/
1376
And the kyn of youre enemys been ny
1376
Syb to hem. And certes, as in that, hir condicioun
1376
is bet than youres./ Thanne lat us considere
1377
also if the conseillung of hem that conseilleden
1377
yow to taken sodeyn bengeaunce,
1377
Wheither it accorde to resoun./ And certes, ye
1378
Knowe wel -- nay. -- / for, as by right and resoun,
1379
Ther may no man taken vengeance on no wight
1379
But the juge that hath the jurisdiccioun of it,/
1380
Whan it is graunted hym to take thilke vengeance
1380
hastily or attemprely, as the lawe
1380
Requireth./ And yet mooreover of thilke
1381
Word that tullius clepeth -- consentynge,
1381
-- / thou shalt considere if thy myght and
1382
Thy power may consenten and suffise to thy
1382
Wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours./ And certes
1383
Thou mayst wel seyn that -- nay. -- / for sikerly,
1384
as for to speke proprely, we may do
1384
No thyng, but oonly swich thyng as we may
1384
Doon rightfully./ And certes rightfully ne mowe
1385
Ye take no vengeance, as of youre
1385
Propre auctoritee./ Thanne mowe ye
1386
Seen that youre power ne consenteth
1386
Nat, ne accordeth nat, with youre wilfulnesse./
1387
Lat us now examyne the thridde point, that
1387
Tullius clepeth -- consequent. -- / thou shal understonde
1388
that the vengeance that thou purposest
1388
for to take is the consequent;/ and
1389
Therof folweth another vengeaunce, peril, and
1389
Werre, and othere damages withoute nombre,
1389
Of whiche we be nat war, as at this tyme./
1390
And as touchynge the fourthe point,
1390
That tullius clepeth -- engendrynge, -- /
1391
Thou shalt considere that this wrong
1391
Which that is doon to thee is engendred of the
1391
Hate of thyne enemys,/ and of the vengeance-
1392
Takynge upon that wolde engendre another
1392
Vengeance, and muchel sorwe and wastynge
1392
Of richesses, as I seyde./
1393
Now, sire, as to the point that tullius clepeth
1393
-- causes, -- which that is the laste point,/ thou
1394
Shalt understonde that the worng that thou hast
1394
Receyved hath certeine causes,/ whiche that
1395
Clerkes clepen oriens and efficiens, and causa
1395
Longinqua and causa propinqua, this is
1395
To seyn, the fer cause and the ny cause./
1396
The fer cause is almyghty god, that is
1396
Cause of alle thynges./ The neer cause is thy
1397
Thre enemys.// the cause accidental was hate./
1399
The cause material been the fyve woundes of
1399
Thy doghter./ The cause formal is the manere
1400
Of hir werkynge that broghten laddres
1400
And cloumben in at thy wyndowes./
1401
The cause final was for to sle thy doghter.
1401
it letted nat in as muche as in hem was./
1402
But for to speken of the fer cause, as to what
1402
Ende they shul come, or what shal finally bityde
1402
Of hem in this caas, ne kan I nat deeme but
1402
By conjectynge and by supposynge./ For we
1403
Shul suppose that they shul come to a wikked
1403
Ende,/ by cause that the book of decrees seith,
1404
-- seelden, or with greet peyne, been causes
1404
Ybroght to good ende whanne they been baddely
1404
bigonne. -- /
1405
Now, sire, if men wolde axe me why that
1405
God suffred men to do yow this vileynye, certes,
1405
I kan nat wel answere, as for no soothfastnesse./
1405
for th' apostle seith that -- the
1406
Sciences and the juggementz of oure
1406
Lord God almyghty been ful depe;/ ther may
1407
No man comprehende ne serchen hem suffisantly.
1407
-- / nathelees, by certeyne presumpciouns
1408
and conjectynges, I holde and bileeve/
1409
That god, which that is ful of justice and of
1409
Rightwisnesse, hath suffred this bityde by juste
1409
Cause resonable./
1410
Thy name is melibee, this is to seyn,
1410
-- a man that drynketh hony. -- / thou hast
1411
Ydronke so muchel hony of sweete temporeel
1411
richesses, and delices and honours of
1411
This world,/ that thou art dronken, and hast
1412
Forgeten jhesu crist thy creatour./ Thou ne
1413
Hast nat doon to hym swich honour and reverence
1413
as thee oughte,/ ne thou ne hast nat
1414
Wel ytaken kep to the wordes of ovide, that
1414
Seith,/ -- under the hony of the goodes of
1415
The body is hyd the venym that sleeth
1415
The soule -- / and salomon seith, -- if thou
1416
Hast founden hony, ete of it that suffiseth;/
1416
for if thou ete of it out of mesure, thou
1417
Shalt spewe, -- and be nedy and povre./ And
1418
Peraventure crist hath thee in despit, and hath
1418
Turned awey fro thee his face and his eeris of
1418
Misericorde;/ and also he hath suffred that thou
1419
Hast been punysshed in the manere that thow
1419
Hast ytrespassed./ Thou hast doon
1420
Synne agayn oure lord crist;/ for certes,
1421
The three enemys of mankynde, that is to
1421
Seyn, the flessh, the feend, and the world,/
1422
Thou hast suffred hem entre in to thyn herte
1422
Wilfully by the wyndowes of thy body,/ and
1423
Hast nat defended thyself suffisantly agayns Page 179
1423
Hire assautes and hire temptaciouns, so that they
1423
Han wounded thy soule in fyve places;/ this is
1424
To seyn, the deedly synnes that been entred into
1424
Thyn herte by thy fyve wittes./ And in the
1425
Same manere oure lord crist hath woold and
1425
Suffred that thy three enemys been entred
1425
into thyn house by the wyndowes,/
1426
And han ywounded thy doghter in the
1426
Forseyde manere./
1427
Certes, quod melibee, I se wel that ye
1427
Enforce yow muchel by wordes to overcome
1427
Me in swich manere that I shal nat venge me
1427
Of myne enemys,/ shewynge me the perils and
1428
The yveles that myghten falle of this vengeance./
1428
but whoso wolde considere in alle
1429
Vengeances the perils and yveles that myghte
1429
Sewe of vengeance-takynge,/ a man wolde
1430
Nevere take vengeance, and that were
1430
Harm;/ for by the vengeance-takynge
1431
Been the wikked men dissevered fro the
1431
Goode men,/ and they that han wyl to do wikkednesse
1432
restreyne hir wikked purpos, whan
1432
They seen the punyssynge and chastisynge of
1432
The trespassours./
1433
(et a ce respont dame prudence, certes,
1433
Dist elle, je t' ottroye que de vengence vient
1433
Molt de maulx et de biens;/ mais vengence
1434
N' appartient pas a un chascun fors seulement
1434
Aux juges et a ceulx qui ont la juridicion sur
1434
Les malfaitteurs.)/ and yet seye I moore, that
1435
Right as singuler persone synneth in
1435
Takynge vengeance of another man,/
1436
Right so synneth the juge if he do no
1436
Vengeance of hem that it han disserved./ For
1437
Senec seith thus: -- that maister, -- he seith, -- is
1437
Good that proveth shrewes. -- / and as cassidore
1438
seith, -- a man dredeth to do outrages
1438
Whan he woot and knoweth that it despleseth
1438
To the juges and the sovereyns. -- / and another
1439
Seith, -- the juge that dredeth to do right, maketh
1439
men shrewes. -- / and seint paul the apostle
1440
seith in his epistle, whan he writeth unto
1440
The romayns, that -- the juges beren nat
1440
The spere withouten cause,/ but they
1441
Beren it to punysse the shrewes and mysdoers,
1441
and for to defende the goode men./ If ye
1442
Wol thanne take vengeance of youre enemys, ye
1442
Shul retourne or have youre recours to the juge
1442
That hath the jurisdiccion upon hem,/ and he
1443
Shal punysse hem as the lawe axeth and requireth./
1443
A! quod melibee, this vengeance liketh
1444
Me no thyng./ I bithenke me now and take
1445
Heede how fortune hath norissed me fro my
1445
Childhede, and hath holpen me to passe
1445
Many a stroong paas./ Now wol I assayen
1446
hire, trowynge, with goddes help,
1446
That she shal helpe me my shame for to
1446
Venge./
1447
Certes, quod prudence, if ye wol werke
1447
By conseil, ye shul nat assaye fortune by
1447
No wey,/ ne ye shul nat lene or bowe unto
1448
Hire, after the word of senec;/ for -- thynges that
1449
Been folily doon, and that been in hope of
1449
Fortune, shullen nevere come to good ende. -- /
1450
And, as the same senec seith, -- the moore cleer
1450
And the moore shynyng that fortune is, the
1450
Moore brotil and the sonner broken she
1450
Is -- ./ Trusteth nat in hire, for she nys
1451
Nat stidefast ne stable;/ for whan thow
1452
Trowest to be moost seur or siker of hire help,
1452
She wol faille thee and deceyve thee./ And
1453
Where as ye seyn that fortune hath norissed
1453
Yow fro youre childhede,/ I seye that in so
1454
Muchel shul ye the lasse truste in hire and in
1454
Hir wit./ For senec seith, -- what man that is
1455
Norissed by fortune, she maketh hym
1455
A greet fool. -- / now thanne, syn ye desire
1456
and axe vengeance, and the vengeance
1456
that is doon after the lawe and bifore
1456
The juge ne liketh yow nat,/ and the vengeance
1457
That is doon in hope of fortune is perilous and
1457
Uncertein,/ thanne have ye noon oother remedie
1458
but for to have youre recours unto the sovereyn
1458
juge that vengeth alle vileynyes and
1458
Wronges./ And he shal venge yow after that
1459
Hymself witnesseth, where as he seith,/ -- leveth
1460
the vengeance to me, and I shal
1460
Do it. -- /
1461
Melibee answerde, if I ne venge me
1461
Nat of the vileynye that men han doon to me,/
1462
I sompne or warne hem that han doon to me
1462
That vileynye, and alle othere, to do me another
1462
Vileynye./ For it is writen, -- if thou take no
1463
Vengeance of an oold vileynye, thou sompnest
1463
Thyne adversaries to do thee a newe vileynye. -- /
1464
And also for my suffrance men wolden do
1464
Me so muchel vileynye that I myghte neither
1464
Bere it ne susteene,/ and so sholde I
1465
Been put and holden overlowe./ For
1466
Men seyn, -- in muchel suffrynge shul
1466
Manye thynges falle unto thee whiche thou
1466
Shalt nat mowe suffre. -- /
1467
Certes, quod prudence, I graunte yow
1467
That over -- muchel suffraunce is nat good./ But
1468
Yet ne folweth it nat therof that every persone
1468
To whom men doon vileynye take of it vengeance;/
1468
for that aperteneth and longeth al Page 180
1469
Oonly to the juges, for they shul venge the
1469
Vileynyes and injuries./ And therfore tho two
1470
Auctoritees that ye han seyd above been
1470
Oonly understonden in the juges./ For
1471
Whan they suffren over-muchel the
1471
Wronges and the vileynyes to be doon withouten
1471
punysshynge,/ the sompne nat a man
1472
Al oonly for to do newe wronges, but they
1472
Comanden it./ Also a wys man seith that the
1473
Juge that correcteth nat the synnere comandeth
1473
and biddeth hym do synne. -- / and the juges
1474
And sovereyns myghten in hir land so muchel
1474
Suffre of the shrewes and mysdoeres/ that they
1475
Sholden, by swich suffrance, by proces of
1475
Tyme wexen of swich power and myght that
1475
They sholden putte out the juges and the
1475
Sovereyns from hir places,/ and atte laste
1476
Maken hem lesen hire lordshipes./
1477
But lat us now putte that ye have leve to
1477
Venge yow./ I seye ye been nat of myght and
1478
Power as now to venge yow;/ for if ye wole
1479
Maken comparisoun unto the myght of youre
1479
Adversaries, ye shul fynde in manye thynges
1479
That I have shewed yow er this that hire condicion
1479
is bettre than youres./ And therfore
1480
Seye I that it is good as now that ye suffre
1480
and be pacient./
1481
Forthermoore, ye knowen wel that
1481
After the comune sawe, -- it is a woodnesse a
1481
Man to stryve with a strenger or a moore
1481
Myghty man than he is hymself;/ and for to
1482
Stryve with a man of evene strengthe, that is
1482
To seyn, with as strong a man as he is, it is
1482
Peril;/ and for to stryve with a weyker man, it
1483
Is folie. -- / and therfore sholde a man flee stryvynge
1484
as muchel as he myghte./ For salomon
1485
Seith, -- it is a greet worshipe to a man to
1485
Kepen hym fro noyse and stryf. -- / and
1486
If it so bifalle or happe that a man of
1486
Gretter myght and strengthe than thou art do
1486
Thee grevaunce,/ studie and bisye thee rather
1487
To stille the same grevaunce than for to venge
1487
Thee./ For senec seith that -- he putteth hym in
1488
Greet peril that stryveth with a gretter man
1488
Than he is hymself. -- / and catoun seith, -- if a
1489
Man of hyer estaat or degree, or moore myghty
1489
Than thou, do thee anoy or grevaunce, suffre
1489
Hym;/ for he that oones hath greved thee,
1490
May another tyme releeve thee and
1490
Helpe. -- / yet sette I caas, ye have bothe
1491
Myght and licence for to venge yow,/ I
1492
Seye that ther be ful manye thynges that shul
1492
Restreyne yow of vengeance-takynge,/ and
1493
Make yow for to enclyne to suffre, and for to
1493
Han pacience in the wronges that han been
1493
Doon to yow./ First and foreward, if ye wole
1494
Considere the defautes that been in youre
1494
Owene persone,/ for whiche defautes God hath
1495
Suffred yow have this tribulacioun, as I
1495
Have seyd yow heer-biforn./ For the
1496
Poete seith that -- we oghte paciently
1496
Taken the tribulacions that comen to us, whan
1496
We thynken and consideren that we han disserved
1496
to have hem. -- / and seint gregorie
1497
Seith that -- whan a man considereth wel the
1497
Nombre of his defautes and of his synnes,/ the
1498
Peynes and the tribulaciouns that he suffreth
1498
Semen the lesse unto hym;/ and in as muche
1499
As hym thynketh his synnes moore hevy and
1499
Grevous,/ in so muche semeth his peyne
1500
The lighter and the esier unto hym. -- /
1501
Also ye owen to enclyne and bowe youre
1501
Herte to take the pacience of oure lord jhesu
1501
Crist, as seith seint peter in his epistles./
1502
Jhesu crist, -- he seith, -- hath suffred for us and
1502
Yeven ensample to every man to folwe and
1502
Sewe hym;/ for he dide nevere synne, ne nevere
1503
cam ther a vileyns word out of his mouth./
1504
Whan men cursed hym, he cursed hem noght;
1504
And whan men betten hym, he manaced hem
1504
Noght. -- / also the grete pacience which the
1505
Seintes that been in paradys han had in tribulaciouns
1505
that they han ysuffred, withouten
1505
Hir desert or gilt,/ oghte muchel stiren
1506
Yow to pacience./ Forthermoore ye
1507
Sholde enforce yow to have pacience,/ considerynge
1508
that the tribulaciouns of this world but
1508
Litel while endure, and soone passed been and
1508
Goon,/ and the joye that a man seketh to have
1509
By pacience in tribulaciouns is perdurable,
1509
After that the apostle seith in his epistle./ The
1510
Joye of god, he seith, is perdurable,
1510
That is to seyn, everelastynge./ Also
1511
Troweth and bileveth stedefastly that he
1511
Nys nat wel ynorissed, ne wel ytaught, that kan
1511
Nat have pacience, or wol nat receyve pacience./
1511
for salomon seith that -- the doctrine
1512
And the wit of a man is knowen by pacience. -- /
1513
And in another place he seith that -- he that is
1513
Pacient governeth hym by greet prudence. -- /
1514
And the same salomon seith, -- the angry and
1514
Wrathful man maketh noyses, and the pacient
1514
Man atempreth hem and stilleth. -- / he seith
1515
Also, -- it is moore worth to be pacient
1515
Than for to be right strong;/ and he
1516
That may have the lordshipe of his
1516
Owene herte is moore to preyse than he that
1516
By his force or strengthe taketh grete citees. -- / Page 181
1517
And therfore seith seint jame in his epistle that
1517
-- pacience is a greet vertu of perfeccioun. -- /
1518
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow,
1518
Dame prudence, that pacience is greet vertu
1518
Of perfeccioun;/ but every man may nat have
1519
The perfeccioun that ye seken;/ ne I nam
1520
Nat of the nombre of right parfite men,/
1521
For myn herte may nevere been in pees
1521
Unto the tyme it be venged./ And al be it so
1522
That it was greet peril to myne enemys to do
1522
Me a vileynye in takynge vengeance upon me,/
1523
Yet tooken they noon heede of the peril, but
1523
Fulfilleden hir wikked wyl and hir corage./
1524
And therfore me thynketh men oghten nat
1524
Repreve me, though I putte me in a litel peril
1524
For to venge me,/ and though I do a greet
1525
Excesse, that is to seyn, that I venge
1525
Oon outrage by another./
1526
A, quod dame prudence, ye seyn
1526
Youre wyl and as yow liketh,/ but in no caas
1527
Of the world a man sholde nat doon outrage
1527
Ne excesse for to vengen hym./ For cassidore
1528
Seith that -- as yvele dooth he that vengeth hym
1528
By outrage as he that dooth the outrage. -- / and
1529
Therfore ye shul venge yow after the ordre of
1529
Right, that is to seyn, by the lawe, and noght
1529
By excesse ne by outrage./ And also, if ye
1530
Wol venge yow of the outrage of youre adversaries
1530
in oother manere than right comandeth,
1530
ye synne./ And therfore seith senec
1531
That -- a man shal nevere vengen shrewednesse
1531
by shrewednesse. -- / and if ye seye that
1532
Right axeth a man to defenden violence by violence,
1532
and fightyng by fightyng,/ certes ye seye
1533
Sooth, whan the defense is doon anon withouten
1533
intervalle or withouten tariyng or delay,/
1533
for to deffenden hym and nat for to
1534
Vengen hym./ And it bihoveth that a man
1535
Putte swich attemperance in his deffense/
1535
that men have no cause ne matiere
1536
to repreven hym that deffendeth
1536
Hym of excesse and outrage, for ellis were it
1536
Agayn resoun./ Pardee, ye knowen wel that
1537
Ye maken no deffense as now for to deffende
1537
Yow, but for to venge yow;/ and so seweth
1538
It that ye han no wyl to do youre dede attemprely./
1538
and therfore me thynketh that pacience
1539
is good; for salomon seith that -- he that
1539
Is nat pacient shal have a greet harm. -- /
1540
Certes, quod melibee, I graunte yow that
1540
Whan a man is inpacient and wrooth, of that
1540
That toucheth hym noght and that aperteneth
1540
Nat unto hym, though it harme hym, it
1540
Is no wonder./ For the lawe seith that
1541
-- he is coupable that entremetteth hym or
1541
Medleth with swych thyng as aperteneth nat
1541
Unto hym. -- / and salomon seith that -- he that
1542
Entremetteth hym of the noyse or strif of another
1542
man is lyk to hym that taketh an hound
1542
By the eris. -- / for right as he that taketh a
1543
Straunge hound by the eris is outherwhile biten
1543
With the hound,/ right in the same wise is it
1544
Resoun that he have harm that by his inpacience
1544
medleth hym of the noyse of another
1544
Man, wheras it aperteneth nat unto hym./ But
1545
Ye knowen wel that this dede, that is to seyn,
1545
My grief and my disese, toucheth me
1545
Right ny./ And therfore, though I be
1546
Wrooth and inpacient, it is no merveille./
1547
And, savynge youre grace, I kan nat seen that it
1547
Myghte greetly harme me though I tooke vengeaunce./
1547
for I am richer and moore myghty
1548
Than myne enemys been;/ and wel knowen ye
1549
That by moneye and by havynge grete possessions
1549
been alle the thynges of this world governed./
1549
and salomon seith that -- alle
1550
Thynges abeyen to moneye. -- /
1551
Whan prudence hadde herd hir housbonde
1551
avanten hym of his richesse and of his
1551
Moneye, dispreisynge the power of his adversaries,
1551
she spak, and seyde in this wise:/
1552
Certes, deere sire, I graunte yow that ye been
1552
Riche and myghty,/ and that the richesses been
1553
Goode to hem that han wel ygeten hem and wel
1553
Konne usen hem./ For right as the body of a
1554
Man may nat lyven withoute the soule, namoore
1554
May it lyve withouten temporeel goodes./ And
1555
By richesses may a man gete hym grete
1555
Freendes./ And therfore seith pamphilles:
1556
-- if a net -- herdes doghter, -- seith
1556
He, -- be riche, she may chesen of a thousand
1556
Men which she wol take to hir housbonde;/
1557
For, of a thousand men, oon wol nat forsaken
1557
Hire ne refusen hire. -- / and this pamphilles
1558
Seith also: -- if thow be right happy -- that is to
1558
Seyn, if thou be right riche -- thou shalt fynde
1558
A greet nombre of felawes and freendes./ And
1559
If thy fortune change that thou wexe povre,
1559
Farewel freendshipe and felaweshipe;/ for thou
1560
Shalt be alloone withouten any compaignye,
1560
But if it be the compaignye of povre
1560
Folk. -- / and yet seith this pamphilles
1561
Moreover that -- they that been thralle and
1561
Bonde of lynage shullen been maad worthy and
1561
Noble by the richesses. -- / and right so as by
1562
Richesses ther comen manye goodes, right so
1562
By poverte come ther manye harmes and
1562
Yveles./ For greet poverte constreyneth a man Page 182
1563
To do manye yveles./ And therfore clepeth
1564
Cassidore poverte the mooder of ruyne,/ that
1565
Is to seyn, the mooder of overthrowynge
1565
Or fallynge doun./ And therfore seith
1566
Piers alfonce: -- oon of the gretteste adversitees
1566
of this world is/ whan a free man by
1567
Kynde or of burthe is constreyned by poverte
1567
To eten the almesse of his enemy, -- / and the
1568
Same seith innocent in oon of his bookes. He
1568
Seith that -- sorweful and myshappy is the condicioun
1568
of a povre beggere;/ for if he axe nat
1569
His mete, he dyeth for hunger;/ and if he axe,
1570
He dyeth for shame; and algates necessitee
1570
constreyneth hym to axe. -- / and
1571
Seith salomon that -- bet it is to dye than
1571
For to have swich poverte. -- / and as the same
1572
Salomon seith, -- bettre it is to dye of bitter deeth
1572
Than for to lyven in swich wise. -- / by thise
1573
Resons that I have seid unto yow, and by manye
1573
Othere resons that I koude seye,/ I graunte yow
1574
That richesses been goode to hem that geten
1574
Hem wel, and to hem that wel usen tho richesses./
1574
and therfore wol I shewe yow hou ye
1575
Shul have yow and how ye shul bere yow in
1575
Gaderynge of richesses, and in what
1575
Manere ye shul usen hem./
1576
First, ye shul geten hem withouten
1576
Greet desir, by good leyser, sokyngly and nat
1576
Over-hastily./ For a man that is to desirynge
1577
To gete richesses abaundoneth hym first to
1577
Thefte, and to alle othere yveles;/ and therfore
1578
seith salomon, -- he that hasteth hym to
1578
Bisily to wexe riche shal be noon innocent. -- /
1579
He seith also that -- the richesses that hastily cometh
1579
to a man, soone and lightly gooth and
1579
Passeth fro a man;/ but that richesse that
1580
Cometh litel and litel, wexeth alwey and
1580
Multiplieth. -- / and, sire
1581
Richesses by youre wit and by youre
1581
Travaille unto youre profit;/ and that withouten
1582
Wrong or hamr doynge to any oother persone./
1583
For tha lawe seith that -- ther maketh no man
1583
Himselven riche, if he do harm to another
1583
Wight. -- / this is to seyn, htat nature deffendeth
1584
and fordedeth by right that no man make
1584
Hymself riche unto the harm of another persone./
1584
and tulliur seith that -- no sorwe, ne no
1585
Drede of deeth, ne no thyng that may
1585
Falle unto a man,/ is so muchel agayns
1586
Nature as a man to encressen his owene
1586
Profit to the harm of another man./ And
1587
Though the grete man and the myghty men
1587
Geten richesses moore lightly than thou, / yet
1588
Shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit,
1588
For thou shalt in alle wise flee ydelnesse. -- / for
1589
Salomon seith that -- ydelnesse techeth a man to
1589
Do manye yveles. -- / and the same salomon
1590
Seith that -- he that travailleth and bisieth
1590
Hym to tilien his land, shal eten breed;/
1591
But he that is ydel and casteth hym to
1591
No bisynesse ne occupacioun, shal falle into
1591
Poverte, and dye for hynger. -- / and he that is
1592
Ydel and slow kan nevere fynde covenable
1592
Tyme for to doon his profit./ For ther is a
1593
Versifiour seith that -- the ydel man excuseth hym
1593
In wynter by cause of the grete coold, and in
1593
Somer by enchesoun of the greete heete. -- / for
1594
Thise causes seith caton, -- waketh and enclyneth
1594
nat yow over -- muchel for to slepe, for overmuchel
1594
reste norisseth and causeth manye
1594
Vices. -- / and therfore seith seint jerome,
1595
-- dooth somme goode dedes that the devel,
1595
Which is oure enemy, ne fynde yow nat
1595
Unocupied. -- / for the devel ne taketh
1596
Nat lightly unto his werkynge swiche as
1596
He fyndeth occupied in goode werkes./
1597
Thanne thus, in getynge richesses, ye mosten
1597
Flee ydelnesse./ And afterward, ye shul use
1598
The richesses which ye have geten by youre wit
1598
And by youre travaille,/ in swich a manere that
1599
Men holde yow nat to scars, ne to sparynge, ne
1599
To fool-large, that is to seyen, over-large a
1599
Spendere./ For right as men blamen an avaricious
1600
man by cause of his scarsetee and
1600
Chyncherie,/ in the same wise is he to
1601
Blame that spendeth over-largely./ And
1602
Therfore seith caton: -- use, -- he seith, -- thy richesses
1602
that thou hast geten/ in swich a manere
1603
That men have no matiere ne cause to calle
1603
The neither wrecche ne chynche;/ for it is a
1604
Greet shame to a man to have a povere herte
1604
And a riche purs. -- / he seith also: -- the goodes
1605
That thou hast ygeten, use hem by mesure, --
1605
That is to seyn, spende hem mesurably;/
1605
for they that folily wasten and
1606
Despenden the goodes that they han,/
1607
What they han namoore propre of hir owene,
1607
They shapen hem to take the goodes of another
1607
Man./ I seye thanne that ye shul fleen avarice;/
1608
usynge youre richesses in swich manere
1609
That men seye nat that youre richesses been
1609
Yburyed,/ but that ye have hem in
1610
Youre myght and in youre weeldynge./
1611
For a wys man repreveth the avaricious
1611
Man, and seith thus in two vers:/ -- wherto and
1612
Why burieth a man his goodes by his grete
1612
Avarice, and knoweth wel that nedes moste
1612
He dye?/ for deeth is the ende of every man Page 183
1613
As in this present lyf. -- / and for what cause or
1614
Enchesoun joyneth he hym or knytteth he hym
1614
So faste unto his goodes/ that alle hise wittes
1615
Mowen nat disseveren hym or departen
1615
Hym from his goodes,/ and knoweth
1616
Wel, or oghte knowe, that whan he is
1616
Deed he shal no thyng bere with hym out of
1616
This world?/ and therfore seith seint austyn
1617
That -- the avaricious man is likned unto helle,/
1618
That the moore it swelweth. The moore desir it
1618
Hath to swelwe and devoure. -- / and as wel as
1619
Ye wolde eschewe to be called an avaricious
1619
Man or chynche,/ as wel sholde ye kepe yow
1620
And governe yow in swich a wise that
1620
Men calle yow nat fool-large./ Therfore
1621
seith tullius: -- the goodes, -- he seith,
1621
-- of thyn hous ne sholde nat been hyd ne kept
1621
So cloos, but that they myghte been opened
1621
By pitee and debonairetee; -- / that is to seyn, to
1622
Yeven part to hem that han greet nede;/ -- ne
1623
Thy goodes shullen nat been so opene to been
1623
Every mannes goodes. -- / afterward, in getynge
1624
Of youre richesses and in usynge hem, ye shul
1624
Alwey have thre thynges in youre herte,/ that
1625
Is to seyn, oure lord god, conscience,
1625
And good name./ First, ye shul have
1626
God in youre herte,/ and for no richesse
1627
Ye shullen do no thyng which may in any
1627
Manere displese god, that is youre creator
1627
And makere./ For after the word of salomon,
1628
-- it is bettre to have a litel good with the love
1628
Of god,/ than to have muchel good and tresour,
1629
and lese the love of his lord god./ And
1630
The prophete seith that -- bettre it is to been
1630
A good man and have litel good and
1630
Tresour,/ than to been holden a shrewe
1631
And have grete richesses. -- / and yet seye
1632
I ferthermoore, that ye sholde alwey doon youre
1632
Bisynesse to gete yow richesses,/ so that ye
1633
Gete hem with good conscience./ And th' apostle
1634
seith that -- ther nys thyng in this world
1634
Of which we sholden have so greet joye as
1634
Whan oure conscience bereth us good witnesse.
1634
-- / and the wise man seith, -- the substance
1635
of a man is ful good, whan synne
1635
Is nat in mannes conscience. -- / afterward,
1636
in getynge of youre richesses and
1636
In usynge of hem,/ yow moste have greet bisynesse
1637
and greet diligence that youre goode
1637
Name be alwey kept and conserved./ For salomon
1638
seith that -- bettre it is an moore it availleth
1638
a man to have a good name, than for
1638
To have grete richesses. -- / and therfore he
1639
Seith in another place, -- do greet diligence,
1639
Seith salomon, -- in kepyng of thy freend and
1639
Of thy goode name;/ for it shal lenger abide
1640
With thee than any tresour, be it never
1640
So precious. -- / and certes he sholde nat
1641
Be called a gentil man that after god
1641
And good conscience, alle thynges left, ne
1641
Dooth his diligence and bisynesse to kepen his
1641
Goode name./ And cassidore seith that -- it is
1642
Signe of a gentil herte, whan a man loveth and
1642
Desireth to han a good name. -- / and therfore
1643
Seith seint austyn that -- ther been two thynges
1643
That arn necessarie and nedefulle,/ and that
1644
Is good conscience and good loos;/ that is to
1645
Seyn, good conscience to thyn owene persone
1645
Inward, and good loos for thy neighebor
1645
Outward. -- / and he that trusteth hym so
1646
Muchel in his goode conscience/ that he
1647
Displeseth, and setteth at noght his goode
1647
Name or loos, and rekketh noght though he
1647
Kepe nat his goode neam, nys but a crueel
1647
Cherl./
1648
Sire, now have I shewed yow how ye shul
1648
Do in getynge richesses, and how ye shullen
1648
Usen hem,/ and I se wel that for the trust
1649
That ye han in youre richesses ye wole moeve
1649
Werre and bataille./ I conseille yow that ye
1650
Bigynne no were in trust of youre richesses,
1650
For thay ne suffisen noght werres to
1650
Mayntene./ And therfore seith a philosophre,
1651
hthat man that desireth and
1651
Wole algates han werre, shal nevere have suffisaunce;/
1651
for the richer that he is, the gretter
1652
Despenses moste he make, if he wole have worshipe
1652
and victorei. -- / and salomon seith that
1653
-- the gretter richesses that a man hath, the mo
1653
Despendours he hath. -- / and, deere sire, al be
1654
It so that for youre richesses ye mowe have
1654
Muchel folk,/ yet bihoveth it nat, ne it is nat
1655
Good, to bigynne werre, whereas ye mowe in
1655
Oother manere have pees unto youre
1655
Worshipe and profit./ For the victorie
1656
Of batailles that been in this world lyth
1656
Nat in greet nombre or multitude of the peple,
1656
Ne in the vertu of man,/ but it lith in the wyl
1657
And in the hand of oure lord God almyghty./
1658
And therfore judas machabeus, which was
1658
Goddes knyght,/ whan he sholde fighte agayn
1659
His adversarie that hadde a gretter nombre and
1659
A gretter multitude of folk and strenger than
1659
Was this peple of machabee,/ yet he reconforted
1660
his litel compaignye, and seyde
1660
Right in this wise:/ -- als lightly, -- quod
1661
He, -- may oure lord God almyghty yeve
1661
Victorie to a fewe folk as to many folk;/ for the Page 184
1662
Victorie of a bataile comth nat by the grete
1662
Nombre of peple,/ but it cometh from oure
1663
Lord God of hevene. -- / and, deere sire, for as
1664
Muchel is ther is no man certein if he be
1664
Worthy that God yeve hym victorie, (ne plus
1664
Que il est certain se il est digne de l' amour de
1664
Dieu), or naught, after that salomon seith,/
1665
Therfore every man sholde greetly drede
1665
Werres to bigynne./ And by cause that
1666
In batailles fallen manye perils,/ and
1667
Happeth outher while that as soone is the grete
1667
Man slayn as the litel man;/ and as it is writen
1668
In the seconde book of kynges, -- the dedes of
1668
Batailles been aventurouse and nothyng certeyne,/
1668
for as lightly is oon hurt with a spere
1669
As another; -- / and for ther is gret peril in
1670
Werre; therfore sholde a man flee and eschue
1670
Werre, in as muchel as a man may
1670
Goodly./ For salomon seith, -- he that
1671
Loveth peril shal falle in peril -- /
1672
After that dame prudence hadde spoken in
1672
This manere, melibee answerde, and seyde:/
1673
I see wel, dame prudence, that by youre faire
1673
Wordes, and by youre resouns that ye han
1673
Shewed me, that the werre liketh yow no
1673
Thyng;/ but I have nat yet herd youre conseil,
1674
How I shal do in this nede./
1675
Certes, quod she, I conseille yow that ye
1675
Accorde with youre adversaries and that
1675
Ye have pees with he./ For seint jame
1676
Seith in his epistles that -- by concord and
1676
Pees the smale richesses wexen grete,/ and by
1677
Debaat and discord the grete richesses fallen
1677
Doun. -- / and ye knowen wel that oon of the
1678
Gretteste and moost sovereyn thyng that is in
1678
This world is unytee and pees./ And therfore
1679
Seyde oure lord jhesu crist to his apostles in
1679
This wise:/ -- wel happy and blessed been they
1680
That loven and purchacen pees, for they
1680
Been called children of god. -- /
1681
A, quod melibee, now se I wel that
1681
Ye loven nat myn honour ne my worshipe./
1682
Ye knowen wel that myne adversaries han
1682
Bigonnen this debaat and bryge by hire outrage,/
1682
and ye se wel that they ne requeren ne
1683
Preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be
1683
Reconsiled./ Wol ye thanne that I go and meke
1684
Me and obeye me to hem, and crie hem
1684
Mercy?/ for sothe, that were nat my
1685
Worshipe./ For right as men seyn that
1686
-- over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge,
1686
-- so fareth it by to greet hymylitee
1686
Or mekenesse./
1687
Thanne bigan dame prudence to maken
1687
Semblant of wratthe, and seyde:/ certes, sire,
1688
Sauf youre grace, I love youre honour and youre
1688
Profit as I do myn owene, and evere have
1688
Doon;/ ne ye, ne noon oother, seyn nevere
1689
The contrarie./ And yit if I hadde seyd that
1690
Ye sholde han purchaced the pees and the
1690
Reconsilacioun, I ne hadde nat muchel
1690
Mystaken me, ne seyd amys./ For the
1691
Wise man seith, -- the dissensioun bigynneth
1691
by another man, and the reconsilyng bygynneth
1691
by thyself. -- / and the prophete seith,
1692
-- flee shrewednesse and do goodnesse;/ seke
1693
Pees and folwe it, as muchel as in thee is. -- /
1694
Yet seye I nat that ye shul rather pursue to
1694
Youre adversaries for pees than they shuln to
1694
Yow./ For I knowe wel that ye been so hard-
1695
Herted that ye wol do no thyng for
1695
Me./ And salomon seith, -- he that hath
1696
Over-hard an herte, atte laste he shal
1696
Myshappe and mystyde. -- /
1697
Whanne melibee hadde herd dame prudence
1697
Maken semblant of wratthe, he seyde in this
1697
Wise:/ dame, I prey yow that ye be nat displesed
1698
of thynges that I seye,/ for ye knowe
1699
Wel that I am angrey and wrooth, and that is
1699
No wonder;/ and they that been wrothe witen
1700
Nat wel what they don, ne what they
1700
Seyn./ Therfore the prophete seith that
1701
-- troubled eyen han no cleer sighte. -- / but
1702
Seyeth and conseileth me as yow liketh, for I
1702
Am redy to do right as ye wol desire;/ and if
1703
Ye repreve me of my folye, I am the moore
1703
Holden to love yow and to preyse yow./ For
1704
Salomon seith that -- he that repreveth hym
1704
That dooth folye,/ he shal fynde gretter grace
1705
Than he that deceyveth hym by sweete
1705
Wordes. -- /
1706
Thanne seide dame prudence, I
1706
Make no semblant of wratthe ne anger, but
1706
For youre grete profit./ For salomon seith,
1707
-- he is moore worth that repreveth or chideth
1707
A fool for his folye, shewynge hym semblant
1707
Of wratthe,/than he that supporteth hym and
1708
Preyseth hym in his mysdoynge, and laugheth
1708
At his folye. -- / and this same salomon seith
1709
Afterward that -- by the sorweful visage of a
1709
Man, -- that is to seyn by the sory and hevy contenaunce
1709
of a man,/ -- the fool correcteth
1710
And amendeth hymself. -- /
1711
Thanne seyde melibee, I shal nat
1711
Koone answere to so manye faire resouns as ye
1711
Putten to me and shewen./ Seyeth shorthly
1712
Youre wyl and youre conseil, and I am al redy
1712
To fulfille and parfourne it./ Page 185
1713
Thanne dame prudence discovered al hir
1713
Wyl to hym, and seyde,/ I conseille yow,
1714
Quod she, aboven alle thynges, that ye make
1714
Pees bitwene God and yow;/ and beth
1715
Reconsiled unto hym and to his grace./
1716
For, as I have seyd yow heer biforn, god
1716
Hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and
1716
Disese for youre synnes./ And if ye do as I sey
1717
Yow, God wol sende youre adversaries unto
1717
Yow,/ and maken hem fallen at youre feet,
1718
Redy to do youre wyl and youre comande --
1718
Mentz./ For salomon seith, -- whan the condicioun
1719
of man is plesaunt and likynge to god,/
1720
He chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries
1720
and constreyneth hem to biseken
1720
hym of pees and of grace. -- / and
1721
I prey yow lat me speke with youre adversaries
1721
in privee place;/ for they shul nat
1722
Knowe that it be of youre wyl or of youre adsent./
1722
and thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and
1723
Hire entente, I may conseille yow the moore
1723
Seurely./
1724
Dame, quod melibee, dooth youre wil and
1724
Youre likynge;/ for I putte me hoolly in
1725
Youre disposicioun and ordinaunce./
1726
Thanne dame prudence, whan she
1726
Saugh the goode wyl of hir housbonde, delibered
1726
and took avys in hirself,/ thinkinge how
1727
She myghte brynge this nede unto a good conclusioun
1727
and to a good ende./ And whan she
1728
Saugh hir tyme, she sente for thise adversaries
1728
To come unto hire into a pryvee place,/ and
1729
Shewed wisely unto hem the grete goodes that
1729
Comen of pees,/ and the grete harmes
1730
And perils that been in werre;/ and
1731
Seyde to hem in a goodly manere hou
1731
That hem oughten have greet repentaunce/ of
1732
The injurie and wrong that they hadden doon
1732
To melibee hir lord, and unto hire, and to hire
1732
Doghter./
1733
And whan they herden the goodliche wordes
1733
Of dame prudence,/ they weren so supprised
1734
And ravysshed, and hadden so greet joye of
1734
Hire that wonder was to telle./ A, lady, quod
1735
They, ye han shewed unto us the blessynge
1735
Of swetnesse, after the sawe of david the
1735
Prophete;/ for the reconsilynge which
1736
We been nat worthy to have in no manere,/
1736
but we oghte requeren it with greet contricioun
1737
and humylitee,/ ye of youre grete
1738
Goodnesse have presented unto us./ Now se
1739
We wel that the science and the konnynge
1739
Of salomon is ful trewe./ For he seith that
1740
-- sweete wordes multiplien and encreescen
1740
Freendes, and maken shrewes to be debonaire
1740
and meeke. -- /
1741
Certes, quod they, we putten oure
1741
Dede and al oure matere and cause al hooly in
1741
Youre goode wyl/ and been redy to obeye to
1742
The speche and comandement of my lord melibee./
1742
and therfore, deere and benygne lady,
1743
We preien yow and biseke yow as mekely as we
1743
Konne and mowen,/ that it lyke unto youre
1744
Grete goodnesse to fulfillen in dede youre goodliche
1744
wordes./ For we consideren and knowelichen
1745
that we han offended and greved
1745
My lord melibee out of mesure,/ so ferforth
1746
that we be nat of power to maken
1746
His amendes./ And therfore we oblige and
1747
Bynden us and oure freendes for to doon al
1747
His wyl and his comandementz./ But peraventure
1748
he hath swich hevynesse and swich wratthe
1748
To us -- ward, by cause of oure offense,/ that he
1749
Wole enjoyne us swich a peyne as we mowe
1749
Nat bere ne susteene./ And therfore, noble
1750
Lady, we biseke to youre wommanly
1750
Pitee/ to taken swich avysement in this
1751
Nede that we, ne oure freendes, be nat
1751
Desherited ne destroyed thurgh oure folye./
1752
Certes, quod prudence, it is an hard
1752
Thyng and right perilous/ that a man putte
1753
Hym al outrely in the arbitracioun and juggement,
1753
and in the myght and power of his enemys./
1753
for salomon seith, -- leeveth me, and
1754
Yeveth credence to that I shal seyn: I seye, --
1754
Quod he, -- ye peple, folk and governours of
1754
Hooly chirche,/ to thy sone, to thy wyf,
1755
To thy freend, ne to thy broother,/ ne
1756
Yeve thou nevere myght ne maistrie of
1756
Thy body whil thou lyvest. -- / now sithen he
1757
Deffendeth that man sholde nat yeven to his
1757
Broother ne to his freend the myght of his
1757
Body,/ by a strenger resoun he deffendeth and
1758
Forbedeth a man to yeven hymself to his enemy./
1758
and nathelees I conseille you that ye
1759
Mystruste nat my lord,/ for I woot wel and
1760
Knowe verraily that he is debonaire and
1760
Meeke, large, curteys,/ and nothyng desirous
1761
ne coveitous of good ne richesse./
1762
For ther nys nothyng in this world that he
1762
Desireth, save oonly worshipe and honour./
1763
Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur
1763
That he shal nothyng doon in this nede withouten
1763
my conseil;/ and I shal so werken in this
1764
Cause that, by the grace of oure lord god, ye
1764
Shul been reconsiled unto us./
1765
Thanne seyden they with o voys, worshipful
1765
lady, we putten us and oure goodes Page 186
1765
Al fully in youre wil and disposicioun,/
1766
And been redy to comen, what day that
1766
It like unto youre noblesse to lymyte us or assigne
1766
us,/ for to maken oure obligacioun and
1767
Boond as strong as it liketh unto youre goodnesse,/
1767
that we mowe fulfille the wille of yow
1768
And of my lord melibee./
1769
Whan dame prudence hadde herd the answeres
1769
of thise men, she bad hem goon agayn
1769
Prively;/ and she retourned to hir lord melibee,
1770
and tolde hym how she foond his
1770
Adversaries ful repentant,/ knowelechynge
1771
ful lowely hir synnes and trespas,
1771
And how they were redy to suffren al peyne,/
1772
Requirynge and preiynge hym of mercy and
1772
Pitee./
1773
Thanne seyde melibee: he is wel worthy
1773
To have pardoun and foryifnesse of his synne.
1773
That excuseth nat his synne,/ but knowelecheth
1774
It and repenteth hym, axinge indulgence./ For
1775
Senec seith, ther is the remissioun and
1775
Foryifnesse, where as the confessioun is -- ;/
1776
For confessioun is neighebor to innocence./
1776
and he seith in another place that -- he
1777
That hath shame of his synne and knowlecheth
1777
It, is worthy remissioun. -- and therfore I assente
1777
and conferme me to have pees;/ but it
1778
Is good that we do it nat withouten the assent
1778
And wyl of oure freendes./
1779
Thanne was prudence right glad and joyeful,
1779
and seyde:/ certes, sire, quod
1780
She, ye han wel and goodly answered;/
1781
For right as by the conseil, assent, and
1781
Help of youre freendes ye han been stired to
1781
Venge yow and maken werre,/ right so withouten
1782
hire conseil shul ye nat accorden yow
1782
Ne have pees with youre adversaries./ For the
1783
Lawe seith: -- ther nys no thyng so good by wey
1783
Of kynde as a thyng to be unbounde by hym
1783
That it was ybounde. -- /
1784
And thanne dame prudence, withouten delay
1784
or tariynge, sente anon hire messages for
1784
Hire kyn, and for hire olde freendes which
1784
That were trewe and wyse,/ and tolde hem
1785
By ordre in the presence of melibee al this mateere
1785
as it is aboven expressed and declared,/
1785
and preyden hem that they
1786
Wolde yeven hire avys and conseil what
1786
Best were to doon in this nede./ And whan
1787
Melibees freendes hadde taken hire avys and
1787
Deliberacioun of the forseide mateere,/ and
1788
Hadden examyned it by greet bisynesse and
1788
Greet diligence,/ they yave ful conseil for to
1789
Have pees and reste,/ and that melibee sholde
1790
Receyve with good herte his adversaries
1790
To foryifnesse and mercy./
1791
And whan dame prudence hadde herd
1791
The assent of hir lord melibee, and the conseil
1791
of his freendes/ accorde with hire wille
1792
And hire entencioun,/ she was wonderly glad
1793
In hire herte, and seyde:/ ther is an old
1794
Proverbe, quod she, seith that -- the goodnesse
1794
that thou mayst do this day, do it,/
1795
And abide nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe.
1795
-- / and therfore I conseille that
1796
Ye sende youre messages, swiche as been
1796
Discrete and wise,/ unto youre adversaries,
1797
Tellynge hem on youre bihalve/ that if they
1798
Wole trete of pees and of accord,/ that they
1799
Shape hem withouten delay or tariyng to comen
1799
Unto us./ Which thyng parfourned was
1800
In dede./ And whanne thise trespassours
1801
and repentynge folk of hire folies,
1801
That is to seyn, the adversaries of melibee,/
1802
Hadden herd what thise messagers seyden unto
1802
Hem,/ they weren right glad and joyeful, and
1803
Answereden ful mekely and benignely,/ yeldynge
1804
graces and thankynges to hir lord melibee
1804
and to al his compaignye;/ and shopen
1805
Hem withouten delay to go with the messagers,
1805
And obeye to the comandement of hir
1805
Lord melibee./
1806
And right anon they tooken hire wey
1806
To the court of melibee,/ and tooken with hem
1807
Somme of hire trewe freendes to maken feith
1807
For hem and for to been hire borwes./ And
1808
Whan they were comen to the presence of
1808
Melibee, he seyde hem thise wordes:/ it standeth
1809
thus, quod melibee, and sooth it is, that
1809
Ye,/ causelees and withouten skile and
1810
Resoun,/ han doon grete injuries and
1811
Wronges to me and to my wyf prudence,
1811
And to my doghter also./ For ye han entred
1812
Into myn hous by violence,/ and have doon
1813
Swich outrage that alle men knowen wel that
1813
Ye have disserved the deeth./ And therfore
1814
Wol I knowe and wite of yow/ wheither ye
1815
Wol putte the punyssement and the chastisynge
1815
And the vengeance of this outrage in the wyl
1815
Of me and of my wyf prudence, or ye
1815
Wol nat?/
1816
Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde
1816
for hem alle, and seyde,/ sire, quod
1817
He, we knowen wel that we been unworthy
1817
To comen unto the court of so greet a lord and
1817
So worthy as ye been./ For we han so greetly
1818
Mystaken us, and han offended and agilt in
1818
Swich a wise agayn youre heigh lordshipe,/ Page 187
1819
That trewely we han disserved the deeth./ But
1820
Yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee
1820
That al the world witnesseth of youre
1820
Persone,/ we submytten us to the excellence
1821
and benignitee of youre gracious
1821
Lordshipe,/ and been redy to obeie to alle youre
1822
Comandementz;/ bisekynge yow that of youre
1823
Merciable pitee ye wol considere oure grete
1823
Repentaunce and lowe submyssioun,/ and
1824
Graunten us foryevenesse of oure outrageous
1824
Trespas and offense./ For wel we knowe that
1825
Youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem
1825
Ferther into goodnesse than doon oure outrageouse
1825
giltes and trespas into wikkednesse,/
1825
al be it that cursedly and
1826
Dampnablely we han agilt agayn youre
1826
Heigh lordshipe./
1827
Thanne melibee took hem up fro the ground
1827
Ful benignely,/ and receyved hire obligaciouns
1828
And hir boondes by hire othes upon hire plegges
1828
And borwes,/ and assigned hem a certeyn day
1829
To retourne unto his court,/ for to accepte and
1830
Receyve the sentence and juggement that
1830
Melibee wolde comande to be doon on
1830
Hem by the causes aforeseyd./ Whiche
1831
Thynges ordeyned, every man retourned
1831
To his hous./
1832
And whan that dame prudence saugh hir
1832
Tyme, she freyned and axed hir lord melibee/
1833
What vengeance he thoughte to taken of his
1833
Adversaries./
1834
To which melibee answerde, and seyde:
1834
Certes, quod he, I thynke and purpose me
1834
Fully / to desherite hem of al that evere they
1835
Han, and for to putte hem in exil for
1835
Evere./
1836
Certes, quod dame prudence, this
1836
Were a crueel sentence and muchel agayn resoun./
1836
for ye been riche ynough, and han
1837
No nede of oother mennes good;/ and ye
1838
Myghte lightly in this wise gete yow a coveitous
1838
name,/ which is a vicious thyng, and
1839
Oghte been eschued of every good man./ For
1840
After the sawe of the word of the apostle,
1840
-- coveitise is roote of alle harmes. -- /
1841
And therfore it were bettre for yow to
1841
Lese so muchel good of youre owene, than for
1841
To taken of hir good in this manere;/ for bettre
1842
it is to lesen good with worshipe, than it
1842
Is to wynne good with vileynye and shame./
1843
And everi man oghte to doon his diligence and
1843
His bisynesse to geten hym a good name./
1844
And yet shal he nat oonly bisie hym in kepynge
1844
of his good name,/ but he shal also enforcen
1845
hym alwey to do somthyng by
1845
Which he may renovelle his good name./
1846
For it is writen that -- the olde good loos
1846
Or good name of a man is soone goon and
1846
Passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled. -- /
1847
And as touchynge that ye seyn ye wole exile
1847
Youre adversaries,/ that thynketh me muchel
1848
Agayn resoun and out of mesure,/ considered
1849
The power that they han yeve yow upon hemself./
1849
and it is writen that -- he is worthy
1850
To lesen his privilege, that mysuseth the
1850
Myght and the power that is yeven
1850
Hym. -- / and I sette cas ye myghte enjoyne
1851
hem that peyne by right and by
1851
Lawe,// which I trowe ye mowe nat do,/ I seye
1853
Ye mighte nat putten it to execucioun peraventure,/
1853
and thanne were it likly to retourne
1854
To the werre as it was biforn./ And therfore,
1855
If ye wole that men do yow obeisance,
1855
Ye moste deemen moore curteisly;/ this
1856
Is to seyn, ye moste yeven moore esy sentences
1856
and juggementz./ For it is writen that
1857
-- he that moost curteisly comandeth, to hym
1857
Men moost obeyen. -- / and therfore I prey yow
1858
That in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste
1858
Yow to overcome youre herte./ For senec seith
1859
That -- he that overcometh his herte, overcometh
1859
Twies. -- / and tullius seith: -- ther is no
1860
Thyng so comendable in a greet lord/ as
1861
Whan he is debonaire and meeke, and
1861
Appeseth him lightly. -- / and I prey yow that ye
1862
Wole forbere now to do vengeance,/ in swich
1863
A manere that youre goode name may be kept
1863
And conserved,/ and that men mowe have
1864
Cause and mateere to preyse yow of pitee and
1864
Of mercy,/ and that ye have no cause to
1865
Repente yow of thyng that ye doon./
1866
For senec seith, -- he overcometh in an
1866
Yvel manere that repenteth hym of his victorie.
1866
-- / wherfore I pray yow, lat mercy been in
1867
Youre herte,/ to th' effect and entente that
1868
God almighty have mercy on yow in his laste
1868
Juggement./ For seint jame seith in his epistle:
1869
-- juggement withouten mercy shal be doon
1869
To hym that hath no mercy of another wight. -- /
1870
Whanne melibee hadde herd the grete skiles
1870
And resouns of dame prudence, and hire
1870
Wise informaciouns and techynges,/ his
1871
Herte gan enclyne to the wil of his wif,
1871
Considerynge hir trewe entente,/ and conformed
1872
hym anon, and assented fully to werken
1872
After hir conseil;/ and thonked god, of whom
1873
Procedeth al vertu and alle goodnesse, that
1873
Hym sente a wyf of so greet discrecioun./ And Page 188
1874
Whan the day cam that his adversaries sholde
1874
Appieren in his presence,/ he spak unto
1875
Hem ful goodly, and seyde in this wyse:/
1876
Al be it so that of youre pride and heigh
1876
Presumpcioun and folie, and of youre necligence
1876
and unkonnynge,/ ye have mysborn yow
1877
And trespassed unto me,/ yet for as muche as
1878
I see and biholde youre grete humylitee,/ and
1879
That ye been sory and repentant of youre
1879
Giltes,/ it constreyneth me to doon yow
1880
Grace and mercy./ Wherfore I receyve
1881
Yow to my grace,/ and foryeve yow outrely
1882
alle the offenses, injuries, and wronges that
1882
Ye have doon agayn me and myne,/ to this
1883
Effect and to this ende that God of his endelees
1883
mercy/ wole at the tyme of oure diynge
1884
Foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespassed
1884
To hym in this wrecched world./ For doutelees,
1885
if we be sory and repentant of the synnes
1885
And giltes which we han trespassed in
1885
The sighte of oure lord god,/ he is so
1886
Free and so merciable/ that he wole foryeven
1887
us oure giltes,/ and bryngen us to the
1888
Blisse that nevere hath ende. Amen.
1888
The Monk's Prologue
Whan ended was my tale of melibee,
1889
And of prudence and hire benignytee,
1890
Oure hooste seyde, as I am feithful man,
1891
And by that precious corpus madrian,
1892
I hadde levere than a barel ale
1893
That goodelief, my wyf, hadde herd this tale!
1894
For she nys no thyng of swich pacience
1895
As was this melibeus wyf prudence.
1896
By goddes bones! whan I bete my knaves,
1897
She bryngeth me forth the grete clobbed staves,
1898
And crieth, -- slee the dogges everichoon,
1899
And brek hem, bothe bak and every boon! --
1900
And if that any neighebor of myne
1901
Wol nat in chirche to my wyf enclyne,
1902
Or be so hardy to hire to trespace,
1903
Whan she comth hoom she rampeth in my face,
1904
And crieth, -- false coward, wrek thy wyf!
1905
By corpus bones, I wol have thy knyf,
1906
And thou shalt have my distaf and go spynne! --
1907
Fro day to nyght right thus she wol bigynne.
1908
-- allas! -- she seith, -- that evere I was shape
1909
To wedden a milksop, or a coward ape,
1910
That wol been overlad with every wight!
1911
Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyves right! --
1912
This is my lif, but if that I wol fighte;
1913
And out at dore anon I moot me dighte,
1914
Or elles I am but lost, but if that I
1915
Be lik a wilde leoun, fool-hardy.
1916
I woot wel she wol do me slee som day
1917
Som neighebor, and thanne go my way;
1918
For I am perilous with knyf in honde,
1919
Al be it that I dar nat hire withstonde,
1920
For she is byg in armes, by my feith:
1921
That shal he fynde that hire mysdooth or seith, --
1922
But lat us passe awey fro this mateere.
1923
My lord, the monk, quod he, by myrie of cheere,
1924
For ye shul telle a tale trewely.
1925
Loo, rouchestre stant heer faste by!
1926
Ryde forth, myn owene lord, brek nat oure game.
1927
But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat youre name.
1928
Wher shal I calle yow my lord daun john,
1929
Or daun thomas, or elles daun albon?
1930
Of what hous be ye, by youre fader kyn?
1931
I vowe to god, thou hast a ful fair skyn;
1932
It is a gentil pasture ther thow goost.
1933
Thou art nat lyk a penant or a goost:
1934
Upon my feith, thou art som officer,
1935
Som worthy sexteyn, or som celerer,
1936
For by my fader soule, as to my doom,
1937
Thou art a maister whan thou art at hoom;
1938
No povre cloysterer, ne no novts,
1939
But a governour, wily and wys,
1940
And therwithal of brawnes and of bones,
1941
A wel farynge persone for the nones.
1942
I pray to god, yeve hym confusioun
1943
That first thee broghte unto religioun!
1944
Thou woldest han been a tredefowel aright. Page 189
1945
Haddestow as greet a leeve, as thou hast myght,
1946
To parfourne al thy lust in engendrure,
1947
Thou haddest bigeten ful many a creature.
1948
Allas, why werestow so wyd a cope?
1949
God yeve me sorwe, but, and I were a pope,
1950
Nat oonly thou, but every myghty man,
1951
Though he were shorn ful hye upon his pan,
1952
Sholde have a wyf; for al the world is lorn!
1953
Religioun hath take up al the corn
1954
Of tredyng, and we borel men been shrympes.
1955
Of fieble trees ther comen wrecched ympes.
1956
This maketh that oure heires been so sklendre
1957
And feble that they may nat wel engendre.
1958
This maketh that oure wyves wole assaye
1959
Religious folk, for ye mowe bettre paye
1960
Of venus peiementz than mowe we;
1961
God woot, no lussheburghes payen ye!
1962
But be nat wrooth, my lord, though that I pleye.
1963
Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye!
1964
This worthy monk took al in pacience,
1965
And seyde, I wol doon al my diligence,
1966
As fer as sowneth into honestee,
1967
To telle yow a tale, or two, or three.
1968
And if yow list to herkne hyderward,
1969
I wol yow seyn the lyf of seint edward;
1970
Or ellis, first, tragedies wol I telle,
1971
Of whiche I have an hundred in my celle.
1972
Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storei,
1973
As olde bookes maken us memorie,
1974
Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee,
1975
And is yfallen out of heigh degree
1976
Into myserie, and endeth wrecchedly.
1977
And they ben versified communely
1978
Of six feet, which men clepen exametrron.
1979
In prose eek been endited many oon,
1980
And eek in meetre, in many a sondry wyse.
1981
Lo, this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise.
1982
Now herkneth, if yow liketh for to heere.
1983
But first I yow biseeke in this mateere,
1984
Though I by ordre telle nat thise thynges,
1985
Be it of popes, emperours, or kynges,
1986
After hir ages, as men writen fynde,
1987
But tellen hem som bifore and som bihynde,
1988
As it now comth unto my remembraunce,
1989
Have me excused of myn ignoraunce.
1990
The Monk's Tale
I wol biwaille, in manere of tragedie,
1991
The harm of hem that stoode in heigh degree,
1992
And fillen so that ther nas no remedie
1993
To brynge hem out of hir adversitee.
1994
For certein, whan that fortune list to flee,
1995
Ther may no man the cours of hire withholde.
1996
Lat no man truste on blynd prosperitee;
1997
Be war by thise ensamples trewe and olde.
1998
Lucifer
At lucifer, though he an angel were,
1999
And nat a man, at hym wol I bigynne.
2000
For though fortune may noon angel dere,
2001
From heigh degree yet fel he for his synne
2002
Doun into helle, where he yet is inne.
2003
O lucifer, brightest of angels alle,
2004
Now artow sathanas, that mayst nat twynne
2005
Out of miserie, in which that thou art falle.
2006
Adam
Loo adam, in the feeld of damyssene,
2007
With goddes owene fynger wroght was he,
2008
And nat bigeten of mannes sperme unclene,
2009
And welte al paradys savynge o tree.
2010
Hadde nevere worldly man so heigh degree
2011
As adam, til he for mysgovernaunce
2012
Was dryven out of hys hye prosperitee
2013
To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce.
2014
Sampson
Loo sampsoun, which that was annunciat
2015
By th' angel, longe er his nativitee,
2016
And was to God almyghty consecrat,
2017
And stood in noblesse whil he myghte see.
2018
Was nevere swich another as was hee,
2019
To speke of strengthe, and threwith hardynesse; Page 190
2020
But to his wyves toolde he his secree,
2021
Thurgh which he slow hymself for wrecchednesse.
2022
Sampsoun, this noble almyghty champioun,
2023
Withouten wepen, save his handes tweye,
2024
He slow and al torente the leoun,
2025
Toward his weddyng walkynge by the weye.
2026
His false wyf koude hym so plese and preye
2027
Til she his conseil knew; and she, untrewe,
2028
Unto his foos his conseil gan biwreye,
2029
And hym forsook, and took another newe.
2030
Thre hundred foxes took sampson for ire,
2031
And alle hir tayles he togydre bond,
2032
And sette the foxes tayles alle on fire,
2033
For he on every tayl had knyt a brond;
2034
And they brende alle the cornes in that lond,
2035
And alle hire olyveres, and vynes eke.
2036
A thousand men he slow eek with his hond,
2037
And hadde no wepen but an asses cheke.
2038
Whan they were slayn, so thursted hym that he
2039
Was wel ny lorn, for which he gan to preye
2040
That God wolde on his peyne han some pitee,
2041
And sende hym drynke, or elles moste he deye;
2042
And of this asses cheke, that was dreye,
2043
Out of a wang-tooth sprang anon a welle,
2044
Of which he drank ynogh, shortly to seye;
2045
Thus heelp hym god, as judicum telle.
2046
By verray force at gazan, on a nyght,
2047
Maugree philistiens of that citee,
2048
The gates of the toun he hath up plyght,
2049
And on his bak ycaryed hem hath hee
2050
Hye on an hill whereas men myghte hem see.
2051
O noble, almyghty sampsoun, lief and deere,
2052
Had thou nat toold to wommen thy secree,
2053
In al this world ne hadde been thy peere!
2054
This sampson nevere ciser drank ne wyn,
2055
Ne on his heed cam rasour noon ne sheere,
2056
By precept of the messager divyn,
2057
For alle his strengthes in his heeres weere.
2058
And fully twenty wynter, yeer by yeere,
2059
He hadde of israel the governaunce.
2060
But soone shal he wepe many a teere,
2061
For wommen shal hym bryngen to meschaunce!
2062
Unto his lemman dalida he tolde
2063
That in his heeris al his strengthe lay,
2064
And falsly to his foomen she hym solde.
2065
And slepynge in hir barm, upon a day,
2066
She made to clippe or shere his heres away,
2067
And made his foomen al his craft espyen;
2068
And whan that they hym foond in this array,
2069
They bounde hym faste and putten out his yen.
2070
But er his heere were clipped or yshave,
2071
Ther was no boond with which men myghte him bynde;
2072
But now is he in prison in a cave,
2073
Were-as they made hym at the queerne grynde.
2074
O noble sampsoun, strongest of mankynde,
2075
O whilom juge, in glorie and in richesse!
2076
Now maystow wepen with thyne eyen blynde,
2077
Sith thou fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse.
2078
The ende of this caytyf was as I shal seye.
2079
His foomen made a feeste upon a day,
2080
And made hym as hire fool biforn hem pleye;
2081
And this was in a temple of greet array.
2082
But atte laste he made a foul affray;
2083
For he two pilers shook and made hem falle,
2084
And doun fil temple and al, and ther it lay, --
2085
And slow hymself, and eek his foomen alle.
2086
This is to seyn, the prynces everichoon,
2087
And eek thre thousand bodyes, were ther slayn
2088
With fallynge of the grete temple of stoon.
2089
Of sampson now wol I namoore sayn.
2090
Beth war by this ensample oold and playn
2091
That nomen telle hir conseil til hir wyves
2092
Of swich thyng as they wolde han secree fayn,
2093
If that it touche hir lymes or hir lyves.
2094
Hercules
Of hercules, the sovereyn conquerour,
2095
Syngen his werkes laude and heigh renoun;
2096
For in his tyme of strengthe he was the flour.
2097
He slow, and frate the skyn of the leoun;
2098
He of centauros leyde the boost adoun;
2099
He arpies slow, the crueel bryddes felle;
2100
He golden apples rafte of the dragoun;
2101
He drow out cerberus, the hound of helle;
2102
He slow the crueel tyrant busirus,
2103
And made his hors to frete hem, flessh and boon;
2104
He slow the firy serpent venymus;
2105
Of acheloys two hornes he brak oon;
2106
And he slow cacus in a cave of stoon;
2107
He slow the geant antheus the stronge; Page 191
2108
He slow the grisly boor, and that anon;
2109
And bar the hevene on his nekke longe.
2110
Was nevere wight, sith that this world bigan,
2111
That slow so manye monstres as dide he.
2112
Thurghout this wyde world his name ran,
2113
What for his strengthe and for his heigh bountee,
2114
And every reawme wente he for to see.
2115
He was so stoong that no man myghte hym lette.
2116
At bothe the worldes endes, seith trophee,
2117
In stide of boundes he a pileer sette.
2118
A lemman hadde this noble champioun,
2119
That highte dianira, fressh as may;
2120
And as thise clerkes maken mencioun,
2121
She hath hym sent a sherte, fressh and gay.
2122
Allas! this sherte, allas and weylaway!
2123
Envenymed was so subtilly withalle,
2124
That er that he had wered it half a day,
2125
It made his flessh al from his bones falle.
2126
But nathelees somme clerkes hire excusen
2127
By oon that highte nessus, that it maked.
2128
Be as be may, I wol hire noght accusen;
2129
But on his bak this sherte he wered naked,
2130
Til that his flessh was for the venym blaked.
2131
And whan he saugh noon oother remedye,
2132
In hoote coles he hath hymselven raked,
2133
For with no venym deigned hym to dye.
2134
Thus starf this worthy, myghty hercules.
2135
Lo, who may truste on fortune and throwe?
2136
For hym that folweth al this world of prees,
2137
Er he be war, is ofte yleyd ful lowe.
2138
Ful wys is he that kan hymselven knowe!
2139
Beth war, for whan that fortune list to glose,
2140
Thanne wayteth she her man to overthrowe
2141
By swich a wey as he wolde leest suppose.
2142
Nebchadnezzar
The myghty trone, the precious tresor,
2143
The glorious ceptre, and roial magestee
2144
That hadde the kyng nabugodonosor
2145
With tonge unnethe may discryved bee.
2146
He twyes wan jerusalem the citee;
2147
The vessel of the temple he with hym ladde.
2148
At babiloigne was his sovereyn see,
2149
In which his glorie and his delit he hadde.
2150
The faireste children of the blood roial
2151
Of israel he leet do gelde anoon,
2152
And maked ech of hem to been his thral.
2153
Amonges othere daniel was oon,
2154
That was the wiseste child of everychon;
2155
For he the dremes of the kyng expowned,
2156
Whereas in chaldeye clerk ne was ther noon
2157
That wiste to what fyn his dremes sowned.
2158
This proude kyng leet maken a statue of gold,
2159
Sixty cubites long and sevene in brede;
2160
To which ymage bothe yong and oold
2161
Comanded he to loute, and have in drede,
2162
Or in a fourneys, ful of flambes rede,
2163
He shal be brent that wolde noght obeye.
2164
But nevere wolde assente to that dede
2165
Daniel, ne his yonge felawes tweye.
2166
This kyng of kynges proud was and elaat;
2167
He wente that god, that sit in magestee,
2168
Ne myghte hym nat bireve of his estaat.
2169
But sodeynly he loste his dignytee,
2170
And lyk a beest hym semed for to bee,
2171
And eet hey as an oxe, and lay theroute
2172
In reyn; with wilde beestes walked hee,
2173
Til certein tyme was ycome aboute.
2174
And lik an egles fetheres wax his heres;
2175
His nayles lyk a briddes clawes weere;
2176
Til God relessed hym a certeyn yeres,
2177
And yaf hym wit, and thanne with many a teere
2178
He thanked god, and evere his lyf in feere
2179
Was he to doon amys or moore trespace;
2180
And til that tyme he leyd was on his beere,
2181
He knew that God was ful of myght and grace.
2182
Belshazzar
His sone, which that highte balthasar,
2183
That heeld the regne after his fader day,
2184
He by his fader koude noght be war,
2185
For proud he was of herte and of array;
2186
And eek an ydolastre was he ay.
2187
His hye estaat assured hym in pryde;
2188
But fortune caste hym doun, and ther he lay,
2189
And sodeynly his regne gan divide.
2190
A feeste he made unto his lordes alle,
2191
Upon a tyme, and bad hem blithe bee;
2192
And thanne his officeres gan he calle:
2193
Gooth, bryngeth forth the vesseles, quod he,
2194
Whiche that my fader in his prosperitee
2195
Out of the temple of jerusalem birafte;
2196
And to oure hye goddes thanke we
2197
Of honour that oure eldres with us lafte. Page 192
2198
Hys wyf, his lordes, and his concubynes
2199
Ay dronken, whil hire appetites laste,
2200
Out of thise noble vessels sondry wynes.
2201
And on a wal this kyng his eyen caste,
2202
And saugh an hand, armlees, that wroot ful faste,
2203
For feere if which he quook and siked soore.
2204
This hand, that balthasar so soore agaste,
2205
Wroot mane, techel phares, and namoore.
2206
In all that land magicien was noon
2207
That koude expoune what this lettre mente;
2208
But daniel expowned it anoon,
2209
And seyde, kyng, God to thy fader lente
2210
Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente;
2211
And he was proud, and nothyng God ne dradde,
2212
And therfore God greet wreche upon hym sente,
2213
And hym birafte the regne that he hadde.
2214
He was out cast of mannes compaignye;
2215
With asses was his habitacioun,
2216
And eet hey as a beest in weet and drye,
2217
Til that he knew, by grace and by resoun,
2218
That God of hevene hath domynacioun
2219
Over every regne and every creature;
2220
And thanne hadde God of hym compassioun,
2221
And hym restored his regne and his figure.
2222
Eek thou, that art his sone, art proud also,
2223
And knowest alle thise thynges verraily,
2224
And art rebel to god, and art his foo.
2225
Thou drank eek of his vessels boldely;
2226
Thy wyf eek, and thy wenches, synfully
2227
Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynys;
2228
And heryest false goddes cursedly;
2229
Therfore to thee yshapen ful greet pyne ys.
2230
This hand was sent from God that on the wal
2231
Wroot mane, techel, phares, truste me;
2232
Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at al.
2233
Dyvyded is thy regne, and it shal be
2234
To medes and to perses yeven, quod he.
2235
And thilke same nyght this kyng was slawe,
2236
And darius occupieth his degree,
2237
Thogh he therto hadde neither right ne lawe.
2238
Lordynges, ensample heerby may ye take
2239
How that in lordshipe is no sikernesse;
2240
For whan fortune wole a man forsake,
2241
She bereth awey his regne and his richesse,
2242
And eek his freendes, bothe moore and lesse.
2243
For what man that hath freendes thurgh fortune,
2244
Mishap wol maken hem enemys, I gesse;
2245
This proverbe is ful sooth and ful commune.
2246
Zenobia
Cenobia, of palymerie queene,
2247
As writen persiens of hir noblesse,
2248
So worthy was in armes and so keene,
2249
That no wight passed hire in hardynesse,
2250
Ne in lynage, ne in oother gentillesse.
2251
Of kynges blood of perce is she descended.
2252
I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse,
2253
But of his shap she myghte nat been amended.
2254
From hire childhede I fynde that she fledde
2255
Office of wommen, and to wode she wente,
2256
And many a wolde hertes blood she shedde
2257
With arwes brode that she to hem sente.
2258
She was so swift that she anon hem hente;
2259
And whan that she was elder, she wolde
2260
Leouns, leopardes, and beres al torente,
2261
And in hire armes weelde hem at hir wille.
2262
She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,
2263
And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght,
2264
And slepen under a bussh, and she koude eke
2265
Wrastlen, by verray force and varray myght,
2266
With any yong man, were he never so wight.
2267
Ther myghte no thyng in hir armes stonde.
2268
She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight;
2269
To no man deigned hire for to be bonde.
2270
But atte laste hir freendes han hire maried
2271
To odenake, a prynce of that contree,
2272
Al were it so that she hem longe taried.
2273
And ye shul understonde how that he
2274
Hadde swiche fantasies as hadde she.
2275
But natheless, whan they were knyt in-feere,
2276
They lyved in joye and in felicitee;
2277
For ech of hem hadde oother lief and deere.
2278
Save o thyng, that she wolde nevere assente,
2279
By no wey, that he sholde by hire lye
2280
But ones, for it was hire pleyn entente
2281
To have a child, the world to multiplye;
2282
And also soone as that she myghte espye
2283
That she was nat with childe with that dede
2284
Thanne wolde she suffre hym doon his fantasye
2285
Eft-soone, and nat but oones, out of drede. Page 193
2286
And if she were with childe at thilke cast,
2287
Namoore sholde he pleyen thilke game
2288
Til fully fourty wikes weren past;
2289
Thanne wolde she ones suffre hym do the same.
2290
Al were this odenake wolde or tame,
2291
He gat namoore of hire, for thus she seyde,
2292
It was to wyves lecherie and shame,
2293
In oother caas, if that men with hem pleyde.
2294
Two sones by this odenake hadde she,
2295
The whiche she kepte in verty and lettrure;
2296
But now unto oure tale turne we.
2297
I seye, so worshipful a creature,
2298
And wys therwith, and large with mesure,
2299
So penyble in the werre, and curteis eke,
2300
Ne moore laboure myghte in werre endure,
2301
Was noon, though al this world men sholde seke.
2302
Hir riche array ne myghte nat be told,
2303
As wel in vessel as in hire clothyng.
2304
She was al clad in perree and in gold,
2305
And eek she lafte noght, for noon huntyng,
2306
To have of sondry tonges ful knowyng,
2307
Whan that she leyser hadde; and for to entende
2308
To lerne bookes was al hire likyng,
2309
How she in vertu myghte hir lyf dispende.
2310
And shortly of this storie for to trete,
2311
So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she,
2312
That they conquered manye regnes grete
2313
In the orient, with many a fair citee
2314
Apertanaunt unto the magestee
2315
Of rome, and with strong hond held hem ful faste,
2316
Ne nevere myghte hir foomen doon hem flee,
2317
Ay whil that odenakes dayes laste.
2318
Hir batailles, whoso list hem for to rede,
2319
Agayn spor the kyng and othere mo,
2320
And how that al this proces fil in dede,
2321
Why she conquered, and what title had therto,
2322
And after, of hir meschief and hire wo,
2323
How that she was biseged and ytake, --
2324
Lat hym unto my maister petrak go,
2325
That writ ynough of this, I undertake.
2326
Whan odenake was deed, she myghtily
2327
The regnes heeld, and with hire propre hond
2328
Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly
2329
That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond
2330
That he nas glad, if he that grace fond,
2331
That she ne wolde upon his lond werreye.
2332
With hire they maden alliance by bond
2333
To been in pees, and lete hire ride and pleye.
2334
The emperour of rome, claudius
2335
Ne hym bifore, the romayn galien,
2336
Ne dorste nevere been so corageus,
2337
Ne noon ermyn, ne noon egipcien,
2338
Ne surrien, ne noon arabyen,
2339
Withinne the feeld that dorste with hire fighte,
2340
Lest that she wolde hem with hir handes slen,
2341
Or with hir meignee putten hem to flighte.
2342
In kynges habit wente hir sones two,
2343
As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,
2344
And hermanno and thymalao
2345
Hir names were, as persiens hem calle.
2346
But ay fortune hath in hire hony galle;
2347
This myghty queene may no while endure.
2348
Fortune out of hir regne made hire falle
2349
To wrecchednesse and to mysaventure.
2350
Aurelian, whan that the governaunce
2351
Of rome cam into his handes tweye,
2352
He shoop upon this queene to doon vengeaunce.
2353
And with his legions he took his weye
2354
Toward cenobie, and shortly for to seye,
2355
He made hire flee, and atte laste hire hente,
2356
And fettred hire, and eek hire children tweye,
2357
And wan the land, and hoom to rome he wente.
2358
Amonges othere thynges that he wan,
2359
Hir chaar, that was with gold wroght and perree,
2360
This grete romayn, this aurelian,
2361
Hath with hym lad, for that men sholde it see.
2362
Biforen his triumphe walketh shee,
2363
With gilte cheynes on hire nekke hangynge.
2364
Coroned was she, as after hir degree,
2365
And ful of perree charged hire clothynge.
2366
Allas, fortune! she that whilom was
2367
Dredeful to kynges and to emperoures,
2368
Now gaureth al the peple on hire, allas!
2369
And she that helmed was in starke stoures,
2370
And wan by force townes stronge and toures,
2371
Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte;
2372
And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures
2373
Shal bere a distaf, hire cost for to quyte
2374
Pedro of Castille
O noble, o worthy petro, glorie of spayne,
2375
Whom fortune heeld so hye in magestee,
2376
Wel oghten men thy pitous deeth complayne!
2377
Out of thy land thy brother made thee flee,
2378
And after, at a seege, by subtiltee,
2379
Thou were bitraysed and lad unto his tente,
2380
Where as he with his owene hand slow thee,
2381
Succedynge in thy regne and in thy rente.
2382
The feeld of snow, with th' egle of blak therinne,
2383
Caught with the lymrod coloured as the gleede,
2384
He brew this cursednesse and al this synne.
2385
The wikked nest was werker of this nede.
2386
Noght charles olyver, that took ay heede
2387
Of trouthe and honoure, but of armorike
2388
Genylon-olyver, corrupt for meede,
2389
Broghte this worthy kyng in swich a brike.
2390
De Petro Rege de Cipro
O worthy petro, kyng of cipre, also,
2391
That alisandre wan by heigh maistrie,
2392
Ful many an hethen wroghtestow ful wo,
2393
Of which thyne owene liges hadde envie,
2394
And for no thyng but for thy chivalrie
2395
They in thy bed han slayn thee by the morwe.
2396
Thus kan fortune hir wheel governe and gye,
2397
And out of joye brynge men to sorwe.
2398
De Barnabo de Lumbardia
Off melan grete barnabo viscounte,
2399
God of delit, and scourge of lumbardye,
2400
Why sholde I nat thyn infortune acounte,
2401
Sith in estaat thow cloumbe were so hye?
2402
Thy brother sone, that was thy double allye,
2403
For he thy nevew was, and sone-in-lawe,
2404
Withinne his prisoun made thee to dye, --
2405
But why, ne how, noot I that thou were slawe.
2406
De Hugelino Comite de Pize
Off the erl hugelyn of pyze the langour
2407
Ther may no tonge telle for pitee.
2408
But litel out of pize stant a tour,
2409
In which tour in prisoun put was he,
2410
And with hym been his litel children thre;
2411
The eldest scarsly fyf yeer was of age.
2412
Allas, fortune! it was greet crueltee
2413
Swiche briddes for to putte in swich a cage!
2414
Dampned was he to dyen in that prisoun,
2415
For roger, which that bisshop was of pize,
2416
Hadde on hym maad a fals suggestioun,
2417
Thurgh which the peple gan upon hym rise,
2418
And putten hym to prisoun, in swich wise
2419
As ye han herd, and mete and drynke he hadde
2420
So smal, that wel unnethe it may suffise,
2421
And therwithal it was ful povre and badde.
2422
And on a day bifil that in that hour
2423
Whan that his mete wont was to be broght,
2424
The gayler shette the dores of the tour.
2425
He herde it wel, but he spak right noght,
2426
And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght
2427
That they for hunger wolde doon hym dyen.
2428
Allas! quod he, allas, that I was wroght!
2429
Therwith the teeris fillen from his yen.
2430
His yonge sone, that thre yeer was of age,
2431
Unto hym seyde, fader, why do ye wepe?
2432
Whanne wol the gayler bryngen oure potage?
2433
Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?
2434
I am so hungry that I may nat slepe.
2435
Now wolde God that I myghte slepen evere!
2436
Thanne sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe;
2437
Ther is no thyng, save breed, that me were levere.
2438
Thus day by day this child bigan to crye,
2439
Til in his fadres barm adoun it lay,
2440
And seyde, farewel, fader, I moot dye!
2441
And kiste his fader, and dyde the same day.
2442
And whan the woful fader deed it say,
2443
For wo his armes two he gan to byte,
2444
And seyde, allas, fortune, and weylaway!
2445
Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte.
2446
His children wende that it for hunger was
2447
That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo,
2448
And seyde, fader, do nat so, allas!
2449
But rather ete the flessh upon us two.
2450
Oure flessh thou yaf us, take oure flessh us fro,
2451
And ete ynogh, -- right thus they to hym seyde,
2452
And after that, withinne a day or two,
2453
They leyde hem in his lappe adoun and deyde.
2454
Hymself, despeired, eek for hunger starf;
2455
Thus ended is this myghty erl of pize.
2456
From heigh estaat fortune awey hym carf.
2457
Of this tragedie it oghte ynough suffise;
2458
Whoso wol here it in a lenger wise,
2459
Redeth the grete poete of ytaille
2460
That highte dant, for he kan al devyse
2461
Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille.
2462
Nero
Although that nero were as vicius
2463
As any feend that lith ful lowe adoun,
2464
Yet he, as telleth us swetonius,
2465
This wyde world hadde in subjeccioun,
2466
Bothe est and west, (south), and septemtrioun.
2467
Of rubies, saphires, and of peerles white
2468
Were alle his clothes brouded up and doun;
2469
For he in gemmes greetly gan delite.
2470
Moore delicaat, moore pompous of array,
2471
Moore proud was nevere emperour than he;
2472
That like clooth that he hadde wered o day,
2473
After that tyme he nolde it nevere see.
2474
Nettes of gold threed hadde he greet plentee
2475
To fisshe in tybre, whan hym liste pleye.
2476
His lustes were al lawe in his decree,
2477
For fortune as his freend hym wolde obeye.
2478
He rome brende for his delicasie;
2479
The senatours he slow upon a day
2480
To heere how that men wolde wepe and crie;
2481
And slow his brother, and by his suster lay.
2482
His mooder made he in pitous array,
2483
For he hire wombe slitte to biholde
2484
Where he conceyved was; so weilaway!
2485
That he so litel of his mooder tolde.
2486
No teere out of his eyen for that sighte
2487
Ne cam, but seyde, a fair womman was she!
2488
Greet wonder is how that he koude or myghte
2489
Be domesman of hire dede beautee.
2490
The wyn to bryngen hym comanded he,
2491
And drank anon, -- noon oother wo he made.
2492
Whan myght is joyned unto crueltee,
2493
Allas, to depe wol the venym wade!
2494
In yowthe a maister hadde this emperour
2495
To teche hym letterure and curteisye,
2496
For of moralitee he was the flour,
2497
As in his tyme, but if bookes lye;
2498
And whil this maister hadde of hym maistrye,
2499
He maked hym so konnyng and so sowple
2500
That longe tyme it was er tirannye
2501
Or any vice dorste on hym uncowple.
2502
This seneca, of which that I devyse,
2503
By cause nero hadde of hym swich drede,
2504
For he fro vices wolde hym ay chastise
2505
Discreetly, as by word and nat by dede, --
2506
Sire, wolde he seyn, an emperour moot nede
2507
Be vertuous and hate tirannye --
2508
For which he in a bath made hym to blede
2509
On bothe his armes, til he moste dye.
2510
This nero hadde eek of acustumaunce
2511
In youthe agayns his maister for to ryse,
2512
Which afterward hym thoughte a greet grevaunce;
2513
Therefore he made hym dyen in this wise.
2514
But natheless this seneca the wise
2515
Chees in a bath to dye in this manere
2516
Rather than han another tormentise;
2517
And thus hath nero slayn his maister deere.
2518
Now fil it so that fortune liste no lenger
2519
The ye pryde of nero to cherice,
2520
For though that he were strong, yet was she strenger.
2521
She thoughte thus, by god! I am to nyce
2522
To sette a man that is fulfild of vice
2523
In heigh degree, and emperour hym calle.
2524
By god! out of his sete I wol hym trice;
2525
Whan he leest weneth, sonnest shal he falle.
2526
The peple roos upon hym on a nyght
2527
For his defaute, and whan he it espied,
2528
Out of his dores anon he hath hym dight
2529
Allone, and ther he wende han been allied,
2530
He knokked faste, and ay the moore he cried,
2531
The fastere shette they the dores alle.
2532
Tho wiste he wel, he hadde himself mysgyed,
2533
And wente his wey; no lenger dorste he calle.
2534
The peple cried and rombled up and doun,
2535
That with his erys herde he how they seyde,
2536
Shere is this false tiraunt, this neroun?
2537
For fere almoost out of his wit he breyde,
2538
And to his goddes pitously he preyde
2539
For socour, but it myghte nat bityde.
2540
For drede of this, hym thoughte that he deyde,
2541
And ran into a gardyn hym to hyde.
2542
And in this gardyn foond he cherles tweye
2543
That seten by a fyr full greet and reed.
2544
And to thise cherles two he gan to preye
2545
To sleen hym, and to girden of his heed,
2546
That to his body, whan that he were deed,
2547
Were no despit ydoon for his defame.
2548
Hymself he slow, he koude no bettre reed,
2549
Of which fortune lough, and hadde a game.
2550
De Oloferno
Was nevere capitayn under a kyng
2551
That regnes mo putte in subjeccioun,
2552
Ne strenger was in feeld of alle thyng,
2553
As in his tyme, ne gretter of renoun,
2554
Ne moore pompous in heigh presumpcioun
2555
Than oloferne, which fortune ay kiste
2556
So likerously, and ladde hym up and doun,
2557
Til that his heed was of, er that he wiste.
2558
Nat oonly that this world hadde hym in awe
2559
For lesynge of richesse or libertee,
2560
But he made every man reneyen his lawe.
2561
Nabugodonosor was god, seyde hee;
2562
Noon oother God sholde adoured bee.
2563
Agayns his heeste no wight dar trespace,
2564
Save in bethulia, a strong citee,
2565
Where eliachim a preest was of that place.
2566
But taak kep of the deth of oloferne:
2567
Amydde his hoost he dronke lay a-nyght,
2568
Withinne his tente, large as is a berne,
2569
And yet, for al his pompe and al his myght,
2570
Judith, a womman, as he lay upright
2571
Slepynge, his heed of smoot, and from his tente
2572
Ful pryvely she stal from every wight,
2573
And with his heed unto hir toun she wente.
2574
De Rege Antiocho illustri
What nedeth it of kyng anthiochus
2575
To telle his hye roial magestee,
2576
His hye pride, his werkes venymus?
2577
For swich another was ther noon as he.
2578
Rede which that he was in machabee,
2579
And rede the proude wordes that he seyde,
2580
And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee,
2581
And in an hill how wrecchedly he deyde.
2582
Fortune hym hadde enhaunced so in pride
2583
That verraily he wende he myghte attayne
2584
Unto the sterres upon every syde,
2585
And in balance weyen ech montayne,
2586
And alle the floodes of the see restrayne.
2587
And goddes peple hadde he moost in hate;
2588
Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne,
2589
Wenynge that God ne myghte his pride abate.
2590
And for that nichanore and thymothee
2591
Of jewes weren venquysshed myghtily,
2592
Unto the jewes swich an hate hadde he
2593
That he bad greithen his chaar ful hastily,
2594
And swoor, and seyde ful despitously
2595
Unto jerusalem he wolde eftsoone,
2596
To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly;
2597
But of his purpos he was let ful soone.
2598
God for his manace hym so soore smoot
2599
With invisible wounde, ay incurable,
2600
That in his guttes carf it so and boot
2601
That his peynes weren importable.
2602
And certeinly the wreche was resonable,
2603
For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne.
2604
But from his purpos cursed and dampnable,
2605
For al his smert, he wolde hym nat restreyne,
2606
But bad anon apparaillen his hoost;
2607
And sodeynly, er he was of it war,
2608
God daunted al his pride and al his boost.
2609
For he so soore fil out of his char
2610
That it his limes and his skyn totar,
2611
So that he neyther myghte go ne ryde,
2612
But in a chayer men aboute hym bar,
2613
Al forbrused, bothe bak and syde.
2614
The wreche of God hym smoot so cruelly
2615
That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte,
2616
And therwithal he stank so horribly
2617
That noon of al his meynee that hym kepte,
2618
Theither so he wook, or ellis slepte,
2619
Ne myghte noght the stynk of hym endure.
2620
In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte,
2621
And knew God lord of every creature.
2622
To al his hoost and to hymself also
2623
Ful wlatsom was the stynk of his careyne;
2624
No man ne myghte hym bere to ne fro.
2625
And in this stynk and this horrible peyne,
2626
He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne.
2627
Thus hath this robbour and this homycide,
2628
That many a man made to wepe and pleyne,
2629
Swich gerdoun as bilongeth unto pryde.
2630
De Alexandro
The storie of alisaundre is so commune
2631
That every wight that hath discrecioun
2632
Hath herd somwhat or al of his fortune.
2633
This wyde world, as in conclusioun,
2634
He wan by strengthe, or for his hye renoun
2635
They weren glad for pees unto hym sende.
2636
The pride of man and beest he leyde adoun,
2637
Wherso he cam, unto the worldes ende. Page 197
2638
Comparisoun myghte nevere yet maked
2639
Bitwixe hym and another conquerour;
2640
For al this world for drede of hym hath quaked.
2641
He was of knyghthod and of fredom flour;
2642
Fortune hym made the heir of hire honour.
2643
Save wyn and wommen, no thing myghte aswage
2644
His hye entente in armes and labour,
2645
So was he ful of leonyn corage.
2646
What pris were it to hym, though I yow tolde
2647
Of darius, and an hundred thousand mo
2648
Of kynges, prices, dukes, erles bolde
2649
Whiche he conquered, and broghte hem into wo?
2650
I seye, as fer as man may ryde or go,
2651
The world was his, -- what sholde I moore devyse?
2652
For though I write or tolde yow everemo
2653
Of his knyghthod, it myghte nat suffise.
2654
Twelf yeer he regned, as seith machabee.
2655
Philippes sone of macidoyne he was,
2656
That first was kyng in grece the contree.
2657
O worthy, gentil alisandre, allas,
2658
That evere sholde fallen swich a cas!
2659
Empoysoned of thyn owene folk thou weere;
2660
Thy sys fortune hath turned into aas,
2661
And yet for thee ne weep she never a teere.
2662
Who shal me yeven teeris to compleyne
2663
The deeth of gentillesse and of franchise,
2664
That al the world weelded in his demeyne,
2665
And yet hym thoughte it myghte nat suffise?
2666
So ful was his corage of heigh emprise.
2667
Allas! who shal me helpe to endite
2668
False fortune, and poyson to despise,
2669
The whiche two of al this wo I wyte?
2670
De Julio Cesare
By wisedom, manhede, and by greet labour,
2671
From humble bed to roial magestee
2672
Up roos he julius, the conquerour,
2673
That wan al th' occident by land and see,
2674
By strengthe of hand, or elles by tretee,
2675
And unto rome made hem tributarie;
2676
And sitthe of rome the emperour was he,
2677
Til that fortune weex his adversarie.
2678
O myghty cesar, that in thessalie
2679
Agayn pompeus, fader thyn in lawe,
2680
That of the orient hadde al the chivalrie
2681
As fer as that the day bigynneth dawe,
2682
Thou thurgh thy knyghthod hast hem take and slawe,
2683
Save fewe folk that with pompeus fledde,
2684
Thurgh which thou puttest al th' orient in awe.
2685
Thanke fortune, that so wel thee spedde!
2686
But now a litel while I wol biwaille
2687
This pompeus, this noble governour
2688
Of rome, which that fleigh at this bataille.
2689
I seye, oon of his men, a fals traitour,
2690
His heed of smoot, to wynnen hym favour
2691
Of julius, and hym the heed he broghte.
2692
Allas, pompeye, of th' orient conquerour,
2693
That fortune unto swich a fyn thee broghte!
2694
To rome agayn repaireth julius
2695
With his triumphe, lauriat ful hey;
2696
But on a tyme brutus cassius,
2697
That evere hadde of his hye estaat envye,
2698
Ful prively hath maad conspiracye
2699
Agayns this julius in subtil wise,
2700
And caste the place in which he sholde dye
2701
With boydekyns, as I shal yow devyse.
2702
This julius to the capitolie wente
2703
Upon a day, as he was wont to goon,
2704
And in the capitolie anon hym hente
2705
This false brutus and his othere foon,
2706
And stiked hym with boydekyns anoon
2707
With many a wounde, and thus they lete hym lye;
2708
But nevere gronte he at no strook but oon,
2709
Or elles at two, but if his storie lye.
2710
So manly was this julius of herte,
2711
And so wel lovede estaatly honestee,
2712
That though his deedly woundes soore smerte,
2713
His mantel over his hypes caste he,
2714
For no man sholde seen his privetee;
2715
And he lay of diyng in a traunce,
2716
And wiste verraily that deed was hee,
2717
Of honestee yet hadde he remembraunce.
2718
Lucan, to thee this storie I recomende,
2719
And to swetoun, and to valerie also,
2720
That of this storie writen word and ende,
2721
How that to thise grete conqueroures two
2722
Fortune was first freend, and sitthe foo.
2723
No man ne truste upon hire favour longe,
2724
But have hire in awayt for everemoo;
2725
Witnesse on alle thise conqueroures stronge.
2726
Croesus
This riche cresus, whilom kyng of lyde,
2727
Of which cresus cirus soore hym dradde,
2728
Yet was he caught amyddes al his pryde,
2729
And to be brent men to the fyr hym ladde.
2730
But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde
2731
That slow the fyr, and made hym to escape;
2732
But to be war no grace yet he hadde,
2733
Til fortune on the galwes made hym gape.
2734
Whanne he escaped was, he kan nat stente
2735
For to bigynne a newe werre agayn.
2736
He wende wel, for that fortune hym sente
2737
Swich hap that he escaped thurgh the rayn,
2738
That of his foos he myghte nat be slayn;
2739
And eek a sweven upon a nyght he mette,
2740
Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn
2741
That in vengeance he al his herte sette.
2742
Upon a tree he was, as that hym thoughte,
2743
Ther juppiter hym wessh, bothe bak and syde,
2744
And phebus eek a fair towaille hym broughte
2745
To dryen hym with; and therfore was his pryde,
2746
And to his doghter, that stood hym bisyde,
2747
Which that he knew in heigh sentence habounde,
2748
He bad hire telle hym what it signyfyde,
2749
And she his dreem bigan right thus expounde:
2750
The tree, quod she, the galwes is to meene,
2751
And juppiter bitokneth snow and reyn,
2752
And phebus, with his towaille so clene,
2753
Tho been the sonne stremes for to seyn.
2754
Thou shalt anhanged be, fader, certeyn;
2755
Reyn shal thee wasshe, and sonne shal thee drye.
2756
Thus warned hym ful plat and eek ful pleyn
2757
His doghter, which that called was phanye.
2758
Anhanged was cresus, the proude kyng;
2759
His roial trone myghte hym nat availle.
2760
Tragedies noon oother maner thyng
2761
Ne kan in syngyng crie ne biwaille
2762
But that fortune alwey wole assaille
2763
With unwar strook the regnes that been proude;
2764
For whan men trusteth hire, thanne wol she faille,
2765
And covere hire brighte face with a clowde.
2766
The Knight's Interruption of the Monk's Tale
Hoo! quod the knyght, good sire, namoore of this!
2767
That ye han seyd is right ynough, ywis,
2768
And muchel moore; for litel hevynesse
2769
Is right ynough to muche folk, I gesse.
2770
I seye for me, it is a greet disese,
2771
Whereas men han been in greet welthe and ese,
2772
To heeren of hire sodeyn fal, allas!
2773
And the contrarie is joye and greet solas,
2774
As whan a man hath been in povre estaat,
2775
And clymbeth up and wexeth fortunat,
2776
And there abideth in prosperitee.
2777
Swich thyng is gladsom, as it thynketh me,
2778
And of swich thyng were goodly for to telle.
2779
Ye, quod oure hooste, by seint poules belle!
2780
Ye seye right sooth; this monk he clappeth lowde.
2781
He spak how fortune covered with a clowde
2782
I noot nevere what; and als of a tragedie
2783
Right now ye herde, and, pardee, no remedie
2784
It is for to biwaille ne compleyne
2785
That that is doon, and als it is a peyne,
2786
As ye han seyd, to heere of hevynesse.
2787
Sire monk, namoore of this, so God yow blesse! Page 199
2788
Youre tale anoyeth al this compaignye.
2789
Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterflye,
2790
For therinne is ther no desport ne game.
2791
Wherfore, sire monk, or daun piers by youre name,
2792
I pray yow hertely telle us somwhat elles;
2793
For sikerly, nere clunkyng of youre belles,
2794
That on youre bridel hange on every syde,
2795
By hevene kyng, that for us alle dyde,
2796
I sholde er this han fallen doun for sleep,
2797
Althogh the slough had never been so deep;
2798
Thanne hadde your tale al be toold in veyn.
2799
For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn,
2800
Whereas a man may have noon audience,
2801
Noght helpeth it to tellen his sentence.
2802
And wel I woot the substance is in me,
2803
If any thyng shal wel reported be.
2804
Sir, sey somwhat of huntyng, I yow preye.
2805
Nay, quod this monk, I have no lust to pleye.
2806
Now lat another telle, as I have toold.
2807
Thanne spak oure hoost with rude speche and boold,
2808
And seyde unto the nonnes preest anon,
2809
Com neer, thou preest, com hyder, thou sir john!
2810
Telle us swich thyng as may oure hertes glade.
2811
Be blithe, though thou ryde upon a jade.
2812
What thogh thyn hors be bothe foul and lene?
2813
If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene.
2814
Looke that thyn herte be murie everemo.
2815
Yis, sir, quod he, yis, hoost, so moot I go,
2816
But I be myrie, ywis I wol be blamed.
2817
And right anon his tale he hath attamed,
2818
And thus he seyde unto us everichon,
2819
This sweete preest, this goodly man sir john.
2820
The Nun's Priest's Tale
A povre wydwe, somdeel stape in age
2821
Was whilom dwellyng in a narwe cotage,
2822
Biside a grove, stondynge in a dale.
2823
This wydwe, of which I telle yow my tale,
2824
Syn thilke day that she was last a wyf,
2825
In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf,
2826
For litel was hir catel and hir rente.
2827
By housbondrie of swich as God hire sente
2828
She foond hirself and eek hir doghtren two.
2829
Thre large sowes hadde she, and namo,
2830
Three keen, and eek a sheep that highte malle.
2831
Ful sooty was hire bour and eek hir halle,
2832
In which she eet ful many a sklendre meel.
2833
Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel.
2834
No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte;
2835
Hir diete was accordant to hir cote.
2836
Repleccioun ne made hire nevere sik;
2837
Attempree diete was al hir phisik,
2838
And exercise, and hertes suffisaunce.
2839
The goute lette hire nothyng for to daunce,
2840
N' apoplexie shente nat hir heed.
2841
No wyn ne drank she, neither whit ne reed;
2842
Hir bord was served moost with whit and blak, --
2843
Milk and broun breed, in which she foond no lak,
2844
Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye;
2845
For she was, as it were, a maner deye.
2846
A yeerd she hadde, enclosed al aboute
2847
With stikkes, and a drye dych withoute,
2848
In which she hadde a cok, hight chauntecleer.
2849
In al the land, of crowyng nas his peer.
2850
His voys was murier than the murie orgon
2851
On messe-dayes that in the chirche gon.
2852
Wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge
2853
Than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge.
2854
By nature he knew ech ascencioun
2855
Of the equynoxial in thilke toun;
2856
For whan degrees fiftene weren ascended,
2857
Thanne crew he, that it myghte nat been amended.
2858
His coomb was redder than the fyn coral, Page 200
2859
And batailled as it were a castel wal;
2860
His byle was blak, and as the jeet it shoon;
2861
Lyk asure were his legges and his toon;
2862
His nayles whitter than the lylye flour,
2863
And lyk the burned gold was his colour.
2864
This gentil cok hadde in his governaunce
2865
Sevene hennes for to doon al his plesaunce,
2866
Whiche were his sustres and his paramours,
2867
And wonder lyk to hym, as of colours;
2868
Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte
2869
Was cleped faire damoysele pertelote.
2870
Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire,
2871
And compaignable, and bar hyrself so faire,
2872
Syn thilke day that she was seven nyght oold,
2873
That trewely she hath the herte in hoold
2874
Of chauntecleer, loken in every lith;
2875
He loved hire so that wel was hym therwith.
2876
But swich a joye was it to here hem synge,
2877
Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge,
2878
In sweete accord, my lief is faren in londe!
2879
For thilke tyme, as I have understonde,
2880
Beestes and briddes koude speke and synge.
2881
And so bifel that in a dawenynge,
2882
As chauntecleer among his wyves alle
2883
Sat on his perche, that was in the halle,
2884
And next hym sat this faire pertelote,
2885
This chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte,
2886
As man that in his dreem is drecched soore.
2887
And whan that pertelote thus herde hym roore,
2888
She was agast, and seyde, herte deere,
2889
What eyleth yow, to grone in this manere?
2890
Ye been a verray sleper; fy, for shame!
2891
And he answerde, and seyde thus: madame,
2892
I pray yow that ye take it nat agrief.
2893
By god, me mette I was in swich meschief
2894
Right now, that yet myn herte is soore afright.
2895
Now god, quod he, my swevene recche aright,
2896
And kepe my body out of foul prisoun!
2897
Me mette how that I romed up and doun
2898
Withinne our yeerd, wheer as I saugh a beest
2899
Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areest
2900
Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed.
2901
His colour was bitwixe yelow and reed,
2902
And tipped was his tayl and bothe his eeris
2903
With blak, unlyk the remenant of his heeris;
2904
His snowte smal, with glowynge eyen tweye.
2905
Yet of his look for feere almoost I deye;
2906
This caused me my gronyng, doutelees.
2907
Avoy! quod she, fy on yow, hertelees!
2908
Allas! quod she, for, by that God above,
2909
Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love.
2910
I kan nat love a coward, by my feith!
2911
For certes, what so any womman seith,
2912
We alle desiren, if it myghte bee,
2913
To han housbondes hardy, wise, and free,
2914
And secree, and no nygard, ne no fool,
2915
Ne hym that is agast of every tool,
2916
Ne noon avauntour, by that God above!
2917
How dorste ye seyn, for shame, unto youre love
2918
That any thyng myghte make yow aferd?
2919
Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd?
2920
Allas! and konne ye been agast of swevenys?
2921
Nothyng, God woot, but vanitee in sweven is.
2922
Swevenes engendren of replecciouns,
2923
And ofte of fume and of complecciouns,
2924
Whan humours been to habundant in a wight.
2925
Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-nyght,
2926
Cometh of the greete superfluytee
2927
Of youre rede colera, pardee,
2928
Which causeth folk to dreden in hir dremes
2929
Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes,
2930
Of rede beestes, that they wol hem byte,
2931
Of contek, and of whelpes, grete and lyte;
2932
Right as the humour of malencolie
2933
Causeth ful many a man in sleep to crie
2934
For feere of blake beres, or boles blake,
2935
Or elles blake develes wole hem take.
2936
Of othere humours koude I telle also
2937
That werken many a man sleep ful wo;
2938
But I wol passe as lightly as I kan.
2939
Lo catoun, which that was so wys a man,
2940
Seyde he nat thus, -- ne do no fors of dremes? --
2941
Now sire, quod she, whan we flee for the bemes,
2942
For goddes love, as taak som laxatyf.
2943
Up peril of my soule and of my lyf,
2944
I conseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye,
2945
That bothe of colere and of malencolye
2946
Ye purge yow; and for ye shal nat tarie,
2947
Though in this toun is noon apothecarie,
2948
I shal myself to gerbes techen yow
2949
That shul been for youre hele and for youre prow;
2950
And in oure yeerd tho herbes shal I fynde
2951
The whiche han of hire propretee by kynde
2952
To purge yow bynethe and eek above.
2953
Foryet nat this, for goddes owene love!
2954
Ye been ful coleryk of compleccioun;
2955
Ware the sonne in his ascencioun
2956
Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hoote.
2957
And if it do, I dar wel leye a grote, Page 201
2958
That ye shul have a fevere tercaine,
2959
Of an agu, that may be youre bane.
2960
A day or two ye shul have digestyves
2961
Of wormes, er ye take youre laxatyves
2962
Of lawriol, centaure, and fumetere,
2963
Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there,
2964
Of katapuce, or of gaitrys beryis,
2965
Of herbe yve, growyng in oure yeerd, ther mery is;
2966
Pekke hem up right as they growe and ete hem yn.
2967
By myrie, housbonde, for youre fader kyn~
2968
Dredeth no dreem, I kan sey yow namoore.
2969
Madame, quod he, graunt mercy of youre loore.
2970
But nathelees, as touchyng daun catoun,
2971
That hath of wysdom swich a greet renoun,
2972
Though that he bad no dremes for to drede,
2973
By god, men may in olde bookes rede
2974
Of many a man moore of auctorite
2975
Than evere caton was, so moot I thee,
2976
That al the revers seyn of this sentence,
2977
And han wel founden by experience
2978
That dremes been significaciouns
2979
As wel of joye as of tribulaciouns
2980
That folk enduren in this lif present.
2981
Ther nedeth make of this noon argument;
2982
The verray preeve sheweth it in dede.
2983
Oon of the gretteste auctour that men rede
2984
Seith thus: that whilom two felawes wente
2985
On pilgrimage, in a ful good entente;
2986
And happed so, yhey coomen in a toun
2987
Wher as ther was swich congregacioun
2988
Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage,
2989
That they ne founde as muche as cotage
2990
In which they bothe myghte ylogged bee.
2991
Wherfore they mosten of necessitee,
2992
As for that nyght,departen compaignye;
2993
And ech of hem gooth to his hostelrye,
2994
And took his loggyng as it wolde falle.
2995
That oon of hem was logged in a stalle,
2996
Fer in a yeerd, with oxen of the plough;
2997
That oother man was logged wel ynough,
2998
As was his aventure or his fortune,
2999
That us governeth alle as in commune.
3000
And so bifel that, longe er it were day,
3001
This man mette in his bed, ther as he lay
3002
How that his felawe gan upon hym calle,
3003
And seyde,, -- allas! for in an oxes stalle
3004
This nyght I shal be mordred ther I lye.
3005
Now help me,deere brother, or I dye.
3006
In alle haste com to me! -- he sayde.
3007
This man out of his sleep for feere abrayde;
3008
But whan that he was wakened of this sleep,
3009
He turned hym, and took of this no keep.
3010
Hym thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitte.
3011
Thus twies in his slepyng dremed hee;
3012
And atte thridde tyme yet his felawe
3013
Cam, as hym thoughte, and seide, -- I am now slawe.
3014
Bihood my bloody woundes depe and wyde!
3015
Arys up erly in the morwe tyde,
3016
And at the west gate of the toun, -- quod he,
3017
-- A carte ful of dong ther shaltow se,
3018
In which my body is hid ful prively;
3019
Do thilke carte arresten boldely.
3020
My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn.,
3021
And tolde hym every point how he was slayn,
3022
With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe.
3023
And truste wel, his dreem he foond ful trewe,
3024
For on the morwe, as soone as it was day,
3025
To his felawes in he took the way;
3026
And whan that he cam to his oxes stalle,
3027
After his felawe he bigan to calle.
3028
The hostiler answerede hym anon,
3029
And seyde,,sire, your felawe is agon.
3030
As soone as day he wente out of the toun.,
3031
This man gan fallen suspecioun,
3032
Remembrynge on his dremes that he mette,
3033
And forth he gooth no lenger wolde he lette
3034
Unto the west gate of the toun, and fond
3035
A dong carte, wente as it were to donge lond,
3036
That was arrayed in that same wise
3037
As ye han herd the dede man devyse.
3038
And with an hardy herte he gan to crye
3039
Vengeance and justice of this felonye.
3040
My felawe mordred is this same nyght,
3041
And in this carte he lith gapyng upright.
3042
I crye out on the ministres, -- quod he,
3043
-- That sholden kepe and reulen this citee.
3044
Harrow! allas! heere lith my felawe slayn! --
3045
What sholde I moore unto this tale sayn?
3046
The peple out sterte and caste the cart to grounde,
3047
And in the myddel of the dong they founde
3048
The dede man, that mordred was al newe.
3049
O blisful god, that art so just and trewe,
3050
Lo, how that thou biwryest mordre alway!
3051
Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.
3052
Mordre is so wlatsom and abhomynable
3053
To god, that is so just and resonable,
3054
That he ne wol nat suffre it heled be,
3055
Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or thre.
3056
Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun. Page 202
3057
And right anon, ministres of that toun
3058
Han hent the carter and so soore hym pyned,
3059
And eek the hostiler so soore engyned,
3060
That they biknewe hire wikkednesse anon,
3061
And were anhanged by the nekke bon.
3062
Heere may men seen that dremes been to drede.
3063
And certes in the same book I rede,
3064
Right in the nexte chapitre after this
3065
I gabbe nat, so have I joye or blis
3066
Two men that wolde han passed over see,
3067
For certeyn cause, into a fer contree,
3068
If that the wynd ne hadde been contrarie,
3069
That made hem in a citee for to tarie
3070
That stood ful myrie upon an haven-syde;
3071
But on a day, agayn the even-tyde,
3072
The wynd gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste.
3073
Jolif and glad they wente unto hir reste,
3074
And casten hem ful erly for to saille.
3075
But to that o man fil a greet mervaille:
3076
That oon of hem,in slepyng as he lay,
3077
Hym mette a wonder dreem agayn the day.
3078
Hym thoughte a man stood by his beddes syde,
3079
And hym comanded that he sholde abyde,
3080
And seyde hym thus: -- if thou tomorwe wende,
3081
Thow shalt be dreynt; my tale is at an ende.
3082
He wook, and tolde his felawe what he mette,
3083
And preyde hym his viage for to lette;
3084
As for that day, he preyde hym to byde.
3085
His felawe, that lay by his beddes syde,
3086
Gan for to laughe, and scorned him ful faste.
3087
-- no dreem, -- quod he, -- may so myn herte agaste
3088
That I wol lette for to do my thynges.
3089
I sette nat a straw by thy dremynges,
3090
For swevenes been but vantees and japes.
3091
Men dreme alday of owles and of apes,
3092
And eek of many a maze therwithal;
3093
Men dreme of thyng that nevere was ne shal.
3094
But sith I see that thou wolt heere abyde,
3095
And thus forslewthen wilfully thy tyde,
3096
God woot, it reweth me; and have good day! --
3097
And thus he took his leve, and wente his way.
3098
But er that he hadde half his cours yseyled,
3099
Noot I nat why, ne what myschaunce it eyled,
3100
But casuelly the shippes botme rente,
3101
And ship and man under the water wente
3102
In sighte of othere shippes it bisyde,
3103
That with hem seyled at the same tyde.
3104
And therfore, faire pertelote so deere,
3105
By swiche ensamples olde maistow leere
3106
That no man sholde been to recchelees
3107
Of dremes; for I seye thee, doutelees,
3108
That many a dreem ful soore is for to drede.
3109
Lo, in the lyf of seint kenelm I rede,
3110
That was kenulphus sone, the noble kyng
3111
Of mercenrike, how kenelm mette a thyng.
3112
A lite er he was mordred, on a day,
3113
His mordre in his avysioun he say.
3114
His norice hym expowned every deel
3115
His sweven, and bad hym for to kepe hym weel
3116
For traisoun; but he nas but seven yeer oold,
3117
And therfore lite tale hath he toold
3118
Of any dreem, so hooly was his herte.
3119
By god! I hadde levere than my sherte
3120
That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I.
3121
Dame pertelote, I sey yow trewely,
3122
Macrobeus, that writ the avisioun
3123
In affrike of the worthy cipioun,
3124
Affermeth dremes, and seith that they been
3125
Warnynge of thynges that men after seen.
3126
And forthermoore, I pray yow, looketh wel
3127
In the olde testament, of daniel,
3128
If he heeld dremes any vanitee.
3129
Reed eek of joseph, and ther shul ye see
3130
Wher dremes be somtyme -- I sey nat alle --
3131
Warnynge of thynges that shul after falle.
3132
Looke of egipte the kyng, daun pharao,
3133
His bakere and his butiller also,
3134
Wher they ne felte noon effect in dremes.
3135
Whoso wol seken actes of sondry remes
3136
May rede of dremes many a wonder thyng.
3137
Lo cresus, which that was of lyde kyng,
3138
Mette he nat that he sat upon a tree,
3139
Which signified he sholde anhanged bee?
3140
Lo heere andromacha, ectores wyf,
3141
That day that ector sholde lese his lyf,
3142
She dremed on the same nyght biforn
3143
How that the lyf of ector sholde be lorn,
3144
If thilke day he wente into bataille.
3145
She warned hym, but it myghte nat availle;
3146
He wente for to fighte natheles,
3147
But he was slayn anon of achilles.
3148
But thilke tale is al to longe to telle,
3149
And eek it is ny day, I may nat dwelle.
3150
Shortly I seye, as for conclusioun,
3151
That I shal han of this avisioun
3152
Adversitee; and I seye forthermoor,
3153
That I ne telle of laxatyves no stoor,
3154
For they been venymous, I woot it weel;
3155
I hem diffye, I love hem never a deel!
3156
Now let us speke of myrthe, and stynte al this.
3157
Madame pertelote, so have I blis,
3158
Of o thyng God hath sent me large grace; Page 203
3159
For whan I se the beautee of youre face,
3160
Ye been so scarlet reed aboute youre yen,
3161
It maketh al my drede for to dyen;
3162
For al so siker as in principio,
3163
Mulier est hominis confusio, --
3164
Madame, the sentence of this latyn is,
3165
-- womman is mannes joye and al his blis. --
3166
For whan I feele a-nyght your softe syde,
3167
Al be it that I may nat on yow ryde,
3168
For that oure perche is maad so narwe, allas!
3169
I am so ful of joye and of solas,
3170
That I diffye bothe sweven and dreem.
3171
And with that word he fley doun fro the beem,
3172
For it was day, and eke his hennes alle,
3173
And with a chuk he gan hem for to calle,
3174
For he hadde founde a corn, lay in the yerd.
3175
Real he was, he was namoore aferd.
3176
He fethered pertelote twenty tyme,
3177
And trad hire eke as ofte, er it was pryme.
3178
He looketh as it were a grym leoun,
3179
And on his toos he rometh up and doun;
3180
Hym deigned nat to sette his foot to grounde.
3181
He chukketh whan he hath a corn yfounde,
3182
And to hym rennen thanne his wyves alle.
3183
Thus roial, as a prince is in his halle,
3184
Leve I this chauntecleer in his pasture,
3185
And after wol I telle his aventure.
3186
Whan that the month in which the world bigan,
3187
That highte march, whan God first maked man,
3188
Was compleet, and passed were also,
3189
Syn march bigan, thritty dayes and two,
3190
Bifel that chauntecleer in al his pryde,
3191
His sevene wyves walkynge by his syde,
3192
Caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne,
3193
That in the signe of taurus hadde yronne
3194
Twenty degrees and oon, and somwhat moore,
3195
And knew by kynde, and by noon oother loore,
3196
That it was pryme, and crew with blisful stevene.
3197
The sonne, he seyde, is clomben up on-evene
3198
Fourty degrees and oon, and moore ywis.
3199
Madame pertelote, my worldes blis,
3200
Herkneth thise blisful briddes how they synge,
3201
And se the fresshe floures how they sprynge;
3202
Ful is myn herte of revel and solas!
3203
But sodeynly hym fil a sorweful cas,
3204
For evere the latter ende of joye is wo.
3205
God woot that worldly joye is soone ago;
3206
And if a rethor koude faire endite,
3207
He in a cronycle saufly myghte it write
3208
As for a sovereyn notabilitee.
3209
Now every wys man, lat him herkne me;
3210
This storie is also trewe, I undertake,
3211
As is the book of launcelot de lake,
3212
That wommen holde in ful greet reverence.
3213
Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence.
3214
A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee,
3215
That in th grove hadde woned yeres three,
3216
By heigh ymaginacioun forncast,
3217
The same nyght thurghout the hegges brast
3218
Into the yerd ther chauntecleer the faire
3219
Was wont, and eek his wyves, to repaire;
3220
And in a bed of wortes stille he lay,
3221
Til it was passed undren of the day,
3222
Waitynge his tyme on chauntecleer to falle,
3223
As gladly doon thise homycides alle
3224
That in await liggen to mordre men.
3225
O false mordrour, lurkynge in thy den!
3226
O newe scariot, newe genylon,
3227
False dissymulour, o greek synon,
3228
That broghtest troye al outrely to sorwe!
3229
O chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe
3230
That thou into that yerd flaugh fro the bemes!
3231
Thou were ful wel ywarned by thy dremes
3232
That thilke day was perilous to thee;
3233
But what that God forwoot moot nedes bee,
3234
After the opinioun of certein clerkis.
3235
Witnesse on hym that any parfit clerk is,
3236
That in scole is greet altercacioun
3237
In this mateere, and greet disputisoun,
3238
And hath been of an hundred thousand men.
3239
But I ne kan nat bulte it to the bren
3240
As kan the hooly doctour augustyn,
3241
Or boece, or the bisshop bradwardyn,
3242
Wheither that goddes worthy forwityng
3243
Streyneth me nedely for to doon a thyng, --
3244
Nedely clepe I symple necessitee;
3245
Or elles, if free choys be graunted me
3246
To do that same thyng, or do it noght,
3247
Though God forwoot it er that was wroght;
3248
Or if his wityng streyneth never a deel
3249
But by necessitee condicioneel.
3250
I wol nat han to do of swich mateere;
3251
My tale is of a cok, as ye may heere,
3252
That tok his conseil of his wyf, with sorwe,
3253
To walken in the yerd upon that morwe
3254
That he hadde met that dreem that I yow tolde.
3255
Wommennes conseils been ful ofte colde;
3256
Wommannes conseil broghte us first to wo,
3257
And made adam fro paradys to go,
3258
Ther as he was ful myrie and wel at ese.
3259
But for I noot to whom it myght displese, Page 204
3260
If I conseil of wommen wolde blame,
3261
Passe over, for I seyde it in my game.
3262
Rede auctours, where they trete of swich mateere,
3263
And what they seyn of wommen ye may heere.
3264
Thise been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne;
3265
I kan noon harm of no womman divyne.
3266
Faire in the soond, to bathe hire myrily,
3267
Lith pertelote, and alle hire sustres by,
3268
Agayn the sonne, and chauntecleer so free
3269
Soong murier than the mermayde in the see;
3270
For phisiologus seith sikerly
3271
How that they syngen wel and myrily.
3272
And so bifel that, as he caste his ye
3273
Among the wortes on a boterflye,
3274
He was war of this fox, that lay ful lowe.
3275
Nothyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe,
3276
But cride anon, cok! cok! and up he sterte
3277
As man that was affrayed in his herte.
3278
For natureelly a beest desireth flee
3279
Fro his contrarie, if he may it see,
3280
Though he never erst hadde seyn it with his ye.
3281
This chauntecleer, whan he gan hym espye,
3282
He wolde han fled, but that the fox anon
3283
Seyde, gentil sire, allas! wher wol ye gon?
3284
Be ye affrayed of me that am youre freend?
3285
Now, certes, I were worse than a feend,
3286
If I to yow wolde harm or vileynye!
3287
I am nat come youre conseil for t' espye,
3288
But trewely, the cause of my comynge
3289
Was oonly for to herkne how that ye synge.
3290
For trewely, ye have as myrie a stevene
3291
As any aungel hath that is in hevene.
3292
Therwith ye han in musyk moore feelynge
3293
Than hadde boece, or any that kan synge.
3294
My lord youre fader -- God his soule blesse! --
3295
And eek youre mooder, of hire gentillesse,
3296
Han in myn hous ybeen to my greet ese;
3297
And certes, sire, ful fayn wolde I yow plese.
3298
But, for men speke of syngyng, I wol seye, --
3299
So moote I brouke wel myne eyen tweye, --
3300
Save yow, I herde nevere man so synge
3301
As dide youre fader in the morwenynge.
3302
Certes, it was of herte, al that he song.
3303
And for to make his voys the moore strong,
3304
He wolde so peyne hym that with bothe his yen
3305
He moste wynke, so loude he wolde cryen,
3306
And stonden on his tiptoon therwithal,
3307
And strecche forth his nekke long and smal.
3308
And eek he was of swich descrecioun
3309
That ther nas no man in no regioun
3310
That hym in song or wisedom myghte passe.
3311
I have wel rad in -- daun burnel the asse --,
3312
Among his vers, how that ther was a cok,
3313
For that a preestes sone yaf hym a knok
3314
Upon his leg whil he was yong and nyce,
3315
He made hym for to lese his benefice.
3316
But certeyn, ther nys no comparisoun
3317
Bitwixe the wisedom and discrecioun
3318
Of youre fader and of his subtiltee.
3319
Now syngeth, sire, for seinte charitee;
3320
Lat se, konne ye youre fader countrefete?
3321
This chauntecleer his wynges gan to bete,
3322
As man that koude his traysoun nat espie,
3323
So was he ravysshed with his flaterie.
3324
Allas! ye lordes, many a fals flatour
3325
Is in youre courtes, and many a losengeour,
3326
That plesen yow wel moore, by my feith,
3327
Than he that soothfastnesse unto yow seith.
3328
Redeth ecclesiaste of flaterye;
3329
Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye.
3330
This chauntecleer stoond hye upon his toos,
3331
Strecchynge his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos,
3332
And gan to crowe loude for the nones.
3333
And daun russell the fox stirte up atones,
3334
And by the gargat hente chauntecleer,
3335
And on his bak toward the wode hym beer,
3336
For yet ne was ther no man that hym sewed.
3337
O destinee, that mayst nat been eschewed!
3338
Allas, that chauntecleer fleigh fro the bemes!
3339
Allas, his wyf ne roghte nat of dremes!
3340
And on a friday fil al this meschaunce.
3341
o venus, that art goddesse of plesaumce,
3342
Syn that thy servant was this chauntecleer,
3343
And in thy servyce dide al his poweer,
3344
Moore for delit than world to multiplye,
3345
Why woldestow suffre hym on thy day to dye?
3346
O gaufred, deere maister soverayn,
3347
That whan thy worthy kyng richard was slayn
3348
With shot, compleynedest his deeth so soore,
3349
Why ne hadde I now thy sentence and thy loore,
3350
The friday for to chide, as diden ye?
3351
For on a friday, soothly, slayn was he.
3352
Thanne wolde I shewe yow how that I koude pleyne
3353
For chauntecleres drede and for his peyne.
3354
Certes, swich cry ne lamentacion,
3355
Was nevere of ladyes maad whan ylion
3356
Was wonne, and pirrus with his streite swerd,
3357
Whan he hadde hent kyng priam by the berd,
3358
And slayn hym, as seith us eneydos,
3359
As maden alle the hennes in the clos,
3360
Whan they had seyn of chauntecleer the sighte. Page 205
3361
But sovereynly dame pertelote shrighte
3362
Ful louder than dide hasdrubales wyf,
3363
Whan that hir housbonde hadde lost his lyf,
3364
And that the romayns hadde brend cartage.
3365
She was so ful of torment and of rage
3366
That wilfully into the fyr she sterte,
3367
And brende hirselven with a stedefast herte.
3368
O woful hennes, right so criden ye,
3369
As, whan that nero brende the citee
3370
Of rome, cryden senatoures wyves
3371
For that hir husbondes losten alle hir lyves, --
3372
Withouten gilt this nero hath hem slayn.
3373
Now wole I turne to my tale agayn.
3374
This sely wydwe and eek hir doghtres two
3375
Herden thise hennes crie and maken wo,
3376
And out at dores stirten they anon,
3377
And syen the fox toward the grove gon,
3378
And bar upon his bak the cok away,
3379
And cryden, out! harrow! and weylaway!
3380
Ha! ha! the fox! and after hym they ran,
3381
And eek with staves many another man,
3382
Ran colle oure dogge, and talbot and gerland,
3383
And malkyn, with a dystaf in hir hand;
3384
Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges,
3385
So fered for the berkyng of the dogges
3386
And shoutyng of the men and wommen eeke,
3387
They ronne so hem thoughte hir herte breeke.
3388
They yolleden as feendes doon in helle;
3389
The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle;
3390
The gees for feere flowen over the trees;
3391
Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees.
3392
So hydous was the noyse, a, benedicitee!
3393
Certes, he jakke straw and his meynee
3394
Ne made nevere shoutes half so shrille
3395
Whan that they wolden any flemyng kille,
3396
As thilke day was maad upon the fox.
3397
Of bras they broghten bemes, and of box,
3398
Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and powped,
3399
And therwithal they skriked and they howped.
3400
It semed as that hevene sholde falle.
3401
Now, goode man, I prey yow herkenth alle:
3402
Lo, how fortune turneth sodeynly
3403
The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy!
3404
This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak,
3405
In al his drede unto the fox he spak,
3406
And seyde, sire, if that I were as ye,
3407
Yet sholde I seyn, as wys God helpe me,
3408
Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle!
3409
A verray pestilence upon yow falle!
3410
Now am I come unto the wodes syde;
3411
Maugree youre heed, the cok shal heere abyde.
3412
I wol hym ete, in feith, and that anon!
3413
The fox answerde, in feith, it shal be don.
3414
And as he spak that word, al sodeynly
3415
This cok brak from his mouth delyverly,
3416
And heighe upon a tree he fleigh anon.
3417
And whan the fox saugh that the cok was gon,
3418
Allas! quod he, o chauntecleer, allas!
3419
I have to yow, quod he, ydoon trespas,
3420
In as muche as I maked yow aferd
3421
Whan I yow hente and broghte out of the yerd.
3422
But, sire, I dide it in no wikke entente.
3423
Com doun, and I shal telle yow what I mente;
3424
I shal seye sooth to yow, God help me so!
3425
Nay thanne, quod he, I shrewe us bothe two.
3426
And first I shrewe myself, bothe blood and bones,
3427
If thou bigyle me ofter than ones.
3428
Thou shalt namoore, thurgh thy flaterye,
3429
Do me to synge and wynke with myn ye;
3430
For he that wynketh, whan he sholde see,
3431
Al wilfully, God lat him nevere thee!
3432
Nay, quod the fox, but God yeve hym meschaunce,
3433
That is so undiscreet of governaunce
3434
That jangleth whan he sholde holde his pees.
3435
Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees
3436
And necligent, and truste on flaterye.
3437
But ye that holden this tale a folye,
3438
As of a fox, or of a cok and hen,
3439
Taketh the moralite, goode men.
3440
For seint paul seith that al that writen is,
3441
To oure doctrine it is ywrite, ywis;
3442
Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille.
3443
Now, goode god, if that it be thy wille,
3444
As seith my lord, so make us alle goode men,
3445
And brynge us to his heighe blisse! amen.
3446
The Epilogue of the Nun's Priest's Tale
Sire Nonnes Preest," oure Hooste seide anoon,
3447
I-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!
3448
This was a murie tale of Chauntecleer.
3449
But by my trouthe, if thou were seculer,
3450
Thou woldest ben a trede-foul aright.
3451
For if thou have corage as thou hast myght,
3452
Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene,
3453
Ya, moo than seven tymes seventene.
3454
See, whiche braunes hath this gentil preest
3455
So gret a nekke, and swich a large breest!
3456
He loketh as a sperhauk with his yen;
3457
Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen
3458
With brasile, ne with greyn of Portyngale.
3459
Now, sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!
3460
And after that he, with ful merie chere,
3461
Seide unto another, as ye shuln heere.
3462
