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

THE NUN'S PRIEST'S TALE. 167
Far in a yard, with oxen of the plough; To God, that is so just and reasonable,
That other man was lodged well enow, That he will not suffer it heled 9 be;
As was his aventure, or his fortine, Though it abide a year, or two, or three,
That us governeth all, as in commrine. Murder will out, this is my conclusio-n.
And so befell, that, long ere it were day, And right anon, the ministers of the town
This man mette 1 in his bed, there as he lay, Have hent l0 the carter, and so sore him pined,l"
How that his fellow gan upon him call, And eke the hostelere so sore engined,12
And said,'Alas! for in an ox's stall That they beknew 3 their wickedness anon,
This night shall I be murder'd, where I lie. And were hanged by the necke bone.
Now help me, deare brother, or I die; "Here may ye see that dreames be to dread.
In alli hastB come to me,' he said. And certes in the same book I read,
This man out of his sleep for fear abraid; 2 Right in the nexte chapter after this
But when that he was wak'd out of his sleep, (I gabb 14 not, so have I joy and bliss),
He turned him, and took of this no keep; Two men that would have passed over sea,
He thought his dream was but a vanity. For certain cause, into a far country,
Thus twiis in his sleeping dreamed he. If that the wind not hadde been contrary,
And at the thirde time yet 3 his fellow That made them in a city for to tarry,
Came, as he thought; and said,'I am now That stood full merry upon an haven side;
slaw; 4 But on a day, against the even-tide,
Behold my bloody woundes, deep and wide. The wind gan change, and blew right as them
Arise up early, in the morning tide, lest.15
And at the west gate of the town,' quoth he, Jolly and glad they wente to their rest,' A carte full of dung there shalt thou see, And caste 16 them full early for to sail.
In which my body is hid privily. But to the one man fell a great marvail.
Do thilki cart arreste 5 boldily. That one of them, in sleeping as he lay,
My gold caused my murder, sooth to sayn.' He mettel [a wondrous dream, against the
And told him every point how he was slain, day:
With a full piteous face, and pale of hue. He thought a man stood by his bedde's side,
" And, truste well, his dream he found full And him commanded that he should abide;
true; And said him thus;' If thou to-morrow wend,'l
For on the morrow, as soon as it was day, Thou shalt be drown'd; my tale is at an end.'
To his fell6we's inn he took his way; He woke, and told his fellow what he mette,
And when that he came to this ox's stall, And prayed him his voyage for to let;18
After his fellow he began to call. As for that day, he pray'd him to abide.
The hostel6re answered him anon, His fellow, that lay by his bedde's side,
And saide,' Sir, your fellow is y-gone, Gan for to laugh, and scorned him full fast.
As soon as day he went out of the town.''No dream,'quoth he,'may so my heart aghast,'9
This man gan fallen in suspicioun, That I will lette for to do my things.20
Rememb'ring on his dreamis that he mette,' I sette not a straw by thy dreamings,
And forth he went, no longer would he let,6 For swevens 21 be but vanities and japes.22
UTnto the west gate of the town, and fand Men dream all day of owl6s and of apes,
A dung cart, as it went for to dung land, And eke of many a maze 23 therewithal;
That was arrayed in the same wise Men dream of thing that never was, nor shall.
As ye have heard the deade man devise; 7 But since I see that thou wilt here abide,
And with an hardy heart he gan to cry, And thus forslothe 24 wilfully thy tide, 5' Vengeance and justice of this felony: God wot, it rueth me; 2 and have good day.'
My fellow murder'd is this sam6 night, And thus he took his leave, and went his way.
And in this cart he lies, gaping upright. But, ere that he had half his cours6 sail'd,
I cry out. on the ministers,' quoth he, I know not why, nor what mischance it ail'd,'That shoulde keep and ruli this city; But casually 27 the ship's bottom rent,
Harow! alas! here lies my fellow slain.' And ship and man under the water went,
What should I more unto this tale sayn? In sight of other shippis there beside
The people out start, and cast the cart to ground, That with him sailed at the same tide.25
And in the middle of the dung they found "And therefore, faire Partelote so dear,
The deade man, that murder'd was all new. By such examples olde may'st thou lear,28
O blissful God! that art so good and true, That no man shoulde be too reckeless
Lo, how that thou bewray'st murder alway. Of dreames, for I say thee doubteless,
Murder will out, that see we day by day. That many a dream full sore is for to dread.
Murder is so wlatsom 8 and abominable Lo, in the life of Saint Kenelm 29 I read,
1 Dreamed. 2 Awoke, started. 3 Again. 17 Depart. 18 Delay. 19 Dismay.
4 Slain. 5 Cause that cart to be stopped. 20 Transact my business. 21 Dreams.
6 Delay. 7 Describe. 8 Loathsome. 22 Tricks. 23 Incoherent, wild inagining.
9 Or hylled; from Anglo-Saxon, "helan;" hid, con- 24 Spend or lose in sloth, loiter away.
cealed. 10 Seized. 25 Time. 26 1 am sorry for thee.
U Tortured. 12 Racked. 13 Confessed. 27 By an accident. 28 Learn.
14 I am not prating idly, or lying. 29 Kenelm succeeded his father as king of the Saxon
15 As they wished. 16 Prepared, resolved, realm of Mercia in 811, at the age of seven years;