Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 86

'My wyf,' quod he, 'ther may no wight sey nay; Thexperience so preveth every day The treson whiche that wommen doon to man.

Ten hondred thousand [stories] telle I can 2240 [455: T. 10115-10149.]

Notable of your untrouthe and brotilnesse.

O Salomon, wys, richest of richesse, Fulfild of sapience and of worldly glorie, Ful worthy been thy wordes to memorie (1000) To every wight that wit and reson can. 2245 Thus preiseth he yet the bountee of man: "Amonges a thousand men yet fond I oon, But of wommen alle fond I noon."

2237. E. seye. 2239. E. tresons. 2240. _I supply_ stories. Pt.

Ln. telle; _rest_ tellen. 2242. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. wys and; Cp. Pt. Ln.

_om. both_ wys _and_ and. 2247, 8. E. foond.

Thus seith the king that knoweth your wikkednesse; And Iesus _filius Syrak_, as I gesse, 2250 Ne speketh of yow but selde reverence.

A wilde fyr and corrupt pestilence So falle up-on your bodies yet to-night!

Ne see ye nat this honurable knight, (1010) By-cause, allas! that he is blind and old, 2255 His owene man shal make him c.o.kewold; Lo heer he sit, the lechour, in the tree.

Now wol I graunten, of my magestee, Un-to this olde blinde worthy knight That he shal have ayeyn his eyen sight, 2260 Whan that his wyf wold doon him vileinye; Than shal he knowen al hir harlotrye Both in repreve of hir and othere mo.'

2262. E. Thanne.

'Ye shal,' quod Proserpyne, 'wol ye so; (1020) Now, by my modres sires soule I swere, 2265 That I shal yeven hir suffisant answere, And alle wommen after, for hir sake; That, though they be in any gilt y-take, With face bold they shulle hem-self excuse, And bere hem doun that wolden hem accuse. 2270 For lakke of answer, noon of hem shal dyen.

Al hadde man seyn a thing with bothe his yen, Yit shul we wommen visage it hardily, And wepe, and swere, and chyde subtilly, (1030) So that ye men shul been as lewed as gees.

[456: T. 10150-10184.]

What rekketh me of your auctoritees?

2264. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. and wol (_for_ wol). 2272. Pt. Hl. yen; _rest_ eyen (ey[gh]en). 2273. Cp. Pt. Ln. so (_for_ wommen). 2274. E.

visage it (_for_ chyde, _by mistake_).

I woot wel that this Iew, this Salomon, Fond of us wommen foles many oon.

But though that he ne fond no good womman, Yet hath ther founde many another man 2280 Wommen ful trewe, ful G.o.de, and vertuous.

Witnesse on hem that dwelle in Cristes hous, With martirdom they preved hir constance.

The Romayn gestes maken remembrance (1040) Of many a verray trewe wyf also. 2285 But sire, ne be nat wrooth, al-be-it so, Though that he seyde he fond no good womman, I prey yow take the sentence of the man; He mente thus, that in sovereyn bontee Nis noon but G.o.d, that sit in Trinitee. 2290

2278. E. Foond; fooles. 2279. E. foond. 2284. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. eek maken; _rest om._ eek. 2287. E. foond. 2290. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. but neither he ne she (_for_ that ... Trinitee).

Ey! for verray G.o.d, that nis but oon, What make ye so muche of Salomon?

What though he made a temple, G.o.ddes hous?

What though he were riche and glorious? (1050) So made he eek a temple of false G.o.ddis, 2295 How mighte he do a thing that more forbode is?

Pardee, as faire as ye his name emplastre, He was a lechour and an ydolastre; And in his elde he verray G.o.d forsook.

And if that G.o.d ne hadde, as seith the book, 2300 Y-spared him for his fadres sake, he sholde Have lost his regne rather than he wolde.

I sette noght of al the vileinye, That ye of wommen wryte, a boterflye. (1060) I am a womman, nedes moot I speke, 2305 Or elles swelle til myn herte breke.

For sithen he seyde that we ben Iangleresses, As ever hool I mote brouke my tresses, I shal nat spare, for no curteisye, To speke him harm that wolde us vileinye.' 2310 [457: T. 10185-10221.]

'Dame,' quod this Pluto, 'be no lenger wrooth; I yeve it up; but sith I swoor myn ooth That I wolde graunten him his sighte ageyn, My word shal stonde, I warne yow, certeyn. (1070) I am a king, it sit me noght to lye.' 2315

2291. _So all_. 2298. E. lecchour. 2300. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. _om._ that. 2301. E. Cm. _om._ him. 2303. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. sette right noght.

'And I,' quod she, 'a queene of fayerye.

Hir answere shal she have, I undertake; Lat us na-more wordes heer-of make.

For sothe, I wol no lenger yow contrarie.'

2316. Cp. Hl. fayerye; _rest_ fairye (fayre).

Now lat us turne agayn to Ianuarie, 2320 That in the gardin with his faire May Singeth, ful merier than the papeiay, 'Yow love I best, and shal, and other noon.'

So longe aboute the aleyes is he goon, (1080) Til he was come agaynes thilke pyrie, 2325 Wher-as this Damian sitteth fill myrie An heigh, among the fresshe leves grene.

2322. E. Hn. Cm. murier. 2325. Hl. agaynes; _rest_ agayns. 2327.

Pt. Ln. Hl. On (_for_ An).

This fresshe May, that is so bright and shene, Gan for to syke, and seyde, 'allas, my syde!

Now sir,' quod she, 'for aught that may bityde, 2330 I moste han of the peres that I see, Or I mot dye, so sore longeth me To eten of the smale peres grene.

Help, for hir love that is of hevene quene! (1090) I telle yow wel, a womman in my plyt 2335 May han to fruit so greet an appetyt, That she may dyen, but she of it have.'

'Allas!' quod he, 'that I ne had heer a knave That coude climbe; allas! allas!' quod he, 'That I am blind.' 'Ye, sir, no fors,' quod she: 2340 'But wolde ye vouche-sauf, for G.o.ddes sake, The pyrie inwith your armes for to take, (For wel I woot that ye mistruste me) Thanne sholde I climbe wel y-nogh,' quod she, (1100) 'So I my foot mighte sette upon your bak.' 2345

'Certes,' quod he, 'ther-on shal be no lak, Mighte I yow helpen with myn herte blood.'

[458: T. 10222-10257.]

He stoupeth doun, and on his bak she stood, And caughte hir by a twiste, and up she gooth.

Ladies, I prey yow that ye be nat wrooth; 2350 I can nat glose, I am a rude man.

And sodeynly anon this Damian Gan pullen up the smok, and in he throng.

And whan that Pluto saugh this grete wrong, (1110) To Ianuarie he gaf agayn his sighte, 2355 And made him see, as wel as ever he mighte.

And whan that he hadde caught his sighte agayn, Ne was ther never man of thing so fayn.

But on his wyf his thoght was evermo; Up to the tree he caste his eyen two, 2360 And saugh that Damian his wyf had dressed In swich manere, it may nat ben expressed But if I wolde speke uncurteisly: And up he yaf a roring and a cry (1120) As doth the moder whan the child shal dye: 2365 'Out! help! allas! harrow!' he gan to crye, 'O stronge lady store, what dostow?'

2355. Pt. Ln. Hl. his sight ageyn (_and miss_ ll. 2356, 2357, _by confusion with_ agayn _in_ 2357). 2367. E. Hn. Cm. stoore; Pt. stoor; Cp. Ln. Hl. stoure.

And she answerde, 'sir, what eyleth yow?

Have pacience, and reson in your minde, I have yow holpe on bothe your eyen blinde. 2370 Up peril of my soule, I shal nat lyen, As me was taught, to hele with your yen, Was no-thing bet to make yow to see Than strugle with a man up-on a tree. (1130) G.o.d woot, I dide it in ful good entente.' 2375

2372. Ln. Hl. yen; _rest_ eyen (ey[gh]en).

'Strugle!' quod he, 'ye, algate in it wente!

G.o.d yeve yow bothe on shames deeth to dyen!

He swyved thee, I saugh it with myne yen, And elles be I hanged by the hals!'

2378. Ln. Hl. yen; _rest_ eyen (ey[gh]en).

'Thanne is,' quod she, 'my medicyne al fals; 2380 For certeinly, if that ye mighte see, Ye wolde nat seyn thise wordes un-to me; Ye han som glimsing and no parfit sighte.'

2380. E. Pt. Ln. Hl. _om._ al.

[459: T. 10258-10292.]

'I see,' quod he, 'as wel as ever I mighte, (1140) Thonked be G.o.d! with bothe myne eyen two, 2385 And by my trouthe, me thoughte he dide thee so.'

'Ye maze, maze, G.o.de sire,' quod she, 'This thank have I for I have maad yow see; Allas!' quod she, 'that ever I was so kinde!'

'Now, dame,' quod he, 'lat al pa.s.se out of minde. 2390 Com doun, my lief, and if I have missayd, G.o.d help me so, as I am yvel apayd.

But, by my fader soule, I wende han seyn, How that this Damian had by thee leyn, (1150) And that thy smok had leyn up-on his brest.' 2395

2394, 5. E. hadde.

'Ye, sire,' quod she, 'ye may wene as yow lest; But, sire, a man that waketh out of his sleep, He may nat sodeynly wel taken keep Up-on a thing, ne seen it parfitly, Til that he be adawed verraily; 2400 Right so a man, that longe hath blind y-be, Ne may nat sodeynly so wel y-see, First whan his sighte is newe come ageyn, As he that hath a day or two y-seyn. (1160) Til that your sighte y-satled be a whyle, 2405 Ther may ful many a sighte yow bigyle.

Beth war, I prey yow; for, by hevene king, Ful many a man weneth to seen a thing, And it is al another than it semeth.