Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 8

Of double worsted was his semi-cope, That rounded as a belle out of the presse.

[9: T. 266-300.]

Somwhat he lipsed, for his wantownesse, To make his English swete up-on his tonge; 265 And in his harping, whan that he had songe, His eyen twinkled in his heed aright, As doon the sterres in the frosty night. (270) This worthy limitour was cleped Huberd.

208. E. wantowne. 211. Hn. muche; E. muchel. 213. Hl. owne; E.

owene. 215. E. And; _rest_ Ful. 217. Hl. Hn. eek; _rest omit_.

224. Hl. Cm. han; E. haue. 229. E. harde. 231. E. wepynge. 232.

E. Hn. moote; _see note_. 234. E. yonge; _rest_ faire. 235. Hl.

mery; E. murye. 237. E. baar. Pt. vttirly; Hl. vtturly; E. Hn.

outrely. 240. E. al the; _rest_ euery. 245. E. Hn. Cm. sike; Pt.

Ln. seke; see l. 18. 246. Cm. honest; E. honeste. 248. E.

selleres. 250. E. lowely. _After_ l. 252, Hn. _alone inserts_ ll. 252 _b_ and 252 c. 259. Hl. Cm. cloysterer; E. Hn. Cloystrer. 260. _So all the_ MSS. (_but with_ -bare); _cf_. l. 290. 262. _All_ worstede (_badly_). 266. Pt. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde.

A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, MARCHANT.

In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, 271 Up-on his heed a Flaundrish bever hat; His botes clasped faire and fetisly.

His resons he spak ful solempnely, Souninge alway thencrees of his winning. 275 He wolde the see were kept for any thing Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.

Wel coude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle. (280) This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette; Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette, 280 So estatly was he of his governaunce, With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce.

For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle, But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle.

271. Ln. motteley; Hl. motteleye; E. Hn. motlee. 272. E. beu_er_e.

273. Cp. Pt. clapsed; Hl. clapsud. 274. E. Hise. 281. Cp. statly.

A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also, CLERK.

That un-to logik hadde longe y-go. 286 As lene was his hors as is a rake, And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; (290) But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly.

Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; 290 For he had geten him yet no benefyce, Ne was so worldly for to have offyce.

For him was lever have at his beddes heed Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed, Of Aristotle and his philosophye, 295 Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrye.

But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre; (300) [10: T. 301-336.]

But al that he mighte of his freendes hente, On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, 300 And bisily gan for the soules preye Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye.

Of studie took he most cure and most hede.

Noght o word spak he more than was nede, And that was seyd in forme and reverence, 305 And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence.

Souninge in moral vertu was his speche, And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. (310)

287. E. And; Hl. Al so; _rest_ As. 289. E. Hn. sobrely; _rest_ soburly. 290. _All_ -bare. Hl. ouerest; E. Hn. Cm. ouereste. 291.

Cp. Ln. had; _rest_ hadde. 293. Cp. Ln. Hl. leuer; _rest_ leuere.

300. E. Hl. his; _rest_ on.

A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys, MAN OF LAWE.

That often hadde been at the parvys, 310 Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.

Discreet he was, and of greet reverence: He semed swich, his wordes weren so wyse.

Iustyce he was ful often in a.s.syse, By patente, and by pleyn commissioun; 315 For his science, and for his heigh renoun Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.

So greet a purchasour was no-wher noon. (320) Al was fee simple to him in effect, His purchasing mighte nat been infect. 320 No-wher so bisy a man as he ther nas, And yet he semed bisier than he was.

In termes hadde he caas and domes alle, That from the tyme of king William were falle.

Therto he coude endyte, and make a thing, 325 Ther coude no wight pinche at his wryting; And every statut coude he pleyn by rote.

He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote (330) Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale; Of his array telle I no lenger tale.

324. E. yfalle; _rest_ falle. 326. E. Hn. pynchen; _rest_ pynche, pinche.

A FRANKELEYN was in his companye; FRANKELEYN.

Whyt was his berd, as is the dayesye.

Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.

Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn.

[11: T. 337-370.]

To liven in delyt was ever his wone, 335 For he was Epicurus owne sone, That heeld opinioun, that pleyn delyt Was verraily felicitee parfyt.

An housholdere, and that a greet, was he; (340) Seint Iulian he was in his contree.

His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon; A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon.

With-oute bake mete was never his hous, Of fish and flesh, and that so plentevous, It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke, 345 Of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.

After the sondry sesons of the yeer, So chaunged he his mete and his soper. (350) Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe, And many a breem and many a luce in stewe. 350 Wo was his cook, but-if his sauce were Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere.

His table dormant in his halle alway Stood redy covered al the longe day.

At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire; 355 Ful ofte tyme he was knight of the s.h.i.+re.

An anlas and a gipser al of silk Heng at his girdel, whyt as morne milk. (360) A s.h.i.+rreve hadde he been, and a countour; Was no-wher such a worthy vavasour. 360

332. E. heed; _ rest_ berd, berde. E. a; _rest_ the. 335. ever] Hl.

al. 336. E. Hn. Cm. owene; _rest_ owne. 338. Hl. verraily; _rest_ verray, verrey, uery. 340. E. was he; _rest_ he was. 341. Cm. Ln.

alwey; Hl. alway; E. Hn. Cp. alweys. 342. Hl. Pt. nowher; Cm. nower: _rest_ neuere; _cf_. l. 360. 349, 350. E. Hn. muwe, stuwe. 357. E.

Hn. anlaas; Hl. Cm. anlas. 358. E. Hn. heeng. 359. E. Hn. Cm. _om._ a.

An HABERDa.s.sHER and a CARPENTER, HABAERDa.s.sHER.

A WEBBE, a DYERE, and a TAPICER, CARPENTER.

Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, WEBBE. DYERE.

Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. TAPICER.

Ful fresh and newe hir gere apyked was; 365 Hir knyves were y-chaped noght with bras, But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel, Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. (370) [12: T. 371-406.]

Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys, To sitten in a yeldhalle on a deys. 370 Everich, for the wisdom that he can, Was shaply for to been an alderman.

For catel hadde they y-nogh and rente, And eek hir wyves wolde it wel a.s.sente; And elles certein were they to blame. 375 It is ful fair to been y-clept "_ma dame_,"

And goon to vigilyes al bifore, And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. (380)

363. _So_ Hl.; _rest_ And they were clothed alle. 364. _All but_ Hl.

and a. 366. Hl. I-chapud; Cm. chapid; _rest_ chaped. 370. E.

yeldehalle. 376. E. Hn. ycleped; Hl. clept; _rest_ cleped, clepid.

380. Hl. _om. 1st_ the.

A COOK they hadde with hem for the nones, COOK.

To boille the chiknes with the mary-bones, 380 And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale.

Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale.

He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye, Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.

But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me, 385 That on his s.h.i.+ne a mormal hadde he; For blankmanger, that made he with the beste. (389)

383. E. Hl. boille; Cm. boyle; _rest_ broille, broile. 388. E.

wonynge; Hn. wonyng.

A s.h.i.+PMAN was ther, woning fer by weste: s.h.i.+PMAN.

For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.

He rood up-on a rouncy, as he couthe, 390 In a gowne of falding to the knee.

A daggere hanging on a laas hadde he Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.

The hote somer had maad his hewe al broun; And, certeinly, he was a good felawe. 395 Ful many a draughte of wyn had he y-drawe From Burdeux-ward, whyl that the chapman sleep.

Of nyce conscience took he no keep. (400) If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond, By water he sente hem hoom to every lond. 400 But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes, His stremes and his daungers him bisydes, His herberwe and his mone, his lodemenage, Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.

[13: T. 407-441.]

Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; 405 With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.

He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were, From Gootlond to the cape of Finistere, (410) And every cryke in Britayne and in Spayne; His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne. 410

396. Cm. I-drawe; _rest_ drawe. 407. Hl. _ins._ wel; _rest om._