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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE SHIPMANNES TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE SHIPMANNES TALE. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols. Vol. 4.
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THE SHIPMANNES TALE.
Here biginneth the Shipmannes Tale.
- A Marchant whylom dwelled at Seint Denys,
- That riche was, for which men helde him wys;
- A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee,
- And compaignable and revelous was she,
- Which is a thing that causeth more dispence1195
- Than worth is al the chere and reverence
- That men hem doon at festes and at daunces;
- Swiche salutaciouns and contenaunces
- Passen as dooth a shadwe up-on the wal.
- But wo is him that payen moot for al;1200
- The sely housbond, algate he mot paye;(11)
- He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,
- Al for his owene worship richely,
- In which array we daunce Iolily.
- And if that he noght may, par-aventure,1205
- Or elles , list no swich dispence endure,
- But thinketh it is wasted and y-lost,
- Than moot another payen for our cost,
- Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.
- This noble Marchant heeld a worthy hous,1210
- For which he hadde alday so greet repair(21)
- For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,
- That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.
- Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale,
- Ther was a monk, a fair man and a bold,1215
- I trowe of thritty winter he was old,
- That ever in oon was drawing to that place.
- This yonge monk, that was so fair of face,
- Aqueinted was so with the gode man,
- Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan,1220
- That in his hous as famulier was he(31)
- As it possible is any freend to be.
- And for as muchel as this gode man
- And eek this monk, of which that I bigan,
- Were bothe two y-born in o village,1225
- The monk him claimeth as for cosinage;
- And he again, he seith nat ones nay,
- But was as glad ther-of as fowel of day;
- For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.
- Thus been they knit with eterne alliaunce,1230
- And ech of hem gan other for tassure(41)
- Of bretherhede, whyl that hir lyf may dure.
- Free was daun Iohn, and namely of dispence,
- As in that hous; and ful of diligence
- To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage.1235
- He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page
- In al that hous; but, after hir degree,
- He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,
- When that he cam, som maner honest thing;
- For which they were as glad of his coming1240
- As fowel is fayn, whan that the sonne up-ryseth.(51)
- Na more of this as now, for it suffyseth.
- But so bifel, this marchant on a day
- Shoop him to make redy his array
- Toward the toun of Brugges for to fare,1245
- To byen ther a porcioun of ware;
- For which he hath to Paris sent anon
- A messager, and preyed hath daun Iohn
- That he sholde come to Seint Denys to pleye
- With him and with his wyf a day or tweye,1250
- Er he to Brugges wente, in alle wyse.(61)
- This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
- Hath of his abbot, as him list, licence,
- By-cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
- And eek an officer, out for to ryde,1255
- To seen hir graunges and hir bernes wyde;
- And un-to Seint Denys he comth anon.
- Who was so welcome as my lord daun Iohn,
- Our dere cosin, ful of curteisye?
- With him broghte he a Iubbe of Malvesye,1260
- And eek another, ful of fyn Vernage,(71)
- And volatyl , as ay was his usage.
- And thus I lete hem ete and drinke and pleye,
- This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.
- The thridde day, this marchant up aryseth,1265
- And on his nedes sadly him avyseth,
- And up in-to his countour-hous goth he
- To rekene with him-self, as wel may be,
- Of thilke yeer, how that it with him stood,
- And how that he despended hadde his good;1270
- And if that he encressed were or noon.(81)
- His bokes and his bagges many oon
- He leith biforn him on his counting-bord;
- Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
- For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette;1275
- And eek he nolde that no man sholde him lette
- Of his accountes, for the mene tyme;
- And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.
- Daun Iohn was risen in the morwe also,
- And in the gardin walketh to and fro,1280
- And hath his thinges seyd ful curteisly.(91)
- This gode wyf cam walking prively
- In-to the gardin, ther he walketh softe,
- And him saleweth, as she hath don ofte.
- A mayde child cam in hir companye,1285
- Which as hir list she may governe and gye,
- For yet under the yerde was the mayde.
- ‘O dere cosin myn, daun Iohn,’ she sayde,
- ‘What eyleth yow so rathe for to ryse?’
- ‘Nece,’ quod he, ‘it oghte y-nough suffyse1290
- Fyve houres for to slepe up-on a night,(101)
- But it were for an old appalled wight,
- As been thise wedded men, that lye and dare
- As in a forme sit a wery hare,
- Were al for-straught with houndes grete and smale.1295
- But dere nece, why be ye so pale?
- I trowe certes that our gode man
- Hath yow laboured sith the night bigan,
- That yow were nede to resten hastily?’
- And with that word he lough ful merily,1300
- And of his owene thought he wex al reed.(111)
- This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed,
- And seyde thus, ‘ye, god wot al,’ quod she;
- ‘Nay, cosin myn, it stant nat so with me.
- For, by that god that yaf me soule and lyf,1305
- In al the reme of France is ther no wyf
- That lasse lust hath to that sory pley.
- For I may singe “allas” and “weylawey,
- That I was born,” but to no wight,’ quod she,
- ‘Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me.1310
- Wherfore I thinke out of this land to wende,(121)
- Or elles of my-self to make an ende,
- So ful am I of drede and eek of care.’
- This monk bigan up-on this wyf to stare,
- And seyde, ‘allas, my nece, god forbede1315
- That ye, for any sorwe or any drede,
- Fordo your-self; but telleth me your grief;
- Paraventure I may, in your meschief,
- Conseille or helpe, and therfore telleth me
- Al your anoy, for it shal been secree;1320
- For on my porthors here I make an ooth,(131)
- That never in my lyf, for lief ne looth,
- Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.’
- ‘The same agayn to yow,’ quod she, ‘I seye;
- By god and by this porthors, I yow swere,1325
- Though men me wolde al in-to peces tere,
- Ne shal I never, for to goon to helle,
- Biwreye a word of thing that ye me telle,
- Nat for no cosinage ne alliance,
- But verraily, for love and affiance.’1330
- Thus been they sworn, and heer-upon they kiste,(141)
- And ech of hem tolde other what hem liste.
- ‘Cosin,’ quod she, ‘if that I hadde a space,
- As I have noon, and namely in this place,
- Than wolde I telle a legende of my lyf,1335
- What I have suffred sith I was a wyf
- With myn housbonde, al be ne your cosyn.’
- ‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘by god and seint Martyn,
- He is na more cosin un-to me
- Than is this leef that hangeth on the tree!1340
- I clepe him so, by Seint Denys of Fraunce,(151)
- To have the more cause of aqueintaunce
- Of yow, which I have loved specially
- Aboven alle wommen sikerly;
- This swere I yow on my professioun.1345
- Telleth your grief, lest that he come adoun,
- And hasteth yow, and gooth your wey anon.’
- ‘My dere love,’ quod she, ‘o my daun Iohn,
- Ful lief were me this conseil for to hyde,
- But out it moot, I may namore abyde.1350
- Myn housbond is to me the worste man(161)
- That ever was, sith that the world bigan.
- But sith I am a wyf, it sit nat me
- To tellen no wight of our privetee,
- Neither a bedde, ne in non other place;1355
- God shilde I sholde it tellen, for his grace!
- A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde
- But al honour, as I can understonde;
- Save un-to yow thus muche I tellen shal;
- As help me god, he is noght worth at al1360
- In no degree the value of a flye.(171)
- But yet me greveth most his nigardye;
- And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly
- Desyren thinges sixe, as wel as I.
- They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be1365
- Hardy, and wyse, and riche, and ther-to free,
- And buxom to his wyf, and fresh a-bedde.
- But, by that ilke lord that for us bledde,
- For his honour, my-self for to arraye,
- A Sonday next, I moste nedes paye1370
- An hundred frankes, or elles am I lorn.(181)
- Yet were me lever that I were unborn
- Than me were doon a sclaundre or vileinye;
- And if myn housbond eek it mighte espye,
- I nere but lost, and therfore I yow preye1375
- Lene me this somme, or elles moot I deye.
- Daun Iohn, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes;
- Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes,
- If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.
- For at a certein day I wol yow paye,1380
- And doon to yow what plesance and servyce(191)
- That I may doon, right as yow list devyse.
- And but I do, god take on me vengeance
- As foul as ever had Geniloun of France!’
- This gentil monk answerde in this manere;1385
- ‘Now, trewely, myn owene lady dere,
- I have,’ quod he, ‘on yow so greet a routhe,
- That I yow swere and plighte yow my trouthe,
- That whan your housbond is to Flaundres fare,
- I wol delivere yow out of this care;1390
- For I wol bringe yow an hundred frankes.’(201)
- And with that word he caughte hir by the flankes,
- And hir embraceth harde, and kiste hir ofte.
- ‘Goth now your wey,’ quod he, ‘al stille and softe,
- And lat us dyne as sone as that ye may;1395
- For by my chilindre it is pryme of day.
- Goth now, and beeth as trewe as I shal be.’
- ‘Now, elles god forbede, sire,’ quod she,
- And forth she gooth, as Iolif as a pye,
- And bad the cokes that they sholde hem hye,1400
- So that men mighte dyne, and that anon.(211)
- Up to hir housbonde is this wyf y-gon,
- And knokketh at his countour boldely.
- ‘Qui la?’ quod he. ‘Peter! it am I,’
- Quod she, ‘what, sire, how longe wol ye faste?1405
- How longe tyme wol ye rekene and caste
- Your sommes, and your bokes, and your thinges?
- The devel have part of alle swiche rekeninges!
- Ye have y-nough, pardee, of goddes sonde;
- Come doun to-day, and lat your bagges stonde.1410
- Ne be ye nat ashamed that daun Iohn(221)
- Shal fasting al this day elenge goon?
- What ! lat us here a messe, and go we dyne.’
- ‘Wyf,’ quod this man, ‘litel canstow devyne
- The curious bisinesse that we have.1415
- For of us chapmen, al-so god me save,
- And by that lord that cleped is Seint Yve,
- Scarsly amonges twelve ten shul thryve,
- Continuelly, lastinge un-to our age.
- We may wel make chere and good visage,1420
- And dryve forth the world as it may be,(231)
- And kepen our estaat in privetee,
- Til we be deed, or elles that we pleye
- A pilgrimage, or goon out of the weye.
- And therfor have I greet necessitee1425
- Up-on this queinte world tavyse me;
- For evermore we mote stonde in drede
- Of hap and fortune in our chapmanhede.
- To Flaundres wol I go to-morwe at day,
- And come agayn, as sone as ever I may.1430
- For which, my dere wyf, I thee biseke,(241)
- As be to every wight buxom and meke,
- And for to kepe our good be curious,
- And honestly governe wel our hous.
- Thou hast y-nough, in every maner wyse,1435
- That to a thrifty houshold may suffyse.
- Thee lakketh noon array ne no vitaille,
- Of silver in thy purs shaltow nat faille.’
- And with that word his countour-dore he shette,
- And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette,1440
- But hastily a messe was ther seyd,(251)
- And spedily the tables were y-leyd,
- And to the diner faste they hem spedde;
- And richely this monk the chapman fedde.
- At-after diner daun Iohn sobrely1445
- This chapman took a-part, and prively
- He seyde him thus, ‘cosyn, it standeth so,
- That wel I see to Brugges wol ye go.
- God and seint Austin spede yow and gyde!
- I prey yow, cosin, wysly that ye ryde;1450
- Governeth yow also of your diete(261)
- Atemprely, and namely in this hete.
- Bitwix us two nedeth no strange fare;
- Fare-wel, cosyn; god shilde yow fro care.
- If any thing ther be by day or night,1455
- If it lye in my power and my might,
- That ye me wol comande in any wyse,
- It shal be doon, right as ye wol devyse.
- O thing, er that ye goon, if it may be,
- I wolde prey yow; for to lene me1460
- An hundred frankes, for a wyke or tweye,(271)
- For certein beestes that I moste beye,
- To store with a place that is oures.
- God help me so, I wolde it were youres!
- I shal nat faille surely of my day,1465
- Nat for a thousand frankes, a myle-way.
- But lat this thing be secree, I yow preye,
- For yet to-night thise beestes moot I beye;
- And fare-now wel, myn owene cosin dere,
- Graunt mercy of your cost and of your chere.’1470
- This noble marchant gentilly anon(281)
- Answerde, and seyde, ‘o cosin myn, daun Iohn,
- Now sikerly this is a smal requeste;
- My gold is youres, whan that it yow leste.
- And nat only my gold, but my chaffare;1475
- Take what yow list, god shilde that ye spare.
- But o thing is, ye knowe it wel y-nogh,
- Of chapmen, that hir moneye is hir plogh.
- We may creaunce whyl we have a name,
- But goldlees for to be, it is no game.1480
- Paye it agayn whan it lyth in your ese;(291)
- After my might ful fayn wolde I yow plese.’
- Thise hundred frankes he fette forth anon,
- And prively he took hem to daun Iohn.
- No wight in al this world wiste of this lone,1485
- Savinge this marchant and daun Iohn allone.
- They drinke, and speke, and rome a whyle and pleye,
- Til that daun Iohn rydeth to his abbeye.
- The morwe cam, and forth this marchant rydeth
- To Flaundres-ward; his prentis wel him gydeth,1490
- Til he cam in-to Brugges merily.(301)
- Now gooth this marchant faste and bisily
- Aboute his nede, and byeth and creaunceth.
- He neither pleyeth at the dees ne daunceth;
- But as a marchant, shortly for to telle,1495
- He let his lyf, and there I lete him dwelle.
- The Sonday next this Marchant was agon,
- To Seint Denys y-comen is daun Iohn,
- With crowne and berd all fresh and newe y-shave.
- In al the hous ther nas so litel a knave,1500
- Ne no wight elles, that he nas ful fayn,(311)
- For that my lord daun Iohn was come agayn.
- And shortly to the point right for to gon,
- This faire wyf accorded with daun Iohn,
- That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al night1505
- Have hir in his armes bolt-upright;
- And this acord parfourned was in dede.
- In mirthe al night a bisy lyf they lede
- Til it was day, that daun Iohn wente his way,
- And bad the meynee ‘fare-wel, have good day!’1510
- For noon of hem, ne no wight in the toun,(321)
- Hath of daun Iohn right no suspecioun.
- And forth he rydeth hoom to his abbeye,
- Or where him list; namore of him I seye.
- This marchant, whan that ended was the faire,1515
- To Seint Denys he gan for to repaire,
- And with his wyf he maketh feste and chere,
- And telleth hir that chaffare is so dere,
- That nedes moste he make a chevisaunce.
- For he was bounde in a reconissaunce1520
- To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon.(331)
- For which this marchant is to Paris gon,
- To borwe of certein frendes that he hadde
- A certein frankes; and somme with him he ladde.
- And whan that he was come in-to the toun,1525
- For greet chertee and greet affeccioun,
- Un-to daun Iohn he gooth him first, to pleye;
- Nat for to axe or borwe of him moneye,
- But for to wite and seen of his welfare,
- And for to tellen him of his chaffare,1530
- As freendes doon whan they ben met y-fere.(341)
- Daun Iohn him maketh feste and mery chere;
- And he him tolde agayn ful specially,
- How he hadde wel y-boght and graciously,
- Thanked be god, al hool his marchandyse.1535
- Save that he moste, in alle maner wyse,
- Maken a chevisaunce , as for his beste,
- And thanne he sholde been in Ioye and reste.
- Daun Iohn answerde, ‘certes, I am fayn
- That ye in hele ar comen hoom agayn.1540
- And if that I were riche, as have I blisse,(351)
- Of twenty thousand sheeld shold ye nat misse,
- For ye so kindely this other day
- Lente me gold; and as I can and may,
- I thanke yow, by god and by seint Iame!1545
- But nathelees I took un-to our dame,
- Your wyf at hoom, the same gold ageyn
- Upon your bench; she woot it wel, certeyn,
- By certein tokenes that I can hir telle.
- Now, by your leve, I may no lenger dwelle,1550
- Our abbot wol out of this toun anon;(361)
- And in his companye moot I gon.
- Grete wel our dame, myn owene nece swete,
- And fare-wel, dere cosin, til we mete!’
- This Marchant, which that was ful war and wys,1555
- Creaunced hath, and payd eek in Parys,
- To certeyn Lumbardes, redy in hir hond,
- The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond;
- And hoom he gooth, mery as a papeiay.
- For wel he knew he stood in swich array,1560
- That nedes moste he winne in that viage(371)
- A thousand frankes above al his costage.
- His wyf ful redy mette him atte gate,
- As she was wont of old usage algate,
- And al that night in mirthe they bisette;1565
- For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.
- Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace
- His wyf al newe, and kiste hir on hir face,
- And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.
- ‘Namore,’ quod she, ‘by god, ye have y-nough!’1570
- And wantounly agayn with him she pleyde;(381)
- Til, atte laste, that this Marchant seyde,
- ‘By god,’ quod he, ‘I am a litel wrooth
- With yow, my wyf, al-thogh it be me looth.
- And woot ye why? by god, as that I gesse,1575
- That ye han maad a maner straungenesse
- Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun Iohn.
- Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon,
- That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed
- By redy tokene; and heeld him yvel apayed,1580
- For that I to him spak of chevisaunce,(391)
- Me semed so, as by his contenaunce.
- But nathelees, by god our hevene king,
- I thoghte nat to axe of him no-thing.
- I prey thee, wyf, ne do namore so;1585
- Tel me alwey, er that I fro thee go,
- If any dettour hath in myn absence
- Y-payëd thee; lest, thurgh thy necligence,
- I mighte him axe a thing that he hath payed.’
- This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed,1590
- But boldely she seyde, and that anon:(401)
- ‘Marie, I defye the false monk, daun Iohn!
- I kepe nat of hise tokenes never a deel;
- He took me certein gold, that woot I weel!
- What! yvel thedom on his monkes snoute!1595
- For, god it woot, I wende, withouten doute,
- That he had yeve it me bycause of yow,
- To doon ther-with myn honour and my prow,
- For cosinage, and eek for bele chere
- That he hath had ful ofte tymes here.1600
- But sith I see I stonde in this disioint,(411)
- I wol answere yow shortly, to the point.
- Ye han mo slakker dettours than am I!
- For I wol paye yow wel and redily
- Fro day to day; and, if so be I faille,1605
- I am your wyf; score it up-on my taille,
- And I shal paye, as sone as ever I may.
- For, by my trouthe, I have on myn array,
- And nat on wast, bistowed every deel.
- And for I have bistowed it so weel1610
- For your honour, for goddes sake, I seye,(421)
- As be nat wrooth, but lat us laughe and pleye.
- Ye shal my Ioly body have to wedde;
- By god, I wol nat paye yow but a-bedde.
- Forgive it me, myn owene spouse dere;1615
- Turne hiderward and maketh bettre chere.’
- This marchant saugh ther was no remedye,
- And, for to chyde, it nere but greet folye,
- Sith that the thing may nat amended be.
- ‘Now, wyf,’ he seyde, ‘and I foryeve it thee;1620
- But, by thy lyf, ne be namore so large;(431)
- Keep bet our good, this yeve I thee in charge.’
- Thus endeth now my tale, and god us sende
- Taling y-nough un-to our lyves ende. Amen.
Here endeth the Shipmannes Tale.
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