THE COMPLETE WORKS of GEOFFREY CHAUCER
SKEAT
THE CANTERBURY TALES: TEXT

Oxford University Press, Amen House, London E.C.4

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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER
EDITED, FROM NUMEROUS MANUSCRIPTS
BY THE Rev. WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A. Litt.D., LL.D., D.C L, Ph.D. elrington and bosworth professor of anglo-saxon and fellow of christ’s college, cambridge
THE CANTERBURY TALES: TEXT

‘Let every felawe telle his tale aboute,

And lat see now who shal the soper winne’

The Knightes Tale; a 89c
SECOND EDITION
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

FIRST EDITION 1894

SECOND EDITION 1900

REPRINTED 1924, 1940, 1958, 1963

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

CONTENTS

  • Introduction. —§ 1. The Present Text. § 2. The MSS.—I. In the British Museum. II. In Oxford. III. In Cambridge. IV. In other Public Libraries. V In private hands. § 3. The Printed Editions. § 4. Plan of the present Edition. § 5. Table of symbols denoting MSS. § 6. Table showing various ways of numbering the lines. § 7. The four types of MSS . . page vii
  • The Canterbury Tales . . . . . . . . 1
  • Group A. The Prologue . . . . . . . 1
  • The Knightes Tale . . . . . . . 26
  • The Miller’s Prologue . . . . . . 89
  • The Milleres Tale . . . . . . 92
  • The Reeve’s Prologue . . . . . . 112
  • The Reves Tale . . . . . . . . 114
  • The Cook’s Prologue . . . . . . . 126
  • The Cokes Tale . . . . . . 128
  • Group B. Introduction to the Man of Law’s Prologue 130
  • Man of Law’s Prologue . . . . 133
  • The Tale of the Man of Lawe . . . . 134
  • The Shipman’s Prologue . . . . . 165
  • The Shipmannes Tale . . . . . . . 167
  • The Prioress’s Prologue . . . . . . 180
  • The Prioresses Tale . . . . . . . 181
  • Prologue to Sir Thopas . . . . . 189
  • Sir Thopas . . . . . . . . . 190
  • Prologue to Melibeus . . . . 197
  • The Tale of Melibeus . . . . 199
  • The Monk’s Prologue . . . . . . . 241
  • The Monkes Tale: —Lucifer; Adam; Sampson; Hercules; Nabugodonosor; Balthasar; Cenobia; De Petro Rege Ispannie; De Petro Rege De Cipro; De Barnabo de Lumbardia; De Hugelino Comite de Pize; Nero; De Oloferno; De Rege Anthiocho; De Alexandro; De Iulio Cesare: Cresus . . . . . . 244
  • The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale . . 269
  • The Nonne Prestes Tale . . . . . 271
  • Epilogue to the Nonne Prestes Tale . . 289
  • Group C. The Phisiciens Tale . . . . . . . 290
  • Words of the Host . . . . . . . 299
  • Prologue of the Pardoners Tale . . . . 301
  • The Pardoners Tale . . . . . . 305
  • Group D. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue . . . . 320
  • The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe . . . . 345
  • The Friar’s Prologue . . . . . . 357
  • The Freres Tale . . . . . . . . 359
  • The Somnour’s Prologue . . . . . 370
  • The Somnours Tale . . . . . . . 372
  • Group E The Clerk’s Prologue . . . . . . . 389
  • The Clerkes Tale . . . . . . . 391
  • The Merchant’s Prologue . . . . . . 426
  • The Marchantes Tale . . . . . 427
  • Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale . . . . 460
  • Group F. The Squieres Tale . . . . . . . 461
  • Words of the Franklin . . . . . . 480
  • The Franklin’s Prologue . . . . . . 482
  • The Frankeleyns Tale . . . . . 483
  • Group G. The Seconde Nonnes Tale . . . . . . 509
  • The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue . . . . 527
  • The Chanouns Yemannes Tale . . . . . 532
  • Group H The Manciple’s Prologue . . . . . . 555
  • The Maunciples Tale . . . . . . 559
  • Group I The Parson’s Prologue . . . . . . 567
  • The Persones Tale . . . . . . . 570
  • Appendix to Group A. The Tale of Gamelyn . . . . 645

INTRODUCTION

§ 1.: The Present Text.

The text of the ‘Canterbury Tales,’ as printed in the present volume, is an entirely new one, owing nothing to the numerous printed editions which have preceded it. The only exceptions to this statement are to be found in the case of such portions as have been formerly edited, for the Clarendon Press, by Dr. Morris and myself. The reasons for the necessity of a formation of an absolutely new text will appear on a perusal of the text itself, as compared with any of its predecessors.

On the other hand, it owes everything to the labours of Dr. Furnivall for the Chaucer Society, but for which no satisfactory results could have been obtained, except at the cost of more time and toil than I could well devote to the subject. In other words, my work is entirely founded upon the splendid ‘Six-text’ Edition published by that Society, supplemented by the very valuable reprint of the celebrated ‘Harleian’ manuscript in the same series. These Seven Texts are all exact reproductions of seven important MSS., and are, in two respects, more important to the student than the MSS. themselves; that is to say, they can be studied simultaneously instead of separately, and they can be consulted and re-consulted at any moment, being always accessible. The importance of such opportunities is obvious.

§ 2.: The Manuscripts.

The following list contains all the MSS. of the existence of which I am aware. As to their types, see § 7.

I.: MSS. in the British Museum.

  • 1. Harl. 7334; denoted here by Hl. By Tyrwhitt called ‘C.’ A MS. of the B-type (see below). Printed in full for the Chaucer Society, 1885. Collated throughout.

    A MS. of great importance, but difficult to understand or describe. For the greater clearness, I shall roughly describe the MSS. as being of the A-type, the B-type, the C-type, and the D-type (really a second C-type). Of the A-type, the best example is the Ellesmere MS; of the B-type, the best example is the Harleian MS. 7334; of the C-type, the Corpus and Lansdowne MSS.; the D-type is that exhibited by Caxton and Thynne in the early printed editions. They may be called the ‘Ellesmere,’ ‘Harleian,’ ‘Corpus,’ and ‘Caxton’ types respectively. These types differ as to the arrangement of the Tales, and even MSS. of a similar type differ slightly, in this respect, among themselves They also frequently differ as to certain characteristic readings, although many of the variations of reading are peculiar to one or two MSS. only.

    MS. Hl. contains the best copy of the Tale of Gamelyn, for which see p. 645; this Tale is not found in MSS. of the A-type. Moreover, Group G here precedes Group C and a large part of Group B, whereas in the Ellesmere MS. it follows them In the Monk’s Tale, the lines numbered B 3565-3652 (containing the Tales called the ‘modern instances’) immediately follow B 3564 (as in this edition), whereas in the Ellesmere MS. these lines come at the end of the Tale.

    The ‘various readings’ of this MS. are often peculiar, and it is difficult to appraise them. I take them to be of two kinds: (1) readings which are better than those of the Six-text, and should certainly be preferred, such as halfe in A 8, cloysterlees in A 179, a (not a ful ) in A 196, and the like; and (2) readings due to a terrible blundering on the part of the scribe, such as fleyng for flikeringe in A 1962, greene for kene in A 1966, and the like. It is, in fact, a most dangerous MS to trust to, unless constantly corrected by others, and is not at all fitted to be taken as the basis of a text. For further remarks, see the description of Wright’s printed edition at p. xvi.

    As regards age, this MS. is one of the oldest; and it is beautifully written. Its chief defect is the loss of eight leaves, so that ll. 617-1223 in Group F are missing. It also misses several lines in various places; as A 2013-8, 2958, 3721-2, 4355, 4358, 4375-6, 4415-22; B 417, 1186-90, 1355, 1376-9, 1995, 3213-20, 4136-7, 4479-80; C 299, 300, 305-6, 478-9; D 575-584, 605-612, 619-626, 717-720; E 2356-7; F 1455-6, 1493-8; G 155, 210-216; besides some lines in Melibee and the Persones Tale. Moreover, it has nine spurious lines, D 2004 b, c, 2012 b, c, 2037 b, c, 2048 b, c, F 592. These imperfections furnish an additional reason for not founding a text upon this MS.

  • 2. Harl 7335; by Tyrwhitt called ‘A.’ Of the B-type. Very imperfect, especially at the end. A few lines are printed in the Six-text edition, to fill up gaps in various MSS., viz. E 1646-7, F 1-8, 1423-4, 1433-4, G 158, 213-4, 326-337, 432-3, 484. Collated so far.

  • 3. Harl. 7333; by Tyrwhitt called ‘E.’ Of the D-type. One of Shirley’s MSS. Some lines are printed in the Six-text edition, viz. B 4233-8, E 1213-44, F 1147-8, 1567-8, G 156-9, 213-4, 326-337, 432. It also contains some of the Minor Poems; see the description of MS. ‘Harl.’ in the Introduction to those poems in vol. i. 1

  • 4. Harl. 1758, denoted by Harl. at p. 645; by Tyrwhitt called ‘F.’ In Urry’s list, i. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn Many lines are printed in the Six-text, including the whole of ‘Gamelyn.’ It is freely used to fill up gaps, as B 1-9, 2096-2108, 3049-78, 4112, 4114, 4581-4636, c.

  • 5. Harl. 1239; in Tyrwhitt, ‘I.’ In Urry’s list, ii. Imperfect both at beginning and end.

  • 6. Royal 18 C II; denoted by Rl.; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B.’ In Urry, vii. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. Used to fill up gaps in the Six-text; e. g. in B 1163-1190 (Shipman’s Prologue, called in this MS. the Squire’s Prologue), 2109-73, 3961-80, E 65, 73, 81, 143, G 1337-40, I 472-511 The whole of ‘Gamelyn’ is also printed from this MS. in the Six-text.

  • 7. Royal 17 D xv; in Tyrwhitt, ‘D.’ In Urry, viii. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. Used to fill up gaps in the Six-text; e. g. in B 2328-61, 3961-80, 4112, 4114, 4233-8, 4637-51, D 609-612, 619-626, 717-720, E 1213-44, F 1423-4, 1433-4, H 47-52; and in the Tale of Gamelyn.

  • 8. Sloane 1685; denoted by Sl. In Tyrwhitt, ‘G.’ In Urry, iii. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. In two handwritings, one later than the other. Imperfect; has no Sir Thopas, Melibee, Manciple, or Parson. Very frequently quoted in the Six-text, to fill up rather large gaps in the Cambridge MS.; e g. A 754-964, 3829-90, 4365-4422, c. Gamelyn is printed from this MS. in the Six-text, the gaps in it being filled up from MS. 7 (above).

  • 9. Sloane 1686; in Tyrwhitt, ‘H.’ In Urry, iv. Of the C-type; containing Gamelyn. A late MS., on paper. Imperfect; no Canon’s Yeoman or Parson.

  • 10. Lansdowne 851; denoted by Ln. In Tyrwhitt, ‘W.,’ because at that time in the possession of P. C. Webb, Esq. Used by Mr. Wright to fill up the large gap in Hl., viz. F 617-1223, and frequently consulted by him and others. Printed in full as the sixth MS. of the Six-text. Of the C-type; containing Gamelyn. Not a good MS., being certainly the worst of the six; but worth printing owing to the frequent use that has been made of it by editors.

  • 11. Additional 5140; in Tyrwhitt, ‘Ask. 2,’ as being one of two MSS. lent to him by Dr. Askew. It has in it the arms of H. Deane, Archbp. of Canterbury, 1501-3. Of the A-type. Quoted in the Six-text to fill up gaps; e. g. B 3961-80, 4233-8, 4637-52, D 2158-2294, E 1213-44, 1646-7, 2419-40, F 1-8, 673-708, G 103, I 887-944, 1044-92.

  • 12. Additional 25718. A mere fragment. A short passage from it, C 409-427, is quoted in the Six-text, to fill up a gap in Ln.

  • 13. Egerton 2726, called the ‘Haistwell MS.’; in Tyrwhitt denoted by ‘HA,’ and formerly belonging to E. Haistwell, Esq. Of the A-type, but imperfect. The Six-text quotes F 679, 680; also F 673-708 in the Preface.

II.: MSS. in Oxford.

  • 14. Bodley 686; no. 2527 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B α.’ A neat MS., with illuminations. Of the A-type; imperfect. The latter part of the Cook’s Tale is on an inserted leaf (leaf 55), and concludes the Tale in a manner that is not Chaucer’s. After the Canterbury Tales occur several poems by Lydgate.

  • 15. Bodley 414; not noticed by Tyrwhitt. Given to the library by B. Heath in 1766. A late MS. of the D-type, and imperfect. No Cook, Gamelyn, Squire, or Merchant.

  • 16. Laud 739: no. 1234 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B β.’ A poor and late MS. of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn; imperfect at the end; ends with Sir Thopas, down to B 2056.

  • 17. Laud 600; no. 1476 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B γ.’ Imperfect; several leaves ‘restored.’ Apparently, of the B-type; but Group D and the Clerk’s Tale follow Gamelyn. Some extracts from it are given in the Six-text, viz. B 2328-61, D 717-20 (no other Oxford MS. has these scarce lines), F 673-708.

  • 18. Arch. Selden B 14; no. 3360 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B δ.’ Perhaps the best and earliest of the Bodleian MSS., but not very good. Sometimes here quoted as Seld. Apparently of the A-type, having no copy of Gamelyn; but it practically represents a transition-state between the A and B types, and has one correction of prime importance, as it is the only MS. which links together all the Tales in Group B, making the Shipman follow the Man of Law. Frequent extracts from it occur in the Six-text; e. g. A 1-72, B 1163-1190, c. In particular, a large portion of the Parson’s Tale, I 290-1086, is printed from this MS. in the same.

  • 19. Barlow 20; no. 6420 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B ζ.’ A clearly written MS. of the D-type, including Gamelyn; imperfect after Sir Thopas, but contains a portion of the Manciple’s Tale. It contains the somewhat rare lines F 679, 680, which are quoted from it in the Six-text.

  • 20. Hatton, Donat. 1 (not the same MS. as Hatton 1); no. 4138 in Bernard’s list; in Tyrwhitt, ‘B ε’ The Tales are in great disorder, the Man of Law being thrust in between the Reeve and the Cook, as in no other MS. It contains Gamelyn. Lines F 679, 680 are quoted from it in the Six-text; and a few lines are again quoted from it at the end of the Parson’s Tale.

  • 21. Rawlinson Poet. 149. Apparently of the D-type, but it is very imperfect, having lost several leaves in various places. A late MS.

  • 22. Rawlinson Poet. 141. Not a bad MS., but several Tales are omitted, and the Shipman follows the Clerk. Groups C and G do not appear at all. The Latin side-notes are numerous.

  • 23. Rawlinson Poet. 223; the same as that called Rawl. Misc. 1133 in the Six-text ‘Trial-table.’ No copy of Gamelyn. The Tales are strangely misplaced. Slightly imperfect here and there.

  • 24. Corpus Christi College (Oxford), no. 198; denoted by Cp. The best of the Oxford MSS., printed in full as the fourth MS. in the Six-text edition. Of the C-type; collated throughout. It contains a copy of Gamelyn, which is duly printed. It is rather imperfect from the loss of leaves in various places; the gaps being usually supplied from the Selden MS. (no. 18 above).

  • 25. Christ Church (Oxford), no. 152. Contains Gamelyn. The Tales are extraordinarily arranged, but the MS. is nearly perfect, except at the end. A large part of the Parson’s Tale, after I 550, being lost from the Hengwrt MS., the gap is supplied, in the Six-text, from this MS. and Addit. 5140. The Second Nun follows the Shipman. Of the A-type.

  • 26. New College (Oxford), no. 314; called ‘NC’ in Tyrwhitt. Of the D-type; imperfect at the beginning. No copy of Gamelyn.

  • 27. Trinity College (Oxford), no. 49; containing 302 leaves; formerly in the possession of John Leche, temp. Edw. IV. It contains Gamelyn. The Tales are misplaced; the Pardoner and Man of Law being thrust into the middle of Group B, after the Prioress.

III.: MSS. at Cambridge.

  • 28. University Library, Gg. 4. 27, not noticed by Tyrwhitt; here denoted by Cm. Also denoted, in vol. iii., by C.; and in vol. i., by Gg. A highly valuable and important MS. of the A-type, printed as the third text in the Six-text edition. The best copy in any public library. See the description of ‘Gg.’ in vol. i.; and the full description in the Library Catalogue.

  • 29. University Library, Dd. 4. 24; in Tyrwhitt, ‘C 1.’ Quoted as Dd. A good MS. of the A-type, much relied upon by Tyrwhitt, who made good use of it. Has lost several leaves. The whole of the Clerk’s Tale was printed from this MS. by Mr. Aldis Wright. The passage in B 4637-52 occurs only in this MS. and a few others, viz. Royal 17 D xv, Addit. 5140, and the Chr. Ch. MS. It also contains the rare lines D 575-84, 609-12, 619-26, 717-20, all printed from this MS. in the Six-text. Lines E 1213-44 are also quoted, to fill a gap in Cm.

  • 30. University Library, Ii. 3. 26; in Tyrwhitt, ‘C 2.’ Of the D-type, including Gamelyn; but the Franklin’s Tale is inserted after the Merchant. Contains many corrupt readings.

  • 31. University Library, Mm. 2. 5. The arrangement of the Tales is very unusual, but resembles that in the Petworth MS., than which it is a little more irregular. A complete MS. of the D-type, including Gamelyn.

  • 32. Trinity College (Cambridge), R. 3. 15; in Tyrwhitt, ‘Tt.’ In quarto, on paper. Some leaves are missing, so that the Canon’s Yeoman, Prioress, and Sir Thopas are lost. Of the D-type, without Gamelyn.

    N.B. This MS. also contains the three poems printed as Chaucer’s (though not his) in the edition of 1687, and numbered 66, 67, and 68, in my Account of ‘Speght’s edition’ in vol. i. It also contains the best MS. of Pierce the Ploughman’s Crede, edited by me from this MS. in 1867.

  • 33. Trinity College (Cambridge), R. 3. 3; in Tyrwhitt, ‘T.’ A folio MS., on vellum; of the D-type, without Gamelyn; but several Tales are misplaced.

IV.: In other Public Libraries.

  • 34. Sion College, London. A mere fragment, containing only the Clerk’s Tale and Group D.

  • 35. Lichfield Cathedral Library; quoted as Lich. or Li. Of the D-type, omitting Gamelyn. The Tale of Melibee is missing. As the Hengwrt MS. has no Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale, lines G 554-1481 are printed from this MS. in the Six-text.

  • 36. Lincoln Cathedral Library; begins with A 381. Resembles no. 42.

  • 37. Glasgow; in the Hunterian Museum. Begins with A 353; dated 1476.

  • 38. MS. at Paris, mentioned by Dr. Furnivall. Of the B-type.

  • 39. MS. at Naples, mentioned by Dr. Furnivall 1 .

V.: MSS. in Private Hands.

These include some of the very best.

  • 40. The ‘Ellesmere’ MS., in the possession of the Earl of Ellesmere; denoted by E. It formerly belonged to the Duke of Bridgewater, and afterwards to the Marquis of Stafford. The finest and best of all the MSS. now extant. Of the A-type; printed as the first of the MSS. in the Six-text, and taken as the basis of the present edition.

    It contains the curious coloured drawings of 23 of the Canterbury Pilgrims which have been reproduced for the Chaucer Society. At the end of the MS. is a valuable copy of Chaucer’s Balade of ‘Truth’; see vol. i. At the beginning of the MS., in a later hand, are written two poems printed in Todd’s Illustrations of Gower, c., pp. 295-309, which Todd absurdly attributed to Chaucer! They are of slight value or interest. It may suffice to say that, at the beginning of the former poem, we find revyved rimed with meved, and many of the lines in it are too long; e. g.—‘I supposed yt to have been some noxiall fantasy.’ In the latter poem, a compliment to the family of Vere, by rimes with auncestrye, and quarter with hereafter; and the lines are of similar over-length, e. g.—‘Of whom prophesyes of antiquite makyth mencion.’

  • 41. The ‘Hengwrt’ MS., no. 154, belonging to Mr. Wm. W. E. Wynne, of Peniarth; denoted by Hn. A valuable MS.; it is really of the A-type, though the Tales are strangely misplaced, and the Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale is missing. The readings frequently agree so closely with those of E. (no. 40) that it is, to some extent, almost a duplicate of it. Printed as the second MS. in the Six-text. It also contains Chaucer’s Boethius (imperfect).

  • 42. The ‘Petworth’ MS., belonging to Lord Leconfield; denoted by Pt. A folio MS., on vellum, of high value. Formerly in the possession of the Earl of Egremont (Todd’s Illustrations, p. 118). Of the D-type, including Gamelyn; but the Shipman and Prioress wrongly precede the Man of Law. Printed as the fifth MS. in the Six-text.

  • 43. The ‘Holkham’ MS., noted by Todd (Illustrations, p. 127) as then belonging to Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, and now belonging to the Earl of Leicester. The Tales are out of order; perhaps the leaves are misarranged. Imperfect in various places; has no Parson’s Tale.

  • 44. The ‘Helmingham’ MS., at Helmingham Hall, Suffolk, belonging to Lord Tollemache. On paper and vellum; about 1460 a.d. For a specimen, see the Shipman’s Prologue, printed in the Six-text, in the Preface, p. ix*. Either of the C-type or the D-type.

  • 45-48. Four MSS. in the collection of the late Sir Thos. Phillipps, at Cheltenham, viz. nos. 6570, 8136, 8137, 8299.

    Two of these are mentioned in Todd’s Illustrations, p. 127, as being ‘now [in 1810] in the collection of John P. Kemble, Esq., and in that belonging to the late Duke of Roxburghe; the latter is remarkably beautiful, and is believed to have been once the property of Sir Henry Spelman.’ No. 8299 contains the Clerk’s Tale only.

  • 49-52. Four MSS. belonging to the Earl of Ashburnham; numbered 124-127 in the Appendix. Of these, no. 124 wants the end of the Man of Law’s Tale and the beginning of the Squire’s, and therefore belongs to either the C-type or D-type. Nos. 125 and 126 are imperfect. No. 127 seems to be complete.

  • 53. A MS. belonging to the Duke of Devonshire, at Chatsworth; and formerly to Sir N. L’Estrange. (Of the A-type.)

  • 54. A MS. belonging to Sir Henry Ingilby, of Ripley Castle, Yorkshire. (Of the A-type.)

  • 55. A MS. belonging to the Duke of Northumberland, at Alnwick; and formerly to Mrs. Thynne. (Of the A-type.)

  • 56. A MS. now (in 1891) in the possession of Lady Cardigan.

  • 57-59. Tyrwhitt uses the symbol ‘Ask. 1’ to denote a MS. lent to him by the late Dr. Askew. He also uses the symbols ‘Ch.’ and ‘N.’ to denote ‘two MSS. described in the Preface to Urry’s edition, the one as belonging to Chas. Cholmondeley, Esq. of Vale Royal, in Cheshire, and the other to Mr. Norton, of Southwick, in Hampshire.’ Of these, ‘Ch.’ is now Lord Delamere’s MS., described by Dr. Furnivall in Notes and Queries, 4 Ser. ix. 353. The others I cannot trace.

§ 3.: The Printed Editions.

In the first five editions, the Canterbury Tales were published separately.

After this the Canterbury Tales were invariably issued with the rest of Chaucer’s Works, until after 1721. Some account of these editions is given in the Preface to the Minor Poems, in vol. i.; which see. They are: Thynne’s three editions, in 1532, 1542, and 1550 (the last is undated); Stowe’s edition, 1561; Speght’s editions, in 1598, 1602, and 1687; Urry’s edition, in 1721.

Two modernised editions of the Canterbury Tales were published in London in 1737 or 1740, and in 1741.

Next came: ‘Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, to which is added, an Essay on his Language and Versification; an introductory discourse; notes, and a glossary. By Thomas Tyrwhitt, London, 1775-8, 8vo, 5 vols.’ A work of high literary value, to which I am greatly indebted for many necessary notes. Reprinted in 1798 in 4to, 2 vols., by the University of Oxford; and again, at London, in 1822, in post 8vo, 5 vols.; (by Pickering) in 1830, 8vo, 5 vols.; and (by Moxon) in 1845, in 1 vol. imp. 8vo. The last of these adds poor texts of the rest of Chaucer’s Works, from old black-letter editions, with which Tyrwhitt had nothing to do. In Tyrwhitt’s text, the number of grammatical errors is very large, and he frequently introduces words into the text without authority. For some account of the later editions of Chaucer’s Works, see the Introduction to the Legend of Good Women, in vol. iii. I may note, by the way, that the editions by Wright, Bell, and Morris are all founded on MS. Harl. 7334, a very unsafe MS. in some respects; see p. viii (above).

It is necessary to add here a few words of warning. Wright’s edition, though it has many merits, turns out, in practice, to be dangerously untrustworthy. He frequently inserts words, borrowed from Tyrwhitt’s edition (which he heartily condemns as being full of errors in grammar), without the least indication that they are not in the MS. This becomes the more serious when we find, upon examination, that Tyrwhitt had likewise no authority for some of such insertions, but simply introduced them, by guess, to fill up a line in a way that pleased him. For example, A 628 runs thus, in all the seven MSS:—

‘Of his visage children were aferd.’ It is quite correct; for ‘viság-e’ is trisyllabic. Tyrwhitt did not know this, and counted the syllables as two only, neglecting the final e The line seemed then too short; so he inserted sore before aferd, thus ruining the scansion. Wright follows suit, and inserts sore, though it is not in his MS.; giving no notice at all of what he has done. Bell follows suit, and the word is even preserved in Morris; but the latter prints the word in italics, to shew that it is not in the MS. Nor is it in the Six-text.

I shall not adduce more instances, but shall content myself with saying that, until the publications of the Chaucer Society appeared, no reader had the means of knowing what the best MS. texts were really like. All who have been accustomed to former (complete) editions have necessarily imbibed hundreds of false impressions, and have necessarily accepted numberless theories as to the scansion of lines which they will, in course of due time, be prepared to abandon. In the course of my work, it has been made clear to me that Chaucer’s text has been manipulated and sophisticated, frequently in most cunning and plausible ways, to a far greater extent than I could have believed to be possible. This is not a pleasant subject, and I only mention it for the use of scholars. Such variations fortunately seldom affect the sense; but they vitiate the scansion, the grammar, and the etymology in many cases. Of course it will be understood that I am saying no more than I can fully substantiate.

It is absolutely appalling to read such a statement as the following in Bell’s edition, vol i. p. 60. ‘All deviations, either from Mr. Wright’s edition, or from the original MS., are pointed out in the footnotes for the ultimate satisfaction of the reader.’ For the instances in which this is really done are very rare indeed, in spite of the large number of such deviations.

Of Tyrwhitt’s text, it is sufficient to remark that it was hardly possible, at that date, for a better text to have been produced. The rules of Middle English grammar had not been formulated, so that we are not surprised to find that he constantly makes the past tense of a weak verb monosyllabic, when it should be dissyllabic, and treats the past participle as dissyllabic, when it should be monosyllabic which makes wild work with the scansion. It is also to be regretted that he based his text upon the faulty black-letter editions, though he took a great deal of pains in collating them with various MSS.

On the other hand, his literary notes are full of learning and research; and the number of admirable illustrations by which he has efficiently elucidated the text is very great. His reputation as one of the foremost of our literary critics is thoroughly established, and needs no comment.

Mr. Wright’s notes are likewise excellent, and resulted from a wide reading. I have also found some most useful hints in the notes to Bell’s edition. Of all such sources of information I have been only too glad to avail myself, as is more fully shewn in the succeeding volume.

§ 4.: Plan of the Present Edition.

The text of the present edition of the Canterbury Tales is founded upon that of the Ellesmere MS. (E.) It has been collated throughout with that of the other six MSS. published by the Chaucer Society. Of these seven MSS., the Harleian MS. 7334 (Hl.) was printed separately. The other six were printed in the valuable ‘Six-text’ edition, to which I constantly have occasion to refer, in parallel columns. The six MSS. are: E. (Ellesmere), Hn. (Hengwrt), Cm. (Cambridge, Gg, 4. 27), Cp. (Corpus Coll., Oxford), Pt. (Petworth), and Ln. (Lansdowne). MSS. E. Hn. Cm. represent the earliest type (A) of the text; Hl., a transitional type (B); Cp. and Ln., a still later type (C); and Pt., the latest of all (D), but hardly differing from C.

In using these terms, ‘earliest,’ c., I do not refer to the age of the MSS., but to the type of text which they exhibit.

In the list of MSS. given above, Hl. is no. 1; E., Hn., Cm., are nos. 40, 41, and 28; and Cp., Pt., Ln., are nos. 24, 42, and 10 respectively.

Of all the MSS., E. is the best in nearly every respect. It not only gives good lines and good sense, but is also (usually) grammatically accurate and thoroughly well spelt. The publication of it has been a very great boon to all Chaucer students, for which Dr. Furnivall will be ever gratefully remembered. We must not omit, at the same time, to recognise the liberality and generosity of the owner of the MS., who so freely permitted such full use of it to be made; the same remark applies, equally, to the owners of the Hengwrt and the Petworth MSS. The names of the Earl of Ellesmere, Mr. Wm. W. E. Wynne of Peniarth, and Lord Leconfield have deservedly become as ‘familiar as household words’ to many a student of Chaucer.

This splendid MS. has also the great merit of being complete, requiring no supplement from any other source, except in the few cases where a line or two has been missed. For example, it does not contain A 252 b-c (found in Hn. only); nor A 2681-2 (also not in Hn. or Cm.); nor B 1163-1190 (also not in Hn or Cm.); nor B 1995 (very rare indeed).

It is slightly imperfect in B 2510, 2514, 2525, 2526, 2623-4, 2746, 2967. It drops B 3147-8, C 103-4, C 297-8 (not in Hn. Cm. Pt.), E 1358-61, G 564-5; and has a few defects in the Parson’s Tale in I 190, 273, c. In the Tale of Melibeus, the French original shews that all the MSS. have lost B 2252-3, 2623-4, which have to be supplied by translation.

None of the seven MSS. have B 4637-4652; these lines are genuine, but were probably meant to be cancelled. They only occur, to my knowledge, in four MSS., nos. 7, 11, 25, and 29; though found also in the old black-letter editions.

On the other hand, E. preserves lines rarely found elsewhere. Such are A 3155-6, 3721-2, F 1455-6, 1493-9; twelve genuine lines, none of which are in Tyrwhitt, and only the first two are in Wright. Observe also the stanza in the footnote to p. 424; with which compare B 3083, on p. 241.

The text of the Ellesmere MS. has only been corrected in cases where careful collation suggests a desirable improvement. Every instance of this character is invariably recorded in the footnotes. Thus, in A 8, the grammar and scansion require half-e, not half; though, curiously enough, this correct form appears in Hl. only, among all the seven MSS. In very difficult cases, other MSS. (besides the seven) have been collated, but I have seldom gained much by it. The chief additional MSS. thus used are Dd. = Cambridge, Dd. 4. 24 (no. 29 above); Slo. or Sl. = Sloane 1685 (no. 8); Roy. or Rl. = Royal 18 C 2 (no. 6); Harl. = Harleian 1758 (see p. 645); Li. or Lich. = Lichfield MS. (no. 35), for the Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale; and others that are sufficiently indicated.

I have paid especial attention to the suffixes required by Middle-English grammar, to the scansion, and to the pronunciation; and I suppose that this is the first complete edition in which the spelling has been tested by phonetic considerations. With a view to making the spelling a little clearer and more consistent, I have ventured to adopt certain methods which I here explain.

In certain words of variable spelling in E., such as whan or whanne, than or thanne, I have adopted that form which the scansion requires; but the MS. is usually right.

E. usually has hise for his with a plural sb., as in l. 1; I use his always, except in prose. E. has hir, here, for her, their; I use hir only, except at the end of a line.

E. uses the endings - ight or - yght, -inde or - ynde; I use - ight, -inde only; and, in general, I use i to represent short i, and y to represent long i, as in king, wyf. Such is the usual habit of the scribe, but he often changes i into y before m and n, to make his writing clearer; such a precaution is needless in modern printing. Thus, in l. 42, I replace the scribe’s bigynne by biginne; and in l. 78, I replace his pilgrymage by pilgrimage. This makes the text easier to read.

For a like reason, where equivalent spellings occur, I select the simpler; writing couthe (as in Pt.) for kowthe, sote for soote, sege for seege, and so on. In words such as our or oure, your or youre, hir or hire, neuer or neuere, I usually give the simpler forms, without the final - e, when the - e is obviously silent.

For consonantal u, as in neuer, I write v, as in never. This is usual in all editions. But I could not bring myself to use j for i consonant; the anachronism is too great Never for neuer is common in the fifteenth century, but j does not occur even in the first folio of Shakespeare. I therefore usually keep the capital i of the MSS. and of the Elizabethan printers, as in Ioye ( = joye ) where initial, and the small i, as in enioinen = enjoinen ) elsewhere. Those who dislike such conservatism may be comforted by the reflection that the sound rarely occurs.

The word eye has to be altered to ye at the end of a line, to preserve the rimes. The scribes usually write eye in the middle of a line, but when they come to it at the end of one, they are fairly puzzled. In l. 10, the scribe of Hn. writes Iye, and that of Ln. writes yhe; and the variations on this theme are most curious. The spelling ye ( = ye ) is, however, common; as in A 1096 (Cm., Pt.). I print it ‘yë’ to distinguish it from ye, the pl. pronoun.

These minute variations are, I trust, legitimate, and I have not recorded them. They cause trouble to the editor, but afford ease to the reader, which seems a sufficient justification for adopting them. But the scrupulous critic need not fear that the MS. has been departed from in any case, where it could make any phonetic difference, without due notice. Thus, in l. 9, where I have changed foweles into fowles as being a more usual form, the fact that foweles is the Ellesmere spelling is duly recorded in the footnotes. And so in other cases.

The footnotes do not record various readings where E. is correct as it stands; they have purposely been made as concise as possible. It would have been easy to multiply them fourfold without giving much information of value; this is not unfrequently done, but the gain is slight. With so good a MS. as the basis of the text, it did not seem desirable.

The following methods for shortening the footnotes have been adopted.

With these hints, the footnotes present no difficulty.

As a rule, I have refrained from all emendation; but, in B 1189, I have ventured to suggest physices 1 , for reasons explained in the Notes. Those who prefer the reading Phislyas can adopt it.

For further details regarding particular passages, I beg leave to refer the reader to the Notes in vol. v.

§ 5.: Table of Symbols denoting MSS.

Cm.—Cambridge Univ. Lib. Gg. 4. 27 (Ellesmere type). No. 28 in list.

Cp.—Corpus Chr. Coll., Oxford, no. 198. No. 24.

Dd.—Cambridge Univ. Lib. Dd. 4. 24 (Ellesmere type). No. 29.

E.—Ellesmere MS. (basis of the text). No. 40.

Harl.—Harl. 1758; Brit. Mus.; see p. 645. No. 4.

Hl.—Harl. 7334; British Museum. No. 1.

Hn.—Hengwrt MS. no. 154. No. 41.

Li. or Lich.—Lichfield MS.; see pp. 533-553. No. 35.

Ln.—Lansdowne 851; Brit. Mus. (Corpus type). No. 10.

Pt.—Petworth MS. No. 42.

Rl. or Roy.—Royal 18 C. II; Brit. Mus.; see p. 645. No. 6.

Seld.—Arch. Selden, B. 14; Bodleian Library. No. 18.

Sl. or Slo.—Sloane 1685: Brit. Mus.; see p. 645. No. 8.

§ 6.: Table shewing the various ways of numbering the lines.

S ix-text (as here) T yrwhitt. W right.
1 Tyrwhitt counts 252 b and 252 c as 253 and 254; but omits 3155, 3156; hence, in 3157-3720, the numbering is alike in the Six-text and T. He then omits 3721, 3722, making a difference of two lines. Wright follows Tyrwhitt’s numbering in Group A, and in B 1-1162 1 Tyrwhitt counts 252 b and 252 c as 253 and 254; but omits 3155, 3156; hence, in 3157-3720, the numbering is alike in the Six-text and T. He then omits 3721, 3722, making a difference of two lines. Wright follows Tyrwhitt’s numbering in Group A, and in B 1-1162 2 T. counts B 1982, 1983 as one line; so also B 2002, 2003, and B 2012, 2013, and B 2076, 2077, making a difference of four lines; but, on the other hand, he expands B 1993 into three lines; hence, on the whole, a difference of two lines in this portion. See pp. 192, 193, and note to B 1993 in vol. v 3 Wright counts the lines as I do, but his numbering is in one place incorrect; after the line which he calls 15260, he counts the next thirteen lines as ten. 4 As in the Six-text, I call each clause of Melibeus between the sloping marks a line, and so number it. So also in the Parson’s Tale 5 T. cuts up the Tale into paragraphs. So also in the Parson’s Tale (Group I). I have numbered these, for convenience; see head-lines, pp 199-240. 1 Sixteen lines short in Wright, because the Epilogue to the Nonne Prestes Tale see p. 289) is relegated to a footnote. 2 Twelve lines short; T. omits E 1305-6, F 671-2, 1455-6, 1493-8. Wright keeps E 1305-6, but does not count them, and omits the other ten.
A—1-4422 1-4420 1 1-4420 1
B—1-1162 4421-5582 4421-5582
B—1163-2156 12903-13894 2 14384-15374 3
B—2157-3078 4 Prose; not counted 5 . Prose; not counted.
B—3079-3564 13895-14380 15375-15860
B—3565-3652 14685-14772 15861-15948
B—3653-3956 14381-14684 15949-16252
B—3957-4652 14773-15468 16253-16932 1
Spurious; see p. 289, note. 11929-11934 13410-13415
C—1-968 11935-12902 13416-14383
D (2294 lines); E (2440); F (1624) 5583-11928 2 5583-11928
G—1-1481 15469-16949 11929-13409
H—(362); I 1-74 16950-17385 16933-17368

Hence, to obtain the order of the lines in Tyrwhitt, see A-B 1162; D, E, F; p. 289, footnote; C; B 1163-2156, 3079-3564, 3653-3956, 3565-3652, 3957-4652; G, H, I.

Or (by pages), see pp. 1-164, 320-508, 289 (footnote), 290-319, 165-256 (which includes Melibeus), 259-268, 256-258, 269-289, 509-end.

To facilitate reference, the numbering of the lines in Tyrwhitt’s text is marked at the top of every page, preceded by the letter ‘T.’; lines which Tyrwhitt omits are marked ‘[T. om. ’, as on p. 90; and his paragraphs (all numbered in this edition) are carefully preserved in Melibeus and the Parson’s Tale, which are in prose. In the Prologue, after l. 250, his numbering is given within marks of parenthesis.

The lines in every piece are also numbered separately, within marks of parenthesis, as (10), (20), on p. 26. This numbering (borrowed from Dr. Murray) agrees with the references given in the New English Dictionary. It also gives, in most cases, either exactly or approximately, the references to Dr. Morris’s edition, who adopts a similar method, with a few variations of detail. The lines in Bell’s edition are not numbered at all.

To obtain the order in Wright’s edition, see pp. 1-164, 320-554, 289 (footnote), 290-319, 165-289, 555-end. The variations are fewer.

Some may find it more convenient to observe the names of the Tales.

Tyrwhitt’s order of the Tales is as follows 1 :—Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook—Man of Lawe—Wife, Friar, Somnour—Clerk, Merchant—Squire, Franklin—Doctor (Physician), Pardoner—Shipman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibeus, Monk 2 , Nun’s Priest—Second Nun, Canon’s Yeoman—Manciple—Parson.

§ 7: The four Leading Types of the MSS.

The four leading types of MSS. usually exhibit a variation in the order of the Tales, as well as many minor differences. I only note here the former (omitting Gamelyn, which is absent from MSS. of the A-type, and from some of the D-type).

A.—1. Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook.

2. Man of Lawe.

3. Wife of Bath, Friar, Sompnour.

4. Clerk, Merchant.

5. Squire, Franklin.

6. Doctor, Pardoner.

7. Shipman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibeus, Monk, Nun’s Priest.

8. Second Nun, Canon’s Yeoman.

9. Manciple, ( slightly linked to ) Parson.

B.—Places 8 before 6. Order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 6, 7, 9.

C.—Not only places 8 before 6 (as B), but splits 5 into 5 a (Squire) and 5 b (Franklin), and places 5 a before 3. Order 1, 2, 5 a, 3, 4, 5 b, 8, 6, 7, 9.

D.—As C, but further splits 4 into 4 a (Clerk), and 4 b (Merchant), and places 4 b after 5 a. Order: 1, 2, 5 a, 4 b, 3, 4 a, 5 b, 8, 6, 7, 9. (D. is really a mere variety of C., with an external difference.)

Observe the position of the Franklin. Thus: A. Squire, Franklin, Doctor. B. Squire, Franklin, Second Nun. C. Merchant, Franklin, Second Nun. D. Clerk, Franklin, Second Nun.

For further remarks on this subject, see vol. v.

ERRATA.

P 14. A 467. Perhaps the full stop at the end of the line should be a colon.

P. 15. Footnote to A 503 For ‘Hl. alone read ‘Tyrwhitt.’

P 85. A 3016. For eye read ye

P. 133. B 115. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning and end of the line

P. 133. B 120, 121. Insert marks of quotation at the beginning of l. 120 and at the end of l. 121.

P. 134. In the headline; for T. 4454 read T. 4554.

P. 146. B 540, 541, 547. For cristen read Cristen

P. 146. B 544 For cristianitee read Cristianitee. So also at p. 525; G 535.

P. 194. B 2043. Dele; after spicerye

P 202 B 2222. For yevynge read yevinge

P 205. B 2253 For owe read ow

P 207. B 2303. For se read see

P. 219. footnotes. For 2251 and 2252 read 2551 and 2552

P. 232, ll 9, 10. Dele the quotation-mark after certeyne, and insert it after another.

P. 271. B 4011. For stope a better reading is stape

P. 285. B 4510. For charitee perhaps read Charitee

P. 285. B 4541. For chide read chyde

P. 299. C 291. Either read advocas, or note that the t in advocats is silent.

P. 318. C 955. For Thay read They

P. 338. In the headline; for 6225 read 6235.

P. 339. In the headline; for 6226 read 6236.

P. 344. D 846 For But if read But-if

P. 345. D 859. For All read Al

P. 354. Footnotes; last line. For 1205 read 1204

P. 355. D 1219, 1227. For Chese and chese read Chees and chees.

P. 363. D 1436. For But if read But-if

P. 387. D 2242. Perhaps insert a comma after himself

P. 419. E 994. For gouernance read governance

P. 428. E 1304, 1306. Insert quotation-mark at the end of l. 1304, instead of the end of l. 1306.

P. 438 E 1635. For Saue read Save

P. 444 E 1866. Insert Auctor opposite this line.

P. 449. E 2058. For scorpion read scorpioun; as the last syllable is accented.

P. 459. E 2418. For bless read blesse

P. 461. F 20. After all, the right reading probably is that given by E Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl., but with the form pietous for pitous, as in Troilus, iii. 1444, and v. 451. Read —And piëtous and Iust, alwey y-liche.

P. 468. F 266. For Cambynskan read Cambinskan. So also at p. 480, first line.

P. 474. F 462. For sle read slee

P. 505, footnotes. For 1527 read 1526

P. 527. G 558, footnote. The real reading of E is

And vndernethe he wered a surplys

P. 543. G 1107. For shall read shal

P. 626. Footnotes; last line. For E Seld. Ln. beauteis; read E. Seld. Ln. beautees;

P. 634. I 955. For Daniel, read David. [N. B. MSS. E. Cm. Danyel; the rest, Dauid. Probably Chaucer wrote ‘Daniel’ at first, and afterwards corrected it (by the original) to ‘David.’ Nevertheless, ‘Daniel’ is a good reading.]

ADDITIONS TO ‘THE MINOR POEMS’ IN VOL. I.

[Further researches have brought to light some more of Chaucer’s Minor Poems. I first met with the excellent Balade on ‘Womanly Noblesse’ in MS. Phillipps 9030 (now MS. Addit. 34360) on June 1, 1894; and on the following day I noticed in MS. Harl. 7578 (partly described in vol. i. p. 58) two Complaints that may perhaps be attributed to our author. As, from the nature of the case, they could not be included in Vol. i, they are inserted here.]

XXIV.: WOMANLY NOBLESSE.

    • Balade that Chaucier made.

    • So hath my herte caught in rémembraunce
    • Your beautè hool, and stedfast governaunce,
    • Your vertues allè, and your hy noblesse,
    • That you to serve is set al my plesaunce;
    • So wel me lykth your womanly contenaunce, Skeat1900: 5
    • Your fresshe fetures and your comlinesse,
    • That, whyl I live, my herte to his maistresse,
    • You hath ful chose, in trew perséveraunce,
    • Never to chaunge, for no maner distresse.
    • And sith I [you] shal do this observaunce Skeat1900: 10
    • Al my lyf, withouten displesaunce,
    • You for to serve with al my besinesse,
    • [Taketh me, lady, in your obeisaunce,]
    • And have me somwhat in your souvenaunce.
    • My woful herte suffreth greet duresse; Skeat1900: 15
    • And [loke] how humbl[el]y, with al simplesse,
    • My wil I cónforme to your ordenaunce,
    • As you best list, my peynes to redresse.
    • Considring eek how I hange in balaunce
    • In your servysè; swich, lo! is my chaunce, Skeat1900: 20
    • Abyding grace, whan that your gentilnesse
    • Of my gret wo list doon allegeaunce,
    • And with your pitè me som wyse avaunce,
    • In ful rebating of my hevinesse;
    • And thinkth, by reson, wommanly noblesse Skeat1900: 25
    • Shuld nat desyre for to doon outrance
    • Ther-as she findeth noon unbuxumnesse.
  • Lenvoye.

  • Auctour of norture, lady of plesaunce,
  • Soveraine of beautè, flour of wommanhede,
  • Take ye non hede unto myn ignoraunce, Skeat1900: 30
  • But this receyveth of your goodlihede,
  • Thinking that I have caught in rémembraunce
  • Your beautè hool, your stedfast governaunce.

XXV.: COMPLAINT TO MY MORTAL FOE.

    • Al hoolly youres, withouten otheres part!
    • Wherefore? y-wis, that I ne can ne may
    • My service chaungen; thus of al suche art
    • The lerninge I desyre for ever and ay.
    • And evermore, whyl that I live may, Skeat1900: 5
    • In trouthe I wol your servant stille abyde,
    • Although my wo encresè day by day,
    • Til that to me be come the dethes tyde.
    • Seint Valentyne! to you I rénovele
    • My woful lyf, as I can, compleyninge; Skeat1900: 10
    • But, as me thinketh, to you a quarele
    • Right greet I have, whan I, rememberinge
    • BBitwene, how kinde, ayeins the yeres springe,
    • Upon your day, doth ech foul chese his make;
    • And you list not in swich comfórt me bringe, Skeat1900: 15
    • That to her grace my lady shulde me take.
    • Wherfor unto you, Cupide, I beseche,
    • Furth with Venús, noble lusty goddesse,
    • Sith ye may best my sorowe lesse and eche;
    • And I, your man, oppressed with distresse, Skeat1900: 20
    • Can not crye ‘help!’ but to your gentilnesse:
    • So voucheth sauf , sith I, your man, wol dye,
    • My ladies herte in pitè folde and presse,
    • That of my peyne I finde remedye.
    • To your conning, my hertes right princesse, Skeat1900: 25
    • My mortal fo, whiche I best love and serve,
    • I recommaunde my boistous lewednesse.
    • And, for I can not altherbest deserve
    • Your grace, I preye, as he that wol nat swerve,
    • That I may fare the better for my trouthe; Skeat1900: 30
    • Sith I am youres, til deth my herte kerve,
    • On me, your man, now mercy have and routhe.

XXVI.: COMPLAINT TO MY LODE-STERRE.

    • Of gretter cause may no wight him compleyne
    • Than I; for love hath set me in swich caas
    • That lasse Ioye and more encrees of peyne
    • Ne hath no man; wherfore I crye ‘allas!’
    • A thousand tyme, whan I have tyme and space. Skeat1900: 5
    • For she, that is my verray sorowes grounde,
    • Wol with her grace no wyse my sorowes sounde.
    • And that, shulde be my sorowes hertes leche,
    • Is me ageins, and maketh me swich werre,
    • That shortly, [in] al maner thought and speche, Skeat1900: 10
    • Whether it be that I be nigh or ferre,
    • I misse the grace of you, my lode-sterre,
    • Which causeth me on you thus for to crye;
    • And al is it for lakke of remedye.
    • My soverain Ioye thus is my mortal fo; Skeat1900: 15
    • She that shulde causen al my lustinesse
    • List in no wyse of my sorowes saye ‘ho!’
    • But let me thus darraine, in hevinesse,
    • With woful thoughtes and my grete distresse,
    • The which she might right wele, [at] every tyde, Skeat1900: 20
    • If that her liste, out of my herte gyde.
    • But it is so, that her list, in no wyse,
    • Have pitè on my woful besinesse;
    • And I ne can do no maner servyse
    • That may me torne out of my hevinesse; Skeat1900: 25
    • So woldè god, that she now wolde impresse
    • Right in her herte my trouthe and eek good wille;
    • And let me not, for lakke of mercy, spille.
    • Now wele I woot why thus I smerte sore;
    • For couthe I wele, as othere folkes, feyne, Skeat1900: 30
    • Than neded me to live in peyne no more,
    • But, whan I were from you, unteye my reyne,
    • And, for the tyme, drawe in another cheyne.
    • But woldè god that alle swich were y-knowe,
    • And duely punisshed of hye and lowe. Skeat1900: 35
    • Swich lyf defye I, bothe in thoughte and worde,
    • For yet me were wel lever for to sterve
    • Than in my herte for to make an horde
    • Of any falshood; for, til deth to-kerve
    • My herte and body, shal I never swerve Skeat1900: 40
    • From you, that best may be my fynal cure,
    • But, at your liste, abyde myn aventure;
    • And preye to you, noble seint Valentyne,
    • My ladies herte that ye wolde enbrace,
    • And make her pitè to me more enclyne Skeat1900: 45
    • That I may stonden in her noble grace
    • In hasty tyme, whyl I have lyves space:
    • For yit wiste I never noon, of my lyve,
    • So litel hony in so fayre hyve.

NOTES TO THE PRECEDING POEMS.

XXIV.

—I take the title from l. 25; cf. Troil. i. 287.

The metre exhibits the nine-line stanza, as in Anelida, 211-9; but the same rimes recur in all three stanzas. The six-line Envoy, with the rime-formu a a b a b a a, is unique in Chaucer. There are nineteen lines ending in - aunce, twelve in - esse, and two in - ede.

1. Note how ll. 1 and 2 are re-echoed in ll. 32, 33. For a similar effect, see Anelida, 211, 350.

8. ful chose, fully chosen; parallel to ful drive in C. T., F 1230.

14. souvenance, remembrance; not found elswhere in Chaucer.

16. humblely is trisyllabic; see Leg. 156, Troil. ii. 1719, v. 1354.

20. lo emphasises swich; cf. lo, this, T. v. 54; lo, which, T. iv. 1231.

22. allegeaunce, alleviation; the verb allegge is in the Glossary.

26. outrance, extreme violence, great hurt; see Godefroy.

27. unbuxumnesse, unsubmissiveness; cf. buxumnesse, Truth, 15.

XXV.

—I take the title from l. 26; cf. Compl. to his Lady, 41, 64.

1. Cf. Amorous Complaint, 87; Troil. v. 1318, i. 960.

3. ‘Love hath me taught no more of his art,’ c.; Compl. to his Lady, 42-3.

9. Cf. Compl. of Mars, 13, 14; p. xxx above, l. 43; Parl. Foules, 386-9; Amorous Complaint, 85-6.

19. eche, augment; ‘hir sorwes eche, ’ T. i. 705.

27. ‘And to your trouthe ay I me recomaunde;’ T. v. 1414. ‘I am a boistous man;’ C. T., H 211.

XXVI.

—I take the title from l. 12; see T. v. 232, 638, 1392.

7. sounde, heal, cure; as in Anelida, 242.

8. Perhaps read hertes sorwes leche; see T. ii. 1066.

10. Cf. ‘as in his speche;’ T. ii. 1069.

26. impresse; cf. T. ii. 1371.

28. spille; cf. Compl. to his Lady, 121.

32. reyne, bridle. For this image, cf. Anelida, 184.

39. MS. deth the kerue. As e and o are constantly confused, the prefix to (written apart) may have looked like te, and would easily be altered to the. Cf. forkerveth in the Manc. Tale, H 340.

47. Here spac-e rimes with embrac-e, but in l. 5 it rimes with allas. This variation is no worse than the riming of embrace with compas in Proverbs, 8 (vol. i. p. 407). Cf. plac-e in C. T., B 1910, with its variant plas, B 1971.

N. B. The Complaints numbered XXV and XXVI are obviously by the same author; compare XXV. 26 with XXVI. 15; XXV. 9 with XXVI. 43; and XXV. 29-31 with XXVI. 39, 40. They were probably written nearly at the same time.

THE CANTERBURY TALES. GROUP A.

THE PROLOGUE.

Here biginneth the Book of the Tales of Caunterbury.

  • WHAN that Aprille with his shoures sote
  • The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
  • And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
  • Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
  • Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Skeat1900: 5
  • Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
  • The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
  • Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
  • And smale fowles maken melodye,
  • That slepen al the night with open ye, Skeat1900: 10
  • (So priketh hem nature in hir corages):
  • Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
  • (And palmers for to seken straunge strondes)
  • To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
  • And specially, from every shires ende Skeat1900: 15
  • Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
  • The holy blisful martir for to seke,
  • That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
  • Bifel that, in that seson on a day,
  • In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay Skeat1900: 20
  • Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
  • To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
  • At night was come in-to that hostelrye
  • Wel nyne and twenty in a companye,
  • Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle Skeat1900: 25
  • In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle,
  • That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde;
  • The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
  • And wel we weren esed atte beste.
  • And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste, Skeat1900: 30
  • So hadde I spoken with hem everichon,
  • That I was of hir felawshipe anon,
  • And made forward erly for to ryse,
  • To take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.
  • But natheles , whyl I have tyme and space, Skeat1900: 35
  • Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
  • Me thinketh it acordaunt to resoun,
  • To telle yow al the condicioun
  • Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
  • And whiche they weren, and of what degree; Skeat1900: 40
  • And eek in what array that they were inne:
  • And at a knight than wol I first biginne.
  • A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, Knight
  • That fro the tyme that he first bigan
  • To ryden out, he loved chivalrye, Skeat1900: 45
  • Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
  • Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
  • And therto hadde he riden (no man ferre)
  • As wel in Cristendom as hethenesse,
  • And ever honoured for his worthinesse. Skeat1900: 50
  • At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;
  • Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
  • Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce.
  • In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
  • No Cristen man so ofte of his degree. Skeat1900: 55
  • In Gernade at the sege eek hadde he be
  • Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
  • At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,
  • Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
  • At many a noble aryve hadde he be. Skeat1900: 60
  • At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
  • And foughten for our feith at Tramissene
  • In listes thryes, and ay slayn his foo.
  • This ilke worthy knight had been also
  • Somtyme with the lord of Palatye, Skeat1900: 65
  • Ageyn another hethen in Turkye:
  • And evermore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
  • And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
  • And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
  • He never yet no vileinye ne sayde Skeat1900: 70
  • In al his lyf, un-to no maner wight.
  • He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
  • But for to tellen yow of his array,
  • His hors were gode, but he was nat gay.
  • Of fustian he wered a gipoun Skeat1900: 75
  • Al bismotered with his habergeoun;
  • For he was late y-come from his viage,
  • And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.
  • With him ther was his sone, a yong Squyer, Squyer.
  • A lovyere, and a lusty bacheler, Skeat1900: 80
  • With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
  • Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
  • Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
  • And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe.
  • And he had been somtyme in chivachye, Skeat1900: 85
  • In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardye,
  • And born him wel , as of so litel space,
  • In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
  • Embrouded was he, as it were a mede
  • Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and rede. Skeat1900: 90
  • Singinge he was, or floytinge, al the day;
  • He was as fresh as is the month of May.
  • Short was his goune, with sleves longe and wyde.
  • Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
  • He coude songes make and wel endyte, Skeat1900: 95
  • Iuste and eek daunce, and wel purtreye and wryte.
  • So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
  • He sleep namore than dooth a nightingale.
  • Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable,
  • And carf biforn his fader at the table. Skeat1900: 100
  • A Yeman hadde he, and servaunts namo Yeman.
  • At that tyme, for him liste ryde so;
  • And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
  • A sheef of pecok-arwes brighte and kene
  • Under his belt he bar ful thriftily; Skeat1900: 105
  • (Wel coude he dresse his takel yemanly:
  • His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe),
  • And in his hand he bar a mighty bowe.
  • A not-heed hadde he, with a broun visage.
  • Of wode-craft wel coude he al the usage. Skeat1900: 110
  • Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
  • And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
  • And on that other syde a gay daggere,
  • Harneised wel, and sharp as point of spere;
  • A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene. Skeat1900: 115
  • An horn he bar, the bawdrik was of grene;
  • A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
  • Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse, Prioresse.
  • That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy;
  • Hir gretteste ooth was but by sëynt Loy; Skeat1900: 120
  • And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.
  • Ful wel she song the service divyne,
  • Entuned in hir nose ful semely;
  • And Frensh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
  • After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, Skeat1900: 125
  • For Frensh of Paris was to hir unknowe.
  • At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle;
  • She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
  • Ne wette hir fingres in hir sauce depe.
  • Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe, Skeat1900: 130
  • That no drope ne fille up-on hir brest.
  • In curteisye was set ful muche hir lest.
  • Hir over lippe wyped she so clene,
  • That in hir coppe was no ferthing sene
  • Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte. Skeat1900: 135
  • Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,
  • And sikerly she was of greet disport,
  • And ful plesaunt, and amiable of port,
  • And peyned hir to countrefete chere
  • Of court, and been estatlich of manere, Skeat1900: 140
  • And to ben holden digne of reverence.
  • But, for to speken of hir conscience,
  • She was so charitable and so pitous,
  • She wolde wepe, if that she sawe a mous
  • Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. Skeat1900: 145
  • Of smale houndes had she, that she fedde
  • With rosted flesh, or milk and wastel-breed.
  • But sore weep she if oon of hem were deed,
  • Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte:
  • And al was conscience and tendre herte. Skeat1900: 150
  • Ful semely hir wimpel pinched was;
  • Hir nose tretys; hir eyen greye as glas;
  • Hir mouth ful smal, and ther-to softe and reed;
  • But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;
  • It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe; Skeat1900: 155
  • For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
  • Ful fetis was hir cloke, as I was war.
  • Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar
  • A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene;
  • And ther-on heng a broche of gold ful shene, Skeat1900: 160
  • On which ther was first write a crowned A,
  • And after, Amor vincit omnia.
  • Another Nonne with hir hadde she, Nonne.
  • That was hir chapeleyne, and Preestes three. 3 Preestes.
  • A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrye, Monk.
  • An out-rydere, that lovede venerye; Skeat1900: 166
  • A manly man, to been an abbot able.
  • Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable:
  • And, whan he rood, men mighte his brydel here
  • Ginglen in a whistling wind as clere, Skeat1900: 170
  • And eek as loude as dooth the chapel-belle,
  • Ther as this lord was keper of the celle.
  • The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit,
  • By-cause that it was old and som-del streit,
  • This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace, Skeat1900: 175
  • And held after the newe world the space.
  • He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
  • That seith, that hunters been nat holy men;
  • Ne that a monk, whan he is cloisterlees,
  • Is lykned til a fish that is waterlees; Skeat1900: 180
  • This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre.
  • But thilke text held he nat worth an oistre;
  • And I seyde, his opinioun was good.
  • What sholde he studie, and make him-selven wood,
  • Upon a book in cloistre alwey to poure, Skeat1900: 185
  • Or swinken with his handes, and laboure,
  • As Austin bit? How shal the world be served?
  • Lat Austin have his swink to him reserved.
  • Therfore he was a pricasour aright;
  • Grehoundes he hadde, as swifte as fowel in flight; Skeat1900: 190
  • Of priking and of hunting for the hare
  • Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
  • I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
  • With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
  • And, for to festne his hood under his chin, Skeat1900: 195
  • He hadde of gold y-wroght a curious pin:
  • A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
  • His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
  • And eek his face, as he had been anoint.
  • He was a lord ful fat and in good point; Skeat1900: 200
  • His eyen stepe, and rollinge in his heed,
  • That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
  • His botes souple, his hors in greet estat.
  • Now certeinly he was a fair prelat;
  • He was nat pale as a for-pyned goost. Skeat1900: 205
  • A fat swan loved he best of any roost.
  • His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.
  • A Frere ther was, a wantown and a merye, Frere.
  • A limitour, a ful solempne man.
  • In alle the ordres foure is noon that can Skeat1900: 210
  • So muche of daliaunce and fair langage.
  • He hadde maad ful many a mariage
  • Of yonge wommen, at his owne cost.
  • Un-to his ordre he was a noble post.
  • Ful wel biloved and famulier was he Skeat1900: 215
  • With frankeleyns over-al in his contree,
  • And eek with worthy wommen of the toun:
  • For he had power of confessioun,
  • As seyde him-self, more than a curat,
  • For of his ordre he was licentiat. Skeat1900: 220
  • Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
  • And plesaunt was his absolucioun;
  • He was an esy man to yeve penaunce
  • Ther as he wiste to han a good pitaunce;
  • For unto a povre ordre for to yive Skeat1900: 225
  • Is signe that a man is wel y-shrive.
  • For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,
  • He wiste that a man was repentaunt.
  • For many a man so hard is of his herte,
  • He may nat wepe al-thogh him sore smerte. Skeat1900: 230
  • Therfore, in stede of weping and preyeres,
  • Men moot yeve silver to the povre freres.
  • His tipet was ay farsed ful of knyves
  • And pinnes, for to yeven faire wyves.
  • And certeinly he hadde a mery note; Skeat1900: 235
  • Wel coude he singe and pleyen on a rote.
  • Of yeddinges he bar utterly the prys.
  • His nekke whyt was as the flour-de-lys;
  • Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.
  • He knew the tavernes wel in every toun, Skeat1900: 240
  • And everich hostiler and tappestere
  • Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;
  • For un-to swich a worthy man as he
  • Acorded nat, as by his facultee,
  • To have with seke lazars aqueyntaunce. Skeat1900: 245
  • It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce
  • For to delen with no swich poraille,
  • But al with riche and sellers of vitaille.
  • And over-al, ther as profit sholde aryse,
  • Curteys he was, and lowly of servyse. Skeat1900: 250
  • Ther nas no man no-wher so vertuous.
  • He was the beste beggere in his hous;
  • [And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt; Skeat1900: 252 b
  • Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his haunt;] Skeat1900: 252 c
  • For thogh a widwe hadde noght a sho,
  • So plesaunt was his “ In principio,
  • Yet wolde he have a ferthing, er he wente. Skeat1900: 255
  • His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.
  • And rage he coude, as it were right a whelpe.
  • In love-dayes ther coude he muchel helpe. Skeat1900: (260)
  • For there he was nat lyk a cloisterer,
  • With a thredbar cope, as is a povre scoler, Skeat1900: 260
  • But he was lyk a maister or a pope.
  • Of double worsted was his semi-cope,
  • That rounded as a belle out of the presse.
  • Somwhat he lipsed, for his wantownesse,
  • To make his English swete up-on his tonge; Skeat1900: 265
  • And in his harping, whan that he had songe,
  • His eyen twinkled in his heed aright,
  • As doon the sterres in the frosty night. Skeat1900: (270)
  • This worthy limitour was cleped Huberd.
  • A Marchant was ther with a forked berd, Marchant.
  • In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, Skeat1900: 271
  • Up-on his heed a Flaundrish bever hat;
  • His botes clasped faire and fetisly.
  • His resons he spak ful solempnely,
  • Souninge alway thencrees of his winning. Skeat1900: 275
  • He wolde the see were kept for any thing
  • Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
  • Wel coude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle. Skeat1900: (280)
  • This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;
  • Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette, Skeat1900: 280
  • So estatly was he of his governaunce,
  • With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce.
  • For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle,
  • But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle.
  • A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also, Clerk.
  • That un-to logik hadde longe y-go. Skeat1900: 286
  • As lene was his hors as is a rake,
  • And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; Skeat1900: (290)
  • But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly.
  • Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; Skeat1900: 290
  • For he had geten him yet no benefyce,
  • Ne was so worldly for to have offyce.
  • For him was lever have at his beddes heed
  • Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed,
  • Of Aristotle and his philosophye, Skeat1900: 295
  • Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrye.
  • But al be that he was a philosophre,
  • Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre; Skeat1900: (300)
  • But al that he mighte of his freendes hente,
  • On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, Skeat1900: 300
  • And bisily gan for the soules preye
  • Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye.
  • Of studie took he most cure and most hede
  • Noght o word spak he more than was nede,
  • And that was seyd in forme and reverence, Skeat1900: 305
  • And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence.
  • Souninge in moral vertu was his speche,
  • And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. Skeat1900: (310)
  • A Sergeant of the Lawe, war and wys, Man of Lawe.
  • That often hadde been at the parvys, Skeat1900: 310
  • Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.
  • Discreet he was, and of greet reverence:
  • He semed swich, his wordes weren so wyse.
  • Iustyce he was ful often in assyse,
  • By patente, and by pleyn commissioun; Skeat1900: 315
  • For his science, and for his heigh renoun
  • Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.
  • So greet a purchasour was no-wher noon. Skeat1900: (320)
  • Al was fee simple to him in effect,
  • His purchasing mighte nat been infect. Skeat1900: 320
  • No-wher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
  • And yet he semed bisier than he was.
  • In termes hadde he caas and domes alle,
  • That from the tyme of king William were falle.
  • Therto he coude endyte, and make a thing, Skeat1900: 325
  • Ther coude no wight pinche at his wryting;
  • And every statut coude he pleyn by rote.
  • He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote Skeat1900: (330)
  • Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;
  • Of his array telle I no lenger tale. Skeat1900: 330
  • A Frankeleyn was in his companye; Frankeleyn.
  • Whyt was his berd, as is the dayesye.
  • Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
  • Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn.
  • To liven in delyt was ever his wone, Skeat1900: 335
  • For he was Epicurus owne sone,
  • That heeld opinioun, that pleyn delyt
  • Was verraily felicitee parfyt. Skeat1900: (340)
  • An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
  • Seint Iulian he was in his contree. Skeat1900: 340
  • His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon;
  • A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon.
  • With-oute bake mete was never his hous,
  • Of fish and flesh, and that so plentevous,
  • It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke, Skeat1900: 345
  • Of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.
  • After the sondry sesons of the yeer,
  • So chaunged he his mete and his soper. Skeat1900: (350)
  • Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe,
  • And many a breem and many a luce in stewe.
  • Wo was his cook, but-if his sauce were
  • Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere.
  • His table dormant in his halle alway
  • Stood redy covered al the longe day.
  • At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire; Skeat1900: 355
  • Ful ofte tyme he was knight of the shire.
  • An anals and a gipser al of silk
  • Heng at his girdel, whyt as morne milk. Skeat1900: (360)
  • A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour;
  • Was no-wher such a worthy vavasour. Skeat1900: 360
  • An Haberdassher and a Carpenter, Haberdassher.
  • A Webbe, a Dyere, and a Tapicer, Carpenter.
  • Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, Webbe.
  • Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. Dyere.
  • Ful fresh and newe hir gere apyked was; Skeat1900: 365 Tapicer.
  • Hir knyves were y-chaped noght with bras,
  • But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel,
  • Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. Skeat1900: (370)
  • Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys,
  • To sitten in a yeldhalle on a deys. Skeat1900: 370
  • Everich, for the wisdom that he can,
  • Was shaply for to been an alderman.
  • For catel hadde they y-nogh and rente,
  • And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;
  • And elles certein were they to blame. Skeat1900: 375
  • It is ful fair to been y-clept “ ma dame,”
  • And goon to vigilyës al bifore,
  • And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. Skeat1900: (380)
  • A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones, Cook.
  • To boille the chiknes with the mary-bones, Skeat1900: 380
  • And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale.
  • Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale.
  • He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,
  • Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.
  • But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me, Skeat1900: 385
  • That on his shine a mormal hadde he;
  • For blankmanger, that made he with the beste. Skeat1900: (389)
  • A Shipman was ther, woning fer by weste: Shipman.
  • For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.
  • He rood up-on a rouncy, as he couthe, Skeat1900: 390
  • In a gowne of falding to the knee.
  • A daggere hanging on a laas hadde he
  • Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.
  • The hote somer had maad his hewe al broun;
  • And, certeinly, he was a good felawe. Skeat1900: 395
  • Ful many a draughte of wyn had he y-drawe
  • From Burdeux-ward, whyl that the chapman sleep.
  • Of nyce conscience took he no keep. Skeat1900: (400)
  • If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,
  • By water he sente hem hoom to every lond. Skeat1900: 400
  • But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,
  • His stremes and his daungers him bisydes,
  • His herberwe and his mone, his lodemenage,
  • Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.
  • Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; Skeat1900: 405
  • With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.
  • He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were,
  • From Gootlond to the cape of Finistere, Skeat1900: (410)
  • And every cryke in Britayne and in Spayne;
  • His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne. Skeat1900: 410
  • With us ther was a Doctour of Phisyk, Doctour.
  • In al this world ne was ther noon him lyk
  • To speke of phisik and of surgerye;
  • For he was grounded in astronomye.
  • He kepte his pacient a ful greet del Skeat1900: 415
  • In houres, by his magik naturel.
  • Wel coude he fortunen the ascendent
  • Of his images for his pacient. Skeat1900: (420)
  • He knew the cause of everich maladye,
  • Were it of hoot or cold, or moiste, or drye, Skeat1900: 420
  • And where engendred, and of what humour;
  • He was a verrey parfit practisour.
  • The cause y-knowe, and of his harm the rote,
  • Anon he yaf the seke man his bote.
  • Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries, Skeat1900: 425
  • To sende him drogges and his letuaries,
  • For ech of hem made other for to winne;
  • Hir frendschipe nas nat newe to biginne. Skeat1900: (430)
  • Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
  • And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus, Skeat1900: 430
  • Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galien;
  • Serapion, Razis, and Avicen;
  • Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn;
  • Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
  • Of his diete mesurable was he, Skeat1900: 435
  • For it was of no superfluitee,
  • But of greet norissing and digestible.
  • His studie was but litel on the Bible. Skeat1900: (440)
  • In sangwin and in pers he clad was al,
  • Lyned with taffata and with sendal; Skeat1900: 440
  • And yet he was but esy of dispence;
  • He kepte that he wan in pestilence.
  • For gold in phisik is a cordial,
  • Therfore he lovede gold in special.
  • A good Wyf was ther of bisyde Bathe, Wyf of Bathe.
  • But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe. Skeat1900: 446
  • Of clooth-making she hadde swiche an haunt,
  • She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. Skeat1900: (450)
  • In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon
  • That to the offring bifore hir sholde goon; Skeat1900: 450
  • And if ther dide, certeyn, so wrooth was she,
  • That she was out of alle charitee.
  • Hir coverchiefs ful fyne were of ground;
  • I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
  • That on a Sonday were upon hir heed. Skeat1900: 455
  • Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
  • Ful streite y-teyd, and shoos ful moiste and newe.
  • Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe. Skeat1900: (460)
  • She was a worthy womman al hir lyve,
  • Housbondes at chirche-dore she hadde fyve, Skeat1900: 460
  • Withouten other companye in youthe;
  • But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe.
  • And thryes hadde she been at Ierusalem;
  • She hadde passed many a straunge streem;
  • At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne, Skeat1900: 465
  • In Galice at seint Iame, and at Coloigne.
  • She coude muche of wandring by the weye.
  • Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye. Skeat1900: (470)
  • Up-on an amblere esily she sat,
  • Y-wimpled wel, and on hir heed an hat Skeat1900: 470
  • As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
  • A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
  • And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
  • In felawschip wel coude she laughe and carpe.
  • Of remedyes of love she knew per-chaunce, Skeat1900: 475
  • For she coude of that art the olde daunce.
  • A good man was ther of religioun, Persoun.
  • And was a povre Persoun of a toun; Skeat1900: (480)
  • But riche he was of holy thought and werk.
  • He was also a lerned man, a clerk, Skeat1900: 480
  • That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;
  • His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
  • Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,
  • And in adversitee ful pacient;
  • And swich he was y-preved ofte sythes. Skeat1900: 485
  • Ful looth were him to cursen for his tythes,
  • But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
  • Un-to his povre parisshens aboute Skeat1900: (490)
  • Of his offring, and eek of his substaunce.
  • He coude in litel thing han suffisaunce. Skeat1900: 490
  • Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer a-sonder,
  • But he ne lafte nat, for reyn ne thonder,
  • In siknes nor in meschief, to visyte
  • The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lyte,
  • Up-on his feet, and in his hand a staf. Skeat1900: 495
  • This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,
  • That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte;
  • Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte; Skeat1900: (500)
  • And this figure he added eek ther-to,
  • That if gold ruste, what shal iren do? Skeat1900: 500
  • For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
  • No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
  • And shame it is, if a preest take keep,
  • A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
  • Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive, Skeat1900: 505
  • By his clennesse, how that his sheep shold live.
  • He sette nat his benefice to hyre,
  • And leet his sheep encombred in the myre, Skeat1900: (510)
  • And ran to London, un-to sëynt Poules,
  • To seken him a chaunterie for soules, Skeat1900: 510
  • Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;
  • But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,
  • So that the wolf ne made it nat miscarie;
  • He was a shepherde and no mercenarie.
  • And though he holy were, and vertuous, Skeat1900: 515
  • He was to sinful man nat despitous,
  • Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,
  • But in his teching discreet and benigne. Skeat1900: (520)
  • To drawen folk to heven by fairnesse
  • By good ensample, was his bisinesse: Skeat1900: 520
  • But it were any persone obstinat,
  • What-so he were, of heigh or lowe estat,
  • Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nones.
  • A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher noon is.
  • He wayted after no pompe and reverence, Skeat1900: 525
  • Ne maked him a spyced conscience,
  • But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
  • He taughte, and first he folwed it him-selve. Skeat1900: (530)
  • With him ther was a Plowman, was his brother, Plowman.
  • That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother, Skeat1900: 530
  • A trewe swinker and a good was he,
  • Livinge in pees and parfit charitee.
  • God loved he best with al his hole herte
  • At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,
  • And thanne his neighebour right as him-selve. Skeat1900: 535
  • He wolde thresshe, and ther-to dyke and delve,
  • For Cristes sake, for every povre wight,
  • Withouten hyre, if it lay in his might. Skeat1900: (540)
  • His tythes payed he ful faire and wel,
  • Bothe of his propre swink and his catel. Skeat1900: 540
  • In a tabard he rood upon a mere.
  • Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,
  • A Somnour and a Pardoner also,
  • A Maunciple, and my-self; ther were namo.
  • The Miller was a stout carl, for the nones, Miller.
  • Ful big he was of braun, and eek of bones; Skeat1900: 546
  • That proved wel, for over-al ther he cam,
  • At wrastling he wolde have alwey the ram. Skeat1900: (550)
  • He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,
  • Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, Skeat1900: 550
  • Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed.
  • His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,
  • And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade.
  • Up-on the cop right of his nose he hade
  • A werte, and ther-on stood a tuft of heres, Skeat1900: 555
  • Reed as the bristles of a sowes eres;
  • His nose-thirles blake were and wyde.
  • A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde; Skeat1900: (560)
  • His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.
  • He was a Ianglere and a goliardeys, Skeat1900: 560
  • And that was most of sinne and harlotryes.
  • Wel coude he stelen corn, and tollen thryes;
  • And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.
  • A whyt cote and a blew hood wered he.
  • A baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne, Skeat1900: 565
  • And ther-with-al he broghte us out of towne.
  • A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple, Maunciple.
  • Of which achatours mighte take exemple Skeat1900: (570)
  • For to be wyse in bying of vitaille.
  • For whether that he payde, or took by taille, Skeat1900: 570
  • Algate he wayted so in his achat,
  • That he was ay biforn and in good stat.
  • Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,
  • That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
  • The wisdom of an heep of lerned men? Skeat1900: 575
  • Of maistres hadde he mo than thryes ten,
  • That were of lawe expert and curious;
  • Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous, Skeat1900: (580)
  • Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and lond
  • Of any lord that is in Engelond, Skeat1900: 580
  • To make him live by his propre good,
  • In honour dettelees, but he were wood,
  • Or live as scarsly as him list desire;
  • And able for to helpen al a shire
  • In any cas that mighte falle or happe; Skeat1900: 585
  • And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.
  • The Reve was a sclendre colerik man, Reve.
  • His berd was shave as ny as ever he can. Skeat1900: (590)
  • His heer was by his eres round y-shorn.
  • His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn. Skeat1900: 590
  • Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,
  • Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.
  • Wel coude he kepe a gerner and a binne;
  • Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne.
  • Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn, Skeat1900: 595
  • The yelding of his seed, and of his greyn.
  • His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,
  • His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye, Skeat1900: (600)
  • Was hoolly in this reves governing,
  • And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening, Skeat1900: 600
  • Sin that his lord was twenty yeer of age;
  • Ther coude no man bringe him in arrerage.
  • Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne,
  • That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;
  • They were adrad of him, as of the deeth. Skeat1900: 605
  • His woning was ful fair up-on an heeth,
  • With grene trees shadwed was his place.
  • He coude bettre than his lord purchase. Skeat1900: (610)
  • Ful riche he was astored prively,
  • His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly, Skeat1900: 610
  • To yeve and lene him of his owne good,
  • And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.
  • In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister;
  • He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
  • This reve sat up-on a ful good stot, Skeat1900: 615
  • That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.
  • A long surcote of pers up-on he hade,
  • And by his syde he bar a rusty blade. Skeat1900: (620)
  • Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,
  • Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle. Skeat1900: 620
  • Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,
  • And ever he rood the hindreste of our route.
  • A Somnour was ther with us in that place, Somnour.
  • That hadde a fyr-reed cherubinnes face,
  • For sawcefleem he was, with eyen narwe. Skeat1900: 625
  • As hoot he was, and lecherous, as a sparwe;
  • With scalled browes blake, and piled berd;
  • Of his visage children were aferd. Skeat1900: (630)
  • Ther nas quik-silver, litarge, ne brimstoon,
  • Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon, Skeat1900: 630
  • Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte,
  • That him mighte helpen of his whelkes whyte,
  • Nor of the knobbes sittinge on his chekes.
  • Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,
  • And for to drinken strong wyn, reed as blood. Skeat1900: 635
  • Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were wood.
  • And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
  • Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn. Skeat1900: (640)
  • A fewe termes hadde he, two or three,
  • That he had lerned out of som decree; Skeat1900: 640
  • No wonder is, he herde it al the day;
  • And eek ye knowen wel, how that a Iay
  • Can clepen ‘Watte,’ as well as can the pope.
  • But who-so coude in other thing him grope,
  • Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophye; Skeat1900: 645
  • Ay ‘ Questio quid iuris ’ wolde he crye.
  • He was a gentil harlot and a kinde;
  • A bettre felawe sholde men noght finde. Skeat1900: (650)
  • He wolde suffre, for a quart of wyn,
  • A good felawe to have his concubyn Skeat1900: 650
  • A twelf-month, and excuse him atte fulle:
  • Ful prively a finch eek coude he pulle.
  • And if he fond o-wher a good felawe,
  • He wolde techen him to have non awe,
  • In swich cas, of the erchedeknes curs, Skeat1900: 655
  • But-if a mannes soule were in his purs;
  • For in his purs he sholde y-punisshed be.
  • ‘Purs is the erchedeknes helle,’ seyde he. Skeat1900: (660)
  • But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;
  • Of cursing oghte ech gilty man him drede— Skeat1900: 660
  • For curs wol slee, right as assoilling saveth—
  • And also war him of a significavit.
  • In daunger hadde he at his owne gyse
  • The yonge girles of the diocyse,
  • And knew hir counseil, and was al hir reed. Skeat1900: 665
  • A gerland hadde he set up-on his heed,
  • As greet as it were for an ale-stake;
  • A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake. Skeat1900: (670)
  • With him ther rood a gentil Pardoner Pardoner.
  • Of Rouncival , his freend and his compeer, Skeat1900: 670
  • That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
  • Ful loude he song , ‘Com hider, love, to me.’
  • This somnour bar to him a stif burdoun,
  • Was never trompe of half so greet a soun.
  • This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex, Skeat1900: 675
  • But smothe it heng , as dooth a strike of flex;
  • By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
  • And ther-with he his shuldres overspradde; Skeat1900: (680)
  • But thinne it lay, by colpons oon and oon;
  • But hood, for Iolitee, ne wered he noon, Skeat1900: 680
  • For it was trussed up in his walet.
  • Him thoughte, he rood al of the newe Iet;
  • Dischevele , save his cappe, he rood al bare.
  • Swiche glaringe eyen hadde he as an hare.
  • A vernicle hadde he sowed on his cappe. Skeat1900: 685
  • His walet lay biforn him in his lappe,
  • Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.
  • A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot. Skeat1900: (690)
  • No berd hadde he, ne never sholde have,
  • As smothe it was as it were late y-shave; Skeat1900: 690
  • I trowe he were a gelding or a mare.
  • But of his craft, fro Berwik into Ware,
  • Ne was ther swich another pardoner.
  • For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,
  • Which that, he seyde, was our lady veyl: Skeat1900: 695
  • He seyde, he hadde a gobet of the seyl
  • That sëynt Peter hadde, whan that he wente
  • Up-on the see, til Iesu Crist him hente. Skeat1900: (700)
  • He hadde a croys of latoun, ful of stones,
  • And in a glas he hadde pigges bones. Skeat1900: 700
  • But with thise relikes, whan that he fond
  • A povre person dwelling up-on lond,
  • Up-on a day he gat him more moneye
  • Than that the person gat in monthes tweye.
  • And thus, with feyned flaterye and Iapes, Skeat1900: 705
  • He made the person and the peple his apes.
  • But trewely to tellen, atte laste,
  • He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste. Skeat1900: (710)
  • Wel coude he rede a lessoun or a storie,
  • But alderbest he song an offertorie; Skeat1900: 710
  • For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,
  • He moste preche, and wel affyle his tonge,
  • To winne silver, as he ful wel coude;
  • Therefore he song so meriely and loude.
  • Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, Skeat1900: 715
  • Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause
  • Why that assembled was this companye
  • In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, Skeat1900: (720)
  • That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
  • But now is tyme to yow for to telle Skeat1900: 720
  • How that we baren us that ilke night,
  • Whan we were in that hostelrye alight.
  • And after wol I telle of our viage,
  • And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage.
  • But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, Skeat1900: 725
  • That ye narette it nat my vileinye,
  • Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere,
  • To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; Skeat1900: (730)
  • Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly.
  • For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Skeat1900: 730
  • Who-so shal telle a tale after a man,
  • He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can,
  • Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
  • Al speke he never so rudeliche and large;
  • Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Skeat1900: 735
  • Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe.
  • He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother;
  • He moot as wel seye o word as another. Skeat1900: (740)
  • Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ,
  • And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. Skeat1900: 740
  • Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede,
  • The wordes mote be cosin to the dede.
  • Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,
  • Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
  • Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; Skeat1900: 745
  • My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.
  • Greet chere made our hoste us everichon,
  • And to the soper sette he us anon; Skeat1900: (750)
  • And served us with vitaille at the beste.
  • Strong was the wyn, and wel to drinke us leste. Skeat1900: 750
  • A semely man our hoste was with-alle
  • For to han been a marshal in an halle;
  • A large man he was with eyen stepe,
  • A fairer burgeys is ther noon in Chepe:
  • Bold of his speche, and wys, and wel y-taught, Skeat1900: 755
  • And of manhod him lakkede right naught.
  • Eek therto he was right a mery man,
  • And after soper pleyen he bigan, Skeat1900: (760)
  • And spak of mirthe amonges othere thinges,
  • Whan that we hadde maad our rekeninges; Skeat1900: 760
  • And seyde thus: ‘Now , lordinges, trewely,
  • Ye been to me right welcome hertely:
  • For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
  • I ne saugh this yeer so mery a companye
  • At ones in this herberwe as is now. Skeat1900: 765
  • Fayn wolde I doon yow mirthe, wiste I how.
  • And of a mirthe I am right now bithoght,
  • To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght. Skeat1900: (770)
  • Ye goon to Caunterbury; God yow spede,
  • The blisful martir quyte yow your mede. Skeat1900: 770
  • And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
  • Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye;
  • For trewely, confort ne mirthe is noon
  • To ryde by the weye doumb as a stoon;
  • And therfore wol I maken yow disport, Skeat1900: 775
  • As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
  • And if yow lyketh alle, by oon assent,
  • Now for to stonden at my Iugement, Skeat1900: (780)
  • And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
  • To-morwe, whan ye ryden by the weye, Skeat1900: 780
  • Now, by my fader soule, that is deed,
  • But ye be merye, I wol yeve yow myn heed.
  • Hold up your hond, withouten more speche.’
  • Our counseil was nat longe for to seche;
  • Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys, Skeat1900: 785
  • And graunted him withouten more avys,
  • And bad him seye his verdit, as him leste.
  • ‘Lordinges,’ quod he, ‘now herkneth for the beste; Skeat1900: (790)
  • But tak it not, I prey yow, in desdeyn;
  • This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn, Skeat1900: 790
  • That ech of yow, to shorte with your weye,
  • In this viage, shal telle tales tweye,
  • To Caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,
  • And hom-ward he shal tellen othere two,
  • Of aventures that whylom han bifalle. Skeat1900: 795
  • And which of yow that bereth him best of alle,
  • That is to seyn, that telleth in this cas
  • Tales of best sentence and most solas, Skeat1900: (800)
  • Shal have a soper at our aller cost
  • Here in this place, sitting by this post, Skeat1900: 800
  • Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
  • And for to make yow the more mery,
  • I wol my-selven gladly with yow ryde,
  • Right at myn owne cost, and be your gyde.
  • And who-so wol my Iugement withseye Skeat1900: 805
  • Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
  • And if ye vouche-sauf that it be so,
  • Tel me anon, with-outen wordes mo, Skeat1900: (810)
  • And I wol erly shape me therfore.’
  • This thing was graunted, and our othes swore Skeat1900: 810
  • With ful glad herte, and preyden him also
  • That he wold vouche-sauf for to do so,
  • And that he wolde been our governour,
  • And of our tales Iuge and reportour,
  • And sette a soper at a certeyn prys; Skeat1900: 815
  • And we wold reuled been at his devys,
  • In heigh and lowe; and thus, by oon assent,
  • We been acorded to his Iugement. Skeat1900: (820)
  • And ther-up-on the wyn was fet anon;
  • We dronken, and to reste wente echon, Skeat1900: 820
  • With-outen any lenger taryinge.
  • A-morwe, whan that day bigan to springe,
  • Up roos our host, and was our aller cok,
  • And gadrede us togidre, alle in a flok,
  • And forth we riden, a litel more than pas, Skeat1900: 825
  • Un-to the watering of seint Thomas.
  • And there our host bigan his hors areste,
  • And seyde; ‘Lordinges, herkneth, if yow leste. Skeat1900: (830)
  • Ye woot your forward, and I it yow recorde.
  • If even-song and morwe-song acorde, Skeat1900: 830
  • Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.
  • As ever mote I drinke wyn or ale,
  • Who-so be rebel to my Iugement
  • Shal paye for al that by the weye is spent.
  • Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twinne; Skeat1900: 835
  • He which that hath the shortest shal biginne.
  • Sire knight,’ quod he, ‘my maister and my lord,
  • Now draweth cut, for that is myn acord. Skeat1900: (840)
  • Cometh neer,’ quod he, ‘my lady prioresse;
  • And ye, sir clerk, lat be your shamfastnesse, Skeat1900: 840
  • Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man.’
  • Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
  • And shortly for to tellen, as it was,
  • Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
  • The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knight, Skeat1900: 845
  • Of which ful blythe and glad was every wight;
  • And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,
  • By forward and by composicioun, Skeat1900: (850)
  • As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes mo?
  • And whan this gode man saugh it was so, Skeat1900: 850
  • As he that wys was and obedient
  • To kepe his forward by his free assent,
  • He seyde: ‘Sin I shal biginne the game,
  • What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!
  • Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.’ Skeat1900: 855
  • And with that word we riden forth our weye;
  • And he bigan with right a mery chere
  • His tale anon, and seyde in this manere. Skeat1900: (860)

Here endeth the prolog of this book; and here biginneth the first tale, which is the Knightes Tale.

THE KNIGHTES TALE.

Iamque domos patrias, Scithice post aspera gentis Prelia, laurigero, c.

[Statius, Theb. xii. 519.]
  • WHYLOM, as olde stories tellen us,
  • Ther was a duk that highte Theseus; Skeat1900: 860
  • Of Athenes he was lord and governour,
  • And in his tyme swich a conquerour,
  • That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.
  • Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne;
  • What with his wisdom and his chivalrye, Skeat1900: 865
  • He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
  • That whylom was y-cleped Scithia;
  • And weddede the quene Ipolita, Skeat1900: (10)
  • And broghte hir hoom with him in his contree
  • With muchel glorie and greet solempnitee, Skeat1900: 870
  • And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.
  • And thus with victorie and with melodye
  • Lete I this noble duk to Athenes ryde,
  • And al his hoost, in armes, him bisyde.
  • And certes, if it nere to long to here, Skeat1900: 875
  • I wolde han told yow fully the manere,
  • How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
  • By Theseus, and by his chivalrye; Skeat1900: (20)
  • And of the grete bataille for the nones
  • Bitwixen Athenës and Amazones; Skeat1900: 880
  • And how asseged was Ipolita,
  • The faire hardy quene of Scithia;
  • And of the feste that was at hir weddinge,
  • And of the tempest at hir hoom-cominge;
  • But al that thing I moot as now forbere. Skeat1900: 885
  • I have, God woot, a large feeld to ere,
  • And wayke been the oxen in my plough.
  • The remenant of the tale is long y-nough. Skeat1900: (30)
  • I wol nat letten eek noon of this route;
  • Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute, Skeat1900: 890
  • And lat see now who shal the soper winne;
  • And ther I lefte, I wol ageyn biginne.
  • This duk, of whom I make mencioun,
  • When he was come almost unto the toun,
  • In al his wele and in his moste pryde, Skeat1900: 895
  • He was war, as he caste his eye asyde,
  • Wher that ther kneled in the hye weye
  • A companye of ladies, tweye and tweye, Skeat1900: (40)
  • Ech after other, clad in clothes blake;
  • But swich a cry and swich a wo they make, Skeat1900: 900
  • That in this world nis creature livinge,
  • That herde swich another weymentinge;
  • And of this cry they nolde never stenten,
  • Til they the reynes of his brydel henten.
  • ‘What folk ben ye, that at myn hoom-cominge Skeat1900: 905
  • Perturben so my feste with cryinge?’
  • Quod Theseus, ‘have ye so greet envye
  • Of myn honour, that thus compleyne and crye? Skeat1900: (50)
  • Or who hath yow misboden, or offended?
  • And telleth me if it may been amended; Skeat1900: 910
  • And why that ye ben clothed thus in blak?’
  • The eldest lady of hem alle spak,
  • When she hadde swowned with a deedly chere,
  • That it was routhe for to seen and here,
  • And seyde: ‘Lord, to whom Fortune hath yiven Skeat1900: 915
  • Victorie, and as a conquerour to liven,
  • Noght greveth us your glorie and your honour;
  • But we biseken mercy and socour. Skeat1900: (60)
  • Have mercy on our wo and our distresse.
  • Som drope of pitee, thurgh thy gentillesse, Skeat1900: 920
  • Up-on us wrecched wommen lat thou falle.
  • For certes, lord, ther nis noon of us alle,
  • That she nath been a duchesse or a quene;
  • Now be we caitifs, as it is wel sene:
  • Thanked be Fortune, and hir false wheel, Skeat1900: 925
  • That noon estat assureth to be weel.
  • And certes, lord, to abyden your presence,
  • Here in the temple of the goddesse Clemence Skeat1900: (70)
  • We han ben waytinge al this fourtenight;
  • Now help us, lord, sith it is in thy might. Skeat1900: 930
  • I wrecche, which that wepe and waille thus,
  • Was whylom wyf to king Capaneus,
  • That starf at Thebes, cursed be that day!
  • And alle we, that been in this array,
  • And maken al this lamentacioun, Skeat1900: 935
  • We losten alle our housbondes at that toun,
  • Whyl that the sege ther-aboute lay.
  • And yet now the olde Creon, weylaway! Skeat1900: (80)
  • That lord is now of Thebes the citee,
  • Fulfild of ire and of iniquitee, Skeat1900: 940
  • He, for despyt, and for his tirannye,
  • To do the dede bodyes vileinye,
  • Of alle our lordes, whiche that ben slawe,
  • Hath alle the bodyes on an heep y-drawe,
  • And wol nat suffren hem, by noon assent, Skeat1900: 945
  • Neither to been y-buried nor y-brent,
  • But maketh houndes ete hem in despyt.’
  • And with that word, with-outen more respyt, Skeat1900: (90)
  • They fillen gruf, and cryden pitously,
  • ‘Have on us wrecched wommen som mercy, Skeat1900: 950
  • And lat our sorwe sinken in thyn herte.’
  • This gentil duk doun from his courser sterte
  • With herte pitous, whan he herde hem speke.
  • Him thoughte that his herte wolde breke,
  • Whan he saugh hem so pitous and so mat, Skeat1900: 955
  • That whylom weren of so greet estat.
  • And in his armes he hem alle up hente,
  • And hem conforteth in ful good entente; Skeat1900: (100)
  • And swoor his ooth, as he was trewe knight,
  • He wolde doon so ferforthly his might Skeat1900: 960
  • Up-on the tyraunt Creon hem to wreke,
  • That al the peple of Grece sholde speke
  • How Creon was of Theseus y-served,
  • As he that hadde his deeth ful wel deserved.
  • And right anoon, with-outen more abood, Skeat1900: 965
  • His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood
  • To Thebes-ward, and al his host bisyde;
  • No neer Athenës wolde he go ne ryde, Skeat1900: (110)
  • Ne take his ese fully half a day,
  • But onward on his wey that night he lay; Skeat1900: 970
  • And sente anoon Ipolita the quene,
  • And Emelye hir yonge suster shene,
  • Un-to the toun of Athenës to dwelle;
  • And forth he rit; ther nis namore to telle.
  • The rede statue of Mars, with spere and targe, Skeat1900: 975
  • So shyneth in his whyte baner large,
  • That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun;
  • And by his baner born is his penoun Skeat1900: (120)
  • Of gold ful riche, in which ther was y-bete
  • The Minotaur, which that he slough in Crete. Skeat1900: 980
  • Thus rit this duk, thus rit this conquerour,
  • And in his host of chivalrye the flour,
  • Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte
  • Faire in a feeld, ther as he thoghte fighte.
  • But shortly for to speken of this thing, Skeat1900: 985
  • With Creon, which that was of Thebes king,
  • He faught, and slough him manly as a knight
  • In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; Skeat1900: (130)
  • And by assaut he wan the citee after,
  • And rente adoun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter; Skeat1900: 990
  • And to the ladyes he restored agayn
  • The bones of hir housbondes that were slayn,
  • To doon obsequies, as was tho the gyse.
  • But it were al to long for to devyse
  • The grete clamour and the waymentinge Skeat1900: 995
  • That the ladyes made at the brenninge
  • Of the bodyes, and the grete honour
  • That Theseus, the noble conquerour, Skeat1900: (140)
  • Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente;
  • But shortly for to telle is myn entente. Skeat1900: 1000
  • Whan that this worthy duk, this Theseus,
  • Hath Creon slayn, and wonne Thebes thus,
  • Stille in that feeld he took al night his reste,
  • And dide with al the contree as him leste.
  • To ransake in the tas of bodyes dede, Skeat1900: 1005
  • Hem for to strepe of harneys and of wede,
  • The pilours diden bisinesse and cure,
  • After the bataille and disconfiture. Skeat1900: (150)
  • And so bifel, that in the tas they founde,
  • Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody wounde, Skeat1900: 1010
  • Two yonge knightes ligging by and by,
  • Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely,
  • Of whiche two, Arcita hight that oon,
  • And that other knight hight Palamon.
  • Nat fully quike, ne fully dede they were, Skeat1900: 1015
  • But by hir cote-armures, and by hir gere,
  • The heraudes knewe hem best in special,
  • As they that weren of the blood royal Skeat1900: (160)
  • Of Thebes, and of sustren two y-born.
  • Out of the tas the pilours han hem torn, Skeat1900: 1020
  • And han hem caried softe un-to the tente
  • Of Theseus, and he ful sone hem sente
  • To Athenës, to dwellen in prisoun
  • Perpetuelly, he nolde no raunsoun.
  • And whan this worthy duk hath thus y-don, Skeat1900: 1025
  • He took his host, and hoom he rood anon
  • With laurer crowned as a conquerour;
  • And there he liveth, in Ioye and in honour, Skeat1900: (170)
  • Terme of his lyf; what nedeth wordes mo?
  • And in a tour, in angwish and in wo, Skeat1900: 1030
  • Dwellen this Palamoun and eek Arcite,
  • For evermore, ther may no gold hem quyte.
  • This passeth yeer by yeer, and day by day,
  • Til it fil ones, in a morwe of May,
  • That Emelye, that fairer was to sene Skeat1900: 1035
  • Than is the lilie upon his stalke grene,
  • And fressher than the May with floures newe—
  • For with the rose colour stroof hir hewe, Skeat1900: (180)
  • I noot which was the fairer of hem two—
  • Er it were day, as was hir wone to do, Skeat1900: 1040
  • She was arisen, and al redy dight;
  • For May wol have no slogardye a-night.
  • The sesoun priketh every gentil herte,
  • And maketh him out of his sleep to sterte,
  • And seith, ‘Arys, and do thyn observaunce.’ Skeat1900: 1045
  • This maked Emelye have remembraunce
  • To doon honour to May, and for to ryse.
  • Y-clothed was she fresh, for to devyse; Skeat1900: (190)
  • Hir yelow heer was broyded in a tresse,
  • Bihinde hir bak, a yerde long, I gesse. Skeat1900: 1050
  • And in the gardin, at the sonne up-riste,
  • She walketh up and doun, and as hir liste
  • She gadereth floures, party whyte and rede,
  • To make a sotil gerland for hir hede,
  • And as an aungel hevenly she song. Skeat1900: 1055
  • The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong,
  • Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun,
  • (Ther-as the knightes weren in prisoun, Skeat1900: (200)
  • Of whiche I tolde yow, and tellen shal)
  • Was evene Ioynant to the gardin-wal, Skeat1900: 1060
  • Ther as this Emelye hadde hir pleyinge.
  • Bright was the sonne, and cleer that morweninge,
  • And Palamon , this woful prisoner,
  • As was his wone, by leve of his gayler,
  • Was risen, and romed in a chambre on heigh, Skeat1900: 1065
  • In which he al the noble citee seigh,
  • And eek the gardin, ful of braunches grene,
  • Ther-as this fresshe Emelye the shene Skeat1900: (210)
  • Was in hir walk, and romed up and doun.
  • This sorweful prisoner, this Palamoun, Skeat1900: 1070
  • Goth in the chambre, roming to and fro,
  • And to him-self compleyning of his wo;
  • That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, ‘alas!’
  • And so bifel, by aventure or cas,
  • That thurgh a window, thikke of many a barre Skeat1900: 1075
  • Of yren greet, and square as any sparre,
  • He caste his eye upon Emelya,
  • And ther-with-al he bleynte, and cryde ‘a!’ Skeat1900: (220)
  • As though he stongen were un-to the herte.
  • And with that cry Arcite anon up-sterte, Skeat1900: 1080
  • And seyde, ‘Cosin myn, what eyleth thee,
  • That art so pale and deedly on to see?
  • Why crydestow? who hath thee doon offence?
  • For Goddes love, tak al in pacience
  • Our prisoun, for it may non other be; Skeat1900: 1085
  • Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee.
  • Som wikke aspect or disposicioun
  • Of Saturne, by sum constellacioun, Skeat1900: (230)
  • Hath yeven us this, al-though we hadde it sworn;
  • So stood the heven whan that we were born; Skeat1900: 1090
  • We moste endure it: this is the short and pleyn.’
  • This Palamon answerde, and seyde ageyn,
  • ‘Cosyn, for sothe, of this opinioun
  • Thou hast a veyn imaginacioun.
  • This prison caused me nat for to crye. Skeat1900: 1095
  • But I was hurt right now thurgh-out myn yë
  • In-to myn herte, that wol my bane be.
  • The fairnesse of that lady that I see Skeat1900: (240)
  • Yond in the gardin romen to and fro,
  • Is cause of al my crying and my wo. Skeat1900: 1100
  • I noot wher she be womman or goddesse;
  • But Venus is it, soothly, as I gesse.’
  • And ther-with-al on kneës doun he fil,
  • And seyde: ‘Venus, if it be thy wil
  • Yow in this gardin thus to transfigure Skeat1900: 1105
  • Bifore me, sorweful wrecche creature,
  • Out of this prisoun help that we may scapen.
  • And if so be my destinee be shapen Skeat1900: (250)
  • By eterne word to dyen in prisoun,
  • Of our linage have som compassioun, Skeat1900: 1110
  • That is so lowe y-broght by tirannye.’
  • And with that word Arcite gan espye
  • Wher-as this lady romed to and fro.
  • And with that sighte hir beautee hurte him so,
  • That, if that Palamon was wounded sore, Skeat1900: 1115
  • Arcite is hurt as muche as he, or more.
  • And with a sigh he seyde pitously:
  • ‘The fresshe beautee sleeth me sodeynly Skeat1900: (260)
  • Of hir that rometh in the yonder place;
  • And, but I have hir mercy and hir grace, Skeat1900: 1120
  • That I may seen hir atte leeste weye,
  • I nam but deed; ther nis namore to seye.’
  • This Palamon, whan he tho wordes herde,
  • Dispitously he loked, and answerde:
  • ‘Whether seistow this in ernest or in pley?’ Skeat1900: 1125
  • ‘Nay,’ quod Arcite, ‘in ernest, by my fey!
  • God help me so, me list ful yvele pleye.’
  • This Palamon gan knitte his browes tweye: Skeat1900: (270)
  • ‘It nere,’ quod he, ‘to thee no greet honour
  • For to be fals, ne for to be traytour Skeat1900: 1130
  • To me, that am thy cosin and thy brother
  • Y-sworn ful depe, and ech of us til other,
  • That never, for to dyen in the peyne,
  • Til that the deeth departe shal us tweyne,
  • Neither of us in love to hindren other, Skeat1900: 1135
  • Ne in non other cas, my leve brother;
  • But that thou sholdest trewely forthren me
  • In every cas, and I shal forthren thee. Skeat1900: (280)
  • This was thyn ooth, and myn also, certeyn;
  • I wot right wel, thou darst it nat withseyn. Skeat1900: 1140
  • Thus artow of my counseil, out of doute.
  • And now thou woldest falsly been aboute
  • To love my lady, whom I love and serve,
  • And ever shal, til that myn herte sterve.
  • Now certes, fals Arcite, thou shalt nat so. Skeat1900: 1145
  • I loved hir first, and tolde thee my wo
  • As to my counseil, and my brother sworn
  • To forthre me, as I have told biforn. Skeat1900: (290)
  • For which thou art y-bounden as a knight
  • To helpen me, if it lay in thy might, Skeat1900: 1150
  • Or elles artow fals, I dar wel seyn.’
  • This Arcitë ful proudly spak ageyn,
  • ‘Thou shalt,’ quod he, ‘be rather fals than I;
  • But thou art fals, I telle thee utterly;
  • For par amour I loved hir first er thow. Skeat1900: 1155
  • What wiltow seyn? thou wistest nat yet now
  • Whether she be a womman or goddesse!
  • Thyn is affeccioun of holinesse, Skeat1900: (300)
  • And myn is love, as to a creature;
  • For which I tolde thee myn aventure Skeat1900: 1160
  • As to my cosin, and my brother sworn.
  • I pose, that thou lovedest hir biforn;
  • Wostow nat wel the olde clerkes sawe,
  • That ‘who shal yeve a lover any lawe?’
  • Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan, Skeat1900: 1165
  • Than may be yeve to any erthly man.
  • And therefore positif lawe and swich decree
  • Is broke al-day for love, in ech degree. Skeat1900: (310)
  • A man moot nedes love, maugree his heed.
  • He may nat fleen it, thogh he sholde be deed, Skeat1900: 1170
  • Al be she mayde, or widwe, or elles wyf.
  • And eek it is nat lykly, al thy lyf,
  • To stonden in hir grace; namore shal I;
  • For wel thou woost thy-selven, verraily,
  • That thou and I be dampned to prisoun Skeat1900: 1175
  • Perpetuelly; us gayneth no raunsoun.
  • We stryve as dide the houndes for the boon,
  • They foughte al day, and yet hir part was noon; Skeat1900: (320)
  • Ther cam a kyte, whyl that they were wrothe,
  • And bar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe. Skeat1900: 1180
  • And therfore, at the kinges court, my brother,
  • Ech man for him-self, ther is non other.
  • Love if thee list; for I love and ay shal;
  • And soothly, leve brother, this is al.
  • Here in this prisoun mote we endure, Skeat1900: 1185
  • And everich of us take his aventure.’
  • Greet was the stryf and long bitwixe hem tweye,
  • If that I hadde leyser for to seye; Skeat1900: (330)
  • But to theffect. It happed on a day,
  • (To telle it yow as shortly as I may) Skeat1900: 1190
  • A worthy duk that highte Perotheus,
  • That felawe was un-to duk Theseus
  • Sin thilke day that they were children lyte,
  • Was come to Athenes, his felawe to visyte,
  • And for to pleye, as he was wont to do, Skeat1900: 1195
  • For in this world he loved no man so:
  • And he loved him as tendrely ageyn.
  • So wel they loved , as olde bokes seyn, Skeat1900: (340)
  • That whan that oon was deed, sothly to telle,
  • His felawe wente and soghte him doun in helle; Skeat1900: 1200
  • But of that story list me nat to wryte.
  • Duk Perotheus loved wel Arcite,
  • And hadde him knowe at Thebes yeer by yere;
  • And fynally, at requeste and preyere
  • Of Perotheus, with-oute any raunsoun, Skeat1900: 1205
  • Duk Theseus him leet out of prisoun,
  • Freely to goon, wher that him liste over-al,
  • In swich a gyse, as I you tellen shal. Skeat1900: (350)
  • This was the forward, pleynly for tendyte,
  • Bitwixen Theseus and him Arcite: Skeat1900: 1210
  • That if so were, that Arcite were y-founde
  • Ever in his lyf, by day or night or stounde
  • In any contree of this Theseus,
  • And he were caught, it was acorded thus,
  • That with a swerd he sholde lese his heed; Skeat1900: 1215
  • Ther nas non other remedye ne reed,
  • But taketh his leve, and homward he him spedde;
  • Let him be war, his nekke lyth to wedde! Skeat1900: (360)
  • How greet a sorwe suffreth now Arcite!
  • The deeth he feleth thurgh his herte smyte; Skeat1900: 1220
  • He wepeth, wayleth, cryeth pitously;
  • To sleen him-self he wayteth prively.
  • He seyde, ‘Allas that day that I was born!
  • Now is my prison worse than biforn;
  • Now is me shape eternally to dwelle Skeat1900: 1225
  • Noght in purgatorie, but in helle.
  • Allas! that ever knew I Perotheus!
  • For elles hadde I dwelled with Theseus Skeat1900: (370)
  • Y-fetered in his prisoun ever-mo.
  • Than hadde I been in blisse, and nat in wo. Skeat1900: 1230
  • Only the sighte of hir, whom that I serve,
  • Though that I never hir grace may deserve,
  • Wolde han suffised right y-nough for me.
  • O dere cosin Palamon,’ quod he,
  • ‘Thyn is the victorie of this aventure, Skeat1900: 1235
  • Ful blisfully in prison maistow dure;
  • In prison? certes nay, but in paradys!
  • Wel hath fortune y-turned thee the dys, Skeat1900: (380)
  • That hast the sighte of hir, and I thabsence.
  • For possible is, sin thou hast hir presence, Skeat1900: 1240
  • And art a knight, a worthy and an able,
  • That by som cas, sin fortune is chaungeable,
  • Thou mayst to thy desyr som-tyme atteyne.
  • But I, that am exyled, and bareyne
  • Of alle grace, and in so greet despeir, Skeat1900: 1245
  • That ther nis erthe, water, fyr, ne eir,
  • Ne creature, that of hem maked is,
  • That may me helpe or doon confort in this. Skeat1900: (390)
  • Wel oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse;
  • Farwel my lyf, my lust, and my gladnesse! Skeat1900: 1250
  • Allas, why pleynen folk so in commune
  • Of purveyaunce of God, or of fortune,
  • That yeveth hem ful ofte in many a gyse
  • Wel bettre than they can hem-self devyse?
  • Som man desyreth for to han richesse, Skeat1900: 1255
  • That cause is of his mordre or greet siknesse.
  • And som man wolde out of his prison fayn,
  • That in his hous is of his meynee slayn. Skeat1900: (400)
  • Infinite harmes been in this matere;
  • We witen nat what thing we preyen here. Skeat1900: 1260
  • We faren as he that dronke is as a mous;
  • A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous,
  • But he noot which the righte wey is thider;
  • And to a dronke man the wey is slider.
  • And certes, in this world so faren we; Skeat1900: 1265
  • We seken faste after felicitee,
  • But we goon wrong ful often, trewely.
  • Thus may we seyen alle, and namely I, Skeat1900: (410)
  • That wende and hadde a greet opinioun,
  • That, if I mighte escapen from prisoun, Skeat1900: 1270
  • Than hadde I been in Ioye and perfit hele,
  • Ther now I am exyled fro my wele.
  • Sin that I may nat seen yow, Emelye,
  • I nam but deed; ther nis no remedye.’
  • Up-on that other syde Palamon, Skeat1900: 1275
  • Whan that he wiste Arcite was agon,
  • Swich sorwe he maketh, that the grete tour
  • Resouneth of his youling and clamour. Skeat1900: (420)
  • The pure fettres on his shines grete
  • Weren of his bittre salte teres wete. Skeat1900: 1280
  • ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘Arcita, cosin myn,
  • Of al our stryf, God woot, the fruyt is thyn.
  • Thow walkest now in Thebes at thy large,
  • And of my wo thou yevest litel charge.
  • Thou mayst, sin thou hast wisdom and manhede, Skeat1900: 1285
  • Assemblen alle the folk of our kinrede,
  • And make a werre so sharp on this citee,
  • That by som aventure, or som tretee, Skeat1900: (430)
  • Thou mayst have hir to lady and to wyf,
  • For whom that I mot nedes lese my lyf. Skeat1900: 1290
  • For, as by wey of possibilitee,
  • Sith thou art at thy large, of prison free,
  • And art a lord, greet is thyn avauntage,
  • More than is myn, that sterve here in a cage.
  • For I mot wepe and wayle, whyl I live, Skeat1900: 1295
  • With al the wo that prison may me yive,
  • And eek with peyne that love me yiveth also,
  • That doubleth al my torment and my wo.’ Skeat1900: (440)
  • Ther-with the fyr of Ielousye up-sterte
  • With-inne his brest, and hente him by the herte Skeat1900: 1300
  • So woodly, that he lyk was to biholde
  • The box-tree, or the asshen dede and colde.
  • Tho seyde he; ‘O cruel goddes, that governe
  • This world with binding of your word eterne,
  • And wryten in the table of athamaunt Skeat1900: 1305
  • Your parlement, and your eterne graunt,
  • What is mankinde more un-to yow holde
  • Than is the sheep, that rouketh in the folde? Skeat1900: (450)
  • For slayn is man right as another beste,
  • And dwelleth eek in prison and areste, Skeat1900: 1310
  • And hath siknesse, and greet adversitee,
  • And ofte tymes giltelees, pardee!
  • What governaunce is in this prescience,
  • That giltelees tormenteth innocence?
  • And yet encreseth this al my penaunce, Skeat1900: 1315
  • That man is bounden to his observaunce,
  • For Goddes sake, to letten of his wille,
  • Ther as a beest may al his lust fulfille. Skeat1900: (460)
  • And whan a beest is deed, he hath no peyne;
  • But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne, Skeat1900: 1320
  • Though in this world he have care and wo:
  • With-outen doute it may stonden so.
  • The answere of this I lete to divynis,
  • But wel I woot, that in this world gret pyne is.
  • Allas! I see a serpent or a theef, Skeat1900: 1325
  • That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef,
  • Goon at his large, and wher him list may turne.
  • But I mot been in prison thurgh Saturne, Skeat1900: (470)
  • And eek thurgh Iuno, Ialous and eek wood,
  • That hath destroyed wel ny al the blood Skeat1900: 1330
  • Of Thebes, with his waste walles wyde.
  • And Venus sleeth me on that other syde
  • For Ielousye , and fere of him Arcite.’
  • Now wol I stinte of Palamon a lyte,
  • And lete him in his prison stille dwelle, Skeat1900: 1335
  • And of Arcita forth I wol yow telle.
  • The somer passeth, and the nightes longe
  • Encresen double wyse the peynes stronge Skeat1900: (480)
  • Bothe of the lovere and the prisoner.
  • I noot which hath the wofullere mester. Skeat1900: 1340
  • For shortly for to seyn, this Palamoun
  • Perpetuelly is dampned to prisoun,
  • In cheynes and in fettres to ben deed;
  • And Arcite is exyled upon his heed
  • For ever-mo as out of that contree, Skeat1900: 1345
  • Ne never-mo he shal his lady see.
  • Yow loveres axe I now this questioun,
  • Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun? Skeat1900: (490)
  • That oon may seen his lady day by day,
  • But in prison he moot dwelle alway. Skeat1900: 1350
  • That other wher him list may ryde or go,
  • But seen his lady shal he never-mo.
  • Now demeth as yow liste, ye that can,
  • For I wol telle forth as I bigan.