Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 36

[167: T. 12931-12957.]

THE SHIPMANNES TALE.

HERE BIGINNETH THE SHIPMANNES TALE.

A marchant whylom dwelled at Seint Denys, That riche was, for which men helde him wys; A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee, And compaignable and revelous was she, Which is a thing that causeth more dispence 1195 Than worth is al the chere and reverence That men hem doon at festes and at daunces; Swiche salutaciouns and contenaunces Pa.s.sen as dooth a shadwe up-on the wal.

But wo is him that payen moot for al; 1200 The sely housbond, algate he mot paye; (11) He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye, Al for his owene worship richely, In which array we daunce Iolily.

And if that he noght may, par-aventure, 1205 Or elles, list no swich dispence endure, But thinketh it is wasted and y-lost, Than moot another payen for our cost, Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.

1191. Hl. hild. 1196. E. chiere. 1201. E. honsbonde. Hn. moot; Pt. mot; rest moste. 1205. Pt. Hl. may not. 1206. E. ellis. 1208.

E. Thanne.

This n.o.ble Marchant heeld a worthy hous, 1210 For which he hadde alday so greet repair (21) For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair, That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.

Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale, Ther was a monk, a fair man and a bold, 1215 I trowe of thritty winter he was old, That ever in oon was drawing to that place.

[168: T. 12958-12994.]

This yonge monk, that was so fair of face, Aqueinted was so with the G.o.de man, Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan, 1220 That in his hous as famulier was he (31) As it possible is any freend to be.

1214. E. Hn. hise; Hl. these; _rest_ his. 1216. E. of; Hn. Cp. Ln. a; _rest om._ 1217. E. comynge; rest drawyng. 1220-3. Pt. _omits._

And for as muchel as this G.o.de man And eek this monk, of which that I bigan, Were bothe two y-born in o village, 1225 The monk him claimeth as for cosinage; And he again, he seith nat ones nay, But was as glad ther-of as fowel of day; For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.

Thus been they knit with eterne alliaunce, 1230 And ech of hem gan other for ta.s.sure (41) Of bretherhede, whyl that hir lyf may dure.

1222. E. _om._ is; Hl. possibil is; _rest_ is possible. 1231. E. Hn.

Pt. ech; Hl. ilk; _rest_ ilke. Cp. for to a.s.sure; Hl. Ln. to a.s.sure (_om._ for).

Free was daun Iohn, and namely of dispence, As in that hous; and ful of diligence To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage. 1235 He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page In al that hous; but, after hir degree, He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee, When that he cam, som maner honest thing; For which they were as glad of his coming 1240 As fowel is fayn, whan that the sonne up-ryseth. (51) Na more of this as now, for it suffyseth.

1237. E. the; _rest_ that.

But so bifel, this marchant on a day Shoop him to make redy his array Toward the toun of Brugges for to fare, 1245 To byen ther a porcioun of ware; For which he hath to Paris sent anon A messager, and preyed hath daun Iohn That he sholde come to Seint Denys to pleye With him and with his wyf a day or tweye, 1250 Er he to Brugges wente, in alle wyse. (61)

This n.o.ble monk, of which I yow devyse, Hath of his abbot, as him list, licence, By-cause he was a man of heigh prudence, [169: T. 12995-13031.]

And eek an officer, out for to ryde, 1255 To seen hir graunges and hir bernes wyde; And un-to Seint Denys he comth anon.

Who was so welcome as my lord daun Iohn, Our dere cosin, ful of curteisye?

With him broghte he a Iubbe of Malvesye, 1260 And eek another, ful of fyn Vernage, (71) And volatyl, as ay was his usage.

And thus I lete hem ete and drinke and pleye, This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.

1261. Cp. Ln. good (_for_ fyn); Hl. wyn. 1262. Hl. volantyn (!) 1263. E. _om._ ete and.

The thridde day, this marchant up aryseth, 1265 And on his nedes sadly him avyseth, And up in-to his countour-hous goth he To rekene with him-self, as wel may be, Of thilke yeer, how that it with him stood, And how that he despended hadde his good; 1270 And if that he encressed were or noon. (81) His bokes and his bagges many oon He leith biforn him on his counting-bord; Ful riche was his tresor and his hord, For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette; 1275 And eek he nolde that no man sholde him lette Of his accountes, for the mene tyme; And thus he sit til it was pa.s.sed pryme.

1266, 1272, 1277. E. hise. 1268. Pt. Hl. as; _rest om._

Daun Iohn was risen in the morwe also, And in the gardin walketh to and fro, 1280 And hath his thinges seyd ful curteisly. (91)

This G.o.de wyf cam walking prively In-to the gardin, ther he walketh softe, And him saleweth, as she hath don ofte.

A mayde child cam in hir companye, 1285 Which as hir list she may governe and gye, For yet under the yerde was the mayde.

'O dere cosin myn, daun Iohn,' she sayde, 'What eyleth yow so rathe for to ryse?'

'Nece,' quod he, 'it oghte y-nough suffyse 1290 Fyve houres for to slepe up-on a night, (101) [170: T. 13032-13066.]

But it were for an old appalled wight, As been thise wedded men, that lye and dare As in a forme sit a wery hare, Were al for-straught with houndes grete and smale. 1295 But dere nece, why be ye so pale?

I trowe certes that our G.o.de man Hath yow laboured sith the night bigan, That yow were nede to resten hastily?'

And with that word he lough ful merily, 1300 And of his owene thought he wex al reed. (111)

1294. E. fourme; _rest_ forme. 1300. E. murily. 1301. E. Cp. wax.

This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed, And seyde thus, 'ye, G.o.d wot al,' quod she; 'Nay, cosin myn, it stant nat so with me.

For, by that G.o.d that yaf me soule and lyf, 1305 In al the reme of France is ther no wyf That la.s.se l.u.s.t hath to that sory pley.

For I may singe "allas" and "weylawey, That I was born," but to no wight,' quod she, 'Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me. 1310 Wherfore I thinke out of this land to wende, (121) Or elles of my-self to make an ende, So ful am I of drede and eek of care.'

1304. E. _repeats_ nay. 1306. Cp. Pt. rewme; Hl. Ln. reme; E. Hn.

Reawme; _see_ B. 4326.

This monk bigan up-on this wyf to stare, And seyde, 'allas, my nece, G.o.d forbede 1315 That ye, for any sorwe or any drede, Fordo your-self; but telleth me your grief; Paraventure I may, in your meschief, Conseille or helpe, and therfore telleth me Al your anoy, for it shal been secree; 1320 For on my porthors here I make an ooth, (131) That never in my lyf, for lief ne looth, Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.'

1317. Hn. Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. telleth; E. tel. E. me of; Cp. Ln.

forth; _rest_ me. 1318. E. I yow may; _rest om._ yow. 1321. Cm.

here; _rest_ om.

'The same agayn to yow,' quod she, 'I seye; By G.o.d and by this porthors, I yow swere, 1325 Though men me wolde al in-to peces tere, [171: T. 13067-13103.]

Ne shal I never, for to goon to h.e.l.le, Biwreye a word of thing that ye me telle, Nat for no cosinage ne alliance, But verraily, for love and affiance.' 1330 Thus been they sworn, and heer-upon they kiste, (141) And ech of hem tolde other what hem liste.

1326. E. pieces; _rest_ peces, peeces.

'Cosin,' quod she, 'if that I hadde a s.p.a.ce, As I have noon, and namely in this place, Than wolde I telle a legende of my lyf, 1335 What I have suffred sith I was a wyf With myn housbonde, al be he your cosyn.'

1335. E. Thanne. 1337. your cosyn] E. of youre kyn.

'Nay,' quod this monk, 'by G.o.d and seint Martyn, He is na more cosin un-to me Than is this leef that hangeth on the tree! 1340 I clepe him so, by Seint Denys of Fraunce, (151) To have the more cause of aqueintaunce Of yow, which I have loved specially Aboven alle wommen sikerly; This swere I yow on my professioun. 1345 Telleth your grief, lest that he come adoun, And hasteth yow, and gooth your wey anon.'

1338. and] E. Cp. Pt. Ln. and by. 1340. E. lief.

'My dere love,' quod she, 'o my daun Iohn, Ful lief were me this conseil for to hyde, But out it moot, I may namore abyde. 1350 Myn housbond is to me the worste man (161) That ever was, sith that the world bigan.

But sith I am a wyf, it sit nat me To tellen no wight of our privetee, Neither a bedde, ne in non other place; 1355 G.o.d shilde I sholde it tellen, for his grace!

A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde But al honour, as I can understonde; Save un-to yow thus muche I tellen shal; As help me G.o.d, he is noght worth at al 1360 In no degree the value of a flye. (171) But yet me greveth most his nigardye; And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly [172: T. 13104-13140.]

Desyren thinges sixe, as wel as I.

They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be 1365 Hardy, and wyse, and riche, and ther-to free, And buxom to his wyf, and fresh a-bedde.

But, by that ilke lord that for us bledde, For his honour, my-self for to arraye, A Sonday next, I moste nedes paye 1370 An hundred frankes, or elles am I lorn. (181) Yet were me lever that I were unborn Than me were doon a sclaundre or vileinye; And if myn housbond eek it mighte espye, I nere but lost, and therfore I yow preye 1375 Lene me this somme, or elles moot I deye.

Daun Iohn, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes; Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes, If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.

For at a certein day I wol yow paye, 1380 And doon to yow what plesance and servyce (191) That I may doon, right as yow list devyse.

And but I do, G.o.d take on me vengeance As foul as ever had Geniloun of France!'

1351. E. housbonde. 1355. Hl. _om._ 1367. to] E. Hn. Cm. unto.

1371, 1376. E. ellis. 1371. E. Ln. Hl. I am; _rest_ am I. 1374. E.

housbonde. 1376-9. Hl. _omits_. 1384. E. hadde.