The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

156 THE CANTERBUR Y TALES.
the offences, injuries, and wrongs, that ye have But let us pass away from this mattere.
done against me and mine, to this effect and My lord the Monk," quoth he, "be merry of
to this end, that God of his endless mercy will cheer,
at the time of our dying forgive us our guilts, For ye shall tell a tale truiel.
that we have trespassed to him in this wretched Lo, Rochester stands here faste by.
world; for doubtless, if we be sorry and re- Ride forth, mine owen lord, break not our
pentant of the sins and guilts which we have game.
trespassed in the sight of our Lord God, he is But by my troth I cannot tell your name;
so free and so merciable,' that he will forgive Whether shall I call you my lord Dan John,
us our guilts, and bring us to the bliss that Or Dan Thomas, or ellis Dan Albon?
never hath end." Amen. Of what house be ye, by your father's kin?
I vow to God, thou hast a full fair skin;
It is a gentle pasture where thou go'st;
Thou art not like a penant 16 or a ghost.
Upon my faith thou art some officer,
Some worthy sexton, or some cellarer.
THE MONK'S TALE. For by my father's soul, as to my dome,l7
Thou art a master when thou art at home;
THE PROLOGUE. No poord cloisterer, nor no novice,
But a governor, both wily and wise,
WHEN ended was my tale of Melibee, And therewithal, of brawnes18 and of bones,
And of Prud6nce and her benignity, A right well-faring person for the nonce.
Our Hoste said, " As I am faithful man, I pray to God give him confusi6n
And by the precious corpus Madrian,2 That first thee brought into religi6n.
I had lever 3 than a barrel of ale, Thou would'st have been a treade-fowl19 aright;
That goodd lefe 4 my wife had heard this tale; Hadst thou as greate leave, as thou hast might,
For she is no thing of such patience To perform all thy lust in engendrure,
4s was this Melibeus' wife Prud6nce. Thou hadst begotten many a creatfre.
GBy Godde's bons! when I beat my knaves Alas! why wearest thou so wide a cope? 20
She bringeth me the greate clubbed staves, God give me sorrow, but, an' 21 I were pope,
And crieth,'Slay the dogges every one, Not only thou, but every mighty man,
And break of them both back and ev'ry bone.' Though he were shorn full high upon his pan,22
And if that any neighibour of mine Should have a wife; for all this world is lorn;2
Will not in church unto my wife incline,5 Religi6n hath ta'en up all the corn
Or be so hardy to her to trespace,6 Of treading, and we borel 24 men be shrimps:25
When she comes home she rampeth7 in my Of feeble trees there come wretched imps.26
face, This maketh that our heiris be so slender
And crieth,' False coward, wreak 8 thy wife: And feeble, that they may not well engender.
By. corpus Domini, I will have thy knife, This maketh that our wives will assay
And thou shalt have my distaff, and go spin.' Religious folk, for they may better pay
From day till night right thus she will begin. Of Venus' payementes than may we:'Alas!' she saith,' that ever I was shape 9 God wot, no lusheburghs 27 pays ye.
To wed a milksop, or a coward ape, But be not wroth, my lord, though that I play;
That will be overlad l with every wight! Full oft in game a sooth have I heard say."
Thou darest not stand by thy wife's right.' This worthy Monk took all in patience,
" This is my life, but if 1 that I will fight; And said, " I will do all my diligence,
And out at door anon I must m e dight,2 As far as souneth unto honesty,28
Or elles I am lost, but if that I To telle you a tale, or two or three.
Be, like a wildi lion, fool-hardy. And if you list to hearken hitherward,
I wot well she will do 3 me slay some day I will you say the life of Saint Edward;
Some neighebour, and thenne go my way; 4 Or ellis first tragedies I will tell,
For I am perilous with knife in hand, Of which I have an hundred in my cell.
Albeit that I dare not her withstand; Tragedy is to say29 a certain story,
For she is big in armes, by my faith! As olde bookes maken us mem6ry,
That shall he find, that her misdoth or saith.l5 Of him that stood in great prosperity,
1 Merciful. 22 Crown; though he were tonsured, as the clergy
2 The body of St Maternus, of Treves. are. 23 Undone, ruined. 24 Lay, unlettered.
3 Rather. 4 Dear. 5 Bow. 25 Puny, contemptible creatures.
6 Bold enough to offend her. 7 Leaps, springs. 26 Shoots, branches; from Anglo-Saxon, "impian,"
8 Avenge. 9 Destined. German, "impfen," to implant, ingraft. The word is
1o Overborne, imposed upon. 11 Unless. now used in a very restricted sense, to signify the pro12 Betake myself. 13 Make. geny, children, of the devil.
14 Take to flight. 27 Base or counterfeit coins; so called because struck
15 That does or says anything to displease her. at Luxemburg. A great importation of them took
16 One doing penance. place during the reigns of the earlier Edwards, and
17 In my judgment; for "doom." they caused much annoyance and complaint, till in
18 Sinews. 19 A cock. 1351 it was declared treason to bring them into the
20 An ecclesiastical vestment covering all the body country.
like a cloak. 21 If. 28 Is in harmony with good manners.,29 Means.