Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 113

1047. vyces (3)] E. vertues; Cm. vertu.

-- 95. After this, thou shalt understonde, that bodily peyne stant in wakinge; for Iesu Crist seith, 'waketh, and preyeth that ye ne entre in wikked temptacioun.' / Ye shul understanden also, that fastinge stant in three thinges; in forberinge of bodily mete and drinke, and in forberinge of worldly Iolitee, and in forberinge of deedly sinne; this is to seyn, that a man shal kepen him fro deedly sinne with al his might. /

-- 96. And thou shalt understanden eek, that G.o.d ordeyned fastinge; and to fastinge appertenen foure thinges. /1050 Largenesse to povre folk, gladnesse of herte espirituel, nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for he fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his table to ete for he fasteth. /

1051. E. espiritueel.

-- 97. Thanne shaltow understonde, that bodily peyne stant in disciplyne or techinge, by word or by wrytinge, or in ensample. Also in weringe of heyres or of stamin, or of haubergeons on hir naked flesh, for Cristes sake, and swiche manere penances. / But war thee wel that swiche manere penances on thy flesh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry or anoyed of thy-self; for bettre is to caste [642] awey thyn heyre, than for to caste away the sikernesse of Iesu Crist. / And therfore seith seint Paul: 'Clothe yow, as they that been chosen of G.o.d, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee, suffraunce, and swich manere of clothinge'; of whiche Iesu Crist is more apayed than of heyres, or haubergeons, or hauberkes. /

1052. or by] E. and by. 1053. nat ... bitter] E. Cm. thee nat.

1053. sikernesse] Pt. Ln. Hl. swetnesse.

-- 98. Thanne is disciplyne eek in knokkinge of thy brest, in scourginge with yerdes, in knelinges, in tribulacions; /1055 in suffringe paciently wronges that been doon to thee, and eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or lesinge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child, or othere freendes. /

-- 99. Thanne shaltow understonde, whiche thinges destourben penaunce; and this is in foure maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope, that is, desperacion. / And for to speke first of drede; for which he weneth that he may suffre no penaunce; / ther-agayns is remedie for to thinke, that bodily penaunce is but short and litel at regard of the peyne of h.e.l.le, that is so cruel and so long, that it lasteth with-outen ende. /

1058. weneth] E. demeth. 1059. E. crueel; peynes.

-- 100. Now again the shame that a man hath to shryven him, and namely, thise ypocrites that wolden been holden so parfite that they han no nede to shryven hem; /1060 agayns that shame, sholde a man thinke that, by wey of resoun, that he that hath nat been ashamed to doon foule thinges, certes him oghte nat been ashamed to do faire thinges, and that is confessiouns. / A man sholde eek thinke, that G.o.d seeth and wool alle hise thoghtes and alle hise werkes; to him may no thing been hid ne covered. / Men sholden eek remembren hem of the shame that is to come at the day of dome, to hem that been nat penitent and shriven in this present lyf. / For alle the creatures in erthe and in h.e.l.le shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this world. /

1061. ashamed (1)] E. shamed.

-- 101. Now for to speken of the hope of hem that been necligent and slowe to shryven hem, that stant in two maneres. /1065 That oon is, that he hopeth for to live longe and for to purchacen muche richesse for his delyt, and thanne he wol shryven him; and, as he seith, him semeth thanne tymely y-nough to come to shrifte. Another is, surquidrie that he hath in Cristes mercy. / Agayns the firste vyce, he shal thinke, that oure lyf is in no sikernesse; and eek that alle the richesses in this world ben in aventure, and pa.s.sen as a shadwe on the wal. / And, as seith seint Gregorie, [643]

that it aperteneth to the grete rightwisnesse of G.o.d, that nevere shal the peyne stinte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen hem fro sinne, hir thankes, but ay continue in sinne; for thilke perpetuel wil to do sinne shul they han perpetuel peyne. /

1065. E. _om._ the. 1069. E. perpetueel (_twice_).

-- 102. Wanhope is in two maneres: the firste wanhope is in the mercy of Crist; that other is that they thinken, that they ne mighte nat longe persevere in goodnesse. /1070 The firste wanhope comth of that he demeth that he hath sinned so greetly and so ofte, and so longe leyn in sinne, that he shal nat be saved. / Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope sholde he thinke, that the pa.s.sion of Iesu Crist is more strong for to unbinde than sinne is strong for to binde. / Agayns the seconde wanhope, he shal thinke, that as ofte as he falleth he may aryse agayn by penitence. And thogh he never so longe have leyn in sinne, the mercy of Crist is alwey redy to receiven him to mercy. / Agayns the wanhope, that he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere in goodnesse, he shal thinke, that the feblesse of the devel may no-thing doon but-if men wol suffren him; / and eek he shal han strengthe of the help of G.o.d, and of al holy chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels, if him list. /1075

-- 103. Thanne shal men understonde what is the fruit of penaunce; and, after the word of Iesu Crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene, / ther Ioye hath no contrarioustee of wo ne grevaunce, ther alle harmes been pa.s.sed of this present lyf; ther-as is the sikernesse fro the peyne of h.e.l.le; ther-as is the blisful companye that reioysen hem everemo, everich of otheres Ioye; / ther-as the body of man, that whylom was foul and derk, is more cleer than the sonne; ther-as the body, that whylom was syk, freele, and feble, and mortal, is inmortal, and so strong and so hool that ther may no-thing apeyren it; / ther-as ne is neither hunger, thurst, ne cold, but every soule replenissed with the sighte of the parfit knowinge of G.o.d. / This blisful regne may men purchace by poverte espirituel, and the glorie by lowenesse; the plentee of Ioye by hunger and thurst, and the reste by travaille; and the lyf by deeth and mortificacion of sinne. /1080

1078. E. fieble. 1080. E. espiritueel; _om._ deeth and.

[644] HERE TAKETH THE MAKERE OF THIS BOOK HIS LEVE.

-- 104. Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this litel tretis or rede, that if ther be any thing in it that lyketh hem, that ther-of they thanken oure lord Iesu Crist, of whom procedeth al wit and al goodnesse. / And if ther be any thing that displese hem, I preye hem also that they arrette it to the defaute of myn unconninge, and nat to my wil, that wolde ful fayn have seyd bettre if I hadde had conninge. / For oure boke seith, 'al that is writen is writen for oure doctrine'; and that is myn entente. / Wherfore I biseke yow mekely for the mercy of G.o.d, that ye preye for me, that Crist have mercy on me and foryeve me my giltes: / --and namely, of my translacions and endytinges of worldly vanitees, the whiche I revoke in my retracciouns: /1085 as is the book of Troilus; The book also of Fame; The book of the nynetene Ladies; The book of the d.u.c.h.esse; The book of seint Valentynes day of the Parlement of Briddes; The tales of Caunterbury, thilke that sounen in-to sinne; / The book of the Leoun; and many another book, if they were in my remembrance; and many a song and many a lecherous lay; that Crist for his grete mercy foryeve me the sinne. / But of the translacion of Boece de Consolacione, and othere bokes of Legendes of seintes, and omelies, and moralitee, and devocioun, / that thanke I oure lord Iesu Crist and his blisful moder, and alle the seintes of hevene; / bisekinge hem that they from hennes-forth, un-to my lyves ende, sende me grace to biwayle my giltes, and to studie to the salvacioun of my soule:--and graunte me grace of verray penitence, confessioun and satisfaccioun to doon in this present lyf; /1090 thurgh the benigne grace of him that is king of kinges and preest over alle preestes, that boghte us with the precious blood of his herte; / so that I may been oon of hem at the day of dome that shulle be saved: _Qui c.u.m patre, &c._ /1092

1086. E. Pt. xxv; Ln. xv; Hl. 29; _read_ nynetene.

HERE IS ENDED THE BOOK OF THE TALES OF CAUNTERBURY, COMPILED BY GEFFREY CHAUCER, OF WHOS SOULE IESU CRIST HAVE MERCY. AMEN.

[645]

APPENDIX TO GROUP A.

THE TALE OF GAMELYN.

Litheth, and lesteneth and herkeneth aright, And ye schulle heere a talking of a doughty knight; Sire Iohan of Boundys was his righte name, He cowde of norture y-nough and mochil of game.

Thre sones the knight hadde that with his body he wan; 5 The eldest was a moche schrewe and sone he bigan.

His bretheren loved wel here fader and of him were agast, The eldest deserved his fadres curs and had it at the last.

The goode knight his fader livede so yore, That deth was comen him to and handled him ful sore. 10 The goode knight cared sore syk ther he lay, How his children scholde liven after his day.

He hadde ben wyde-wher but non housbond he was, Al the lond that he hadde it was verrey purchas.

Fayn he wolde it were dressed among hem alle, 15 That ech of hem hadde his part as it mighte falle.

Tho sente he in-to c.u.n.tre after wyse knightes, To helpe delen his londes and dressen hem to-rightes.

He sente hem word by lettres they schulden hye blyve, If they wolde speke with him whyl he was on lyve. 20

N.B.--Hl.=Harleian MS. no. 7334 (_taken as the foundation of the text_); Harl.=Harleian MS. no. 1758; Cp.=MS. Corp. Chr. Coll. Oxford; Ln.=Lansdowne MS. no. 851; Pt.=Petworth MS.; Rl.=MS. Royal 18 c.ii; Sl.= MS. Sloane, no. 1685. _Note that_ Cp. _and_ Ln. _are next in value to_ Hl., _and often agree with it as against the rest._

1. Cp. lesteneth; Sl. Ln. listeneth; Hl. lestneth. Cp. herkeneth; Rl.

Sl. herkenyth; Hl. herkneth. 2. Cp. schulle; Ln. schullen; Hl.

schul. Hl. a talkyng; _rest om._ 3. Hl. right; _rest om._; _read_ righte. 4. Hl. ynough; _rest om._ 5. Cp. hadde; Rl. Sl. Pt. Ln.

had; Hl. _om._ 14. Cp. Rl. hadde; Hl. had (_and in l._ 16). 15. Cp.

Ln. wolde; Hl. wold. Hl. amonges; _rest_ among; _see l._ 36. 16.

Hl. might. 17. Cp. Sl. Rl. Pt. Ln. sente; Hl. sent. _So in l._ 19, _where the MSS. wrongly have_ sent.

Tho the knightes herden syk that he lay, Hadde they no reste nother night ne day, Til they comen to him ther he lay stille On his deth-bedde to abyde G.o.ddes wille.

Than seyde the goode knight syk ther he lay, 25 'Lordes, I you warne for soth, withoute nay, I may no lenger liven heer in this stounde; [646]

For thurgh G.o.ddes wille deth draweth me to grounde.'

Ther nas non of hem alle that herde him aright, That they ne hadden reuthe of that ilke knight, 30 And seyde, 'sir, for G.o.ddes love ne dismay you nought; G.o.d may do bote of bale that is now y-wrought.'

21. Hl. ther; _rest_ that. 27. Hl. Cp. lengere; Ln, longer; _rest_ lenger. 29. Sl. Cp. Ln. herde; Hl. herd. 30. Harl. Pt. ne; _rest om._

Than spak the goode knight syk ther he lay, 'Boote of bale G.o.d may sende I wot it is no nay; But I byseke you, knightes for the love of me, 35 Goth and dresseth my lond among my sones three.

And sires, for the love of G.o.d deleth hem nat amis, And forget.i.th nat Gamelyn my yonge sone that is.

Taketh heed to that on as wel as to that other; Selde ye see ony eyr helpen his brother.' 40

36. Hl. thre. 37. Hl. And sires; _rest om._ sires.

Tho leete they the knight lyen that was nought in hele, And wenten in-to counsel his londes for to dele; For to delen hem alle to oon, that was her thought, And for Gamelyn was yongest he schulde have nought.

Al the lond that ther was they dalten it in two, 45 And leeten Gamelyn the yonge withoute londe go, And ech of hem seyde to other ful lowde, His bretheren mighte yeve him lond whan he good cowde.

Whan they hadde deled the lond at here wille, They comen ayein to the knight ther he lay ful stille, 50 And tolden him anon-right how they hadden wrought; And the knight ther he lay lyked it right nought.

Than seyde the knight 'by seynt Martyn, For al that ye have y-doon yit is the lond myn; For G.o.ddes love, neyhebours stondeth alle stille, 55 And I wil dele my lond right after my wille.

Iohan, myn eldeste sone schal have plowes fyve, That was my fadres heritage whyl he was on lyve; And my middeleste sone fyve plowes of lond, That I halp for to gete with my righte hond; 60 And al myn other purchas of londes and leedes, That I biquethe Gamelyn and alle my goode steedes.

And I biseke yow, goode men that lawe conne of londe, For Gamelynes love that my queste stonde.'

Thus dalte the knight his lond by his day, 65 Right on his deth-bedde syk ther he lay; And sone aftirward he lay stoon-stille, And deyde whan tyme com as it was Cristes wille.

[647]

And anon as he was deed and under gras y-grave, Sone the elder brother gyled the yonge knave; 70 He took into his hond his lond and his leede, And Gamelyn himselfe to clothen and to feede.

He clothed him and fedde him yvel and eek wrothe, And leet his londes for-fare and his houses bothe, His parkes and his woodes and dede nothing wel; 75 And seththen he it aboughte on his faire fel.

So longe was Gamelyn in his brotheres halle, For the strengest, of good wil they doutiden him alle; Ther was non ther-inne nowther yong ne old, That wolde wraththe Gamelyn were he never so bold. 80 Gamelyn stood on a day in his brotheres yerde, And bigan with his hond to handlen his berde; He thoughte on his londes that layen unsawe, And his faire okes that down were y-drawe; His parkes were y-broken and his deer bireved; 85 Of alle his goode steedes noon was him bileved; His howses were unhiled and ful yvel dight; Tho thoughte Gamelyn it wente nought aright.

Afterward cam his brother walkinge thare, And seyde to Gamelyn 'is our mete yare?' 90 Tho wraththed him Gamelyn and swor by G.o.ddes book, 'Thou schalt go bake thy-self I wil nought be thy cook!'

'How? brother Gamelyn how answerest thou now?

Thou spake never such a word as thou dost now.'

'By my faith,' seyde Gamelyn 'now me thinketh neede, 95 Of alle the harmes that I have I tok never ar heede.

My parkes ben to-broken and my deer bireved, Of myn armure and my steedes nought is me bileved; Al that my fader me biquath al goth to schame, And therfor have thou G.o.ddes curs brother by thy name!' 100 Than bispak his brother that rape was of rees, 'Stond stille, gadeling and hold right thy pees; Thou schalt be fayn for to have thy mete and thy wede; What spekest thou, Gamelyn of lond other of leede?'