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 MAUNCIPLES TALE.

Here biginneth the Maunciples Tale of the Crowe.

• WHAN Phebus dwelled here in this erthe adoun,105
• As olde bokes maken mencioun,
• He was the moste lusty bachiler
• In al this world, and eek the beste archer;
• He slow Phitoun, the serpent, as he lay
• Slepinge agayn the sonne upon a day;110
• And many another noble worthy dede
• He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede.
• Pleyen he coude on every minstralcye,
• And singen, that it was a melodye,(10)
• To heren of his clere vois the soun.115
• Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioun,
• That with his singing walled that citee,
• Coude never singen half so wel as he.
• Therto he was the semelieste man
• That is or was, sith that the world bigan.120
• What nedeth it his fetures to discryve?
• For in this world was noon so fair on lyve.
• He was ther-with fulfild of gentillesse,
• Of honour, and of parfit worthinesse.(20)
• This Phebus, that was flour of bachelrye,125
• As wel in fredom as in chivalrye,
• For his desport, in signe eek of victorie
• Of Phitoun, so as telleth us the storie,
• Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe.
• Now had this Phebus in his hous a crowe,130
• Which in a cage he fostred many a day,
• And taughte it speken, as men teche a Iay.
• Whyt was this crowe, as is a snow-whyt swan,
• And countrefete the speche of every man(30)
• He coude, whan he sholde telle a tale.135
• Ther-with in al this world no nightingale
• Ne coude, by an hondred thousand deel,
• Singen so wonder merily and weel.
• Now had this Phebus in his hous a wyf,
• Which that he lovede more than his lyf,140
• And night and day dide ever his diligence
• Hir for to plese, and doon hir reverence,
• Save only, if the sothe that I shal sayn,
• Ialous he was, and wolde have kept hir fayn;(40)
• For him were looth by-iaped for to be.145
• And so is every wight in swich degree;
• But al in ydel, for it availleth noght.
• A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thoght,
• Sholde nat been kept in noon await, certayn;
• And trewely, the labour is in vayn150
• To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat be.
• This holde I for a verray nycetee,
• To spille labour, for to kepe wyves;
• Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves.(50)
• But now to purpos, as I first bigan:155
• This worthy Phebus dooth all that he can
• To plesen hir, weninge by swich plesaunce,
• And for his manhede and his governaunce,
• That no man sholde han put him from hir grace.
• But god it woot, ther may no man embrace160
• As to destreyne a thing, which that nature
• Hath naturelly set in a creature.
• Tak any brid, and put it in a cage,
• And do al thyn entente and thy corage(60)
• To fostre it tendrely with mete and drinke,165
• Of alle deyntees that thou canst bithinke,
• And keep it al-so clenly as thou may;
• Al-though his cage of gold be never so gay,
• Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand fold,
• Lever in a forest, that is rude and cold,170
• Gon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse.
• For ever this brid wol doon his bisinesse
• To escape out of his cage, if he may;
• His libertee this brid desireth ay.(70)
• Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk,175
• And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk,
• And lat him seen a mous go by the wal;
• Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al,
• And every deyntee that is in that hous,
• Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous.180
• Lo, here hath lust his dominacioun,
• And appetyt flemeth discrecioun.
• A she-wolf hath also a vileins kinde;
• The lewedeste wolf that she may finde,(80)
• Or leest of reputacion wol she take,185
• In tyme whan hir lust to han a make.
• Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men
• That been untrewe, and no-thing by wommen.
• For men han ever a likerous appetyt
• On lower thing to parfourne hir delyt190
• Than on hir wyves, be they never so faire,
• Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire.
• Flesh is so newefangel, with meschaunce,
• That we ne conne in no-thing han plesaunce(90)
• That souneth in-to vertu any whyle.195
• This Phebus, which that thoghte upon no gyle,
• Deceyved was, for al his Iolitee;
• For under him another hadde she,
• A man of litel reputacioun,
• Noght worth to Phebus in comparisoun.200
• The more harm is; it happeth ofte so,
• Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo.
• And so bifel, whan Phebus was absent,
• His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent,(100)
• Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavish speche!205
• Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche.
• The wyse Plato seith, as ye may rede,
• The word mot nede accorde with the dede.
• If men shal telle proprely a thing,
• The word mot cosin be to the werking.210
• I am a boistous man, right thus seye I,
• Ther nis no difference, trewely,
• Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree,
• If of hir body dishonest she be,(110)
• And a povre wenche, other than this—215
• If it so be, they werke bothe amis—
• But that the gentile, in estaat above,
• She shal be cleped his lady, as in love;
• And for that other is a povre womman,
• She shal be cleped his wenche, or his lemman.220
• And, god it woot, myn owene dere brother,
• Men leyn that oon as lowe as lyth that other.
• Right so, bitwixe a titlelees tiraunt
• And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt,(120)
• The same I seye, ther is no difference.225
• To Alisaundre told was this sentence;
• That, for the tyrant is of gretter might,
• By force of meynee for to sleen doun-right,
• And brennen hous and hoom, and make al plain,
• Lo! therfor is he cleped a capitain;230
• And, for the outlawe hath but smal meynee,
• And may nat doon so greet an harm as he,
• Ne bringe a contree to so greet mescheef,
• Men clepen him an outlawe or a theef.(130)
• But, for I am a man noght textuel,235
• I wol noght telle of textes never a del;
• I wol go to my tale, as I bigan.
• Whan Phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman,
• Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage.
• The whyte crowe, that heng ay in the cage,240
• Biheld hir werk, and seyde never a word.
• And whan that hoom was come Phebus, the lord,
• This crowe sang ‘cokkow! cokkow! cokkow!’
• ‘What, brid?’ quod Phebus, ‘what song singestow?(140)
• Ne were thow wont so merily to singe245
• That to myn herte it was a reioisinge
• To here thy vois? allas! what song is this?’
• ‘By god,’ quod he, ‘I singe nat amis;
• Phebus,’ quod he, ‘for al thy worthinesse,
• For al thy beautee and thy gentilesse,250
• For al thy song and al thy minstralcye,
• For al thy waiting, blered is thyn yë
• With oon of litel reputacioun,
• Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun,(150)
• The mountance of a gnat; so mote I thryve!255
• For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh him swyve.’
• What wol ye more? the crowe anon him tolde,
• By sadde tokenes and by wordes bolde,
• How that his wyf had doon hir lecherye,
• Him to gret shame and to gret vileinye;260
• And tolde him ofte, he saugh it with his yën.
• This Phebus gan aweyward for to wryen,
• Him thoughte his sorweful herte brast a-two;
• His bowe he bente, and sette ther-inne a flo,(160)
• And in his ire his wyf thanne hath he slayn.265
• This is theffect, ther is na-more to sayn;
• For sorwe of which he brak his minstralcye,
• Bothe harpe, and lute, and giterne, and sautrye;
• And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe.
• And after that, thus spak he to the crowe:270
• ‘Traitour,’ quod he, ‘with tonge of scorpioun,
• Thou hast me broght to my confusioun!
• Allas! that I was wroght! why nere I deed?
• O dere wyf, o gemme of lustiheed,(170)
• That were to me so sad and eek so trewe,275
• Now lystow deed, with face pale of hewe,
• Ful giltelees, that dorste I swere, y-wis!
• O rakel hand, to doon so foule amis!
• O trouble wit, or ire recchelees,
• That unavysed smytest giltelees!280
• O wantrust, ful of fals suspecioun,
• Where was thy wit and thy discrecioun?
• O every man, be-war of rakelnesse,
• Ne trowe no-thing with-outen strong witnesse;(180)
• Smyt nat to sone, er that ye witen why,285
• And beeth avysed wel and sobrely
• Er ye doon any execucioun,
• Up-on your ire, for suspecioun.
• Allas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire
• Fully fordoon, and brought hem in the mire.290
• Allas! for sorwe I wol my-selven slee!’
• And to the crowe, ‘o false theef!’ seyde he,
• ‘I wol thee quyte anon thy false tale!
• Thou songe whylom lyk a nightingale;(190)
• Now shaltow, false theef, thy song forgon,295
• And eek thy whyte fetheres everichon,
• Ne never in al thy lyf ne shaltou speke.
• Thus shal men on a traitour been awreke;
• Thou and thyn of-spring ever shul be blake,
• Ne never swete noise shul ye make,300
• But ever crye agayn tempest and rayn,
• In tokeninge that thurgh thee my wyf is slayn.’
• And to the crowe he stirte, and that anon,
• And pulled his whyte fetheres everichon,(200)
• And made him blak, and refte him al his song,305
• And eek his speche, and out at dore him slong
• Un-to the devel, which I him bitake;
• And for this caas ben alle crowes blake.—
• Lordings, by this ensample I yow preye,
• Beth war, and taketh kepe what I seye:310
• Ne telleth never no man in your lyf
• How that another man hath dight his wyf;
• He wol yow haten mortally, certeyn.
• Daun Salomon, as wyse clerkes seyn,(210)
• Techeth a man to kepe his tonge wel;315
• But as I seyde, I am noght textuel.
• But nathelees, thus taughte me my dame:
• ‘My sone, thenk on the crowe, a goddes name;
• My sone, keep wel thy tonge and keep thy freend.
• A wikked tonge is worse than a feend.320
• My sone, from a feend men may hem blesse;
• My sone, god of his endelees goodnesse
• Walled a tonge with teeth and lippes eke,
• For man sholde him avyse what he speke.(220)
• My sone, ful ofte, for to muche speche,325
• Hath many a man ben spilt, as clerkes teche;
• But for a litel speche avysely
• Is no men shent, to speke generally.
• My sone, thy tonge sholdestow restreyne
• At alle tyme , but whan thou doost thy peyne330
• To speke of god, in honour and preyere.
• The firste vertu, sone, if thou wolt lere,
• Is to restreyne and kepe wel thy tonge.—
• Thus lerne children whan that they ben yonge.—(230)
• My sone, of muchel speking yvel-avysed,335
• Ther lasse speking hadde y-nough suffysed,
• Comth muchel harm, thus was me told and taught.
• In muchel speche sinne wanteth naught.
• Wostow wher-of a rakel tonge serveth?
• Right as a swerd forcutteth and forkerveth340
• An arm a-two, my dere sone, right so
• A tonge cutteth frendship al a-two.
• A Iangler is to god abhominable;
• Reed Salomon, so wys and honurable;(240)
• Reed David in his psalmes, reed Senekke.345
• My sone, spek nat, but with thyn heed thou bekke.
• Dissimule as thou were deef, if that thou here
• A Iangler speke of perilous matere.
• The Fleming seith, and lerne it, if thee leste,
• That litel Iangling causeth muchel reste.350
• My sone, if thou no wikked word hast seyd,
• Thee thar nat drede for to be biwreyd;
• But he that hath misseyd, I dar wel sayn,
• He may by no wey clepe his word agayn.(250)
• Thing that is seyd, is seyd; and forth it gooth,355
• Though him repente, or be him leef or looth.
• He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd
• A tale, of which he is now yvel apayd.
• My sone, be war, and be non auctour newe
• Of tydinges, whether they ben false or trewe.360
• Wher-so thou come, amonges hye or lowe,
• Kepe wel thy tonge, and thenk up-on the crowe.

Here is ended the Maunciples Tale of the Crowe.

GROUP I.

[798. ]E. caas, solaas.

[802. ]E. Hn. Cp. mury.

[803. ]Hl. my seluen gladly; E. my self goodly.

[805. ]E. wole (but wol in l. 809).

[812. ]E. would.

[105. ]E. world; rest erthe.

[108. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. Of (for In).

[125. ]Hn. Cp. bachelrye; E. Bachilrie.

[130. ]E. hadde.

[132. ]Hl. speken; rest speke.

[133. ]E. om. is.

[138. ]E. Hn. myrily.

[139. ]E. hadde.

[143. ]E. Cm. om. if; Hn. that. that] Hn. if.

[147. ]E. Cm. in ydel; rest for naught.

[157. ]E. Cm. that; Hn. for; rest by (be).

[162. ]E. natureelly.

[163. ]E. Taak.

[170. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. wilde (for rude); Hl. wyd.

[173. ]Cp. when; Ln. Hl. whan; rest if.

[174. ]E. Hn. Cm. this; rest the.

[180. ]E. he hath; Cp. hath sche; rest hath he.

[185. ]Hl. ins. him, and the rest that, before wol (badly).

[195. ]Hl. Cm. souneth; rest sowneth.

[200. ]Cp. Hl. Nought; E. Hn. Nat; rest Not; see l. 254.

[214. ]E. Cp. dishoneste; Hn. deshoneste.

[215. ]For a, Tyrwhitt reads any.

[217. ]E. Cm. hir estaat (stat); rest om. hir.

[223. ]In Hn., titlelees is glossed by sine titulo.

[226. ]Hl. told was; rest was told.

[235. ]E. textueel, deel.

[236. ]E. textueel, deel.

[240. ]E. they (for that). E. heeng; Ln. honge; rest heng.

[241. ]E Biheeld.

[245. ]E. Hn. myrily.

[251. ]E. Cm. Hl. om. 2nd al.

[254. ]E. Hn. Cm. om. as.

[255. ]E. Hn. montance.

[261. ]Cm. Hl. yen; Ln. eyȝen; rest eyen.

[263. ]E. Hn. Cm. And; rest Him.

[276. ]Cm. Hl. lyst thow; Pt. Ln. liest thou; Cp. lyes thou.

[277. ]Cm. gylteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. Hn. giltlees; rest giltles.

[278. ]Cm. troubele; rest trouble.

[280. ]E. smyteth; rest smytest. Cm. gilteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. giltles.

[300. ]E. voys (for noyse).

[302. ]is] Cp. Hl. was.

[308. ]E. Cp. caas; Hn. Cm. Ln. cas; Pt. caus; Hl. cause.

[310. ]E. Hn. Cm I; Hl. ye; rest that ye.

[315. ]E. Hn. kepen; rest kepe. E Cm. weel.

[316. ]E. textueel; Hl. tixted wel.

[318. ]a] E. on; Hl. in

[319. ]E. Hn. freend, feend.

[320. ]E. Hn. freend, feend.

[327. ]Hl. a; rest om.

[330. ]E. Hn. Cm. tymes.

[356. ]leef or] Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. neuer so.

[360. ]E. wheither.

Colophon.So E. Hn.