Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 71

1783. E. Hn. fourtnyght; _rest_ fourtenight. 1784. E. Hn. I haue; _rest_ haue I. 1792. Hl. ay (_for_ al). 1793. Hl. a ful glorious.

1794. E. thise; Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. we.

'Yond in the yerd I trowe that she be,' (90) Seyde this man, 'and she wol come anon.'

'Ey, maister! wel-come be ye, by seint Iohn!' 1800 Seyde this wyf, 'how fare ye hertely?'

The frere aryseth up ful curteisly, And hir embraceth in his armes narwe, [375: T. 7386-7422.]

And kiste hir swete, and chirketh as a sparwe With his lippes: 'dame,' quod he, 'right weel, 1805 As he that is your servant every deel.

Thanked be G.o.d, that yow yaf soule and lyf, Yet saugh I nat this day so fair a wyf (100) In al the chirche, G.o.d so save me!'

1804. E. Hn. chirteth.

'Ye, G.o.d amende defautes, sir,' quod she, 1810 'Algates wel-come be ye, by my fey!'

'Graunt mercy, dame, this have I founde alwey.

But of your grete goodnesse, by your leve, I wolde prey yow that ye nat yow greve, I wol with Thomas speke a litel throwe. 1815 Thise curats been ful necligent and slowe To grope tendrely a conscience.

In shrift, in preching is my diligence, (110) And studie in Petres wordes, and in Poules.

I walke, and fisshe Cristen mennes soules, 1820 To yelden Iesu Crist his propre rente; To sprede his word is set al myn entente.'

'Now, by your leve, o dere sir,' quod she, 'Chydeth him weel, for seinte Trinitee.

He is as angry as a p.i.s.semyre, 1825 Though that he have al that he can desyre.

Though I him wrye a-night and make him warm, And on hym leye my leg outher myn arm, (120) He groneth lyk our boor, lyth in our sty.

Other desport right noon of him have I; 1830 I may nat plese him in no maner cas.'

1830. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. of him right non.

'O Thomas! _Ie vous dy_, Thomas! Thomas!

This maketh the feend, this moste ben amended.

Ire is a thing that hye G.o.d defended, And ther-of wol I speke a word or two.' 1835

1832. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. _Ieo_.

'Now maister,' quod the wyf, 'er that I go, What wol ye dyne? I wol go ther-aboute.'

'Now dame,' quod he, '_Ie vous dy sanz doute_, (130) Have I nat of a capon but the livere, And of your softe breed nat but a s.h.i.+vere, 1840 [376: T. 7423-7459.]

And after that a rosted pigges heed, (But that I nolde no beest for me were deed), Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce.

I am a man of litel sustenaunce.

My spirit hath his fostring in the Bible. 1845 The body is ay so redy and penyble To wake, that my stomak is destroyed.

I prey yow, dame, ye be nat anoyed, (140) Though I so freendly yow my conseil shewe; By G.o.d, I wolde nat telle it but a fewe.' 1850

1838. Cp. Pt. Hl. _Ieo_.

'Now, sir,' quod she, 'but o word er I go; My child is deed with-inne thise wykes two, Sone after that ye wente out of this toun.'

'His deeth saugh I by revelacioun,'

Seith this frere, 'at hoom in our dortour. 1855 I dar wel seyn that, er that half an hour After his deeth, I saugh him born to blisse In myn avisioun, so G.o.d me wisse! (150) So dide our s.e.xteyn and our fermerer, That han been trewe freres fifty yeer; 1860 They may now, G.o.d be thanked of his lone, Maken hir Iubilee and walke allone.

And up I roos, and al our covent eke, With many a tere trikling on my cheke, Withouten noyse or clateringe of belles; 1865 _Te deum_ was our song and no-thing elles, Save that to Crist I seyde an orisoun, Thankinge him of his revelacioun. (160) For sir and dame, trusteth me right weel, Our orisons been more effectueel, 1870 And more we seen of Cristes secree thinges Than burel folk, al-though they weren kinges.

We live in povert and in abstinence, And burel folk in richesse and despence Of mete and drinke, and in hir foul delyt. 1875 We han this worldes l.u.s.t al in despyt.

Lazar and Dives liveden diversly, [377: T. 7460-7496.]

And diverse guerdon hadden they ther-by. (170) Who-so wol preye, he moot faste and be clene, And fatte his soule and make his body lene. 1880 We fare as seith thapostle; cloth and fode Suffysen us, though they be nat ful G.o.de.

The clennesse and the fastinge of us freres Maketh that Crist accepteth our preyeres.

1856. Ln. than; _rest_ that. 1870. E. Hn. wel moore; _rest om._ wel. 1872. Hl. borel. 1873. Cm. Hl. pouert; _rest_ pouerte. 1874.

Hl. borel. 1878. E. Hn. gerdon; Cm. gerdoun; Pt. guardon.

Lo, Moyses fourty dayes and fourty night 1885 Fasted, er that the heighe G.o.d of might Spak with him in the mountain of Sinay.

With empty wombe, fastinge many a day, (180) Receyved he the lawe that was writen With G.o.ddes finger; and Elie, wel ye witen, 1890 In mount Oreb, er he hadde any speche With hye G.o.d, that is our lyves leche, He fasted longe and was in contemplaunce.

1887. Hn. mountayne; Ln. Dd. mounte; _rest_ mount.

Aaron, that hadde the temple in governaunce, And eek the othere preestes everichon, 1895 In-to the temple whan they sholde gon To preye for the peple, and do servyse, They nolden drinken, in no maner wyse, (190) No drinke, which that mighte hem dronke make, But there in abstinence preye and wake, 1900 Lest that they deyden; tak heed what I seye.

But they be sobre that for the peple preye, War that I seye,--namore! for it suffyseth.

Our lord Iesu, as holy writ devyseth, Yaf us ensample of fastinge and preyeres. 1905 Therfor we mendinants, we sely freres, Been wedded to poverte and continence, To charitee, humblesse, and abstinence, (200) To persecucion for rightwisnesse, To wepinge, misericorde, and clennesse. 1910 And therfor may ye see that our preyeres-- I speke of us, we mendinants, we freres-- Ben to the hye G.o.d more acceptable Than youres, with your festes at the table.

[378: T. 7497-7530.]

Fro Paradys first, if I shal nat lye, 1915 Was man out chaced for his glotonye; And chaast was man in Paradys, certeyn.

1895. E. Hn. Cp. Ln. that; Cm. Hl. Pt. the. 1901. E. taak heede.

1906, 12. E. mendynantz.

But herkne now, Thomas, what I shal seyn. (210) I ne have no text of it, as I suppose, But I shall finde it in a maner glose, 1930 That specially our swete lord Iesus Spak this by freres, whan he seyde thus: "Blessed be they that povre in spirit been."

And so forth al the gospel may ye seen, Wher it be lyker our professioun, 1925 Or hirs that swimmen in possessioun.

Fy on hir pompe and on hir glotonye!

And for hir lewednesse I hem diffye. (220)

1918. Cm. Pt. Hl. now; _rest om._ 1923. E. pouere; Hn. poure; Ln. Hl.

pouer; Cm. poore; Cp. pore. 1925. E. Hn. likker; Cm. lykere. 1927.

E. Hn. _om. 2nd_ on.

Me thinketh they ben lyk Iovinian, Fat as a whale, and walkinge as a swan; 1930 Al vinolent as botel in the spence.

Hir preyer is of ful gret reverence; Whan they for soules seye the psalm of Davit, Lo, "buf!" they seye, "_cor meum eructavit_!"

Who folweth Cristes gospel and his fore, 1935 But we that humble been and chast and pore, Werkers of G.o.ddes word, not auditours?

Therfore, right as an hauk up, at a sours, (230) Up springeth in-to their, right so prayeres Of charitable and chaste bisy freres 1940 Maken hir sours to G.o.ddes eres two.

Thomas! Thomas! so mote I ryde or go, And by that lord that clepid is seint Yve, Nere thou our brother, sholdestou nat thryve!

In our chapitre praye we day and night 1945 To Crist, that he thee sende hele and might, Thy body for to welden hastily.'

1934. buf] E. but; Hl. boef. 1935. E. Hn. foore; Cm. Hl. fore; _rest_ lore. 1937. E. Cm. Werkeris. 1938. up at] Hl. vpon. 1939. Hl.

thaer; Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. the eyre (ayre). 1947. E. weelden.

'G.o.d woot,' quod he, 'no-thing ther-of fele I; (240) [379: T. 7531-7565.]

As help me Crist, as I, in fewe yeres, Han spended, up-on dyvers maner freres, 1950 Ful many a pound; yet fare I never the bet.

Certeyn, my good have I almost biset.

Farwel, my gold! for it is al ago!'

1949. Hn. Hl. I in; E. Cm. in a; Pt. I haue in. 1950. Hn. Hl. Haue spended; E. I han spent. 1952. E. I haue.

The frere answerde, 'O Thomas, dostow so?

What nedeth yow diverse freres seche? 1955 What nedeth him that hath a parfit leche To sechen othere leches in the toun?

Your inconstance is your confusioun. (250) Holde ye than me, or elles our covent, To praye for yow ben insufficient? 1960 Thomas, that Iape nis nat worth a myte; Your maladye is for we han to lyte.

"A! yif that covent half a quarter otes!"

"A! yif that covent four and twenty grotes!"