Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 21

This clerk was cleped hende Nicholas; Of derne love he coude and of solas; 3200 And ther-to be was sleigh and ful privee, And lyk a mayden meke for to see.

A chambre hadde he in that hostelrye Allone, with-outen any companye, Ful fetisly y-dight with herbes swote; 3205 And he him-self as swete as is the rote (20) Of licorys, or any cetewale.

His Almageste and bokes grete and smale, His astrelabie, longinge for his art, His augrim-stones layen faire a-part 3210 On shelves couched at his beddes heed: His presse y-covered with a falding reed.

And al above ther lay a gay sautrye, On which he made a nightes melodye [93: T. 3215-3250.]

So swetely, that al the chambre rong; 3215 And _Angelus ad virginem_ he song; (30) And after that he song the kinges note; Ful often blessed was his mery throte.

And thus this swete clerk his tyme spente After his freendes finding and his rente. 3220

3218. Cm. Pt. Ln. Hl. mery; E. myrie.

This Carpenter had wedded newe a wyf Which that he lovede more than his lyf; Of eightetene yeer she was of age.

Ialous he was, and heeld hir narwe in cage, For she was wilde and yong, and he was old 3225 And demed him-self ben lyk a c.o.kewold. (40) He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude, That bad man sholde wedde his similitude.

Men sholde wedden after hir estaat, For youthe and elde is often at debaat. 3230 But sith that he was fallen in the snare, He moste endure, as other folk, his care.

3223. Hl. eyghteteene; _rest_ xviij. 3225. E. yong and wylde. 3230.

Cm. Hl. ben; _rest_ is.

Fair was this yonge wyf, and ther-with-al As any wesele hir body gent and smal.

A ceynt she werede barred al of silk, 3235 A barmclooth eek as whyt as morne milk (50) Up-on hir lendes, ful of many a gore.

Whyt was hir smok, and brouded al bifore And eek bihinde, on hir coler aboute, Of col-blak silk, with-inne and eek with-oute. 3240 The tapes of hir whyte voluper Were of the same suyte of hir coler; Hir filet brood of silk, and set ful hye: And sikerly she hadde a likerous ye.

Ful smale y-pulled were hir browes two, 3245 And tho were bent, and blake as any sloo. (60) She was ful more blisful on to see Than is the newe pere-ionette tree; And softer than the wolle is of a wether.

And by hir girdel heeng a purs of lether 3250 [94: T. 3251-3285.]

Ta.s.seld with silk, and perled with latoun.

In al this world, to seken up and doun, There nis no man so wys, that coude thenche So gay a popelote, or swich a wenche.

Ful brighter was the shyning of hir hewe 3255 Than in the tour the n.o.ble y-forged newe. (70) But of hir song, it was as loude and yerne As any swalwe sittinge on a berne.

Ther-to she coude skippe and make game, As any kide or calf folwinge his dame. 3260 Hir mouth was swete as bragot or the meeth, Or hord of apples leyd in hey or heeth.

Winsinge she was, as is a Ioly colt, Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.

A brooch she baar up-on hir lowe coler, 3265 As brood as is the bos of a bocler. (80) Hir shoes were laced on hir legges hye; She was a prymerole, a pigges-nye For any lord to leggen in his bedde, Or yet for any good yeman to wedde. 3270

3235. E. y-barred; _rest_ barred. 3236. Hl. eek; _rest om._ 3238.

Cp. brouded; Hl. browdid; Cm. I-brouded; E. Hn. broyden. 3251. E. Hn.

Ta.s.seled; Ln. Ta.s.silde; Hl. Cp. Ta.s.sid. E. grene; _rest_ silk.

3253. E. nas; Hn. Pt. Hl. nys; Cm. Cp. Ln. is. 3261. Cm. Pt. Cp. Ln.

braket. 3265. Cm. lowe; _rest_ loue. 3266. Cp. bocler; Hl. bocleer; _rest_ bokeler.

Now sire, and eft sire, so bifel the cas, That on a day this hende Nicholas Fil with this yonge wyf to rage and pleye, Whyl that hir housbond was at Oseneye, As clerkes ben ful subtile and ful queynte; 3275 And prively he caughte hir by the queynte, (90) And seyde, 'y-wis, but if ich have my wille, For derne love of thee, lemman, I spille.'

And heeld hir harde by the haunche-bones, And seyde, 'lemman, love me al at-ones, 3280 Or I wol dyen, also G.o.d me save!'

And she sp.r.o.ng as a colt doth in the trave, And with hir heed she wryed faste awey, And seyde, 'I wol nat kisse thee, by my fey, Why, lat be,' quod she, 'lat be, Nicholas, 3285 [95: T. 3286-3322.]

Or I wol crye out "harrow" and "allas." (100) Do wey your handes for your curteisye!'

3283. Cm. wrythed. 3285. Pt. she; Cm. Hl. sche; Ln. iche; _rest_ ich.

This Nicholas gan mercy for to crye, And spak so faire, and profred hir so faste, That she hir love him graunted atte laste, 3290 And swoor hir ooth, by seint Thomas of Kent, That she wol been at his comandement, Whan that she may hir leyser wel espye.

'Myn housbond is so ful of Ialousye, That but ye wayte wel and been privee, 3295 I woot right wel I nam but deed,' quod she. (110) 'Ye moste been ful derne, as in this cas.'

'Nay ther-of care thee noght,' quod Nicholas, 'A clerk had litherly biset his whyle, But-if he coude a Carpenter bigyle.' 3300 And thus they been acorded and y-sworn To wayte a tyme, as I have told biforn.

Whan Nicholas had doon thus everydeel, And thakked hir aboute the lendes weel, He kist hir swete, and taketh his sautrye, 3305 And pleyeth faste, and maketh melodye. (120)

3289. E. hir; _rest_ him.

Than fil it thus, that to the parish-chirche, Cristes owne werkes for to wirche, This G.o.de wyf wente on an haliday; Hir forheed shoon as bright as any day, 3310 So was it wa.s.shen whan she leet hir werk.

Now was ther of that chirche a parish-clerk, The which that was y-cleped Absolon.

Crul was his heer, and as the gold it shoon, And strouted as a fanne large and brode; 3315 Ful streight and even lay his Ioly shode. (130) His rode was reed, his eyen greye as goos; With Powles window corven on his shoos, In hoses rede he wente fetisly.

Y-clad he was ful smal and proprely, 3320 Al in a kirtel of a light wachet; Ful faire and thikke been the poyntes set.

[96: T. 3323-3358.]

And ther-up-on he hadde a gay surplys As whyt as is the blosme up-on the rys.

A mery child he was, so G.o.d me save, 3325 Wel coude he laten blood and clippe and shave, (140) And make a chartre of lond or acquitaunce.

In twenty manere coude he trippe and daunce After the scole of Oxenforde tho, And with his legges casten to and fro, 3330 And pleyen songes on a small rubible; Ther-to he song som-tyme a loud quinible; And as wel coude he pleye on his giterne.

In al the toun nas brewhous ne taverne That he ne visited with his solas, 3335 Ther any gaylard tappestere was. (150) But sooth to seyn, he was somdel squaymous Of farting, and of speche daungerous.

3319. Cm. hosyn; Pt. hosen; _rest_ hoses. 3321. Hl. fyn (_for_ light). Hl. Ln. wachet; Cm. vachet; _rest_ waget. 3325. E. myrie; Hn. murye. 3327. E. Hn. maken. 3329. E. Hn. Oxenford; Cm.

Oxenforthe; _rest_ Oxenforde. 3333. E. his; _rest_ a.

This Absolon, that Iolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer on the haliday, 3340 Sensinge the wyves of the parish faste; And many a lovely look on hem he caste, And namely on this carpenteres wyf.

To loke on hir him thoughte a mery lyf, She was so propre and swete and likerous. 3345 I dar wel seyn, if she had been a mous, (160) And he a cat, he wolde hir hente anon.

3344. E. myrie; Hn. murye. 3347. E. Hl. wold; _rest_ wolde.

This parish-clerk, this Ioly Absolon, Hath in his herte swich a love-longinge, That of no wyf ne took he noon offringe; 3350 For curteisye, he seyde, he wolde noon.

The mone, whan it was night, ful brighte shoon, And Absolon his giterne hath y-take, For paramours, he thoghte for to wake.

And forth he gooth, Iolif and amorous, 3353 Til he cam to the carpenteres hous (170) A litel after c.o.kkes hadde y-crowe; And dressed him up by a shot-windowe [97: T. 3359-3392.]

That was up-on the carpenteres wal.

He singeth in his vois gentil and smal, 3360 'Now, dere lady, if thy wille be, I preye yow that ye wol rewe on me,'

Ful wel acordaunt to his giterninge.

This carpenter awook, and herde him singe, And spak un-to his wyf, and seyde anon, 3365 'What! Alison! herestow nat Absolon (180) That chaunteth thus under our boures wal?'

And she answerde hir housbond ther-with-al, 'Yis, G.o.d wot, Iohn, I here it every-del.'

3350. Hn. Hl. ne; _rest om._ 3362. Cm. preye; Hl. praye; Ln. preie; E. Hn. Cp. Pt. pray. E. wole; Cm. wele; Hn. Hl. wol; _rest_ wil. E.

thynke; _rest_ rewe. 3364. E. _om._ him.

This pa.s.seth forth; what wol ye bet than wel? 3370 Fro day to day this Ioly Absolon So woweth hir, that him is wo bigon.

He waketh al the night and al the day; He kempte hise lokkes brode, and made him gay; He woweth hir by menes and brocage, 3375 And swoor he wolde been hir owne page; (190) He singeth, brokkinge as a nightingale; He sente hir piment, meeth, and spyced ale, And wafres, pyping hote out of the glede; And for she was of toune, he profred mede. 3380 For som folk wol ben wonnen for richesse, And som for strokes, and som for gentillesse.

3371. E. _repeats_ to day. 3374. Cm. kempte; Hn. Ln. kembed; Cp.

kembede; E. Pt. kembeth. 3379. Cm. Pt. Ln. hote; E. Hn. Cp. hoot.

3380. E. profreth.

Somtyme, to shewe his lightnesse and maistrye, He pleyeth Herodes on a scaffold hye.

But what availleth him as in this cas? 3385 She loveth so this hende Nicholas, (200) That Absolon may blowe the bukkes horn; He ne hadde for his labour but a scorn; And thus she maketh Absolon hir ape, And al his ernest turneth til a Iape. 3390 Ful sooth is this proverbe, it is no lye, Men seyn right thus, 'alwey the nye slye [98: T. 3393-3429.]

Maketh the ferre leve to be looth.'

For though that Absolon be wood or wrooth, By-cause that he fer was from hir sighte, 3395 This nye Nicholas stood in his lighte. (210)

3384. Hl. Herodz; Ln. Heraude; _rest_ Herodes, Heraudes. Hl. on; _rest_ vp on. 3390. Hl. Pt. to; _rest_ til.

Now bere thee wel, thou hende Nicholas!

For Absolon may waille and singe 'allas.'

And so bifel it on a Saterday, This carpenter was goon til Osenay; 3400 And hende Nicholas and Alisoun Acorded been to this conclusioun, That Nicholas shal shapen him a wyle This sely Ialous housbond to bigyle; And if so be the game wente aright, 3405 She sholde slepen in his arm al night, (220) For this was his desyr and hir also.

And right anon, with-outen wordes mo, This Nicholas no lenger wolde tarie, But doth ful softe un-to his chambre carie 3410 Bothe mete and drinke for a day or tweye, And to hir housbonde bad hir for to seye, If that he axed after Nicholas, She sholde seye she niste where he was, Of al that day she saugh him nat with ye; 3415 She trowed that he was in maladye, (230) For, for no cry, hir mayde coude him calle; He nolde answere, for no-thing that mighte falle.

3415. Cm. Pt. ye; Hl. Iye; _rest_ eye. 3418. Hn. Cm. Cp. Ln. no thyng; Pt. Hl. nought; E. thyng. Pt. Hl. may bifalle. (_Read_ mighte _as_ might').