Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 40

1850. Cm. Cp. Pt. anteme; Ln. antime; Hl. antym; Hn. antheme; E.

Anthephen.

Wherfor I singe, and singe I moot certeyn In honour of that blisful mayden free, Til fro my tonge of-taken is the greyn; 1855 And afterward thus seyde she to me, "My litel child, now wol I fecche thee Whan that the greyn is fro thy tonge y-take; Be nat agast, I wol thee nat forsake."'

This holy monk, this abbot, him mene I, 1860 His tonge out-caughte, and took a-wey the greyn, And he yaf up the goost ful softely. (220) And whan this abbot had this wonder seyn, His salte teres trikled doun as reyn, [188: T. 13605-13620.]

And gruf he fil al plat up-on the grounde, 1865 And stille he lay as he had been y-bounde.

1864. E. Hn. Cm. trikled; Cp. Pt. stryked; Ln. strikled; Hl. striken.

1866. Cp. Hl. ben; Pt. Ln. bene; E. Hn. Cm. Ieyn.

The covent eek lay on the pavement Weping, and herien Cristes moder dere, And after that they ryse, and forth ben went, And toke awey this martir fro his bere, 1870 And in a tombe of marbul-stones clere Enclosen they his litel body swete; (230) Ther he is now, G.o.d leve us for to mete.

1869. Hl. thay went; _rest_ been, ben, bene went. 1870. E. tooken; Hl. took; _rest_ toke. 1871. E. temple; _rest_ tombe, toumbe. 1873.

E. alle for; _rest omit_ alle.

O yonge Hugh of Lincoln, slayn also With cursed Iewes, as it is notable, 1875 For it nis but a litel whyle ago; Preye eek for us, we sinful folk unstable, That, of his mercy, G.o.d so merciable On us his grete mercy multiplye, (237) For reverence of his moder Marye. Amen. 1880

HERE IS ENDED THE PRIORESSES TALE.

1876. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. nys; E. Hn. Cm. is. COLOPHON. _From_ E.

[189: T. 13621-13641.]

PROLOGUE TO SIR THOPAS.

BIHOLD THE MURYE WORDES OF THE HOST TO CHAUCER.

Whan seyd was al this miracle, every man As sobre was, that wonder was to se, Til that our hoste Iapen tho bigan, And than at erst he loked up-on me, And seyde thus, 'what man artow?' quod he; 1885 'Thou lokest as thou woldest finde an hare, For ever up-on the ground I see thee stare.

HEADING. _From_ E. E. Bihoold; Hoost. 1883. _Only_ Hl. _inserts_ to _before_ Iapen. Cm. Cp. tho; E. to; Hn. he; Pt. Ln. Hl. _omit_.

Approche neer, and loke up merily.

Now war yow, sirs, and lat this man have place; He in the waast is shape as wel as I; 1890 This were a popet in an arm tenbrace (11) For any womman, smal and fair of face.

He semeth elvish by his contenaunce, For un-to no wight dooth he daliaunce.

1888. E. murily; Hl. merily.

Sey now somwhat, sin other folk han sayd; 1895 Tel us a tale of mirthe, and that anoon;'-- 'Hoste,' quod I, 'ne beth nat yvel apayd, For other tale certes can I noon, But of a ryme I lerned longe agoon.'

'Ye, that is good,' quod he; 'now shul we here 1900 Som deyntee thing, me thinketh by his chere.' (21)

_Explicit._

1897. Cp. Ln. Oste; E. Hn. Cm. Hoost. 1900. E. ye; _rest_ we.

[190: T. 13642-13665.]

SIR THOPAS.

HERE BIGINNETH CHAUCERS TALE OF THOPAS.

Listeth, lordes, in good entent, And I wol telle verrayment Of mirthe and of solas; Al of a knyght was fair and gent 1905 In bataille and in tourneyment, His name was sir Thopas.

HEADING. _From_ E. (E. Heere).

Y-born he was in fer contree, In Flaundres, al biyonde the see, At Popering, in the place; 1910 His fader was a man ful free, (10) And lord he was of that contree, As it was G.o.ddes grace.

Sir Thopas wex a doghty swayn, Whyt was his face as payndemayn, 1915 His lippes rede as rose; His rode is lyk scarlet in grayn, And I yow telle in good certayn, He hadde a semely nose.

His heer, his berd was lyk saffroun, 1920 That to his girdel raughte adoun; (20) His shoon of Cordewane.

Of Brugges were his hosen broun, His robe was of ciclatoun, That coste many a Iane. 1925

1922. E. shoos; Hn. Pt. shoon; _rest_ schoon, schon, schone.

[191: T. 13666-13695.]

He coude hunte at wilde deer, And ryde an hauking for riveer, With grey goshauk on honde; Ther-to be was a good archeer, Of wrastling was ther noon his peer, 1930 Ther any ram shal stonde. (30)

1927. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. for; Cp. by e; Pt. Ln. for e. 1931. E. Hn. Cm.

Hl. shal; Cp. schulde; Pt. shulde; Ln. scholde.

Ful many a mayde, bright in bour, They moorne for him, paramour, Whan hem were bet to slepe; But he was chast and no lechour, 1935 And sweet as is the bremble-flour That bereth the rede hepe.

And so bifel up-on a day, For sothe, as I yow telle may, Sir Thopas wolde out ryde; 1940 He worth upon his stede gray, (40) And in his honde a launcegay, A long swerd by his syde.

1938. Hn. Hl. it fel; Cm. it fil.

He priketh thurgh a fair forest, Ther-inne is many a wilde best, 1945 Ye, bothe bukke and hare; And, as he priketh north and est, I telle it yow, him hadde almest Bitid a sory care.

1949. Cm. Hl. Bytid; _rest_ Bitidde, Betydde (!).

Ther springen herbes grete and smale, 1950 The lycorys and cetewale, (50) And many a clowe-gilofre; And notemuge to putte in ale, Whether it be moyste or stale, Or for to leye in cofre. 1955

[192: T. 13696-13725.]

The briddes singe, it is no nay, The sparhauk and the papeiay, That Ioye it was to here; The thrustelc.o.k made eek his lay, The wodedowve upon the spray 1960 She sang ful loude and clere. (60)

1959. E. hir; _rest_ his. 1960. E. a; _rest_ the.

Sir Thopas fil in love-longinge Al whan he herde the thrustel singe, And priked as he were wood: His faire stede in his prikinge 1965 So swatte that men mighte him wringe, His sydes were al blood.

Sir Thopas eek so wery was For prikinge on the softe gras, So fiers was his corage, 1970 That doun he leyde him in that plas (70) To make his stede som solas, And yaf him good forage.