Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 38

His wyf ful redy mette him atte gate, As she was wont of old usage algate, And al that night in mirthe they bisette; 1565 For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.

Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace His wyf al newe, and kiste hir on hir face, And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.

'Namore,' quod she, 'by G.o.d, ye have y-nough!' 1570 And wantounly agayn with him she pleyde; (381) Til, atte laste, that this Marchant seyde, 'By G.o.d,' quod he, 'I am a litel wrooth With yow, my wyf, al-thogh it be me looth.

And woot ye why? by G.o.d, as that I gesse, 1575 That ye han maad a maner straungenesse Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun Iohn.

Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon, That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed By redy tokene; and heeld him yvel apayed, 1580 For that I to him spak of chevisaunce, (391) Me semed so, as by his contenaunce.

But nathelees, by G.o.d our hevene king, [178: T. 13324-13359.]

I thoghte nat to axe of him no-thing.

I prey thee, wyf, ne do namore so; 1585 Tel me alwey, er that I fro thee go, If any dettour hath in myn absence Y-payed thee; lest, thurgh thy necligence, I mighte him axe a thing that he hath payed.'

1571. E. wantownely. 1572. Cp. Pt. at; Hl. us; _rest om._ 1574.

E. were; _rest_ be. 1584. E. axen; _rest_ axe. E. Hl. _om._ of.

1585. E. as; Hl. _om._; _rest_ ne. 1586. Hn. Hl. Tel; Ln. Til; _rest_ Telle.

This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed, 1590 But boldely she seyde, and that anon: (401) 'Marie, I defye the false monk, daun Iohn!

I kepe nat of hise tokenes never a deel; He took me certein gold, that woot I weel!

What! yvel thedom on his monkes snoute! 1595 For, G.o.d it woot, I wende, withouten doute, That he had yeve it me bycause of yow, To doon ther-with myn honour and my prow, For cosinage, and eek for bele chere That he hath had ful ofte tymes here. 1600 But sith I see I stonde in this disioint, (411) I wol answere yow shortly, to the point.

Ye han mo slakker dettours than am I!

For I wol paye yow wel and redily Fro day to day; and, if so be I faille, 1605 I am your wyf; score it up-on my taille, And I shal paye, as sone as ever I may.

For, by my trouthe, I have on myn array, And nat on wast, bistowed every deel.

And for I have bistowed it so weel 1610 For your honour, for G.o.ddes sake, I seye, (421) As be nat wrooth, but lat us laughe and pleye.

Ye shal my Ioly body have to wedde; By G.o.d, I wol nat paye yow but a-bedde.

Forgive it me, myn owene spouse dere; 1615 Turne hiderward and maketh bettre chere.'

1592. Cm. defye; _rest_ deffie. 1595. E. Hn. Cp. thedam. 1597. E.

hadde. 1599. E. beele; Cm. beel; _rest_ bele. 1601. E. Hn. Hl.

this; _rest_ suche, such. 1611. E. Hn. For; _rest_ To.

This marchant saugh ther was no remedye, And, for to chyde, it nere but greet folye, Sith that the thing may nat amended be.

[179: T. 13360-13364.]

'Now, wyf,' he seyde, 'and I foryeve it thee; 1620 But, by thy lyf, ne be namore so large; (431) Keep bet our good, this yeve I thee in charge.'

Thus endeth now my tale, and G.o.d us sende Taling y-nough un-to our lyves ende. Amen.

HERE ENDETH THE SHIPMANNES TALE.

1622. E. that; _rest_ this. 1623. E. Hn. _om._ now. 1624. Cm.

Talynge; Hl. Talyng; E. Hn. Pt. Taillynge; Cp. Ln. Toylyng(!).

COLOPHON. _So_ E. Hn. Cp. Pt.

[180: T. 13365-13382.]

THE PRIORESS'S PROLOGUE

BIHOLD THE MERY WORDES OF THE HOST TO THE SHIPMAN AND TO THE LADY PRIORESSE.

'Wel seyd, by _corpus dominus_,' quod our hoste, 1625 'Now longe moot thou sayle by the coste, Sir gentil maister, gentil marineer!

G.o.d yeve this monk a thousand last quad yeer!

A ha! felawes! beth ware of swiche a Iape!

The monk putte in the mannes hood an ape, 1630 And in his wyves eek, by seint Austin!

Draweth no monkes more un-to your in.

HEADING. _So_ E. (_with_ Bihoold, murie, Hoost); Hn. Herke the myrie Wordes of the Worthy Hoost; Pt. And here bygynneth the prologe of the priores; Ln. Incipit prologus Priorisse. 1625. E. Hn. Hoost. 1626.

E. Hn. moote; Ln. Hl. mot; _rest_ mote. E. saille; cost. 1628. E.

this; _rest_ the. Hn. quaad; _rest_ quade.

But now pa.s.se over, and lat us seke aboute, Who shal now telle first, of al this route, (10) Another tale;' and with that word he sayde, 1635 As curteisly as it had been a mayde, 'My lady Prioresse, by your leve, So that I wiste I sholde yow nat greve, I wolde demen that ye tellen sholde A tale next, if so were that ye wolde. 1640 Now wol ye vouche-sauf, my lady dere?'

'Gladly,' quod she, and seyde as ye shal here. (18)

_Explicit_.

1642. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. sayde in this manere.

[181: T. 13383-13403.]

THE PRIORESSES TALE.

THE PROLOGE OF THE PRIORESSES TALE.

_Domine, dominus noster_.

O Lord our lord, thy name how merveillous Is in this large worlde y-sprad--quod she:-- For noght only thy laude precious 1645 Parfourned is by men of dignitee, But by the mouth of children thy bountee Parfourned is, for on the brest soukinge Som tyme shewen they thyn heryinge.

HEADING. _From_ E. Hn. (Hn. proheme, _for_ prologe). Cp. _has_--Here begynneth the tale of Alma redemptoris, the prioresses Tale. Prolog.

_Domine Dominus noster_.

Wherfor in laude, as I best can or may, 1650 Of thee, and of the whyte lily flour Which that thee bar, and is a mayde alway, (10) To telle a storie I wol do my labour; Not that I may encresen hir honour; For she hir-self is honour, and the rote 1655 Of bountee, next hir sone, and soules bote.--

1651. E. _om._ whyte.

O moder mayde! o mayde moder free!

O bush unbrent, brenninge in Moyses sighte, That ravisedest doun fro the deitee, Thurgh thyn humblesse, the goost that in thalighte, 1660 Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte, Conceived was the fadres sapience, (20) Help me to telle it in thy reverence!

1660. Hl. Cp. the alight.

[182: T. 13404-13431.]

Lady! thy bountee, thy magnificence, Thy vertu, and thy grete humilitee 1665 Ther may no tonge expresse in no science; For som-tyme, lady, er men praye to thee, Thou goost biforn of thy benignitee, And getest us the light, thurgh thy preyere, To gyden us un-to thy sone so dere. 1670

1669. Hn. Slo. Ln. Hl. the] E. thurgh; Cp. Pt. to. E. Hn. of; _but the rest_ thurgh.

My conning is so wayk, o blisful quene, For to declare thy grete worthinesse, (30) That I ne may the weighte nat sustene, But as a child of twelf monthe old, or lesse, That can unnethes any word expresse, 1675 Right so fare I, and therfor I yow preye, Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye.