Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 72

"A! yif that frere a peny, and lat him go!" 1965 Nay, nay, Thomas! it may no-thing be so.

What is a ferthing worth parted in twelve?

Lo, ech thing that is oned in him-selve (260) Is more strong than whan it is to-scatered.

Thomas, of me thou shalt nat been y-flatered; 1970 Thou woldest han our labour al for noght.

The hye G.o.d, that al this world hath wroght, Seith that the werkman worthy is his hyre.

Thomas! noght of your tresor I desyre As for my-self, but that al our covent 1975 To preye for yow is ay so diligent, And for to builden Cristes owene chirche.

Thomas! if ye wol lernen for to wirche, (270) Of buildinge up of chirches may ye finde If it be good, in Thomas lyf of Inde. 1980 Ye lye heer, ful of anger and of yre, With which the devel set your herte a-fyre, And chyden heer this sely innocent, [380: T. 7566-7597.]

Your wyf, that is so meke and pacient.

And therfor, Thomas, trowe me if thee leste, 1985 Ne stryve nat with thy wyf, as for thy beste; And ber this word awey now, by thy feith, Touchinge this thing, lo, what the wyse seith: (280) "With-in thyn hous ne be thou no leoun; To thy subgits do noon oppressioun; 1990 Ne make thyne aqueyntances nat to flee."

And Thomas, yet eft-sones I charge thee, Be war from hir that in thy bosom slepeth; War fro the serpent that so slyly crepeth Under the gras, and stingeth subtilly. 1995 Be war, my sone, and herkne paciently, That twenty thousand men han lost hir lyves, For stryving with hir lemmans and hir wyves. (290) Now sith ye han so holy and meke a wyf, What nedeth yow, Thomas, to maken stryf? 2000 Ther nis, y-wis, no serpent so cruel, Whan man tret on his tayl, ne half so fel, As womman is, whan she hath caught an ire; Vengeance is thanne al that they desyre.

Ire is a sinne, oon of the grete of sevene, 2005 Abhominable un-to the G.o.d of hevene; And to him-self it is destruccion.

This every lewed viker or person (300) Can seye, how Ire engendreth homicyde.

Ire is, in sooth, executour of pryde. 2010 I coude of Ire seye so muche sorwe, My tale sholde laste til to-morwe.

And therfor preye I G.o.d bothe day and night, An irous man, G.o.d sende him litel might!

It is greet harm and, certes, gret pitee, 2015 [381: T. 7598-7632.]

To sette an irous man in heigh degree.

1959. E. thanne. 1968. E. it-; _rest_ him-. 1977. E. Hn. Hl.

buylden; Cm. bildyn; Cp. bulden; Pt. beelden; Ln. bilden. 1981. E.

_om._ and. 1983. E. Hn. Hl. the; _rest_ this. 1988. E. this; _rest_ swich (such). 1989. _All_ With-inne. 1991. E. Hn. Cm. aqueyntances; Hl. acqueyntis; _rest_ aqueintance. Cm. not to; Pt. for to; Hl. fro thee; _rest_ nat for to. 1993. Pt. yre (_for_ hir). 1994. Hn. War fro; Hl. War for; Pt. Ware the for; Cm. By-war from; E. Be war fro; Cp.

Ln. Be war of. 1999. Hl. and meke; Cp. Ln. and so meke; _rest_ meke. 2002. E. What (_for_ Whan). E. Hn. man tret; Cm. man trat; _rest_ men trede. After 2004 Hl. _ins. 2 spurious lines_: Schortly may no man by rym and vers Tellen her thoughtes, thay ben so diuers.

_After_ 2012 Hl. _ins. 2 spurious lines_: Ire is the grate of synne as saith the wise To fle ther-fro ech man schuld him deuyse. 2015. Hn.

Cp. Ln. certes; Hl. also; _rest_ eke (eek).

Whilom ther was an irous potestat, As seith Senek, that, duringe his estaat, (310) Up-on a day out riden knightes two, And as fortune wolde that it were so, 2020 That oon of hem cam hoom, that other noght.

Anon the knight bifore the Iuge is broght, That seyde thus, 'thou hast thy felawe slayn, For which I deme thee to the deeth, certayn.'

And to another knight comanded he, 2025 'Go lede him to the deeth, I charge thee.'

And happed, as they wente by the weye Toward the place ther he sholde deye, (320) The knight cam, which men wenden had be deed.

Thanne thoughte they, it was the beste reed, 2030 To lede hem bothe to the Iuge agayn.

They seiden, 'lord, the knight ne hath nat slayn His felawe; here he standeth hool alyve.'

'Ye shul be deed,' quod he, 'so moot I thryve!

That is to seyn, bothe oon, and two, and three!' 2035 And to the firste knight right thus spak he, 'I dampned thee, thou most algate be deed.

And thou also most nedes lese thyn heed, (330) For thou art cause why thy felawe deyth.'

And to the thridde knight right thus he seyth, 2040 'Thou hast nat doon that I comanded thee.'

And thus he dide don sleen hem alle three.

2037. _Here_ Hl. _adds two spurious lines_: Than thoughte thay it were the beste rede To lede him forth into a fair mede.

Irous Cambyses was eek dronkelewe, And ay delyted him to been a shrewe.

And so bifel, a lord of his meynee, 2045 That lovede vertuous moralitee, Seyde on a day bitwix hem two right thus: 'A lord is lost, if he be vicious; (340) And dronkenesse is eek a foul record Of any man, and namely in a lord. 2050 [382: T. 7633-7669.]

Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere Awaiting on a lord, and he noot where.

For G.o.ddes love, drink more attemprely; Wyn maketh man to lesen wrecchedly His minde, and eek his limes everichon.' 2055

2046. Hn. Cm. louede (= lov'de); E. loued. 2047. E. bitwene. 2048.

_Here_ Hl. _adds two spurious lines_: An irous man is lik a frentik best In which ther is of wisdom noon arrest. 2048. E. Pt. vicius.

2050. Hl. of (_for_ in). 2055. Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. eek; _rest om._

'The revers shaltou se,' quod he, 'anon; And preve it, by thyn owene experience, That wyn ne dooth to folk no swich offence. (350) Ther is no wyn bireveth me my might Of hand ne foot, ne of myn eyen sight'-- 2060 And, for despyt, he drank ful muchel more An hondred part than he had doon bifore; And right anon, this irous cursed wrecche Leet this knightes sone bifore him fecche, Comandinge him he sholde bifore him stonde. 2065 And sodeynly he took his bowe in honde, And up the streng he pulled to his ere, And with an arwe he slow the child right there: (360) 'Now whether have I a siker hand or noon?'

Quod he, 'is al my might and minde agoon? 2070 Hath wyn bireved me myn eyen sight?'

2062. E. _om._ doon. 2064. Hl. sone anoon; _rest_ sone. 2069. E.

wheither. 2071. E. bireft; _rest_ byreued.

What sholde I telle thanswere of the knight?

His sone was slayn, ther is na-more to seye.

Beth war therfor with lordes how ye pleye.

Singeth _Placebo_, and I shal, if I can, 2075 But if it be un-to a povre man.

To a povre man men sholde hise vyces telle, But nat to a lord, thogh he sholde go to h.e.l.le. (370)

Lo irous Cirus, thilke Percien, How he destroyed the river of Gysen, 2080 For that an hors of his was dreynt ther-inne, Whan that he wente Babiloigne to winne.

He made that the river was so smal, That wommen mighte wade it over al.

Lo, what seyde he, that so wel teche can? 2085 "Ne be no felawe to an irous man, Ne with no wood man walke by the weye, [383: T. 7670-7704.]

Lest thee repente;" ther is na-more to seye. (380)

Now Thomas, leve brother, lef thyn ire; Thou shall me finde as Iust as is a squire. 2090 Hold nat the develes knyf ay at thyn herte; Thyn angre dooth thee al to sore smerte; But shewe to me al thy confessioun.'

2091, 2. Hl. _transposes these lines._

'Nay,' quod the syke man, 'by Seint Simoun!

I have be shriven this day at my curat; 2095 I have him told al hoolly myn estat; Nedeth na-more to speke of it,' seith he, 'But if me list of myn humilitee.' (390)

2095. Hl. of (_for_ at). 2096. E. Hn. Hl. hoolly al; _rest_ al holly (holy). 2097. E. Hl. speken.

'Yif me thanne of thy gold, to make our cloistre,'

Quod he, 'for many a muscle and many an oistre, 2100 Whan other men han ben ful wel at eyse, Hath been our fode, our cloistre for to reyse.

And yet, G.o.d woot, unnethe the fundement Parfourned is, ne of our pavement Nis nat a tyle yet with-inne our wones; 2105 By G.o.d, we owen fourty pound for stones!

Now help, Thomas, for him that harwed h.e.l.le!

For elles moste we our bokes selle. (400) And if ye lakke our predicacioun, Than gooth the world al to destruccioun. 2110 For who-so wolde us fro this world bireve, So G.o.d me save, Thomas, by your leve, He wolde bireve out of this world the sonne.

For who can teche and werchen as we conne?

And that is nat of litel tyme,' quod he; 2115 'But sith that Elie was, or Elisee, Han freres been, that finde I of record, In charitee, y-thanked be our lord. (410) Now Thomas, help, for seinte charitee!'

And doun anon he sette him on his knee. 2120

2101, 2. Hl. _transposes these lines_. 2105. E. Cm. tyl; _rest_ tyle. 2110. E. Thanne. 2116. Hl. siththen; Cp. Ln. sethyns; Cm.

sithe that; E. syn; Hn. Ln. sith. E. Ennok; _rest_ Elie (Elye).

This syke man wex wel ny wood for ire; He wolde that the frere had been on-fire [384: T. 7705-7738.]

With his false dissimulacioun.

'Swich thing as is in my possessioun,'

Quod he, 'that may I yeven, and non other. 2125 Ye sey me thus, how that I am your brother?'

2121. E. wax; Hn. weex; _rest_ wex. 2125. Hl. yeue yow; _rest om._ yow. 2126. E. Cp. Ln. _om._ how.

'Ye, certes,' quod the frere, 'trusteth weel; I took our dame our lettre with our seel.' (420)

2128. Hn. Cm. Cp. Ln. with; E. and; Pt. of; Hl. vnder.

'Now wel,' quod he, 'and som-what shal I yive Un-to your holy covent whyl I live, 2130 And in thyn hand thou shalt it have anoon; On this condicioun, and other noon, That thou departe it so, my dere brother, That every frere have also muche as other.

This shaltou swere on thy professioun, 2135 With-outen fraude or cavillacioun.'

2129. Cp. Hl. yiue; _rest_ yeue. 2133. E. leeue; _rest_ dere (deere).