Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 22

This pa.s.seth forth al thilke Saterday, That Nicholas stille in his chambre lay, 3420 And eet and sleep, or dide what him leste, Til Sonday, that the sonne gooth to reste.

This sely carpenter hath greet merveyle Of Nicholas, or what thing mighte him eyle, And seyde, 'I am adrad, by seint Thomas, 3425 It stondeth nat aright with Nicholas. (240) G.o.d s.h.i.+lde that he deyde sodeynly!

This world is now ful tikel, sikerly; I saugh to-day a cors y-born to chirche [99: T. 3430-3465.]

That now, on Monday last, I saugh him wirche. 3430

Go up,' quod he un-to his knave anoon, 'Clepe at his dore, or knokke with a stoon, Loke how it is, and tel me boldely.'

This knave gooth him up ful st.u.r.dily, And at the chambre-dore, whyl that he stood, 3435 He cryde and knokked as that he were wood:-- (250) 'What! how! what do ye, maister Nicholay?

How may ye slepen al the longe day?'

But al for noght, he herde nat a word; An hole he fond, ful lowe up-on a bord, 3440 Ther as the cat was wont in for to crepe; And at that hole he looked in ful depe, And at the laste he hadde of him a sighte.

This Nicholas sat gaping ever up-righte, As he had kyked on the newe mone. 3445 Adoun he gooth, and tolde his maister sone (260) In what array he saugh this ilke man.

3440. E. Hn. foond; Pt. foonde. 3444. E. Hn. Cp. capyng. 3445. Cp.

Ln. keked; Hl. loked. 3447. E. Pt. that; _rest_ this.

This carpenter to blessen him bigan, And seyde, 'help us, seinte Frideswyde!

A man woot litel what him shal bityde. 3450 This man is falle, with his astromye, In som woodnesse or in som agonye; I thoghte ay wel how that it sholde be!

Men sholde nat knowe of G.o.ddes privetee.

Ye, blessed be alwey a lewed man, 3455 That noght but oonly his bileve can! (270) So ferde another clerk with astromye; He walked in the feeldes for to prye Up-on the sterres, what ther sholde bifalle, Til he was in a marle-pit y-falle; 3460 He saugh nat that. But yet, by seint Thomas, Me reweth sore of hende Nicholas.

He shal be rated of his studying, If that I may, by Iesus, hevene king!

3451. E. Hn. Astromye; Ln. Arstromye; _rest_ astronomye; _but_ Astromye _is meant; see_ l. 3457. 3457. _So_ E. Hn.; _rest_ astronomye.

3460. E. -put.

Get me a staf, that I may underspore, 3465 [100: T. 3466-3498.]

Whyl that thou, Robin, hevest up the dore. (280) He shal out of his studying, as I gesse'-- And to the chambre-dore he gan him dresse.

His knave was a strong carl for the nones, And by the haspe he haf it up atones; 3470 In-to the floor the dore fil anon.

This Nicholas sat ay as stille as stoon, And ever gaped upward in-to the eir.

This carpenter wende he were in despeir, And hente him by the sholdres mightily, 3475 And shook him harde, and cryde spitously, (290) 'What! Nicholay! what, how! what! loke adoun!

Awake, and thenk on Cristes pa.s.sioun; I crouche thee from elves and fro wightes!'

Ther-with the night-spel seyde he anon-rightes 3480 On foure halves of the hous aboute, And on the threshfold of the dore with-oute:-- 'Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight, Blesse this hous from every wikked wight, For nightes verye, the white _pater-noster_! 3485 Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?' (300)

3466. E. of; _rest_ vp, vpe. 3470. Cm. Hl. haf; E. Hn. haaf; Cp.

heef. Hn. Pt. Ln. Hl. vp; _rest_ of. 3473. E. Hn. caped; Hl. capyd; Cp. capede; _rest_ gaped, gapede. 3477. Hl. man (_for 3rd_ what); _rest om._ 3485. _All but_ E. Hl. For the nyghtes. E. Hn. uerye; Cm. verie; Cp. Pt. verye; Ln. very; Hl. verray. 3486. Cm. wonyst _o_u; Hl. wonestow; _after which_ Cm. Hl. _ins._ now.

And atte laste this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke sore, and seyde, 'allas!

Shal al the world be lost eftsones now?'

3487. Hl. _om._ this. 3489. E. this; _rest_ the.

This carpenter answerde, 'what seystow? 3490 What! thenk on G.o.d, as we don, men that swinke.'

3491. Hn. Pt. Hl. thenk; _rest_ thynk; _see_ 3478. Cm. as men don whan they swinke.

This Nicholas answerde, 'fecche me drinke; And after wol I speke in privetee Of certeyn thing that toucheth me and thee; I wol telle it non other man, certeyn.' 3495

This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn, (310) And broghte of mighty ale a large quart; And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part, [101: T. 3499-3534.]

This Nicholas his dore faste shette, And doun the carpenter by him he sette. 3500

He seyde, 'Iohn, myn hoste lief and dere, Thou shall up-on thy trouthe swere me here, That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye; For it is Cristes conseil that I seye, And if thou telle it man, thou are forlore; 3505 For this vengaunce thou shalt han therfore, (320) That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood!'

'Nay, Crist forbede it, for his holy blood!'

Quod tho this sely man, 'I nam no labbe, Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe. 3510 Sey what thou wolt, I shal it never telle To child ne wyf, by him that harwed h.e.l.le!'

3501. Cp. Pt. hooste; Ln. ostee; Hl. host ful; E. Hn. hoost; Cm. ost.

3505. E. _om._ it. 3510. E. Hl. am; _rest_ nam, ne am.

'Now John,' quod Nicholas, 'I wol nat lye; I have y-founde in myn astrologye, As I have loked in the mone bright, 3515 That now, a Monday next, at quarter-night, (330) Shal falle a reyn and that so wilde and wood, That half so greet was never Noes flood.

This world,' he seyde, 'in la.s.se than in an hour Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour; 3520 Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf.'

3516. a] Hl. on. 3519. Cm. Hl. _om. 2nd_ in.

This carpenter answerde, 'allas, my wyf!

And shal she drenche? allas! myn Alisoun!'

For sorwe of this he fil almost adoun, And seyde, 'is ther no remedie in this cas?' 3525

3525. Pt. Ln. _om._ ther.

'Why, yis, for G.o.de,' quod hende Nicholas, (340) 'If thou wolt werken after lore and reed; Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed.

For thus seith Salomon, that was ful trewe, "Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe." 3530 And if thou werken wolt by good conseil, I undertake, with-outen mast and seyl, Yet shal I saven hir and thee and me Hastow nat herd how saved was Noe, [102: T. 3535-3570.]

Whan that our lord had warned him biforn 3535 That al the world with water sholde be lorn?' (350)

3527. E. aftir. 3534. E. hou. 3535. Hl. had; E. Hn. Cm. hadde.

'Yis,' quod this carpenter, 'ful yore ago.'

'Hastow nat herd,' quod Nicholas, 'also The sorwe of Noe with his felaws.h.i.+pe, Er that he mighte gete his wyf to s.h.i.+pe? 3540 Him had be lever, I dar wel undertake, At thilke tyme, than alle hise wetheres blake, That she hadde had a s.h.i.+p hir-self allone.

And ther-fore, wostou what is best to done?

This asketh haste, and of an hastif thing 3545 Men may nat preche or maken tarying. (360)

3539. E. felawes.h.i.+pe. 3540. E. brynge; _rest_ gete. 3541. E. hadde; leuere. 3544. E. woostou; doone.

Anon go gete us faste in-to this in A kneding-trogh, or elles a kimelin, For ech of us, but loke that they be large, In whiche we mowe swimme as in a barge, 3550 And han ther-inne vitaille suffisant But for a day; fy on the remenant!

The water shal aslake and goon away Aboute pryme up-on the nexte day.

But Robin may nat wite of this, thy knave, 3555 Ne eek thy mayde Gille I may nat save; (370) Axe nat why, for though thou aske me, I wol nat tellen G.o.ddes privetee.

Suffiseth thee, but if thy wittes madde, To han as greet a grace as Noe hadde. 3560 Thy wyf shal I wel saven, out of doute, Go now thy wey, and speed thee heer-aboute.

3548. E. ellis. E. kymelyn; Hl. kemelyn.

But whan thou hast, for hir and thee and me, Y-geten us thise kneding-tubbes three, Than shaltow hange hem in the roof ful hye, 3565 That no man of our purveyaunce spye. (380) And whan thou thus hast doon as I have seyd, And hast our vitaille faire in hem y-leyd, And eek an ax, to smyte the corde atwo When that the water comth, that we may go, 3570 [103: T. 3571-3606.]

And broke an hole an heigh, up-on the gable, Unto the gardin-ward, over the stable, That we may frely pa.s.sen forth our way Whan that the grete shour is goon away-- Than shaltow swimme as myrie, I undertake, 3575 As doth the whyte doke after hir drake. (390) Than wol I clepe, "how! Alison! how! John!

Be myrie, for the flood wol pa.s.se anon."

And thou wolt seyn, "hayl, maister Nicholay!

Good morwe, I se thee wel, for it is day." 3580 And than shul we be lordes al our lyf Of al the world, as Noe and his wyf.

3565: E. Thanne. 3571. E. Pt. Ln. broke; _rest_ breke. 3575. E.

Thanne. E. shal I; _rest_ shaltow, shalt thou. 3577. E. Thanne.