Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 105

'No,' quod the maunciple, 'that were a greet mescheef!

So mighte he lightly bringe me in the snare.

Yet hadde I lever payen for the mare Which he rit on, than he sholde with me stryve; I wol nat wratthe him, al-so mote I thryve! 80 That that I spak, I seyde it in my bourde; And wite ye what? I have heer, in a gourde, A draught of wyn, ye, of a rype grape, And right anon ye shul seen a good Iape.

This cook shal drinke ther-of, if I may; 85 Up peyne of deeth, he wol nat seye me nay!'

76. _All the 7 MSS. retain_ a: Hl. _omits_ No. 79. E. Which that; _rest omit_ that. 81. E. speke; _rest_ spak. 85. E. Pt. if that; _rest omit_ that.

And certeinly, to tellen as it was, Of this vessel the cook drank faste, allas!

What neded him? he drank y-nough biforn.

[558: T. 17039-17053.]

And whan he hadde pouped in this horn, 90 To the maunciple he took the gourde agayn; And of that drinke the cook was wonder fayn, And thanked him in swich wyse as he coude.

89. So E.; Cm. nedith hym; Hn. Hl. neded it; _rest_ needeth it. 90.

E. Hn. Cm. this; _rest_ his.

Than gan our host to laughen wonder loude, And seyde, 'I see wel, it is necessarie, 95 Wher that we goon, good drink we with us carie; For that wol turne rancour and disese Tacord and love, and many a wrong apese.

96. E. that; _rest_ good. 98. _So_ E. Hn.; Cm. Cp. Ln. Hl. To acord; Pt. To pees.

O thou Bachus, y-blessed be thy name, That so canst turnen ernest in-to game! 100 Worship and thank be to thy deitee!

Of that matere ye gete na-more of me.

Tel on thy tale, maunciple, I thee preye.'

99. Hl. thou; _rest omit_. Cp. Pt. Ln. Bachus; _rest_ Bacus.

'Wel, sir,' quod he, 'now herkneth what I seye.'

THUS ENDETH THE PROLOGE OF THE MANCIPLE.

COLOPHON. _From_ Pt.

[559: T. 17054-17079.]

THE MAUNCIPLES TALE.

HERE BIGINNETH THE MAUNCIPLES TALE OF THE CROWE.

Whan Phebus dwelled here in this erthe adoun, 105 As olde bokes maken mencioun, He was the moste l.u.s.ty bachiler In al this world, and eek the beste archer; He slow Phitoun, the serpent, as he lay Slepinge agayn the sonne upon a day; 110 And many another n.o.ble worthy dede He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede.

105. E. world; _rest_ erthe. 108. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. Of (_for In_).

Pleyen he coude on every minstralcye, And singen, that it was a melodye, (10) To heren of his clere vois the soun. 115 Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioun, That with his singing walled that citee, Coude never singen half so wel as he.

Therto he was the semelieste man That is or was, sith that the world bigan. 120 What nedeth it his fetures to discryve?

For in this world was noon so fair on lyve.

He was ther-with fulfild of gentillesse, Of honour, and of parfit worthinesse. (20)

This Phebus, that was flour of bachelrye, 125 As wel in fredom as in chivalrye, For his desport, in signe eek of victorie Of Phitoun, so as telleth us the storie, Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe.

125. Hn. Cp. bachelrye; E. Bachilrie.

Now had this Phebus in his hous a crowe, 130 [560: T. 17080-17114.]

Which in a cage he fostred many a day, And taughte it speken, as men teche a Iay.

Whyt was this crowe, as is a snow-whyt swan, And countrefete the speche of every man (30) He coude, whan he sholde telle a tale. 135 Ther-with in al this world no nightingale Ne coude, by an hondred thousand deel, Singen so wonder merily and weel.

130. E. hadde. 132. Hl. speken; _rest_ speke. 133. E. _om._ is.

138. E. Hn. myrily.

Now had this Phebus in his hous a wyf, Which that he lovede more than his lyf, 140 And night and day dide ever his diligence Hir for to plese, and doon hir reverence, Save only, if the sothe that I shal sayn, Ialous he was, and wolde have hept hir fayn; (40) For him were looth by-iaped for to be. 145 And so is every wight in swich degree; But al in ydel, for it availleth noght.

A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thoght, Sholde nat been kept in noon await, certayn; And trewely, the labour is in vayn 150 To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat be.

This holde I for a verray nycetee, To spille labour, for to kepe wyves; Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves. (50)

139. E. hadde. 143. E. Cm. _om._ if; Hn. that. that] Hn. if. 147.

E. Cm. in ydel; _rest_ for naught.

But now to purpos, as I first bigan: 155 This worthy Phebus dooth all that he can To plesen hir, weninge by swich plesaunce, And for his manhede and his governaunce, That no man sholde han put him from hir grace.

But G.o.d it woot, ther may no man embrace 160 As to destreyne a thing, which that nature Hath naturelly set in a creature.

157. E. Cm. that; Hn. for; _rest_ by (be). 162. E. natureelly.

Tak any brid, and put it in a cage, And do al thyn entente and thy corage (60) To fostre it tendrely with mete and drinke, 165 [561: T. 17115-17149.]

Of alle deyntees that thou canst bithinke, And keep it al-so clenly as thou may; Al-though his cage of gold be never so gay, Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand fold, Lever in a forest, that is rude and cold, 170 Gon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse.

For ever this brid wol doon his bisinesse To escape out of his cage, if he may; His libertee this brid desireth ay. (70)

163. E. Taak. 170. Cp. Pt. Ln. wilde (_for_ rude); Hl. wyd. 173.

Cp. when; Ln. Hl. whan; _rest_ if. 174. E. Hn. Cm. this; _rest_ the.

Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, 175 And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And lat him seen a mous go by the wal; Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous. 180 Lo, here hath l.u.s.t his dominacioun, And appetyt flemeth discrecioun.

180. E. he hath; Cp. hath sche; _rest_ hath he.

A she-wolf hath also a vileins kinde; The lewedeste wolf that she may finde, (80) Or leest of reputacion wol she take, 185 In tyme whan hir l.u.s.t to han a make.

185. Hl. _ins._ him, _and the rest_ that, _before_ wol (_badly_).

Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men That been untrewe, and no-thing by wommen.

For men han ever a likerous appetyt On lower thing to parfourne hir delyt 190 Than on hir wyves, be they never so faire, Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire.

Flesh is so newefangel, with meschaunce, That we ne conne in no-thing han plesaunce (90) That souneth in-to vertu any whyle. 195

195. Hl. Cm. souneth; _rest_ sowneth.

This Phebus, which that thoghte upon no gyle, Deceyved was, for al his Iolitee; For under him another hadde she, A man of litel reputacioun, Noght worth to Phebus in comparisoun. 200 [562: T. 17150-17184.]

The more harm is; it happeth ofte so, Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo.

200. Cp. Hl. Nought; E. Hn. Nat; _rest_ Not; _see_ l. 254.

And so bifel, whan Phebus was absent, His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent, (100) Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavish speche! 205 Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche.