Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 106

The wyse Plato seith, as ye may rede, The word mot nede accorde with the dede.

If men shal telle proprely a thing, The word mot cosin be to the werking. 210 I am a boistous man, right thus seye I, Ther nis no difference, trewely, Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree, If of hir body dishonest she be, (110) And a povre wenche, other than this-- 215 If it so be, they werke bothe amis-- But that the gentile, in estaat above, She shal be cleped his lady, as in love; And for that other is a povre womman, She shal be cleped his wenche, or his lemman. 220 And, G.o.d it wool, myn owene dere brother, Men leyn that oon as lowe as lyth that other.

214. E. Cp. dishoneste; Hn. deshoneste. 215. _For_ a, Tyrwhitt _reads_ any. 217. E. Cm. hir estaat (stat); _rest om._ hir.

Right so, bitwixe a t.i.tlelees tiraunt And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt, (120) The same I seye, ther is no difference. 225 To Alisaundre told was this sentence; That, for the tyrant is of gretter might, By force of meynee for to sleen doun-right, And brennen hous and hoom, and make al plain, Lo! therfor is he cleped a capitain; 230 And, for the outlawe hath but smal meynee, And may nat doon so greet an harm as he, Ne bringe a contree to so greet mescheef, Men clepen him an outlawe or a theef. (130) But, for I am a man noght textuel, 235 [563: T. 17185-17219.]

I wol noght telle of textes never a del; I wol go to my tale, as I bigan.

Whan Phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman, Anon they wroghten al hir l.u.s.t volage.

223. In Hn., t.i.tlelees _is glossed by_ sine t.i.tulo. 226. Hl. told was; _rest_ was told. 235, 236. E. textueel, deel.

The whyte crowe, that heng ay in the cage, 240 Biheld hir werk, and seyde never a word.

And whan that hoom was come Phebus, the lord, This crowe sang 'c.o.kkow! c.o.kkow! c.o.kkow!'

240. E. they (_for_ that). E. heeng; Ln. honge; _rest_ heng. 241.

E. Biheeld.

'What, brid?' quod Phebus, 'what song singestow? (140) Ne were thow wont so merily to singe 245 That to myn herte it was a reioisinge To here thy vois? allas! what song is this?'

245. E. Hn. myrily.

'By G.o.d,' quod he, 'I singe nat amis; Phebus,' quod he, 'for al thy worthinesse, For al thy beautee and thy gentilesse, 250 For al thy song and al thy minstralcye, For al thy waiting, blered is thyn ye With oon of litel reputacioun, Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun, (150) The mountance of a gnat; so mote I thryve! 255 For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh him swyve.'

251. E. Cm. Hl. _om. 2nd_ al. 254. E. Hn. Cm. _om._ as. 255. E. Hn.

montance.

What wol ye more? the crowe anon him tolde, By sadde tokenes and by wordes bolde, How that his wyf had doon hir lecherye, Him to gret shame and to gret vileinye; 260 And tolde him ofte, he saugh it with his yen.

This Phebus gan aweyward for to wryen, Him thoughte his sorweful herte brast a-two; His bowe he bente, and sette ther-inne a flo, (160) And in his ire his wyf thanne hath he slayn. 265 This is theffect, ther is na-more to sayn; For sorwe of which he brak his minstralcye, Bothe harpe, and lute, and giterne, and sautrye; And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe.

And after that, thus spak he to the crowe: 270

261. Cm. Hl. yen; Ln. ey[gh]en; _rest_ eyen. 263. E. Hn. Cm. And; _rest_ Him.

[564: T. 17220-17254.]

'Traitour,' quod he, 'with tonge of scorpioun, Thou hast me broght to my confusioun!

Allas! that I was wroght! why nere I deed?

O dere wyf, o gemme of l.u.s.tiheed, (170) That were to me so sad and eek so trewe, 275 Now lystow deed, with face pale of hewe, Ful giltelees, that dorste I swere, y-wis!

O rakel hand, to doon so foule amis!

O trouble wit, o ire recchelees, That unavysed smytest giltelees! 280 O wantrust, ful of fals suspecioun, Where was thy wit and thy discrecioun?

O every man, be-war of rakelnesse, Ne trowe no-thing with-outen strong witnesse; (180) Smyt nat to sone, er that ye witen why, 285 And beeth avysed wel and sobrely Er ye doon any execucioun, Up-on your ire, for suspecioun.

Allas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire Fully fordoon, and broght hem in the mire. 290 Allas! for sorwe I wol my-selven slee!'

276. Cm. Hl. lyst thow; Pt. Ln. liest thou; Cp. lyes thou. 277. Cm.

gylteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. Hn. giltlees; _rest_ giltles. 278. Cm.

troubele; _rest_ trouble. 280. E. smyteth; _rest_ smytest. Cm.

gilteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. giltles.

And to the crowe, 'o false theef!' seyde he, 'I wol thee quyte anon thy false tale!

Thou songe whylom lyk a nightingale; (190) Now shaltow, false theef, thy song forgon, 295 And eek thy whyte fetheres everichon, Ne never in al thy lyf ne shaltou speke.

Thus shal men on a traitour been awreke; Thou and thyn of-spring ever shul be blake, Ne never swete noise shul ye make, 300 But ever crye agayn tempest and rayn, In tokeninge that thurgh thee my wyf is slayn.'

And to the crowe he stirte, and that anon, And pulled his whyte fetheres everichon, (200) And made him blak, and refte him al his song, 305 [565: T. 17255-17289.]

And eek his speche, and out at dore him slong Un-to the devel, which I him bitake; And for this caas ben alle crowes blake.--

300. E. voys (_for_ noyse). 302. is] Cp. Hl. was. 308. E. Cp. caas; Hn. Cm. Ln. cas; Pt. caus; Hl. cause.

Lordings, by this ensample I yow preye, Beth war, and taketh kepe what I seye: 310 Ne telleth never no man in your lyf How that another man hath dight his wyf; He wol yow haten mortally, certeyn.

Daun Salomon, as wyse clerkes seyn, (210) Techeth a man to kepe his tonge wel; 315 But as I seyde, I am noght textuel.

But nathelees, thus taughte me my dame: 'My sone, thenk on the crowe, a G.o.ddes name; My sone, keep wel thy tonge and keep thy freend.

A wikked tonge is worse than a feend. 320 My sone, from a feend men may hem blesse; My sone, G.o.d of his endelees goodnesse Walled a tonge with teeth and lippes eke, For man sholde him avyse what he speke. (220) My sone, ful ofte, for to muche speche, 325 Hath many a man ben spilt, as clerkes teche; But for a litel speche avysely Is no men shent, to speke generally.

My sone, thy tonge sholdestow restreyne At alle tyme, but whan thou doost thy peyne 330 To speke of G.o.d, in honour and preyere.

The firste vertu, sone, if thou wolt lere, Is to restreyne and kepe wel thy tonge.-- Thus lerne children whan that they ben yonge.-- (230) My sone, of muchel speking yvel-avysed, 335 Ther la.s.se speking hadde y-nough suffysed, Comth muchel harm, thus was me told and taught.

In muchel speche sinne wanteth naught.

Wostow wher-of a rakel tonge serveth?

Right as a swerd forcutteth and forkerveth 340 [566: T. 17290-17311.]

An arm a-two, my dere sone, right so A tonge cutteth frendship al a-two.

A Iangler is to G.o.d abhominable; Reed Salomon, so wys and honurable; (240) Reed David in his psalmes, reed Senekke. 345 My sone, spek nat, but with thyn heed thou bekke.

Dissimule as thou were deef, if that thou here A Iangler speke of perilous matere.

The Fleming seith, and lerne it, if thee leste, That litel Iangling causeth muchel reste. 350 My sone, if thou no wikked word hast seyd, Thee thar nat drede for to be biwreyd; But he that hath misseyd, I dar wel sayn, He may by no wey clepe his word agayn. (250) Thing that is seyd, is seyd; and forth it gooth, 355 Though him repente, or be him leef or looth.

He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd A tale, of which he is now yvel apayd.

My sone, be war, and be non auctour newe Of tydinges, whether they ben false or trewe. 360 Wher-so thou come, amonges hye or lowe, Kepe wel thy tonge, and thenk up-on the crowe.

HERE IS ENDED THE MAUNCIPLES TALE OF THE CROWE.

310. E. Hn. Cm. I; Hl. ye; _rest_ that ye. 315. E. Hn. kepen; _rest_ kepe. E. Cm. weel. 316. E. textueel; Hl. tixted wel. 318. a] E.

on; Hl. in. 319, 320. E. Hn. freend, feend. 327. Hl. a; _rest om._ 330. E. Hn. Cm. tymes. 356. leef or] Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. neuer so. 360. E. wheither. COLOPHON. _So_ E. Hn.

[567: T. 17312-17330.]

GROUP I.

THE PARSON'S PROLOGUE.

HERE FOLWETH THE PROLOGE OF THE PERSONES TALE.

By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended, The sonne fro the south lyne was descended So lowe, that he nas nat, to my sighte, Degrees nyne and twenty as in highte.

Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse; 5 For eleven foot, or litel more or lesse, My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there, Of swich feet as my lengthe parted were In six feet equal of proporcioun.

Ther-with the mones exaltacioun, 10 I mene Libra, alwey gan ascende, As we were entringe at a thropes ende; For which our host, as he was wont to gye, As in this caas, our Ioly companye, Seyde in this wyse, 'lordings everichoon, 15 Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon.

Fulfild is my sentence and my decree; I trowe that we han herd of ech degree.

Almost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce; [568: T. 17331-17366.]

I prey to G.o.d, so yeve him right good chaunce, 20 That telleth this tale to us l.u.s.tily.

Sir preest,' quod he, 'artow a vicary?

Or art a person? sey sooth, by thy fey!

Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat our pley; For every man, save thou, hath told his tale, 25 Unbokel, and shewe us what is in thy male; For trewely, me thinketh, by thy chere, Thou sholdest knitte up wel a greet matere.

Tel us a tale anon, for c.o.kkes bones!'