The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 18

9. "Ex sutore medicus" (a surgeon from a cobbler) and "ex sutore nauclerus" (a seaman or pilot from a cobbler) were both proverbial expressions in the Middle Ages.

10. Half past prime: half-way between prime and tierce; about half-past seven in the morning.

11. Set his hove; like "set their caps;" as in the description of the Manciple in the Prologue, who "set their aller cap". "Hove"

or "houfe," means "hood;" and the phrase signifies to be even with, outwit.

12. The ill.u.s.tration of the mote and the beam, from Matthew.

THE TALE.<1>

At Trompington, not far from Cantebrig,* *Cambridge There goes a brook, and over that a brig, Upon the whiche brook there stands a mill: And this is *very sooth* that I you tell. *complete truth*

A miller was there dwelling many a day, As any peac.o.c.k he was proud and gay: Pipen he could, and fish, and nettes bete*, *prepare And turne cups, and wrestle well, and shete*. *shoot Aye by his belt he bare a long pavade*, *poniard And of his sword full trenchant was the blade.

A jolly popper* bare he in his pouch; *dagger There was no man for peril durst him touch.

A Sheffield whittle* bare he in his hose. *small knife Round was his face, and camuse* was his nose. *flat <2> As pilled* as an ape's was his skull. *peeled, bald.

He was a market-beter* at the full. *brawler There durste no wight hand upon him legge*, *lay That he ne swore anon he should abegge*. *suffer the penalty

A thief he was, for sooth, of corn and meal, And that a sly, and used well to steal.

His name was *hoten deinous Simekin* *called "Disdainful Simkin"*

A wife he hadde, come of n.o.ble kin: The parson of the town her father was.

With her he gave full many a pan of bra.s.s, For that Simkin should in his blood ally.

She was y-foster'd in a nunnery: For Simkin woulde no wife, as he said, But she were well y-nourish'd, and a maid, To saven his estate and yeomanry: And she was proud, and pert as is a pie*. *magpie A full fair sight it was to see them two; On holy days before her would he go With his tippet* y-bound about his head; *hood And she came after in a gite* of red, *gown <3> And Simkin hadde hosen of the same.

There durste no wight call her aught but Dame: None was so hardy, walking by that way, That with her either durste *rage or play*, *use freedom*

*But if* he would be slain by Simekin *unless With pavade, or with knife, or bodekin.

For jealous folk be per'lous evermo': Algate* they would their wives *wende so*. *unless *so behave*

And eke for she was somewhat s.m.u.tterlich*, *dirty She was as dign* as water in a ditch, *nasty And all so full of hoker*, and bismare**. *ill-nature **abusive speech Her thoughte that a lady should her spare*, *not judge her hardly What for her kindred, and her nortelrie* *nurturing, education That she had learned in the nunnery.

One daughter hadde they betwixt them two Of twenty year, withouten any mo, Saving a child that was of half year age, In cradle it lay, and was a proper page.* *boy This wenche thick and well y-growen was, With camuse* nose, and eyen gray as gla.s.s; *flat With b.u.t.tocks broad, and breastes round and high; But right fair was her hair, I will not lie.

The parson of the town, for she was fair, In purpose was to make of her his heir Both of his chattels and his messuage, And *strange he made it* of her marriage. *he made it a matter His purpose was for to bestow her high of difficulty*

Into some worthy blood of ancestry.

For holy Church's good may be dispended* *spent On holy Church's blood that is descended.

Therefore he would his holy blood honour Though that he holy Churche should devour.

Great soken* hath this miller, out of doubt, *toll taken for grinding With wheat and malt, of all the land about; And namely* there was a great college *especially Men call the Soler Hall at Cantebrege,<4> There was their wheat and eke their malt y-ground.

And on a day it happed in a stound*, *suddenly Sick lay the manciple* of a malady, *steward <5> Men *weened wisly* that he shoulde die. *thought certainly*

For which this miller stole both meal and corn An hundred times more than beforn.

For theretofore he stole but courteously, But now he was a thief outrageously.

For which the warden chid and made fare*, *fuss But thereof *set the miller not a tare*; *he cared not a rush*

He *crack'd his boast,* and swore it was not so. *talked big*

Then were there younge poore scholars two, That dwelled in the hall of which I say; Testif* they were, and l.u.s.ty for to play; *headstrong <6> And only for their mirth and revelry Upon the warden busily they cry, To give them leave for but a *little stound*, *short time*

To go to mill, and see their corn y-ground: And hardily* they durste lay their neck, *boldly The miller should not steal them half a peck Of corn by sleight, nor them by force bereave* *take away And at the last the warden give them leave: John hight the one, and Alein hight the other, Of one town were they born, that highte Strother,<7> Far in the North, I cannot tell you where.

This Alein he made ready all his gear, And on a horse the sack he cast anon: Forth went Alein the clerk, and also John, With good sword and with buckler by their side.

John knew the way, him needed not no guide, And at the mill the sack adown he lay'th.

Alein spake first; "All hail, Simon, in faith, How fares thy faire daughter, and thy wife."

"Alein, welcome," quoth Simkin, "by my life, And John also: how now, what do ye here?"

"By G.o.d, Simon," quoth John, "need has no peer*. *equal Him serve himself behoves that has no swain*, *servant Or else he is a fool, as clerkes sayn.

Our manciple I hope* he will be dead, *expect So workes aye the w.a.n.ges* in his head: *cheek-teeth <8> And therefore is I come, and eke Alein, To grind our corn and carry it home again: I pray you speed us hence as well ye may."

"It shall be done," quoth Simkin, "by my fay.

What will ye do while that it is in hand?"

"By G.o.d, right by the hopper will I stand,"

Quoth John, "and see how that the corn goes in.

Yet saw I never, by my father's kin, How that the hopper wagges to and fro."

Alein answered, "John, and wilt thou so?

Then will I be beneathe, by my crown, And see how that the meale falls adown Into the trough, that shall be my disport*: *amus.e.m.e.nt For, John, in faith I may be of your sort; I is as ill a miller as is ye."

This miller smiled at their nicety*, *simplicity And thought, "All this is done but for a wile.

They weenen* that no man may them beguile, *think But by my thrift yet shall I blear their eye,<9> For all the sleight in their philosophy.

The more *quainte knackes* that they make, *odd little tricks*

The more will I steal when that I take.

Instead of flour yet will I give them bren*. *bran The greatest clerks are not the wisest men, As whilom to the wolf thus spake the mare: <10> Of all their art ne count I not a tare."

Out at the door he went full privily, When that he saw his time, softely.

He looked up and down, until he found The clerkes' horse, there as he stood y-bound Behind the mill, under a levesell:* *arbour<11> And to the horse he went him fair and well, And stripped off the bridle right anon.

And when the horse was loose, he gan to gon Toward the fen, where wilde mares run, Forth, with "Wehee!" through thick and eke through thin.

This miller went again, no word he said, But did his note*, and with these clerkes play'd, *business <12> Till that their corn was fair and well y-ground.

And when the meal was sacked and y-bound, Then John went out, and found his horse away, And gan to cry, "Harow, and well-away!

Our horse is lost: Alein, for G.o.dde's bones, Step on thy feet; come off, man, all at once: Alas! our warden has his palfrey lorn.*" *lost This Alein all forgot, both meal and corn; All was out of his mind his husbandry*. *careful watch over "What, which way is he gone?" he gan to cry. the corn*

The wife came leaping inward at a renne*, *run She said; "Alas! your horse went to the fen With wilde mares, as fast as he could go.

Unthank* come on his hand that bound him so *ill luck, a curse And his that better should have knit the rein."

"Alas!" quoth John, "Alein, for Christes pain Lay down thy sword, and I shall mine also.

I is full wight*, G.o.d wate**, as is a roe. *swift **knows By G.o.dde's soul he shall not scape us bathe*. *both <13> Why n' had thou put the capel* in the lathe**? *horse<14> **barn Ill hail, Alein, by G.o.d thou is a fonne.*" *fool These silly clerkes have full fast y-run Toward the fen, both Alein and eke John; And when the miller saw that they were gone, He half a bushel of their flour did take, And bade his wife go knead it in a cake.

He said; I trow, the clerkes were afeard, Yet can a miller *make a clerkes beard,* *cheat a scholar* <15> For all his art: yea, let them go their way!

Lo where they go! yea, let the children play: They get him not so lightly, by my crown."

These silly clerkes runnen up and down With "Keep, keep; stand, stand; jossa*, warderere. *turn Go whistle thou, and I shall keep* him here." *catch But shortly, till that it was very night They coulde not, though they did all their might, Their capel catch, he ran alway so fast: Till in a ditch they caught him at the last.

Weary and wet, as beastes in the rain, Comes silly John, and with him comes Alein.

"Alas," quoth John, "the day that I was born!

Now are we driv'n till hething* and till scorn. *mockery Our corn is stol'n, men will us fonnes* call, *fools Both the warden, and eke our fellows all, And namely* the miller, well-away!" *especially Thus plained John, as he went by the way Toward the mill, and Bayard* in his hand. *the bay horse The miller sitting by the fire he fand*. *found For it was night, and forther* might they not, *go their way But for the love of G.o.d they him besought Of herberow* and ease, for their penny. *lodging The miller said again," If there be any, Such as it is, yet shall ye have your part.

Mine house is strait, but ye have learned art; Ye can by arguments maken a place A mile broad, of twenty foot of s.p.a.ce.

Let see now if this place may suffice, Or make it room with speech, as is your guise.*" *fas.h.i.+on "Now, Simon," said this John, "by Saint Cuthberd Aye is thou merry, and that is fair answer'd.

I have heard say, man shall take of two things, Such as he findes, or such as he brings.

But specially I pray thee, hoste dear, Gar <16> us have meat and drink, and make us cheer, And we shall pay thee truly at the full: With empty hand men may not hawkes tull*. *allure Lo here our silver ready for to spend."

This miller to the town his daughter send For ale and bread, and roasted them a goose, And bound their horse, he should no more go loose: And them in his own chamber made a bed.

With sheetes and with chalons* fair y-spread, *blankets<17> Not from his owen bed ten foot or twelve: His daughter had a bed all by herselve, Right in the same chamber *by and by*: *side by side*

It might no better be, and cause why, There was no *roomer herberow* in the place. *roomier lodging*

They suppen, and they speaken of solace, And drinken ever strong ale at the best.

Aboute midnight went they all to rest.

Well had this miller varnished his head; Full pale he was, fordrunken, and *nought red*. *without his wits*

He yoxed*, and he spake thorough the nose, *hiccuped As he were in the quakke*, or in the pose**. *grunting **catarrh To bed he went, and with him went his wife, As any jay she light was and jolife,* *jolly So was her jolly whistle well y-wet.

The cradle at her beddes feet was set, To rock, and eke to give the child to suck.

And when that drunken was all in the crock* *pitcher<18> To bedde went the daughter right anon, To bedde went Alein, and also John.

There was no more; needed them no dwale.<19> This miller had, so wisly* bibbed ale, *certainly That as a horse he snorted in his sleep, Nor of his tail behind he took no keep*. *heed His wife bare him a burdoun*, a full strong; *ba.s.s <20> Men might their routing* hearen a furlong. *snoring

The wenche routed eke for company.

Alein the clerk, that heard this melody, He poked John, and saide: "Sleepest thou?