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

134 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Our liegB lorde's seal on my pat6nt, And east and west upon the people I beck,
ThiaET~Es'wTfirst, my body to warrent,l As doth a dove, sitting on a bern; 15
That no man be so hardy, priest nor clerk, My handes and my tongue go so yern,16
Me to disturb of Christe's holy werk. That it is joy to see my business.
And after that then tell I forth my tales. Of avarice and of such cursedness 17
Bulles of popes, and of cardinales, Is all my preaching, for to make them free
Of patriarchs, and of bish6ps I shew, To give their pence, and namely 8 unto me.
And in Latin I speak a wordes few, For mine intent is not but for to win,..
To savour with my predicati6n, And nothing for correcti6n of sin.
And for to stir men to devoti6n Ireckeever, when that they be buried,.
Then shew I forth my longe crystal stones, Thoug that their souls go a blackburied.19 g
Y-crammed full ochQluts 2 an trtn S For certes many a predicati6n
Relics they be, as weene they 3 each one. Cometh oft-time of evil intenti6n; 0
Then have I in latoun4 a shoulder-bone Some for pleasance of folk, and flattery,
Which that was of a holy Jewe's sheep. To be advanced by hypocrisy;
"Good men," say I, " take of my wordis keep; 5 And some for vainglory, and some for hate.
If that this bone be wash'd in any well, For, when I dare not otherwise debate,
If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swell, Then will I sting him with my tbngue smart 21
That any worm hath eat, or worm~y- ung, In preaching, so that he shall not astart 22
Take water of that well, and wash his tongue, To be defamed falsely, if that he
And it is whole anon; and farthermore Hath trespass'd 23 to my brethren or to me.
O 0qk.is, and of scab, and every sore For, though I telle not his proper name,
Shall every sheep be whole, that of this well Men shall well knowe that it is the same
Drinketh a draught; take keep 5 of that I tell. By signes, and by other circumstances.
"If that the goodman, that the beastes oweth,6 Thus quite I 24 folk that do us displeasances:
Will every week, ere that the cock him croweth, Thus spit I out my venom, under hue
Fasting, y-drinken of this well a draught, Of holiness, to seem holy and true.
As thilke holy Jew our elders taught, But, shortly mine intent T will devise,
His beastes and his store shall multiply. I preach of nothing but of covetise.
And, Sirs, also it healeth jealousy, Thereforemy theme is yet, and ever was,For though a man be fall'n in jealous rage, Radix malorum est cupiditas.
Let make with this water his pottage, Thus can I preach against the same vice
And never shall he more his wife mistrist,7 Which that I use, and that is avarice.
Though he the sooth of her defaulti wist; But though myself be guilty in that sin,
All 8 had she taken priestes two or three. Yet can I maken other folk to twin 25
Here is a mittain 9 eke, that ye may see; From avarice, and sore them repent.
He that his hand will put in this mittain, But that is not my principal intent;
He shall have multiplying of his grain, I preachB nothing but for covetise.
When he hath sowen, be it wheat or oats, Of this mattere it ought enough suffice.
So that he offer pence, or elles groats. Then tell I them examples many a one,
And, men and women, one thing warn I you; Of olde stories longe time gone;
If any wight be in this churchi now For lewed 26 people love tales old;
That ha~tffdone sin horrible, so that he Such thingis can they well report and hold.
Dare not for shame of it y-shriven 10 be; What? trow6 ye, that whiles I may preach
Or any woman, be she young or old, And wimne gold and silver for 27 I teach,
That hath y-made her husband cokiwold,l That I will live in povert' wilfully?
Such folk shall have no power nor no grace Nay, nay, I thought it never truely.
To offer to my relics in this place. For I will preach and beg in sundry lands;
And whoso findeth him out of such blame, I will not do no labour with mine hands,
He will come up and offer in God's name; Nor make baskets for to live thereby,
And I assoil him by the authority Because I will not beggen idlely.
Which that by bull y-granted was to me." I will none of the apostles counterfeit; 28
By this gaud 2 have I wonne year by year I will have money, wool, and cheese, and wheat,
A hundred marks, since I was pardonere. All 8 were it given of the poorest page,
I stande like a clerk in my pulpit, Or of the poorest widow in a villdge:
And when the lewed 13 people down is set, All 8 should her children sterve 29 for famine.
I preache so as ye have heard before, Nay, I will drink the liquor of the vine,
And telli them a hundred japes 14 more. And have a jolly wench in every town.
Then pain I me to stretche forth my neck, But hearken, lordings, in conclusioin;
1 For the protection of my person. probably a periphrastic and picturesque way of indi2 Rags, fragments. 3 As my auditors think. cating damnation.
4 Brass. 5 Heed. 6 Owneth. 20 Preaching is often inspired by evil motives.
7 Mistrust. 8 Although. 9 Glove, mitten. 21 Sharply. 22 Escape. 23 Offended.
10 Confessed. 11 Cuckold. 12 Jest, trick. 24 Am I revenged on. 25 Depart.
13 Ignorant. 14 Jests. 15 Barn. 26 Unlearned. 27 Because.
16 Briskly. 17 Wickedness. 18 Especially. 28 In respect of the poverty enjoined on and prac19 The meaning of this is not very clear, but it is tised by them. 29 Die.