Blameth me nought; for, in my sentence, THE TALE OF MELIBEUS. [THIS tale, as Tyrwhitt informs us, is a mere translation from Le Livre de Melibée et de Dame Prudence, two copies of which are preserved in the British Museum, MSS. Reg. 19, c. vii. and xi., in French prose. Dufresnoy, Bibliot. des Romans, vol. ii. p. 248, mentions two copies, en vers dans la Bibliothèque Seguier; and a prose version inserted in the Ménagier de Paris, an early work on domestic economy, lately republished by the Société des Bibliophiles François.1 It is an interesting example of the 'moral tale vertuous,' which Erasmus mentions in his Ecclesiastes, as forming part of the stock of a professional gestour. One of the most remarkable features of the story is the frequency of its references to Scripture, which prove that in Chaucer's time the Bible was familiar to the people. It may be added that we have in this instance a strong evidence, if any evidence were needed since the publication of Dr. Maitland's Essays, that those who object in the present day to the general diffusion of the Bible, cannot claim the authority of the middle ages in support of their views. The reader will observe that the opening of this tale (alluded to in the Introduction, vol. i., p. 57) continually runs into blank verse.] A YONG man called Melibeus, mighty and riche, bygat upon his wif, that called was Prudens, a doughter which that called was Sophie. Upon a day 1 [The real original of the tale is the 'Liber Consolationis' of Albertano of Brescia, printed by the Chaucer Society in 1873. The French version used by Chaucer was not a literal translation.-W. W. S.] VOL. II. K byfel, that for his desport he is went into the feldes him to play. His wif and his doughter eek hath he laft within his hous, of which the dores were fast i-schitte. Thre1 of his olde foos han it espyed, and setten laddres to the walles of his hous, and by the wyndowes ben entred, and betyn his wyf, and woundid his doughter with fyve mortal woundes, in fyve sondry places, that is to sayn, in here feet, in here hondes, in here eeres, in here nose, and in here mouth; and lafte her for deed, and went away. Whan Melibeus retourned was into his hous, and seigh al this meschief, he, lik a man mad, rendyng his clothes, gan wepe and crie. Prudens his wyf, as ferforth as sche dorste, bysought him of his wepyng to stynte. But not forthi he gan to crie ever lenger the more. 2 This noble wyf Prudence remembred hire upon the sentens of Ovide, in his book that cleped is the Remedy of Love, wher as he seith: He is a fool that distourbeth the moder to wepe in the deth of hir childe, til sche have i-wept hir fille, as for a certeyn tyme; and than schal man doon his diligence as with amyable wordes hire to recomforte and praye hire of hire wepyng to stinte. For which resoun this noble wif Prudens suffred hir housbonde for to wepe and crie, as for a certeyn space; and whan sche seigh hir tyme, sche sayd him in this wise: Allas! my lord,' quod sche, 'why make ye youre self for to be lik a fool? Forsothe it apperteyneth not to a wys man, to make such sorwe. Youre doughter, with the grace of God, schal warischt be and eschape. And al were it so that sche right now were deed, ye ne oughte nought as for hir deth youre silf destroye. Senec saith, The wise man schal not take to gret discomfort for the deth of his children, 1 The Lansd. MS. and Tyrwhitt read four; the French MSS. trois, which Mr. Wright observes was a favourite number in medieval tales. 2 Remedium Amoris: 'Quis matrem, nisi mentis inops, in funere nati Flere vetet ?' but certes he schulde suffren it in pacience, as wel as he abydeth the deth of his owne persone.' This Melibeus answerde anoon and sayde: 'What man,' quod he, 'schuld of his wepynge stynte, that hath so gret a cause for to wepe? Jhesu Crist, oure Lord, him self wepte for the deth of Lazarus his frend.” Prudens answerde: Certes, wel I wot, attemperel wepyng is no thing defended to him that sorwful is, amonges folk in sorwe, but it is rather graunted him to wepe. The apostel Poule unto the Romayns writeth, A man schal rejoyce with hem that maken joye, and wepe with such folk as wepen. But though attemperel wepyng be graunted, outrageous wepynge certes is defended. Mesure of wepynge schuld be conserved, after the lore of Crist that techeth us Senec; Whan that thi frend is deed, quod he, let nought thin yen to moyste ben of teres, ne to moche drye; although the teeres come to thine eyghen, let hem not falle. And whan thou hast for-gon thy frend, do diligence to gete another frende; and this is more wisedom than to wepe for thy frend, which that thou hast lorn, for therin is no boote. And therfore if ye governe yow by sapience, put away sorwe out of youre hert. Remembreth yow that Jhesus Sirac* saith, A man that is joyous and glad in herte, it him conserveth florischinge in his age; but sothly sorweful herte maketh his boones drye. He saith eek thus, that sorwe in herte sleth ful many a man. Salamon saith, that right as motthes in schepes flees annoyeth the clothes, and the smale wormes to the tre, right so annoyeth sorwe to the herte. Wherfore us oughte as wel in the deth of 1 John xi. 35. 3 2 Rom. xii. 15. 3 Car jà soit ce que la lerme viengne à l'eueil, elle ne doit point yssir dehors.' The Harl. MS. has come out of thine eyghen; the Lansd. MS. comen of.-W. The reading in the text is from Tyrwhitt. 4 This is taken from Prov. xvii. 22, not from the book of Ecclesias ticus, written by Jesus, the son of Sirac, as here quoted. 5 This text, however, is from Ecclus. xxx. 25. oure children, as in the losse of oure goodes temporales, have pacience. Remembreth yow upon the pacient Job, whan he hadde lost his children and his temporal substance, and in his body endured and receyved ful many a grevous tribulacioun, yit sayde he thus:1 Oure Lord it sent unto me, oure Lord it hath raft fro me; right so as oure Lord wil, right so be it doon; i-blessed be the name of oure Lord!' To these forsayde thinges answerith Melibeus unto his wif Prudens: 'Alle thine wordes ben soth,' quod he, 'and therto profytable, but sothly myn herte is so troubled with this sorwe, that I noot what to doone.' 'Let calle,' quod Prudence, 'thy trewe frendes alle, and thy linage, whiche that ben trewe and wise; telleth hem youre grevaunce, and herken what thay say in counseilynge, and yow governe after here sentence. Salamon saith, Werke al thi thing by counseil, and the thar never rewe.' Than, by the counseil of his wyf Prudens, this Melibeus let calle a gret congregacioun of peple, as surgiens, phisiciens, olde, and yonge, and some of his olde enemyes recounsiled (as by her semblaunt) to his love and to his grace; and therwithal ther come some of his neighbours, that deden him reverence more for drede than for love, as happeth ofte. Ther comen also ful many subtil flaterers, and wise advoketes lerned in the lawe. And whan these folk togidere assemblid were, this Melibeus in sorwful wyse schewed hem his caas, and by the maner of his speche, it semed that in herte he bar a cruel ire, redy to do vengeance upon his foos, and sodeynly desirede that the werre schulde bygynne; but natheles yit axed he her counseil in this matier. A sirurgien, by licens and assent of suche as were wyse, up ros, and to Melibeus sayde, as ye may hiere. 'Sire,' quod he, 'as to us sirurgiens apperteineth, that we do to every wight the beste that we can, wher as we ben withholde, and to oure pacient that we do no damage; wherfore it happeth many tyme and ofte, that whan tweye han everich wounded other, oo same surgien heleth hem bothe; where unto oure art it is not perteyned to norische werre, ne parties to supporte. But certes, as to warisching of youre doughter, al be it so that sche perilously be woundid, we schullen do so tentyf besynes fro day to night, that with the grace of God sche schal be hool and sound, als soone as it is possible.' Almost right in the same wise the phisiciens answerden, save that thay sayden a fewe wordes more; that ryght as maladies ben cured by her contraries, right so schal men warissch werre by vengeaunce. His neygheboures ful of envy, his feyned freendes that semede recounsiled, and his flatereres, maden semblaunt of wepyng, and appaired and aggregged moche of this matiere, in preisyng gretly Melibe of might, of power, of riches, and of frendes, despisinge the power of his adversaries; and sayden outerly, that he anoon schulde wreke him on his adversaries be bygynnynge of werre. Up roos thanne an advocate that was wys, by leve and by counseil of othere that were wise, and sayde: 'Lordynges, the needes for whiche we ben assemblit in this place is ful hevy thing, and an heigh matier, bycause of the wrong and of the wikkednes that hath ben doon, and eek by resoun of the gret damages that in tyme comyng ben possible to falle for the same, and eek bycause of the grete richesse and power of the partes bothe; for the which resouns, it were a ful gret peril to erren in these materes. Wherfore, Melibeus, this is oure sentence; we counseile yow, aboven alle thinges, that right anoon thou do diligence in kepyng of thy body in such a wyse that thou ne wante noon espye ne wacche thy body for to save. And after that, 1 Heal, to put a stop to, war by taking vengeance, a literal and very happy translation from the French, preserving even the jingle of the words. 'Aussi doit on guerir guerre par vengence.' |