The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Errata.
• Additions to ‘the Minor Poems’ In Vol. I.
• XXIV.: Womanly Noblesse.
• XXV.: Complaint to My Mortal Foe.
• XXVI.: Complaint to My Lode-sterre.
• Notes to the Preceding Poems.
• The Canterbury Tales. Group A.
• The Prologue.
• The Knightes Tale.
• The Miller’s Prologue.
• The Milleres Tale.
• The Reeve’s Prologue.
• The Reves Tale.
• The Cook’s Prologue.
• The Cokes Tale.
• Group B.
• Introduction to the Man of Law’s Prologue. (t. 4421-4446.)
• The Tale of the Man of Lawe.
• The Shipman’s Prologue.
• The Shipmannes Tale.
• The Prioress’s Prologue. (t. 13365-13382.)
• The Prioresses Tale.
• Prologue to Sir Thopas. (t. 13621-13641.)
• Sir Thopas.
• Prologue to Melibeus. (t. 13847-13875.)
• The Tale of Melibeus.
• The Monk’s Prologue. (t. 13895-13924.)
• The Monkes Tale.
• The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale. (t. 14773-14798).
• The Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Group C.
• The Phisiciens Tale. (t. 11935-11957.)
• Words of the Host. (t. 12221-12239.)
• The Prologue of the Pardoners Tale. (t. 12263-12288).
• The Pardoners Tale. ( Numbered In Continuation of the Preceding. )
• Group D.
• The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. (t. 5583-5602; For T. 5582, See P. 164.)
• The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
• The Friar’s Prologue. (t. 6847-6868).
• The Freres Tale.
• The Somnour’s Prologue. (t. 7247-7270.)
• The Somnours Tale.
• Group E.
• The Clerk’s Prologue. (t. 7877-7898.)
• The Clerkes Tale.
• The Merchant’s Prologue. (t. 9089-9120).
• The Marchantes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale.
• Group F.
• The Squieres Tale. (t. 10315-10334).
• The Franklin’s Prologue. (t. 11021-11040).
• The Frankeleyns Tale.
• Group G.
• The Seconde Nonnes Tale.
• The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue. (t. 16022-16043.)
• The Chanouns Yemannes Tale.
• Group H.
• The Manciple’s Prologue. (t. 16950-16968).
• The Maunciples Tale.
• Group I.
• The Parson’s Prologue. (t. 17312-17330).
• The Persones Tale.
• Appendix to Group A.
• The Tale of Gamelyn.

THE CANON’S YEOMAN’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 16022-16043.)

The prologe of the Chanons Yemannes Tale.

• WHAN ended was the lyf of seint Cecyle,
• Er we had riden fully fyve myle,555
• At Boghton under Blee us gan atake
• A man, that clothed was in clothes blake,
• And undernethe he hadde a whyt surplys.
• His hakeney, that was al pomely grys,
• So swatte, that it wonder was to see;560
• It semed he had priked myles three.
• The hors eek that his yeman rood upon
• So swatte, that unnethe mighte it gon.(10)
• Aboute the peytrel stood the foom ful hye,
• He was of fome al flekked as a pye.565
• A male tweyfold on his croper lay,
• It semed that he caried lyte array.
• Al light for somer rood this worthy man,
• And in myn herte wondren I bigan
• What that he was, til that I understood570
• How that his cloke was sowed to his hood;
• For which, when I had longe avysed me,
• I demed him som chanon for to be.(20)
• His hat heng at his bak doun by a laas,
• For he had riden more than trot or paas;575
• He had ay priked lyk as he were wood.
• A clote-leef he hadde under his hood
• For swoot, and for to kepe his heed from hete.
• But it was Ioye for to seen him swete!
• His forheed dropped as a stillatorie,580
• Were ful of plantain and of paritorie.
• And whan that he was come, he gan to crye,
• ‘God save,’ quod he, ‘this Ioly companye!(30)
• Faste have I priked,’ quod he, ‘for your sake,
• By-cause that I wolde yow atake,585
• To ryden in this mery companye.’
• His yeman eek was ful of curteisye,
• And seyde, ‘sires, now in the morwe-tyde
• Out of your hostelrye I saugh you ryde,
• And warned heer my lord and my soverayn,590
• Which that to ryden with yow is ful fayn,
• For his desport; he loveth daliaunce.’
• ‘Freend, for thy warning god yeve thee good chaunce,’
• Than seyde our host, ‘for certes, it wolde seme(41)
• Thy lord were wys, and so I may wel deme;595
• He is ful Iocund also, dar I leye.
• Can he oght telle a mery tale or tweye,
• With which he glade may this companye?’
• ‘Who, sire? my lord? ye, ye, withouten lye,
• He can of murthe, and eek of Iolitee600
• Nat but ynough; also sir, trusteth me,
• And ye him knewe as wel as do I,
• Ye wolde wondre how wel and craftily(50)
• He coude werke, and that in sondry wyse.
• He hath take on him many a greet empryse,605
• Which were ful hard for any that is here
• To bringe aboute, but they of him it lere.
• As homely as he rit amonges yow,
• If ye him knewe, it wolde be for your prow;
• Ye wolde nat forgoon his aqueyntaunce610
• For mochel good, I dar leye in balaunce
• Al that I have in my possessioun.
• He is a man of heigh discrecioun,(60)
• I warne you wel, he is a passing man.’
• ‘Wel,’ quod our host, ‘I pray thee, tel me than,615
• Is he a clerk, or noon? tel what he is.’
• ‘Nay, he is gretter than a clerk, y-wis,’
• Seyde this yeman, ‘and in wordes fewe,
• Host, of his craft som-what I wol yow shewe.
• I seye, my lord can swich subtilitee—620
• (But al his craft ye may nat wite at me;
• And som-what helpe I yet to his werking)—
• That al this ground on which we been ryding,(70)
• Til that we come to Caunterbury toun,
• He coude al clene turne it up-so-doun,625
• And pave it al of silver and of gold.’
• And whan this yeman hadde thus y-told
• Unto our host, he seyde, ‘benedicite!
• This thing is wonder merveillous to me,
• Sin that thy lord is of so heigh prudence,630
• By-cause of which men sholde him reverence,
• That of his worship rekketh he so lyte;
• His oversloppe nis nat worth a myte,(80)
• As in effect, to him, so mote I go!
• It is al baudy and to-tore also.635
• Why is thy lord so sluttish, I thee preye,
• And is of power better cloth to beye,
• If that his dede accorde with thy speche?
• Telle me that, and that I thee biseche.’
• ‘Why?’ quod this yeman, ‘wherto axe ye me?640
• God help me so, for he shal never thee!
• (But I wol nat avowe that I seye,
• And therfor kepe it secree, I yow preye).(90)
• He is to wys, in feith, as I bileve;
• That that is overdoon, it wol nat preve645
• Aright, as clerkes seyn, it is a vyce.
• Wherfor in that I holde him lewed and nyce.
• For whan a man hath over-greet a wit,
• Ful oft him happeth to misusen it;
• So dooth my lord, and that me greveth sore.650
• God it amende, I can sey yow na-more.’
• ‘Ther-of no fors, good yeman,’ quod our host;
• ‘Sin of the conning of thy lord thou wost,(100)
• Tel how he dooth, I pray thee hertely,
• Sin that he is so crafty and so sly.655
• Wher dwellen ye, if it to telle be?’
• ‘In the suburbes of a toun,’ quod he,
• ‘Lurkinge in hernes and in lanes blinde,
• Wher-as thise robbours and thise theves by kinde
• Holden hir privee fereful residence,660
• As they that dar nat shewen hir presence;
• So faren we, if I shal seye the sothe.’
• ‘Now,’ quod our host, ‘yit lat me talke to the;(110)
• Why artow so discoloured of thy face?’
• ‘Peter!’ quod he, ‘god yeve it harde grace,665
• I am so used in the fyr to blowe,
• That it hath chaunged my colour, I trowe.
• I am nat wont in no mirour to prye,
• But swinke sore and lerne multiplye.
• We blondren ever and pouren in the fyr,670
• And for al that we fayle of our desyr,
• For ever we lakken our conclusioun.
• To mochel folk we doon illusioun,(120)
• And borwe gold, be it a pound or two,
• Or ten, or twelve, or many sommes mo,675
• And make hem wenen, at the leeste weye,
• That of a pound we coude make tweye!
• Yet is it fals, but ay we han good hope
• It for to doon, and after it we grope.
• But that science is so fer us biforn,680
• We mowen nat, al-though we hadde it sworn,
• It overtake, it slit awey so faste;
• It wol us maken beggers atte laste.’(130)
• Whyl this yeman was thus in his talking,
• This chanoun drough him neer, and herde al thing685
• Which this yeman spak, for suspecioun
• Of mennes speche ever hadde this chanoun.
• For Catoun seith, that he that gilty is
• Demeth al thing be spoke of him, y-wis.
• That was the cause he gan so ny him drawe690
• To his yeman, to herknen al his sawe.
• And thus he seyde un-to his yeman tho,
• ‘Hold thou thy pees, and spek no wordes mo,(140)
• For if thou do, thou shalt it dere abye;
• Thou sclaundrest me heer in this companye,695
• And eek discoverest that thou sholdest hyde.’
• ‘Ye,’ quod our host, ‘telle on, what so bityde;
• Of al his threting rekke nat a myte!’
• ‘In feith,’ quod he, ‘namore I do but lyte.’
• And whan this chanon saugh it wolde nat be,700
• But his yeman wolde telle his privetee,
• He fledde awey for verray sorwe and shame.
• ‘A!’ quod the yeman, ‘heer shal aryse game,(150)
• Al that I can anon now wol I telle.
• Sin he is goon, the foule feend him quelle!705
• For never her-after wol I with him mete
• For peny ne for pound, I yow bihete!
• He that me broghte first unto that game,
• Er that he dye, sorwe have he and shame!
• For it is ernest to me, by my feith;710
• That fele I wel, what so any man seith.
• And yet, for al my smert and al my grief,
• For al my sorwe, labour, and meschief,(160)
• I coude never leve it in no wyse.
• Now wolde god my wit mighte suffyse715
• To tellen al that longeth to that art!
• But natheles yow wol I tellen part;
• Sin that my lord is gon, I wol nat spare;
• Swich thing as that I knowe, I wol declare.—719

Here endeth the Prologe of the Chanouns Yemannes Tale.

[718. ]E. as; rest at.

[724. ]E. oure (but our in l. 723).

[554. ]E. toold was al; Cm. told was; rest ended was. E. Pt. seinte.

[558. ]So E.; rest And vnder that he hadde a whit surplys.

[559. ]E. which þat; rest omit which.

[561. ]E. as he; Cm. that he; rest he.

[562. ]E. hakeney; rest hors.

[564. ]E. omits ll. 564, 565.

[566. ]E. Hn. vpon; rest on.

[569. ]E. to wondren; rest omit to.

[574. ]E. Hn. heeng; Hl. heng; Cm. Cp. hyng.

[586. ]E. som; rest this.

[589. ]E. Hn. saugh; Pt. segh.

[591. ]E. omits that.

[593. ]E. omits good.

[594. ]E. certein; rest certes.

[603. ]E. Cm. craftily; rest thriftily.

[621. ]E. for; Hl. of; rest at.

[627. ]E. this tale; Cm. this; rest thus.

[663. ]Cm. Hl. yit; rest omit. E. telle; Cm. speke; rest talke.

[672. ]E. Cm. lakke; rest lakken. E. of oure; rest omit of.

[681. ]E. omits it.

[686. ]E. Cm. Which this; rest Which that this; cf ll. 684, 691, 701 (yemán).

[698. ]E. his; rest this. E. Cm. rekke; Cp. recche I; Hl Pt. Ln. recche the.

[706. ]So Hl. Cp. Pt. Ln.; E. omits after, having heer only.

[711. ]E. that; rest so.

[717. ]E. And; rest But.