before And therefore if yee woll that men doe your obeisaunce ye must demeane you more cuteously that is to say Ye must yeue most easie sentences and iudgement For it is written * He that most courteously commandeth to him men must obey And therefore I pray you that in this necessitie and in this need ye cast ye to ouercome your heart For as Senek saith * Hee that ouercommeth his heart ouercommeth twise And Tullie saith * There is nothing so commendable in a great lord as when he is debonaire and meek appeaseth him lightly And I pray you that ye woll now forbeare to do vengeaunce in such a manner that your good name may be kept and conserued and that men may haue cause and matter to praise you of pite and mercy and that ye haue no cause to repent you of thing that is done For Seneke saieth * He ouercommeth in an euill maner that repenteth him of his victory Wherefore I pray let mercy be in your hert to the effect entent that God almightie haue mercy vpon you in his last iudgment For saint Iames saith in his Epistle * Iudgement without mercy shall be doe to him that hath no mercy of another wight When Melibe had heard the great skilles and reasons of dame Prudence and her wise informations and teachings his heart gan encline to the will of his wife considering her true entent confirmed him anon assented fully to worke after her counsaile and thanked God of whom proceedeth all goodnesse and vertue that him had sent a wife of so great discretion And when the day came that his aduersaries should appeare in his presence hee spake to hem goodly and said in this wise All be it so that of your pride and high presumption and follie and of your negligence and vnconning yee haue misborne you and trespassed vnto mee yet for as mikell as I see and behold your great humilitie and that ye be sory and repentant of your giltes it constraineth mee to doe you grace and mercy Wherefore I receiue you to my grace and foryeue you holy all the offences iniuries wronges that yee haue doen ayenst mee and mine to theffect and ende that God of his endles mercie woll at the time of our dying foryeue vs our giltes that we haue trespassed to him in this wretched world For doubtlesse if we be sory and repentant for the sinnes and giltes which we haue trespassed in the sight of our Lorde God hee is so free and so merciable that he woll foryeue vs our giltes and bring vs to the blisse that neuer shall haue end Amen ¶ The Monkes Prologue WHen ended was the tale of Melibee And of Prudence and her benignite Our host saide as I am faithfull man And by the precious corps Madrian I had leuer then a barell of ale That Goodlefe my wife had heard this tale For she nothing is of such patience As was this Melibeus wife Prudence By Gods bones when I bete my knaues She bringeth me the great clubbed staues And cryeth slee the dogs euerichone And break of them both backe and bone And if that any neighbour of mine Woll not in Church to my wife incline Or bee so hardie to her to trespace When she cometh home she rampeth in my face And cryeth false coward wreke thy wife By corpus domini I woll haue thy knife And thou shalt haue my distaffe and go spin Fro day till night she woll thus begin Alas she saith that euer she was shape To wed a milkesop or a coward ape That woll be ouerleide with euery wight Thou darest not stond by thy wiues right This is my life but if that I woll fight And out at doore anone I mote me dight And els I am lost but if that I Be like a wilde lion foole hardy I wote well she woll doe me slee some day Some neighbour or other then go my way For I am perillous with knife in honde All be it that I dare not her withstonde For she is bigge in armes by my faith That shall he finde that her misdoth or saith But let vs passe away from this mattere My lord he said sir Monk be mery of chere For ye shall tell vs a tale truely Lo Rochester stondeth here fast by Ride forth mine own lord breke not our game But by my troth I know not your name Wheder I shall call you my lord Dan Iohn Dan Thomas Dan Robert or Dan Albon Of what house be ye by your father kin I vow to God thou hast a full faire chin It is a gentle pasture there thou gost Thou art not like a pinaunt or a ghost Vpon my faith thou art some officere Some worthy Sexten or some Celerere For by my fathers soule as to my dome Thou art a maister when thou art at home No poore cloisterer ne no poore nouice But a gouernour both ware and wise And therewithall of brawne and bones A well faring person for the nones I pray to God yeue him confusion That first thee brought into religion Thou woldest be a trede foule aright Hadst thou as great leaue as thou hast might To performe all thy lust in ingendrure Thou haddest begotten many a creature Alas why wearest thou so wide a cope God yeue me sorow and I were Pope Not onely thou but euery mightie man Though he were shore high vpon his pan Should haue a wife for all this world is lorn Religion hath take vp all the corn Of treding and borell men ben shrimps * Of feble trees ther commeth wretched imps This maketh that our heires be so slender And feeble that they may not well engender This make that our wiues woll assay Religious folke for that they may pay Of Venus payments better than mow we For God wote no lussheburghs payen ye But be not wroth my lord though I play * Full oft in game a sooth haue I heard say This worthy Monke took al in patience And said I woll do my diligence As ferre as souneth into honestie To tell you a tale ye two or three And if ye list to herken hitherward I woll you saine the life of saint Edward Or els tragidies first I woll tell Of which I haue an hundred in my cell Tragedie is to tell a certaine story As old bookes vs maken memorie Of hem that stood in great prosperitie And be fallen out of hie degree In to miserie and ended wretchedly And they ben versified commonly Of six feet which men call exemetron In prose eke ben endighted many on And in mitre many a sundry wise Lo this ought inough you to suffice Now herkeneth if you list for to here But first I beseech you in this matere Though I by order tell not these things Be it of Popes Emperours or kings After her ages as men written finde But tell hem some before and some behinde As it commeth now to my remembrance Haue me excused of mine ignorance ¶ The Monkes Tale. A
what the Frere said Eye gods mother qd she and blisful maid Is there nought els tell me faithfully Madame qd he how thinketh ye therby How that me thinketh so God me speed I say a churle hath done a churles deed What should I say God let him neuer the His sick head is full of vanite I hold him in a manner of frensie Madam qd he by God I shall not lye But I in any wise may been on him awreke I shall slaunder him ouer all where I speke That false blasphemour that charged me To part it that might not departed be To euery man iliche with mischance The lord sat still as he were in a trance And in his heart he roled vp and down How that this churle had imaginatioun To shew such a probleme to the frere Neuer erst or now heard I such a matere I trow the Deuill put it in his mind In all Arsmetricke there shall no man find Beforne this day of such a question Who should make a demonstration That euery man should haue ilike his part Of a sowne or fauour of a farte O nice proud churle I beshrew thy face Lo sirs qd the lord with hard grace Who euer heard of such a thing or now To euery man ilike tell me how It is an impossible it may not be Eye nice churle God let hem neuer the. The rombling of a fart and euery soun Nys but of eyre reverberatioun And euer it wasteth little and little away There is no man can demen by my fay If that it were departed equally What lo my churle lo how shreudly Vnto my confessour to day he spake I hold him certain a demoniake Now eteth your meat let the churle go play * Let him go hongen himselfe a deuil way Now stood the lords squire at the bord That carf his meat and heard word by word Of all thing of which I haue you sayd My lord qd he be ye not euill apaid I couth tell for a gowne cloth To you sir frere so that ye been not wroth How that this fart should euen idealed be Amonges your couent if it liketh thee Tel on qd the lord and thou shalt haue anon A gown cloth by God and by saint Iohn My lord qd he when the weder is faire Withouten winde or perturbing of ayre Let bring a cart wheele here into this hall But looke well that he haue his spokes all Twelue spokes hath a cart whele commonly And bring me then xii freres wot ye why For thirteene is a couent as I gesse Your confessour here for his worthnesse Shall performe vp the number of his couent Then shullen they knelen adoun by one assent And to euery spokes end in this manere Full sadly lay his nose shall a frere Your noble confessour there God him saue Shall hold his nose vpright vnder the naue Then shal this churle with bely stiffe tought As any tabour hither been ibrought And set him on the whele right of this cart Vpon the naue and make him let a fart And ye shullen see vp perill of my life By good prefe which is demonstratife That equally the sowne of it will wend And eke the stinke vnto the spokes end Saue that this worthy man your confessour Because he is a man of great honour Shall haue the first fruits as reason is The noble vsage of freres yet is this The worthest man of hem shul first be serued And certainly he hath it well deserued He hath to day taught vs so much good With preaching in the pulpet there he stood That I may vouchsafe I say for mee He had the first smell of farts three And so would all his brethren hardely He bereth him so faire and holyly The lord the lady each man saue the frere Said that Ienkin spake in this matere As well as Euclide did or Ptholome Touching the churles sayd subtiltie And hie wit made him speake as he spake He nis no foole ne no demoniake And Ienkin hath iwonne a new gowne My tale is done we been almost at towne ¶ The Clerke of Oxenfords Prologue SIr Clerke of Oxenford our host said Ye ride as still and coy as doth a maid Were new spoused sitting at the bord This day ne heard I of your mouth a word I trow that ye studie about some sophime * But Salomon saith all thing hath time For Gods sake beth of better chere It is no time now to studie here Tell vs some merry tale by your fay For what man is entred into a play He needs mot vnto that play assent But preacheth not as Freres done in Lent To make vs for our old sinnes to weep He that thy tale make vs not to sleep Tell vs some merry thing of auentures Your termes your figures and your colours Keep hem in store till so be that ye endite Hie stile as when men to kings do write Speake so plaine at this time I you pray That we may vnderstond what ye say This worthy Clerke beningly answerd Host qd he I am vnder your yerde Ye haue of vs as now the gouernance And therefore will I do you obeysance As farre as reason asketh hardely I woll you tell a tale which that I Learned at Padow of a worthy clerke As preued is by his words and his werke He is now dead and nailed in his chest I pray to God send his soule good rest Fraunces Petrarke the laureat poet Hight this ilke clerke whose Rethorike sweet Enlumined all Itaile of poetrie As Liuian did of Philosophy Or law or other art perticulere But death that wol not suffer vs dwellen here But as it were the twinkling of an eye Hem both hath slaine and all we shall dye But for to tellen of this worthy man That taught me this tale as I first began I say that he first with hie stile enditeth Or he the body of his tale writeth A proheme in which discriueth he Piemont and of Saluce the countre And speaketh of Apenniny the hilles hye That been the bounds of west Lumbardie And of mount Vesulus in speciall Where as the Poo out of a well small Taketh his first springing and his sours That Eastward euer increaseth in his cours To Emelle ward to Ferare and to Venise The which a long time were to deuise And truly as to my judgement Me thinketh it a thing impartinent Saue that him list conueyen his matere But this is his tale as ye shullen here ¶ The Clerke of Oxenfords Tale. WAlter the Marquesse of Saluce proveth the patience of his wife Grisill by three most sharp trials THere is in the West side of Itaile Downe at the roâ—e of Vesulus the cold A lustie plaine habundaunt of vitaile Wher many a town tower thou maist behold That founded were in time of fathers old And many another delectable sight And Saluce this noble countre hight A marques whilom was in that lond As were his worthy elders him before And
Image in the Habit of a Vowess and Dutchess crowned lying on the same Tomb and another Image under the Tomb so near as may be like unto her at the time of her Death with this Epitaph Orate pro anima serenissimae principissae Aliciae Suffolchiae hujus Ecclesiae Patronae primae fundatricis hujus Eleemosinariae quae obiit 20 die mensis Maii Anno Dom. 1475. Litera Dominicali A. Among many things that greatly renowned Geffrey Chaucer this was one saith Bale That he had a Kinswoman Quae Gulielmo Sudovolgiorum Duci nupsit ac magno in splendore Aquelmi vitam egit that is which being married to William Duke of Suffolk lived in great Honour at Ewelm His Revenues BUT now to return to Geffrey Chaucer although he had Lands and Revenues in divers Places and that to the yearly value as some say almost of a thousand Pounds yet the Place of his most Abode was at Woodstock in a fair House of Stone next to the King's Place called to this day Chaucer's House and by that Name passed by the Queen to the Tenant which there now dwelleth Chaucer took great Pleasure to lye there in regard of the Park in sundry of his Writings much by him commended as also to be near the Court where his best Friends were and they who were able to do him most Pleasure by whose means he had sundry Rewards bestowed upon him and that worthily for his good Service which often he performed and whereof in Chronicles and Records we may read His Service IN the last Year of King Edward the Third he with Sir Richard Dangle and Sir Richard Stan was sent to Montrevil to move a Marriage to be had between Richard Prince of Wales and the Lady Mary Daughter to the French King Some write that he with Petrark was present at the Marriage of Lionel Duke of Clarence with Violant Daughter of Galeasius Duke of Millain yet Paulus Jovius nameth not Chaucer but Petrark he saith was there And yet it may well be for it is in Record that twice or thrice he was employed in foreign Countries which if it be true well might the man be at such Charges and Expences as he might stand in need of King Richard the Second's Protection as after shall appear till he had better recovered himself But for his Service he was not unrewarded His Rewards CHaucer is called Armiger Regis for in the Patent Rolls of Part 1. of 50 Ed. 3. M. 5. the King maketh a Grant Armigero nostro Galfrido Chaucer This Armiger Regis was of good Worship and Reputation about the Prince being also the same that Scutifer Regis was to bear the King's Shield and other Armour of his both out and in the Wars By which Name of Scutifer Regis the King granted to him the Lands and Body of Sir Edmund Staplegat for the Manor of Bilsington in Kent to whom he paid 104 Pounds for the same as appeareth in Patent Part 2. de anno 49 Edw. 3. Again the King before that in 45 Edw. 3 as appeareth in pellis Exitus of the Exchequer had granted unto him twenty Marks by Year by the Name of Galfride Chaucer Valectus Hospitii which is Groom of the Palace a place of good Worship By which Name of Valectus also King Edw. 3. long before did entite Laurence Hastings Lord of Aburganey calling him Valectum nostrum being the King's Groom Page or Servant For unto this day certain Servitors of the Queens are called Pages and Grooms being of Worship and Reputation as are the Grooms of the Privy Chamber By which may be gathered in what Credit G. Chaucer was with King Edw. 3. Anno 8 Richardi 2. Galfridus Chaucer Contrarotulator Customarïorum Subsidiorum in portu Civitatis nostrae London Anno 17 Richardi 2. Viginti librae datae Galfrido Chaucero per annum durante vita Vigessimo secundo anno Richardi secundi concessum Galfrido Chaucer unum dolium vini per annum durante vita in portu civitatis London per manus capitalis Pincernae nostri Anno primo Henrici quarti Galfrido Chaucero Armigero literae patentes confirmatae pro viginti libris nummorum per annum durante vita uno dolio vini Eodem etiam anno concessae adhuc datae eidem Galfrido Chaucero Quadraginta marcae per annum durante vita His Friends FRiends he had in the Court of the best sort for besides that he always held in with the Princes in whose days he lived he had of the best of the Nobility both Lords and Ladies which favoured him greatly But chiefly John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster at whose commandment he made the Treatise Of the Alliance betwixt Mars and Venus and also the Book of the Dutchess Likewise the Lady Isabel Daughter to King Edward the Third and Wife to Ingeram de Guynes Lord De Coucy also the Lady Margaret Daughter to the same King married to John Hastings Earl of Penbrook did greatly love and favour Geffrey Chaucer and he again did as much honour them but especially the Lady Margaret as it may appear in divers Treatises by him written as in the Prologue of the Legend of good Women under the Name of the Daisy and likewise in a Ballad beginning In the season of Feuerier Others there were of great account whereof some for some causes took liking of him and other for his rare Gifts and Learning did admire him And thus he lived in honour many Years both at home and abroad Yet it seemeth that he was in some trouble in the days of King Richard the Second as it may appear in the Testament of Love where he doth greatly complain of his own rashness in following the multitude and of their hatred against him for bewraying their purpose And in that complaint which he maketh to his empty Purse I do find a written Copy which I had of Mr. Stow whose Library helped me in many things wherein ten times more is adjoyned than is in Print Where he maketh great Lamentation for his wrongful Imprisonment wishing death to end his days which in my Judgment doth greatly accord with that in the Testament of Love Moreover we find it thus in Record In the second Year of Richard the Second The King took Geffrey Chaucer and his Lands into his Protection the occasion whereof no doubt was some danger and trouble wherein he was fallen by favouring some rash attempt of the common People For living in such troublesome times wherein few knew what part to take no marvel if he came into some danger nay great marvel that he fell not into greater danger But as he was learned so was he wise and kept himself much out of the way in Holland Zeland and France where he wrote most of his Books His Books CHaucer had always an earnest desire to enrich and beautifie our English Tongue which in those days was very rude and barren and this he did following the Example of Dante
Combibit arcanos vatum omnis turba furores And that we may conclude his Praises with the Testimony of the worthiest Gentleman that the Court hath afforded in many Years Sir Philip Sidney in his Apology for Poetry saith thus of him Chaucer undoubtedly did excellently in his Troilus and Creiseid of whom truly I know not whether to marvel more either that he in that misty time could see so clearly or that we in this clear Age walk so stumblingly after him Seeing therefore that both old and new Writers have carried this reverend Conceit of our Poet and openly declared the same by Writing let us conclude with Horace in the eighth Ode of his fourth Book Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER HAving for some Years last past been greatly sollicited by many Learned and Worthy Gentlemen to Re-print the Works of this Ancient Poet I have now not only to answer their Desire but I hope to their full Satisfaction perform'd the Obligation long since laid upon me and sent Chaucer abroad into the World again in his old dress and under the Protection of his own Merits without any new Preface or Letters Commendatory it being the Opinion of those Learned Persons that his own Works are his best Encomium Whereas in the Life of Chaucer mention is made of a Tale call'd the Pilgrims Tale which is there said to have been seen in the Library of Mr. Stow and promis'd to be printed so soon as opportunity should offer I have for the procuring of it used all Diligence imaginable not only in searching the publick Libraries of both Universities but also all private Libraries that I could have Access unto but having no Success therein I beg you will please to accept my earnest Endeavour to have serv'd you and take what is here printed it being all that at present can be found that was Chaucer's J. H. THE Works of Ieffrey Chaucer With Additions Also the Siege and Destruction of the worthy City of Thebes Compiled by John Lidgate Monk of BVRY Virtue flourisheth in Chaucer still Though Death of him hath wrought his will To the KING's HIGHNESS My most Gracious Soveraign Lord HENRY the Eighth By the Grace of God King of England and of France Defensor of the Faith and Lord of Ireland c. AMongs all other excellencies most Gracious Soveraigne Lord wherewith Almighty God hath endowed mankind above the residue of earthly creatures as an outward declaration of reason or reasonableness wherein consisteth the similitude of Man unto Angels and the difference between the same and brute beasts I verayly suppose that Speech or Language is not to be reputed amongs the smallest or inferiours for thereby is expressed the conceit of one to another in open and plaine Sentence which in the residue of lively creatures lacketh and is not shewed amongs them but by certain covert and derke signes and that in few things having course and operation onely of nature This Speech or Language after the confusion of Tongues sent by Gods punishment for pride and arrogancy of people hath been by a certaine instinct and disposition natural devised and invented in sundry parts of the world as fellowships or companyings of folks one with another chaunced much to the outward expressing of the thing in word or sound according to that whereof it had meaning or signification But in processe of time by diligence or pollicy of people after divers formes figures and impressions in mettall barks of trees and other matter used for memory and knowledge of things then present or passed sundry letters or carectes were first amongs the Phenices devised and found with such knittings and joynings of one to another by a marvellous subtilty and craft as counterveiled was and is equivalent to the same Languages So as the conceit of mans mind which at the beginning was used to be declared by mouth only came to such point that it was as sensibly and vively expressed in writing Hereupon ensued a great occasion courage unto them that should write to compone and adorne the rudeness and barbariety of speech and to forme it to an eloquent and ordinate perfection whereunto many and many great Poets and Orators have highly employed their studies and courages leaving thereby notable Renoume of themselves and example perpetual to their posterity Amongs other the Greeks in all kinds of sciences seemed so to prevail and so to ornate their Tongue as yet by other of right noble Languages cannot be perfitely imitated or followed The Latines by example of the Greeks have gotten or wonne to them no small glory in the forming order and uttering of that Tongue Out of the which two if it be well searched that is to say Greeke and Latin though by corruption of speech it should seeme much otherwise have been derived the residue of the Languages that be written with the letters of carectes of either of them both But of all Speeches those which most approch to the Latin be the Italian and Spanish Tongues of whom the one by corruption of the Gothes and Longobardes had her beginning as Latin spoken by strangers of a barbare understanding the other being also Latin was by Vandales Gothes Moores Sarracenes and other so many times blemished as marveile it is to see now unto what perfection these two formed out of the Latin and Barbares speeches be reduced Next unto them in similitude to the Latin is the French tongue which by diligence of people of the same is in few years passed so amended as well in Pronunciation as in Writing that an Englishman by a small time exercised in that Tongue hath not lacked ground to make a Grammere or rule ordinary thereof Though of trouth which some shall scarcely believe the Germans have so formed the order of their Language that in the same is both as much plenty and as nere concordaunce to the phrase of the Latin as the French Tongue hath And veraily like as all these and the rest have been thus vigilant and studious to meliorate or amend their Languages so hath there not lacked amongs us Englishmen which have right well and notably endeavored and emploied themselves to the beautifying and bettering of the English Tongue Amongs whom most excellent Prince my most redoubted and gracious soveraign lord I your most humble Vassale Subject Servaunt William Thynn chief Clerke of your Kitchin mooved by a certain inclination and zeal which I have to hear of any thing sounding to the laud and honour of this your noble Realm have taken great delectation as the times and leisers might suffer to rede and heare the books of that noble famous Clerke Geffrey Chaucer in whose workes is so manifest comprobation of his excellent learning in all kindes of doctrines and sciences such fruitfulness in words well according to the matter and purpose to sweet pleasaunt sentences such perfection in metre the composition so adapted such freshness of invention compendiousnesse in
is divided into five Books The first booke beginneth Folio 356 The second booke beginneth Folio 363 The third booke beginneth Folio 373 The fourth booke beginneth Folio 387 The fifth booke beginneth Folio 399 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Dream of Chaucer called the Duchess Folio 408 The Assembly of Poules Folio 418 The Floure of Courtesie Folio 425 How Pity is dead c. Folio 427 La belle dame sans mercy Folio 428 Annelida and false Arcite Folio 435 The Complaint of Annelida to false Arcite Folio 437 The Assembly of Ladies Folio 439 The Conclusion of the Astrolaby Folio 445 The Complaint of the black Knight Folio 460 A Praise of Women Folio 466 The House of Fame is divided into three Books The first booke beginneth Folio 467 The second booke beginneth Folio 471 The third booke beginneth Folio 476 The Testament of Love is divided into three Books The Prologue of the Testament of Love Folio 484 The first booke beginneth Folio 485 The second booke beginneth Folio 500 The third booke beginneth Folio 521 All these Works following be Works by themselves The Lamentation of Mary Mag. Folio 537 The Remedy of Love Folio 545 The Complaint of Mars and Venus Folio 548 The Complaint of Mars alone Folio 550 The Complaint of Venus alone Folio 551 The Letter of Cupid Folio 552 A Ballad of our Lady Folio 556 A Ballad to King Henry the IV. Folio 558 Three Sayings of Dan John Lid. Folio 562 Of the Cuckow and the Nightingale ibid. Scogan unto the young Lords and Gentlemen of the King's House Folio 565 Divers other Ballads of Chaucer c. Folio 567 A Ballad of good Counsel made by John Lidgate Folio 569 A Praise or Commendation of Caucer's Eloquence Folio 570 A Ballad â—eaching what is Gentilness ibid. A Proverb against Covetise and Negligence ibid. A Ballad against unconstant Women ibid. How all things in this World is variable save Women only ibid. The Craft of Lovers Folio 571 A pleasant Ballad of Women Folio 573 The ten Commandements of Love ibid. The nine Ladies worthy Folio 574 Certain Ballads Folio 575 How Mercury with three Goddesses appeared to Paris Folio 576 A Ballad pleasaunt ibid. The discriving of a fair Lady ibid. A Ballad warning men to beware of deceitful Women ibid. Certain Verses compiled by Chaucer Folio 578 A Ballad declaring the worthiness of Womens Chastity Folio 579 The Court of Love ibid. Chaucer's Dream Folio 592 The Floure and the Leafe Folio 609 The A. B. C. called la priere de nostre dame Folio 615 Jack Upland Folio 616 Chaucer's Words to Adam his own Scrivener Folio 621 The Prologue of the Story of Thebes Folio 622 The first Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 623 The second Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 630 The third Part of the Siege of Thebes Folio 643 Eight goodly Questions with their Answers SOmetime in Greece that noble region There were eight clerkes of full great science Philosophers of notable discretion Of whom was asked to proue their prudence Eight Questions of derke intelligence To which they answered after their entent As here doth appeare plaine and euident The first question was What earthly thing Is best and to God most commendable The first clerke answerd without tarying A mans soule euer ferme and stable In right from the trouth not variable * But now alas full sore may we weepe For couetise hath brought trouth asleepe The second What thing is most odious A double man saied the Philosopher With a virgine face and a taile venemous With a faire view and a false profer A corrupt carien in a golden tree * It is a monster in natures linage One man to have a double visage The third What is the best dower That may be to a wife appropriate A cleane life was the clerkes answer Without sinne all chast and inuiolate From all deceits and speeches inornate Or countenaunce which shall be to dispise * No fire make and then no smoke woll arise The fourth question What maiden may Be called cleane in chastity The fourth clerke answered which alway Euery creature is ashamde on to lie Of whom men reporten great honestie * Good maidens keepe your chastity forth And remember yâ— good name is gold worth Who is a poore man euer full of wo A couetous man which is a nigon He that in his heart can neuer say ho The more good the lesse distribution The richer the worse of condition Men in this coast clepen him a niggard Sir Guy the bribour is his steward Which is a rich man without fraud He that can to his good suffise Whatsoeuer he hath he yeueth God yâ— laud And keepeth him cleane from all couetise He desires nothing in vngodly wise His body is here his mind is aboue * He is a rich man for God doth him loue Who is a foole is the seventh demaund He that would hurt and hath no powere Might he mikell much would he command His mallice great his might nought were He thretteth full fast full little may he dere He thinketh not how men haue saied be forne * God sendeth a shrewd Cow a short horne Who is a wise man is the eight question He that might noye doth no annoiaunce Might punish and leaueth punission A man mercifull without vengeaunce A wise man putteth in remembraunce * Saying Had I venged all mine harme My cloke had not be furred halfe so warme Explicit To the King 's most noble Grace and to the Lords and Knights of the Garter TO you wele of honour and worthiness Our Christen King the heire successour Vnto Iustinians deuout tendernesse In the faith of Iesu our redemptour And to your Lords of the Garter floure Of cheualrie as men you clepe and call The lord of vertue and of grace authour Graunt the fruit of your lose neuer appall O liege Lord that haue the likenesse Of Constantine thensample and mirrour To Princes all in humble buxomenesse To holy Church o veray sustainour And piller of our faith and werriour Againe of heresies the bitter Gall Doe forth doe forth continue your succour Hold up Christs banner let it not fall This Isle or this had been but heathenesse Had be of your faith the force and vigour And yet this day the fiends crabbedness Weneth fully to catch a time and houre To haue on vs your lieges a sharpe shoure And to his seruitude vs knitte and thrall But aye we trust in you our protectour On your constaunce we awaiten all Commandeth that no wight haue hardinesse O worthy King our Christen Emperour Of the faith to disputen more or lesse Openly emong people Her errour Springeth all day and engendreth rumour Maketh such law and for ought may befall Obserue it wele thereto be ye doctour Doeth so and God in glorie shall you stall Ye Lords eke shining in noble fame To which appropred is the maintenaunce Of Christs cause in honour of his name Shoue on and put his
word if it bee in his charge All speak he never so rudely ne large Or else he mote tellen his tale untrue Or fein things or find words new He may not spare altho he were his brother He mote as well say o word as another Christ spake himself full brode in holy writ And well I wotte no villany is it Eke Plato saith who so can him rede * The words mote been cosin to the dede Also I pray you forgive it me All have I not set folk in her degree Here in this tale as they shoulden stand My wit is short ye may well understand GReat cheer made our hoste us verichone And to the Supper set he us anone And served us with vitaile of the best Strong was the wine well to drink us lest A seemly man our Host was with all For to been a Marshal in a Lords Hall A large man he was with iyen stepe A fairer Burgeis is there none in Chepe Bold of his speech wise and well itaught And of manhood him lacked right nought Eke thereto he was a right merry man And after supper plaien he began And speak of nâ—â—th among other things When that we had made our reckonings And said thus now lordings truly Ye been to me welcome right heartily For by my trouth if I should not lie I saw not this year so merry a Company Atones in this her borough as is now Fain wold I don you mirth I wist how And of a mirth I am right now bethought To don you ease and it shall cost nought Ye gon to Canterbury God mote you spede The blissful Martyr quite you your mede And well I wot as ye gone by the way Ye shapen you to talken and to play For truly comfort ne mirth is there none To riden by the way as dumb as a stone And therefore wold I maken you disport As I said erst and done you some comfort And if you liketh all by one assent For to stonden at my Iudgment And for to worchen as I shall you say To morrow when we riden on the way Now by my Fathers Soul that is deed But ye be merry I will give you my heed Hold up your hands withouten more speech Our counsail was not long for to sech Vs thouÈt it was not worth to make it nice And graunted him without more avise And bad him say his verdit as him lest Lordings qd he now herkeneth for the best But take it nat I pray you in disdain This is the point to speak it plat and plain That ech of you to shorten others way In this viage shall tellen tales tway To Canterbury ward I mean it so And homewards he shall tell tales other two Of a ventures whilom that han befall And which of you that hereth him best of all That is to sain that tellen in this case Tales of best sentence and most solace Shall have a supper at our alder cost Here in this place sitting by this post When that we comen ayen from Canterbury And for to make you the more merry I will my selven goodly with you ride Right at mine own cost and be your guide And who that woll my judgment with say Shall pay all that we spend by the way And yef ye vouchsafe that it be so Tell me anone without words mo And I woll erly shape me therefore This thing was granted our oaths swore With glad hert and praiden him also That he would vouchsafe for to do so And that he would ben our Governour And of our tales judge and reportour And set a Supper at a certain prise And we wollen ben demed at his devise In hie and low and thus by one assent We ben accorded to his judgment And thereupon the wine was fette anone We dronken and to rest went ilke one Withouten any lenger tarying A morrow when the day gan to spring Vp rose our Host and was our alder cocke And gadird us togedirs on a flocke And forth we riden a little more than paas Vnto the watering of saint Thomas And there our Host began his Horse arest And said Lords herkeneth if you lest Ye wote your forward and I it record * If eve song and morrow song accord Let see now who shall tell the first tale As ever I mote drink wine or ale Who so is rebel to my Iudgment Shall pay for all that by the way is spent Now draweth cut or that ye farther twin The which that hath the shortest shall begin Sir Knight qd he my maister my lord Now draweth cut for that is mine accord Commeth nere qd he my lady Prioress And ye sir Clerk let be your shamefastness Ne studieth nought lay hand to every man Anone to draw every wight began And shortly for to tellen as it was Were it by aventure chaunce or caas The sothe is this the cut fill to the Knight Of which blith and glad was every wight And tell he must his tale as was reason By forward and by composition As ye han heard what nee deth words mo And when this good man saw that it was so As he that wise was and obedient To keepen his forward by his free assent He said sithen I shall begin the game What welcome cut to me a Goddesname Now let us ride and herkeneth what I say And with that word we riden forth our way And he began with a right merry chere His tale anone right as ye shall hear ¶ Thus endeth the Prologues of the Canterbury Tales The Knight's Tale. PAlamon and Arcite a pair of Friends and Fellow-prisoners fight a Combat before Duke Theseus for the Lady Emely Sister to the Queen Ipolita Wife of Theseus A Tale fitting the Person of a Knight for that it discourseth of the Deeds of Arms and Love of Ladies WHilome as old stories tellen us There was a Duke that hight Theseus Of Athens he was lord and governour And in his time such a conquerour That greater was none under the son Full many a rich country had he won What with his wisdom and his chivalry He conquered all the reigne of Feminy That whilome was ycleaped Cithea And wedded the queene Ipolita And brought her home with him to his country With mikell glory and solemnity And eke her young sister Emely And thus with victory and melody Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride And all his hoast in armes him beside And certes if it nere to long to here I would have told fully the mannere How wonnen was the reign of Feminy By Theseus and by his Chivalry And of the great battaile for the nones Betweene Athens and Amasones And how besieged was Ipolita The young hardy queene of Cithea And of the feast that was at her wedding And of the tempest at her home coming But all that thing I mote as now forbear * I have God wot a large field to ear And weked ben the oxen in the plow The remnant of my tale is
blame * And eke men should not make ernest of game ¶ The Millers Tale. WHylome there was dwelling in Oxenford A rich gnofe that gests helden to bord And of his craft he was a Carpenter With him there was dwelling a poor scholler Had learned Art but all his fantasie Was turned to learne Astrologie And coud certaine of conclusions To demen by interrogations If that men asken him in certain hours When that men shoulden have drought or shours Or if men asked him what shuld befal Of every thing I may not reken all This clarke was cleped Hend Nicholas Of berne loue he coud and of solas And thereto he was slie and right priuee And ilike to a maiden meeke to see A chamber he had in that hostelrie Alone withouten any companie Full tetously dight with hearbes sote And he himselfe as sweet as is the rote Of Licores or of any Seduwall His almagiste and bookes great and small His asterlagour longing for his art His augrim stones lying faire apart On shelues all couched at his beds hed His presse icouered with a folding red And all aboue there lay a gay Sautrie On which he made on nights melodie So sweetly that all the chamber rong And Angelus ad virginem he song And after that he song the kings note Full oft blessed was his merry throte And thus the sweet clarke all his time spent After his friends finding and his rent This Carpenter had wedded new a wife Which that he loved more then his life Of eighteene yeare I gesse she was of age Iealous he was and kept her strait in cage For she was wild and young he was old And deemed himself to been a Cokewold * He knew not Cato for his wit was rude That bade men wed her similitude * Men shoulden wed after her estate For youth and elde is often at debate But sith he was fallen in the snare He must enduren as other folke his care Faire was this young wife and therewithall As any Wisele her bodie gentle and small A seinte she weared barred all with silke A barme cloth as white as morrow milke Vpon her lendes full of many a gore White was her smock embrouded all before And eke behind on her colere about Of cole blacke silke within and eke without The tapes of her white volipere Were of the same sute of her colere Her fillet broad of silke and set full hie And sikerly she had a likerous eie Full small ypulled were her browes two And tho were bent and blacke as any sâ—o She was much more blisful for to see Than is the new Perienet tree And softer than the wool is of a weather And by her girdle hung a purse of leather Tassed with silke and perled with latoun In all this world to seeken up and down There nis no man so wise that couth thence So gay a popelote or so gay a wench Full brighter was the shining of her hew Then in the toure the Noble forged new But of her song it was so loud and yerne As any swallow sitting on a berne Thereto she couth skip and make a game As any Kid or Calfe following his dame Her mouth was sweet as braket or the meth Or hord of Apples lying in hay or heth Winsing she was as is a jolly colt Long as a mast and upright as a bolt A brooch she bare on her sow collere As broad as the bosse of a bucklere Her shoes were laced on her legs hie She was a primrose and a piggesnie For any lord to liggen in his bed Or yet for any good yoman to wed Now sir and eft sir so befell the caas That on a day this Hende Nicholas Fell with this yong wife to rage and pley While that her husband was at Oseney As clerkes ben full subtill and queint And priuily he caught her by the queint And saied I wis but I haue my will For derne loue of thee lemman I spill And held her full fast by the haunch bones And saied lemman loue me well at ones Or I woll dien also God me saue And she sprong as a colt in a traue And with her head she wrieth fast away And saied I woll not kiss thee by my fay Why let be qd she let be Nicholas Or I woll crie out harrow and alas Doe away your hands for your courtesie This Nicholas gan mercy for to crie And spake so faire and profered him so fast That she her loue graunted him at last And swore her oth by S. Thomas of Rent That she would been at his commandement When that she may her leisure well espie My husband is so full of jealousie That but ye wait well and be priue I wot right well I nam but dead qd she Ye mote be full derne as in this caas Nay thereof care ye not qd Nicholas * A clarke had litherly beset his while But if he couth a Carpenter beguile And thus they were accorded and yâ—worne To awaiten a time as I haue said beforne And when Nicholas had don thus euery dele And thacked her about the lends wele He kissed her sweet then taketh his Sautrie And plaieth fast and maketh melodie Then fell it thus that to the parish chirch Christes owne workes for to wirch This good wife went upon a holy day Her forehead shone as bright as any day So was it wash when she lete her werke Now was there of the chirch a parish clerke The whiche that was cleaped Absolon Croule was his haire and as gold it shon And strouted as a fanne large and brode Full straight and even lay his jolly shode His rode was red his eyen gray as Goos With Poles windowes coruen on his shoos In hosen redde he went fetously Gird he was full small and properly All in a kirtle of light waget Full faire and thicke been the points set And thereupon he had a gay surplise As white as the blossome on the rise A merrie child he was so God me saue Well coud he let bloud clippe and shaue And make a charter of lond and a quitaunce In twenty manner coud he trip and daunce After the schoole of Oxenford tho And with his legs casten to and fro And play songs on a small Ribible Thereto he song sometime a loud quinible And as well coud he play on a Geterne In all the toune nas brewhouse ne Tauerne There as any gay girle or Tapstere was That he ne visited with his solas But sooth to say he was somwhat squaimus Of farting and of speech daungerous This Absolon that was jolly and gay Goeth with a Censer on a Sunday Censing the wiues of the parish fast And many a louely looke on hem he cast And namely on this Carpenters wife To looke on her him thought a merry life She was so proper and sweet as Licorous I dare well saine if the had been a Mous And he a Cat he would haue her heâ—â— anon This parish clerke this jolly
him that harrowed hell Now Iohn qd Nicholas I woll not lie I haue yfounden in mine astrologie As I haue looked in the Moone bright That now on munday next at quarter night Shall fall a raine and that so wild and wood That halfe so great was neuer Noes flood This world he said in lesse than in an houre Shall all be orient so hidous is the shoure Thus shall mankind drench and lese her life This carpenter answerd said alas my wife And shall she drench Alas mine Alisoun For sorrow of this he fell almost adoun And said is there no remedy in this caas Yes yes full good qd Hende Nicholas If thou wolt werchafter lore and rede Thou maist not werchen after thine own hede For thus saith Salomon that was full trew * Worke all by counsel thou shalt not rew And if thou wilt werken by good counsaile I vndertake without mast or saile Yet shall I saue her and thee and me Hast thou not heard how saved was Noe When that our lord had warned him beforne That all the world with water shuld be lorne Yes qd the carpenter full yore ago Hast thou not heard qd Nicholas also The sorrow of Noe with his fellowship Or that he might get his wife to ship Him had leuer I dare well undertake At thilke time than all his wethers blake That she had a ship her selfe alone And therfore wost thou what is best to done * This asketh hast and of an hasty thing Men may not preach ne make tarrying Anon goe get vs fast into this inn A kneding trough or els a kemelyn For ech of vs but looke that they been large In which men mow swimmen as in a barge And haue therein victuals sufficiaunt But for a day fie on the remnaunt The water shall aslake and gone away Abouten prime vpon the next day But Robin may not weten of this thy knave Ne eke thy maid Gille I may not save Aske not why for though thou aske me I woll not tellen Gods privite Sufficeth thee but if thy wits be mad To haue as great a grace as Noe had Thy wife shall I well save out of doubt Goe now thy way and speed thee hereabout But when thou hast for her thee and me Ygetten vs these kneading tubs thre Then shalt thou hang hem in the roofe full hie That no man of our purueyaunce espie And when thou hast don thus as I haue said And hast our vitaile faire in hem ylaid And eke an axe to smite the cord arwo When the water commeth that we may go And breake an hole on high vpon the gable Vnto the garden ward ouer the stable That we may freely passen forth our way When that the great shoure is gone away Then shalt thou swim as mery I vndertake As doth the white ducke after her drake Then woll I cleape how Alison how Iohn Be merry for the flood woll passe anon And thou wolt saine haile maister Nicholay Good morrow for I see well that it is day And then we shall be lords all our life Of all the world as was Noe and his wife But of one thing I warne thee full right Be well auised on that ilke night That we benentred into the ships bord That none of us ne speake not a word Ne clepe ne crie but been in his prayere For so to done it is Gods owne hest dere Thy wife thou mote hang fer a twinne For that betwixt you shall be no sinne No more in looking than there shall in deed This ordinaunce is said go God thee speed To morow at night when men ben all asleepe Into our kneading tubs woll we creepe And sitten there abiding Gods grace Go now thy way I haue no longer space To make of this no longer sermoning * Men saine thus send the wise say nothing Thou art so wise it needeth thee not teach Goe saue our liues and that I thee beseech This silly carpenter goeth forth his way Full oft he said alas and welaway And to his wife he told his privite And she was ware and knew it bet than he What all this queint cast for to sey But natheles she ferde as she would dey And said alas go forth thy way anone Helpe vs to scape or we be dead eachone I am thy true very wedded wife Go deare spouse and help to saue our life * Lo what a great thing is affection Men may die of imagination So deep may impression be take This silly carpenter beginneth to quake Him thinketh verily that he may see Noes flood come waltering as the see To drenchen Alison his hony dere He weepeth waileth and maketh sory chere He siketh with many a sorry thought He goth and geteth him a kneading trough And after a tub and a kemelin And priuily he sent hem to his in And hing hem in the roofe full priuilie With his own hand he made him ladders thre To climben by the ronges and by the stalkes Into the tubs honging by the balkes And hem vitailed both trough and tubbe With bread and cheese good ale in a iubbe Sufficing right ynow as for a day But er that he had made all this array He sent his knaue and eke his weuch also Vpon his need to London for to go And on the munday when it drew to night He shut his dore without candle light And dressed all thing as it should bee And shortly they clomben vp all three They sitten still not fully a furlong way Now pater noster clum said Nicholay And clum qd Iohan and clum said Alison This carpenter said his deuotion And still he sit and biddeth his prayere Awayting on the raine if he it here The dead sleepe for wery businesse Fell on this carpenter right as I gesse About curfewe time or little more For trauaile of his ghost he groneth sore And est he routeth for his head mislay And doune the ladder stalketh Nicholay And Alison full loft after she sped Withouten words mo they went to bed There as the carpenter was wont to lie There was the reuell and the melodie And thus lieth Alison and Nicholas In businesse of mirth and solas Till that the bell of laudes gan to ring And Freres in the chaunsell gone to sing This parish clerke this amorous Absolon That is for loue alway so wo bygon Vpon the monday was at Osenay With company him to disport and play And asked vpon a case a cloisterere Full priuily after Iohn the carpentere And he drew him apart out of the chirch And said I not I saw him not here wirch Sith saturday I trow that he be went For timbre there our Abbot hath him sent For he is wont for timbre for to go And dwellen at the graunge a day or two Or els he is at his house certaine Where that he be I cannot sorthly saine this Absolon full iolly was and light And thouÈt now is my time to walk all night For
send For ale and bread and rosted hem a goos And bound her hors he shuld no more go loos And in his owne chamber he made a bed With sheetes and with chalons faire yspred Not from his owne hed ten foot or twelue His doughter had a hed all by her selue Right in the same chamber fast them by It might he ne bette and the cause why There was no roumer herbrough in that place They soupen speaken of mirth and solace And dronken euer strong ale at the best About midnight went they to rest Well hath this Miller vernished his hed Full pale he was for dronken nothing red He gaspeth he speaketh through his nose As he were in the quacke or in the pose To hed he goeth and with him his wife As any Iay was she light and iolife So was her iolly whistle well ywet. The cradle at the beds feâ—t was set To roken and to yeue the child to suke And when that dronken was all in the cruke To bed went the doughter right anon To bed goeth Alein and also Iohn There uas no more hem needed no dwale This Miller hath so wisely bibbed ale That as an hors he snorteth in his steepe Ne of his taile behind he tooke no keepe His wife bare to him a bordon well strong Men might hem heare routen a furlong The wench routeth eke par company Alein the clerke that heard this melody He poked on Iohan and saied sleepest thou Heardst thou euer swilke a sang ere now Lo swilke a coupling is it wixt hem all A wild fire vpon her bodies fall Who heard euer swilke a ferly thing Ye they shall haue the floure of euill ending All this lang night there tides me no rest But yet naforce all shall be for the best For Ihon saied he as euer mote I thriue If that I may yon wench woll I swiue Some easement hath law yshapen vs. For Iohan there is a law that saieth thus * That if a man in one point been agreeued That in another he shall be releeued Our corne is stolne soothly it is no nay And we haue had an euill fit to day And since I shall haue none amendement Againe my losse I will haue mine easement By Gods sale it shall none other bee This Iohan answered Alein auise thee The Miller is a perillous man he saied And if that he out of his sleepe abraied He might doen vs both a villanie Alein answered I count him not worth a flie And vp he rest and by the wench he crept This wench say vpright and fast she slept Till he so nigh was ere she might espie That it had been too late for to crie And shortly for to say they were at one Now play Alein for I woll speake of Ihon. This Ihon lay still a furlong way or two And to himselfe he maketh routh and wo Alas qd he this is a wicked iape Now may I say I is but an Ape Yet hath my fellow somewhat for his harme He hath the Millers doughter in his arme He auntreth him and hath his need ysped And I lie as a drafte sacke in my bed And when this iape is told another dey I shall be hold a daffe or a cokeney I woll arise and auntre me by my fay * Vnhardie is vnsely thus men say And vp he rose and softly he went Vnto the cradle and in his arme it hent And bare it softly to his beds fete Soone after the wife her routing lete And gan awake and went her out to pisse And came againe and gan the cradle misse And groped here there but she found none Alas qd she I had almost misgone I had almost gone to the clerkes bed Eye benedicite then had I foule ysped And forth she goeth till she the cradle fond She gropeth alway further with her hond And found the bed and thought nat but good Because that the cradle by it stood And nist where she was for it was derke But faire and well she crept in by the clerke And lieth full still wold haue caught a slepe Within a while this Ihon the clerke vp lepe And on this good wife he laied full sore So merry a fit had she nought full yore And priked hard and deepe as he were mad This iolly life haue these two clerkes lad Till that the third cocke began to sing Alein waxe wearie in the dauning For he had swonken all the long night And saied farewell Malin my sweet wight The day is comen I may no longer bide But euermo whereso I goe or ride I am thine owne clerke so haue I hele Now deare lemman qd she go farwele But or thou go one thing I woll thee tell When thou wendest homeward by the Mell Right at the entre of the dore behind Thou shalt a cake of halfe a bushell find That was ymaked of thine owne meale Which that I did helpe my fire to steale And good lemman God thee saue and keepe And with that word she gan almost to weepe Alein vprist and thought ere it daw He would goe creepe in by his felaw And found the cradle with his hand anon By God thought he all wrong haue I gon My head is tottie of my swinke to night That maketh me that I go not aright I wot well by the cradle I haue misse go Here lieth the Miller and his wife also * And forth he goeth on twenty deuill way Vnto the bed there as the Miller lay He wend haue cropen by his fellow Ihon And by the Miller he crept in anon And caught him by the necke soft he spake And saied Ihon thou swineshead awake For Christs soule and heare a noble game For by that lord that called is saint Iame I haue thrise as in this short night Swiued the Milers doughter bolt upright Whilest thou hast as a coward been agast Ye false harlot qd the Miller hast A false traitour A thou clerke qd he Thou shalt be dead by Gods dignite Who durst be so bold to disparage My doughter that is come of such linage And by the throat boll he caught Alein And he him hent dispitously again And on the nose he smote him with his fest Doune ran the blood stream vpon his brest And in the floore with mouth and nose ybroke They wallowen as doth pigs in a poke And vp they gone and doune ayen anone Till that the Miller spurned on a stone And doune he fell backward vpon his wife That wist nothing of this nice strife For she was fall asleepe a little wight With Ihon the clerk that waked had all night And with the fall out of her steepe she braied Helpe holy crosse of Bromholme she saied In manus tuas lord to thee I call Awake Simond the fiend is on me fall My heart is broken helpe I am but dead There lieth one on my wombe on my head Helpe Simkin for these false clerks do fight This Ihon stert vp as
carle spake o thing but he thought another Let vs goe forth about our voyage Here win we nothing vpon cariage When they comen somwhat out of the toun This Sompner to his brother gan to roune Brother qd he here wonneth an old rebecke That had almost as lefe to lese her necke As for to yeue a penny of her good I woll haue xii d. tho that she were wood Or I woll sompne her to our office And yet God wot of her I know no vice But for thou canst not as in this countre Win thy cost take here ensample of me This Sompner clappeth at the widdows gate Come out he saied thou old veritrate I trow thou hast some frere or priest withthee Who clappeth there said this wife benedicite God saue you sir what is your sweet will I haue qd he in summons of thee a bill Vp paine of cursing looke that thou bee To morrow before our Archdeacons knee To answere to the court of certaine things Now lord qd she Iesu king of kings So wisely helpe me as I ne may I haue ben sicke and that full many a day I may not goe so ferre qd she ne ride But I be dead so pricketh it my side May I not aske a libell sir Sompnour And answere there by my proctour To such thing as men would apposen me Yea qd this Sompner pay anon let see Twelue pence to me and I will thee acquite I shall no profit haue hereof but lite My maister hath the profit and not I Come of and let me ridden hastily Giue me xii pence I may no lenger tary Twelue pence qd she lady saint Mary So wisely helpe me out of care and sin This wide world though I should it win Ne haue I not xii d. within my hoâ—d Ye know well that I am poore and old Kith your almesse on me poore wretch Nay then qd he the foule fiend me fetch If I thee excuse thogh thou shouldest be spilt Alas qd she God wot I haue no guilt Pay me qd he or by sweet saint Anne I woll streight beare away the new panne For debt which thou owest me of old When thou madest thy husbond cokold I paied at home for thy correction Thou liest qd she by my saluation Ne was I neuer ere now widdow ne wife Sompned vnto your court in all my life Ne neuer I nas but of body trew Vnto the deuill blacke and rough of hew Yeue I thy body and my panne also And when the deuill heard her curse so Vpon her knees he said in this manere Now Mably mine owne mother dere Is this your will in earnest that ye sey The deuill qd she fet him ere he dey And panne and all but he woll him repent Nay old stotte that is not mine intent Qd. this Sompner for to repent mee For any thing that I haue had of thee I would I had thy smocke and euery cloth Now brother qd the deuill be not wroth Thy body and thy pan is mine by right Thou shalt with me to hell yet to night Where thou shalt knowen of our priuitie More than a maister of diuinitie And with that word the foule fiend him hent Body and soule he with the deuill went Where that Sompners haue their heritage And God that made after his image Mankind saue and guide vs all and some And leaue the Sompner good man to become Lordings I coud haue told you qd this frere Had I had leisure of this Sompner here After the text of Christ Poule and Ihon And of other doctours many one Such paines as your hearts might agrise Albeit so that no tongue may deuise Though that I might a thousand winter tell The paines of that cursed hous of hell But for to keepe vs from that cursed place Wake we and pray Iesu of his grace So keepe he us from the temper Sathanas Hearkneth this word beware as in this caas * The Lion sitteth in await alway To slea the innocent if that he may Disposeth aye your hearts to withstond The fiend that you would make thral bond * He may not tempt you ouer your might For Christ woll be your champion knight And prayeth that the Sompner him repent Of his misdeed ere that the fiend him hent ¶ The Sompners Prologue THis Sompner in his stirrops high stood Vpon this Frere his hert was so wood That like an Aspen leafe he quoke for ire Lordings qd he but one thing I desire I you beseech that of your courtesie Sithens ye han heard this false Frere lie As suffereth me I may my tale tell This Frere boasteth that he knoweth hell And God wot that is little wonder Freres and fiends ben but little asunder For parde ye han oft time heard tell How that a Frere rauished was to hell In spirit once by a visioun And as an Angell led him vp and doun To shewen him the paines that there were In all the place saw he not a Frere Of other folke he saw ynow in wo. Vnto the Angell spake the Frere tho Now sir qd he han Freres such a grace That none of hem shall come in this place Yes qd this Angell many a millioun And vnto Sathanas lad he him adoun And now hath Sathanas such a taile Broader than of a Caricke is the saile Hold vp thy taile thou Sathanas qd he Shew forth thine erse and let the Frere see Whereas is the neast of Freres in this place And ere that halfe a furlong way of space Right as Bees swarmen out of an Hiue Out of the Deuils erse they gan driue Twenty thousand Freres all on a rout And throughout hell swarmed all about And come ayen as fast as they might gone And into his erse they crepten euerichone He clapt his taile ayen and lay still This Frere when he looked had his fill Vpon the turments of this sorry place His spirit God restored of his grace Vnto his body ayen and he awoke But nathelesse yet for feare he quoke So was the deuills erse aye in his mind That is his heritage of very kind God saue you all saue this cursed Frere My Prologue woll I end in this mannere ¶ The Sompners Tale. A Begging Fryar coming to a Farmers house who lay sick obtaineth of him a certain Legacy which must be equally divided among his Covent A requital to the Friar shewing their cozenage loytering impudent begging and hypocritical praying LOrdings there is in Yorkshire as I ghesse A marish Countrey called Holdernesse In which there went a limitour about To preach and eke to beg it is no doubt And so befell that on a day this Frere Had preached in a church in his manere And specially abouen euery thing Excited he the people in his preaching To trentals and to yeuen for Gods sake Wherewith men mighten holy houses make There as diuine seruice is honoured Not there as it is wasted and deuoured Ne there it needeth not to be yeuen As to possessioners that
all three Irous Cambises was eke drunkelew And aie delighted him to been a shrew And so befell a lord of his meine That loued well vertuous moralite Said on a day betwixt hem two right thus A lord is lost if he be aught vicious * And dronkennesse eke is a foule record Of any man and namely of a lord * There is many an ey and many an ear A waiting on a lord he not whear For Gods loue drinketh temperatly * Wine maketh a man to lese wretchedly His mind and his limbes euerichone The reuers shalt thou see qd he anon And preue it by thyn own experience That wine ne doth to folke no such offence There nis no wine bereaueth me my might Of hond of foote ne of mine eyesight And for despight he dronke mochell more An hundred times than he did before And right ay this cursed irous wretch Let this knights son beforne him fetch Commanding him he shuld beforn him stond And suddenly he took his how in hond And vp the string he plucked to his eare And with an arrow he slough the child thear Now wither haue I a siker hond or none Qd. he Is all my might and minde agon Hath wine bereuen me mine iyen sight What shuld I tel the answer of yâ— knight His sonne was slain ther is no more to say * Beware therefore with lords how ye play Sing Placebo and I shall if I can But if it be vnto a poore man To a poore man one should his vices tell But not to a lord though he should go to hell Lo irous Cirus thilke Percien How destroyed he the riuer of Gisen For that an horse of his was dreint therein When as he went Babilon to win He made that the riuer was so small That men might ride and waden ouer all Lo what said he that so well teach can * Ne be no fellow to none irous man Ne with no wood man walke by the way Lest thou repent I woll no further say Now Thomas leue brother leaue thyn ire Thou shalt me find as iust as is a squire Hold not the deuils knife aie in thine heart Thine anger doth thee all to sore smart But shew to me all thy confession Nay qd the sicke man by saint Simon I have be shriue this day of my Curate I have told him wholy mine estate It needeth no more to speake of it saieth he But if me list of mine humilite Yeue me then of thy gold tomake our cloister qd he for many a muskle many an Oister When other men haue been full well at ease Hath been our food our cloister for to rease And yet God wot vnneath the foundament Parformed is ne of our pauement Is not a tile yet within our wones By God we owen fourty pound for stones Now help Thomas for him that harrowed hell For els mote we needs al our books sell And if you lacke our predication Then goeth this world all to destruction For who so woll fro this world vs bereue So God me saue Thomas by your leue He would bereaue out of this world the son For who can techen worchen as we con And that is not of little time qd he But sith Helie was or Helise Han freres been that find I of record In charitie ithonked be our Lord Now Thomas help for saint Charitie And down anon he sitteth on his kne This sicke man waxeth nie wood for ire He would the frere had been on a fire With his false dissimulation Such things as been in my possession Qd. he that may I giue and none other Ye sain me thus how that I am your brother Ye certes qd this frere trusteth me wele I tooke our dame our letter and our sele Now qd he wel and somwhat shall I yeue Vnto your holy couent while I liue And in thine hond thou shalt it haue anone On this condition and other none That you depart it so my leue brother That euery frere haue as much as another This shalt thou sweare on thy profession Without fraud or cauilation I swere it qd she frere by my faith And therwithall his hond in his he layth Lo here my faith in me shall be no lacke Then put thine hond adowne by my backe Said this man and grope well behind Beneath my buttock there thou shalt find A thing that I haue hid in priuitie Ah thought the frere that shall goe with me Adown he shofth his hond to the clift In hope to find there some good gift And when this sicke man felt this frere About his tewell groping here and there Amid his hond he let the frere a fart There nis no capell drawing in a cart That might haue let a fart of such a soun The frere vp start as doth a wood Lioun A false churle qd the frere for Gods bones This hast thou in dispite doe for the nones Thou shalt abie this fart if I may His meinie that heard of this affray Came leaping in and chased out the frere And forth he goeth with a full angry chere And fet his fellow there as lay his store He looked as he were a wilde Bore He grinted his teeth so was he wroth A sturdie pace down to the court he goth Whereas wonned a man of great honour To whom that he was alway confessour This worthy man was lord of that village This freer came as he were in a rage Where as this lord sat eating at his bord Vnnethes might the frere to speake o word Till at the last he said God you see This lord gan looke and said Benedicite What frere Ihon what maner world is this I see well that something is amis * Ye look as though the wood wer full of theuis Sit downe and tell me what your griefe is And it shall be amended if that I may I haue qd he had a dispite to day God yeeld it you adown in your village That in this world is none so poore a page That he nolde haue abhominatioun Of that I haue receiued in your town And yet me grieueth nothing so sore As that the old churle with locks hore Blasphemed hath our holy couent eke Now maister qd this lord I you beseke No maister sir qd he but seruitour Though I haue had in schoole that honour God liketh not that men vs Rabie call Neither in market ne in your large hall No force qd he but tell me of your griefe Sir qd this Frere an odious mischiefe This day is betide to mine order and to me And so per consequens to each degree Of holy church God amend it sone Sir qd the lord ye wot what is to done Distemper you not you be my confessour Ye be the salt of the earth and the savour For Gods loue your pacience now hold Telleth me your griefe and he anon him told As ye han heard before ye wot well what The ladie of the house aie still sat Till she had heard fully
no manner chaunce He might not smite all her necke atwo And for there was at that time an ordinaunce That no man doe no person such pennaunce The fourth stroke to smiten soft or sore This turmentour durst smite her no more But halfe dead with her necke ycorven there He left her lie and on his way he went The christen folke that about her were With shetes home full faire they her hent Three dayes lived she in this turment And never ceased the faith to teach That she had fostred hem she gan to preach And hem she yave her moveables and her thing And to the Pope Vrban betook hem tho And said I asked this of the heaven king To have respite three dayes and no mo To recommaund to you ere that I go These soules and that I might do werch Here of mine house perpetuelliche a cherch Saint Vrban with his deacons priuely The body fette and buried it by night Among his other saints honestly Her house the church of saint Cecile hight Saint Vrban hallowed it as he well might In which vnto this day in noble wise Men done to Christ and to his saints servise ¶ The Chanons Yeomans Prologue WHen ended was the life of saint Cecile Ere we fully ridden had five mile At Boughten vnder the blee vs gan a take A man that clothed was in clothes blake And vnder that he had a white surplice His hackney that was all pomely grise So sweat that it wonder was to see It seemed that he had pricked miles three The horse eke that his yeoman rode vpon So sweateth that vnneth might he gone About the paytrell stood the fome full hie He was of fome as flecked as a pie A male twifolde on his croper lay It semed that he carried little aray All light for sommer rode this worthy man And in my heart wondren I began What that he was till I understood How that his cloke was sewed to his hood For which when I had long auised me I demed him some chanon for to be His hat hing at his back by a lace For he had ridden more than trot or pace He rode aye pricking as he were wode A clote lefe he had laid under his hode For swette and for to keep his head fro here But it was ioy for to see him swete His forehead dropped as a stillutory Were full of plantaine or of peritory And when he was come he gan to cry God save qd he this ioly company Fast have I pricked qd he for your sake Because that I would you overtake To riden in this mery company His yoman was eke full of curtesie And said sirs now in the morow tide Out of your hostrie I saw you ride And warned here my lord and soveraine Which that to ridden with you is full faine For his disport he loveth daliance Friend for thy warning God yeue thee good chance Then said our host certaine it would seeme Thy lord were wise and so I may well deme He is full ioconde also dare I say Can he ought tell a mery tale or twaie With which he glad may this companie Who sir my lord Ye without lye He can of mirth and eke of iolite Not but inough also sir trusteth me And ye him knew all so well as doe I Ye would wonder how well and thriftely He couth werke and that in sondry wise He hath taken on him many a great emprise Which were full harde for any that is here To bring about but they of him it lere As homely as he rideth among you If ye him knew it wold been for your prowe Ye would not forgon his acquaintaunce For mochell good I dare lay in balaunce All that I haue in my possession He is a man of high discression I warne you well he is a passing wise man Well qd our hoste I pray thee tell me than Is he a clerke or non tell what he is A clerke nay greater than a clerke iwis Said the yoman and in words few Hoste of his craft somwhat woll I shew I say my lord can such a subtelte But all his craft ye may not wete of me And somewhat help I yet to his werching That all the ground that we be on riding Till we come to Canterbury towne He could all clene turnen vp and downe And paue it all of siluer and of gold And when this yoman had thus itolde Vnto our hoste he said benedicite This thing is wonder meruailous to me Sens that thy lord is of so hie prudence Because of which men shuld him reuerence That of his worship wreketh he lite His ouerest sloppe is not worthy a mite As in effect to him so mote I go It is all baudy and to tore also Why is thy lord so slothliche I thee prey And is of power better clothes to bey If that his deed acorde with thy speech Tell me that and that I thee beseech Why qd this yeman wherto aske ye me God helpe me so for he shall neuer ythe But I woll not auowe that I say And therefore keep it secret I you pray He is too wise in fay as I beleeue * And that is ouerdone nill not preue And right as clerkes saine it is a vice Wherfore I hold him in that leude and nice * For when a man hath ouergreat wit Full oft it happeth him to misusen it So doth my lord that me greeueth sore God amend it I can say no more Thereof no force good yeman qd our host Sens of the conning of thy lord thou wost Tell how he doth I pray thee heartily Sens that he is so crafty and so sly And where dwellen ye if it to tell be In the Subbarbs of a towne qd he Lurking in hernes and in lanes blind Whereas these robbers and theues by kind Holden her priuy fearefull residence As they that dare not shewen her presence So fare we if that I shall say the â—othe Yet qd our host let me talke to thee Why art thou so discoloured in thy face Peter qd he God yeue it harde grace I am so vsed in the hote fire to blow That it hath chaunged my colour as I trow I am not wont in no mirrour to prie But swinke sore and lerne to multiplie We blondren euer and poren in the fire And for all that we failen our desire For euer we lacken our conclusion To much folke we do illusion And borow gold be it a pound or two Or ten or twelue or many summes mo And make hem wenen at the least way That of a pound we could maken tway Yet is it false and aye han we good hope It for to done and after it we grope But that science is so ferre vs beforne We mowe not although we had it sworne It ouertake it slyt away so fast It wol vs make beggers at the last Whiles this yeman was thus in his taking This Chanon drew him neere herd all thing Which this yeman spake
both two by my saluation Concluden in multiplication Iliche well when they haue all ido This is to saine they failen both two Yet forgate I much rehearsaile Of waters corosife and of limaile And of bodies mollification And also of her induration Oiles ablusions mettall fusible To tellen you all would passe any bible That o where is wherefore as for the best Of all these names now would I me rest For as I trow I haue you told ynow To reise a fiende all looke he neuer so row A naie let be the Philosophers stone Elixer cleped we siken fast echone For had we him then were we siker inow But vnto God of heauen I make auow For all our craft when that we han all ido And all our sleight he woll not come vs to He hath made vs spenden much good For sorow of which almost we waxen wood But that good hope creepeth in our hart Supposing euer though we sore smart To been relieued of him afterward Supposing and hope is sharpe and hard * I warne you well it is to siken euer That future temps hath made men disceuer In trust thereof all that euer they had Yet of that arte they could not waxe sad For vnto hem it is a bitter sweet So seemeth it for ne had they but a sheet Which that they might wrappen hem in a night And a bratte towalken in a day light They would hem sell and spend it on this craft They conne not stint till nothing be ilaft And euermore where that euer they gone Men may hem ken by smell of Brimstone For all the world they stinken as a Gote Her sauour is so Rammish and so hote That though a man a mile from hem be The sauour woll infect him trusteth me Lo thus by smelling by thredbare array If that men list this folke know they may And if a man woll aske him priuely Why they be clothed so unthriftily Right anon they woll rowne in his ere And saien if that they aspied were Men woll hem slea because of her science Lo thus these folke betraien innocence Passe ouer this go my tale unto Er that the potte be on the fire ido Of mettals with a certaine quantite My lord hem tempereth no man but he Now he is gon I dare say boldly For as men sain he can doen craftly Algate I wote well he hath such a name And yet full oft he renneth in the blame And wote ye how full oft it happeth so The pot breaketh and farewell all is go These mettales beene of so great violence Our walles may not make hem resistence But if they were wrought of lime and stone They percen so throgh the wall they gone And some of hem sinken into the ground Thus have we lost by times many a pound And some are scattered all the flore about Some lepen into the roofe withouten doubt Tho that the fende not in our sight him shew I trow that he with us be that like shrew In hell where that he is lord and fire Ne is there no more wo ne angre ne ire When that our pot is broke as I have saied Euery man chite holte him evill apuied Some saied it was long of the fire making Some saied naie it was on the blowing Then was I ferde for that was mine office Straw qd the third ye been leude nice It was not tempred as it ought to be Nay qd the fourth stint herken me Because our fire was not made of Bech That is the cause none other so theche I can not tell whereon it is along But well I wot great strife is vs among What qd my lord there nis no more to doen Of these perils I woll beware eftsone I am right siker that the pot was crased Be as be may be ye not amased As usage is let swepe the floore as swithe Plucke vp your heart be glad and blithe The mullocke on an heape iswept was And on the floore yeast a canuas And all this mullocke in a Siue ithrow And sifted and I plucked many a throwe Parde qd one somewhat of our metall Yet is there here though we have not all And tho this thing mishapped hath as now Another time it may been well inow We mote put our good in auenture * A marchant parde may not aie endure Trusteth me well in his prosperitee Sometime his good is drowned in the see And sometime it cometh safe unto the lond Peace qd my lord the next time I woll fond To bring our craft all in another plite And but I doe sirs let me have the wite There was default in somewhat wel I wote Another said the fire was ouer hote But be it hote or cold I dare say this That we concluden euer more amis We failen of that which we would haue And in our madnesse evermore we raue And when we be together everychone Every man seemeth as wise as Salomon * But all thing which that shineth as the gold Is not gold as that I haue heard told * Ne euery apple that is faire at eie Nis not good what so men clap or crie Right so lo it fareth emong vs He that seemeth the wisest by Iesus * Is most foole when it commeth to the prefe And he that seemeth truest is a thefe That shal ye know er that I from ye wende By that I of my tale haue made an ende There was a Chanon of religioun Emongs vs would enfect all a town Though it as great were as Niniue Rome Alisaundre Troie and other three His sleight and his infinite falsenesse There couth no man written as I gesse Though that he might liue a thousand yere In all this world of falsenesse nis his pere For in his termes he woll him so wind And speake his words in so slie a kind When be comune shall with any wight That he woll make him dote anon right But if a fiende he be as himselfe is Full many a man hath he begiled er this And mo woll if that he may liue a while And yet men riden gone full many a mile Him for to seeke and haue his acquaintance Not knowing of his false gouernance And if ye lust to giue audience I woll it tellen here in your presence But worshipfull Chanons religious Ne demeth not that I slander your house Although my tale of a Chanon be * Of euery order some shrew is parde * And God forbid that all a company Should rue a singular mans folly To slander you is not mine entent But to correct that amisse is ment This tale was not onely told for you But eke for other mo ye wote well how That emong Christes Apostles twelue There was no traitour but Iudas himselue Then why should the remnant haue any blame That guiltlesse were by you I say the same Saue onely this if ye woll hearken me If any Iudas in your couent be Remeueth him betime I you rede If shame
or losse may causen any drede And be nothing displeased I you pray But in this case herketh what I say IN London was a priest annuellere That therein had dwelt many a yere Which was so pleasant so seruisable Vnto the wife where he was at Table That she would suffer him nothing to pay For borde ne clothing went he never so gay And spending siluer had he right ynow Thereof no force I woll proceed as now And tell forth my tale of the Chanon That brought this priest to confusion This false chanon came vpon a day Vnto this priests chamber where he lay Beseeching him to lene him a certain Of gold and he would quite him ayen Leneth me a Marke qd he but dayes three And at my day I woll quite it thee And if it so be that thou finde me false Another day hang by the halse This priest took him a marke that swith And this Chanon oft thanked him sith And took his leue and went foorth his wey And at third day brought him his money And to this priest he took his gold ayen Whereof this priest was full glad and fain Certes qd he nothing anoieth me To lene a man a noble two or three Or what thing were in my possession When he so true is of condition That in no wise he break woll his day To such a man I can never say nay What qd this Chanon should I be vntrue Nay that were a thing fallen of new Trouth is a thing that I woll euer kepe Vnto the day in which I shall crepe Into my graue or else God forbede Beleueth this as siker as your crede God thanke I and in good time be it saied That there nas neuer man yet euill apayed For gold ne siluer that he to me lent Ne neuer falshede in mine hert I ment And sir qd he now of my priuite Sens ye so goodliche haue been to me And kith to me so great gentlenesse Somwhat to quite with your kindnesse I woll you shew if ye woll it lere I shall it shew to you anon right here How I can werche in Philosophy Take good heed ye shall it see with your eye That I woll do a maistrie or I go Ye sir qd the priest and woll ye so Mary thereof I pray you heartily At your commaundement sir truly Qd. the Chanon and else God forbede Lo how this theefe couth his seruice bede * Full soth it is that such profered service Stinketh as witnesseth the old wise And that full soone I woll it verefie In this Chanon root of all trecherie That evermore delight hath and gladnesse Such fendly thoughts in his hert empresse How Christs people he may to mischief bring God keep us from his false dissimuling What wist this priest with whom that he delt Ne of his harme comming nothing he felt O sely priest O sely innocent With couetise anon thou shalt be blent O gracelesse full blind is thy conceite Nothing art thou ware of his disceite Which that this Foxe hath shapen to thee His wily wrenches thou maiest not flee Wherfore to go to the conclusion That referreth to thy confusion Vnhappy man anon I woll me hie To tyll thine unwitte and thy folie And eke the falsenesse of that other wretch As ferforth as my conning woll stretch This Chanon was my lord ye wold wene Sir host in faith and by the heaven Queene It was another Chanon and not he That can an hundred fold more subtilte He hath betraied folke many a time Of his falsenesse it doleth me to rime Ever when I speke of his falshede For shame of him my cheekes waxen rede Algates they beginnen for to glow For rednesse have I none right well I know In all my visage for fumes diuerce Of mettals which ye haue heard me reherce Consumed and washed hath my rednesse Now take hede of this Chanons cursednesse Sir qd he to the priest let your man gone For quicksiluer that we it had anone And let him bring ounces two or three And when he commeth as fast shul you see A wonder thing which ye saw neuer er this Sir qd the priest it shall be done iwis He had his seruant fetch him this thing And he all ready was at his bidding And went him forth and came anon again With this quicksiluer shortly for to sain And took these vnces three to the Chanoun And he hem laid well and faire adown Add had the seruant coles for to bring That he anon might go to his werking The coles right anon were ifet And this Chanon tooke out a crosselet Of his bosome and shewed it to the priest This instrument qd he which that thou seest Take in thy hond and put thy selfe therein Of this quicksilver an vnce and begin In the name of Christ to wex a Philosopher There be full few which I would it profer To shew hem so much of my science For here shul ye see by experience That this quicksiluer I woll mortifie Right in your sight anon withouten lie And make it as good siluer and as fine As there is any in your purse or mine Or els where and make it malliable And els hold me false and vnstable Emonges folke euer to appeare I haue a pouder that cost me deare Shall make all good for it is cause of all My cunning which I to you shew shall Voideth your man and let him be thereout And shet the doore whiles we been about Our priuitie that no man vs espie Whiles that we werken in our Philosophie All as he had fulfilled was in dede This like seruant anon out he yede And his maister shet the doore anon And to her labour spedily they gon This priest at this cursed Chanons bidding Vpon the fire anon set this thing And blew the fire and busied him full fast And this Chanon into this croslet cast A pouder I not whereof it was I made either of chalke earth or glasse Or somewhat els was not worth a flie To blind with the priest and bad him hie These coles for to couchen all aboue The crosselet for in token that I thee loue Qd. this Chanon thine owne honds two Shall werke all thing that here shall be do Grant mercy qd the priest was full glad And couched coles as the Chanon bad And while he busie was this fiendly wretch This false Chanon the foule fende him fetch Out of his bosome take a bechen cole In which full subtily was made an hole And therein was put of siluer limaile An vnce and stopped was without faile The hole with waxe to keep the limaile in And understandeth that this false gin Was not made there but it was made before And other things that I shall you tell more Hereafter which that he with him brought Er he came there to begile him he thought And so he did as they went a twin Till he had nere vndon him could he not blin It dulleth me when that I of him speke
merry and glad of chere And ye sir host that been to me so dere I pray you that ye kisse the Pardonere And Pardoner I pray thee draw thee nere And as we did let us lough and play Anon they kissed and ride forth her way ¶ The Shipmans Prologue NOw friendes said our host so dere How liketh you by Iohn the Pardonere He hath vnbokeled well the male He hath us told right a thriftie tale As touching of mens misgouernaunce I pray to God yeue him full good chaunce As ye han heard of these riotours three Now gentle Mariner I heartely pray thee Tell us a good tale and that right anon It shall be doen by God by saint Iohn Said this Mariner as well as euer I can And right anon his tale he thus began ¶ The Shipmans Tale. A Marchant of S. Denise is cozened by his own Wife and by a Monke called Dan John This Argument is taken out of Bochas in his Novels A Marchant whilome dwelled at saint Denise That rich was for which men held him A wife he had of excellent beaute And compinable reuelous was she wise Which is a thing that causeth more dispence Than worth is all the chere reuerence That men hem doen at feasts at daunces * Such salutations and countenaunces Passeth as doeth the shaddow on a wall But wo is him that pay mote for all The sely husbond algate he mote pay He mote vs both clothe and eke array All for his owne worship richely In which array we dauncen jolily And if that he may not perauenture Or els lust not no such spece endure But thinketh that it is wast and ylost Then mote another pay for our cost And lend vs gold and that is perillous This noble Marchant held a noble hous For which he had all day great repaire For his largesse and for his wife was faire That wonder is but herkeneth to my tale Among all his guells both great imale There was a Monke a faire man a bold I trow thirtie Winter he was old That euer in one was drawing to that place This yong Monke that so faire was of face Acquainted was so well with this good man Sithens that he first knowledge began That in his house as familiar was he As it is possible any friend to be And for as much as this good man And eke the Monke of which I began Were both two yborne in one village The Monke him claimed as for cousinage And he againe saied him not once nay But was as glad thereof as foule of day For to his heart it was a great pleasaunce Thus ben they knit with eterne alliaunce And eke of hem gan other for to ensure Of brotherhed whiles her life may dure Free was Dan Iohn namely of dispence As in that hous and full of diligence To doe pleasaunce and eke great costage He foryate not to yeue the least page In all that house but after her degree He yaue the lord and sithen his meinee When that he came some maner honest thing For which they were as glad of his comming As foule is faine when the sunne vp riseth No more hereof as now for it suffiseth But so befell this Marchaunt on a day Shope him to make ready his array Toward the toune of Bruges for to fare To buy there a portion of ware For which he hath sent to Paris anon A messenger and praied hath Dan Ihon That he should come to S. Denis to plain With him and with his wife a day or twain Or he to Bruges went in all wise This noble Monke of which I you deuise Hath of his Abbot as him list licence Because he was a man of high prudence And eke an officer out for to ride To seene her graunges her bernes wide And vnto saint Denis he commeth anon Who was so welcome as my lord Dan Iohn Our dere cousin full of courtesie With him he brought a jubbe of Maluesie And eke another full of fine vernage And volatily as was aye his vsage And thus I let hem both eat drinke play This marchant this monke a day or tway The third day this Marchaunt vp riseth And on his need sadly him aviseth And vp into his counting house goth he To reckon with himselfe as well may be Of thilke yere how it with him stood And how he dispended had his good And if that he encreased were or none His bookes and his bagges many one He laieth afore him on his counter bord Full rich was his treasure and his hord For which full fast his counter dore he shet And eke he nolde no man should him let Of his accounts for the meane time And thus he sate till it was passed prime Dan Iohn was risen in the morrow also And in the garden walked to and fro And hath his things saied full courtesâ—y This good wife come walking priuely Into the garden there he walked soft And him salueth as she hath doen full oft A maiden child came in her companie Which as her lust she may gouerne and gie For yet vnder the yerd was the maid O dere cousin mine Dan Iohn she said What aileth you so rathe to rise Nece qd he it ought ynough suffise Fiue houres for to sleepen on a night But it were for an old palled wight As been these old wedded men that lie dare As in a forme sitteth a weary Hare Al forstraught with hounds great smale But deere nece why looke ye so pale I trowen certes that our good man Hath you laboured sith this night began That you were need to resten hastely And with that word he lough full merely And with his owne thought he woxe fall red Then this faire wife gan to shake her hed And saied thus ye God wote all qd she Nay cousin mine it stonds not so with me For by that God that yave me soule life In all the realme of Fraunce is there no wife That lesse lust hath to that sory play For I may singen alas and welaway That I was borne but to no wight qd she Dare I not tell how it stont with me Wherefore I think out of this world to wend Or els of my selfe soone to make an end So full I am of drede and eke of care This Monk began vpon his wife to stare And saied alas nay nece God forbede That ye for any sorrow or for any drede Fordoe your selfe but telleth me your greefe Perauenture I may in your mischeefe Counsaile or helpe and therefore telleth me All your annoy for it shall secre be For on my Porthose I make an oth That neuer in my life for lefe ne loth Ne shall I not of no counsaile you bewray The same ayen to you qd she I say By God by this Porthose I you sweare Though men would me all in peeces teare Ne shall I neuer for to goe to hell Bewray o word of thing that ye me tell Nor for
no cousenage ne for alliaunce But verely for loue and affiaunce Thus been they sworne hereupon kist And ilke of hem told other what hem list Cousin qd she if I had a space As I have none and namely in this place Then would I tell a legend of my life That I suffred haue sith I was a wife With mine husbond though he be your cosin Nay qd this Monke by God S. Martin He nis no more cousin vnto me Than is this leafe that hongeth on the tree I clepe him so by saint Denis of Fraunce To haue the more cause of acquaintaunce Of you whom I haue loued specially Abouen all other women sikerly This sweare I you on my profession Telleth your greefe least he come adoun And hasteth you and goth your way anon My dere loue qd she O my Dan Iohn Full lefe me were this counsaile to hide But out it mote it may no lenger abide My husbond is to me the worst man That euer was sith the world began But sithen I am a wife it sit not to me To tellen no wight of our priuite Neither in bed ne in none other place God shild I should tell it for his grace * A wife ne should not say of her husbond But all honour as I can vnderstond Saue vnto you thus much tell I shall As helpe me God he is nought worth at all In no degree the value of a flie But yet me greueth most his nigardie And well ye wot that women naturally * Desiren things sixe as well as I. They woulden that her husbonds should be Hardy and wise rich and thereto free And buxome to his wife and fresh a bed But by that ilke Lord that for vs bled For his honour my selfe to array A sunday next comming I mote needs pay An hundred frankes or els am I lorne Yet were me leuer that I were vnborne Than me were done a slaunder or a villanie And if mine husbond eke might it espie I nere but lost and therefore I you prey Lene me this summe or els mote I dey Dan Iohn I say lene me this hundred franks Parde I woll not faile you my thanks If that ye list to doe that I you pray For of a certain day I woll you pay And to don you with pleasaunce and seruice That I may done right as ye list deuise And but I do God take on me vengeaunce As foule as euer had Genilion of Fraunce This gentle monk answerd in this manere Now truly mine owne lady dere I haue qd he on you so great touth That I you swere plight you my trouth That when your husbond is to Flanders fare I woll deliuer you of all this care For I woll bring you an hundred frankes And with that he caught her by the flankes And her embraced hard and kissed her oft Goth now your way qd he all still soft And let us dine as soone as euer ye may For by my kalender it is prime of the day Goth now beth as true as I shall be Now els God forbid good sir said she And forth she goth as iolly as a pie And bad the cookes that they should hem hie So that men might dine and that anone Vp to her husbond is this wife gone And knocked at his counter dore boldely Qui est la qd he Peter it am I Why what qd she how long woll ye fast How long time woll ye recken and cast Your sums your bookes your things The diuell haue part of all such reckonings Ye haue ynough qd she of Gods sond Come doun to day let your bags stond Ne be ye not ashamed that Dan Iohn Shall fasting all this long day gon What let vs go heare masse and go dine Wife qd this man little canst thou diuine The curious businesse that we haue For of us chapmen so God me saue And by that lord that called is saint Iue Scarsly among twenty twelue shall thriue Continually lasting vnto their age We may well make chere good visage And driue forth the world as it may be And keepe our state in priuite Till we be dead or els that we play A pilgrimage or gone out of the way And therefore haue I great necessite Vpon this queint world to aduise me For euermore we mote stand in drede Of hap fortune in our chapmanhede To Flanders woll I gone to morrow day And come ayene as sone as euer I may For which my dere wife I thee beseke As be to euery wight buxom and meke And for to keepe our good be curiouse And honestly gouerne well our house Thou hast ynough in euery maner wise That to a thrifty huswife may suffice Thee lacketh none array ne no vitaile Of siluer in thy purse thou maiest not faile And with that word his counter dore he shette And down he goth no lenger would he lette And hastily a masse was there isaide And spedily the tables were ilaide And to dinner fast they hem spedde And richly the chapman this monke fedde And after dinner Dan Iohn soberly This chapman tooke apert all priuily And said him thus cousin it stondeth so That well I see to Bruges ye woll go God and saint Austen spede you and gide I pray you cousin wisely that you ride Gouerne you well also of your diete All temperatly namely in this hete Betwixt us two nedeth no strange fare Farewell cousin God shilde you fro care If any thing there be by day or night And it lie in my power or in my might That ye me woll command in any wise It shall be done right as ye woll deuise O thing or ye go if that it may be I wold faine pray you for to lene me An hundred frankes for a weke or twey For certaine beasts that I mote needs bey To store therewith a place that is ours God helpe me so I would it were yours I shall not faile surely at my day Not for a thousand frankes a mile way But let this thing be secret I you pray For yet this night these beasts mote I bey And fare now wele mine owne cousin dere Grant mercie of your cost and your chere This noble marchant gentilly anon Answerd and said O cousin Dan Ihon Now likerly this is a small request My gold is yours when that you lest And not onely my gold but my chaffare That what you list God shild that ye spare But one thing is ye know it well inough Of chapmen that her money is her plough We may haue creaunce while we haue a name But goodlesse for to be it is a shame Pay it ayen when it lieth at your ese After my might faine would I you plese The hundreth frankes fet he forth anon And priuily tooke hem to Dan Iohn No wight of this world wist of this lone Sauing this marchant Dan Iohn alone They drinke speak and rome a while pley Till that Dan Iohn rideth to his abbey
The morow came forth rid this Marchant To Flanders ward his prentes brought hem auant Til he came to Bruges wel merely Now goeth this marchant well and besily About his nedes and buieth and creaunseth He neither playeth at dice ne daunceth But as a marchant shortly to tell He led his life and there I let him dwell The sonday next that this marchant was gon To saint Denis is comen Dan Iohn With croune berde all fresh new ishaue In all this house there nas so litle a knaue Ne no wight els but he was full faine For that my lord Dan Iohn was comen againe And shortly to the point for to gon This faire wife accordeth with Dan Iohn That for these C. frankes he should all night Haue her in his armes bolt upright And this accord parformed was in dede In mirth all night a besie life they lede Til it was day that Dan Iohn yede his way And had the manie farewell have good day For none of hem ne no wight in the toun Had of Dan Iohn any suspectioun And forth he rideth home to his abbey Or where him liste no more of him I sey This marchant when ended was the faire To saint Denis he gan for to repaire And with his wife he maketh feest and chere And telleth her that chaffare is so dere That needs must he make a cheuesaunce For he was bonden in a reconysaunce To pay twentie thousand shildes anon For which this marchant is to Paris gon To borrow of certaine friends that he had A certaine frankes and some with him he lad And when he was comen in to the toun For cherite and great affectioun Vnto Dan Iohn he first goth him to pley Nought for to borrow of him no money But for to wete and see of his welfare And for to tellen him of his chaffare As friends don when they been mette infere Dan Iohn him maketh feast mercy chere And he him tolde ayen full specially Now he had bought full well graciously Thonked be God all hole his Marchandise Saue that he must in all manner wise Maken a cheuesaunce as for his best And then should he be in ioy and rest Dan Iohn answered certes I am right fane That ye in heale be commen home againe And if I were rich as have I blisse Of twenty thousand shildes shuld ye not misse For ye so kindly this other day Lent me gold and as I can and may I thonke you by God and by saint Iame. But natheles I tâ—â—k it unto our Dame Your wife at home the same gold againe Vpon your bench she wote it wel certaine By certaine tokens that I can here tell Now by your leave I may no longer dwell Our abbot woll out of this toun anon And in his company I mote gon Grete well our dame mine own neece swete And farewell deare cousin till we mete This marchant that was full ware wise Creaunced hath and eke paide in Paris To certaine lombardes redy in her honds This sum of gold gate of hem the bonds And home he goth as mery as a popingay For well he knew he stood in such aray That needs must he win by that viage A thousand frankes above all his costage His wife full ready mete him at the yate As she was wont of old usage algate And all that night in mirth they be sette For he was rich and clerely out of dette When it was day this marchant gan enbrace His wife all new and kissed her in her face And up he goeth made it wonder tough No more qd she by God ye have ynough And wantonly ayen with him she plaide Till at the last this marchant thus said By God qd he I am a little worthe With you my wife although it be me lothe And wote ye why by God as I gesse For ye haue made a maner of strangenesse Betwixt me and my cousin Dan Iohn Ye should have warned me or I had gon That he had you an hundred frankes paide By redy token and held him evill apaide For that I to him spake of cheuesaunce Me seemed so as by his countenaunce But natheles by God our heavenly king I thought not to aske of him nothing I pray thee wife ne do no more so Tell me alway er that I fro thee go If any dettour hath in mine absence Ypaide thee lest through thy negligence I might him aske a thing that he hath paide This wife was not aferde ne affraide But boldly she said and that anon Mary I defie that false monke Dan Iohn I keepe not of his tokens neuer a dele He tooke me certaine gold I wote it wele What euill the dome on his monkes snoute For God it wote I wend without doute That he had yeue it me because of you To doen therwith mine honour my prow For cosinage and eke for belle chere That he hath had full often times here But sith I see it stonte in such disioynte I woll answere you shortly to the pointe Ye haue mo slacke dettours than am I For I woll pay you well and redely Fro day to day and if so be I faile I am your wife score it on my taile I shall pay it as soone as ever I may For by my truth I have on mine aray And not in waste bestowed it every dele And for I have bestowed it so we le To your honour for Gods sake I say As be not wrothe but let us laugh play Ye shall my joly bodie have to wedde By God I nill not pay you but a bedde Foryeue it me now mine owne spouse dere Turneth hitherward and make better chere This marchant saw ther was no remedy And for to chide it was but a foly Sith that the thing may not amended be Now wife he said and I foryeue it thee But in thy life be no more so large Keep bet my good this yeue I thee in charge Thus endeth now my tale and God us send Taling inough unto our lives ende ¶ Here followeth the wordes of our Hoste WEll said by corpus Domini qd our Hoste Now long mote thou saile all by the coste Thou gentle Maister gentle Marinere * God giue the monk a thousand last quad yere A ha fellowes beware of such a iape * The monke put in the marchants hode an ape And in his wives eke by saint Austin Draweth no monkes more into your inne But now passe over let us seeke aboute Who shall tell now first of all this route Another tale and with that word he said As curteously as it had been a maid My lady Prioresse by your leaue So that I wist that I shuld you not greue I wolden deme that ye tellen shold A tale next if so be that ye wold Now wol ye vouchsafe my lady dere Gladly qd she and said in this manere ¶ The Prioresses Prologue Domine dominus noster quam admirable est nomen tuum in
the place gan to ring The Christen folk that through the street went In comen for to wonder on this thing And hasteley they for the Prouost sent He came anon without tarying And herieth Christ that is of heauen king And eke his mother honour of mankind And after that the Iews let he binde This child with pitous lamentation Was vp taken singing his song alway And with honour and great procession They carien him to the next abbey His mother sowning by the bere lay Vnneath might the people that were there This new Rachell bringen fro his bere With turment with shamefull deth like one This Prouost doth these Iews for to sterue That of this murder wiste and that anone He nolde no such cursednesse obserue Euill shall he haue that euil wol deserue Therefore with wild horse he did hem draw And afterward he hong hem by the law Vpon a bere aye lieth this innocent Beforn cheef aulter whiles the masse last And after that the abbot with his couen Hem spedde for to burie him al 's fast And when they holy water on him cast Yet spake that child when sprint was holy water And sang O alma redemptoris mater This abbot which that was an holy man As monkes been or els ought to be This yong childe to couer he began And said O dere child I hailse thee By vertue of the holy Trinitie Tell me what is thy cause for to sing Sithens thy throte is cut to my seeming My throte is cut vnto my necke bone Said this child and as by way of kind I should haue deyd ye long time agone But Iesus Christ as ye in bookes find Woll that his glory last and be in minde And for the worship of his mother dere Yet may I sing O alma loude and clere This wel of mercie Christs mother swete I loued alway as after my conning And when that I my life should forlete To me she came and bad me for to sing This antem verily in my dying As ye han herde and when that I had song Me thought she laid a graine vpon my tong Wherefore I sing and sing mote certaine In honour of the blisfull maiden free Till fro my tongue off taken is the graine And after that thus she said to me My little child now woll I fetch thee When that the graine is fro thy tong itake Be not agaste I woll thee not forsake This holy monke this abbot him mene I His tong out caught toke away that graine And he yaue vp the ghost full softly And when this abbot had this wonder seyne His salt teres trikled all down as reyne And groffe he fell all flat to the ground And still he lay as he had been ibound The couent lay eke vpon the pauement Weeping and herying Christes mother dere And after they risen and forth ben went And tooke away this martir fro the bere And in a tonthe of marble stones clere Enclosen they his litle body swete There he is now God leue vs for to mete O yong Hew of Lincolne slaine also With cursed Iewes as it is notable For it is but a little while ago Pray for vs we sinfull folke vnstable That of his mercie God be merciable On us his great mercy multiply For the reuerence of his mother Mary ¶ Here followeth the wordes of the Hoste to Chaucer WHen said was this miracle euery man As sober was as wonder was to see Till that our hoste to yapen began And then at erste he looked vpon me And said thus what man art thou qd he Thou lookest as thou wouldest finde an hare For euer vpon the ground I see thee stare Approch neere and looke vp merely Now ware you sirs let this man haue place He in the waste is shapen as well as I This were a popet in armes to enbrace For any woman small and faire of face He semeth eluish by his countenance For vnto no wight doth he daliance Say now somewhat sithens other folke han said Tell vs a tale of mirth and that anon Hoste qd he ne be not euil apaide For other tale certes can I none But of a rime I lerned yore agone Ye that is good qd he we shullen here Some deinte thing me thinketh by thy chere ¶ Here followeth the Rime of Sir Thopas A Northern tale of an outlandish Knight purposely uttered by Chaucer in a differing rime and stile from the other tales as though he himself were not the Author but onely the reporter of the rest LIsteneth lordinges in good entent And I woll tell you verament Of mirth and of solas All of a knight was faire and gent In battaile and in turnament His name was sir Thopas Iborne he was in ferre countre In Flaunders all beyonde the see At Popering in the place His father was a man full fre And lord he was of that countre As it was Gods grace Sir Thopas was a doughty swaine White was his face as paine maine His lippes reed as rose His rudde is like scarlet in graine And I you tell in good certaine He had a seemely nose His haire his berde was like safroun That to his girdle raught adowne His shoone of cordewane Of Bruges were his hosen broun His robe was of chekelatoun That cost many a iane He couth hunt at the wilde dere And ride an hauking for by the riuere With grey Goshauke on honde Thereto he was a good archere Of wrastling was there none his pere There any Ram should stonde Full many a maide bright in boure They mourne for him their paramoure Whan hem were bet to sleepe But he was chaste and no lechoure And sweet as is the bramble floure That beareth the red hipe And so befell vpon a day Forsoth as I you tell may Sir Thopas would out ride He wroth vpon his stede gray And in his honde a launce gay A long sword by his side He pricketh through a faire forest Therein was many a wild beest Ye both Bucke and Hare And as he pricked North and Easte I tellen you him had almeste Betide a sory care There springen herbes great and small The Licores and the Setual And many a clowe Gelofer And Nutmiges to put in ale Whether it be new or stale Or for to lie in cofer The birds singen it is no nay The Sperhauke and the Popingaie That ioy it were to here The throstell eke made his laie The Wood doue vpon the spraie She sung full loude and clere Sir Thopas fill in loue longing And when he heard the Throstill sing He pricketh as he were wood His faire stede in his pricking So sweete that men might him wring His sides were all blood Sir Thopas eke so wearie was For pricking on the soft graas So fiers was his corage That downe he laied him in that place To maken his stede some solace And gaue him good forage Oh saint Mary benedicite What aileth this loue at me To blinde me so sore
sufficeth to haue be counsailed by these counsailours onely and with little auisement whereas in so high and in so great a need it had been necessarie mo counsailours and more deliberation to performe your emprise Ye han erred also for ye haue not examined your counsaile in the foresaid matters ne in due manner as yâ— case requireth Ye haue erred also for ye made no diuision betweene your true friends your fained counsailours ne ye haue not knowne the will of your trewe counsailours and friends old wise but ye haue cast all her words in an hochpot and enclined your heart to the more part and to the greater number of fooles than of wise men * And therefore the counsaylings that beene at congregations and multitudes of folke there as men take more regard to the number than to the sapience of persons ye seene well that in such counsaylings fooles han the maistrie Melibeus answerd and said ayen I graunt well that I haue erred but there as thou hast told me here beforne that he nis not to blame that chaungeth his counsaile in certaine case and for certaine and just cause I am all redie to chaunge my counsailours right as thou wouldest deuise The Prouerbe sayth * For to done sinne is mannish but certes for to persevere long in sinne is werke of the Diuell To this sentence answereth anone dame Prudence said Examineth qd she well your counsaile and let vs see which of hem hath spoke most reasonably and taught you best counsaile And for as much as the examination is necessarie let vs begin at Surgiens and Physicians that first spake of this matter I say that Physicians Surgiens haue saied you in your counsayle discreetly as hem ought in her speech said full wisely that to the office of hem appertaineth to done to euery wight honour profite and no wight to annoy after her craft to done great diligence vnto the cure of hem which they haue in her gouernaunce sir right as they have answerd wisely and discreetly right so read I that they beene highly souerainly guerdoned for her noble speech and eke for they shull more done their ententife businesse in the curation of your doughter For all beit so they been your friends therfore shullen ye not suffer that they serue you for nought but ye ought therafter guerdon hem and pay hem her largesse And as touching yâ— proposition which the Physicians entreteden in this case this is to saine that in maladies is * That contrarie is warished by another contrary I would faine know how ye vnderstond thilke text and what is your sentence Certes qd Melibeus I vnderstond it in this wise Right as they han doe me a contrary so should I done hem another for right as they han venged hem vpon me done me wrong right so woll I venge me vpon hem done hem wrong and then haue I cured one contrary by another Lo lo qd dame Prudence how lightly is euery man enclined to his own desire his owne pleasaunce Certes qd she the wordes of the Physicians ne should not been vnderstond in that wise for certes wickednesse is not contrary to wickednesse ne vengeaunce is not contrarie to vengeaunce ne wrong to wrong but euery of hem encreaseth and engendreth other But certes the words of the Physicians should be vnderstond in this wise for good and wickednesse ben two contraries and peace and warre vengeaunce and suffraunce discord and accord and many other things * But certes wickednesse shall be warished with goodnesse discord by accord warre by peace and so forth in other things And therto accordeth saint Paule the Apostle in many places He sayth Ne yeeld not harme for harme ne wicked speech for wicked speech but doe well to hem that done to thee harme and blesse hem that saith thee harme And in many other places he admonisheth peace accord But now woll I speke of the counsaile which was iyeue vnto you by men of Lawe and the wise folke and old folke that sayden all by one accord as ye heard beforne That ouer all things ye shall done your businesse diligence to keepe your person and to warnstore your house And they said also that in this case ye ought to werchen full wisely with great deliberation And sir as to the first point that toucheth the keeping of your person ye shall vnderstond that he that hath warre shall euer deuoutly and meekly praien beforne all things that Iesu Christ of his mercie woll haue him in his protection and to be his soueraigne helper at his need For certes in this world there nis no wight that may be counsailed and ikept sufficiently without the keeping of our lord Iesu Christ To this sentence accordeth the Prophet Dauid that sayth * If God ne kept the Citty in idle waketh hee that it keepeth Now sir then should hee commit the keeping of your person to your true friends that been approued and iknow and of him should ye aske helpe your person to keep For Caton saith * If thou haue need of helpe aske it of thy friends for there nis none so good a Hhysician as thy true friend And after this then shall yee keep you fro all straunge folke and fro liers and have alway in suspect her companie For Peter Alphons saieth * Ne take no company by the way of no straunge man but if so bee that thou hast known him of lenger time And if so be that he fall into thy companie peradventure withouten thine assent and good will enquire then as subtelly as thou canst of his conversation and of his life beforne and faine thy way saying thou wouldest go thider as thou wolt not goe if he beare a speare hold thee on the right side of him if he beare a swerd hold thee on the left side of him And then shall ye keepe you wisely from all manner of such people as I have saied you here before and hem and her counsaile eschew And after this then shall yee keepe you in such manner that for any presumption of your bodily strength that ye despise not ne account not the might of your adversary so lite that ye let the keeping of your person for your presumption * For every wise man dredeth his enemie And Salomon sayth * A very foole is he that of all hath drede * But certes he that thorow hardnesse of his heart and through the hardinesse of himselfe hath too great presumption him shall euill betide Then shall ye euermore encounter waite embushments and all espiaile For Seneke sayeth * The wise man that dredeth harmes escheweth harmes * He ne falleth into no perils that perill escheweth And all be it so that thou seeme that thou be in secret place yet shalt thou alway done diligence in keeping of thy person this is to say ne be not negligent to keepe thine owne person not onely for thy greatest enemy but also for thy least
enemy Seneke sayth * A man that is well aduised he dreadeth his least enemie Ouid sayth * That the little wesell woll slee the great Bull and the wild Hart. And the Prouerbe sayth * That a little thorn woll greeue a king full sore and a little hound woll hold the wild Bore But nathalesse I say not thou shalt be so coward that thou doubt where as is no dred The book sayth That somemen haue great lust to deceiue but yet they dread to bee deceiued And keepe thee fro the companie of scorners * For the booke sayth With scorners ne make no company but flie her words as venome Now as to the second point whereas your wise Counsaylours counsayled you to warnestore your house with great dilligence I would faine know how yee vnderstond thilke wordes and what is your sentence Melibeus answered and said certes I vnderstond it in this wise that I shall warnestore mine house with toures such as haue castles other maner edifices and armure and archeries betweene which things I may my person and my house so keepe defend that mine enemies shullen be in dread mine house to approch To this sentence answered anon Prudence Warnishing qd she of high toures and of high edifices is with great costages and with great travaile and when that they ben accomplished yet bin they not worth a straw but if they been defended with true friends that ben old and wise And understondeth well that the greatest and the strongest garnison that rich men may have as well to keepen her person as her goods is that they be beloved with her subjects and with her neighbours For thus sayth Tullius * That there is a manner garrison that no man may vanquish ne discomfite and that is a lord to be beloved of his citizens and of his people Nowe sir as to the third point whereas your olde and wise Counsaylours saied that ye ought not suddainly ne hastily proceed in this need but that yee ought purueyen and apparaile you in this case with great dilligence and deliberation Verely I trow that they saied right truly and right sooth For Tullius sayth * In every deed or thou begin it apparaile thee with great diligence Then say I in vengeaunce taking in war in battaile and in warnestoring or thou begin I rede that thou apparaile thee thereto and do it with great deliberation For Tullius sayth * The long apparailing tofore the battaile maketh short victorie And Cassidorus sayth * The garrison is stronger when it is long time avised But now let us speake of the Counsayle that was accorded by your neighbours such as done you reverence withouten love your old enemies reconciled your flatterers that counsailed you certain things prively and openly counsailed you the contrarie The young folke also that counsailed you to venge you and to make warre anon Certes sir as I have saied before ye have greatly erred to clepe such manner of folke to your counsaile which counsailours ben ynough reproued by the reasons aforesaid But nathelesse let us now descend to the special Ye shull first proceed after the doctrine of Tullius Certes the trouth of this matter or of this counsaile needeth not diligently to enquire for it is wel wist which they been that han done you this trespas and villanie and how many trespassours and in what manner they have done all this wrong to you and all this villany And after this then shull ye examine the second condition which Tullius addeth in this matter For Tullius putteth a thing which that he clepeth consenting this is to say who ben they and which been they and how many that consenten to thy counsaile in thy wilfulnesse to done hastie vengeaunce And let us consider also who been they and how many they been that consented to your adversaries As to the first point it is well knowen which folke they be that consented to your hastie wilfulnesse For truly all tho that counsaile you to maken suddaine warre ne be not your friends Let see now which beene they that ye holden so greatly your friends as to your person For albeit so that ye be mighty and rich certes ye been but alone for truly yee ne have no child but a doughter ne ye have no brethren ne cousin Germaines ne none other nigh kinrede wherefore your enemies should stint to plead with you ne to destroy your person Ye know also that your riches mote be dispended in diverse parties And when that every wight hath his part they wollen take but little regard to venge your death But thine enemies ben three they have many brethren children cousins and other nigh kinrede and though so were that thou haddest slaine of hem two or three yet dwelleth there ynowe to avenge her death and to slea thy person And though so be that your kinrede be more stedfast and siker than the kinne of your adversaries yet neverthelesse your kinrede is but after kinrede for they ben but little sibbe to you and the kinne of your enemies ben nigh sibbe to hem And certes as in that her condition is better than is yours Then let us consider also of the counsayling of hem that counsayled you to take suddaine vengeaunce whether it accord to reason or non And certes yee know well nay for as by right reason there may no man take vengeaunce of no wight but the judge that hath jurisdiction of it when it is graunted him to take vengeaunce hastely or attemperately as the Law requireth And yet moreover of thilke word that Tullius clepeth consenting thou shalt consent if that thy might and thy power may consent and suffice to thy wilfulnesse and to thy counsaylours And certes thou mayest well say nay for sikerly as for to speake properly * We may do nothing but such thing as we may done rightfully and certes rightfully ye may take no vengeaunce as of your own proper authority Then may ye see that your power ne consenteth not ne accordeth not with your wilfulnesse Nowe let us examine the third point that Tullius clepeth consequence Thou shalt understond that the vengeaunce that thou purposest for to take is consequent and thereof followeth another vengeaunce perill warre and other dammages withouten number of which wee be not ware as at this time And as touching the fourth point that Tullius clepeth engendring thou shalt consider that this wrong which that is done to thee is engendred of the hate of thine enemies and of the vengeaunce taking upon hem that would engender another vengeaunce and muckell sorrow and wasting of richesse as I sayed ere Now sir as touching the fift point that Tully cleapeth causes which is the last point thou shalt understond that the wrong that thou hast received hath certain causes which that clerkes callen oryen and effycien and causa longinqua and causa propinqua that is to say the ferre cause and the nigh cause The ferre cause is almighty God that is cause of all things The
great avarice and knoweth well that needs he must die for death is the end of every man as in this present life And for what cause or encheson joineth he him or knitteth he him so fast unto his goods that al his wits mow not discever him ne depart him fro his goods and knoweth well or ought to know that when he is dead he shall nothing bear with him out of this world And therefore saith saint Augustine * That the avaricious manne is likened unto hell that the more it swalloweth the more desire it hath to swallow and devour And as well as yee would eschew to be called an avaricious man or chinche as well should yee keepe and governe you in such a wise that menne call you not foole large Therefore saith Tullius * The goods of thine house ne should not be hid ne kept so close but that they might be opened by pity and debonairte that is to say to yeue hem part that have great need Ne thy goods should not be so open to be every mannes goods Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem ye shall alway have three things in your heart that is to say * Our Lord God conscience good name First ye shall have God in your heart and for no richesse yee should doe any thing which may in any manner displease GOD your creatour and maker For after the word of Salomon * It is better to have a little good with the love of GOD than to have much good and treasure and lese the love of his Lord GOD. And the Prophet saith * That better it is to be a good manne and have little good and treasure than to be holden a shrewe and have great richesse And yet I say furthermore that yee should alway doe your businesse to get you richesse so that yee get hem with good conscience And the Apostle sayeth * That there nis thing in this world of which wee should have so great joy as when our conscience beareth us good witnesse And the Wise man saith * That the substaunce of a man is full good when sinne is not in mannes conscience Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem yee must have great bnsinesse and great dilligence that your good name bee alway kept and conserved For Salomon saith * That better it is and more it availeth a man to have a good name than for to have many richesses And therefore he sayeth in another place * Do great diligence saith Salomon in keeping of thy friends of thy good name for it shall lenger abide with thee than any treasure be it never so precious And certes he should not be called a great Gentleman that after God good conscience all things left ne dooth his dilligence and businesse to keepe his good name And Cassiodor sayth * That it is a signe of a gentle heart when a manne loveth and desireth to have a good name And therefore sayeth saint Augustine * That there ben two things that been right necessarie and also needfull and that is good conscience and good lose that is to say good conscience to thine owne person inward and good lose for thy neighbour outward And hee that trusteth him so much in his good conscience that hee despiseth and setteth at nought his good name or lose recketh not though he keepe not his good name nis but a cruell churle Sir now haue I shewed you how ye shuld doe in getting richesses and how yee should vse hem and I see well that for the trust that ye haue in your richesses ye woll moue warre and battaile I counsaile you that ye begin no warre in trust of your richesses for they ne suffice not warres to maintaine And therefore sayeth a Philosopher * That a man that desireth and would algates haue warre shall neuer haue suffisaunce for the richer that he is the greater dispences must he make if he woll haue worship and victorie And Salomon saith * That the greater riches that a man hath the more dispendours he hath And therfore sir albeit so that for your richesses ye may haue much folke yet behooueth it not ne it is not good to begin warre whereas ye may in other manner haue peace vnto your worship and profit * For the victorie of battailes that been in this world lieth not in great number or multitude of people ne in the vertue of man but it lieth in the will and in the hond of our Lord God almightie And therfore Iudas Machabeus which was Gods knight when hee should fight against his aduersarie that had a greater number a greater multitude of folk and stronget than was his people of Machabe yet he recomforted his little companie and saied right in this wise Also lightly saied he may our Lord God Almightie yeue victorie to a fewe folke as to many folke For the victorie of a battaile commeth not by the great number of people but it commeth from our Lorde GOD of heeuen And deare sir for as much as there is no manne certaine if it be worthie that God yeue him victorie or not after that Salomon sayeth * Therefore euery man should greatly dreade warres to begin and because that in battels fall many perils and happeth other while that as soone is the great man slaine as the little man And as it is written in the second booke of Kings The deeds of battailes ben adventurous and nothing certaine for as lightly is one hurt with a speare as another and for there is great perill in warre therefore should a man flie and eschew warre in as much as a man may goodly For Salomon sayeth * Hee that loueth perill shall fall in perill After that dame Prudence had spoken in this manner Melibe answerd and said I see well dame Prudence that by your fair words and your reasons that ye haue shewed mee that the warre liketh you nothing but I haue not yet heard your counsaile how I shall doe in this need Certes said shee I counsaile you that ye accorde with your aduersaries and that yee haue peace with hem For saint Iames sayth in his Epistle * That by concorde peace small riches wexe great and by debate and discorde riches decay And yee know well that one of the greatest moste soueraigne thing that is in this world is vnity peace And therefore sayeth our Lord Iesu Christ to his Apostles in this wise * Well happy beene they that loue purchase peace for they be called the children of God Ah saied Melibe now see I well that ye loue not mine honour ne my worship ye know well that mine aduersaries haue begun this debate and brige by their outrage And yee see well that they ne require ne pray me of peace ne they aske not to be reconciled Woll ye then that I goe meeke me obey me to hem and crie hem mercie Forsoth that were not my worship * For right as men say
worse than a fiend If I to you would harme or villanie I am not come your counsaile to espie But truly the cause of my comming Was only to heren how ye sing For soothly ye haue as merry a steuen As any Angel hath that is in heuen Therewith ye haue of musicke more feeling Than had Boece or any that can sing My lord your father God his soule blesse And eke your mother of her gentlenesse Haue in my house ben to my great ease And certes sir full faine would I you please But for men speaken of singing I woll sey So mote I broken well mine eyen twey Save you ne herd I neuer man so sing As did your father in the morning Certes it was of heart all that he song And for to make his voice the more strong He would so paine him yâ— with both his eyen He must winke so loud he must crien And stonden on his tiptoes therewithall And stretchen forth his neck long and small And eke he was of such discretion That there was no man in no region That him in song or wisdome might passe I haue well red dan Burnel the asse Among his verses how there was a Cocke For that a priests sonne yaue him a knocke Vpon his legs while he was yong and nice He made him for to lese his benefice But certain there is no comparison Betwixt the wisdome and discretion Of your father and of his subtilty Now singeth sir for saint charity Let see can ye your father counterfete This Chaunteclere his wings gan to bete As a man that could not his treason espie So was he rauished with his flatterie * Alas ye lords many a false flatterour Is in your court and many a false lesingour That pleaseth you well more by my faith Than he that soothfastnesse vnto you saith Readeth Ecclesiast of flatterie Beware ye lords of her trecherie This Chaunteclere stood high vpon his toos Stretching his necke held his eyen cloos And gan to crowen loud for the nones And dan Russell the foxe start vp at ones And by the gorget hent Chaunteclere And on his backe toward the wood him bere For yet was there no man that him sued O destinie that maist not be eschued Alas that Chaunteclere flew fro the beames Alas that his wife rought not of dreames And on a friday fell all this mischaunce O Venus that art goddesse of pleasaunce Sithens that thy seruant was this chaunteclere And in thy seruice did all his powere More for delite than yâ— world to multiplie Why woldst thou suffer him on thy day to die O Gaulfride deere maister soueraigne That when yâ— worthy king Richard was slaine With shot complainedest his death so sore Why ne had I now thy science and thy lore The friday for to chide as did ye For on a friday shortly slaine was he Than wold I shew you how yâ— I coud plaine For Chauntecleres drede and for his paine Certes such crie ne lamentation Nas neuer of Ladies made whan that Ilion Was won Pirrus with his bright swerd When he hent king Priam by the beard And slough him as saieth Eneidos As made all the hens in the cloos When they had lost of Chaunteclere yâ— sight But souerainly dame Pertelot shright Well louder than did Hasdruballes wife When that her husbond had lost his life And that the Romanes had brent Cartage She was so full of torment and of rage That willfully into the fire she stert And brent her selfe with a stedfast hert O wofull hennes right so cried ye As when that Nero brent the cite Of Rome cryed the senatours wiues For that her husbonds should lese her liues Withouten gilt Nero hath hem slaine Now woll I turne to my tale againe The sely widow and her doughters two Heard the hennes crien and make such wo And out at the dore stert they anon And saw the foxe toward the wood gon And bare vpon his backe the Cocke away They cryed out harow and well away A ha the Foxe and after hem they ran And eke with staues many another man Ran Coll our dogge Talbot eke Garlond And Malkin with her distaffe in her hond Ran Cow Calfe and eke the very Hogges For they so sore aferd were of the dogges And shouting of men and of women eke They ran that they thought her herts shuld breke They yellen as loud fendes do in hell The Duckes cried as men would hem quell The Geese for feare flew ouer the trees Out of the Hiues came the swarme of Bees So hidous was the noise a benedicite Certes Iacke Straw ne all his meine Ne made neuer shoutes halfe so shrill When that they would any Flemming kill As that day was made vpon the Foxe Of brasse they blew the trompes and of boxe Of horne bone in which they blew pouped And therewith they shriked and shouted It semed as though heauen should fall Now good men I pray you herken all Lo how fortune tourneth sodainly The hope and the pride of her enemy This Cocke that lay vpon the Foxes backe In all his drede vnto the Foxe he spake And saied good sir if I were as ye Yet should I say as wise God helpe me Tourneth ayen ye proud churles all A very pestilence upon you fall Now am I come unto this woods side Maugre your hed the Cocke shall here abide I woll him eat in faith and that anon The Foxe answerd in faith it shall be don And as he spake the word all sodainly This Cock brake from his mouth deliuerly And high upon a tree he flew anon And when the Foxe saw that he was gon Alas qd he O Chaunteclere alas I haue qd he done to you trespasse In as much as I made you aferd Whan I you hent and brought out of your yerd But sir I did it in no wicked entent Come downe I shall tell you with I ment I shall you say sothe God helpe me so Nay then qd he I shrew vs both two And first I shrew my selfe both blood bones If thou begile me oâ—ter than ones Thou shalt no more with thy flatterie Doe me to sing with a winking eye * For he that winketh when he should see All wilfully God let him neuer thee * Nay qd yâ— Fox but God yeue him mischance That is so discrete of gouernance That iangleth whan that he shold haue pees Lo soch it is for to be recheles And negligent and trust on flatterie But ye that hold this tale for a lie As of a Foxe of a cocke and of a Hen Taketh the moralite good men For saint Poule sayeth All that written is To our doctrine it is written iwis * Taketh the frute and let the chaffe be still Now good God if that it be thy will As saieth my Lord so make vs all good men And bring vs to the high blisse Amen ¶ The Manciples Prologue SIr Nonnes Priest our host saied anone I blessed be thy brech
invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris OVR sweet Lord God of Heaven that no man woll perish but woll that we turne all to the knoweledge of him and to the blisfull life that is perdurable admonisheth us by the Prophet Ieremie that sayeth in this wise * Stondeth upon the wayes and seeth and asketh of old pathes that is to saie of olde sentences which is the good way and walketh in that way and yee shall finde refreshing for your soules c. Many been the wayes espirituels that leade folke to our Lord Iesu Christ and to the reigne of glory Of which wayes there is a full noble way and full covenable which may not faile to man ne to woman that through sinne hath misgone fro the right way of Hierusalem celestiall and this way is called penitence of which manne should gladly hearken and enquire with all his hert to wete what is penitence and which is called penitence and how many manners been of actions or werkinges of penitence and how manie speces there been of penitence and which thinges appertain and behoove to penitence and which thinges distourbe penitence Saint Ambrose saith * That penitence is the plaining of man for the guilt that he hath done and no more to do any thing for which him ought to playne And some Doctours sayth Penitence is the waymenting of man that sorroweth for his sume and paineth him self for he hath misdone Penitence with certain circumstaunces is very repentance of a man that holt himself in sorrow other paine for his guiltes and for he shall be very penitent he shall first bewaile sinnes that hee hath done and stedfastly purpose in his heart to have shrift of mouth and to do satisfaction and never to doe thing for which him ought more bewayle or complaine and continue in good works or els his repentaunce may not availe For as Saint Isiodor saith * He is a yaper and a lyer and no very repentaunt that eâ—tsoone doth thing for which him ought repent Weeping and not for to stint to doe sinne may not auaile But nathelesse men shall hope that at euery time that man falleth bee it neuer so oft that hee may arise through pennaunce if he haue grace but certaine it is great doubt for as saith saint Gregorie * Vnnethes ariseth he out of sin that is charged with yâ— charge of euill vsage * And therefore repentaunt folke that stint for to sinne and leue sinne or sinne leaue them holy Church holdeth them siker of their saluation * And he that sinneth verely repenteth him in his last end holy Church yet hopeth his saluation by the great mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ for his repentaunce but take the siker way And now sith I haue declared you what thing is Penitence now ye shall vnderstond that there beene three actions of Penitence The first is that a manne be baptised after that he hath sinned Saint Augustine sayth * But he be penitent for his old sinnefull life hee may not biginne the new cleane life For certes if he be baptised without penitence of his old guilt he retaineth the marke of baptisme but not the grace ne the remission of his sins till hee haue very repentaunce Another default is this that men doe deadly sinne after that they haue receiued baptisme The third default is this that men fall in veniall sinnes after her baptisme fro day to day Thereof sayeth Saint Augustine * That penitence of good and humble folk is the penitence of euery day The speces of penitence ben three That one of hem is solemne another is commune and the third is priuie That pennaunce that is solemne is in two manners As to be put out of holy church in lent for slaughter of children such manner thing Another is when a man hath sinned openly of which sinne the fame is openly spoken in the country then holy church by judgement distrayneth him for to do open pennaunce Common pennaunce is that priests enioyn men in certaine case as for to go perauenture naked in pilgrimage or bare foot Priuie pennaunce is that that men doe all day for priuie sins of which we shriue vs priuily and receiue priuie pennaunce Now shalt thou vnderstond what is behoueful necessary to very perfit penitence this stont on three things * Contrition of hart confession of mouth satisfaction For which sayth saint Iohn Chrisostome * Penitence disstraineth a man to accept benignely every paine yâ— him is enioined with contrition of hert shrift of mouth with satisfaction in werking of all manner humility And this is fruitfull penitence ayenst three things in which wee wrath our Lord Iesus Christ this is to say By delite in thinking by retchlesse in speaking and by wicked sinfull werking And ayenst these wicked guilts is penitence that may be likened vnto a tree * The root of this tree is contrition yâ— hideth him in the heart of him that is very repentaunt right as the root of the tree hideth him in the earth Of this roote of contrition springeth a stalke that bereth braunches and leaues of confession and fruit of satisfaction For which Christ sayth in his gospell * Doth digne fruite of penitence for by this fruite men may knowe the tree and not by the root that is hid in the heart of manne ne by the braunches ne the leaues of confession And therefore our lord Iesu Christ saith thus By the fruit of hem shall ye knowe hem Of this root also springeth a seede of grace the which seed is mother of all sikernesse this seed is eager hote The grace of this seed springeth of God through remembraunce on yâ— day of doome and on the paines of hell Of this matter saith Salomon * That in the drede of God man forletteth his sinne The heat of this seed is the loue of God and the desiring of the joy perdurable This heat draweth the heart of man to God doth him hate his sinne For soothly there is nothing that sauoureth so wel to a child as the milke of his nurce ne nothing is to him more abhominable than that milke when it is meddled with other meate Right so the sinfull man yâ— loueth his sinne him seemeth that it is to him most sweete of any thing but fro that time hee loueth sadly our lord Iesu Christ and desireth the life perdurable there is to him nothing more abhominable for soothly The law of God is the loue of God For which Dauid the prophet sayth I haue loued thy law and hated wickednesse He that loueth God keepeth his lawe his word This tree saw the Prophet Daniel in spirit on the vision of Nabuchodonosor when he counsayled him to doe penitence Pennaunce is the tree of life to hem that it receyue he that holdeth him in very penitence is blessed after the sentence of Salomon In this penitence or contrition man shall vnderstond foure things that is to say What is contrition and which beene
folke is blent lo all yâ— time is wonne * In titering and pursute and delaies The folke devine at wegging of a stre And though ye would han after merry daies Then dare ye nat and why For she and she Spake such a word thus looked he and he Least time be lost I dare nat with you deale Come off therfore and bringeth him to heale But now to you ye lovers that ben here Was Troilus nat in a cankedort That lay and might the wispring of hem here And thoght O lord right now renneth my sort Fully to die or have anone comforte And was the first time he should her pray Of love O mightie God what shall he say Explicit Liber Secundus O Blisfull light of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the third heaven faire O sonnes lefe O Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of love O goodly debonaire In gentle hearts aye ready to repaire O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Iheried be thy might and thy goodnesse In heaven and hell in earth and salt see Is felt thy might if that I well discerne As man and beast fish herbe grene tree They fele in times with vapour eterne God loveth and to love woll naught werne * And in this world no lives creature Withouten love is worth or may endure Ye Ioues first to thilke affects glade Through which that things liven all be Commenden and amorous hem made On mortall thing and as you list aye ye Yeve hem in love ease or aduersite And in a thousand formes doune hem sent For love in yearth whom you list he hent Ye fiers Mars appeasen of his ire And as you list ye maken hearts digne Algates hem that ye woll set a fire They dreden shame and vices they resigne Ye doen him curteis be fresh and benigne And high or low after a wight entendeth The ioies that he hath your might it sendeth Ye holden reigne and house in vnitie Ye soothfast cause of friendship ben also Ye knowen all thilke couered qualitie Of things which that folke wondren at so When they can nat construe how it may go She loveth him or why he loveth here * As why this fish nat yâ— commeth to were Ye folke a law have set in vniuerse And this know I by hem that lovers be * That who so striveth with you hath yâ— werse Now Ladie bright for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that serven thee Whose clerke I am so teacheth me devise Some joy of that is felt in thy servise Yea in my naked heart sentement In hilde and do me shew of thy sweetnesse Caliope thy voice be now present For now is need seest thou nat my distresse How I mote tell anon right the gladnesse Of Troilus to Venus herying To the which who nede hath God him bring Incipit Liber Tertius LAy all this meane while this Troilus Recording his lesson in this manere Mafey thought he thus woll I say thus Thus woll I plaine vnto my Lady dere That word is good this shall be my chere This nill I nat foryetten in no wise God leve him werken as he can devise And Lord so that his hart gan to quappe Hearing her come and short for to sike And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curtein pike And saied God doe bote on all that are sike See who is here you comen to visite Lo here is she that is your death to wite Therewith it seemed as he wept almost A a qd Troilus so routhfully Whether me be wo O mighty god thou wost Who is all there I see nat truely Sir qd Creseide it is Pandare and I Ye sweet hart alas I may nat rise To kneele and do you honour in some wise And dressed him vpward and she right tho Gan both her honds soft vpon him ley O for the love of God doe ye not so To me qd she eye what is this to sey Sir comen am I to you for causes twey First you to thonke and of your Lordship eke Continuaunce I would you beseke This Troilus that heard his Ladie pray Of Lordship him wox neither quick ne dedde Ne might o word for shame to it say Although men shoulden smiten off his hedde But Lord so he wox sodaineliche redde And sir his lesson that he wende conne To praien her is through his wit ironne Creseide all this aspied well ynough For she was wise loved him never the lasse * All nere he in all apert or made it tough Or was too bold to sing a foole a Masse But when his shame gan somwhat to passe His reasons as I may my rimes hold I woll you tell as teachen bookes old In chaunged voice right for his very drede Which voice eke quoke thereto his manere Goodly abasht and now his hewes rede Now pale vnto Creseide his ladie dere With looke doun cast humble iyolden chere Lo the alder first word that him astart Was twice mercy mercy O my sweet hart And stint a while when he might out bring The next word was God wote for I have As faithfully as I have had konning Ben yours all God so my soule do save And shall till that I wofull wight be grave And though I dare ne can vnto you plaine I wis I suffer not the lasse paine Thus much as now ah womanliche wife I may out bring and if this you displease That shall I wreke vpon mine owne life Right soone I trow and do your hart an ease If with my death your heart may appease But sens yâ— ye han heard me somewhat sey Now retch I never how soone that I dey Therewith his manly sorrow to behold It might have made an hart of stone to rew * And Pandare wept as he to water would And poked ever his nece new and new And saied wo begon been hearts true For love of God make of this thing an end Or slea us both at ones ere that ye wend. I what qd she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wilne that I sey Eye what qd he that ye have on him routh For Gods love and doeth him nat to dey Now then thus qd she I woll him prey To tell me the fine of his entent Yet wist I never well what that he ment What that I mean O my sweet hart dere Qd. Troilus O goodly fresh and free That with the streames of your eyen so clere Ye shoulden sometime friendly on me see And then agreen that I may ben hee Withouten braunch of vice on any wise In trouth alway to do you my servise As to my lady right and cheefe resort With all my witte and all my diligence And to have right as you list comfort Vnder your yerde egall to mine offence As death if that I breake your defence And that ye digne me so much honour Me to commaunden aught in any hour And I to ben your
Sith yâ— thy weping but doubleth thy wo * I counsaile thee make vertue of a nede Go learne to clappe thy clapper to and fro And learne after the lawe of lepers lede There was no bote but forthwith then she yede Fro place to place while cold hunger sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same time of Troy the garnisoun Which had the chieftain worthy Troilus ThrouÈ jeopardy of warre had striken doun Knights of Grece in nomber marveilous With great triumph and laude victorious Again to Troy right royally they rode The way where Creseide with yâ— leper stode Seing that company come al with o stevin They gave a cry shoke cupps good spede Worthy lordes for Goddes love of hevin To us seper part of your almose dede Then to her cry noble Troilus toke hede Having pite nere by the place gan pas Wher Creseide sat nat weting with she was Then vpon him she kest vp both her iyen And with a blinke it come in til his thought That he sometime her face before had sein But she was in soch plite he knew her nought Yet then her loke into his minde he brought The swete visage and amorous blenking Offaire Creseid sometime his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mind that he Toke her figure so sone and lo now why * The Idoll of a thing in case may be So depe enprinted in the fantasie That it deludeth the wittes outwardly And so apereth in forme and like estate Within the minde as it was figurate A sparke of love then til his hartcouth spring And kindeled his body in a fire With hote feuer in swette and trembling Him tooke while he was readie to exspire To heare his shield his brest began to tire Within a while he chaunged many a hewe And nevertheles nat one an other knew For knightly pite and memoriell Of faire Creseide a girdel gan he take A purse of gold and many a gaie iewell And in the skirt of Creseide doun gan shake Then rode away and nat a word he spake Pensife in hart while he came to the toune And for great care oft sith almost fell doune The lepre folke to Creseide then couth draw To see the equall distributioun Of the almose but when the gold they saw Ech one to other priuely can roun And saied yon lord hath more affectioun How ever it be vnto yon Lazarous Than to vs al we know by his almous What lord is yon qd she have ye no fele That doeth to vs so great humanite Yes qd a lepre man I know him wele Sir Troilus it is a knight gentle and free When Creseide vnderstood that it was hee Stiffer than stele there sterte a bitter stound Throughout her hert fill doun to yâ— ground When she over come with sighing sore sad With many a carefull crie and cold atone Now is my brest with stormy stoundes stad Wrapped in wo wretchfull will of one Then fell in swoun ful oft or she would fone And ever in her swouning cried she thus O false Creseide and true knight Troilus Thy love thy laude all thy gentlenesse I counted small in my prosperite So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fickell whele so hie All faith and love I promitted to thee Was in thy selfe fekell and furious O false Creseide and true knight Troilus For love of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chast in conuersacion Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped their opinion My minde and fleshly foule affection Was enclined to lustes lecherous Fie false Creseide O true knight Troilus Lovers beware and take good hede about Whom that ye love for when ye suffre pain I let you wit there is right few throughout Whom ye may trust to have true love again Proue when ye woll your labour is in vain Therefore I rede ye take them as ye find For they are sad as Wedercocke in wind Bicause I know the great vnstablenesse Brittle as glasse vnto my self I say Trusting in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of fay Though some be true I wot riÈt few ar they Who findeth truth let him his lady ruse None but my self as now I woll accuse When this was said with paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequethe my corse and carioun With wormes and with Toodes to be rent My cuppe my clapper and mine ornament And all my gold these lepre folke shall have When I am dedde to bury me in grave This roiall ring set with this Rubie redde Which Troilus in dowrie to me send To him again I leaue it when I am dedde To make my careful death vnto him kend Thus I conclude shortly and make an end My spirit I leave to Diane where she dwels To walke with her in wast wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche belt Which Troilus gaue me in tokening Of his true love with that worde she swelt And soone a leaper man toke off the ring Then buried her withouten tarying To Troilus forthwith the ring he bare And of Creseide the death he gan declare When he had heard her great infirmite Her legacie and lamentacioun And how she ended in such poverte He swelt for wo and fell doune in a swoun For sorow his hart to brast was boun Sighing full sadly sayd I can no more She was vntrue and wo is me therefore Some saith he made a tombe of marble gray And wrote her name superscripcioun And layd it on her graue whereas she lay In golden letters conteining this reasoun Lo faire Fadies Creseide of Troie toun Somtime counted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lieth dedde Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worship and instruction Of charite I monish and exhort Minge nat your love with false discepcion Beare in your mind this sore conclusion Of faire Creseide as I have sayd before Sith she is dedde I speake of her no more The Legend of good Women For that some Ladies in the Court took offence at Chaucers large speeches against the untruth of Women the Queen enjoyned him to compile this Book in the commendation of sundry Maidens and Wives who shewed themselves faithful to faithless men A Thousand times I have heard men tell That there is joy in heaven pain in hell And I accord it wele that it is so But nathelesse yet wote I wele also That there nis non dwelling in this countre That either hath in heaven or in hell ibe Ne may of it none other waies witten But as he heard sayd or found it written For by assay there may no man it preve But God forbede but men should leve Wel more thing than they have seen with iye Men shall nat weâ—en every thing a lie But if himself it seeth or els it dooth For God wote thing is never the lesse soth Though every wight ne may
and right yong thereto Of the age of foure and twentie yere Vpon his beard but little heere And he was clothed all in blacke I stalked even vnto his backe And there I stood as still as ought The sooth to say he saw me nought For why he hing his head adowne And with a deadly sorrowfull sowne He made of time ten verses or twelue Of a complaint to himselue The most pitie the most routh That ever I heard for by my trouth It was great wonder that nature Might â—uffer any creature To have such sorrow and he not ded Full pitous pale and nothing red He said a lay a manner song Without note without song And was this for full well I can Rehearse it right thus it began I have of sorrow so great wone That joy get I neuer none Now that I see my lady bright Which I haue loved with all my might Is fro me dead and is agone And thus in sorrow left me alone Alas death what eyleth thee That thou noldest have taken me When that thou tooke my lady swete Of all goodnesse she had none mete That was so faire so fresh so free So good that men may well see When he had made thus his complaint His sorrowfull hart gan fast faint And his spirits wexen dead The blood was fled for pure dread Down to his hert to maken him warme For well it feeled the heart had harme To wete eke why it was adrad By kind and for to make it glad For it is member principall Of the body and that made all His hew chaunge and wexe greene And pale for there no blood is seene In no manner limme of his Anon therewith when I saw this He farde thus euill there he sete I went and stood right at his fete And grette him but he spake nought But argued with his owne thought And in his wit disputed fast Why and how his life might last Him thought his sorrowes were so smert And lay so cold vpon his heart So through his sorrow and holy thought Made him that he heard me nought For he had welnigh lost his mind Though Pan that men clepeth god of kind Were for his sorrowes never so wroth But at the last to saine right sooth He was ware of me how I stood Before him and did off my hood And had ygret him as I best coud Debonairly and nothing loud He said I pray thee be not wroth I heard thee not to saine the sooth Ne I saw the not sir truly Ah good sir no force qd I I am right sorry if I haue ought Distroubled you out of your thought Foryeve me if I haue misse take Yes thamends is light to make Qd. he for there lithe none thereto There is nothing missaide nor do Lo how goodly spake this knight As it had be another wight And made it neyther tough ne queint And I saw that and gan me acqueint With him and found him so tretable Right wonder skilfull and reasonable As me thought for all his bale Anon right I gan find a tale To him to looke where I might ought Haue more knowledging of his thought Sir qd I this game is done I holde that this hart be gone These hunts can him no where see I do no force thereof qd he My thought is thereon neuer adele By our Lord qd I I trow you wele Right so me thinketh by your chere But sir o thing woll ye here Me thinketh in great sorrow I you see But certes sir if that ye Would aught discure me your wo I would as wise God helpe me so Amend it if I can or may Ye mowe prove it by assay For by my trouth to make you hole I woll do all my power whole And telleth me of your sorrowes smart Paraunter it may ease your hart That semeth full sicke vnder your side With that he looked on me aside As who saith nay that nill not be Graunt mercy good friend qd he I thanke thee that thou wouldest so But it may neuer the rather be do No man may my sorrow glade That maketh my hew to fall and fade And hath mine vnderstanding lorne That me is wo that I was borne May nought make my sorrowes slide Not all the remedies of Ovide Ne Orpheus god of melodie Ne Dedalus with his playes slie Ne heale me may no Phisicien Nought Ipocras ne Galien Me is wo that I liue houres twelue But who so woll assay hemselue Whether his hert can haue pite Of any sorrow let him see me I wretch that death hath made all naked Of all the blisse that ever was maked Iwroth werste of all wights That hate my dayes and my nights My life my lustes be me loth For all fare and I be wroth The pure death is so full my fo That I would die it will not so For when I follow it it will flie I would have him it nill not me This is pain without reed Alway dying and be not deed That Tesiphus that lieth in hell May not of more sorrow tell And who so wist all by my trouth My sorrow but he had routh And pitie of my sorrows smart That man hath a fiendly heart For whoso seeth me first on morrow May saine he hath met with sorrow For I am sorrow and sorrow is I Alas and I will tell thee why My sorrow is tourned to plaining And all my laughter to weeping My glad thoughts to heauinesse In trauaile is mine idlenesse And eke my rest my wele is wo My good is harme and euermo In wrath is tourned my playing And my delite into sorrowing Mine heale is tourned into sicknesse In drede is all my sikernesse To derke is turned all my light My witte is foly my day is night My loue is hate my slepe wakyng My mirth and meales is fastyng My countenaunce is nicete And all abawed where so I be My peace pleding and in werre Alas how might I fare werre My boldnesse is turned to shame For false fortune hath played a game At the cheffe with me alas the while The trayteresse false and full of gyle That al behoteth and nothing halte She gothe vpright and yet she halte That baggeth foule and loketh fayre The dispitous debonaire That scorneth many a creature An ydole of false purtraiture Is she for she woll sone wryen She is the monstres heed ywryen As filth ouer ystrowed with floures Her most worship and her floures To lyen for that is her nature Without faith lawe or mesure She false is and euer laughing With one eye and that other weping That is brought vp she set al downe I liken her to the Scorpiowne That is a false flattering beest For with his head he maketh feest But all amid his flattering With his taile he will sting And enuenim and so will she She is the enuious charite That is aye false and semeth wele So turneth she her false whele About for it is nothing stable Now by the fire now at table Full
all blesse My worlds welfare and my goddesse And I wholy hers and euery dele By our Lorde qd I I trowe you wele Hardly your loue was wel beset I not how it might haue do bet Bet ne not so wel qd he I trowe sir qd I parde Nay leue it wel Sir so do I I leue you wel that trewly You thought that she was the best And to behold the alderfairest Who so had loked her with your eyen With mine nay all that her seyen Said and swore it was so And though they ne had I would tho Haue loued best my lady free Though I had had al the beaute That euer had Alcibiades And al the strength of Hercules And thereto had the worthinesse Of Alisaunder and al the richesse That euer was in Babiloine In Cartage or in Macedoine Or in Rome or in Niniue And thereto also hardy be As was Hector so haue I joy That Achilles slough at Troy And therefore was he slayne also In a temple for both two Were slaine he and Antilegius And so saith Dares Fregius For loue of Polixena Or ben as wise as Minerua I would euer without drede Haue loued her for I must nede Nede Nay trewly I gabbe now Nought nede and I woll tellen how For of good will mine herte it wold And eke to loue her I was holde As for the fayrest and the hest She was as good so haue I rest As euer was Penelope of Grece Or as the noble wife Lucrece That was the best he telleth thus The Romane Titus Liuius She was as good and nothing like Though her stories be autentike Algate she was as trewe as she But wherefore that I tell thee When I first my lady sey I was right yong soth to sey And full great need I had to lerne When mine herte wolde yerne To loue it was a great emprise But as my wit wolde best suffise After my yong childely wit Without drede I beset it To loue her in my best wise To do her wurship and the seruise That I coude tho by my trouth Without faining eyther slouth For wonder faine I wolde her see So mokell it amended mee That when I sawe her amorowe I was warished of all my sorowe Of all day after till it were eue Me thought nothing might me greue Were my sorowes neuer so smert And yet she sit so in mine herte That by my trouth I nold nought For all this world out of my thought Leaue my Lady no trewly Now by my trouth sir qd I Me thinketh ye haue such a chaunce As shrift without repentaunce Repentaunce nay fie qd he Shuld I now repent me To loue nay certes then were I well Worse than was Achitofell Or Antenor so haue I joy The traitour that betrayed Troy Or the false Ganelion He that purchased the traison Of Rouland and of Oliuere Nay while I am a liue here I nil foryet her never mo Now good sir qd I tho Ye haue well told me here before It is no need to reherse it more How ye saw her first and where But would ye tell me the manere To her which was your first speche Thereof I would you beseche And how she knew first your thought Whether ye loved her or nought And telleth me eke what ye have lore I herde you tell here before Ye said thou notest what thou meanest I have lost more than thou weenest What losse is that qd I tho Nil she not love you is it so Or have ye ought done amis That she hath lefte you is it this For Goddes love tell me all Before God qd he and I shall I say right as I have said On her was all my love laid And yet she nist it not never a dele Not longe time leve it wele For by right siker I durst nought For all this world tell her my thought Ne I wolde have wrathed her trewly For wost thou why she was lady Of the body that had the herte And who so hath that may not asterte But for to keepe me fro ydlenesse Trewly I did my businesse To make songes as I best coude And oft time I song hem loude And made songes this a great dele Although I coude nat make so wele Songes ne knew the arte al As coude Lamekes son Tubal That found out first the arte of songe For as his brothers hamers ronge Vpon his anvelt vp and downe Thereof he toke the first sowne But Grekes saine of Pithagoras That he the first finder was Of the art Aurora telleth so But thereof no force of hem two Algates songes thus I made Of my feling mine herte to glade And lo this was alther first I not where it were the werst Lord it maketh mine herte light When I thinke on that swere wight That is so semely one to se And wish to God it might so be That she wold hold me for her knight My Lady that is so fayre and bright Now have I told thee soth to say My first song vpon a day I bethought me what wo And sorowe that I suffred tho For her and yet she wist it nought Ne tell her durst I not my thought Alas thought I I can no rede And but I tell her I am but dede And if I tel her to say right soth I am a dradde she woll be wroth Alas what shall I then do In this debate I was so wo Me thought mine hert brast a twain So at the last sothe for to saine I bethought me that Nature Ne formed never in creature So much beauty trewly And bounty without mercy In hope of that may tale I tolde With sorowe as that I never sholde For nedes and maugre mine heed I must have tolde her or be deed I not well how that I began Full yvell reherce it I can And eke as helpe me God withall I trow it was in the dismall That was the ten woundes of Egipt For many a word I overskipt In my tale for pure fere Lest my wordes misse set were With sorowfull hert and woundes dede Softe and quaking for pure drede And shame and stinting in my tale For ferde and mine hew al pale Full oft I wexte both pale and reed Bowing to her I hing the heed I durst not ones loke her on For wit manner and all was gone I said mercy and no more It nas no game it sate me sore So at the the last soth to saine Whan that mine heart was com againe To tell shortly all my speech With hole harte I gan her beseech That she wolde be my Lady swete And swore and hertely gan her hete Ever to be stedfast and trewe And love her alway freshly newe And never other Lady have And all her worship for to save As I best coude I sware her this For yours is all that ever there is For evermore mine hertswete And never to false you but I mete I nyl as wise God helpe me so And when I had my tale ydo God wote she
The names and therefore I pace But in this lustie and riche place That Fames hall called was Full moch prees of folke there nas Ne crouding for to moch prees But all on hie aboue a dees Satte in a see Imperiall That made was of Rubie royall Which that a Carbuncle is ycalled I sawe perpetually ystalled A feminine creature That neuer formed by nature Was soch another thing I saie For alther first soth to saie Me thought that she was so lite That the length of a cubite Was lenger than she seemed be But thus soone in a while she Her self tho wonderly streight That with her feet she therthe reight And with her hedde she touched heauen There as shineth the Sterres seuen And thereto yet as to my wit I saw a great wonder yet Vpon her iyen to behold But certainly I hem neuer told For as fele iyen had she As fethers vpon foules be Or weren on the beasts foure That Goddes trone can honour As writeth Iohn in the Apocalips Her heer that was owndie and crips As burned gold it shone to see And sothe to tellen also shee Had also fele vp standing eares And tonges as on beast been heares And on her feete woxen sawe I Partriche winges redily But Lord the perrie and the richesse I saw sitting on the Goddesse And the heauenly melodie Of songes full of armonie I heard about her trone ysong That all the palais wall rong So song the mighty Muse she That cleped is Caliope And her seuen sisterne eke That in her faces seemen meke And euermore eternally They song of Fame tho heard I Heried be thou and thy name Goddes of renoun and of Fame Tho was I ware at the last As I mine iyen gan vp cast That this ilke noble Queene On her shoulders gan sustene Both the armes and the name Of tho that had large Fame Alisander and Hercules That with a sherte his life did lese And thus found I sitting this Goddesse In noble honour and richesse Of which I stinte a while now Other thing to tellen you Tho saw I stande on thother side Streight doune to the doores wide From the dees many a pillere Of metall that shone not full clere But though they were of no richesse Yet were they made for great noblesse And in hem great sentence And folke of hie and digne reuerence Of which to tell will I fonde Vpon a piller sawe I stonde Alder first there I sie Vpon a piller stonde on hie That was of Lede and of Iron fine Him of the secte Saturnine The Ebraike Iosephus the old That of Iewes gestes told And he bare on his shulders hie The fame vp of the Iurie And by him stoden other seuen Wise and worthy for to neuen To helpen him beare vp the charge It was so heauy and so large And for they written of battayles As well as of other maruayles Therefore was lo this pillere Of which I you tell here Of Leade and Iron both iwis For Iron Martes metall is Which that God is of battayle And the Leade withouten fayle Is lo the metall of Saturne That hath full large whele to turne To stand forth on either rowe Of hem which I could knowe Though I by order hem not tell To make you to long to dwell These of which I gan rede There saw I stand out of drede Vpon an Iron piller strong That painted was all endlong With Tigres blood in euery place The Tholason that height Stace That bare of Thebes vp the name Vpon his shoulders and the fame Also of cruell Achilles And by him stode withouten lees Full wonder hie vpon a piller Of Iron he the great Omer And with him Dares and Titus Before and eke he Lollius And Guido eke the Colempnis And English Galfride eke iwis And ech of these as I haue joy Was busie to heare vp Troy So heavy thereof was the fame That for to beare it was no game But yet I gan full well espie Betwene hem was a little enuie One said that Omer made lies Feyning in his Poetries And was to the Greekes fauourable Therefore held he it but fable Tho saw I stand on a pillere That was of Tinned Iron clere The Latine Poete Virgile That hath bore vp a long while The fame of Pius Eneas And next him on a piller was Of Copper Venus clerke Duide That hath sowen wondrous wide The great god of loues fame And there he bare vp well his name Vpon this piller also hie As I might see it with mine iye For why this hall whereof I rede Was woxe on height length and brede Well more by a thousand deale Then it was erst that saw I weale Tho saw I on a piller by Of Iron wrought full sternely The great Poet dan Lucan That on his shoulders bare vp than As hie as that I might see The fame of Iulius and Pompee And by him stoden all these clerkes That write of Romes mighty werkes That if I would her names tell All to long must I dwell And next him on a piller stood Of Sulphure liche as he were wood Dan Claudian sothe for to tell That bare vp all the fame of hell Of Pluto and of Proserpine That Queene is of the derke pine What should I more tell of this The hall was all full iwis Of hem that written old jestes As been on trees Rokes nestes But it a full confuse mattere Were all these jestes for to here That they of write and how they hight But while that I beheld this sight I herde a noise approchen bliue That fareth as Bees done in an hiue Ayenst her time of out flying Right soch a maner murmuring For all the world it seemed mee Tho gan I looke about and see That there come entring into the hall A right great company withall And that of sondry regions Of all kind of condicions That dwell in yearth vnder the Moone Poore and riche and all so soone As they were come into the hall They gan on knees doune to fall Before this ilke noble Queene And said graunt vs Lady sheene Eche of vs of thy grace a bone And some of hem she graunted sone And some she warned well and faire And some she graunted the contraire Of her asking vtterly But this I say you truely What her grace was I nist For of these folke full well I wist They had good fame eche deserued Although they were diuersly serued Right as her sister dame Fortune Is wont to serue in commune Now herken how she gan to pay Hem that gan her of grace pray And yet lo all this companie Saiden soth and not a lie Madame said they we bee Folke that here besechen thee That thou graunt vs now good fame And let our workes haue good name In full recompensacioun Of good worke giue vs good renoun I warne it you qd she anone Ye get of me good fame none By God and therefore go your way Alas
thee as loud as I may crie And then she began this song full hie I shrew all hem that been of loue vntrue And when she had song it to the end Now farewell qd she for I mote wend And god of loue that can right well may As much joy send thee this day As any yet louer he euer send Thus taketh yâ— Nightingale her leaue of me I pray to God alway with her be And joy of loue he send her euermore And shilde vs fro the Cuckow and his lore For there is not so false a bird as he Forth she flew the gentle Nightingale To all the birds that were in that dale And gate hem all into a place in fere And besoughten hem that they would here Her disease and thus began her tale The Cuckow well it is not for to hide How the Cuckow and I fast haue chide Euer sithen it was day light I pray you all that ye doe me right On that foule false vnkind bridde Then spake o bird for all by one assent This matter asketh good auisement For we been birdes here in fere And sooth it is the Cuckow is not here And therefore we woll haue a parliment And thereat shall the Egle be our Lord And other peres that been of record And the Cuckow shall be after sent There shall be yeue the judgement Or els we shall finally make accord And this shall be without nay The morrow after saint Valentines day Vnder a Maple that is faire and grene Before the chamber window of the quene At Woodstocke vpon the grene lay She thanked hem then her leaue toke And into an Hauthorne by that broke And there she sate and song vpon that tree Terme of life loue hath withhold me So loud that I with that song awoke Explicit O Leud book with thy foule rudenesse Sith thou haste neither beauty ne eloquence Who hath thee caused or yeue thee hardinesse For to appeare in my Ladies presence I am full siker thou knowest her beneuolence Full agreeable to all her abying For of all good she is the best liuing Alas that thou ne haddest worthinesse To shew to her some pleasaunt sentence Sith that she hath through her gentillesse Accepted the seruant to her digne reuerence O me repenteth that I ne had science And leiser al 's to make thee more florishing For of all good she is the best liuing Beseech her meekely with all lowlinesse Though I be ferre from her in absence To think on my trouth to her stedfastnesse And to abridge of my sorrowes the violence Which caused is wherof knoweth your sapience She like among to notifie me her liking For of all good she is the best liuing Lenuoye A Vrore of gladnesse and day of lustinesse Lucern a night with heauenly influence Illumined root of beauty and goodnesse Suspires which I effunde in silence Of grace I beseech alledge let your writing Now of all good sith ye be best liuing Explicit Scogan unto the Lords and Gentlemen of the Kings House In the written Copies the Title hereof is thus Here followeth a moral Ballad to the Prince the Duke of Clarence the Duke of Bedford the Duke of Gloucester the Kings Sons by Henry Scogan at a Supper among the Merchants in the Vintry at London in the House of Lewis John MY noble sonnes and eke my lords dere I your father called vnworthely Send vnto you this little Treatise here Written with mine owne hand full rudely Although it be that I not reuerently Haue written to your estates I you pray Mine vnconning taketh benignely For Gods sake and herken what I say I complain me sore when I remember me The suddaine age that is vpon me fall But more I complain my mispent juuentute The which is impossible ayen for to call But certainly the most complaint of all Is to thinke that I haue be so nice That I ne would vertues to me call In all my youth but vices aye cherice Of which I aske mercy of the Lord That art almighty God in majesty Beseking to make so euen accord Betwixt thee and my soule that vanity Worldly lust ne blind prosperity Haue no lordship ouer my flesh so frele Thou Lord of rest and parfite vnity Put fro me vice and kepe my soule he le And yeue me might while I haue life space Me to confirme fully to thy pleasaunce Shew to me the abundaunce of thy grace And in good werks grant me perseueraunce Of all my youth forget the ignoraunce Yeue me good will to serue thee ay to queme Set all my life after thine ordinaunce And able me to mercy or thou deme My lords dere why I this complaint write To you whom I loue most entirely Is for to warne you as I can endite * That time lost in youth folily Greueth a wight bodily and ghostly I meane him that to lust and vice entend Wherefore lords I pray you specially Your youth in vertue shapeth to dispend * Plant the root of youth in such a wise That in vertue your growing be alway Looke alway goodnesse be in your exercise That shall you mighty make at each assay The fiend to withstand at each affray Passeth wisely this perillous pilgrimage Think on this word and werke it euery day That shall you yeue a parfite floured age Taketh also hede how yâ— these noble clerkes Writen in her bookes of great saprence Saying that faith is ded withouten werkes And right so is estate with negligence Of vertue and therefore with diligence * Shapeth of vertue so to plant the root That ye thereof haue full experience To worship of your life and soules boot * Taketh also hede that lordship ne estate Without vertue may not long endure Thinketh eke how vices vertue at debate Haue ben and shall while the world may dure And euer the vicious by auenture Is ouerthrow and thinketh euermore That God is Lord of all vertue and figure Of all goodnesse and therfore follow his lore My maister Chaucer God his soule saue That in his language was so curious He said that the father which is dead graue Biqueth nothing his vertue with his hous Vnto his children and therefore labourous Ought ye be beseeking God of grace To yeue you might for to be vertuous Through whichye miÈt haue part of his place * Here may ye see that vertuous noblesse Commeth not to you by way of auncestry But it commeth by lefull businesse Of honest life and not by slogardry Wherefore in youth I rede you edisie The house of vertue in such a manere That in your age may you keepe and gie Fro the tempest of worlds wawes here * Thinketh how betwixe vertue and estate There is a parfite blessed Mariage Vertue is cause of peace vice of debate In mans soule the which be full of courage Cherisheth then vertue vices to outrage Driueth hem away let hem haue no wonning In your soules leseth not the heritage Which God hath yeue to
yâ— lond yâ— this monstre was slaw And line right to Thebes he gan draw Well receiued for his worthinesse For his manhood and his prowesse And for they seigh he was a seemely knight Well fauoured in euery mans sight And saw also Thebes the mighty toun Not onely they but all the regioun Were destitute of a gouernour Ayen her foon hauing no succour Hem to defend but the Queene alone Emong hemselfe making full great mone For there was none as bookes specifie The Sceptre and croune to occupie For which the Lordes all by one assent Within the toune set a parlement Shortly concluding if it might been Prudently to treate with the Queen Namely they that held hem selfe most sage To condescend by way of mariage She to be joyned to this manly knight Passing prudent and famous eke of might Most holle man as they can discerne The worthy citee to keepe and gouerne And through counsail of the lords all To their desire plainly she is fall And accorded without more tarying That of Thebes Edippus shall be king By full assent was none that sayed nay And time set ayein a certain day Emong hem selfe and finally deuised The wedding was in Thebes solempnized Full rially that needs must vnthriue Onely for he his moder tooke to wiue Vnwist of both he was of her blood And ignoraunt shortly how it stood That he toforne had his father slaw For which this wedding was against the law * And tofore God is neither faire ne good Nor acceptable blood to touch blood Which cause hath be of great confusion In many a lond and many a region Ground and root of vnhap and mischaunce The fine concluding alway with vengeaunce As men haue sein by clere experience And holy writ recordeth in sentence How Herode falsly in his life By violence tooke his brothers wife For she was fayre and pleasaunt to his sight And kept her still by force through his might Although to her title had he non And for her sake the holy man sainct Iohn For his trouth in prison lost his hedde Wherefore I rede euery man take hede VVhether so he be Lord Prince or King That he beware to eschue soch wedding Ere yâ— the swerde of vengeance him manace Lest he lese hap fortune and grace Taking ensample in all maner thing Of Edippus in Thebes crouned king All be that he wrought of ignoraunce Full derke and blind of his wofull chaunce And if vnwist that he of innocence As ye haue herde fell in soch offence For which he was punished brought low What are they worthy that her errour know And from the knot list not to absteine Of such spousaile to God and man vnclene I can not sem ne more thereof deuise Demeth your self that prudent been wise And eke Edippus haueth emong in mind Of whom the wedding like as ye may find Vnhappy was and passing odious Infortunate and eke vngracious I am werie more thereof to write The hatefull processe also to endite I passe ouer fully of entent For Imeneus was not there present Nor Lucina list not there to shine Ne there was none of the Muses nine But one accord to maken melody For there song not by heauenly armony Neyther Clio nor Caliope None of the sustren in nomber thrise three As they did when Philolaie Ascended vp high aboue the skie To be wedded this Lady vertuous Vnto her Lord the God Mercurius And as Matrician inamed de Copelle In his booke of wedding can you tell There concluding in his marriage The Poete that whilom was so sage That this Lady called Sapience Iwedded was vnto Eloquence As it sat well by heauenly purueiaunce Hem to be joyned by knot of alliaunce But both two soothly of entent At wedding in Thebes were absent That caused after great aduersity For finall end of that solempnity Was sorrow and wo and destruction Vtter ruine of this roiall toun There may no man helpe it ne succour For a time in joy though they floure The Names of the People being at the Wedding of the King Edippus and of Jocasta the Queen But at his wedding plainly for to tell Was Cerberus chief porter of hell And Herebus fader to Hatred Was there present with his holle kinred His wife also with her browes blacke And her doughters sorow for to make Hidously chered and vgly for to see Megera and Thesiphonee Alecto eke with Labour and Enuie Drede Fraude and false Tretcherie Treason Pouert Indigence and Nede And cruell death in his rent wede Wretchednesse Compleint and eke Rage Fearfull Pale Dronkenesse croked Age Cruell Mars and many a Tigre wood Brenning Ire and vnkind blood Fraternall hate deepe set in the roote Saufe onely Death that there nas no boote Assured othes at fine Vntrew All these folke were at weddyng new To make the toune desolate and bare As the story after shall declare But aie in Thebes with his walles strong Edippus reigneth many a day and long And as mine aucthor write in words plain By Iocasta he had sonnes twain Ethiocles and also Polimite And in bookes as sondry clerkes write Doughters two full goodly on to see Of which that one hight Antigonee And that other called was Imein Of her beauty inly souerein Edippus aie deuoid of warre and strife With Iocasta ledde a mery life Till fortune of her iniquity Had enuy of his prosperity For when he shone most rich in his renoun From her whele she plunged him adoun Out of his joy into sodein wo As she is wont frowardly to do And namely hem that setten her affiaunce Of hartely trust in her variaunce For when the king passing of great might Sat with the quene vpon a certain night Casuelly when his folke echone Out of chamber sodeinly were gone Ere he was ware Iocasta gan behold The carectes of his wounds old Vpon his feet emprented wonder depe Tournyng her face brest out for to wepe So secrely he might it not espie And she anon fell into a fantasie Aie on this thing musing more and more And in her bedde gan to sighen sore And when the king conceiueth her distresse He gan enquere of her heauinesse Fully the cause and thoccasion For he will wite in conclusion What her eileth and why she fared so My Lord qd she without wordes mo Percell cause of this sodein rage Is for that I in my tender age Had a Lord inamed Laius King of this toune a man right vertuous By whom I had a sonne right wonder feire Likely to been his successour and heire But bicause his Diuinours told At his birth sothly that he should If he had life by fatall destinee Slaen his fader it might none other be For which the king his fate to eschue Bad men in hast as him thought due To slea the child and haue thereof no roth And I anon bad without sloth To certain men vp pein of judgement To execute the commaundement Of the king