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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE MONKES TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE MONKES 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 MONKES TALE.
Here biginneth the Monkes Tale, de Casibus Virorum Illustrium.
- I WOL biwayle in maner of Tragedie
- The harm of hem that stode in heigh degree,
- And fillen so that ther nas no remedie
- To bringe hem out of hir adversitee;
- For certein, whan that fortune list to flee,3185
- Ther may no man the cours of hir withholde;
- Lat no man truste on blind prosperitee;
- Be war by thise ensamples trewe and olde.
- Lucifer.
- At Lucifer, though he an angel were,
- And nat a man, at him I wol biginne;3190
- For, thogh fortune may non angel dere,(11)
- From heigh degree yet fel he for his sinne
- Doun in-to helle, wher he yet is inne.
- O Lucifer! brightest of angels alle.
- Now artow Sathanas, that maist nat twinne3195
- Out of miserie, in which that thou art falle.
- Adam.
- Lo Adam, in the feld of Damassene,
- With goddes owene finger wroght was he,
- And nat bigeten of mannes sperme unclene,
- And welte al Paradys, saving o tree.3200
- Had never worldly man so heigh degree(21)
- As Adam, til he for misgovernaunce
- Was drive out of his hye prosperitee
- To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce.
- Sampson.
-
- Lo Sampson, which that was annunciat3205
- By thangel, longe er his nativitee,
- And was to god almighty consecrat,
- And stood in noblesse, whyl he mighte see.
- Was never swich another as was he,
- To speke of strengthe, and therwith hardinesse;3210
- But to his wyves tolde he his secree,(31)
- Through which he slow him-self, for wrecchednesse.
-
- Sampson, this noble almighty champioun,
- Withouten wepen save his hondes tweye,
- He slow and al to-rente the leoun,3215
- Toward his wedding walking by the weye.
- His false wyf coude him so plese and preye
- Til she his conseil knew, and she untrewe
- Un-to his foos his conseil gan biwreye,
- And him forsook, and took another newe.3220
-
- Three hundred foxes took Sampson for ire,(41)
- And alle hir tayles he togider bond,
- And sette the foxes tayles alle on fire,
- For he on every tayl had knit a brond;
- And they brende alle the cornes in that lond,3225
- And alle hir oliveres and vynes eek.
- A thousand men he slow eek with his hond,
- And had no wepen but an asses cheek.
-
- Whan they were slayn, so thursted him that he
- Was wel ny lorn, for which he gan to preye3230
- That god wolde on his peyne han som pitee,(51)
- And sende him drinke, or elles moste he deye;
- And of this asses cheke, that was dreye,
- Out of a wang-tooth sprang anon a welle,
- Of which he drank y-nogh, shortly to seye,3235
- Thus heelp him god, as Iudicum can telle.
-
- By verray force, at Gazan, on a night,
- Maugree Philistiens of that citee,
- The gates of the toun he hath up-plight,
- And on his bak y-caried hem hath he3240
- Hye on an hille, that men mighte hem see.(61)
- O noble almighty Sampson, leef and dere,
- Had thou nat told to wommen thy secree,
- In al this worlde ne hadde been thy pere!
-
- This Sampson never sicer drank ne wyn,3245
- Ne on his heed cam rasour noon ne shere,
- By precept of the messager divyn,
- For alle his strengthes in his heres were;
- And fully twenty winter, yeer by yere,
- He hadde of Israel the governaunce.3250
- But sone shal he wepen many a tere,(71)
- For wommen shal him bringen to meschaunce!
-
- Un-to his lemman Dalida he tolde
- That in his heres al his strengthe lay,
- And falsly to his fo-men she him solde.3255
- And sleping in hir barme up-on a day
- She made to clippe or shere his heer awey,
- And made his fo-men al his craft espyen;
- And whan that they him fonde in this array,
- They bounde him faste, and putten out his yen.3260
-
- But er his heer were clipped or y-shave,(81)
- Ther was no bond with which men might him binde;
- But now is he in prisoun in a cave,
- Wher-as they made him at the querne grinde.
- O noble Sampson, strongest of mankinde,3265
- O whylom Iuge in glorie and in richesse,
- Now maystow wepen with thyn yen blinde,
- Sith thou fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse.
-
- Thende of this caytif was as I shal seye;
- His fo-men made a feste upon a day,3270
- And made him as hir fool bifore hem pleye,(91)
- And this was in a temple of greet array.
- But atte laste he made a foul affray;
- For he two pilers shook, and made hem falle,
- And doun fil temple and al, and ther it lay,3275
- And slow him-self, and eek his fo-men alle.
-
- This is to seyn, the princes everichoon,
- And eek three thousand bodies wer ther slayn
- With falling of the grete temple of stoon.
- Of Sampson now wol I na-more seyn.3280
- Beth war by this ensample old and playn(101)
- That no men telle hir conseil til hir wyves
- Of swich thing as they wolde han secree fayn,
- If that it touche hir limmes or hir lyves.
- Hercules.
-
- Of Hercules the sovereyn conquerour3285
- Singen his workes laude and heigh renoun;
- For in his tyme of strengthe he was the flour.
- He slow, and rafte the skin of the leoun;
- He of Centauros leyde the boost adoun;
- He Arpies slow, the cruel briddes felle;3290
- He golden apples rafte of the dragoun;(111)
- He drow out Cerberus, the hound of helle:
-
- He slow the cruel tyrant Busirus,
- And made his hors to frete him, flesh and boon;
- He slow the firy serpent venimous;3295
- Of Achelois two hornes, he brak oon;
- And he slow Cacus in a cave of stoon;
- He slow the geaunt Antheus the stronge;
- He slow the grisly boor, and that anoon,
- And bar the heven on his nekke longe.3300
-
- Was never wight, sith that the world bigan,(121)
- That slow so many monstres as dide he.
- Thurgh-out this wyde world his name ran,
- What for his strengthe, and for his heigh bountee,
- And every reaume wente he for to see.3305
- He was so strong that no man mighte him lette;
- At bothe the worldes endes, seith Trophee,
- In stede of boundes, he a piler sette.
-
- A lemman hadde this noble champioun,
- That highte Dianira, fresh as May;3310
- And, as thise clerkes maken mencioun,(131)
- She hath him sent a sherte fresh and gay.
- Allas! this sherte, allas and weylaway!
- Envenimed was so subtilly with-alle,
- That, er that he had wered it half a day,3315
- It made his flesh al from his bones falle.
-
- But nathelees somme clerkes hir excusen
- By oon that highte Nessus, that it maked;
- Be as be may, I wol hir noght accusen;
- But on his bak this sherte he wered al naked,3320
- Til that his flesh was for the venim blaked.(141)
- And whan he sey noon other remedye,
- In hote coles he hath him-selven raked,
- For with no venim deyned him to dye.
-
- Thus starf this worthy mighty Hercules;3325
- Lo, who may truste on fortune any throwe?
- For him that folweth al this world of prees,
- Er he be war, is ofte y-leyd ful lowe.
- Ful wys is he that can him-selven knowe.
- Beth war, for whan that fortune list to glose,3330
- Than wayteth she hir man to overthrowe(151)
- By swich a wey as he wolde leest suppose.
- Nabugodonosor (Nebuchadnezzar).
-
- The mighty trone, the precious tresor,
- The glorious ceptre and royal magestee
- That hadde the king Nabugodonosor,3335
- With tonge unnethe may discryved be.
- He twyes wan Ierusalem the citee;
- The vessel of the temple he with him ladde.
- At Babiloyne was his sovereyn see,
- In which his glorie and his delyt he hadde.3340
-
- The fairest children of the blood royal(161)
- Of Israel he leet do gelde anoon,
- And maked ech of hem to been his thral.
- Amonges othere Daniel was oon,
- That was the wysest child of everichoon;3345
- For he the dremes of the king expouned,
- Wher-as in Chaldey clerk ne was ther noon
- That wiste to what fyn his dremes souned.
-
- This proude king leet make a statue of golde,
- Sixty cubytes long, and seven in brede,3350
- To which image bothe yonge and olde(171)
- Comaunded he to loute, and have in drede;
- Or in a fourneys ful of flambes rede
- He shal be brent, that wolde noght obeye.
- But never wolde assente to that dede3355
- Daniel, ne his yonge felawes tweye.
-
- This king of kinges proud was and elaat,
- He wende that god, that sit in magestee,
- Ne mighte him nat bireve of his estaat:
- But sodeynly he loste his dignitee,3360
- And lyk a beste him semed for to be,(181)
- And eet hay as an oxe, and lay ther-oute;
- In reyn with wilde bestes walked he,
- Til certein tyme was y-come aboute.
-
- And lyk an egles fetheres wexe his heres,3365
- His nayles lyk a briddes clawes were;
- Til god relessed him a certein yeres,
- And yaf him wit; and than with many a tere
- He thanked god, and ever his lyf in fere
- Was he to doon amis, or more trespace,3370
- And, til that tyme he leyd was on his bere,(191)
- He knew that god was ful of might and grace.
- Balthasar (Belshazzar).
-
- His sone, which that highte Balthasar,
- That heeld the regne after his fader day,
- He by his fader coude nought be war,3375
- For proud he was of herte and of array;
- And eek an ydolastre was he ay.
- His hye estaat assured him in pryde.
- But fortune caste him doun, and ther he lay,
- And sodeynly his regne gan divyde.3380
-
- A feste he made un-to his lordes alle(201)
- Up-on a tyme, and bad hem blythe be,
- And than his officeres gan he calle—
- ‘Goth, bringeth forth the vessels,’ [tho] quod he,
- ‘Which that my fader, in his prosperitee,3385
- Out of the temple of Ierusalem birafte,
- And to our hye goddes thanke we
- Of honour, that our eldres with us lafte.’
-
- His wyf, his lordes, and his concubynes
- Ay dronken, whyl hir appetytes laste,3390
- Out of thise noble vessels sundry wynes;(211)
- And on a wal this king his yën caste,
- And sey an hond armlees, that wroot ful faste,
- For fere of which he quook and syked sore.
- This hond, that Balthasar so sore agaste,3395
- Wroot Mane, techel, phares, and na-more.
-
- In al that lond magicien was noon
- That coude expoune what this lettre mente;
- But Daniel expouned it anoon,
- And seyde, ‘king, god to thy fader lente3400
- Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente:(221)
- And he was proud, and no-thing god ne dradde,
- And therfor god gret wreche up-on him sente,
- And him birafte the regne that he hadde.
-
- He was out cast of mannes companye,3405
- With asses was his habitacioun,
- And eet hey as a beste in weet and drye,
- Til that he knew, by grace and by resoun,
- That god of heven hath dominacioun
- Over every regne and every creature;3410
- And thanne had god of him compassioun,(231)
- And him restored his regne and his figure.
-
- Eek thou, that art his sone, art proud also,
- And knowest alle thise thinges verraily,
- And art rebel to god, and art his fo.3415
- Thou drank eek of his vessels boldely;
- Thy wyf eek and thy wenches sinfully
- Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynes,
- And heriest false goddes cursedly;
- Therfor to thee y-shapen ful gret pyne is.3420
-
- This hand was sent from god, that on the walle(241)
- Wroot mane, techel, phares, truste me;
- Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at alle;
- Divyded is thy regne, and it shal be
- To Medes and to Perses yeven ,’ quod he.3425
- And thilke same night this king was slawe,
- And Darius occupyeth his degree,
- Thogh he therto had neither right ne lawe.
-
- Lordinges, ensample heer-by may ye take
- How that in lordshipe is no sikernesse;3430
- For whan fortune wol a man forsake,(251)
- She bereth awey his regne and his richesse,
- And eek his freendes, bothe more and lesse;
- For what man that hath freendes thurgh fortune,
- Mishap wol make hem enemys, I gesse:3435
- This proverbe is ful sooth and ful commune.
- Cenobia (Zenobia).
-
- Cenobia, of Palimerie quene,
- As writen Persiens of hir noblesse,
- So worthy was in armes and so kene,
- That no wight passed hir in hardinesse,3440
- Ne in linage, ne in other gentillesse.(261)
- Of kinges blode of Perse is she descended;
- I seye nat that she hadde most fairnesse,
- But of hir shape she mighte nat been amended.
-
- From hir childhede I finde that she fledde3445
- Office of wommen, and to wode she wente;
- And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde
- With arwes brode that she to hem sente.
- She was so swift that she anon hem hente,
- And whan that she was elder, she wolde kille3450
- Leouns, lepardes, and beres al to-rente,(271)
- And in hir armes welde hem at hir wille.
-
- She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,
- And rennen in the montaignes al the night,
- And slepen under a bush, and she coude eke3455
- Wrastlen by verray force and verray might
- With any yong man, were he never so wight;
- Ther mighte no-thing in hir armes stonde.
- She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight,
- To no man deigned hir for to be bonde.3460
-
- But atte laste hir frendes han hir maried(281)
- To Odenake, a prince of that contree,
- Al were it so that she hem longe taried;
- And ye shul understonde how that he
- Hadde swiche fantasyes as hadde she.3465
- But nathelees, whan they were knit in-fere,
- They lived in Ioye and in felicitee;
- For ech of hem hadde other leef and dere.
-
- Save o thing, that she never wolde assente
- By no wey, that he sholde by hir lye3470
- But ones, for it was hir pleyn entente(291)
- To have a child, the world to multiplye;
- And al-so sone as that she mighte espye
- That she was nat with childe with that dede,
- Than wolde she suffre him doon his fantasye3475
- Eft-sone, and nat but ones, out of drede.
-
- And if she were with childe at thilke cast,
- Na-more sholde he pleyen thilke game
- Til fully fourty dayes weren past;
- Than wolde she ones suffre him do the same.3480
- Al were this Odenake wilde or tame,(301)
- He gat na-more of hir, for thus she seyde,
- ‘It was to wyves lecherye and shame
- In other cas, if that men with hem pleyde.’
-
- Two sones by this Odenake hadde she,3485
- The whiche she kepte in vertu and lettrure;
- But now un-to our tale turne we.
- I seye, so worshipful a creature,
- And wys therwith, and large with mesure,
- So penible in the werre, and curteis eke,3490
- Ne more labour mighte in werre endure,(311)
- Was noon, thogh al this world men sholde seke.
-
- Hir riche array ne mighte nat be told
- As wel in vessel as in hir clothing;
- She was al clad in perree and in gold,3495
- And eek she lafte noght, for noon hunting,
- To have of sondry tonges ful knowing,
- Whan that she leyser hadde, and for to entende
- To lernen bokes was al hir lyking,
- How she in vertu mighte hir lyf dispende.3500
-
- And, shortly of this storie for to trete,(321)
- So doughty was hir housbonde and eek she,
- That they conquered many regnes grete
- In the orient, with many a fair citee,
- Apertenaunt un-to the magestee3505
- Of Rome, and with strong hond helde hem ful faste;
- Ne never mighte hir fo-men doon hem flee,
- Ay whyl that Odenakes dayes laste.
-
- Hir batailes, who-so list hem for to rede,
- Agayn Sapor the king and othere mo,3510
- And how that al this proces fil in dede,(331)
- Why she conquered and what title had therto,
- And after of hir meschief and hir wo,
- How that she was biseged and y-take,
- Let him un-to my maister Petrark go,3515
- That writ y-nough of this, I undertake.
-
- When Odenake was deed, she mightily
- The regnes heeld, and with hir propre honde
- Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly,
- That ther nas king ne prince in al that londe3520
- That he nas glad, if that he grace fonde,(341)
- That she ne wolde up-on his lond werreye;
- With hir they made alliaunce by bonde
- To been in pees, and lete hir ryde and pleye.
-
- The emperour of Rome, Claudius,3525
- Ne him bifore, the Romayn Galien,
- Ne dorste never been so corageous,
- Ne noon Ermyn, ne noon Egipcien,
- Ne Surrien, ne noon Arabien,
- Within the feld that dorste with hir fighte3530
- Lest that she wolde hem with hir hondes slen,(351)
- Or with hir meynee putten hem to flighte.
-
- In kinges habit wente hir sones two,
- As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,
- And Hermanno, and Thymalao3535
- Her names were, as Persiens hem calle.
- But ay fortune hath in hir hony galle;
- This mighty quene may no whyl endure.
- Fortune out of hir regne made hir falle
- To wrecchednesse and to misaventure.3540
-
- Aurelian, whan that the governaunce(361)
- Of Rome cam in-to his hondes tweye,
- He shoop up-on this queen to do vengeaunce,
- And with his legiouns he took his weye
- Toward Cenobie, and, shortly for to seye,3545
- He made hir flee, and atte laste hir hente,
- And fettred hir, and eek hir children tweye,
- And wan the lond, and hoom to Rome he wente.
-
- Amonges othere thinges that he wan,
- Hir char, that was with gold wrought and perree,3550
- This grete Romayn, this Aurelian,(371)
- Hath with him lad, for that men sholde it see.
- Biforen his triumphe walketh she
- With gilte cheynes on hir nekke hanging;
- Corouned was she, as after hir degree,3555
- And ful of perree charged hir clothing.
-
- Allas, fortune! she that whylom was
- Dredful to kinges and to emperoures,
- Now gaureth al the peple on hir, allas!
- And she that helmed was in starke stoures,3560
- And wan by force tounes stronge and toures,(381)
- Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte;
- And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures
- Shal bere a distaf, hir cost for to quyte.
[T. 14380.
(Nerofollows in T.; see p 259.)
- De Petro Rege Ispannie.
-
- O noble, o worthy Petro, glorie of Spayne,
[T. 14685.
- Whom fortune heeld so hy in magestee,3566
- Wel oughten men thy pitous deeth complayne!
- Out of thy lond thy brother made thee flee;
- And after, at a sege, by subtiltee,
- Thou were bitrayed , and lad un-to his tente,3570
- Wher-as he with his owene hond slow thee,(391)
- Succeding in thy regne and in thy rente.
-
- The feeld of snow, with thegle of blak ther-inne,
[T. 14693.
- Caught with the lymrod, coloured as the glede,
- He brew this cursednes and al this sinne.3575
- The ‘wikked nest’ was werker of this nede;
- Noght Charles Oliver, that ay took hede
- Of trouthe and honour, but of Armorike
- Genilon Oliver, corrupt for mede,
- Broghte this worthy king in swich a brike.3580
- De Petro Rege de Cipro.
- O worthy Petro, king of Cypre, also,(401)
- That Alisaundre wan by heigh maistrye,
- Ful many a hethen wroghtestow ful wo,
- Of which thyn owene liges hadde envye,
- And, for no thing but for thy chivalrye,3585
- They in thy bedde han slayn thee by the morwe.
- Thus can fortune hir wheel governe and gye,
- And out of Ioye bringe men to sorwe.
[T. 14708.
- De Barnabo de Lumbardia.
- Of Melan grete Barnabo Viscounte,
- God of delyt, and scourge of Lumbardye,3590
- Why sholde I nat thyn infortune acounte,(411)
- Sith in estaat thou clombe were so hye?
- Thy brother sone, that was thy double allye,
- For he thy nevew was, and sone-in-lawe,
- With-inne his prisoun made thee to dye;3595
- But why, ne how, noot I that thou were slawe.
- De Hugelino, Comite de Pize.
-
- Of the erl Hugelyn of Pyse the langour
- Ther may no tonge telle for pitee;
- But litel out of Pyse stant a tour,
- In whiche tour in prisoun put was he,3600
- And with him been his litel children three.(421)
- The eldeste scarsly fyf yeer was of age.
- Allas, fortune! it was greet crueltee
- Swiche briddes for to putte in swiche a cage!
-
- Dampned was he to deye in that prisoun,3605
- For Roger, which that bisshop was of Pyse,
- Hadde on him maad a fals suggestioun,
- Thurgh which the peple gan upon him ryse,
- And putten him to prisoun in swich wyse
- As ye han herd, and mete and drink he hadde3610
- So smal, that wel unnethe it may suffyse,(431)
- And therwith-al it was ful povre and badde.
-
- And on a day bifil that, in that hour,
- Whan that his mete wont was to be broght,
- The gayler shette the dores of the tour.3615
- He herde it wel,—but he spak right noght,
- And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght,
- That they for hunger wolde doon him dyen.
- ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘allas! that I was wroght!’
- Therwith the teres fillen from his yën.3620
-
- His yonge sone, that three yeer was of age,(441)
- Un-to him seyde, ‘fader , why do ye wepe?
- Whan wol the gayler bringen our potage,
- Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?
- I am so hungry that I may nat slepe.3625
- Now wolde god that I mighte slepen ever!
- Than sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe;
- Ther is no thing, save breed, that me were lever.’
-
- Thus day by day this child bigan to crye,
- Til in his fadres barme adoun it lay,3630
- And seyde, ‘far-wel, fader, I moot dye,’(451)
- And kiste his fader, and deyde the same day.
- And whan the woful fader deed it sey,
- For wo his armes two he gan to byte,
- And seyde, ‘allas, fortune! and weylaway!3635
- Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte!’
-
- His children wende that it for hunger was
- That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo,
- And seyde, ‘fader, do nat so, allas!
- But rather eet the flesh upon us two;3640
- Our flesh thou yaf us, tak our flesh us fro(461)
- And eet y-nough:’ right thus they to him seyde,
- And after that, with-in a day or two,
- They leyde hem in his lappe adoun, and deyde.
-
- Him-self, despeired, eek for hunger starf;3645
- Thus ended is this mighty Erl of Pyse;
- From heigh estaat fortune awey him carf.
- Of this Tragedie it oghte y-nough suffyse.
- Who-so wol here it in a lenger wyse,
- Redeth the grete poete of Itaille,3650
- That highte Dant, for he can al devyse(471)
- Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille.
[T. 14772.
(For T. 14773, see p. 269; for T. 14380, see p. 256.)
- Nero.
-
- Al-though that Nero were as vicious
[T. 14381.
- As any feend that lyth ful lowe adoun,
- Yet he, as telleth us Swetonius,3655
- This wyde world hadde in subieccioun,
- Both Est and West, South and Septemtrioun;
- Of rubies, saphires, and of perles whyte
- Were alle his clothes brouded up and doun;
- For he in gemmes greetly gan delyte.3660
-
- More delicat, more pompous of array,(481)
- More proud was never emperour than he;
- That ilke cloth, that he had wered o day,
- After that tyme he nolde it never see.
- Nettes of gold-thred hadde he gret plentee3665
- To fisshe in Tybre, whan him liste pleye.
- His lustes were al lawe in his decree,
- For fortune as his freend him wolde obeye.
-
- He Rome brende for his delicacye;
- The senatours he slow up-on a day.3670
- To here how men wolde wepe and crye;(491)
- And slow his brother, and by his sister lay.
- His moder made he in pitous array;
- For he hir wombe slitte, to biholde
- Wher he conceyved was; so weilawey!3675
- That he so litel of his moder tolde!
-
- No tere out of his yën for that sighte
- Ne cam, but seyde, ‘a fair womman was she.’
- Gret wonder is, how that he coude or mighte
- Be domesman of hir dede beautee.3680
- The wyn to bringen him comaunded he,(501)
- And drank anon; non other wo he made.
- Whan might is Ioyned un-to crueltee,
- Allas! to depe wol the venim wade!
-
- In youthe a maister hadde this emperour,3685
- To teche him letterure and curteisye,
- For of moralitee he was the flour,
- As in his tyme, but-if bokes lye;
- And whyl this maister hadde of him maistrye,
- He maked him so conning and so souple3690
- That longe tyme it was er tirannye(511)
- Or any vyce dorste on him uncouple.
-
- This Seneca, of which that I devyse,
- By-cause Nero hadde of him swich drede,
- For he fro vyces wolde him ay chastyse3695
- Discreetly as by worde and nat by dede;—
- ‘Sir,’ wolde he seyn, ‘an emperour moot nede
- Be vertuous, and hate tirannye’—
- For which he in a bath made him to blede
- On bothe his armes, til he moste dye.3700
-
- This Nero hadde eek of acustumaunce(521)
- In youthe ageyn his maister for to ryse,
- Which afterward him thoughte a greet grevaunce;
- Therfor he made him deyen in this wyse.
- But natheles this Seneca the wyse3705
- Chees in a bath to deye in this manere
- Rather than han another tormentyse;
- And thus hath Nero slayn his maister dere.
-
- Now fil it so that fortune list no lenger
- The hye pryde of Nero to cheryce;3710
- For though that he were strong, yet was she strenger;(531)
- She thoughte thus, ‘by god, I am to nyce
- To sette a man that is fulfild of vyce
- In heigh degree, and emperour him calle.
- By god, out of his sete I wol him tryce;3715
- When he leest weneth, sonest shal he falle.’
-
- The peple roos up-on him on a night
- For his defaute, and whan he it espyed,
- Out of his dores anon he hath him dight
- Alone, and, ther he wende han ben allyed,3720
- He knokked faste, and ay, the more he cryed,(541)
- The faster shette they the dores alle;
- Tho wiste he wel he hadde him-self misgyed,
- And wente his wey, no lenger dorste he calle.
-
- The peple cryde and rombled up and doun,3725
- That with his eres herde he how they seyde,
- ‘Wher is this false tyraunt, this Neroun?’
- For fere almost out of his wit he breyde,
- And to his goddes pitously he preyde
- For socour, but it mighte nat bityde.3730
- For drede of this, him thoughte that he deyde,(551)
- And ran in-to a gardin, him to hyde.
-
- And in this gardin fond he cherles tweye
- That seten by a fyr ful greet and reed,
- And to thise cherles two he gan to preye3735
- To sleen him, and to girden of his heed,
- That to his body, whan that he were deed,
- Were no despyt y-doon, for his defame.
- Him-self he slow, he coude no better reed,
- Of which fortune lough, and hadde a game.3740
- De Oloferno (Holofernes).
-
- Was never capitayn under a king(561)
- That regnes mo putte in subieccioun,
- Ne strenger was in feeld of alle thing,
- As in his tyme, ne gretter of renoun,
- Ne more pompous in heigh presumpcioun3745
- Than Oloferne, which fortune ay kiste
- So likerously, and ladde him up and doun
- Til that his heed was of, er that he wiste.
-
- Nat only that this world hadde him in awe
- For lesinge of richesse or libertee,3750
- But he made every man reneye his lawe.(571)
- ‘Nabugodonosor was god,’ seyde he,
- ‘Noon other god sholde adoured be.’
- Ageyns his heste no wight dar trespace
- Save in Bethulia, a strong citee,3755
- Wher Eliachim a prest was of that place.
-
- But tak kepe of the deeth of Olofern;
- Amidde his host he dronke lay a night,
- With-inne his tente, large as is a bern,
- And yit, for al his pompe and al his might,3760
- Iudith, a womman, as he lay upright,(581)
- Sleping, his heed of smoot, and from his tente
- Ful prively she stal from every wight,
- And with his heed unto hir toun she wente.
- De Rege Anthiocho illustri.
-
- What nedeth it of King Anthiochus3765
- To telle his hye royal magestee,
- His hye pryde, his werkes venimous?
- For swich another was ther noon as he.
- Rede which that he was in Machabee,
- And rede the proude wordes that he seyde,3770
- And why he fil fro heigh prosperitee,(591)
- And in an hil how wrechedly he deyde.
-
- Fortune him hadde enhaunced so in pryde
- That verraily he wende he mighte attayne
- Unto the sterres, upon every syde,3775
- And in balance weyen ech montayne,
- And alle the flodes of the see restrayne.
- And goddes peple hadde he most in hate,
- Hem wolde he sleen in torment and in payne,
- Wening that god ne mighte his pryde abate.3780
-
- And for that Nichanor and Thimothee(601)
- Of Iewes weren venquisshed mightily,
- Unto the Iewes swich an hate hadde he
- That he bad greithe his char ful hastily,
- And swoor, and seyde, ful despitously,3785
- Unto Ierusalem he wolde eft-sone,
- To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly;
- But of his purpos he was let ful sone.
-
- God for his manace him so sore smoot
- With invisible wounde, ay incurable,3790
- That in his guttes carf it so and boot(611)
- That his peynes weren importable.
- And certeinly, the wreche was resonable,
- For many a mannes guttes dide he peyne;
- But from his purpos cursed and dampnable3795
- For al his smert he wolde him nat restreyne;
-
- But bad anon apparaillen his host,
- And sodeynly, er he of it was war,
- God daunted al his pryde and al his bost.
- For he so sore fil out of his char,3800
- That it his limes and his skin to-tar,(621)
- So that he neither mighte go ne ryde,
- But in a chayer men aboute him bar,
- Al for-brused, bothe bak and syde.
-
- The wreche of god him smoot so cruelly3805
- That thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte;
- And ther-with-al he stank so horribly,
- That noon of al his meynee that him kepte,
- Whether so he wook or elles slepte,
- Ne mighte noght for stink of him endure.3810
- In this meschief he wayled and eek wepte,(631)
- And knew god lord of every creature.
-
- To al his host and to him-self also
- Ful wlatsom was the stink of his careyne;
- No man ne mighte him bere to ne fro.3815
- And in this stink and this horrible peyne
- He starf ful wrecchedly in a monteyne.
- Thus hath this robbour and this homicyde,
- That many a man made to wepe and pleyne,
- Swich guerdon as bilongeth unto pryde.3820
- De Alexandro.
-
- The storie of Alisaundre is so comune,(641)
- That every wight that hath discrecioun
- Hath herd somwhat or al of his fortune.
- This wyde world, as in conclusioun,
- He wan by strengthe, or for his hye renoun3825
- They weren glad for pees un-to him sende.
- The pryde of man and beste he leyde adoun,
- Wher-so he cam, un-to the worldes ende.
-
- Comparisoun might never yit be maked
- Bitwixe him and another conquerour;3830
- For al this world for drede of him hath quaked,(651)
- He was of knighthode and of fredom flour;
- Fortune him made the heir of hir honour;
- Save wyn and wommen, no-thing mighte aswage
- His hye entente in armes and labour;3835
- So was he ful of leonyn corage.
-
- What preys were it to him, though I yow tolde
- Of Darius, and an hundred thousand mo,
- Of kinges, princes, erles, dukes bolde,
- Whiche he conquered, and broghte hem in-to wo?3840
- I seye, as fer as man may ryde or go,(661)
- The world was his, what sholde I more devyse?
- For though I write or tolde you evermo
- Of his knighthode, it mighte nat suffyse.
-
- Twelf yeer he regned, as seith Machabee;3845
- Philippes sone of Macedoyne he was,
- That first was king in Grece the contree.
- O worthy gentil Alisaundre, allas!
- That ever sholde fallen swich a cas!
- Empoisoned of thyn owene folk thou were;3850
- Thy sys fortune hath turned into as,(671)
- And yit for thee ne weep she never a tere!
-
- Who shal me yeven teres to compleyne
- The deeth of gentillesse and of fraunchyse,
- That al the world welded in his demeyne,3855
- And yit him thoughte it mighte nat suffyse?
- So ful was his corage of heigh empryse.
- Allas! who shal me helpe to endyte
- False fortune, and poison to despyse,
- The whiche two of al this wo I wyte?3860
- De Iulio Cesare.
-
- By wisdom, manhede, and by greet labour(681)
- Fro humble bed to royal magestee,
- Up roos he, Iulius the conquerour,
- That wan al thoccident by lond and see,
- By strengthe of hond, or elles by tretee,3865
- And un-to Rome made hem tributarie;
- And sitthe of Rome the emperour was he,
- Til that fortune wex his adversarie.
-
- O mighty Cesar, that in Thessalye
- Ageyn Pompeius , fader thyn in lawe,3870
- That of thorient hadde al the chivalrye(691)
- As fer as that the day biginneth dawe,
- Thou thurgh thy knighthode hast hem take and slawe,
- Save fewe folk that with Pompeius fledde,
- Thurgh which thou puttest al thorient in awe.3875
- Thanke fortune, that so wel thee spedde!
-
- But now a litel whyl I wol biwaille
- This Pompeius, this noble governour
- Of Rome, which that fleigh at this bataille;
- I seye, oon of his men, a fals traitour,3880
- His heed of smoot, to winnen him favour(701)
- Of Iulius, and him the heed he broghte.
- Allas, Pompey, of thorient conquerour,
- That fortune unto swich a fyn thee broghte!
-
- To Rome ageyn repaireth Iulius3885
- With his triumphe, laureat ful hye,
- But on a tyme Brutus Cassius,
- That ever hadde of his hye estaat envye,
- Ful prively hath maad conspiracye
- Ageins this Iulius, in subtil wyse,3890
- And cast the place, in whiche he sholde dye(711)
- With boydekins, as I shal yow devyse.
-
- This Iulius to the Capitolie wente
- Upon a day, as he was wont to goon,
- And in the Capitolie anon him hente3895
- This false Brutus, and his othere foon,
- And stikede him with boydekins anoon
- With many a wounde, and thus they lete him lye;
- But never gronte he at no strook but oon,
- Or elles at two, but-if his storie lye.3900
-
- So manly was this Iulius at herte(721)
- And so wel lovede estaatly honestee,
- That, though his deedly woundes sore smerte,
- His mantel over his hippes casteth he,
- For no man sholde seen his privitee.3905
- And, as he lay on deying in a traunce,
- And wiste verraily that deed was he,
- Of honestee yit hadde he remembraunce.
-
- Lucan, to thee this storie I recomende,
- And to Sweton, and to Valerie also,3910
- That of this storie wryten word and ende,(731)
- How that to thise grete conqueroures two
- Fortune was first freend, and sithen fo.
- No man ne truste up-on hir favour longe,
- But have hir in awayt for ever-mo.3915
- Witnesse on alle thise conqueroures stronge.
- Cresus.
-
- This riche Cresus, whylom king of Lyde,
- Of whiche Cresus Cyrus sore him dradde,
- Yit was he caught amiddes al his pryde,
- And to be brent men to the fyr him ladde.3920
- But swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde(741)
- That slow the fyr, and made him to escape;
- But to be war no grace yet he hadde,
- Til fortune on the galwes made him gape.
-
- Whan he escaped was, he can nat stente3925
- For to biginne a newe werre agayn.
- He wende wel, for that fortune him sente
- Swich hap, that he escaped thurgh the rayn,
- That of his foos he mighte nat be slayn;
- And eek a sweven up-on a night he mette,3930
- Of which he was so proud and eek so fayn,(751)
- That in vengeaunce he al his herte sette.
-
- Up-on a tree he was, as that him thoughte,
- Ther Iuppiter him wesh, bothe bak and syde,
- And Phebus eek a fair towaille him broughte3935
- To drye him with, and ther-for wex his pryde;
- And to his doghter, that stood him bisyde,
- Which that he knew in heigh science habounde,
- He bad hir telle him what it signifyde,
- And she his dreem bigan right thus expounde.3940
-
- ‘The tree,’ quod she, ‘the galwes is to mene,(761)
- And Iuppiter bitokneth snow and reyn,
- And Phebus, with his towaille so clene,
- Tho ben the sonne stremes for to seyn;
- Thou shalt anhanged be, fader, certeyn;3945
- Reyn shal thee wasshe, and sonne shal thee drye;’
- Thus warned she him ful plat and ful pleyn,
- His doughter, which that called was Phanye.
-
- Anhanged was Cresus, the proude king,
- His royal trone mighte him nat availle.—3950
- Tragedie is noon other maner thing,(771)
- Ne can in singing crye ne biwaille,
- But for that fortune alwey wol assaille
- With unwar strook the regnes that ben proude;
- For when men trusteth hir, than wol she faille,3955
- And covere hir brighte face with a cloude.
[See p. 256.
Here stinteth the Knight the Monk of his Tale.
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