Chaucer

With turment, and with shameful deth eche on
This provost doth thise Jewes for to sterve,
That of this morder wiste, and that anon:
He n'old no swiche cursednesse observe:
Evil shal he have, that evil wol deserve.
Therfore with wilde hors he did hem drawe,
And after that he heng hem by the lawe.

Upon his bere ay lith this innocent
Beforn the auter while the masse last:
And after that, the abbot with his covent
Had spedde hem for to berie him ful fast:

And whan they holy water on him cast,

PROLOGUE TO SIRE THOPAS.
WHAN said was this miracle, every man
As sober was, that wonder was to see,
Til that our Hoste to japen he began,
And than at erst he loked upon me,

Aud saide thus; "What man art thou?" quod he.
"Thou lokest, as thou woldest finde an hare,
For ever upon the ground I see thee stare.

"Approche nere, and loke up merily.

Yet spake this child, whan spreint was the holy water, He in the waste is shapen as wel as 1:

Now ware you, sires, and let this man have place.

And sang, o Alma Redemptoris Mater.

This abbot, which that was an holy man,
As monkes ben, or elles ought to be,
This yonge child to conjure he began,
And said; "O dere child, I halse thee
In vertue of the holy Trinitee,
Tell me what is thy cause for to sing,
Sith that thy throte is cut to my seming."

"My throte is cut unto my nekke-bon,"
Saide this child," and as by way of kinde
I shuld have deyd, ye longe time agon:
But Jesu Crist, as ye in bookes finde,
Wol that his glory last and be in minde,
And for the worship of his moder dere,
Yet may I sing o Alma loude and clere.

"This welle of mercie, Cristes moder swete,
I loved alway, as after my conning:
And whan that I my lif shulde forlete,
To me she came, and bad me for to sing
This antem veraily in my dying,

As ye han herde, and, whan that I had songe,
Me thought she laid a grain upon my tonge,

"Wherfore I sing, and sing I mote certain
In honour of that blisful maiden free,
Til fro my tonge of taken is the grain.
And after that thus saide she to me;
'My litel child, than wol I fetchen thee,
Whan that the grain is fro thy tong ytake:
Be not agaste, I wol thee not forsake."

This holy monk, this abbot him mene I,

His tonge out caught, and toke away the grain ;
And he yave up the gost ful softely.
And whan this abbot had this wonder sein,
His salte teres trilled adoun as reyne:
And groff he fell al platte upon the ground,
And still he lay, as he had ben ybound.

The covent lay eke upon the pavement Weping and herying Cristes moder dere. And after that they risen, and forth ben went, And toke away this martir fro his bere, And in a tombe of marble stones clere Enclosen they his litel body swete: Ther he is God lene us for to mete. now, O yonge Hew of Lincoln, slain also With cursed Jewes, as it is notable, For it n'is but a litel while ago, Pray eke for us, we sinful folk unstable, That of his mercy God so merciable On us his grete mercie multiplie, For reverence of his moder Marie.

This were a popet in an arme to enbrace
For any woman, smal and faire of face.
He semeth elvish by his contenance,
For unto no wight doth he daliance.

"Say now somwhat, sin other folk han saide;
Tell us a tale of mirthe and that anon."
"Hoste," quod I, "ne be not evil apaide,
For other tale certes can I non,

But of a rime I lerned yore agon." "Ye, that is good," quod he, "we shullen here Some deintee thing, me thinketh by thy chere."

THE RIME OF SIRE THOPAS.
LISTENETH, lordinges, in good entent,
And I wol tell you verament

Of mirthe and of solas,
Al of a knight was faire and gent
In bataille and in turnament,

His name was sire Thopas.
Yborne he was in fer contree,
In Flandres, al beyonde the see,
At Popering in the place,
His father was a man ful free,
And lord he was of that contree,

As it was Goddes grace.

Sire Thopas was a doughty swain,
White was his face as paindemaine

His lippes red as rose.

His rudde is like scarlet in grain,
And I you tell in good certain

He had a semely nose.

His here, his berde, was like safroun,
That to his girdle raught adoun,

His shoon of cordewane;
Of Brugges were his hosen broun;
His robe was of ciclatoun,

That coste many a jane.

He coude hunt at the wilde dere,
And ride on hauking for the rivere
With grey goshauk on honde :
Therto he was a good archere,
Of wrastling was ther non his pere,
Ther ony ram shuld stonde.

Ful many a maide bright in bour
They mourned for him par amour,
Whan hem were bet to slepe;
But he was chaste and no lechour,
And swete as is the bramble flour,
That bereth the red hepe.

And so it fell upon a day, Forsoth, as I you tellen may, Sire Thopas wold out ride; He worth upon his stede gray, And in his hond a launcegay, A long swerd by his side.

He priketh thurgh a faire forest, Therin is many a wilde best,

Ye bothe buck and bare, And as he priked north and est, I telle it you, him had almeste Betidde a sory care.

Ther springen herbes grete and smale, The licoris and the setewale,

And many a cloue gilofre, And notemuge to put in ale, Whether it be moist or stale, Or for to lain in cofre.

The briddes singen, it is no nay,
The sperbauk and the popingay,
That joye it was to here,
The throstel cok made eke his lay,
The wode dove upon the spray

He sang ful loude and clere.

Sire Thopas fell in love-longing
Al whan he herd the throstel sing,
And priked as he were wood;
His faire stede in his priking

So swatte, that men might him wring,
His sides were al blood.

Sire Thopas eke so wery was
For priking on the softe gras,

So fiers was his corage,

That doun he laid him in that place
To maken his stede som solace,
And yaf him good forage.

"A, Seinte Mary, benedicite,
What aileth this love at me

To binde me so sore?
Me dremed all this night parde,
An elf-quene shal my lemman be,
And slepe under my gore.

"An elf-quene wol I love ywis,
For in this world no woman is

Worthy to be my make || in toup,—

All other women I forsake,
And to an elf-quene I me take

By dale and eke by doun."

Into his sadel he clombe anon,
And priked over stile and ston
An elf-quene for to espie,
Til he so long had ridden and gone,
That he fond in a privee wone
The contree of Faerie.

Wherin he soughte north and south,
And oft he spied with his mouth
In many a forest wilde,
For in that contree n'as ther non,
That to him dorst ride or gon,
Neither wif ne childe..

Til that ther came a gret geaunt,
His name was sire Oliphaunt,

A perilous man of dede,
He sayde, "Child, by Termagaunt,
But if thou prike out of myn haunt,
Anon I slee thy stede || with mace-
Here is the quene of Faerie.

With harpe, and pipe, and simphonie, Dwelling in this place."

The child sayd, "Al so mote I the, To morwe wol I meten thee,

Whan I have min armoure,

And yet I hope par ma fay,
That thou shalt with this launcegay
Abien it ful soure; thy mawe-
Shal I perce, if I may,
Or it be fully prime of the day,

For here thou shalt be slawe."

Sire Thopas drow abak ful fast;
This geaunt at him stones cast
Out of a fel staffe sling:
But faire escaped child Thopas.
And all it was thurgh Goddes grace,

And thurgh his faire bering.

Yet listeneth, lordings, to my tale, Merier than the nightingale,

For now I wol you roune, How sire Thopas with sides smale, Priking over hill and dale,

Is comen agein to toune.

His mery men commandeth he,
To maken him bothe game and gle,
For nedes must he fighte,
With a geaunt with hedes three,
For paramour and jolitee

Of on that shone ful brighte.

"Do come," he sayd, "my minestrales And gestours for to tellen tales

Anon in min arming,
Of romaunces that ben reales,
Of popes and of cardinales,

And eke of love-longing."

They fet him first the swete win, And mede eke in a maselin,

And real spicerie,

Of ginger-bred that was ful fin, And licoris and eke comin,

With suger that is trie.

He didde next his white lere Of cloth of lake fin and clere

A breche and eke a sherte, And next his shert an haketon, And over that an habergeon,

For percing of his herte,

And over that a fin hauberk,
Was all ywrought of Jewes werk,
Ful strong it was of plate,
And over that his cote-armoure,
As white as is the lily floure,
In which he wold debate.

His sheld was all of gold so red, And therin was a bores hed,

A charboucle beside;

And ther he swore on ale and bred How that the geaunt shuld be ded, Betide what so betide.

His jambeux were of cuirbouly, His swerdes sheth of ivory,

His helme of latoun bright, His sadel was of rewel bone, His bridel as the sonne-shone, Or as the mone-light.

His spere was of fin cypres,

That bodeth werre, and nothing pees,
The hed ful sharpe yground.
His stede was all dapple gray,
It goth an aumble in the way

Ful softely and round || in londe-
Lo, lordes min, here is a fit;
If ye wol ony more of it,

To telle it wol I fond.

Now hold your mouth pour charite, Bothe knight and lady fre,

And herkeneth to my spell, Of bataille and of chevalrie, Of ladies love and druerie,

Anon I wol you tell.

Men speken of romaunces of pris,
Of Hornebild, and of Ipotis,

Of Bevis, and sire Guy,
Of sire Libeux, and Pleindamour,
But sire Thopas, he bereth the flour
Of real chevalrie.

His goode stede he al bestrode, And forth upon his way he glode, As sparcle out of bronde; Upon his crest he bare a tour, And therin stiked a lily flour,

God shilde his corps fro shonde.

And for he was a knight auntrous, He n'olde slepen in non hous,

But liggen in his hood,

His brighte helm was his wanger, And by him baited his destrer

Of herbes fin and good.

Himself drank water of the well,
As did the knight sire Percivell
So worthy under wede,
Til on a day-

PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS.

"No more of this for Goddes dignitee,"
Quod oure Hoste, "for thou makest me
So wery of thy veray lewednesse,
That al so wisly God my soule blesse,
Min eres aken of thy drafty speche.
Now swiche a rime the devil I beteche;
This may wel be rime dogerel," quod he.

"Why so?" quod I, "why wolt thou letten me

More of my tale, than an other man,
Sin that it is the beste rime I can ?"
"By God," quod he, " for plainly at o word,
Thy drafty riming is not worth a tord:
Thou dost nought elles but dispendest time.
Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger rime,
Let see wher thou canst tellen ought in geste,
Or tellen in prose somwhat at the leste,

In which ther be som mirthe or som doctrine.”
Gladly," quod I," by Goddes swete pine

I wol you tell a litel thing in prose,
That oughte liken you, as I suppose,
Or elles certes ye be to dangerous.
It is a moral tale vertuous,

Al be it told somtime in sondry wise
Of sondry folk, as I shal you devise.

"As thus, ye wote that every Evangelist,
That telleth us the peine of Jesu Crist,
Ne saith not alle thing as his felaw doth:
But natheles hir sentence is al soth,
And alle accorden as in hir sentence,
Al be ther in hir telling difference:

For som of hem say more, and som say lesse,
Whan they his pitous passion expresse;

I mene of Mark and Mathew, Luke and John,
But douteles hir sentence is all on.
Therfore, lordinges all, I you beseche,
If that ye thinke I vary in my speche,
As thus, though that I telle som del more
Of proverbes, than ye han herde before
Comprehended in this litel tretise here,
To enforcen with the effect of my matere,
And though I not the same wordes say
As ye han herde, yet to you alle I pray
Blameth me not, for, as in my sentence,
Shul ye nowher finden no difference
Fro the sentence of thilke tretise lite,
After the which this mery tale I write.
And therfore herkeneth what I shal say,
And let me tellen all my tale I pray."

THE TALE OF MELIBEUS.

A YONGE man called Melibeus, mighty and riche, begate upon his wif, that called was Prudence, a doughter, which that called was Sophie.

Upon a day befell, that he for his disport is went into the feldes him to playe. His wif and eke his doughter hath he laft within his hous, of which the dores weren fast yshette. Foure of his olde foos han it espied, and setten ladders to the walles of his hous, and by the windowes ben entred, and beten his wif, and wounded his doughter with five mortal woundes, in five sondry places; this is to say, in hire feet, in hire hondes, in hire eres, in hire nose, and in hire mouth; and leften hire for dede, and wenten away.

Whan Melibeus retorned was into his house, and sey al this meschief, be, like a mad man, rending his clothes, gan to wepe and crie.

Prudence his wif, as fer forth as she dorste, besought him of his weping for to stint: but not forthy he gan to crie and wepen ever lenger the more.

This noble wif Prudence remembred hire upon the sentence of Ovide, in his book that cleped is the Remedie of Love, wheras he saith; He is a fool that distourbeth the moder to wepe, in the deth of hire childe, til she have wept hire fille, as for a

certain time: and than shal a man don his diligence with amiable wordes hire to reconforte and preye hire of hire weping for to stinte.' For which reson this noble wif Prudence suffred hire housbond for to wepe and crie, as for a certain space: and whan she saw hire time, she sayde to him in this wise. "Alas! my lord," quod she, "why make ye yourself for to be like a fool? Forsothe it apperteneth not to a wise man, to maken swiche a sorwe. Youre doughter, with the grace of God, shal warish and escape. And al were it so that she right now were dede, ye ne ought not as for hire deth youreself to destroye. Senek saith; 'The wise man shal not take to gret discomfort for the deth of his children, but certes he shulde suffren it in patience, as wel as he abideth the deth of his owen propre persone."

giens, phisiciens, olde folk and yonge, and som of his olde enemies reconciled (as by hir semblant) to his love and to his grace: and therwithal ther comen some of his neigheboures, that diden him reverence more for drede than for love, as it happeth oft. Ther comen also ful many subtil flaterers, and wise advocats lerned in the lawe.

And whan thise folk togeder assembled weren, this Melibeus in sorweful wise shewed hem his cas, and by the manere of his specie, it semed that in herte he bare a cruel ire, redy to don vengeaunce upon his foos, and sodeinly desired that the werre shulde beginne, but natheles yet axed he his conseil upon this matere. A surgien, by licence and assent of swiche as weren wise, up rose, and unto Melibeus sayde, as ye moun here.

"Sire." (quod he) "as to us surgiens apperThis Melibeus answered anon and saide, "What teineth, that we do to every wight the beste that man" (quod he) "shulde of his weping stinte, that we can, wher as we ben withholden, and to our hath so gret a cause for to wepe? Jesu Crist, our patient that we do no damage: wherfore it hapLord, himself wepte for the deth of Lazarus his peth many time and ofte, that whan twey meu hau frend." Prudence answered, "Certes wel I wote, everich wounded other, o same surgien heleth hem attempre weping is nothing defended, to him that both, wherfore unto our art it is not pertinent to sorweful is, among folk in sorwe, but it is rather norice werre, ne parties to supporte. But certes, graunted him to wepe. The Apostle Poule unto as to the warishing of youre doughter, al be it so the Romaines writeth; 'Man shal rejoyce with hem that perilously she be wounded, we shuln do so enthat maken joye, and wepen with swiche folk as tentif besinesse fro day to night, that with the wepen.' But though attempre weping be ygranted, grace of God, she shal be hole and sound, as sone outrageous weping certes is defended. Mesure of as is possible." Almost right in the same wise the weping shulde be considered, after the lore that phisiciens answerden, save that they saiden a fewe techeth us Senek. 'Whan that thy frend is dede wordes more: that right as maladies ben cured by (quod he) let not thin eyen to moiste ben of teres, hir contraries, right so shal man warisbe werre. ne to muche drie: although the teres comen to His neigheboures ful of envie, his feined frendes thin eyen, let hem not falle. And whan thou hast that semed reconciled, and his flaterers, maden forgon thy frend, do diligence to get agein another semblant of weping, and empeired and agregged frend: and this is more wisdom than for to wepe muchel of this matere, in preysing gretly Melibee for thy frend, which that thou hast lorne, for therin of might, of power, of richesse, and of frendes, deis no bote.' And therfore if ye governe you by sa-spising the power of his adversaries: and saiden pience, put away sorwe out of youre herte. Re- outrely, that he anon shulde wreken him on his membreth you that Jesus Sirak sayth; A man that foos, and beginnen werre. is joyous and glad in herte, it him conserveth florishing in his age: but sothly a sorweful herte maketh his bones drie.' He saith eke thus, that 'sorwe in herte sleeth ful many a man.' Salomon sayth, that right as mouthes in the shepes fleese anoien to the clothes, and the smale wormes to the tree, right so anoieth sorwe to the herte of man.' Wherfore us ought as wel in the deth of oure chil- | dren, as in the losse of oure goodes temporel, have patience.

"Remembre you upon the patient Job, whan be hadde lost his children and his temporel substaunce, and in his body endured and received ful❘ many a grevous tribulation, yet sayde he thus: 'Our Lord hath yeve it to me, oure Lord hath beraft it me; right as oure Lord hath wold, right so is it don; yblessed be the name of oure Lord.' To thise foresaide thinges answered Melibeus unto his wif Prudence: "All thy wordes" (quod he) "ben trewe, and therto profitable, but trewely min herte is troubled with this sorwe so grevously, that I n'ot what to don."-" Let calle" (quod Prudence) "thyn trewe frendes alle, and thy linage, which that ben wise, and telleth to hem your cas, and herkeneth what they saye in conseilling, and governe you after hir sentence. Salomon saith, 'Werke all thinges by conseil, and thou shalt never repente.'

Than, by conseil of his wif Prudence, this Melipeus let callen a gret congregation of folk, as sur

Up rose than an advocat that was wise, by leve and by conseil of other that were wise, and sayde: "Lordinges, the nede for the which we ben assembled in this place, is a ful hevie thing, and an heigh matere, because of the wrong and of the wikkednesse that hath be don, and eke by reson of the grete damages, that in time coming ben possible to fallen for the same cause, and eke by reson of the gret richesse and power of the parties bothe, for the which resons, it were a ful gret peril to erren in this matere. Wherfore, Melibeus, this is oure sentence; we conseille you, aboven alle thing, that right anon thou do thy diligence in keping of thy propre persone, in swiche a wise that thou ne want non espie ue watche, thy body for to save. And after that, we conseille that in thin hous thou sette suffisant garnison, so that they moun as wel thy body as thy hous defende. But certes for to meeven werre, ne sodenly for to do vengeaunce, we moun not deme in so litel time that it were profitable. Wherfore we axen leiser and space to have deliberation in this cas to deme; for the comune proverbe saith thus; he that sone demeth, sone shal repente.' And eke men sain, that thilke juge is wise, that sone understondeth a matere, and jugeth by leiser. For al be it so, that al tarying be anoiful, algates it is not to repreve in yeving of jugement, ne in vengeance taking, whan it is suffisant and resonable. And that shewed our Lord Jesu Crist by ensample, for whan that the woman

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sayn, if I for thy conseilling wolde change thinges, that ben ordeined and affirmed by so many wise men. Secondly, I say, that all women ben wicke, and non good of hem all. For of a thousand men,' saith Salomon, I found o good man: but certes of alle women good woman found I never.' And also certes, if I governed me by thy conseil, it shulde seme that I had yeve thee over me the maistrie: and God forbede that it so were. For Jesus Sirak sayth, that if the wif have the maistrie, she is contrarious to hire husbond.' And Salomon sayth; Never in thy lif to thy wif, ne to thy childe, ne to thy frend, ne yeve no power over thyself: for better it were that thy children axe of thee thinges that hem nedeth, than thou see thy self in the handes of thy children.' And also if I wol werche by thy conseilling, certes it must be somtime secree, til it were time that it be knowen: and this ne may not be, if I shulde be conseilled by thee.

no thing hide, save that which they wote not.' After the philosophre saith; 'In wikked conseil women venquishen men:' and for thise resons I ne owe not to be conseilled by thee."]

that was taken in advoutrie, was brought in his presence to knowen what shuld be don with hire persone, al be it that he wist wel himself what that he wolde answere, yet ne wolde he not answere sodeinly, but he wolde have deliberation, and in the ground he wrote twies; and by thise causes we axen deliberation: and we shuln than by the grace of God conseille the thing that shal be profitable." Up sterte than the yonge folk at ones, and the most partie of that compagnie han scorned this olde wise man, and begonnen to make noise and saiden; "Right so as while that iren is hot men shulde smite, right so men shuln do wreken hir wronges, while that they ben freshe and newe:" and with loude voys they criden "werre, werre." Up rose tho on of thise olde wise, and with his hand made countenaunce that men shuld holde hem stille, and yeve him audience. "Lordinges," (quod he) "ther is ful many a man that crieth werre, werre, that wote ful litel what werre amount-[For it is written; The janglerie of women ne can eth. Werre at his beginning hath so gret an entring and so large, that every wight may enter whan him liketh, and lightly find werre: but certes what end that shal befalle, it is not light to know. For sothly whan that werre is ones begonne, ther is ful many a child unborne of his moder, that shal sterve yong, by cause of thilke werre, other elles live in sorwe, and dien in wretchednesse: and therfore or that any werre be begonne, men must have gret conseil and gret deliberation.' And whan this olde man wende to enforcen his tale by resons, wel nie alle at ones begonne they to rise, for to breken his tale, and bidden him ful oft his wordes for to abregge. For sothly he that precheth to hem that listen not heren his wordes, his sermon hem anoieth. For Jesus Sirak sayth, that musike in weping is a noious thing. This is to sayn, as muche availleth to speke beforn folk to which his speche anoieth, as to singe beforne him that wepeth. And whan this wise man saw that him wanted audience, al shamefast he sette him doun agein. For Salomon saith: Ther as thou ne mayst have non audience, enforce thee not to speke.'" I see wel," (quod this wise man) "that the commune proverbe is soth, that good conseil wanteth, whan it is most nede."

ence.

Yet had this Melibeus in his conseil many folk, that prively in his ere conseilled him certain thing, and conscilled him the contrary in general audiWhan Melibeus had herd that the gretest partie of his conseil were accorded that he shulde make werre, anon he consented to hir conseilling, and fully affermed bir sentence. Than dame Prudence, whan that she saw how that hire hosbonde shope him for to awreke him on his foos, and to beginne werre, she in ful humble wise, whan she saw hire time, sayde him these wordes: "My lord," (quod she)" I you beseche as hertly as I dare and can, ne haste you not to faste, and for alle guerdons as yeve me audience. For Piers Alphonse sayth; Who so that doth to thee outher good or narme, haste thee not to quite it, for in this wise thy frend wol abide, and thin enemie shal the lenger live in drede.' The proverbe sayth; 'he hasteth wel that wisely can abide: and in wikked hast is no profite."

This Melibee answered unto his wif Trudence: "I purpose not" (quod he) "to werken by thy conseil, for many causes and resons: for certes every wight wold hold me than a fool; this is to

Whan dame Prudence, ful debonairly and with gret pacience, had herd all that hire husbonde liked for to say, than axed she of him licence for to speke, and sayde in this wise. "My lord," (quod she)" as to your first reson, it may lightly ben answerd: for I say that it is no folie to chaunge conseil whan the thing is chaunged, or elles whan the thing semeth otherwise than it semed afore. And moreover I say, though that ye have sworne and behight to performe your emprise, and nevertheles ye weive to performe thilke same emprise by just cause, men shuld not say therfore ye were a lyer, ne forsworn: for the book sayth, that the wise man maketh no lesing, whan he turneth his corage for the better.' And al be it that your emprise be established and ordeined by gret multitude of folk, yet thar you not accomplish thilke ordinance but you liketh: for the trouthe of thinges, and the the profit, ben rather founden in fewe folk that ben wise and ful of reson, than by gret multitude of folk, ther every man cryeth and clattereth what him liketh: sothly swiche multitude is not honest. As to the second reson, wheras ye say, that alle women ben wicke: save your grace, certes ye despise alle women in this wise, and he that all despiseth,' as saith the book, 'all displeseth.' And Senek saith, that' who so wol have sapience, shal no man dispreise, but he shal gladly teche the science that he can, without presumption or pride: and swiche thinges as he nought can, he shal not ben ashamed to lere hem, and to enquere of lesse folk than himself. And, sire, that ther hath ben ful many a good woman, may lightly be preved: for certes, sire, our Lord Jesu Crist n'olde never han descended to be borne of a woman, if all women had be wicked. And after that, for the gret bountee that is in women, our Lord Jesu Crist, whan he was risen from deth to lif, appered rather to a woman than to his Apostles. And though that Salomon sayde, he found never no good woman, it folweth not therfore, that all women be wicked: for though that he ne found no good woman, certes many another man hath founde many a woman ful good and trewe. Or elles peraventure the entent of Salomon was this, that in soveraine bountee he found no woman; this is to say, that ther is no

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