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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE SQUIERES TALE. (T. 10315-10334). - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE SQUIERES TALE. (T. 10315-10334). - 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 SQUIERES TALE.
(T. 10315-10334).
- [The Squire’s Prologue.]
- ‘SQUIER, com neer, if it your wille be,
- And sey somwhat of love; for, certes, ye
- Connen ther-on as muche as any man.’
- ‘Nay, sir,’ quod he, ‘but I wol seye as I can
- With hertly wille; for I wol nat rebelle5
- Agayn your lust; a tale wol I telle.
- Have me excused if I speke amis,
- My wil is good; and lo, my tale is this.
Here biginneth the Squieres Tale.
- At Sarray, in the land of Tartarye,(1)
- Ther dwelte a king, that werreyed Russye,10
- Thurgh which ther deyde many a doughty man.
- This noble king was cleped Cambinskan,
- Which in his tyme was of so greet renoun
- That ther nas no-wher in no regioun
- So excellent a lord in alle thing;15
- Him lakked noght that longeth to a king.
- As of the secte of which that he was born
- He kepte his lay, to which that he was sworn;(10)
- And ther-to he was hardy, wys, and riche,
- Pitous and Iust, and ever-more y-liche20
- Sooth of his word, benigne and honurable,
- Of his corage as any centre stable;
- Yong, fresh, and strong , in armes desirous
- As any bacheler of al his hous.
- A fair persone he was and fortunat,25
- And kepte alwey so wel royal estat,
- That ther was nowher swich another man.
- This noble king, this Tartre Cambinskan(20)
- Hadde two sones on Elpheta his wyf,
- Of whiche the eldeste highte Algarsyf,30
- That other sone was cleped Cambalo.
- A doghter hadde this worthy king also,
- That yongest was, and highte Canacee.
- But for to telle yow al hir beautee,
- It lyth nat in my tonge, nin my conning;35
- I dar nat undertake so heigh a thing.
- Myn English eek is insufficient;
- It moste been a rethor excellent,(30)
- That coude his colours longing for that art,
- If he sholde hir discryven every part.40
- I am non swich, I moot speke as I can.
- And so bifel that, whan this Cambinskan
- Hath twenty winter born his diademe,
- As he was wont fro yeer to yeer, I deme,
- He leet the feste of his nativitee45
- Don cryen thurghout Sarray his citee,
- The last Idus of March, after the yeer.
- Phebus the sonne ful Ioly was and cleer;(40)
- For he was neigh his exaltacioun
- In Martes face, and in his mansioun50
- In Aries, the colerik hote signe.
- Ful lusty was the weder and benigne,
- For which the foules , agayn the sonne shene,
- What for the seson and the yonge grene,
- Ful loude songen hir affecciouns;55
- Him semed han geten hem protecciouns
- Agayn the swerd of winter kene and cold.
- This Cambinskan, of which I have yow told,(50)
- In royal vestiment sit on his deys,
- With diademe, ful heighe in his paleys,60
- And halt his feste, so solempne and so riche
- That in this world ne was ther noon it liche.
- Of which if I shal tellen al tharray,
- Than wolde it occupye a someres day;
- And eek it nedeth nat for to devyse65
- At every cours the ordre of hir servyse.
- I wol nat tellen of hir strange sewes,
- Ne of hir swannes, ne of hir heronsewes.(60)
- Eek in that lond, as tellen knightes olde,
- Ther is som mete that is ful deyntee holde,70
- That in this lond men recche of it but smal;
- Ther nis no man that may reporten al.
- I wol nat tarien yow, for it is pryme,
- And for it is no fruit but los of tyme;
- Un-to my firste I wol have my recours.75
- And so bifel that, after the thridde cours,
- Whyl that this king sit thus in his nobleye,
- Herkninge his minstralles hir thinges pleye(70)
- Biforn him at the bord deliciously,
- In at the halle-dore al sodeynly80
- Ther cam a knight up-on a stede of bras,
- And in his hand a brood mirour of glas.
- Upon his thombe he hadde of gold a ring,
- And by his syde a naked swerd hanging;
- And up he rydeth to the heighe bord.85
- In al the halle ne was ther spoke a word
- For merveille of this knight; him to biholde
- Ful bisily ther wayten yonge and olde.(80)
- This strange knight, that cam thus sodeynly,
- Al armed save his heed ful richely,90
- Saluëth king and queen, and lordes alle,
- By ordre, as they seten in the halle,
- With so heigh reverence and obeisaunce
- As wel in speche as in contenaunce,
- That Gawain, with his olde curteisye,95
- Though he were come ageyn out of Fairye,
- Ne coude him nat amende with a word.
- And after this, biforn the heighe bord,(90)
- He with a manly voys seith his message,
- After the forme used in his langage,100
- With-outen vyce of sillable or of lettre;
- And, for his tale sholde seme the bettre,
- Accordant to his wordes was his chere,
- As techeth art of speche hem that it lere;
- Al-be-it that I can nat soune his style,105
- Ne can nat climben over so heigh a style,
- Yet seye I this, as to commune entente,
- Thus muche amounteth al that ever he mente,(100)
- If it so be that I have it in minde.
- He seyde, ‘the king of Arabie and of Inde,110
- My lige lord, on this solempne day
- Saluëth yow as he best can and may,
- And sendeth yow, in honour of your feste,
- By me, that am al redy at your heste,
- This stede of bras, that esily and wel115
- Can, in the space of o day naturel,
- This is to seyn, in foure and twenty houres,
- Wher-so yow list, in droghte or elles shoures,(110)
- Beren your body in-to every place
- To which your herte wilneth for to pace120
- With-outen wem of yow, thurgh foul or fair;
- Or, if yow list to fleen as hye in the air
- As doth an egle, whan him list to sore,
- This same stede shal bere yow ever-more
- With-outen harm, til ye be ther yow leste,125
- Though that ye slepen on his bak or reste;
- And turne ayeyn, with wrything of a pin.
- He that it wroghte coude ful many a gin;(120)
- He wayted many a constellacioun
- Er he had doon this operacioun;130
- And knew ful many a seel and many a bond.
- This mirour eek, that I have in myn hond,
- Hath swich a might, that men may in it see
- Whan ther shal fallen any adversitee
- Un-to your regne or to your-self also;135
- And openly who is your freend or foo.
- And over al this, if any lady bright
- Hath set hir herte on any maner wight,(130)
- If he be fals, she shal his treson see,
- His newe love and al his subtiltee140
- So openly, that ther shal no-thing hyde.
- Wherfor, ageyn this lusty someres tyde,
- This mirour and this ring, that ye may see,
- He hath sent to my lady Canacee,
- Your excellente doghter that is here.145
- The vertu of the ring, if ye wol here,
- Is this; that, if hir lust it for to were
- Up-on hir thombe, or in hir purs it bere,(140)
- Ther is no foul that fleeth under the hevene
- That she ne shal wel understonde his stevene,150
- And knowe his mening openly and pleyn,
- And answere him in his langage ageyn.
- And every gras that groweth up-on rote
- She shal eek knowe, and whom it wol do bote,
- Al be his woundes never so depe and wyde.155
- This naked swerd, that hangeth by my syde,
- Swich vertu hath, that what man so ye smyte,
- Thurgh-out his armure it wol kerve and byte,(150)
- Were it as thikke as is a branched ook;
- And what man that is wounded with the strook160
- Shal never be hool til that yow list, of grace,
- To stroke him with the platte in thilke place
- Ther he is hurt: this is as muche to seyn,
- Ye mote with the platte swerd ageyn
- Stroke him in the wounde, and it wol close;165
- This is a verray sooth, with-outen glose,
- It failleth nat whyl it is in your hold.’
- And whan this knight hath thus his tale told,(160)
- He rydeth out of halle, and doun he lighte.
- His stede, which that shoon as sonne brighte,170
- Stant in the court, as stille as any stoon.
- This knight is to his chambre lad anon,
- And is unarmed and to mete y-set.
- The presentes ben ful royally y-fet,
- This is to seyn, the swerd and the mirour,175
- And born anon in-to the heighe tour
- With certeine officers ordeyned therfore;
- And un-to Canacee this ring was bore(170)
- Solempnely, ther she sit at the table.
- But sikerly, with-outen any fable,180
- The hors of bras, that may nat be remewed,
- It stant as it were to the ground y-glewed.
- Ther may no man out of the place it dryve
- For noon engyn of windas or polyve;
- And cause why, for they can nat the craft.185
- And therefore in the place they han it laft
- Til that the knight hath taught hem the manere
- To voyden him, as ye shal after here.(180)
- Greet was the prees, that swarmeth to and fro,
- To gauren on this hors that stondeth so;190
- For it so heigh was, and so brood and long,
- So wel proporcioned for to ben strong,
- Right as it were a stede of Lumbardye;
- Ther-with so horsly, and so quik of ye
- As it a gentil Poileys courser were.195
- For certes, fro his tayl un-to his ere,
- Nature ne art ne coude him nat amende
- In no degree, as al the peple wende.(190)
- But evermore hir moste wonder was,
- How that it coude goon , and was of bras;200
- It was of Fairye, as the peple semed.
- Diverse folk diversely they demed;
- As many hedes, as many wittes ther been.
- They murmureden as dooth a swarm of been,
- And maden skiles after hir fantasyes,205
- Rehersinge of thise olde poetryes,
- And seyden, it was lyk the Pegasee,
- The hors that hadde winges for to flee;(200)
- Or elles it was the Grekes hors Synon,
- That broghte Troye to destruccion,210
- As men may in thise olde gestes rede.
- ‘Myn herte,’ quod oon, ‘is evermore in drede;
- I trowe som men of armes been ther-inne,
- That shapen hem this citee for to winne.
- It were right good that al swich thing were knowe.’215
- Another rowned to his felawe lowe,
- And seyde, ‘he lyeth, it is rather lyk
- An apparence y-maad by som magyk,(210)
- As Iogelours pleyen at thise festes grete.’
- Of sondry doutes thus they Iangle and trete,220
- As lewed peple demeth comunly
- Of thinges that ben maad more subtilly
- Than they can in her lewednes comprehende;
- They demen gladly to the badder ende.
- And somme of hem wondred on the mirour,225
- That born was up in-to the maister-tour,
- How men mighte in it swiche thinges see.
- Another answerde, and seyde it mighte wel be(220)
- Naturelly, by composiciouns
- Of angles and of slye reflexiouns,230
- And seyden, that in Rome was swich oon.
- They speken of Alocen and Vitulon,
- And Aristotle, that writen in hir lyves
- Of queynte mirours and of prospectyves,
- As knowen they that han hir bokes herd.235
- And othere folk han wondred on the swerd
- That wolde percen thurgh-out every-thing;
- And fille in speche of Thelophus the king,(230)
- And of Achilles with his queynte spere,
- For he coude with it bothe hele and dere,240
- Right in swich wyse as men may with the swerd
- Of which right now ye han your-selven herd.
- They speken of sondry harding of metal,
- And speke of medicynes ther-with-al,
- And how, and whanne, it sholde y-harded be;245
- Which is unknowe algates unto me.
- Tho speke they of Canaceës ring,
- And seyden alle, that swich a wonder thing(240)
- Of craft of ringes herde they never non,
- Save that he, Moyses, and king Salomon250
- Hadde a name of konning in swich art.
- Thus seyn the peple, and drawen hem apart.
- But nathelees, somme seyden that it was
- Wonder to maken of fern-asshen glas,
- And yet nis glas nat lyk asshen of fern;255
- But for they han y-knowen it so fern,
- Therfore cesseth her Iangling and her wonder.
- As sore wondren somme on cause of thonder,(250)
- On ebbe, on flood, on gossomer, and on mist,
- And alle thing, til that the cause is wist.260
- Thus Iangle they and demen and devyse,
- Til that the king gan fro the bord aryse.
- Phebus hath laft the angle meridional,
- And yet ascending was the beest royal,
- The gentil Leon, with his Aldiran,265
- Whan that this Tartre king, this Cambynskan,
- Roos fro his bord, ther that he sat ful hye.
- Toforn him gooth the loude minstralcye,(260)
- Til he cam to his chambre of parements,
- Ther as they sownen diverse instruments,270
- That it is lyk an heven for to here.
- Now dauncen lusty Venus children dere,
- For in the Fish hir lady sat ful hye,
- And loketh on hem with a freendly ye.
- This noble king is set up in his trone.275
- This strange knight is fet to him ful sone,
- And on the daunce he gooth with Canacee.
- Heer is the revel and the Iolitee(270)
- That is nat able a dul man to devyse.
- He moste han knowen love and his servyse,280
- And been a festlich man as fresh as May,
- That sholde yow devysen swich array.
- Who coude telle yow the forme of daunces,
- So uncouthe and so fresshe contenaunces,
- Swich subtil loking and dissimulinges285
- For drede of Ialouse mennes aperceyvinges?
- No man but Launcelot, and he is deed.
- Therefor I passe of al this lustiheed;(280)
- I seye na-more, but in this Iolynesse
- I lete hem, til men to the soper dresse.290
- The styward bit the spyces for to hye,
- And eek the wyn, in al this melodye.
- The usshers and the squyers ben y-goon;
- The spyces and the wyn is come anoon.
- They ete and drinke; and whan this hadde an ende,295
- Un-to the temple, as reson was, they wende.
- The service doon, they soupen al by day.
- What nedeth yow rehercen hir array?(290)
- Ech man wot wel, that at a kinges feeste
- Hath plentee, to the moste and to the leeste,300
- And deyntees mo than been in my knowing.
- At-after soper gooth this noble king
- To seen this hors of bras, with al the route
- Of lordes and of ladyes him aboute.
- Swich wondring was ther on this hors of bras305
- That, sin the grete sege of Troye was,
- Ther-as men wondreden on an hors also,
- Ne was ther swich a wondring as was tho.(300)
- But fynally the king axeth this knight
- The vertu of this courser and the might,310
- And preyede him to telle his governaunce.
- This hors anoon bigan to trippe and daunce,
- Whan that this knight leyde hand up-on his reyne,
- And seyde, ‘sir, ther is na-more to seyne,
- But, whan yow list to ryden any-where,315
- Ye moten trille a pin, stant in his ere,
- Which I shall telle yow bitwix vs two.
- Ye mote nempne him to what place also(310)
- Or to what contree that yow list to ryde.
- And whan ye come ther as yow list abyde,320
- Bidde him descende, and trille another pin,
- For ther-in lyth the effect of al the gin,
- And he wol doun descende and doon your wille;
- And in that place he wol abyde stille,
- Though al the world the contrarie hadde y-swore;325
- He shal nat thennes ben y-drawe ne y-bore.
- Or, if yow liste bidde him thennes goon,
- Trille this pin, and he wol vanishe anoon(320)
- Out of the sighte of every maner wight,
- And come agayn, be it by day or night,330
- When that yow list to clepen him ageyn
- In swich a gyse as I shal to yow seyn
- Bitwixe yow and me, and that ful sone.
- Ryde whan yow list, ther is na-more to done.’
- Enformed whan the king was of that knight,335
- And hath conceyved in his wit aright
- The maner and the forme of al this thing,
- Thus glad and blythe, this noble doughty king(330)
- Repeireth to his revel as biforn.
- The brydel is un-to the tour y-born,340
- And kept among his Iewels leve and dere.
- The hors vanisshed, I noot in what manere,
- Out of hir sighte; ye gete na-more of me.
- But thus I lete in lust and Iolitee
- This Cambynskan his lordes festeyinge,345
- Til wel ny the day bigan to springe.
Explicit prima pars. Sequitur pars secunda.
- The norice of digestioun, the slepe,
- Gan on hem winke, and bad hem taken kepe,(340)
- That muchel drink and labour wolde han reste;
- And with a galping mouth hem alle he keste,350
- And seyde, ‘it was tyme to lye adoun,
- For blood was in his dominacioun;
- Cherissheth blood, natures freend,’ quod he.
- They thanken him galpinge, by two, by three,
- And every wight gan drawe him to his reste,355
- As slepe hem bad; they toke it for the beste.
- Hir dremes shul nat been y-told for me;
- Ful were hir hedes of fumositee,(350)
- That causeth dreem, of which ther nis no charge.
- They slepen til that it was pryme large,360
- The moste part, but it were Canacee;
- She was ful mesurable, as wommen be.
- For of hir fader hadde she take leve
- To gon to reste, sone after it was eve;
- Hir liste nat appalled for to be,365
- Nor on the morwe unfestlich for to see;
- And slepte hir firste sleep, and thanne awook.
- For swich a Ioye she in hir herte took(360)
- Both of hir queynte ring and hir mirour,
- That twenty tyme she changed hir colour;370
- And in hir slepe, right for impressioun
- Of hir mirour, she hadde a visioun.
- Wherfore, er that the sonne gan up glyde,
- She cleped on hir maistresse hir bisyde,
- And seyde, that hir liste for to ryse.375
- Thise olde wommen that been gladly wyse,
- As is hir maistresse, answerde hir anoon,
- And seyde, ‘madame, whider wil ye goon(370)
- Thus erly? for the folk ben alle on reste.’
- ‘I wol,’ quod she, ‘aryse, for me leste380
- No lenger for to slepe, and walke aboute.’
- Hir maistresse clepeth wommen a gret route,
- And up they rysen, wel a ten or twelve;
- Up ryseth fresshe Canacee hir-selve,
- As rody and bright as dooth the yonge sonne,385
- That in the Ram is four degrees up-ronne;
- Noon hyer was he, whan she redy was;
- And forth she walketh esily a pas,(380)
- Arrayed after the lusty seson sote
- Lightly, for to pleye and walke on fote;390
- Nat but with fyve or six of hir meynee;
- And in a trench, forth in the park, goth she.
- The vapour, which that fro the erthe glood,
- Made the sonne to seme rody and brood;
- But nathelees, it was so fair a sighte395
- That it made alle hir hertes for to lighte,
- What for the seson and the morweninge,
- And for the foules that she herde singe;(390)
- For right anon she wiste what they mente
- Right by hir song, and knew al hir entente.400
- The knotte, why that every tale is told,
- If it be taried til that lust be cold
- Of hem that han it after herkned yore,
- The savour passeth ever lenger the more,
- For fulsomnesse of his prolixitee.405
- And by the same reson thinketh me,
- I sholde to the knotte condescende,
- And maken of hir walking sone an ende.(400)
- Amidde a tree fordrye, as whyt as chalk,
- As Canacee was pleying in hir walk,410
- Ther sat a faucon over hir heed ful hye,
- That with a pitous voys so gan to crye
- That all the wode resouned of hir cry.
- Y-beten hath she hir-self so pitously
- With bothe hir winges, til the rede blood415
- Ran endelong the tree ther-as she stood.
- And ever in oon she cryde alwey and shrighte,
- And with hir beek hir-selven so she prighte,(410)
- That ther nis tygre, ne noon so cruel beste,
- That dwelleth either in wode or in foreste420
- That nolde han wept, if that he wepe coude,
- For sorwe of hir, she shrighte alwey so loude.
- For ther nas never yet no man on lyve—
- If that I coude a faucon wel discryve—
- That herde of swich another of fairnesse,425
- As wel of plumage as of gentillesse
- Of shap, and al that mighte y-rekened be.
- A faucon peregryn than semed she(420)
- Of fremde land; and evermore, as she stood,
- She swowneth now and now for lakke of blood,430
- Til wel neigh is she fallen fro the tree.
- This faire kinges doghter, Canacee,
- That on hir finger bar the queynte ring,
- Thurgh which she understood wel every thing
- That any foul may in his ledene seyn,435
- And coude answere him in his ledene ageyn,
- Hath understonde what this faucon seyde,
- And wel neigh for the rewthe almost she deyde.(430)
- And to the tree she gooth ful hastily,
- And on this faucon loketh pitously,440
- And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste
- The faucon moste fallen fro the twiste,
- When that it swowned next, for lakke of blood.
- A longe while to wayten hir she stood
- Till atte laste she spak in this manere445
- Un-to the hauk, as ye shul after here.
- ‘What is the cause, if it be for to telle,
- That ye be in this furial pyne of helle?’(440)
- Quod Canacee un-to this hauk above.
- ‘Is this for sorwe of deeth or los of love?450
- For, as I trowe, thise ben causes two
- That causen moost a gentil herte wo;
- Of other harm it nedeth nat to speke.
- For ye your-self upon your-self yow wreke,
- Which proveth wel, that either love or drede455
- Mot been encheson of your cruel dede,
- Sin that I see non other wight yow chace.
- For love of god, as dooth your-selven grace(450)
- Or what may ben your help; for west nor eest
- Ne sey I never er now no brid ne beest460
- That ferde with him-self so pitously.
- Ye sle me with your sorwe, verraily;
- I have of yow so gret compassioun.
- For goddes love, com fro the tree adoun;
- And, as I am a kinges doghter trewe,465
- If that I verraily the cause knewe
- Of your disese, if it lay in my might,
- I wolde amende it, er that it were night,(460)
- As wisly helpe me gret god of kinde!
- And herbes shal I right y-nowe y-finde470
- To hele with your hurtes hastily.’
- Tho shrighte this faucon more pitously
- Than ever she dide, and fil to grounde anoon,
- And lyth aswowne, deed, and lyk a stoon,
- Til Canacee hath in hir lappe hir take475
- Un-to the tyme she gan of swough awake.
- And, after that she of hir swough gan breyde,
- Right in hir haukes ledene thus she seyde:—(470)
- ‘That pitee renneth sone in gentil herte,
- Feling his similitude in peynes smerte,480
- Is preved al-day, as men may it see,
- As wel by werk as by auctoritee;
- For gentil herte kytheth gentillesse.
- I see wel, that ye han of my distresse
- Compassioun, my faire Canacee,485
- Of verray wommanly benignitee
- That nature in your principles hath set.
- But for non hope for to fare the bet,(480)
- But for to obeye un-to your herte free,
- And for to maken other be war by me,490
- As by the whelp chasted is the leoun,
- Right for that cause and that conclusioun,
- Whyl that I have a leyser and a space,
- Myn harm I wol confessen, er I pace.’
- And ever, whyl that oon hir sorwe tolde,495
- That other weep, as she to water wolde,
- Til that the faucon bad hir to be stille;
- And, with a syk, right thus she seyde hir wille.(490)
- ‘Ther I was bred (allas! that harde day!)
- And fostred in a roche of marbul gray500
- So tendrely, that nothing eyled me,
- I niste nat what was adversitee,
- Til I coude flee ful hye under the sky.
- Tho dwelte a tercelet me faste by,
- That semed welle of alle gentillesse;505
- Al were he ful of treson and falsnesse,
- It was so wrapped under humble chere,
- And under hewe of trouthe in swich manere,(500)
- Under plesance, and under bisy peyne,
- That no wight coude han wend he coude feyne,510
- So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.
- Right as a serpent hit him under floures
- Til he may seen his tyme for to byte,
- Right so this god of love, this ypocryte,
- Doth so his cerimonies and obeisaunces,515
- And kepeth in semblant alle his observances
- That sowneth in-to gentillesse of love.
- As in a toumbe is al the faire above,(510)
- And under is the corps, swich as ye woot,
- Swich was this ypocryte, bothe cold and hoot,520
- And in this wyse he served his entente,
- That (save the feend) non wiste what he mente.
- Til he so longe had wopen and compleyned,
- And many a yeer his service to me feyned,
- Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce,525
- Al innocent of his crouned malice,
- For-fered of his deeth, as thoughte me,
- Upon his othes and his seuretee,(520)
- Graunted him love, on this condicioun,
- That evermore myn honour and renoun530
- Were saved, bothe privee and apert;
- This is to seyn, that, after his desert,
- I yaf him al myn herte and al my thoght—
- God woot and he, that otherwyse noght—
- And took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay.535
- But sooth is seyd, gon sithen many a day,
- “A trew wight and a theef thenken nat oon.”
- And, whan he saugh the thing so fer y-goon,(530)
- That I had graunted him fully my love,
- In swich a gyse as I have seyd above,540
- And yeven him my trewe herte, as free
- As he swoor he his herte yaf to me;
- Anon this tygre, ful of doublenesse,
- Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse,
- With so heigh reverence, and, as by his chere,545
- So lyk a gentil lovere of manere,
- So ravisshed, as it semed, for the Ioye,
- That never Iason, ne Parys of Troye,(540)
- Iason? certes, ne non other man,
- Sin Lameth was, that alderfirst bigan550
- To loven two, as writen folk biforn,
- Ne never, sin the firste man was born,
- Ne coude man, by twenty thousand part,
- Countrefete the sophimes of his art;
- Ne were worthy unbokele his galoche,555
- Ther doublenesse or feyning sholde approche,
- Ne so coude thanke a wight as he did me!
- His maner was an heven for to see(550)
- Til any womman, were she never so wys;
- So peynted he and kembde at point-devys560
- As wel his wordes as his contenaunce.
- And I so lovede him for his obeisaunce,
- And for the trouthe I demed in his herte,
- That, if so were that any thing him smerte,
- Al were it never so lyte, and I it wiste,565
- Me thoughte, I felte deeth myn herte twiste.
- And shortly, so ferforth this thing is went,
- That my wil was his willes instrument;(560)
- This is to seyn, my wil obeyed his wil
- In alle thing, as fer as reson fil,570
- Keping the boundes of my worship ever.
- Ne never hadde I thing so leef, ne lever,
- As him, god woot! ne never shal na-mo.
- This lasteth lenger than a yeer or two,
- That I supposed of him noght but good.575
- But fynally, thus atte laste it stood,
- That fortune wolde that he moste twinne
- Out of that place which that I was inne(570)
- Wher me was wo, that is no questioun;
- I can nat make of it discripcioun;580
- For o thing dar I tellen boldely,
- I knowe what is the peyne of deth ther-by;
- Swich harm I felte for he ne mighte bileve.
- So on a day of me he took his leve,
- So sorwefully eek, that I wende verraily585
- That he had felt as muche harm as I,
- Whan that I herde him speke, and saugh his hewe.
- But nathelees, I thoughte he was so trewe,(580)
- And eek that he repaire sholde ageyn
- With-inne a litel whyle, sooth to seyn;590
- And reson wolde eek that he moste go
- For his honour, as ofte it happeth so,
- That I made vertu of necessitee,
- And took it wel, sin that it moste be.
- As I best mighte, I hidde fro him my sorwe,595
- And took him by the hond, seint Iohn to borwe,
- And seyde him thus: “lo, I am youres al;
- Beth swich as I to yow have been, and shal.”(590)
- What he answerde, it nedeth noght reherce,
- Who can sey bet than he, who can do werse?600
- Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.
- “Therfor bihoveth him a ful long spoon
- That shal ete with a feend,” thus herde I seye.
- So atte laste he moste forth his weye,
- And forth he fleeth, til he cam ther him leste.605
- Whan it cam him to purpos for to reste,
- I trowe he hadde thilke text in minde,
- That “alle thing, repeiring to his kinde,(600)
- Gladeth him-self”; thus seyn men, as I gesse;
- Men loven of propre kinde newfangelnesse,610
- As briddes doon that men in cages fede.
- For though thou night and day take of hem hede,
- And strawe hir cage faire and softe as silk,
- And yeve hem sugre, hony, breed and milk,
- Yet right anon, as that his dore is uppe,615
- He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe,
- And to the wode he wol and wormes ete;
- So newefangel been they of hir mete,(610)
- And loven novelryes of propre kinde;
- No gentillesse of blood [ne] may hem binde.620
- So ferde this tercelet, allas the day!
- Though he were gentil born, and fresh and gay,
- And goodly for to seen, and humble and free,
- He saugh up-on a tyme a kyte flee,
- And sodeynly he loved this kyte so,625
- That al his love is clene fro me ago,
- And hath his trouthe falsed in this wyse;
- Thus hath the kyte my love in hir servyse,(620)
- And I am lorn with-outen remedye!’
- And with that word this faucon gan to crye,630
- And swowned eft in Canaceės barme.
- Greet was the sorwe, for the haukes harme,
- That Canacee and alle hir wommen made;
- They niste how they mighte the faucon glade.
- But Canacee hom bereth hir in hir lappe,635
- And softely in plastres gan hir wrappe,
- Ther as she with hir beek had hurt hir-selve.
- Now can nat Canacee but herbes delve(630)
- Out of the grounde, and make salves newe
- Of herbes precious, and fyne of hewe,640
- To helen with this hauk; fro day to night
- She dooth hir bisinesse and al hir might.
- And by hir beddes heed she made a mewe,
- And covered it with veluėttes blewe,
- In signe of trouthe that is in wommen sene.645
- And al with-oute, the mewe is peynted grene,
- In which were peynted alle thise false foules,
- As beth thise tidifs, tercelets, and oules,(640)
- Right for despyt were peynted hem bisyde,
- And pyes, on hem for to crye and chyde.650
- Thus lete I Canacee hir hauk keping;
- I wol na-more as now speke of hir ring,
- Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn
- How that this faucon gat hir love ageyn
- Repentant, as the storie telleth us,655
- By mediacioun of Cambalus,
- The kinges sone, of whiche I yow tolde.
- But hennes-forth I wol my proces holde(650)
- To speke of aventures and of batailles,
- That never yet was herd so grete mervailles.660
- First wol I telle yow of Cambynskan,
- That in his tyme many a citee wan;
- And after wol I speke of Algarsyf,
- How that he wan Theodora to his wyf,
- For whom ful ofte in greet peril he was,665
- Ne hadde he ben holpen by the stede of bras;
- And after wol I speke of Cambalo,
- That faught in listes with the bretheren two(660)
- For Canacee, er that he mighte hir winne.
- And ther I lefte I wol ageyn biginne.670
Explicit secunda pars. Incipit pars tercia.
- Appollo whirleth up his char so hye,
[T. om. - Til that the god Mercurius hous the slye—
[T. om. - . . . . . . . . . .
Here folwen the wordes of the Frankelin to the Squier, and the wordes of the Host to the Frankelin.
- ‘In feith, Squier, thou hast thee wel y-quit,
- And gentilly I preise wel thy wit,’
- Quod the Frankeleyn, ‘considering thy youthe,675
- So feelingly thou spekest, sir, I allow the!
- As to my doom, there is non that is here
- Of eloquence that shal be thy pere,
- If that thou live; god yeve thee good chaunce,
- And in vertu sende thee continuaunce!680
- For of thy speche I have greet deyntee.
- I have a sone, and, by the Trinitee,(10)
- I hadde lever than twenty pound worth lond,
- Though it right now were fallen in myn hond,
- He were a man of swich discrecioun685
- As that ye been! fy on possessioun
- But-if a man be vertuous with-al.
- I have my sone snibbed, and yet shal,
- For he to vertu listeth nat entende;
- But for to pleye at dees, and to despende,690
- And lese al that he hath, is his usage.
- And he hath lever talken with a page(20)
- Than to comune with any gentil wight
- Ther he mighte lerne gentillesse aright.’
- ‘Straw for your gentillesse,’ quod our host;695
- ‘What, frankeleyn? pardee, sir, wel thou wost
- That eche of yow mot tellen arte leste
- A tale or two, or breken his biheste.’
- ‘That knowe I wel, sir,’ quod the frankeleyn;
- ‘I prey yow, haveth me nat in desdeyn700
- Though to this man I speke a word or two.’
- ‘Telle on thy tale with-outen wordes mo.’(30)
- ‘Gladly, sir host,’ quod he, ‘I wol obeye
- Un-to your wil; now herkneth what I seye.
- I wol yow nat contrarien in no wyse705
- As fer as that my wittes wol suffyse;
- I prey to god that it may plesen yow,
- Than woot I wel that it is good y-now.’
[The Frankleyn’s Prologue follows immediately; see p. 482]
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