The Canterbury tales

The Manciple's Tale

Whan phebus dwelled heere in this erthe adoun, Line 105 As olde bookes maken mencioun, Line 106 He was the mooste lusty bachlier Line 107 In al this world, and eek the beste archer. Line 108 He slow phitoun, the serpent, as he lay Line 109 Slepynge agayn the soone upon a day; Line 110 And many another noble worthy dede Line 111 He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede. Line 112 Pleyen he koude on every mynstralcie, Line 113 And syngen, that it was a melodie Line 114 To heeren of his cleere voys the soun. Line 115 Certes the kyng of thebes, amphioun, Line 116 That with his syngyng walled that citee, Line 117 Koude nevere syngen half so wel as hee. Line 118 Therto he was the semelieste man Line 119 That is or was, sith that the world bigan. Line 120 What nedeth is his fetures to discryve? Line 121 For in this world was noon so faire on-lyve. Line 122 He was therwith fulfild of gentillesse, Line 123 Of honour, and of parfit worthynesse. Line 124 This phebus, that was flour of bachilrie, Line 125 As wel in fredom as in chivalrie, Line 126 For his desport, in signe eek of victorie Line 127 Of phitoun, so as telleth us the storie, Line 128 Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe. Line 129 Now hadde this phebus in his hous a crowe Line 130 Which in a cage he fostred many a day, Line 131 And taughte it speken, as men teche a jay. Line 132 Whit was this crowe as in a snow-whit swan, Line 133 And countrefete the speche of every man Line 134 He koude, whan he sholde telle a tale. Line 135 Therwith in al this world no nyghtygale Line 136 Ne koude, by an hondred thousand deel, Line 137 Syngen so wonder myrily and weel. Line 138 Now hadde this phebus in his hous a wyf Line 139 Which that he lovede moore than his lyf, Line 140 And nyght and day dide evere his diligence Line 141 Hir for to plese, and doon hire reverence, Line 142 Save oonly, if the sothe that I shal sayn. Line 143 Jalous he was, and wolde have kept hire fayn. Line 144 For hym were looth byjaped for to be, Line 145 And so is every wight in swich degree; Line 146 But al in ydel, for it availleth noght. Line 147 A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thought, Line 148 Sholde nat been kept in noon awayt, certayn; Line 149 And trewely, the labour is in vayn Line 150 To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat bee. Line 151 This holde I for a verray nycetee, Line 152 To spille labour for to kepe wyves: Line 153 Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves. Line 154 But now to purpos, as I first bigan: Line 155 This worthy phebus dooth al that he kan Line 156 To plesen hire, wenynge for swich plesaunce, Line 157 And for his manhede and his governaunce, Line 158 That no man sholde han put hym from hir grace. Line 159 But God it woot, ther may no man embrace Line 160 As to destreyne a thyng which that nature Line 161 Hath natureelly set in a creature. Line 162 Taak any bryd, and put it in a cage, Line 163 And do al thyn entente and thy corage Line 164 To fostre it tendrely with mete and drynke Line 165 Of alle deyntees that thou kanst bithynke, Line 166 And keep it al so clenly as thou may, Line 167 Although his cage of gold be never so gay, Line 168

Line 168 Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand foold, Line 169 Levere in a forest, that is rude and coold, Line 170 Goon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse. Line 171 For evere this brid wol doon his bisynesse Line 172 To escape out of his cage, yif he may. Line 173 His libertee this brid desireth ay. Line 174 Lat take a cat and fostre hym wel with milk Line 175 And tendre flessh, and make his couche of silk, Line 176 And lat hym seen a mous go by the wal, Line 177 Anon he weyveth milk and flessh and al, Line 178 And every deyntee that is in that hous, Line 179 Swich appetit hath he to ete a mous. Line 180 Lo heere hath lust his dominacioun, Line 181 And appetit fleemeth discrecioun, Line 182 A she-wolf hath also a vileyns knyde. Line 183 The lewedeste wolf that she may fynde, Line 184 Or leest of reputacoun, wol she take, Line 185 In tyme whan hir lust to han a make. Line 186 Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men Line 187 That been untrewe, and nothyng by wommen. Line 188 For men han evere a likerous appetit Line 189 On lower thyng to parfourne hire delit Line 190 Than on hire wyves, be they never so faire, Line 191 Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire. Line 192 Flessh is so newefangel, with meschaunce, Line 193 That we ne konne in nothyng han plesaunce Line 194 That sowneth into vertu any while. Line 195 This phebus, which that thoghte upon no gile, Line 196 Deceyved was, for al his jolitee. Line 197 For under hym another hadde shee, Line 198 A man of litel reputacioun, Line 199 Nat worth to phebus in comparisoun. Line 200 The moore harm is, it happeth ofte so, Line 201 Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo. Line 202 And so bifel, whan phebus was absent, Line 203 His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent. Line 204 Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavyssh speche! Line 205 Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche. Line 206 The wise plato seith, as ye may rede, Line 207 The word moot nede accorde with the dede. Line 208 If men shal telle proprely a thyng. Line 209 The word moot cosyn be to the werkyng. Line 210 I am a boystous man, right thus seye I, Line 211 Ther nys no difference, trewely, Line 212 Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree, Line 213 If of hir body dishonest she bee, Line 214 And a povre wenche, oother than this -- Line 215 If it so be they werke bothe amys -- Line 216 But that the gentile, in estaat above, Line 217 She shal be cleped his lady, as in love; Line 218 And for that oother is a povre womman, Line 219 She shal be cleped his wenche or his lemman, Line 220 And, God it woot, myn owene deere brother. Line 221 Men leyn that oon as lowe as lith that oother. Line 222 Right so bitwixe a titleees tiraunt Line 223 And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt, Line 224 The same I seye, ther is no difference. Line 225 To alisaundre was toold this sentence, Line 226 That, for the tirant is of gretter myght, Line 227 By force of meynee, for to sleen dounright, Line 228 And brennen hous and hoom, and make al playn, Line 229 Lo, therfore is he cleped a capitayn; Line 230 And for the outlawe hath but smal meynee, Line 231 And may nat doon so greet an harm as he, Line 232 Ne brynge a contree to so greet mescheef, Line 233 Men clepen hym an outlawe or a theef. Line 234 But, for I am a man noght textueel, Line 235 I wold noght telle of textes never a deel; Line 236 I wol go to my tale, as I bigan. Line 237 Whan phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman, Line 238 Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage. Line 239 The white crowe, that heeng ay in the cage. Line 240 Biheeld hire werk, and seyde never a word. Line 241 And whan that hoom was come phebus, the lord, Line 242 This crowe sang cokkow! cokkow! cokkow! Line 243 What bryd! quod phebus, what song dyngestow? Line 244 Ne were thow wont so myrily to synge Line 245 That to myn herte it was a rejoysynge Line 246 To heere thy voys? allas! what song is this? Line 247 By god! quod he, I synge nat amys. Line 248 Phebus, quod he, for al thy worthynesse, Line 249 For al thy beautee and thy gentilesse, Line 250 For al thy song and al thy mynstralcye, Line 251 For al thy waityng, blered is thyn ye Line 252 With oon of litel reputacioun, Line 253 Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun, Line 254 The montance of a gnat, so moote I thryve! Line 255 For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh hym swyve. Line 256 What wol ye moore? the crowe anon hym tolde, Line 257 By sadde tokenes and by wordes bolde, Line 258 How that his wyf had doon hire lecherye, Line 259 Hym to greet sham and to greet vileynye; Line 260 And tolde hym ofte he saugh it with his yen. Line 261 His phebus gan aweyward for to wryen, Line 262 And thoughte his sorweful herte brast atwo. Line 263 His bowe he bente, and sette therinne a flo, Line 264 And in his ire his wyf thanne hath he slayn. Line 265 This is th' effect, ther is namoore to sayn; Line 266 For sorwe of which he brak his mynstralcie, Line 267 Bothe harpe, and lute, and gyterne, and sautrie; Line 268 And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe, Line 269 And after that thus spak he to the crowe; Line 270

Line 270 Traitour, quod he, with tonge of scorpioun, Line 271 Thou hast me broght to my confusioun; Line 272 Allas, that I was wroght! why nere I deed? Line 273 O deere wyf! o gemme of lustiheed! Line 274 That were to me so sad and eek so trewe, Line 275 Now listow deed, with face pale of hewe, Line 276 Ful gilteless, that dorste I swere, ywys! Line 277 O rakel hand, to doon so foule amys! Line 278 O trouble wit, o ire recchelees, Line 279 That unavysed smyteth gilteles! Line 280 O wantrust, ful of fals suspecion, Line 281 Where was thy wit and thy discrecion? Line 282 O every man, be war of rakelinesse! Line 283 Ne trowe no thyng withouten strong witnesse. Line 284 Smyt nat to soone, er that ye witen why, Line 285 And beeth avysed wel and sobrely Line 286 Er ye doon any execucion Line 287 Upon youre ire for suspecion. Line 288 Allas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire Line 289 Fully fordoon, and broght hem in the mire. Line 290 Allas! for sorwe I wol myselven slee! Line 291 And to crowe, o false theef! seyde he, Line 292 I wol thee quite anon thy false tale. Line 293 Thou songe whilom lyk a nyghtyngale; Line 294 Now shaltow, false theef, thy song forgon, Line 295 And eek thy white fetheres everichon, Line 296 Ne nevere in al thy life ne shaltou speke. Line 297 Thus shal men on a traytour been awreke; Line 298 Thou and thyn ofspryng evere shul be blake, Line 299 Ne nevere sweete noyse shul ye make, Line 300 But evere crie agayn tempest and rayn, Line 301 In tokenynge that thurgh thee my wyf is slayn. Line 302 And to the crowe he stirte, and that anon, Line 303 And pulled his white fetheres everychon, Line 304 And made hym blak, and refte hym al his song, Line 305 And eek his speche, and out at dore hym slong Line 306 Unto the devel, which I hym bitake; Line 307 And for this caas been alle crowes blake. Line 308 Lordynges, by this ensamble I yow preye, Line 309 Beth war, and taketh kep what that ye seye: Line 310 Ne telleth nevere no man in youre lyf Line 311 How that another man hath dight his wyf; Line 312 He wol yow haten mortally, certeyn. Line 313 Daun salomon, as wise clerkes seyn, Line 314 Techeth a man to kepen his tonge weel. Line 315 , but as I seyde, I am noght textueel. Line 316 But nathelees, thus taughte me my dame: Line 317 My sone, thenk on the crowe, a goodes name! Line 318 My sone, keep wel thy tonge, and keep thy freend. Line 319 A wikked tonge is worse than a feend; Line 320 My sone, from a feend men may hem blesse. Line 321 My sone, God of his endelees goodnesse Line 322 Walled a tonge with teeth and lippes eke, Line 323 For man sholde hym avyse what he speeke. Line 324 My sone, ful ofte, for to muche speche Line 325 Hath many a man been spilt, as clerkes teche; Line 326 But for litel speche avysely Line 327 Is no man shent, to speke generally. Line 328 My sone, thy tonge sholdestow restreyne Line 329 At alle tymes, but whan thou doost thy peyne Line 330 To speke of god, in honour and preyere. Line 331 The firste vertu, sone, if thou wolt leere, Line 332 Is to restreyne and kepe wel thy tonge; Line 333 Thus lerne children whan that they been yonge. Line 334 My sone, of muchel spekyng yvele avysed, Line 335 Ther lasse spekyng hadde ynough suffised, Line 336 Comth muchel harm; thus was me toold and taught. Line 337 In muchel speche synne wanteth naught. Line 338 Wostow wherof a rakel tonge serveth? Line 339 Right as a swerd forkutteth and forkerveth Line 340 An arm a-two, my deere done, right so Line 341 A tonge kutteth freendshipe al a-two. Line 342 A jangler is to God abhomynable. Line 343 Reed salomon, so wys and honurable; Line 344 Reed david in his psalmes, reed senekke. Line 345 My sone, spek nat, but with thyn heed thou bekke. Line 346 Dissimule as thou were deef, if that thou heere Line 347 A janglere speke of perilous mateere. Line 348 The flemyng seith, and lerne it if thee leste, Line 349 That litel janglyng causeth muchel reste. Line 350 My sone, if thou no wikked word hast seyd, Line 351 Thee thar nat drede for to be biwreyd; Line 352 But he that hath mysseyd, I dar wel sayn, Line 353 He may by no wey clepe his word agayn. Line 354 Thyng that is seyd is seyd, and forth it gooth, Line 355 Though hym repente, or be hym nevere so looth. Line 356 He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd Line 357 A tale of which he is now yvele apayd. Line 358 My sone, be war, and be noon auctour newe Line 359 Of tidynges, wheither they been false or trewe. Line 360 Whereso thou come, amonges hye or lowe, Line 361 Kepe wel thy tonge, and thenk upon the crowe. Line 362