Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 34

Under an hethen castel, atte laste, Of which the name in my text noght I finde, 905 Custance and eek hir child the see up-caste.

Almighty G.o.d, that saveth al mankinde, Have on Custance and on hir child som minde, (810) That fallen is in hethen land eft-sone, In point to spille, as I shal telle yow sone. 910

907. E. saued; _rest_ saueth.

Doun from the castel comth ther many a wight To gauren on this ship and on Custance.

But shortly, from the castel, on a night, The lordes styward--G.o.d yeve him meschaunce!-- A theef, that had reneyed our creaunce, 915 Com in-to ship allone, and seyde he sholde Hir lemman be, wher-so she wolde or nolde.

916. E. Cm. in-to the; _rest omit_ the.

[157: T. 5338-5370.]

Wo was this wrecched womman tho bigon, (820) Hir child cryde, and she cryde pitously; But blisful Marie heelp hir right anon; 920 For with hir strugling wel and mightily The theef fil over bord al sodeinly, And in the see he dreynte for vengeance; And thus hath Crist unwemmed kept Custance.

920. E. Hn. heelp; Hl. hilp; Cm. Cp. halp; Pt. halpe; Ln. helped.

O foule l.u.s.t of luxurie! lo, thyn ende! AUCTOR.

925 Nat only that thou feyntest mannes minde, But verraily thou wolt his body shende; Thende of thy werk or of thy l.u.s.tes blinde (830) Is compleyning, how many-oon may men finde That noght for werk som-tyme, but for thentente 930 To doon this sinne, ben outher sleyn or shente!

How may this wayke womman han this strengthe Hir to defende agayn this renegat?

O Golias, unmesurable of lengthe, How mighte David make thee so mat, 935 So yong and of armure so desolat?

How dorste he loke up-on thy dredful face?

Wel may men seen, it nas but G.o.ddes grace! (840)

938. E. Hl. nas; Ln. is; _the rest_ was.

Who yaf Iudith corage or hardinesse To sleen him, Olofernus, in his tente, 940 And to deliveren out of wrecchednesse The peple of G.o.d? I seye, for this entente, That, right as G.o.d spirit of vigour sente To hem, and saved hem out of meschance, So sente he might and vigour to Custance. 945

940. E. Oloferne; Hl. Olefernes; _the rest_ Olofernus, Olefernus, _or_ Olesphernus; _see note_.

Forth goth hir ship thurgh-out the narwe mouth Of Iubaltar and Septe, dryving ay, Som-tyme West, som-tyme North and South, (850) And som-tyme Est, ful many a wery day, Til Cristes moder (blessed be she ay!) 950 [158: T. 5371-5400.]

Hath shapen, thurgh hir endelees goodnesse, To make an ende of al hir hevinesse.

947. E. alway; _rest_ ay. (_The latter is better, but recurs in_ l.

950.) 948. _All but_ Hl. _ins._ and _after_ West.

Now lat us stinte of Custance but a throwe, And speke we of the Romain Emperour, That out of Surrie hath by lettres knowe 955 The slaughtre of cristen folk, and dishonour Don to his doghter by a fals traitour, I mene the cursed wikked sowdanesse, (860) That at the feste leet sleen both more and lesse.

For which this emperour hath sent anoon 960 His senatour, with royal ordinance, And othere lordes, got wot, many oon, On Surriens to taken heigh vengeance.

They brennen, sleen, and bringe hem to meschance Ful many a day; but shortly, this is thende, 965 Homward to Rome they shapen hem to wende.

This senatour repaireth with victorie To Rome-ward, sayling ful royally, (870) And mette the ship dryving, as seith the storie, In which Custance sit ful pitously. 970 No-thing ne knew he what she was, ne why She was in swich array; ne she nil seye Of hir estaat, althogh she sholde deye.

971. E. Cm. _om._ ne _before_ knew; _the rest have it_. 973. Hl.

although; Pt. though that; _rest_ thogh, though, thow.

He bringeth hir to Rome, and to his wyf He yaf hir, and hir yonge sone also; 975 And with the senatour she ladde her lyf.

Thus can our lady bringen out of wo Woful Custance, and many another mo. (880) And longe tyme dwelled she in that place, In holy werkes ever, as was hir grace. 980

[159: T. 5401-5435.]

The senatoures wyf hir aunte was, But for al that she knew hir never the more; I wol no lenger tarien in this cas, But to king Alla, which I spak of yore, That for his wyf wepeth and syketh sore, 985 I wol retourne, and lete I wol Custance Under the senatoures governance.

985. E. _puts_ wepeth _after_ That.

King Alla, which that hadde his moder slayn, (890) Upon a day fil in swich repentance, That, if I shortly tellen shal and plain, 990 To Rome he comth, to receyven his penance; And putte him in the popes ordinance In heigh and low, and Iesu Crist bisoghte Foryeve his wikked werkes that he wroghte.

The fame anon thurgh Rome toun is born, 995 How Alla king shal come in pilgrimage, By herbergeours that wenten him biforn; For which the senatour, as was usage, (900) Rood him ageyn, and many of his linage, As wel to shewen his heighe magnificence 1000 As to don any king a reverence.

995. E. thurgh out the toun; _rest_ thurgh Rome toun. 996. E. Hn. Cp.

Pt. comen. 999. E. Hn. agayns.

Greet chere dooth this n.o.ble senatour To king Alla, and he to him also; Everich of hem doth other greet honour; And so bifel that, in a day or two, 1005 This senatour is to king Alla go To feste, and shortly, if I shal nat lye, Custances sone wente in his companye. (910)

Som men wolde seyn, at requeste of Custance, This senatour hath lad this child to feste; 1010 I may nat tellen every circ.u.mstance, Be as be may, ther was he at the leste.

But soth is this, that, at his modres heste, Biforn Alla, during the metes s.p.a.ce, The child stood, loking in the kinges face. 1015

[160: T. 5436-5470.]

This Alla king hath of this child greet wonder, And to the senatour he seyde anon, 'Whos is that faire child that stondeth yonder?' (920) 'I noot,' quod he, 'by G.o.d, and by seint Iohn!

A moder he hath, but fader hath he non 1020 That I of woot'--but shortly, in a stounde, He tolde Alla how that this child was founde.

'But G.o.d wot,' quod this senatour also, 'So vertuous a livere in my lyf, Ne saugh I never as she, ne herde of mo 1025 Of worldly wommen, mayden, nor of wyf; I dar wel seyn hir hadde lever a knyf Thurgh-out her breste, than been a womman wikke; (930) Ther is no man coude bringe hir to that prikke.'

1026. Hl. Cm. Ln. mayden; _rest_ mayde. Cm. nor; Hl. Ln. or; _rest_ ne.

Now was this child as lyk un-to Custance 1030 As possible is a creature to be.

This Alla hath the face in remembrance Of dame Custance, and ther-on mused he If that the childes moder were aught she That was his wyf, and prively he sighte, 1035 And spedde him fro the table that he mighte.

'Parfay,' thoghte he, 'fantome is in myn heed!

I oghte deme, of skilful Iugement, (940) That in the salte see my wyf is deed.'

And afterward he made his argument-- 1040 'What woot I, if that Crist have hider y-sent My wyf by see, as wel as he hir sente To my contree fro thennes that she wente?'

1041. E. haue; _rest_ hath. E. ysent; Cm. I-sent; _rest_ sent.

And, after noon, hoom with the senatour Goth Alla, for to seen this wonder chaunce. 1045 This senatour dooth Alla greet honour, And hastifly he sente after Custaunce.

But trusteth weel, hir liste nat to daunce (950) Whan that she wiste wherefor was that sonde.

Unnethe up-on hir feet she mighte stonde. 1050

1047. E. Pt. hastifly; _rest_ hastily, hastely.

[161: T. 5471-5505.]

When Alla saugh his wyf, faire he hir grette, And weep, that it was routhe for to see.

For at the firste look he on hir sette He knew wel verraily that it was she.

And she for sorwe as domb stant as a tree; 1055 So was hir herte shet in hir distresse Whan she remembred his unkindenesse.

Twyes she swowned in his owne sighte; (960) He weep, and him excuseth pitously:-- 'Now G.o.d,' quod he, 'and alle his halwes brighte 1060 So wisly on my soule as have mercy, That of your harm as giltelees am I As is Maurice my sone so lyk your face; Elles the feend me fecche out of this place!'

1060. Hl. alle; _which the rest omit_.

Long was the sobbing and the bitter peyne 1065 Er that hir woful hertes mighte cesse; Greet was the pitee for to here hem pleyne, Thurgh whiche pleintes gan hir wo encresse. (970) I prey yow al my labour to relesse; I may nat telle hir wo un-til tomorwe, 1070 I am so wery for to speke of sorwe.