Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 33

This messager drank sadly ale and wyn, And stolen were his lettres prively Out of his box, whyl he sleep as a swyn; 745 And countrefeted was ful subtilly Another lettre, wroght ful sinfully, Un-to the king direct of this matere (650) Fro his constable, as ye shul after here.

[152: T. 5170-5204.]

The lettre spak, 'the queen delivered was 750 Of so horrible a feendly creature, That in the castel noon so hardy was That any whyle dorste ther endure.

The moder was an elf, by aventure Y-come, by charmes or by sorcerye, 755 And every wight hateth hir companye.'

750. MSS. queene, queen. 755. E. Hn. Cm. Y-comen. 756. E. Hn. _om._ wight; Hl. man.

Wo was this king whan he this lettre had seyn, But to no wighte he tolde his sorwes sore, (660) But of his owene honde he wroot ageyn, 'Welcome the sonde of Crist for evermore 760 To me, that am now lerned in his lore; Lord, welcome be thy l.u.s.t and thy plesaunce, My l.u.s.t I putte al in thyn ordinaunce!

Kepeth this child, al be it foul or fair, And eek my wyf, un-to myn hoom-cominge; 765 Crist, whan him list, may sende me an heir More agreable than this to my lykinge.'

This lettre he seleth, prively wepinge, (670) Which to the messager was take sone, And forth he gooth; ther is na more to done. 770

O messager, fulfild of dronkenesse, Strong is thy breeth, thy limes faltren ay, And thou biwreyest alle secreenesse.

Thy mind is lorn, thou Ianglest as a Iay, Thy face is turned in a newe array! 775 Ther dronkenesse regneth in any route, Ther is no conseil hid, with-outen doute.

O Donegild, I ne have noon English digne (680) Un-to thy malice and thy tirannye!

And therfor to the feend I thee resigne, 780 Let him endyten of thy traitorye!

Fy, mannish, fy! o nay, by G.o.d, I lye, Fy, _feendly_ spirit, for I dar wel telle, Though thou heer walke, thy spirit is in h.e.l.le!

[153: T. 5205-5239.]

This messager comth fro the king agayn, 785 And at the kinges modres court he lighte, And she was of this messager ful fayn, And plesed him in al that ever she mighte. (690) He drank, and wel his girdel underpighte.

He slepeth, and he snoreth in his gyse 790 Al night, un-til the sonne gan aryse.

791. Hl. vn-to; Pt. to; _rest_ til; _but_ vn-til (_as in_ Tyrwhitt) _seems better_.

Eft were his lettres stolen everichon And countrefeted lettres in this wyse; 'The king comandeth his constable anon, Up peyne of hanging, and on heigh Iuse, 795 That he ne sholde suffren in no wyse Custance in-with his regne for tabyde Thre dayes and a quarter of a tyde; (700)

795. _So_ E. Hn.; Cm. and heigh; Cp. on a heih; Pt. on an high; Hl. of an heigh; Ln. or an hihe. 797. regne] E. Reawme.

But in the same ship as he hir fond, Hir and hir yonge sone, and al hir gere, 800 He sholde putte, and croude hir fro the lond, And charge hir that she never eft come there.'

O my Custance, wel may thy goost have fere And sleping in thy dreem been in penance, When Donegild caste al this ordinance! 805

This messager on morwe, whan he wook, Un-to the castel halt the nexte wey, And to the constable he the lettre took; (710) And whan that he this pitous lettre sey, Ful ofte he seyde 'allas!' and 'weylawey!' 810 'Lord Crist,' quod he, 'how may this world endure?

So ful of sinne is many a creature!

O mighty G.o.d, if that it be thy wille, Sith thou art rightful Iuge, how may it be That thou wolt suffren innocents to spille, 815 And wikked folk regne in prosperitee?

O good Custance, allas! so wo is me That I mot be thy tormentour, or deye (720) On shames deeth; ther is noon other weye!'

819. shames] Hl. schamful.

[154: T. 5240-5274.]

Wepen bothe yonge and olde in al that place, 820 Whan that the king this cursed lettre sente, And Custance, with a deedly pale face, The ferthe day toward hir ship she wente.

But natheles she taketh in good entente The wille of Crist, and, kneling on the stronde, 825 She seyde, 'lord! ay wel-com be thy sonde!

823. E. Ln. the; _rest_ hir.

He that me kepte fro the false blame Whyl I was on the londe amonges yow, (730) He can me kepe from harme and eek fro shame In salte see, al-thogh I se nat how. 830 As strong as ever he was, he is yet now.

In him triste I, and in his moder dere, That is to me my seyl and eek my stere.'

Hir litel child lay weping in hir arm, And kneling, pitously to him she seyde, 835 'Pees, litel sone, I wol do thee non harm.'

With that hir kerchef of hir heed she breyde, And over his litel yen she it leyde; (740) And in hir arm she lulleth it ful faste, And in-to heven hir yen up she caste. 840

837. Ln. Hl. kerchef; Pt. keerchef; E. Hn. couerchief; Cm. couerchif; Cp. couerchef. E. Hn. Cm. ouer (_wrongly_); _rest_ of.

'Moder,' quod she, 'and mayde bright, Marye, Sooth is that thurgh wommannes eggement Mankind was lorn and d.a.m.ned ay to dye, For which thy child was on a croys y-rent; Thy blisful yen sawe al his torment; 845 Than is ther no comparisoun bitwene Thy wo and any wo man may sustene.

Thou sawe thy child y-slayn bifor thyn yen, (750) And yet now liveth my litel child, parfay!

Now, lady bright, to whom alle woful cryen, 850 Thou glorie of wommanhede, thou faire may, Thou haven of refut, brighte sterre of day, Rewe on my child, that of thy gentillesse Rewest on every rewful in distresse!

849. E. Ln. _om._ litel; _rest have it_.

[155: T. 5275-5302.]

O litel child, allas! what is thy gilt, 855 That never wroughtest sinne as yet, pardee, Why wil thyn harde fader han thee spilt?

O mercy, dere Constable!' quod she; (760) 'As lat my litel child dwelle heer with thee; And if thou darst not saven him, for blame, 860 So kis him ones in his fadres name!'

861. E. Yet; _rest_ So.

Ther-with she loketh bakward to the londe, And seyde, 'far-wel, housbond routhelees!'

And up she rist, and walketh doun the stronde Toward the ship; hir folweth al the prees, 865 And ever she preyeth hir child to holde his pees; And taketh hir leve, and with an holy entente She blesseth hir; and in-to ship she wente. (770)

862. E. Ln. Hl. looked; rest looketh, loketh. 868. Hn. Pt. Hl.

blesseth; Cm. Cp. Ln. blisseth; E. blissed.

Vitailled was the ship, it is no drede, Habundantly for hir, ful longe s.p.a.ce, 870 And other necessaries that sholde nede She hadde y-nogh, heried be G.o.ddes grace!

For wind and weder almighty G.o.d purchace, And bringe hir hoom! I can no bettre seye; But in the see she dryveth forth hir weye. 875

EXPLICIT SECUNDA PARS. SEQUITUR PARS TERCIA.

Alla the king comth hoom, sone after this, Unto his castel of the which I tolde, And axeth wher his wyf and his child is. (780) The constable gan aboute his herte colde, And pleynly al the maner he him tolde 880 As ye han herd, I can telle it no bettre, And sheweth the king his seel and [eek] his lettre,

882. _The word_ eek _seems wanted; but is not in the MSS_.

[156: T. 5303-5337.]

And seyde, 'lord, as ye comaunded me Up peyne of deeth, so have I doon, certein.'

This messager tormented was til he 885 Moste biknowe and tellen, plat and plein, Fro night to night, in what place he had leyn.

And thus, by wit and subtil enqueringe, (790) Ymagined was by whom this harm gan springe.

The hand was knowe that the lettre wroot, 890 And al the venim of this cursed dede, But in what wyse, certeinly I noot.

Theffect is this, that Alla, out of drede, His moder slow, that men may pleinly rede, For that she traitour was to hir ligeaunce. 895 Thus endeth olde Donegild with meschaunce.

The sorwe that this Alla, night and day, Maketh for his wyf and for his child also, (800) Ther is no tonge that it telle may.

But now wol I un-to Custance go, 900 That fleteth in the see, in peyne and wo, Fyve yeer and more, as lyked Cristes sonde, Er that hir ship approched un-to londe.

903. _So_ Hn. Cp. Pt. Hl.; E. Ln. vn-to the; Cm. to the.