Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 73

'I swere it,' quod this frere, 'upon my feith!'

And ther-with-al his hand in his he leith: (430) 'Lo, heer my feith! in me shal be no lak.'

2137. E. Pt. by; _rest_ vpon.

'Now thanne, put thyn hand doun by my bak,' 2140 Seyde this man, 'and grope wel bihinde; Bynethe my b.u.t.tok ther shaltow finde A thing that I have hid in privetee.'

2140. E. Now thanne put in; Hn. Hl. Now thanne put; Pt. Now than put; Cp. Ln. Than putte (put).

'A!' thoghte this frere, 'this shal go with me!'

And doun his hand he launcheth to the clifte, 2145 In hope for to finde ther a yifte.

And whan this syke man felte this frere Aboute his tuwel grope there and here, (440) Amidde his hand he leet the frere a fart.

Ther nis no capul, drawinge in a cart, 2150 That mighte have lete a fart of swich a soun.

2145. Hl. launched; Cp. Pt. Ln. launceth. 2148. Cm. tewel; Hl. tuel; Ln. touele.

'The frere up stirte as doth a wood leoun: 'A! false cherl,' quod he, 'for G.o.ddes bones, This hastow for despyt doon, for the nones!

Thou shalt abye this fart, if that I may!' 2155

2153. E. Pt. Ln. fals.

His meynee, whiche that herden this affray, [385: T. 7739-7773.]

Cam lepinge in, and chaced out the frere; And forth he gooth, with a ful angry chere, (450) And fette his felawe, ther-as lay his stoor.

He looked as it were a wilde boor; 2160 He grinte with his teeth, so was he wrooth.

A st.u.r.dy pas doun to the court he gooth, Wher-as ther woned a man of greet honour, To whom that he was alwey confessour; This worthy man was lord of that village. 2165 This frere cam, as he were in a rage, Wher-as this lord sat eting at his bord.

Unnethes mighte the frere speke a word, (460) Til atte laste he seyde: 'G.o.d yow see!'

2161. Hn. Cm. Pt. grynt; Cp. grynded; Ln. grenteth. 2162. E. Hn. Cp.

Hl. paas. E. lordes court; _rest om._ lordes. 2163. E. _om._ ther.

This lord gan loke, and seide, '_benedicite!_ 2170 What, frere Iohn, what maner world is this?

I see wel that som thing ther is amis.

Ye loken as the wode were ful of thevis, Sit doun anon, and tel me what your greef is, And it shal been amended, if I may.' 2175

2170. E. bigan to; Cm. gan to; _rest_ gan. 2172. _So_ Hn. Cm.; E. I trowe som manerthing. 2174. Cp. greef; Cm. Hl. gref; E. Hn. grief.

2175. E. Cp. Ln. Hl. if that; _rest om._ that.

'I have,' quod he, 'had a despyt this day, G.o.d yelde yow! adoun in your village, That in this world is noon so povre a page, (470) That he nolde have abhominacioun Of that I have receyved in your toun. 2180 And yet ne greveth me no-thing so sore, As that this olde cherl, with lokkes h.o.r.e, Blasphemed hath our holy covent eke.'

2181. E. Cp. Ln. _om._ ne.

'Now, maister,' quod this lord, 'I yow biseke.'

'No maister, sire,' quod he, 'but servitour, 2185 Thogh I have had in scole swich honour.

G.o.d lyketh nat that "Raby" men us calle, Neither in market ne in your large halle.' (480)

2185. E. Cp. Pt. Ln. _om._ sire. 2186. E. swich; Hl. such; _rest_ that.

'No fors,' quod he, 'but tel me al your grief.'

'Sire,' quod this frere, 'an odious meschief 2190 This day bitid is to myn ordre and me, [386: T. 7774-7808.]

And so _per consequens_ to ech degree Of holy chirche, G.o.d amende it sone!'

2190. E. he (_for_ this frere). 2192. E. Pt. in; _rest_ to.

'Sir,' quod the lord, 'ye woot what is to done.

Distempre yow noght, ye be my confessour; 2195 Ye been the salt of the erthe and the savour.

For G.o.ddes love your pacience ye holde; Tel me your grief:' and he anon him tolde, (490) As ye han herd biforn, ye woot wel what.

The lady of the hous ay stille sat, 2200 Til she had herd al what the frere sayde: 'Ey, G.o.ddes moder,' quod she, 'blisful mayde!

Is ther oght elles? telle me faithfully.'

2200. E. al; _rest_ ay. 2201. MS. Add. 5140. all; _rest om._

'Madame,' quod he, 'how thinketh yow her-by?'

2204. Hn. thynketh yow; Cp. thenke you; Hl. Ln. thynke yow; E. thynke ye. Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. ther-by.

'How that me thinketh?' quod she; 'so G.o.d me speede, I seye, a cherl hath doon a cherles dede.

What shold I seye? G.o.d lat him never thee!

His syke heed is ful of vanitee, (500) I hold him in a maner frenesye.'

2205. thinketh = think'th.

'Madame,' quod he, 'by G.o.d I shal nat lye; 2210 But I on other weyes may be wreke, I shal diffame him over-al ther I speke, This false blasphemour, that charged me To parte that wol nat departed be, To every man y-liche, with meschaunce!' 2215

2211. E. _ins._ hym _after_ on (_wrongly_). E. _om._ may. 2212. Hn.

Cp. diffame; Cm. Hl. defame; E. disclaundre.

The lord sat stille as he were in a traunce, And in his herte he rolled up and doun, 'How hadde this cherl imaginacioun (510) To shewe swich a probleme to the frere?

Never erst er now herde I of swich matere; 2220 I trowe the devel putte it in his minde.

In ars-metryke shal ther no man finde, Biforn this day, of swich a questioun.

Who sholde make a demonstracioun, That every man sholde have y-liche his part 2225 As of the soun or savour of a fart?

[387: T. 7809-7843.]

O nyce proude cherl, I shrewe his face!

Lo, sires,' quod the lord, with harde grace, (520) 'Who ever herde of swich a thing er now?

To every man y-lyke? tel me how? 2230 It is an inpossible, it may nat be!

Ey, nyce cherl, G.o.d lete him never thee!

The rumblinge of a fart, and every soun, Nis but of eir reverberacioun, And ever it wasteth lyte and lyte awey. 2235 Ther is no man can demen, by my fey, If that it were departed equally.

What, lo, my cherl, lo, yet how shrewedly (530) Un-to my confessour to-day he spak!

I holde him certeyn a demoniak! 2240 Now ete your mete, and lat the cherl go pleye, Lat him go honge himself a devel weye!'

2218. E. the (_for_ this). E. Cm. _insert_ this _after_ cherl.

2222. Ln. metrike; _rest_ metrik. 2224. _So the rest_; E. Certes it was a shrewed conclusion. 2227. E. vile; _rest_ nyce. 2229. E.

herd; _rest_ herde. E. Cm. Cp. herd euere. 2232. him] E. thee.

2235. E. Cp. Pt. Hl. litel and litel.

Now stood the lordes squyer at the bord, That carf his mete, and herde, word by word, Of alle thinges of which I have yow sayd. 2245 'My lord,' quod he, 'be ye nat yvel apayd; I coude telle, for a goune-clooth, To yow, sir frere, so ye be nat wrooth, (540) How that this fart sholde even deled be Among your covent, if it lyked me.' 2250