Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 49

Allas, fortune! it was greet crueltee Swiche briddes for to putte in swiche a cage!

3597. E. Pyze; Hn. Pize; Cp. Pyse; Pt. Ln. Hl. Pise. 3599. E. Hn. Cm.

Pize; Cp. Pyse; Pt. Ln. Hl. Pise.

Dampned was he to deye in that prisoun, 3605 For Roger, which that bisshop was of Pyse, Hadde on him maad a fals suggestioun, Thurgh which the peple gan upon him ryse, And putten him to prisoun in swich wyse As ye han herd, and mete and drink he hadde 3610 So smal, that wel unnethe it may suffyse, (431) And therwith-al it was ful povre and badde.

3606. E. Hn. Pize; Cm. Pyze; Cp. Pyse; Pt. Ln. Hl. Pise. 3611. E. Pt.

_omit_ wel.

And on a day bifil that, in that hour, Whan that his mete wont was to be broght, The gayler shette the dores of the tour. 3615 He herde it wel,--but he spak right noght, And in his herte anon ther fil a thoght, That they for hunger wolde doon him dyen.

'Allas!' quod he, 'allas! that I was wroght!'

Therwith the teres fillen from his yen. 3620

3616. E. Hn. spak right; Cp. Hl. saugh it; Pt. seegh it; Ln. sawe it.

[258: T. 14741-14772.]

His yonge sone, that three yeer was of age, (441) Un-to him seyde, 'fader, why do ye wepe?

Whan wol the gayler bringen our potage, Is ther no morsel breed that ye do kepe?

I am so hungry that I may nat slepe, 3625 Now wolde G.o.d that I mighte slepen ever!

Than sholde nat hunger in my wombe crepe; Ther is no thing, save breed, that me were lever.'

3622. E. Hn. _repeat_ fader. 3628. Ln. Hl. saue; Cp. Pt. sauf; E. Hn.

but.

Thus day by day this child bigan to crye, Til in his fadres barme adoun it lay, 3630 And seyde, 'far-wel, fader, I moot dye,' (451) And kiste his fader, and deyde the same day.

And whan the woful fader deed it sey, For wo his armes two he gan to byte, And seyde, 'allas, fortune! and weylaway! 3635 Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte!'

3632. E. Hl. dyde; Hn. Cp. deyde; _see_ l. 3644.

His children wende that it for hunger was That he his armes gnow, and nat for wo, And seyde, 'fader, do nat so, allas!

But rather eet the flesh upon us two; 3640 Our flesh thou yaf us, tak our flesh us fro (461) And eet y-nough:' right thus they to him seyde, And after that, with-in a day or two, They leyde hem in his lappe adoun, and deyde.

3640. E. flessh. 3641. E. flessh. E. Hn. _omit_ vs _after_ yaf.

Him-self, despeired, eek for hunger starf; 3645 Thus ended is this mighty Erl of Pyse; From heigh estaat fortune awey him carf.

Of this Tragedie it oghte y-nough suffyse.

Who-so wol here it in a lenger wyse, Redeth the grete poete of Itaille, 3650 That highte Dant, for he can al devyse (471) Fro point to point, nat o word wol he faille. [T. 14772.

3646. _See note to _ l. 3597.

[259: T. 14381-14412.] (_For_ T. 14773, _see_ p. 269; _for_ T. 14380, _see_ p. 256.)

NERO.

Al-though that Nero were as vicious [T. 14381.

As any feend that lyth ful lowe adoun, Yet he, as telleth us Swetonius, 3655 This wyde world hadde in subieccioun, Both Est and West, South and Septemtrioun; Of rubies, saphires, and of perles whyte Were alle his clothes brouded up and doun; For he in gemmes greetly gan delyte. 3660

3653. E. Hn. Cm. _omit_ as. 3654. E. in h.e.l.le; _rest_ full lowe.

3657. E. Hn. Cm. North (_but read_ South); Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl _omit_!

More delicat, more pompous of array, (481) More proud was never emperour than he; That ilke cloth, that he had wered o day, After that tyme he nolde it never see.

Nettes of gold-thred hadde he gret plentee 3665 To fisshe in Tybre, whan him liste pleye.

His l.u.s.tes were al lawe in his decree, For fortune as his freend him wolde obeye.

He Rome brende for his delicacye; The senatours he slow up-on a day. 3670 To here how men wolde wepe and crye; (491) And slow his brother, and by his sister lay.

His moder made he in pitous array; For he hir wombe slitte, to biholde Wher he conceyved was; so weilawey! 3675 That he so litel of his moder tolde!

3673, 6. E. mooder.

No tere out of his yen for that sighte Ne cam, but seyde, 'a fair womman was she.'

Gret wonder is, how that he coude or mighte Be domesman of hir dede beautee. 3680 The wyn to bringen him comaunded he, (501) And drank anon; non other wo he made.

Whan might is Ioyned un-to crueltee, Allas! to depe wol the venim wade!

3682. E. noon oother.

[260: T. 14413-14444.]

In youthe a maister hadde this emperour, 3685 To teche him letterure and curteisye, For of moralitee he was the flour, As in his tyme, but-if bokes lye; And whyl this maister hadde of him maistrye, He maked him so conning and so souple 3690 That longe tyme it was er tirannye (511) Or any vyce dorste on him uncouple.

This Seneca, of which that I devyse, By-cause Nero hadde of him swich drede, For he fro vyces wolde him ay chastyse 3695 Discreetly as by worde and nat by dede;-- 'Sir,' wolde he seyn, 'an emperour moot nede Be vertuous, and hate tirannye'-- For which he in a bath made him to blede On bothe his armes, til he moste dye. 3700

3694. Cm. Bycause that. 3695. Hn. Cm. ay; _rest omit._ [3699.

_Misnumbered_ 520 _in the_ Aldine Edition; _but corrected further on._]

This Nero hadde eek of acustumaunce (521) In youthe ageyn his maister for to ryse, Which afterward him thoughte a greet grevaunce; Therfor he made him deyen in this wyse.

But natheles this Seneca the wyse 3705 Chees in a bath to deye in this manere Rather than han another tormentyse; And thus hath Nero slayn his maister dere.

3703. E. (_only_) _omits_ a. 3707. E. any oother.

Now fil it so that fortune list no lenger The hye pryde of Nero to cheryce; 3710 For though that he were strong, yet was she strenger; (531) She thoughte thus, 'by G.o.d, I am to nyce To sette a man that is fulfild of vyce In heigh degree, and emperour him calle.

By G.o.d, out of his sete I wol him tryce; 3715 When he leest weneth, sonest shal he falle.'

3711. E. Hn. was; _the rest_ were.

[261: T. 14445-14476.]

The peple roos up-on him on a night For his defaute, and whan he it espyed, Out of his dores anon he hath him dight Alone, and, ther he wende han ben allyed, 3720 He knokked faste, and ay, the more he cryed, (541) The faster shette they the dores alle; Tho wiste he wel he hadde him-self misgyed, And wente his wey, no lenger dorste he calle.

3723. E. Hn. _wrongly repeat_ l. 3731 _here._

The peple cryde and rombled up and doun, 3725 That with his eres herde he how they seyde, 'Wher is this false tyraunt, this Neroun?'

For fere almost out of his wit he breyde, And to his G.o.ddes pitously he preyde For socour, but it mighte nat bityde. 3730 For drede of this, him thoughte that he deyde, (551) And ran in-to a gardin, him to hyde.

And in this gardin fond he cherles tweye That seten by a fyr ful greet and reed, And to thise cherles two he gan to preye 3735 To sleen him, and to girden of his heed, That to his body, whan that he were deed, Were no despyt y-doon, for his defame.

Him-self he slow, he coude no better reed, Of which fortune lough, and hadde a game. 3740

3733. E. Hn. foond. 3734. E. Hn. Cm. _omit_ ful.