Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 23

But of o thyng I warne thee ful right, Be wel avysed, on that ilke night That we ben entred in-to shippes bord, 3585 That noon of us ne speke nat a word, (400) Ne clepe, ne crye, but been in his preyere; For it is G.o.ddes owne heste dere.

3588. E. heeste.

Thy wyf and thou mote hange fer a-twinne, For that bitwixe yow shal be no sinne 3590 No more in looking than ther shal in dede; This ordinance is seyd, go, G.o.d thee spede!

Tomorwe at night, whan men ben alle aslepe, In-to our kneding-tubbes wol we crepe, And sitten ther, abyding G.o.ddes grace. 3595 Go now thy wey, I have no lenger s.p.a.ce (410) To make of this no lenger sermoning.

Men seyn thus, "send the wyse, and sey no-thing;"

Thou art so wys, it nedeth thee nat teche; Go, save our lyf, and that I thee biseche.' 3600

3591. E. Hn. Na. 3592. E. Pt. Hl. so; _rest_ go. 3593. E. folk; Cm.

we; _rest_ men. 3598. E. sende. 3599. E. to preche; Cp. to teche; _rest_ teche.

This sely carpenter goth forth his wey.

Ful ofte he seith 'allas' and 'weylawey,'

And to his wyf he tolde his privetee; And she was war, and knew it bet than he, What al this queynte cast was for to seye. 3605 But nathelees she ferde as she wolde deye, (420) [104: T. 3607-3641.]

And seyde, 'allas! go forth thy wey anon, Help us to scape, or we ben lost echon; I am thy trewe verray wedded wyf; Go, dere spouse, and help to save our lyf.' 3610

3608. Cm. er (_for_ or). E. lost; _rest_ dede, deede, ded. 3609.

Cm. Hl. verray trewe.

Lo! which a greet thyng is affeccioun!

Men may dye of imaginacioun, So depe may impressioun be take.

This sely carpenter biginneth quake; Him thinketh verraily that he may see 3615 Noes flood come walwing as the see (430) To drenchen Alisoun, his hony dere.

He wepeth, weyleth, maketh sory chere, He syketh with ful many a sory swogh.

He gooth and geteth him a kneding-trogh, 3620 And after that a tubbe and a kimelin, And prively he sente hem to his in, And heng hem in the roof in privetee.

His owne hand he made laddres three, To climben by the ronges and the stalkes 3625 Un-to the tubbes hanginge in the balkes, (440) And hem vitailled, bothe trogh and tubbe, With breed and chese, and good ale in a Iubbe, Suffysinge right y-nogh as for a day.

But er that he had maad al this array, 3630 He sente his knave, and eek his wenche also, Up-on his nede to London for to go.

And on the Monday, whan it drow to night, He shette his dore with-oute candel-light, And dressed al thing as it sholde be. 3635 And shortly, up they clomben alle three; (450) They sitten stille wel a furlong-way.

3611. E. Auctor (_in margin_). 3612. Hl. A man. E. Hn. dyen. Pt.

Hl. for; Cm. thour; _rest_ of. 3624. E. _om._ he; Hl. _has_ an.

3626. E. In-to; Cm. Onto; _rest_ Vnto. 3627. E. vitailleth. 3630.

E. hadde. 3635. E. dresseth; _rest_ dressed. E. Hn. Cm. alle.

Hn. Cp. scholde; E. shal.

'Now, _Pater-noster_, clom!' seyde Nicholay, And 'clom,' quod John, and 'clom,' seyde Alisoun.

This carpenter seyde his devocioun, 3640 And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere, [105: T. 3642-3677.]

Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.

The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse, Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse, Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more; 3645 For travail of his goost he groneth sore, (460) And eft he routeth, for his heed mislay.

Doun of the laddre stalketh Nicholay, And Alisoun, ful softe adoun she spedde; With-outen wordes mo, they goon to bedde 3650 Ther-as the carpenter is wont to lye.

Ther was the revel and the melodye; And thus lyth Alison and Nicholas, In bisinesse of mirthe and of solas, Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe, 3655 And freres in the chauncel gonne singe. (470)

3643. Cm. Hl. verray; _rest_ wery.

This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon, That is for love alwey so wo bigon, Up-on the Monday was at Oseneye With companye, him to disporte and pleye, 3660 And axed up-on cas a cloisterer Ful prively after Iohn the carpenter; And he drough him a-part out of the chirche, And seyde, 'I noot, I saugh him here nat wirche Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went 3665 For timber, ther our abbot hath him sent; (480) For he is wont for timber for to go, And dwellen at the grange a day or two; Or elles he is at his hous, certeyn; Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.' 3670

3660. E. With a compaignye. 3661. E. Cloistrer; Pt. Ln. Cloystrere.

This Absolon ful Ioly was and light, And thoghte, 'now is tyme wake al night; For sikirly I saugh him nat stiringe Aboute his dore sin day bigan to springe.

So moot I thryve, I shal, at c.o.kkes crowe, 3675 Ful prively knokken at his windowe (490) That stant ful lowe up-on his boures wal.

[106: T. 3678-3712.]

To Alison now wol I tellen al My love-longing, for yet I shal nat misse That at the leste wey I shal hir kisse. 3680 Som maner confort shal I have, parfay, My mouth hath icched al this longe day; That is a signe of kissing atte leste.

Al night me mette eek, I was at a feste.

Therfor I wol gon slepe an houre or tweye, 3685 And al the night than wol I wake and pleye.' (500)

3672. E. Hl. wake; Cm. to waky_n_; _rest_ to wake. 3676. Hn. Cp. Pt.

Ln. knokken; E. Cm. knokke; Hl. go knokke.

Whan that the firste c.o.k hath crowe, anon Up rist this Ioly lover Absolon, And him arrayeth gay, at point-devys.

But first he cheweth greyn and lycorys, 3690 To smellen swete, er he had kembd his heer.

Under his tonge a trewe love he beer, For ther-by wende he to ben gracious.

He rometh to the carpenteres hous, And stille he stant under the shot-windowe; 3695 Un-to his brest it raughte, it was so lowe; (510) And softe he cogheth with a semi-soun-- 'What do ye, hony-comb, swete Alisoun?

My faire brid, my swete cinamome, Awaketh, lemman myn, and speketh to me! 3700 Wel litel thenken ye up-on my wo, That for your love I swete ther I go.

No wonder is thogh that I swelte and swete; I moorne as doth a lamb after the tete.

Y-wis, lemman, I have swich love-longinge, 3705 That lyk a turtel trewe is my moorninge; (520) I may nat ete na more than a mayde.'

3690. E. of; _rest_ and. 3696. E. brist. 3697. Hn. cogheth; Cp.

coughed; Hl. cowhith; Pt. koughe; Cm. coude; E. knokketh. 3701. Cp.

Pt. thenken; _rest_ thynken, thynke.

'Go fro the window, Iakke fool,' she sayde, 'As help me G.o.d, it wol nat be "com ba me,"

I love another, and elles I were to blame, 3710 Wel bet than thee, by Iesu, Absolon!

Go forth thy wey, or I wol caste a ston, [107: T. 3713-3745.]

And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!'

3709. E. Hn. com pa me; Cp. com pame; Cm. cu_m_pame; Pt. compame; Hl.

Ln. compaine; _several_ MSS. come bame, combame; _see note_.

'Allas,' quod Absolon, 'and weylawey!

That trewe love was ever so yvel biset! 3715 Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet, (530) For Iesus love and for the love of me.'

3716. Cp. Pt. Ln. kisse; Hl. kisseth; _rest_ kys.

'Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?' quod she.

3718. E. _om._ ther-with.

'Ye, certes, lemman,' quod this Absolon.

'Thanne make thee redy,' quod she, 'I come anon;' 3720 And un-to Nicholas she seyde stille, [T. _om._ 'Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.' [T. _om._

3721, 2. _These 2 lines in_ E. _only._

This Absolon doun sette him on his knees, And seyde, 'I am a lord at alle degrees; For after this I hope ther cometh more! 3725 Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!' (540)

3724. E. _om._ a.

The window she undoth, and that in haste, 'Have do,' quod she, 'com of, and speed thee faste, Lest that our neighebores thee espye.'