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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) GROUP C. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
GROUP C. - 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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GROUP C.
THE PHISICIENS TALE.
(T. 11935-11957.)
*∗* For a spurious Prologue, see p. 289. Here folweth the Phisiciens Tale. - THER was, as telleth Titus Livius,
- A knight that called was Virginius,
- Fulfild of honour and of worthinesse,
- And strong of freendes and of greet richesse.
- This knight a doghter hadde by his wyf,5
- No children hadde he mo in al his lyf.
- Fair was this mayde in excellent beautee
- Aboven every wight that man may see;
- For nature hath with sovereyn diligence
- Y-formed hir in so greet excellence,10
- As though she wolde seyn, ‘lo! I, Nature,
- Thus can I forme and peynte a creature,
- Whan that me list; who can me countrefete?
- Pigmalion noght, though he ay forge and bete,
- Or grave, or peynte; for I dar wel seyn,15
- Apelles, Zanzis, sholde werche in veyn,
- Outher to grave or peynte or forge or bete,
- If they presumed me to countrefete.
- For he that is the former principal
- Hath maked me his vicaire general,20
- To forme and peynten erthely creaturis
- Right as me list, and ech thing in my cure is
- Under the mone, that may wane and waxe,
- And for my werk right no-thing wol I axe;
- My lord and I ben ful of oon accord;25
- I made hir to the worship of my lord.
- So do I alle myne othere creatures,
- What colour that they han, or what figures.’—
- Thus semeth me that Nature wolde seye.
- This mayde of age twelf yeer was and tweye,30
- In which that Nature hadde swich delyt.
- For right as she can peynte a lilie whyt
- And reed a rose, right with swich peynture
- She peynted hath this noble creature
- Er she were born, up-on hir limes free,35
- Wher-as by right swiche colours sholde be;
- And Phebus dyed hath hir tresses grete
- Lyk to the stremes of his burned hete.
- And if that excellent was hir beautee,
- A thousand-fold more vertuous was she.40
- In hir ne lakked no condicioun,
- That is to preyse, as by discrecioun.
- As wel in goost as body chast was she;
- For which she floured in virginitee
- With alle humilitee and abstinence,45
- With alle attemperaunce and pacience,
- With mesure eek of bering and array.
- Discreet she was in answering alway;
- Though she were wys as Pallas, dar I seyn,
- Hir facound eek ful wommanly and pleyn,50
- No countrefeted termes hadde she
- To seme wys; but after hir degree
- She spak, and alle hir wordes more and lesse
- Souninge in vertu and in gentillesse.
- Shamfast she was in maydens shamfastnesse,55
- Constant in herte, and ever in bisinesse
- To dryve hir out of ydel slogardye.
- Bacus hadde of hir mouth right no maistrye;
- For wyn and youthe doon Venus encrece,
- As men in fyr wol casten oile or grece.60
- And of hir owene vertu, unconstreyned,
- She hath ful ofte tyme syk hir feyned,
- For that she wolde fleen the companye
- Wher lykly was to treten of folye,
- As is at festes, revels, and at daunces,65
- That been occasions of daliaunces.
- Swich thinges maken children for to be
- To sone rype and bold, as men may see,
- Which is ful perilous, and hath ben yore.
- For al to sone may she lerne lore70
- Of boldnesse, whan she woxen is a wyf.
- And ye maistresses in your olde lyf,
- That lordes doghtres han in governaunce,
- Ne taketh of my wordes no displesaunce;
- Thenketh that ye ben set in governinges75
- Of lordes doghtres, only for two thinges;
- Outher for ye han kept your honestee,
- Or elles ye han falle in freletee,
- And knowen wel y-nough the olde daunce,
- And han forsaken fully swich meschaunce80
- For evermo; therfore, for Cristes sake,
- To teche hem vertu loke that ye ne slake.
- A theef of venisoun, that hath forlaft
- His likerousnesse, and al his olde craft,
- Can kepe a forest best of any man.85
- Now kepeth hem wel, for if ye wol, ye can;
- Loke wel that ye un-to no vice assente,
- Lest ye be dampned for your wikke entente;
- For who-so doth, a traitour is certeyn.
- And taketh kepe of that that I shal seyn;90
- Of alle tresons sovereyn pestilence
- Is whan a wight bitrayseth innocence.
- Ye fadres and ye modres eek also,
- Though ye han children, be it oon or two,
- Your is the charge of al hir surveyaunce,95
- Whyl that they been under your governaunce.
- Beth war that by ensample of your livinge,
- Or by your necligence in chastisinge,
- That they ne perisse; for I dar wel seye,
- If that they doon, ye shul it dere abeye.100
- Under a shepherde softe and necligent
- The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent.
- Suffyseth oon ensample now as here,
- For I mot turne agayn to my matere.
- This mayde, of which I wol this tale expresse,105
- So kepte hir-self, hir neded no maistresse;
- For in hir living maydens mighten rede,
- As in a book, every good word or dede,
- That longeth to a mayden vertuous;
- She was so prudent and so bountevous.110
- For which the fame out-sprong on every syde
- Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde;
- That thurgh that land they preysed hir echone,
- That loved vertu, save envye allone,
- That sory is of other mennes wele,115
- And glad is of his sorwe and his unhele;
- (The doctour maketh this descripcioun).
- This mayde up-on a day wente in the toun
- Toward a temple, with hir moder dere,
- As is of yonge maydens the manere.120
- Now was ther thanne a Iustice in that toun,
- That governour was of that regioun.
- And so bifel, this Iuge his eyen caste
- Up-on this mayde, avysinge him ful faste,
- As she cam forby ther this Iuge stood.125
- Anon his herte chaunged and his mood,
- So was he caught with beautee of this mayde;
- And to him-self ful prively he sayde,
- ‘This mayde shal be myn, for any man.’
- Anon the feend in-to his herte ran,130
- And taughte him sodeynly, that he by slighte
- The mayden to his purpos winne mighte.
- For certes, by no force, ne by no mede,
- Him thoughte, he was nat able for to spede;
- For she was strong of freendes, and eek she135
- Confermed was in swich soverayn bountee,
- That wel he wiste he mighte hir never winne
- As for to make hir with hir body sinne.
- For which, by greet deliberacioun,
- He sente after a cherl, was in the toun,140
- Which that he knew for subtil and for bold.
- This Iuge un-to this cherl his tale hath told
- In secree wyse, and made him to ensure,
- He sholde telle it to no creature,
- And if he dide, he sholde lese his heed.145
- Whan that assented was this cursed reed,
- Glad was this Iuge and maked him greet chere,
- And yaf hym yiftes preciouse and dere.
- Whan shapen was al hir conspiracye
- Fro point to point, how that his lecherye150
- Parfourned sholde been ful subtilly,
- As ye shul here it after openly,
- Hoom gooth the cherl, that highte Claudius.
- This false Iuge that highte Apius,
- So was his name, (for this is no fable,155
- But knowen for historial thing notable,
- The sentence of it sooth is, out of doute),
- This false Iuge gooth now faste aboute
- To hasten his delyt al that he may.
- And so bifel sone after, on a day,160
- This false Iuge, as telleth us the storie,
- As he was wont, sat in his consistorie,
- And yaf his domes up-on sondry cas.
- This false cherl cam forth a ful greet pas,
- And seyde, ‘lord, if that it be your wille,165
- As dooth me right up-on this pitous bille,
- In which I pleyne up-on Virginius.
- And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus,
- I wol it preve, and finde good witnesse,
- That sooth is that my bille wol expresse.’170
- The Iuge answerde, ‘of this, in his absence,
- I may nat yeve diffinitif sentence.
- Lat do him calle, and I wol gladly here;
- Thou shalt have al right, and no wrong here.’
- Virginius cam, to wite the Iuges wille,175
- And right anon was rad this cursed bille;
- The sentence of it was as ye shul here.
- ‘To yow, my lord, sire Apius so dere,
- Sheweth your povre servant Claudius,
- How that a knight, called Virginius,180
- Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee,
- Holdeth, expres agayn the wil of me,
- My servant, which that is my thral by right,
- Which fro myn hous was stole up-on a night,
- Whyl that she was ful yong; this wol I preve185
- By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greve.
- She nis his doghter nat, what so he seye;
- Wherfore to yow, my lord the Iuge, I preye,
- Yeld me my thral, if that it be your wille.’
- Lo! this was al the sentence of his bille.190
- Virginius gan up-on the cherl biholde,
- But hastily, er he his tale tolde,
- And wolde have preved it, as sholde a knight,
- And eek by witnessing of many a wight,
- That it was fals that seyde his adversarie,195
- This cursed Iuge wolde no-thing tarie,
- Ne here a word more of Virginius,
- But yaf his Iugement, and seyde thus:—
- ‘I deme anon this cherl his servant have;
- Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save.200
- Go bring hir forth, and put hir in our warde,
- The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde.’
- And whan this worthy knight Virginius,
- Thurgh sentence of this Iustice Apius,
- Moste by force his dere doghter yiven205
- Un-to the Iuge, in lecherye to liven,
- He gooth him hoom, and sette him in his halle,
- And leet anon his dere doghter calle,
- And, with a face deed as asshen colde,
- Upon hir humble face he gan biholde,210
- With fadres pitee stiking thurgh his herte,
- Al wolde he from his purpose nat converte.
- ‘Doghter,’ quod he, ‘Virginia, by thy name,
- Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame,
- That thou most suffre; allas! that I was bore!215
- For never thou deservedest wherfore
- To dyen with a swerd or with a knyf.
- O dere doghter, ender of my lyf,
- Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce,
- That thou were never out of my remembraunce!220
- O doghter, which that art my laste wo,
- And in my lyf my laste Ioye also,
- O gemme of chastitee, in pacience
- Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence.
- For love and nat for hate, thou most be deed;225
- My pitous hand mot smyten of thyn heed.
- Allas! that ever Apius thee say!
- Thus hath he falsly Iuged thee to-day’—
- And tolde hir al the cas, as ye bifore
- Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it more.230
- ‘O mercy, dere fader,’ quod this mayde,
- And with that word she both hir armes layde
- About his nekke, as she was wont to do:
- The teres broste out of hir eyen two,
- And seyde, ‘gode fader, shal I dye?235
- Is ther no grace? is ther no remedye?’
- ‘No, certes, dere doghter myn,’ quod he.
- ‘Thanne yif me leyser, fader myn,’ quod she,
- ‘My deeth for to compleyne a litel space;
- For pardee, Iepte yaf his doghter grace240
- For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas!
- And god it woot, no-thing was hir trespas,
- But for she ran hir fader first to see,
- To welcome him with greet solempnitee.’
- And with that word she fil aswowne anon,245
- And after, whan hir swowning is agon,
- She ryseth up, and to hir fader sayde,
- ‘Blessed be god, that I shal dye a mayde.
- Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame;
- Doth with your child your wil, a goddes name!’250
- And with that word she preyed him ful ofte,
- That with his swerd he wolde smyte softe,
- And with that word aswowne doun she fil.
- Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil,
- Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente,255
- And to the Iuge he gan it to presente,
- As he sat yet in doom in consistorie.
- And whan the Iuge it saugh, as seith the storie,
- He bad to take him and anhange him faste.
- But right anon a thousand peple in thraste,260
- To save the knight, for routhe and for pitee,
- For knowen was the false iniquitee.
- The peple anon hath suspect of this thing,
- By manere of the cherles chalanging,
- That it was by the assent of Apius;265
- They wisten wel that he was lecherous.
- For which un-to this Apius they gon,
- And caste him in a prison right anon,
- Wher-as he slow him-self; and Claudius,
- That servant was un-to this Apius,270
- Was demed for to hange upon a tree;
- But that Virginius, of his pitee,
- So preyde for him that he was exyled;
- And elles, certes, he had been bigyled.
- The remenant were anhanged, more and lesse,275
- That were consentant of this cursednesse.—
- Heer men may seen how sinne hath his meryte!
- Beth war, for no man woot whom god wol smyte
- In no degree, ne in which maner wyse
- The worm of conscience may agryse280
- Of wikked lyf, though it so privee be,
- That no man woot ther-of but god and he.
- For be he lewed man, or elles lered,
- He noot how sone that he shal been afered.
- Therfore I rede yow this conseil take,285
- Forsaketh sinne, er sinne yow forsake.
Here endeth the Phisiciens tale. WORDS OF THE HOST.
(T. 12221-12239.)
The wordes of the Host to the Phisicien and the Pardoner.
- OUR Hoste gan to swere as he were wood,
- ‘Harrow!’ quod he, ‘by nayles and by blood!
- This was a fals cherl and a fals Iustyse!
- As shamful deeth as herte may devyse290
- Come to thise Iuges and hir advocats!
- Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!
- Allas! to dere boghte she beautee!
- Wherfore I seye al day, as men may see,
- That yiftes of fortune or of nature295
- Ben cause of deeth to many a creature.(10)
- Hir beautee was hir deeth, I dar wel sayn;
- Allas! so pitously as she was slayn!
- Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now
- Men han ful ofte more harm than prow.300
- But trewely, myn owene mayster dere,
- This is a pitous tale for to here.
- But natheles, passe over, is no fors;
- I prey to god, so save thy gentil cors,
- And eek thyne urinals and thy Iordanes,305
- Thyn Ypocras, and eek thy Galianes,(20)
- And every boist ful of thy letuarie;
- God blesse hem, and our lady seinte Marie!
- So mot I theen, thou art a propre man,
- And lyk a prelat, by seint Ronyan!310
- Seyde I nat wel? I can nat speke in terme;
- But wel I woot, thou doost my herte to erme,
- That I almost have caught a cardiacle.
- By corpus bones! but I have triacle,
- Or elles a draught of moyste and corny ale,315
- Or but I here anon a mery tale,(30)
- Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde.
- Thou bel amy, thou Pardoner,’ he seyde,
- ‘Tel us som mirthe or Iapes right anon.’
- ‘It shall be doon,’ quod he, ‘by seint Ronyon!320
- But first,’ quod he, ‘heer at this ale-stake
- I wol both drinke, and eten of a cake.’
- But right anon thise gentils gonne to crye,
- ‘Nay! lat him telle us of no ribaudye;
- Tel us som moral thing, that we may lere325
- Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly here.’(40)
- ‘I graunte, y-wis,’ quod he, ‘but I mot thinke
- Up-on som honest thing, whyl that I drinke.
THE PROLOGUE OF THE PARDONERS TALE.
(T. 12263-12288).
Here folweth the Prologe of the Pardoners Tale.
Radix malorum est Cupiditas: Ad Thimotheum, sexto.
- LORDINGS,’ quod he, ‘in chirches whan I preche,
- I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche,330
- And ringe it out as round as gooth a belle,
- For I can al by rote that I telle.
- My theme is alwey oon, and ever was—
- “Radix malorum est Cupiditas.”
- First I pronounce whennes that I come,335
- And than my bulles shewe I, alle and somme.
- Our lige lordes seel on my patente,
- That shewe I first, my body to warente,(10)
- That no man be so bold, ne preest ne clerk,
- Me to destourbe of Cristes holy werk;340
- And after that than telle I forth my tales,
- Bulles of popes and of cardinales,
- Of patriarkes, and bishoppes I shewe;
- And in Latyn I speke a wordes fewe,
- To saffron with my predicacioun,345
- And for to stire men to devocioun.
- Than shewe I forth my longe cristal stones,
- Y-crammed ful of cloutes and of bones;(20)
- Reliks been they, as wenen they echoon
- Than have I in latoun a sholder-boon350
- Which that was of an holy Iewes shepe.
- “Good men,” seye I, “tak of my wordes kepe;
- If that this boon be wasshe in any welle,
- If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swelle
- That any worm hath ete, or worm y-stonge,355
- Tak water of that welle, and wash his tonge,
- And it is hool anon; and forthermore,
- Of pokkes and of scabbe, and every sore(30)
- Shal every sheep be hool, that of this welle
- Drinketh a draughte; tak kepe eek what I telle.360
- If that the good-man, that the bestes oweth,
- Wol every wike, er that the cok him croweth,
- Fastinge, drinken of this welle a draughte,
- As thilke holy Iewe our eldres taughte,
- His bestes and his stoor shal multiplye.365
- And, sirs, also it heleth Ialousye;
- For, though a man be falle in Ialous rage,
- Let maken with this water his potage,(40)
- And never shal he more his wyf mistriste,
- Though he the sooth of hir defaute wiste;370
- Al had she taken preestes two or three.
- Heer is a miteyn eek, that ye may see.
- He that his hond wol putte in this miteyn,
- He shal have multiplying of his greyn,
- Whan he hath sowen, be it whete or otes,375
- So that he offre pens, or elles grotes.
- Good men and wommen, o thing warne I yow,
- If any wight be in this chirche now,(50)
- That hath doon sinne horrible, that he
- Dar nat, for shame, of it y-shriven be,380
- Or any womman, be she yong or old,
- That hath y-maad hir housbond cokewold,
- Swich folk shul have no power ne no grace
- To offren to my reliks in this place.
- And who-so findeth him out of swich blame,385
- He wol com up and offre in goddes name,
- And I assoille him by the auctoritee
- Which that by bulle y-graunted was to me.”(60)
- By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer,
- An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner.390
- I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet,
- And whan the lewed peple is doun y-set,
- I preche, so as ye han herd bifore,
- And telle an hundred false Iapes more.
- Than peyne I me to strecche forth the nekke,395
- And est and west upon the peple I bekke,
- As doth a dowve sitting on a berne.
- Myn hondes and my tonge goon so yerne,(70)
- That it is Ioye to see my bisinesse.
- Of avaryce and of swich cursednesse400
- Is al my preching, for to make hem free
- To yeve her pens, and namely un-to me.
- For my entente is nat but for to winne,
- And no-thing for correccioun of sinne.
- I rekke never, whan that they ben beried,405
- Though that her soules goon a-blakeberied!
- For certes, many a predicacioun
- Comth ofte tyme of yvel entencioun;(80)
- Som for plesaunce of folk and flaterye,
- To been avaunced by ipocrisye,410
- And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate.
- For, whan I dar non other weyes debate,
- Than wol I stinge him with my tonge smerte
- In preching, so that he shal nat asterte
- To been defamed falsly, if that he415
- Hath trespased to my brethren or to me.
- For, though I telle noght his propre name,
- Men shal wel knowe that it is the same(90)
- By signes and by othere circumstances.
- Thus quyte I folk that doon us displesances;420
- Thus spitte I out my venim under hewe
- Of holynesse, to seme holy and trewe.
- But shortly myn entente I wol devyse;
- I preche of no-thing but for coveityse.
- Therfor my theme is yet, and ever was—425
- “Radix malorum est cupiditas.”
- Thus can I preche agayn that same vyce
- Which that I use, and that is avaryce.(100)
- But, though my-self be gilty in that sinne,
- Yet can I maken other folk to twinne430
- From avaryce, and sore to repente.
- But that is nat my principal entente.
- I preche no-thing but for coveityse;
- Of this matere it oughte y-nogh suffyse.
- Than telle I hem ensamples many oon435
- Of olde stories, longe tyme agoon:
- For lewed peple loven tales olde;
- Swich thinges can they wel reporte and holde.(110)
- What? trowe ye, the whyles I may preche,
- And winne gold and silver for I teche,440
- That I wol live in povert wilfully?
- Nay, nay, I thoghte it never trewely!
- For I wol preche and begge in sondry londes;
- I wol not do no labour with myn hondes,
- Ne make baskettes, and live therby,445
- Because I wol nat beggen ydelly.
- I wol non of the apostles counterfete;
- I wol have money, wolle, chese, and whete,(120)
- Al were it yeven of the povrest page,
- Or of the povrest widwe in a village,450
- Al sholde hir children sterve for famyne.
- Nay! I wol drinke licour of the vyne,
- And have a Ioly wenche in every toun.
- But herkneth, lordings, in conclusioun;
- Your lyking is that I shal telle a tale.455
- Now, have I dronke a draughte of corny ale,
- By god, I hope I shal yow telle a thing
- That shal, by resoun, been at your lyking.(130)
- For, though myself be a ful vicious man,
- A moral tale yet I yow telle can,460
- Which I am wont to preche, for to winne.
- Now holde your pees, my tale I wol beginne.
THE PARDONERS TALE.
(Numbered in continuation of the preceding.)
Here biginneth the Pardoners Tale.
-
- IN Flaundres whylom was a companye
- Of yonge folk, that haunteden folye,
- As ryot, hasard, stewes , and tavernes,465
- Wher-as, with harpes, lutes, and giternes,
- They daunce and pleye at dees bothe day and night,
- And ete also and drinken over hir might,(140)
- Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifyse
- With-in that develes temple, in cursed wyse,470
- By superfluitee abhominable;
- Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable,
- That it is grisly for to here hem swere;
- Our blissed lordes body they to-tere;
- Hem thoughte Iewes rente him noght y-nough;475
- And ech of hem at otheres sinne lough.
- And right anon than comen tombesteres
- Fetys and smale, and yonge fruytesteres,(150)
- Singers with harpes, baudes, wafereres,
- Whiche been the verray develes officeres480
- To kindle and blowe the fyr of lecherye,
- That is annexed un-to glotonye;
- The holy writ take I to my witnesse,
- That luxurie is in wyn and dronkenesse.
- Lo, how that dronken Loth, unkindely,485
- Lay by his doghtres two, unwitingly;
- So dronke he was, he niste what he wroghte.
- Herodes, (who-so wel the stories soghte),(160)
- Whan he of wyn was replet at his feste,
- Right at his owene table he yaf his heste490
- To sleen the Baptist Iohn ful giltelees.
- Senek seith eek a good word doutelees;
- He seith, he can no difference finde
- Bitwix a man that is out of his minde
- And a man which that is dronkelewe,495
- But that woodnesse, y-fallen in a shrewe,
- Persevereth lenger than doth dronkenesse.
- O glotonye, ful of cursednesse,(170)
- O cause first of our confusioun,
- O original of our dampnacioun,500
- Til Crist had boght us with his blood agayn!
- Lo, how dere, shortly for to sayn,
- Aboght was thilke cursed vileinye;
- Corrupt was al this world for glotonye!
- Adam our fader, and his wyf also,505
- Fro Paradys to labour and to wo
- Were driven for that vyce, it is no drede;
- For whyl that Adam fasted, as I rede,(180)
- He was in Paradys; and whan that he
- Eet of the fruyt defended on the tree,510
- Anon he was out-cast to wo and peyne.
- O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!
- O, wiste a man how many maladyes
- Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes,
- He wolde been the more mesurable515
- Of his diete, sittinge at his table.
- Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth,
- Maketh that, Est and West, and North and South,(190)
- In erthe, in eir, in water men to-swinke
- To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drinke!520
- Of this matere, o Paul, wel canstow trete,
- ‘Mete un-to wombe, and wombe eek un-to mete,
- Shal god destroyen bothe,’ as Paulus seith.
- Allas! a foul thing is it, by my feith,
- To seye this word, and fouler is the dede,525
- Whan man so drinketh of the whyte and rede,
- That of his throte he maketh his privee,
- Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee.(200)
- The apostel weping seith ful pitously,
- ‘Ther walken many of whiche yow told have I,530
- I seye it now weping with pitous voys,
- That they been enemys of Cristes croys,
- Of whiche the ende is deeth, wombe is her god.’
- O wombe! O bely! O stinking cod,
- Fulfild of donge and of corrupcioun!535
- At either ende of thee foul is the soun.
- How greet labour and cost is thee to finde!
- Thise cokes, how they stampe, and streyne, and grinde,(210)
- And turnen substaunce in-to accident,
- To fulfille al thy likerous talent!540
- Out of the harde bones knokke they
- The mary, for they caste noght a-wey
- That may go thurgh the golet softe and swote;
- Of spicerye, of leef, and bark, and rote
- Shal been his sauce y-maked by delyt,545
- To make him yet a newer appetyt
- But certes, he that haunteth swich delyces
- Is deed, whyl that he liveth in tho vyces.(220)
- A lecherous thing is wyn, and dronkenesse
- Is ful of stryving and of wrecchednesse.550
- O dronke man, disfigured is thy face,
- Sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace,
- And thurgh thy dronke nose semeth the soun
- As though thou seydest ay ‘Sampsoun, Sampsoun’;
- And yet, god wot, Sampsoun drank never no wyn.555
- Thou fallest, as it were a stiked swyn;
- Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honest cure;
- For dronkenesse is verray sepulture(230)
- Of mannes wit and his discrecioun.
- In whom that drinke hath dominacioun,560
- He can no conseil kepe, it is no drede.
- Now kepe yow fro the whyte and fro the rede,
- And namely fro the whyte wyn of Lepe,
- That is to selle in Fish-strete or in Chepe.
- This wyn of Spayne crepeth subtilly565
- In othere wynes, growing faste by,
- Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee,
- That whan a man hath dronken draughtes three,(240)
- And weneth that he be at hoom in Chepe,
- He is in Spayne, right at the toune of Lepe,570
- Nat at the Rochel, ne at Burdeux toun;
- And thanne wol he seye, ‘Sampsoun, Sampsoun.’
- But herkneth, lordings, o word, I yow preye,
- That alle the sovereyn actes, dar I seye,
- Of victories in the olde testament,575
- Thurgh verray god, that is omnipotent,
- Were doon in abstinence and in preyere;
- Loketh the Bible, and ther ye may it lere.(250)
- Loke, Attila, the grete conquerour,
- Deyde in his sleep, with shame and dishonour,580
- Bledinge ay at his nose in dronkenesse;
- A capitayn shoulde live in sobrenesse.
- And over al this, avyseth yow right wel
- What was comaunded un-to Lamuel—
- Nat Samuel, but Lamuel, seye I—585
- Redeth the Bible, and finde it expresly
- Of wyn-yeving to hem that han Iustyse.
- Na-more of this, for it may wel suffyse.(260)
- And now that I have spoke of glotonye,
- Now wol I yow defenden hasardrye.590
- Hasard is verray moder of lesinges,
- And of deceite, and cursed forsweringes,
- Blaspheme of Crist, manslaughtre, and wast also
- Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo,
- It is repreve and contrarie of honour595
- For to ben holde a commune hasardour.
- And ever the hyër he is of estaat,
- The more is he holden desolaat.(270)
- If that a prince useth hasardrye,
- In alle governaunce and policye600
- He is, as by commune opinioun,
- Y-holde the lasse in reputacioun.
- Stilbon, that was a wys embassadour,
- Was sent to Corinthe, in ful greet honour,
- Fro Lacidomie, to make hir alliaunce.605
- And whan he cam, him happede, par chaunce,
- That alle the grettest that were of that lond,
- Pleyinge atte hasard he hem fond.(280)
- For which, as sone as it mighte be,
- He stal him hoom agayn to his contree,610
- And seyde, ‘ther wol I nat lese my name;
- Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame,
- Yow for to allye un-to none hasardours.
- Sendeth othere wyse embassadours;
- For, by my trouthe, me were lever dye,615
- Than I yow sholde to hasardours allye.
- For ye that been so glorious in honours
- Shul nat allyen yow with hasardours(290)
- As by my wil, ne as by my tretee.’
- This wyse philosophre thus seyde he.620
- Loke eek that, to the king Demetrius
- The king of Parthes, as the book seith us,
- Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn,
- For he hadde used hasard ther-biforn;
- For which he heeld his glorie or his renoun625
- At no value or reputacioun.
- Lordes may finden other maner pley
- Honeste y-nough to dryve the day awey.(300)
- Now wol I speke of othes false and grete
- A word or two, as olde bokes trete.630
- Gret swering is a thing abhominable,
- And false swering is yet more reprevable.
- The heighe god forbad swering at al,
- Witnesse on Mathew; but in special
- Of swering seith the holy Ieremye,635
- ‘Thou shalt seye sooth thyn othes, and nat lye,
- And swere in dome, and eek in rightwisnesse;’
- But ydel swering is a cursednesse.(310)
- Bihold and see, that in the firste table
- Of heighe goddes hestes honurable,640
- How that the seconde heste of him is this—
- ‘Tak nat my name in ydel or amis.’
- Lo, rather he forbedeth swich swering
- Than homicyde or many a cursed thing;
- I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth;645
- This knowen, that his hestes understondeth,
- How that the second heste of god is that.
- And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat,(320)
- That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous,
- That of his othes is to outrageous.650
- ‘By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles,
- And by the blode of Crist, that it is in Hayles,
- Seven is my chaunce, and thyn is cink and treye;
- By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye,
- This dagger shal thurgh-out thyn herte go’—655
- This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two,
- Forswering, ire, falsnesse, homicyde.
- Now, for the love of Crist that for us dyde,(330)
- Leveth your othes, bothe grete and smale;
- But, sirs, now wol I telle forth my tale.660
- THISE ryotoures three, of whiche I telle,
- Longe erst er pryme rong of any belle,
- Were set hem in a taverne for to drinke;
- And as they satte, they herde a belle clinke
- Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave;665
- That oon of hem gan callen to his knave,
- ‘Go bet,’ quod he, ‘and axe redily,
- What cors is this that passeth heer forby;(340)
- And look that thou reporte his name wel.’
- ‘Sir,’ quod this boy, ‘it nedeth never-a-del.670
- It was me told, er ye cam heer, two houres;
- He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres;
- And sodeynly he was y-slayn to-night,
- For-dronke, as he sat on his bench upright;
- Ther cam a privee theef, men clepeth Deeth,675
- That in this contree al the peple sleeth,
- And with his spere he smoot his herte a-two,
- And wente his wey with-outen wordes mo.(350)
- He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence:
- And, maister, er ye come in his presence,680
- Me thinketh that it were necessarie
- For to be war of swich an adversarie:
- Beth redy for to mete him evermore.
- Thus taughte me my dame, I sey na-more.’
- ‘By seinte Marie,’ seyde this taverner,685
- ‘The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer,
- Henne over a myle, with-in a greet village,
- Both man and womman, child and hyne, and page.(360)
- I trowe his habitacioun be there;
- To been avysed greet wisdom it were,690
- Er that he dide a man a dishonour.’
- ‘Ye, goddes armes,’ quod this ryotour,
- ‘Is it swich peril with him for to mete?
- I shal him seke by wey and eek by strete,
- I make avow to goddes digne bones!695
- Herkneth, felawes, we three been al ones;
- Lat ech of us holde up his hond til other,(370)
- And ech of us bicomen otheres brother,
- And we wol sleen this false traytour Deeth;
- He shal be slayn, which that so many sleeth,700
- By goddes dignitee, er it be night.’
- Togidres han thise three her trouthes plight,
- To live and dyen ech of hem for other,
- As though he were his owene y-boren brother.
- And up they sterte al dronken, in this rage,705
- And forth they goon towardes that village,
- Of which the taverner had spoke biforn,
- And many a grisly ooth than han they sworn,(380)
- And Cristes blessed body they to-rente—
- ‘Deeth shal be deed, if that they may him hente.’710
- Whan they han goon nat fully half a myle,
- Right as they wolde han troden over a style,
- An old man and a povre with hem mette.
- This olde man ful mekely hem grette,
- And seyde thus, ‘now, lordes, god yow see!’715
- The proudest of thise ryotoures three
- Answerde agayn, ‘what? carl, with sory grace,
- Why artow al forwrapped save thy face?(390)
- Why livestow so longe in so greet age?’
- This olde man gan loke in his visage,720
- And seyde thus, ‘for I ne can nat finde
- A man, though that I walked in-to Inde,
- Neither in citee nor in no village,
- That wolde chaunge his youthe for myn age;
- And therfore moot I han myn age stille,725
- As longe time as it is goddes wille.
- Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf;
- Thus walke I, lyk a restelees caityf,(400)
- And on the ground, which is my modres gate,
- I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late,730
- And seye, “leve moder, leet me in!
- Lo, how I vanish, flesh, and blood, and skin!
- Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste?
- Moder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste,
- That in my chambre longe tyme hath be,735
- Ye! for an heyre clout to wrappe me!”
- But yet to me she wol nat do that grace,
- For which ful pale and welked is my face.(410)
- But, sirs, to yow it is no curteisye
- To speken to an old man vileinye,740
- But he trespasse in worde, or elles in dede.
- In holy writ ye may your-self wel rede,
- “Agayns an old man, hoor upon his heed,
- Ye sholde aryse;” wherfor I yeve yow reed,
- Ne dooth un-to an old man noon harm now,745
- Na-more than ye wolde men dide to yow
- In age, if that ye so longe abyde;
- And god be with yow, wher ye go or ryde.(420)
- I moot go thider as I have to go.’
- ‘Nay, olde cherl, by god, thou shalt nat so,’750
- Seyde this other hasardour anon;
- ‘Thou partest nat so lightly, by seint Iohn!
- Thou spak right now of thilke traitour Deeth,
- That in this contree alle our frendes sleeth.
- Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his aspye,755
- Tel wher he is, or thou shalt it abye,
- By god, and by the holy sacrament!
- For soothly thou art oon of his assent,(430)
- To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!’
- ‘Now, sirs,’ quod he, ‘if that yow be so leef760
- To finde Deeth, turne up this croked wey,
- For in that grove I lafte him, by my fey,
- Under a tree, and ther he wol abyde;
- Nat for your boost he wol him no-thing hyde.
- See ye that ook? right ther ye shul him finde.765
- God save yow, that boghte agayn mankinde,
- And yow amende!’—thus seyde this olde man.
- And everich of thise ryotoures ran,(440)
- Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde
- Of florins fyne of golde y-coyned rounde770
- Wel ny an eighte busshels, as hem thoughte.
- No lenger thanne after Deeth they soughte,
- But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte,
- For that the florins been so faire and brighte,
- That doun they sette hem by this precious hord.775
- The worste of hem he spake the firste word.
- ‘Brethren,’ quod he, ‘tak kepe what I seye;
- My wit is greet, though that I bourde and pleye.(450)
- This tresor hath fortune un-to us yiven,
- In mirthe and Iolitee our lyf to liven,780
- And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende.
- Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende
- To-day, that we sholde han so fair a grace?
- But mighte this gold be caried fro this place
- Hoom to myn hous, or elles un-to youres—785
- For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures—
- Than were we in heigh felicitee.
- But trewely, by daye it may nat be;(460)
- Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge,
- And for our owene tresor doon us honge.790
- This tresor moste y-carried be by nighte
- As wysly and as slyly as it mighte.
- Wherfore I rede that cut among us alle
- Be drawe, and lat se wher the cut wol falle;
- And he that hath the cut with herte blythe795
- Shal renne to the toune, and that ful swythe,
- And bringe us breed and wyn ful prively.
- And two of us shul kepen subtilly(470)
- This tresor wel; and, if he wol nat tarie,
- Whan it is night, we wol this tresor carie800
- By oon assent, wher-as us thinketh best.’
- That oon of hem the cut broughte in his fest,
- And bad hem drawe, and loke wher it wol falle;
- And it fil on the yongeste of hem alle;
- And forth toward the toun he wente anon.805
- And al-so sone as that he was gon,
- That oon of hem spak thus un-to that other,
- ‘Thou knowest wel thou art my sworne brother,(480)
- Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.
- Thou woost wel that our felawe is agon;810
- And heer is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
- That shal departed been among us three.
- But natheles, if I can shape it so
- That it departed were among us two,
- Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee?’815
- That other answerde, ‘I noot how that may be;
- He woot how that the gold is with us tweye,
- What shal we doon, what shal we to him seye?’(490)
- ‘Shal it be conseil?’ seyde the firste shrewe,
- ‘And I shal tellen thee, in wordes fewe,820
- What we shal doon, and bringe it wel aboute.’
- ‘I graunte,’ quod that other, ‘out of doute,
- That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat biwreye.’
- ‘Now,’ quod the firste, ‘thou woost wel we be tweye,
- And two of us shul strenger be than oon.825
- Look whan that he is set, and right anoon
- Arys, as though thou woldest with him pleye;
- And I shal ryve him thurgh the sydes tweye(500)
- Whyl that thou strogelest with him as in game,
- And with thy dagger look thou do the same;830
- And than shal al this gold departed be,
- My dere freend, bitwixen me and thee;
- Than may we bothe our lustes al fulfille,
- And pleye at dees right at our owene wille.’
- And thus acorded been thise shrewes tweye835
- To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye.
- This youngest, which that wente un-to the toun,
- Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun(510)
- The beautee of thise florins newe and brighte.
- ‘O lord!’ quod he, ‘if so were that I mighte840
- Have al this tresor to my-self allone,
- Ther is no man that liveth under the trone
- Of god, that sholde live so mery as I!’
- And atte laste the feend, our enemy,
- Putte in his thought that he shold poyson beye,845
- With which he mighte sleen his felawes tweye;
- For-why the feend fond him in swich lyvinge,
- That he had leve him to sorwe bringe,(520)
- For this was outrely his fulle entente
- To sleen hem bothe, and never to repente.850
- And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he tarie,
- Into the toun, un-to a pothecarie,
- And preyed him, that he him wolde selle
- Som poyson, that he mighte his rattes quelle;
- And eek ther was a polcat in his hawe,855
- That, as he seyde, his capouns hadde y-slawe,
- And fayn he wolde wreke him, if he mighte,
- On vermin, that destroyed him by nighte.(530)
- The pothecarie answerde, ‘and thou shalt have
- A thing that, al-so god my soule save,860
- In al this world ther nis no creature,
- That ete or dronke hath of this confiture
- Noght but the mountance of a corn of whete,
- That he ne shal his lyf anon forlete;
- Ye, sterve he shal, and that in lasse whyle865
- Than thou wolt goon a paas nat but a myle;
- This poyson is so strong and violent.’
- This cursed man hath in his hond y-hent(540)
- This poyson in a box, and sith he ran
- In-to the nexte strete, un-to a man,870
- And borwed [of] him large botels three;
- And in the two his poyson poured he;
- The thridde he kepte clene for his drinke.
- For al the night he shoop him for to swinke
- In caryinge of the gold out of that place.875
- And whan this ryotour, with sory grace,
- Had filled with wyn his grete botels three,
- To his felawes agayn repaireth he.(550)
- What nedeth it to sermone of it more?
- For right as they had cast his deeth bifore,880
- Right so they han him slayn, and that anon.
- And whan that this was doon, thus spak that oon,
- ‘Now lat us sitte and drinke, and make us merie,
- And afterward we wol his body berie.’
- And with that word it happed him, par cas,885
- To take the botel ther the poyson was,
- And drank, and yaf his felawe drinke also,
- For which anon they storven bothe two.(560)
- But, certes, I suppose that Avicen
- Wroot never in no canon, ne in no fen,890
- Mo wonder signes of empoisoning
- Than hadde thise wrecches two, er hir ending.
- Thus ended been thise homicydes two,
- And eek the false empoysoner also.
-
- O cursed sinne, ful of cursednesse!895
- O traytours homicyde, o wikkednesse!
- O glotonye, luxurie, and hasardrye!
- Thou blasphemour of Crist with vileinye(570)
- And othes grete, of usage and of pryde!
- Allas! mankinde, how may it bityde,900
- That to thy creatour which that thee wroghte,
- And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte,
- Thou art so fals and so unkinde, allas!
- Now, goode men, god forgeve yow your trespas,
- And ware yow fro the sinne of avaryce.905
- Myn holy pardoun may yow alle waryce,
- So that ye offre nobles or sterlinges,
- Or elles silver broches, spones, ringes.(580)
- Boweth your heed under this holy bulle!
- Cometh up, ye wyves, offreth of your wolle!910
- Your name I entre heer in my rolle anon;
- In-to the blisse of hevene shul ye gon;
- I yow assoile, by myn heigh power,
- Yow that wol offre, as clene and eek as cleer
- As ye were born; and, lo, sirs, thus I preche.915
- And Iesu Crist, that is our soules leche,
- So graunte yow his pardon to receyve;
- For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve.(590)
- But sirs, o word forgat I in my tale,
- I have relikes and pardon in my male,920
- As faire as any man in Engelond,
- Whiche were me yeven by the popes hond.
- If any of yow wol, of devocioun,
- Offren, and han myn absolucioun,
- Cometh forth anon, and kneleth heer adoun,925
- And mekely receyveth my pardoun:
- Or elles, taketh pardon as ye wende,
- Al newe and fresh, at every tounes ende,(600)
- So that ye offren alwey newe and newe
- Nobles and pens, which that be gode and trewe.930
- It is an honour to everich that is heer,
- That ye mowe have a suffisant pardoneer
- Tassoille yow, in contree as ye ryde,
- For aventures which that may bityde.
- Peraventure ther may falle oon or two935
- Doun of his hors, and breke his nekke atwo.
- Look which a seuretee is it to yow alle
- That I am in your felaweship y-falle,(610)
- That may assoille yow, bothe more and lasse,
- Whan that the soule shal fro the body passe.940
- I rede that our hoste heer shal biginne,
- For he is most envoluped in sinne.
- Com forth, sir hoste, and offre first anon,
- And thou shalt kisse the reliks everichon,
- Ye, for a grote! unbokel anon thy purs.’945
- ‘Nay, nay,’ quod he, ‘than have I Cristes curs!
- Lat be,’ quod he, ‘it shal nat be, so theech!
- Thou woldest make me kisse thyn old breech,(620)
- And swere it were a relik of a seint,
- Thogh it were with thy fundement depeint!950
- But by the croys which that seint Eleyne fond,
- I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond
- In stede of relikes or of seintuarie;
- Lat cutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie;
- Thay shul be shryned in an hogges tord.’955
- This pardoner answerde nat a word;
- So wrooth he was, no word ne wolde he seye.
- ‘Now,’ quod our host, ‘I wol no lenger pleye(630)
- With thee, ne with noon other angry man.’
- But right anon the worthy knight bigan,960
- Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough,
- ‘Na-more of this, for it is right y-nough;
- Sir pardoner, be glad and mery of chere;
- And ye, sir host, that been to me so dere,
- I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner.965
- And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer,
- And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye.’(639)
- Anon they kiste, and riden forth hir weye.
[T. 12902.
Here is ended the Pardoners Tale.
(For T. 12903, see p. 165).
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