Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 68

And so bifel, that ones on a day 1375 This Somnour, ever waiting on his pray, Rood for to somne a widwe, an old ribybe, Feynynge a cause, for he wolde brybe. (80) And happed that he saugh bifore him ryde A gay yeman, under a forest-syde. 1380 A bowe he bar, and arwes brighte and kene; He hadde up-on a courtepy of grene; An hat up-on his heed with frenges blake.

1377. Hl. Rod; Cp. Pt. Ln. Rode; Cm. Wente; E. Hn. _om._ Cm. a wedewe an old; Hl. a widew and(!) old; E. Hn. an old wydwe a. 1379. E.

Hn._om._ And

'Sir,' quod this Somnour, 'hayl! and wel a-take!'

'Wel-come,' quod he, 'and every good felawe! 1385 Wher rydestow under this grene shawe?'

Seyde this yeman, 'wiltow fer to day?'

1386. E. Cm. Pt. Ln. grene wode shawe (_too long_).

This Somnour him answerde, and seyde, 'nay; (90) Heer faste by,' quod he, 'is myn entente [362: T. 6972-7007.]

To ryden, for to reysen up a rente 1390 That longeth to my lordes duetee.

1391. Cp. dewete.

'Artow thanne a bailly?' 'Ye!' quod he.

He dorste nat, for verray filthe and shame, Seye that he was a somnour, for the name.

'_Depardieux_,' quod this yeman, 'dere brother, 1395 Thou art a bailly, and I am another.

I am unknowen as in this contree; Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee, (100) And eek of brotherhede, if that yow leste.

I have gold and silver in my cheste; 1400 If that thee happe to comen in our shyre, Al shal be thyn, right as thou wolt desyre.'

1395. Cm. leue; Hl. lieue; _rest_ dere (deere). 1399. Cm.

brotherhode; Hl. brotherheed; _rest_ brether-.

'Grantmercy,' quod this Somnour, 'by my feith!'

Everich in otheres hand his trouthe leith, For to be sworne bretheren til they deye. 1405 In daliance they ryden forth hir weye.

1405. Hl. sworne; E. Hn. sworn; _rest_ swore.

This Somnour, which that was as ful of Iangles, As ful of venim been thise wariangles, (no) And ever enquering up-on every thing, 'Brother,' quod he, 'where is now your dwelling, 1410 Another day if that I sholde yow seche?'

1407. E. Cm. _om._ which.

This yeman him answerde in softe speche, 'Brother,' quod he, 'fer in the north contree, Wher, as I hope, som-tyme I shal thee see.

Er we departe, I shal thee so wel wisse, 1415 That of myn hous ne shaltow never misse.'

'Now, brother,' quod this Somnour, 'I yow preye, Teche me, whyl that we ryden by the weye, (120) Sin that ye been a baillif as am I, Som subtiltee, and tel me feithfully 1420 In myn offyce how I may most winne; And spareth nat for conscience ne sinne, But as my brother tel me, how do ye?'

1421. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. how that I.

'Now, by my trouthe, brother dere,' seyde he, 'As I shal tellen thee a feithful tale, 1425 [363: T. 7008-7043.]

My wages been ful streite and ful smale.

My lord is hard to me and daungerous, And myn offyce is ful laborous; (130) And therfore by extorcions I live.

For sothe, I take al that men wol me yive; 1430 Algate, by sleyghte or by violence, Fro yeer to yeer I winne al my dispence.

I can no bettre telle feithfully.'

1426. Hl. and eek (_but read_ streit-e). 1428. Cp. laborious; _rest_ laborous. 1430. E. yeue.

'Now, certes,' quod this Somnour, 'so fare I; I spare nat to taken, G.o.d it woot, 1435 But if it be to hevy or to hoot.

What I may gete in conseil prively, No maner conscience of that have I; (140) Nere myn extorcioun, I mighte nat liven, Ne of swiche Iapes wol I nat be shriven. 1440 Stomak ne conscience ne knowe I noon; I shrewe thise shrifte-fadres everichoon.

Wel be we met, by G.o.d and by seint Iame!

But, leve brother, tel me than thy name,'

Quod this Somnour; and in this mene-whyle, 1445 This yeman gan a litel for to smyle.

1440. E. Nor; Hn. Cm. Hl. Ne. 1444. E. thanne. 1445. Cm. and; _rest om._

'Brother,' quod he, 'wiltow that I thee telle?

I am a feend, my dwelling is in h.e.l.le. (150) And here I ryde about my purchasing, To wite wher men wolde yeve me any thing. 1450 My purchas is theffect of al my rente.

Loke how thou rydest for the same entente, To winne good, thou rekkest never how; Right so fare I, for ryde wolde I now Un-to the worldes ende for a preye.' 1455

1450. E. me yeuen; _rest_ yeue (yiue) me. 1454. E. I wolde right; Hl.

I wolde; _rest_ wolde I.

'A,' quod this Somnour, '_benedicite_, what sey ye?

I wende ye were a yeman trewely.

Ye han a mannes shap as wel as I; (160) Han ye figure than determinat In h.e.l.le, ther ye been in your estat?' 1460

1459. E. thanne.

'Nay, certeinly,' quod he, 'ther have we noon; [364: T. 7044-7080.]

But whan us lyketh, we can take us oon, Or elles make yow seme we ben shape Som-tyme lyk a man, or lyk an ape; Or lyk an angel can I ryde or go. 1465 It is no wonder thing thogh it be so; A lousy Iogelour can deceyve thee, And pardee, yet can I more craft than he.' (170)

'Why,' quod the Somnour, 'ryde ye thanne or goon In sondry shap, and nat alwey in oon?' 1470

'For we,' quod he, 'wol us swich formes make As most able is our preyes for to take.'

1471. E. Hn. swiche; Cm. Cp. swich.

'What maketh yow to han al this labour?'

'Ful many a cause, leve sir Somnour,'

Seyde this feend, 'but alle thing hath tyme. 1475 The day is short, and it is pa.s.sed pryme, And yet ne wan I no-thing in this day.

I wol entende to winnen, if I may, (180) And nat entende our wittes to declare.

For, brother myn, thy wit is al to bare 1480 To understonde, al-thogh I tolde hem thee.

But, for thou axest why labouren we; For, som-tyme, we ben G.o.ddes instruments, And menes to don his comandements, Whan that him list, up-on his creatures, 1485 In divers art and in divers figures.

With-outen him we have no might, certayn, If that him list to stonden ther-agayn. (190) And som-tyme, at our prayere, han we leve Only the body and nat the soule greve; 1490 Witnesse on Iob, whom that we diden wo.

And som-tyme han we might of bothe two, This is to seyn, of soule and body eke.

And somtyme be we suffred for to seke Up-on a man, and doon his soule unreste, 1495 And nat his body, and al is for the beste.

Whan he withstandeth our temptacioun, It is a cause of his savacioun; (200) [365: T. 7081-7118.]

Al-be-it that it was nat our entente He sholde be sauf, but that we wolde him hente. 1500 And som-tyme be we servant un-to man, As to the erchebisshop Seint Dunstan, And to the apostles servant eek was I.'

1479. E. hir; _rest_ oure. Cm. wordis; Hl. thinges; _rest_ wittes.

1486. E. Hn. Cm. diuerse (_2nd time_). 1496. body] E. soule(!).

1498. E. _om._ a; Cm. the. 1502. E. bisshop(!).

'Yet tel me,' quod the Somnour, 'feithfully, Make ye yow newe bodies thus alway 1505 Of elements?' the feend answerde, 'nay; Som-tyme we feyne, and som-tyme we aryse With dede bodies in ful sondry wyse, (210) And speke as renably and faire and wel As to the Phitonissa dide Samuel. 1510 And yet wol som men seye it was nat he; I do no fors of your divinitee.

But o thing warne I thee, I wol nat Iape, Thou wolt algates wite how we ben shape; Thou shalt her-afterward, my brother dere, 1515 Com ther thee nedeth nat of me to lere.