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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE FRERES TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE FRERES 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 FRERES TALE.
Here biginneth the Freres tale.
- WHILOM ther was dwellinge in my contree
- An erchedeken, a man of heigh degree,1300
- That boldely dide execucioun
- In punisshinge of fornicacioun,
- Of wicchecraft, and eek of bauderye,
- Of diffamacioun, and avoutrye,
- Of chirche-reves, and of testaments,1305
- Of contractes, and of lakke of sacraments,
- And eek of many another maner cryme
[T. om. - Which nedeth nat rehercen at this tyme;
[T. om. - Of usure, and of symonye also.(11)
- But certes, lechours dide he grettest wo;1310
- They sholde singen, if that they were hent;
- And smale tytheres weren foule y-shent.
- If any persone wolde up-on hem pleyne,
- Ther mighte asterte him no pecunial peyne.
- For smale tythes and for smal offringe,1315
- He made the peple pitously to singe.
- For er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook,
- They weren in the erchedeknes book.(20)
- Thanne hadde he, thurgh his Iurisdiccioun,
- Power to doon on hem correccioun.1320
- He hadde a Somnour redy to his hond,
- A slyer boy was noon in Engelond;
- For subtilly he hadde his espiaille,
- That taughte him, wher that him mighte availle.
- He coude spare of lechours oon or two,1325
- To techen him to foure and twenty mo.
- For thogh this Somnour wood were as an hare,
- To telle his harlotrye I wol nat spare;(30)
- For we been out of his correccioun;
- They han of us no Iurisdiccioun,1330
- Ne never shullen, terme of alle hir lyves.
- ‘Peter! so been the wommen of the styves,’
- Quod the Somnour, ‘y-put out of my cure!’
- ‘Pees, with mischance and with misaventure,’
- Thus seyde our host, ‘and lat him telle his tale.1335
- Now telleth forth, thogh that the Somnour gale,
- Ne spareth nat, myn owene maister dere.’
- This false theef, this Somnour, quod the Frere,(40)
- Hadde alwey baudes redy to his hond,
- As any hauk to lure in Engelond,1340
- That tolde him al the secree that they knewe;
- For hir acqueyntance was nat come of-newe.
- They weren hise approwours prively;
- He took him-self a greet profit therby;
- His maister knew nat alwey what he wan.1345
- With-outen mandement, a lewed man
- He coude somne, on peyne of Cristes curs,
- And they were gladde for to fille his purs,(50)
- And make him grete festes atte nale.
- And right as Iudas hadde purses smale,1350
- And was a theef, right swich a theef was he;
- His maister hadde but half his duëtee.
- He was, if I shal yeven him his laude,
- A theef, and eek a Somnour, and a baude.
- He hadde eek wenches at his retenue,1355
- That, whether that sir Robert or sir Huwe,
- Or Iakke, or Rauf, or who-so that it were,
- That lay by hem, they tolde it in his ere;(60)
- Thus was the wenche and he of oon assent.
- And he wolde fecche a feyned mandement,1360
- And somne hem to the chapitre bothe two,
- And pile the man, and lete the wenche go.
- Thanne wolde he seye, ‘frend, I shal for thy sake
- Do stryken hir out of our lettres blake;
- Thee thar na-more as in this cas travaille;1365
- I am thy freend, ther I thee may availle.’
- Certeyn he knew of bryberyes mo
- Than possible is to telle in yeres two.(70)
- For in this world nis dogge for the bowe,
- That can an hurt deer from an hool y-knowe,1370
- Bet than this Somnour knew a sly lechour,
- Or an avouter, or a paramour.
- And, for that was the fruit of al his rente,
- Therfore on it he sette al his entente.
- And so bifel, that ones on a day1375
- This Somnour, ever waiting on his pray,
- Rood for to somne a widwe, an old ribybe,
- Feynynge a cause, for he wolde brybe.(80)
- And happed that he saugh bifore him ryde
- A gay yeman, under a forest-syde.1380
- A bowe he bar, and arwes brighte and kene;
- He hadde up-on a courtepy of grene;
- An hat up-on his heed with frenges blake.
- ‘Sir,’ quod this Somnour, ‘hayl! and wel a-take!’
- ‘Wel-come,’ quod he, ‘and every good felawe!1385
- Wher rydestow under this grene shawe?’
- Seyde this yeman, ‘wiltow fer to day?’
- This Somnour him answerde, and seyde, ‘nay;(90)
- Heer faste by,’ quod he, ‘is myn entente
- To ryden, for to reysen up a rente1390
- That longeth to my lordes duëtee.
- ‘Artow thanne a bailly?’ ‘Ye!’ quod he.
- He dorste nat, for verray filthe and shame,
- Seye that he was a somnour, for the name.
- ‘Depardieux,’ quod this yeman, ‘dere brother,1395
- Thou art a bailly, and I am another.
- I am unknowen as in this contree;
- Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee,(100)
- And eek of brotherhede, if that yow leste.
- I have gold and silver in my cheste;1400
- If that thee happe to comen in our shyre,
- Al shal be thyn, right as thou wolt desyre.’
- ‘Grantmercy,’ quod this Somnour, ‘by my feith!’
- Everich in otheres hand his trouthe leith,
- For to be sworne bretheren til they deye.1405
- In daliance they ryden forth hir weye.
- This Somnour, which that was as ful of Iangles,
- As ful of venim been thise wariangles,(110)
- And ever enquering up-on every thing,
- ‘Brother,’ quod he, ‘where is now your dwelling,1410
- Another day if that I sholde yow seche?’
- This yeman him answerde in softe speche,
- ‘Brother,’ quod he, ‘fer in the north contree,
- Wher, as I hope, som-tyme I shal thee see.
- Er we departe, I shal thee so wel wisse,1415
- That of myn hous ne shaltow never misse.’
- ‘Now, brother,’ quod this Somnour, ‘I yow preye,
- Teche me, whyl that we ryden by the weye,(120)
- Sin that ye been a baillif as am I,
- Som subtiltee, and tel me feithfully1420
- In myn offyce how I may most winne;
- And spareth nat for conscience ne sinne,
- But as my brother tel me, how do ye?’
- ‘Now, by my trouthe, brother dere,’ seyde he,
- ‘As I shal tellen thee a feithful tale,1425
- My wages been ful streite and ful smale.
- My lord is hard to me and daungerous,
- And myn offyce is ful laborous;(130)
- And therfore by extorcions I live.
- For sothe, I take al that men wol me yive;1430
- Algate, by sleyghte or by violence,
- Fro yeer to yeer I winne al my dispence.
- I can no bettre telle feithfully.’
- ‘Now, certes,’ quod this Somnour, ‘so fare I;
- I spare nat to taken, god it woot,1435
- But if it be to hevy or to hoot.
- What I may gete in conseil prively,
- No maner conscience of that have I;(140)
- Nere myn extorcioun, I mighte nat liven,
- Ne of swiche Iapes wol I nat be shriven.1440
- Stomak ne conscience ne knowe I noon;
- I shrewe thise shrifte-fadres everichoon.
- Wel be we met, by god and by seint Iame!
- But, leve brother, tel me than thy name,’
- Quod this Somnour; and in this mene-whyle,1445
- This yeman gan a litel for to smyle.
- ‘Brother,’ quod he, ‘wiltow that I thee telle?
- I am a feend, my dwelling is in helle.(150)
- And here I ryde about my purchasing,
- To wite wher men wolde yeve me any thing.1450
- My purchas is theffect of al my rente.
- Loke how thou rydest for the same entente,
- To winne good, thou rekkest never how;
- Right so fare I, for ryde wolde I now
- Un-to the worldes ende for a preye.’1455
- ‘A,’ quod this Somnour, ‘benedicite, what sey ye?
- I wende ye were a yeman trewely.
- Ye han a mannes shap as wel as I;(160)
- Han ye figure than determinat
- In helle, ther ye been in your estat?’1460
- ‘Nay, certeinly,’ quod he, ‘ther have we noon;
- But whan us lyketh, we can take us oon,
- Or elles make yow seme we ben shape
- Som-tyme lyk a man, or lyk an ape;
- Or lyk an angel can I ryde or go.1465
- It is no wonder thing thogh it be so;
- A lousy Iogelour can deceyve thee,
- And pardee, yet can I more craft than he.’(170)
- ‘Why,’ quod the Somnour, ‘ryde ye thanne or goon
- In sondry shap, and nat alwey in oon?’1470
- ‘For we,’ quod he, ‘wol us swich formes make
- As most able is our preyes for to take.’
- ‘What maketh yow to han al this labour?’
- ‘Ful many a cause, leve sir Somnour,’
- Seyde this feend, ‘but alle thing hath tyme.1475
- The day is short, and it is passed pryme,
- And yet ne wan I no-thing in this day.
- I wol entende to winnen, if I may,(180)
- And nat entende our wittes to declare.
- For, brother myn, thy wit is al to bare1480
- To understonde, al-thogh I tolde hem thee.
- But, for thou axest why labouren we;
- For, som-tyme, we ben goddes instruments,
- And menes to don his comandements,
- Whan that him list, up-on his creatures,1485
- In divers art and in divers figures.
- With-outen him we have no might, certayn,
- If that him list to stonden ther-agayn.(190)
- And som-tyme, at our prayere, han we leve
- Only the body and nat the soule greve;1490
- Witnesse on Iob, whom that we diden wo.
- And som-tyme han we might of bothe two,
- This is to seyn, of soule and body eke.
- And somtyme be we suffred for to seke
- Up-on a man, and doon his soule unreste,1495
- And nat his body , and al is for the beste.
- Whan he withstandeth our temptacioun,
- It is a cause of his savacioun;(200)
- Al-be-it that it was nat our entente
- He sholde be sauf, but that we wolde him hente.1500
- And som-tyme be we servant un-to man,
- As to the erchebisshop Seint Dunstan,
- And to the apostles servant eek was I.’
- ‘Yet tel me,’ quod the Somnour, ‘feithfully,
- Make ye yow newe bodies thus alway1505
- Of elements?’ the feend answerde, ‘nay;
- Som-tyme we feyne, and som-tyme we aryse
- With dede bodies in ful sondry wyse,(210)
- And speke as renably and faire and wel
- As to the Phitonissa dide Samuel.1510
- And yet wol som men seye it was nat he;
- I do no fors of your divinitee.
- But o thing warne I thee, I wol nat Iape,
- Thou wolt algates wite how we ben shape;
- Thou shalt her-afterward, my brother dere,1515
- Com ther thee nedeth nat of me to lere.
- For thou shalt by thyn owene experience
- Conne in a chayer rede of this sentence(220)
- Bet than Virgyle, whyl he was on lyve,
- Or Dant also; now lat us ryde blyve.1520
- For I wol holde companye with thee
- Til it be so, that thou forsake me.’
- ‘Nay,’ quod this Somnour, ‘that shal nat bityde;
- I am a yeman, knowen is ful wyde;
- My trouthe wol I holde as in this cas.1525
- For though thou were the devel Sathanas,
- My trouthe wol I holde to my brother,
- As I am sworn, and ech of us til other(230)
- For to be trewe brother in this cas;
- And bothe we goon abouten our purchas.1530
- Tak thou thy part, what that men wol thee yive,
- And I shal myn; thus may we bothe live.
- And if that any of us have more than other,
- Lat him be trewe, and parte it with his brother.’
- ‘I graunte,’ quod the devel, ‘by my fey.’1535
- And with that word they ryden forth hir wey.
- And right at the entring of the tounes ende,
- To which this Somnour shoop him for to wende,(240)
- They saugh a cart, that charged was with hey,
- Which that a carter droof forth in his wey.1540
- Deep was the wey, for which the carte stood.
- The carter smoot, and cryde, as he were wood,
- ‘Hayt, Brok! hayt, Scot! what spare ye for the stones?
- The feend,’ quod he, ‘yow fecche body and bones,
- As ferforthly as ever were ye foled!1545
- So muche wo as I have with yow tholed!
- The devel have al, bothe hors and cart and hey!’
- This Somnour seyde, ‘heer shal we have a pley;’(250)
- And neer the feend he drough, as noght ne were,
- Ful prively, and rouned in his ere:1550
- ‘Herkne, my brother, herkne, by thy feith;
- Herestow nat how that the carter seith?
- Hent it anon, for he hath yeve it thee,
- Bothe hey and cart, and eek hise caples three.’
- ‘Nay,’ quod the devel, ‘god wot, never a deel;1555
- It is nat his entente, trust me weel.
- Axe him thy-self, if thou nat trowest me,
- Or elles stint a while, and thou shalt see.’(260)
- This carter thakketh his hors upon the croupe,
- And they bigonne drawen and to-stoupe;1560
- ‘Heyt, now!’ quod he, ‘ther Iesu Crist yow blesse,
- And al his handwerk, bothe more and lesse!
- That was wel twight, myn owene lyard boy!
- I pray god save thee and seynt Loy!
- Now is my cart out of the slow, pardee!’1565
- ‘Lo! brother,’ quod the feend, ‘what tolde I thee?
- Heer may ye see, myn owene dere brother,
- The carl spak oo thing, but he thoghte another.(270)
- Lat us go forth abouten our viage;
- Heer winne I no-thing up-on cariage.’1570
- Whan that they comen som-what out of toune,
- This Somnour to his brother gan to roune,
- ‘Brother,’ quod he, ‘heer woneth an old rebekke,
- That hadde almost as lief to lese hir nekke
- As for to yeve a peny of hir good.1575
- I wol han twelf pens, though that she be wood,
- Or I wol sompne hir un-to our offyce;
- And yet, god woot, of hir knowe I no vyce.(280)
- But for thou canst nat, as in this contree,
- Winne thy cost, tak heer ensample of me.’1580
- This Somnour clappeth at the widwes gate.
- ‘Com out,’ quod he, ‘thou olde viritrate!
- I trowe thou hast som frere or preest with thee!’
- ‘Who clappeth?’ seyde this widwe, ‘benedicite!
- God save you, sire, what is your swete wille?’1585
- ‘I have,’ quod he, ‘of somonce here a bille;
- Up peyne of cursing, loke that thou be
- To-morn bifore the erchedeknes knee(290)
- Tanswere to the court of certeyn thinges.’
- ‘Now, lord,’ quod she, ‘Crist Iesu, king of kinges,1590
- So wisly helpe me, as I ne may.
- I have been syk, and that ful many a day.
- I may nat go so fer,’ quod she, ‘ne ryde,
- But I be deed, so priketh it in my syde.
- May I nat axe a libel, sir Somnour,1595
- And answere there, by my procutour,
- To swich thing as men wol opposen me?’
- ‘Yis,’ quod this Somnour, ‘pay anon, lat se,(300)
- Twelf pens to me, and I wol thee acquyte.
- I shall no profit han ther-by but lyte;1600
- My maister hath the profit, and nat I.
- Com of, and lat me ryden hastily;
- Yif me twelf pens, I may no lenger tarie.’
- ‘Twelf pens,’ quod she, ‘now lady Seinte Marie
- So wisly help me out of care and sinne,1605
- This wyde world thogh that I sholde winne,
- Ne have I nat twelf pens with-inne myn hold.
- Ye knowen wel that I am povre and old;(310)
- Kythe your almesse on me povre wrecche.’
- ‘Nay than,’ quod he, ‘the foule feend me fecche1610
- If I thexcuse, though thou shul be spilt!’
- ‘Alas,’ quod she, ‘god woot, I have no gilt.’
- ‘Pay me,’ quod he, ‘or by the swete seinte Anne,
- As I wol bere awey thy newe panne
- For dette, which that thou owest me of old,1615
- Whan that thou madest thyn housbond cokewold,
- I payde at hoom for thy correccioun.’
- ‘Thou lixt,’ quod she, ‘by my savacioun!(320)
- Ne was I never er now, widwe ne wyf,
- Somoned un-to your court in al my lyf;1620
- Ne never I nas but of my body trewe!
- Un-to the devel blak and rough of hewe
- Yeve I thy body and my panne also!’
- And whan the devel herde hir cursen so
- Up-on hir knees, he seyde in this manere,1625
- ‘Now Mabely , myn owene moder dere,
- Is this your wil in ernest, that ye seye?’
- ‘The devel,’ quod she, ‘so fecche him er he deye,(330)
- And panne and al, but he wol him repente!’
- ‘Nay, olde stot, that is nat myn entente,’1630
- Quod this Somnour, ‘for to repente me,
- For any thing that I have had of thee;
- I wolde I hadde thy smok and every clooth!’
- ‘Now, brother,’ quod the devel, ‘be nat wrooth;
- Thy body and this panne ben myne by right.1635
- Thou shalt with me to helle yet to-night,
- Where thou shalt knowen of our privetee
- More than a maister of divinitee:’(340)
- And with that word this foule feend him hente;
- Body and soule, he with the devel wente1640
- Wher-as that somnours han hir heritage.
- And god, that maked after his image
- Mankinde, save and gyde us alle and some;
- And leve this Somnour good man to bicome!
- Lordinges, I coude han told yow, quod this Frere,1645
- Hadde I had leyser for this Somnour here,
- After the text of Crist [and] Poul and Iohn,
- And of our othere doctours many oon,(350)
- Swiche peynes, that your hertes mighte agryse,
- Al-be-it so, no tonge may devyse,1650
- Thogh that I mighte a thousand winter telle,
- The peyne of thilke cursed hous of helle.
- But, for to kepe us fro that cursed place,
- Waketh, and preyeth Iesu for his grace
- So kepe us fro the temptour Sathanas.1655
- Herketh this word, beth war as in this cas;
- The leoun sit in his await alway
- To slee the innocent, if that he may.(360)
- Disposeth ay your hertes to withstonde
- The feend, that yow wolde make thral and bonde.1660
- He may nat tempten yow over your might;
- For Crist wol be your champion and knight.
- And prayeth that thise Somnours hem repente
- Of hir misdedes, er that the feend hem hente.
Here endeth the Freres tale.
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