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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES 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 CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE.
Here biginneth the Chanouns Yeman his Tale.
[Prima pars.]
-
- WITH this chanoun I dwelt have seven yeer,720
- And of his science am I never the neer.
- Al that I hadde, I have y-lost ther-by;
- And god wot, so hath many mo than I.(170)
- Ther I was wont to be right fresh and gay
- Of clothing and of other good array,725
- Now may I were an hose upon myn heed;
- And wher my colour was bothe fresh and reed,
- Now is it wan and of a leden hewe;
- Who-so it useth, sore shal he rewe.
- And of my swink yet blered is myn ye,730
- Lo! which avantage is to multiplye!
- That slyding science hath me maad so bare,
- That I have no good, wher that ever I fare;(180)
- And yet I am endetted so ther-by
- Of gold that I have borwed, trewely,735
- That whyl I live, I shal it quyte never.
- Lat every man be war by me for ever!
- What maner man that casteth him ther-to,
- If he continue, I holde his thrift y-do.
- So helpe me god, ther-by shal he nat winne,740
- But empte his purs, and make his wittes thinne.
- And whan he, thurgh his madnes and folye,
- Hath lost his owene good thurgh Iupartye,(190)
- Thanne he excyteth other folk ther-to,
- To lese hir good as he him-self hath do.745
- For unto shrewes Ioye it is and ese
- To have hir felawes in peyne and disese;
- Thus was I ones lerned of a clerk.
- Of that no charge, I wol speke of our werk.
- Whan we been ther as we shul exercyse750
- Our elvish craft, we semen wonder wyse,
- Our termes been so clergial and so queynte.
- I blowe the fyr til that myn herte feynte.(200)
-
- What sholde I tellen ech proporcioun
- Of thinges whiche that we werche upon,755
- As on fyve or sixe ounces, may wel be,
- Of silver or som other quantite,
- And bisie me to telle yow the names
- Of orpiment, brent bones, yren squames,
- That into poudre grounden been ful smal?760
- And in an erthen potte how put is al,
- And salt y-put in, and also papeer,
- Biforn thise poudres that I speke of heer,(210)
- And wel y-covered with a lampe of glas,
- And mochel other thing which that ther was?765
- And of the pot and glasses enluting,
- That of the eyre mighte passe out no-thing?
- And of the esy fyr and smart also,
- Which that was maad, and of the care and wo
- That we hadde in our matires sublyming,770
- And in amalgaming and calcening
- Of quik-silver, y-clept Mercurie crude?
- For alle our sleightes we can nat conclude.(220)
- Our orpiment and sublymed Mercurie,
- Our grounden litarge eek on the porphurie,775
- Of ech of thise of ounces a certeyn
- Nought helpeth us, our labour is in veyn.
- Ne eek our spirites ascencioun,
- Ne our materes that lyen al fixe adoun,
- Mowe in our werking no-thing us avayle.780
- For lost is al our labour and travayle,
- And al the cost, a twenty devel weye,
- Is lost also, which we upon it leye.(230)
- Ther is also ful many another thing
- That is unto our craft apertening;785
- Though I by ordre hem nat reherce can,
- By-cause that I am a lewed man,
- Yet wol I telle hem as they come to minde,
- Though I ne can nat sette hem in hir kinde;
- As bole armoniak, verdegrees, boras,790
- And sondry vessels maad of erthe and glas,
- Our urinales and our descensories,
- Violes, croslets, and sublymatories,(240)
- Cucurbites, and alembykes eek,
- And othere swiche, dere y-nough a leek.795
- Nat nedeth it for to reherce hem alle,
- Watres rubifying and boles galle,
- Arsenik, sal armoniak, and brimstoon;
- And herbes coude I telle eek many oon,
- As egremoine, valerian, and lunarie,800
- And othere swiche, if that me liste tarie.
- Our lampes brenning bothe night and day,
- To bringe aboute our craft, if that we may.(250)
- Our fourneys eek of calcinacioun,
- And of watres albificacioun,805
- Unslekked lym, chalk, and gleyre of an ey,
- Poudres diverse, asshes, dong, pisse, and cley,
- Cered pokets, sal peter, vitriole;
- And divers fyres maad of wode and cole;
- Sal tartre, alkaly, and sal preparat,810
- And combust materes and coagulat,
- Cley maad with hors or mannes heer, and oile
- Of tartre, alum, glas, berm, wort, and argoile,(260)
- Resalgar, and our materes enbibing;
- And eek of our materes encorporing,815
- And of our silver citrinacioun,
- Our cementing and fermentacioun,
- Our ingottes, testes, and many mo.
- I wol yow telle, as was me taught also,
- The foure spirites and the bodies sevene,820
- By ordre, as ofte I herde my lord hem nevene.
- The firste spirit quik-silver called is,
- The second orpiment, the thridde, y-wis,(270)
- Sal armoniak, and the ferthe brimstoon.
- The bodies sevene eek, lo! hem heer anoon:825
- Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe,
- Mars yren, Mercurie quik-silver we clepe,
- Saturnus leed, and Iupiter is tin,
- And Venus coper, by my fader kin!
- This cursed craft who-so wol exercyse,830
- He shal no good han that him may suffyse;
- For al the good he spendeth ther-aboute,
- He lese shal, ther-of have I no doute.(280)
- Who-so that listeth outen his folye,
- Lat him come forth, and lerne multiplye;835
- And every man that oght hath in his cofre,
- Lat him appere, and wexe a philosofre.
- Ascaunce that craft is so light to lere?
- Nay, nay, god woot, al be he monk or frere,
- Preest or chanoun, or any other wight,840
- Though he sitte at his book bothe day and night,
- In lernyng of this elvish nyce lore,
- Al is in veyn, and parde, mochel more!(290)
- To lerne a lewed man this subtiltee,
- Fy! spek nat ther-of, for it wol nat be;845
- Al conne he letterure, or conne he noon,
- As in effect, he shal finde it al oon.
- For bothe two, by my savacioun,
- Concluden, in multiplicacioun,
- Y-lyke wel, whan they han al y-do;850
- This is to seyn, they faylen bothe two.
- Yet forgat I to maken rehersaille
- Of watres corosif and of limaille,(300)
- And of bodyes mollificacioun,
- And also of hir induracioun,855
- Oiles, ablucions, and metal fusible,
- To tellen al wolde passen any bible
- That o-wher is; wherfor, as for the beste,
- Of alle thise names now wol I me reste.
- For, as I trowe, I have yow told y-nowe860
- To reyse a feend, al loke he never so rowe.
- A! nay! lat be; the philosophres stoon,
- Elixir clept, we sechen faste echoon;(310)
- For hadde we him, than were we siker y-now.
- But, unto god of heven I make avow,865
- For al our craft, whan we han al y-do,
- And al our sleighte, he wol nat come us to.
- He hath y-maad us spenden mochel good,
- For sorwe of which almost we wexen wood,
- But that good hope crepeth in our herte,870
- Supposinge ever, though we sore smerte,
- To be releved by him afterward;
- Swich supposing and hope is sharp and hard;(320)
- I warne yow wel, it is to seken ever;
- That futur temps hath maad men to dissever,875
- In trust ther-of, from al that ever they hadde.
- Yet of that art they can nat wexen sadde,
- For unto hem it is a bitter swete;
- So semeth it; for nadde they but a shete
- Which that they mighte wrappe hem inne a-night,880
- And a bak to walken inne by day-light,
- They wolde hem selle and spenden on this craft;
- They can nat stinte til no-thing be laft.(330)
- And evermore, wher that ever they goon,
- Men may hem knowe by smel of brimstoon;885
- For al the world, they stinken as a goot;
- Her savour is so rammish and so hoot,
- That, though a man from hem a myle be,
- The savour wol infecte him, trusteth me;
- Lo, thus by smelling and threedbare array,890
- If that men liste, this folk they knowe may.
- And if a man wol aske hem prively,
- Why they been clothed so unthriftily,(340)
- They right anon wol rownen in his ere,
- And seyn, that if that they espyed were,895
- Men wolde hem slee, by-cause of hir science;
- Lo, thus this folk bitrayen innocence!
- Passe over this; I go my tale un-to.
- Er than the pot be on the fyr y-do,
- Of metals with a certein quantite,900
- My lord hem tempreth, and no man but he—
- Now he is goon, I dar seyn boldely—
- For, as men seyn, he can don craftily;(350)
- Algate I woot wel he hath swich a name,
- And yet ful ofte he renneth in a blame;905
- And wite ye how? ful ofte it happeth so,
- The pot to-breketh, and farewel! al is go!
- Thise metals been of so greet violence,
- Our walles mowe nat make hem resistence,
- But if they weren wroght of lym and stoon;910
- They percen so, and thurgh the wal they goon,
- And somme of hem sinken in-to the ground—
- Thus han we lost by tymes many a pound—(360)
- And somme are scatered al the floor aboute,
- Somme lepe in-to the roof; with-outen doute,915
- Though that the feend noght in our sighte him shewe,
- I trowe he with us be, that ilke shrewe!
- In helle wher that he is lord and sire,
- Nis ther more wo, ne more rancour ne ire.
- Whan that our pot is broke, as I have sayd,920
- Every man chit, and halt him yvel apayd.
- Som seyde, it was long on the fyr-making,
- Som seyde, nay! it was on the blowing;(370)
- (Than was I fered, for that was myn office);
- ‘Straw!’ quod the thridde, ‘ye been lewed and nyce,925
- It was nat tempred as it oghte be.’
- ‘Nay!’ quod the ferthe, ‘stint, and herkne me;
- By-cause our fyr ne was nat maad of beech,
- That is the cause, and other noon, so theech!’
- I can nat telle wher-on it was long,930
- But wel I wot greet stryf is us among.
- ‘What!’ quod my lord, ‘ther is na-more to done,
- Of thise perils I wol be war eft-sone;(380)
- I am right siker that the pot was crased.
- Be as be may, be ye no-thing amased;935
- As usage is, lat swepe the floor as swythe,
- Plukke up your hertes, and beth gladde and blythe.’
- The mullok on an hepe y-sweped was,
- And on the floor y-cast a canevas,
- And al this mullok in a sive y-throwe,940
- And sifted, and y-piked many a throwe.
- ‘Pardee,’ quod oon, ‘somwhat of our metal
- Yet is ther heer, though that we han nat al.(390)
- Al-though this thing mishapped have as now,
- Another tyme it may be wel y-now,945
- Us moste putte our good in aventure;
- A marchant, parde! may nat ay endure,
- Trusteth me wel, in his prosperitee;
- Somtyme his good is drenched in the see,
- And somtym comth it sauf un-to the londe.’950
- ‘Pees!’ quod my lord, ‘the next tyme I wol fonde
- To bringe our craft al in another plyte;
- And but I do, sirs, lat me han the wyte;(400)
- Ther was defaute in som-what, wel I woot.’
- Another seyde, the fyr was over hoot:—955
- But, be it hoot or cold, I dar seye this,
- That we concluden evermore amis.
- We fayle of that which that we wolden have,
- And in our madnesse evermore we rave.
- And whan we been togidres everichoon,960
- Every man semeth a Salomon.
- But al thing which that shyneth as the gold
- Nis nat gold, as that I have herd it told;(410)
- Ne every appel that is fair at ye
- Ne is nat good, what-so men clappe or crye.965
- Right so, lo! fareth it amonges us;
- He that semeth the wysest, by Iesus!
- Is most fool, whan it cometh to the preef;
- And he that semeth trewest is a theef;
- That shul ye knowe, er that I fro yow wende,970
- By that I of my tale have maad an ende.
Explicit prima pars. Et sequitur pars secunda.
-
- Ther is a chanoun of religioun
- Amonges us, wolde infecte al a toun,(420)
- Though it as greet were as was Ninivee,
- Rome, Alisaundre, Troye, and othere three.975
- His sleightes and his infinit falsnesse
- Ther coude no man wryten, as I gesse,
- Thogh that he mighte liven a thousand yeer.
- In al this world of falshede nis his peer;
- For in his termes so he wolde him winde,980
- And speke his wordes in so sly a kinde,
- Whan he commune shal with any wight,
- That he wol make him doten anon right,(430)
- But it a feend be, as him-selven is.
- Ful many a man hath he bigyled er this,985
- And wol, if that he live may a whyle;
- And yet men ryde and goon ful many a myle
- Him for to seke and have his aqueyntaunce,
- Noght knowinge of his false governaunce.
- And if yow list to yeve me audience,990
- I wol it tellen heer in your presence.
- But worshipful chanouns religious,
- Ne demeth nat that I sclaundre your hous,(440)
- Al-though my tale of a chanoun be.
- Of every ordre som shrewe is, parde,995
- And god forbede that al a companye
- Sholde rewe a singuler mannes folye.
- To sclaundre yow is no-thing myn entente,
- But to correcten that is mis I mente.
- This tale was nat only told for yow,1000
- But eek for othere mo; ye woot wel how
- That, among Cristes apostelles twelve,
- Ther nas no traytour but Iudas him-selve.(450)
- Than why sholde al the remenant have blame
- That giltlees were? by yow I seye the same.1005
- Save only this, if ye wol herkne me,
- If any Iudas in your covent be,
- Remeveth him bitymes, I yow rede,
- If shame or los may causen any drede.
- And beth no-thing displesed, I yow preye,1010
- But in this cas herkneth what I shal seye.
-
- In London was a preest, an annueleer,
- That therin dwelled hadde many a yeer,(460)
- Which was so plesaunt and so servisable
- Unto the wyf, wher-as he was at table,1015
- That she wolde suffre him no-thing for to paye
- For bord ne clothing, wente he never so gaye;
- And spending-silver hadde he right y-now.
- Therof no fors; I wol procede as now,
- And telle forth my tale of the chanoun,1020
- That broghte this preest to confusioun.
- This false chanoun cam up-on a day
- Unto this preestes chambre, wher he lay,(470)
- Biseching him to lene him a certeyn
- Of gold, and he wolde quyte it him ageyn.1025
- ‘Lene me a mark,’ quod he, ‘but dayes three,
- And at my day I wol it quyten thee.
- And if so be that thou me finde fals,
- Another day do hange me by the hals!’
- This preest him took a mark, and that as swythe,1030
- And this chanoun him thanked ofte sythe,
- And took his leve, and wente forth his weye,
- And at the thridde day broghte his moneye,(480)
- And to the preest he took his gold agayn,
- Wherof this preest was wonder glad and fayn.1035
- ‘Certes,’ quod he, ‘no-thing anoyeth me
- To lene a man a noble, or two or three,
- Or what thing were in my possessioun,
- Whan he so trewe is of condicioun,
- That in no wyse he breke wol his day;1040
- To swich a man I can never seye nay.’
- ‘What!’ quod this chanoun, ‘sholde I be untrewe?
- Nay, that were thing y-fallen al of-newe.(490)
- Trouthe is a thing that I wol ever kepe
- Un-to that day in which that I shal crepe1045
- In-to my grave, and elles god forbede;
- Bileveth this as siker as is your crede.
- God thanke I, and in good tyme be it sayd,
- That ther was never man yet yvel apayd
- For gold ne silver that he to me lente,1050
- Ne never falshede in myn herte I mente.
- And sir,’ quod he, ‘now of my privetee,
- Sin ye so goodlich han been un-to me,(500)
- And kythed to me so greet gentillesse,
- Somwhat to quyte with your kindenesse,1055
- I wol yow shewe, and, if yow list to lere,
- I wol yow teche pleynly the manere,
- How I can werken in philosophye.
- Taketh good heed, ye shul wel seen at yë,
- That I wol doon a maistrie er I go.’1060
- ‘Ye,’ quod the preest, ‘ye, sir, and wol ye so?
- Marie! ther-of I pray yow hertely!’
- ‘At your comandement, sir, trewely,’(510)
- Quod the chanoun, ‘and elles god forbede!’
- Lo, how this theef coude his servyse bede!1065
- Ful sooth it is, that swich profred servyse
- Stinketh, as witnessen thise olde wyse;
- And that ful sone I wol it verifye
- In this chanoun, rote of al trecherye,
- That ever-more delyt hath and gladnesse—1070
- Swich feendly thoughtes in his herte impresse—
- How Cristes peple he may to meschief bringe;
- God kepe us from his fals dissimulinge!(520)
- Noght wiste this preest with whom that he delte,
- Ne of his harm cominge he no-thing felte.1075
- O sely preest! o sely innocent!
- With coveityse anon thou shalt be blent!
- O gracelees, ful blind is thy conceit,
- No-thing ne artow war of the deceit
- Which that this fox y-shapen hath to thee!1080
- His wyly wrenches thou ne mayst nat flee.
- Wherfor, to go to the conclusioun
- That refereth to thy confusioun,(530)
- Unhappy man! anon I wol me hye
- To tellen thyn unwit and thy folye,1085
- And eek the falsnesse of that other wrecche,
- As ferforth as that my conning may strecche.
- This chanoun was my lord, ye wolden wene?
- Sir host, in feith, and by the hevenes quene,
- It was another chanoun, and nat he,1090
- That can an hundred fold more subtiltee!
- He hath bitrayed folkes many tyme;
- Of his falshede it dulleth me to ryme.(540)
- Ever whan that I speke of his falshede,
- For shame of him my chekes wexen rede;1095
- Algates, they biginnen for to glowe,
- For reednesse have I noon, right wel I knowe,
- In my visage; for fumes dyverse
- Of metals, which ye han herd me reherce,
- Consumed and wasted han my reednesse.1100
- Now tak heed of this chanouns cursednesse!
- ‘Sir,’ quod he to the preest, ‘lat your man gon
- For quik-silver, that we it hadde anon;(550)
- And lat him bringen ounces two or three;
- And whan he comth, as faste shul ye see1105
- A wonder thing, which ye saugh never er this.’
- ‘Sir,’ quod the preest, ‘it shall be doon, y-wis.’
- He bad his servant fecchen him this thing,
- And he al redy was at his bidding,
- And wente him forth, and cam anon agayn1110
- With this quik-silver, soothly for to sayn,
- And took thise ounces three to the chanoun;
- And he hem leyde fayre and wel adoun,(560)
- And bad the servant coles for to bringe,
- That he anon mighte go to his werkinge.1115
- The coles right anon weren y-fet,
- And this chanoun took out a crosselet
- Of his bosom, and shewed it the preest.
- ‘This instrument,’ quod he, ‘which that thou seest,
- Tak in thyn hand, and put thy-self ther-inne1120
- Of this quik-silver an ounce, and heer biginne,
- In the name of Crist, to wexe a philosofre.
- Ther been ful fewe, whiche that I wolde profre(570)
- To shewen hem thus muche of my science.
- For ye shul seen heer, by experience,1125
- That this quik-silver wol I mortifye
- Right in your sighte anon, withouten lye,
- And make it as good silver and as fyn
- As ther is any in your purs or myn,
- Or elleswher, and make it malliable;1130
- And elles, holdeth me fals and unable
- Amonges folk for ever to appere!
- I have a poudre heer, that coste me dere,(580)
- Shal make al good, for it is cause of al
- My conning, which that I yow shewen shal.1135
- Voydeth your man, and lat him be ther-oute,
- And shet the dore, whyls we been aboute
- Our privetee, that no man us espye
- Whyls that we werke in this philosophye.’
- Al as he bad, fulfilled was in dede,1140
- This ilke servant anon-right out yede,
- And his maister shette the dore anon,
- And to hir labour speedily they gon.(590)
- This preest, at this cursed chanouns bidding,
- Up-on the fyr anon sette this thing,1145
- And blew the fyr, and bisied him ful faste;
- And this chanoun in-to the croslet caste
- A poudre, noot I wher-of that it was
- Y-maad, other of chalk, other of glas,
- Or som-what elles, was nat worth a flye,1150
- To blynde with the preest; and bad him hye
- The coles for to couchen al above
- The croslet, ‘for, in tokening I thee love,’(600)
- Quod this chanoun, ‘thyn owene hondes two
- Shul werche al thing which that shal heer be do.’1155
- ‘Graunt mercy,’ quod the preest, and was ful glad,
- And couched coles as the chanoun bad.
- And whyle he bisy was, this feendly wrecche,
- This fals chanoun, the foule feend him fecche!
- Out of his bosom took a bechen cole,1160
- In which ful subtilly was maad an hole,
- And ther-in put was of silver lymaille
- An ounce, and stopped was, with-outen fayle,(610)
- The hole with wex, to kepe the lymail in.
- And understondeth, that this false gin1165
- Was nat maad ther, but it was maad bifore;
- And othere thinges I shal telle more
- Herafterward, which that he with him broghte;
- Er he cam ther, him to bigyle he thoghte,
- And so he dide, er that they wente a-twinne;1170
- Til he had terved him, coude he not blinne.
- It dulleth me whan that I of him speke,
- On his falshede fayn wolde I me wreke,(620)
- If I wiste how; but he is heer and ther:
- He is so variaunt, he abit no-wher.1175
- But taketh heed now, sirs, for goddes love!
- He took his cole of which I spak above,
- And in his hond he baar it prively.
- And whyls the preest couchede busily
- The coles, as I tolde yow er this,1180
- This chanoun seyde, ‘freend, ye doon amis;
- This is nat couched as it oghte be;
- But sone I shal amenden it,’ quod he.(630)
- ‘Now lat me medle therwith but a whyle,
- For of yow have I pitee, by seint Gyle!1185
- Ye been right hoot, I see wel how ye swete,
- Have heer a cloth, and wype awey the wete.’
- And whyles that the preest wyped his face,
- This chanoun took his cole with harde grace,
- And leyde it above, up-on the middeward1190
- Of the croslet, and blew wel afterward,
- Til that the coles gonne faste brenne.
- ‘Now yeve us drinke,’ quod the chanoun thenne,(640)
- ‘As swythe al shal be wel, I undertake;
- Sitte we doun, and lat us mery make.’1195
- And whan that this chanounes bechen cole
- Was brent, al the lymaille, out of the hole,
- Into the croslet fil anon adoun;
- And so it moste nedes, by resoun,
- Sin it so even aboven couched was;1200
- But ther-of wiste the preest no-thing, alas!
- He demed alle the coles y-liche good,
- For of the sleighte he no-thing understood.(650)
- And whan this alkamistre saugh his tyme,
- ‘Rys up,’ quod he, ‘sir preest, and stondeth by me;1205
- And for I woot wel ingot have ye noon,
- Goth, walketh forth, and bring us a chalk-stoon;
- For I wol make oon of the same shap
- That is an ingot, if I may han hap.
- And bringeth eek with yow a bolle or a panne,1210
- Ful of water, and ye shul see wel thanne
- How that our bisinesse shal thryve and preve.
- And yet, for ye shul han no misbileve(660)
- Ne wrong conceit of me in your absence,
- I ne wol nat been out of your presence,1215
- But go with yow, and come with yow ageyn.’
- The chambre-dore, shortly for to seyn,
- They opened and shette, and wente hir weye.
- And forth with hem they carieden the keye,
- And come agayn with-outen any delay.1220
- What sholde I tarien al the longe day?
- He took the chalk, and shoop it in the wyse
- Of an ingot, as I shal yow devyse.(670)
- I seye, he took out of his owene sleve,
- A teyne of silver (yvele mote he cheve!)1225
- Which that ne was nat but an ounce of weighte;
- And taketh heed now of his cursed sleighte!
- He shoop his ingot, in lengthe and eek in brede,
- Of this teyne, with-outen any drede,
- So slyly, that the preest it nat espyde;1230
- And in his sleve agayn he gan it hyde;
- And fro the fyr he took up his matere,
- And in thingot putte it with mery chere,(680)
- And in the water-vessel he it caste
- Whan that him luste, and bad the preest as faste,1235
- ‘Look what ther is, put in thyn hand and grope,
- Thow finde shalt ther silver, as I hope;
- What, devel of helle! sholde it elles be?
- Shaving of silver silver is, pardee!’
- He putte his hond in, and took up a teyne1240
- Of silver fyn, and glad in every veyne
- Was this preest, whan he saugh that it was so.
- ‘Goddes blessing, and his modres also,(690)
- And alle halwes have ye, sir chanoun,’
- Seyde this preest, ‘and I hir malisoun,1245
- But, and ye vouche-sauf to techen me
- This noble craft and this subtilitee,
- I wol be youre, in al that ever I may!’
- Quod the chanoun, ‘yet wol I make assay
- The second tyme, that ye may taken hede1250
- And been expert of this, and in your nede
- Another day assaye in myn absence
- This disciplyne and this crafty science.(700)
- Lat take another ounce,’ quod he tho,
- ‘Of quik-silver, with-outen wordes mo,1255
- And do ther-with as ye han doon er this
- With that other, which that now silver is.’
- This preest him bisieth in al that he can
- To doon as this chanoun, this cursed man,
- Comanded him, and faste he blew the fyr,1260
- For to come to theffect of his desyr.
- And this chanoun, right in the mene whyle,
- Al redy was, the preest eft to bigyle,(710)
- And, for a countenance, in his hande he bar
- An holwe stikke (tak keep and be war!)1265
- In the ende of which an ounce, and na-more,
- Of silver lymail put was, as bifore
- Was in his cole, and stopped with wex weel
- For to kepe in his lymail every deel.
- And whyl this preest was in his bisinesse,1270
- This chanoun with his stikke gan him dresse
- To him anon, and his pouder caste in
- As he did er; (the devel out of his skin(720)
- Him terve, I pray to god, for his falshede;
- For he was ever fals in thoght and dede);1275
- And with this stikke, above the croslet,
- That was ordeyned with that false get,
- He stired the coles, til relente gan
- The wex agayn the fyr, as every man,
- But it a fool be, woot wel it mot nede,1280
- And al that in the stikke was out yede,
- And in the croslet hastily it fel.
- Now gode sirs, what wol ye bet than wel?(730)
- Whan that this preest thus was bigyled ageyn,
- Supposing noght but trouthe, soth to seyn,1285
- He was so glad, that I can nat expresse
- In no manere his mirthe and his gladnesse;
- And to the chanoun he profred eftsone
- Body and good; ‘ye,’ quod the chanoun sone,
- ‘Though povre I be, crafty thou shalt me finde;1290
- I warne thee, yet is ther more bihinde.
- Is ther any coper her-inne?’ seyde he.
- ‘Ye,’ quod the preest, ‘sir, I trowe wel ther be.’(740)
- ‘Elles go by us som, and that as swythe,
- Now, gode sir, go forth thy wey and hy the.’1295
- He wente his wey, and with the coper cam,
- And this chanoun it in his handes nam,
- And of that coper weyed out but an ounce.
- Al to simple is my tonge to pronounce,
- As ministre of my wit, the doublenesse1300
- Of this chanoun, rote of al cursednesse.
- He semed freendly to hem that knewe him noght,
- But he was feendly bothe in herte and thoght.(750)
- It werieth me to telle of his falsnesse,
- And nathelees yet wol I it expresse,1305
- To thentente that men may be war therby,
- And for noon other cause, trewely.
- He putte his ounce of coper in the croslet,
- And on the fyr as swythe he hath it set,
- And caste in poudre, and made the preest to blowe,1310
- And in his werking for to stoupe lowe,
- As he dide er, and al nas but a Iape;
- Right as him liste, the preest he made his ape;(760)
- And afterward in the ingot he it caste,
- And in the panne putte it at the laste1315
- Of water, and in he putte his owene hond.
- And in his sleve (as ye biforn-hond
- Herde me telle) he hadde a silver teyne.
- He slyly took it out, this cursed heyne—
- Unwiting this preest of his false craft—1320
- And in the pannes botme he hath it laft;
- And in the water rombled to and fro,
- And wonder prively took up also(770)
- The coper teyne, noght knowing this preest,
- And hidde it, and him hente by the breest,1325
- And to him spak, and thus seyde in his game,
- ‘Stoupeth adoun, by god, ye be to blame,
- Helpeth me now, as I dide yow whyl-er,
- Putte in your hand, and loketh what is ther.’
- This preest took up this silver teyne anon,1330
- And thanne seyde the chanoun, ‘lat us gon
- With thise three teynes, which that we han wroght,
- To som goldsmith, and wite if they been oght.(780)
- For, by my feith, I nolde, for myn hood,
- But-if that they were silver, fyn and good,1335
- And that as swythe preved shal it be.’
- Un-to the goldsmith with thise teynes three
- They wente, and putte thise teynes in assay
- To fyr and hamer; mighte no man sey nay,
- But that they weren as hem oghte be.1340
- This sotted preest, who was gladder than he?
- Was never brid gladder agayn the day,
- Ne nightingale, in the sesoun of May,(790)
- Nas never noon that luste bet to singe;
- Ne lady lustier in carolinge1345
- Or for to speke of love and wommanhede,
- Ne knight in armes to doon an hardy dede
- To stonde in grace of his lady dere,
- Than had this preest this sory craft to lere;
- And to the chanoun thus he spak and seyde,1350
- ‘For love of god, that for us alle deyde,
- And as I may deserve it un-to yow,
- What shal this receit coste? telleth now!’(800)
- ‘By our lady,’ quod this chanoun, ‘it is dere.
- I warne yow wel; for, save I and a frere,1355
- In Engelond ther can no man it make.’
- ‘No fors,’ quod he, ‘now, sir, for goddes sake,
- What shal I paye? telleth me, I preye.’
- ‘Y-wis,’ quod he, ‘it is ful dere, I seye;
- Sir, at o word, if that thee list it have,1360
- Ye shul paye fourty pound, so god me save!
- And, nere the freendship that ye dide er this
- To me, ye sholde paye more, y-wis.’(810)
- This preest the somme of fourty pound anon
- Of nobles fette, and took hem everichon1365
- To this chanoun, for this ilke receit;
- Al his werking nas but fraude and deceit.
- ‘Sir preest,’ he seyde, ‘I kepe han no loos
- Of my craft, for I wolde it kept were cloos;
- And as ye love me, kepeth it secree;1370
- For, and men knewe al my subtilitee,
- By god, they wolden han so greet envye
- To me, by-cause of my philosophye,(820)
- I sholde be deed, ther were non other weye.’
- ‘God it forbede!’ quod the preest, ‘what sey ye?’1375
- Yet hadde I lever spenden al the good
- Which that I have (and elles wexe I wood!)
- Than that ye sholden falle in swich mescheef.’
- ‘For your good wil, sir, have ye right good preef,’
- Quod the ch
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