GROUP B. MAN OF LAW HEAD-LINK. [Introduction to the Man of Law's Prologue.] The wordes of the Hoost to the compaignye. Our hoste sey wel that the bryghte sonne 1 The fourthe part, and half an houre, and more; Of April, that is messager to May; And sey wel that the shadwe of euery tree Was as in lengthe the same quantitee That was the body erect that caused it. And therfor by the shadwe he took his wit 5 That Phebus, which that shoon so clere and bryghte, 3 It was ten of the clokke, he gan conclude, And sodeynly he plyghte his hors aboute. 'Lordinges,' quod he, 'I warne yow, al this route, 1 Cm. wanting; Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. expert; E. Hn. ystert. ΙΟ 15 2 Hn. xviijthe; Cp. xviije; Cm. Pt. Ln. xviij; E. eighte and twentithe; Hl. threttenthe.' 3 Cm. Pt. Hl. of the; E. Hn. at the; Cp. atte; Ln. att. The fourthe party of this day is goon; Sir man of lawe,' quod he, 'so haue ye blis, He sholde him-seluen vsen it by ryghte; For swich lawe as man2 yeueth another wyghte, Thus wol our text, but natheles certeyn 45 I can ryght now no thrifty tale seyn, 3 But Chaucer, though he can but lewedly On metres and on ryming craftily, 1 Hl. and holdeth; the rest of (badly). 2 Cm. man; the rest a man. 3 MS. Camb. Dd. 4. 24 has But; the rest That; see note. Hath seyd hem in swich english as he can In his Epistolis, that ben ful olde. 50. 55 What sholde I tellen hem, sin they ben tolde? Who so that wol his large volume seek 60 Ther may he seen the large woundes wyde 2 65 The bareyne yle stonding in the see; The dreynt Leander for his fayre3 Erro; 70 The teres of Eleyne, and eek1 the wo 75 Your wyfhood he comendeth with the beste! 1 Hl. sorwe; but the rest swerd. E. Cm. Hl. Diane; but Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. Dianire, or Dyanyre. 3 Hl. fayre, which the rest omit. E. omits eek, which is in the rest. 5 E. omits of, but it is in the rest. 6 E. Cm. in; the rest of. But certeinly no word ne wryteth he Of thilke wikke ensample of Canacee; And therfor he, of ful auysement, Nolde neuer wryte in none of his sermouns But of my tale how shal I doon this day? The prologe of the mannes tale of lawe. O hateful harm! condicion of pouerte! With thurst, with cold, with hunger so confounded! 100 Thou blamest Crist, and seyst ful bitterly, 105 1 Hn. Cp. Pt. Hl. hawe bake; E. hawebake; Cm. aw bake; Ln. halve bake. 2 So Hn.; Cm. Cp. with nede art bou so wounded; Ln. with nede bou art so wounded; Hl, with neede so art thou woundyd; but E. so soore artow ywoundid. Thy neighebor thou wytest sinfully, And seist thou hast to lite1, and he hath al. Herkne what is the sentence of the wyse If thou be poure, thy brother hateth thee, But with sis cink, that renneth for your chaunce; 125 Ye seken lond and see for your winninges, Of regnes; ye ben fadres of tydinges I were ryght now of tales desolat, Nere that a marchaunt, goon is many a yere, 1 E. Hn. lite; the rest litel. 2 E. Cm. omit the; the rest have it. E. Hn. Hl. to; Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. in. 130 |