Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 52

Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote. 4060 Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire, (51) And compaignable, and bar hir-self so faire, Sin thilke day that she was seven night old, That trewely she hath the herte in hold Of Chauntecleer loken in every lith; 4065 He loved hir so, that wel was him therwith.

But such a Ioye was it to here hem singe, Whan that the brighte sonne gan to springe, In swete accord, 'my lief is faren in londe.'

For thilke tyme, as I have understonde, 4070 Bestes and briddes coude speke and singe. (61)

4039. E. Hn. heet; Cp. that highte; _rest_ that hight. 4041. E. Hn.

Cm. murier. E. Cm. murie. 4045. Hl. knew he; E. Pt. he crew; _rest_ he knew. 4046. E. Ln. _ins._ the _after_ Of. 4051. Hl. geet; Pt.

Ln. gete. 4054. Hl. Cp. Pt. Ln. burnischt. 4062. Hl. ful (_for_ so). 4068. E. Cm. Ln. bigan.

[273: T. 14888-14924.]

And so bifel, that in a daweninge, As Chauntecleer among his wyves alle Sat on his perche, that was in the halle, And next him sat this faire Pertelote, 4075 This Chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte, As man that in his dreem is drecched sore.

And whan that Pertelote thus herde him rore, She was agast, and seyde, 'O herte dere, What eyleth yow, to grone in this manere? 4080 Ye been a verray sleper, fy for shame!' (71) And he answerde and seyde thus, 'madame, I pray yow, that ye take it nat a-grief: By G.o.d, me mette I was in swich meschief Right now, that yet myn herte is sore afright. 4085 Now G.o.d,' quod he, 'my swevene recche aright, And keep my body out of foul prisoun!

Me mette, how that I romed up and doun Withinne our yerde, wher-as I saugh a beste, Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areste 4090 Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed. (81) His colour was bitwixe yelwe and reed; And tipped was his tail, and bothe his eres, With blak, unlyk the remenant of his heres; His snowte smal, with glowinge eyen tweye. 4095 Yet of his look for fere almost I deye; This caused me my groning, doutelees.'

4072. a] E. Pt. the. 4079. E. o; _rest om._ 4084. mette] E.

thoughte. 4086. E. Hn. recche; Cm. reche; _rest_ rede, reed. 4091.

E. Hn. Cm. _om._ wolde.

'Avoy!' quod she, 'fy on yow, hertelees!

Allas!' quod she, 'for, by that G.o.d above, Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love; 4100 I can nat love a coward, by my feith. (91) For certes, what so any womman seith, We alle desyren, if it mighte be, To han housbondes hardy, wyse, and free, And secree, and no nigard, ne no fool, 4105 Ne him that is agast of every tool, Ne noon avauntour, by that G.o.d above!

How dorste ye seyn for shame unto your love, [274: T. 14925-14960.]

That any thing mighte make yow aferd?

Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd? 4110 Allas! and conne ye been agast of swevenis? (101) No-thing, G.o.d wot, but vanitee, in sweven is.

Swevenes engendren of replecciouns, And ofte of fume, and of complecciouns, Whan humours been to habundant in a wight. 4115 Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-night, Cometh of the grete superfluitee Of youre rede _colera_, pardee, Which causeth folk to dreden in here dremes Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes, 4120 Of grete bestes, that they wol hem byte, (111) Of contek, and of whelpes grete and lyte; Right as the humour of malencolye Causeth ful many a man, in sleep, to crye, For fere of blake beres, or boles blake, 4125 Or elles, blake develes wole hem take.

Of othere humours coude I telle also, That werken many a man in sleep ful wo; But I wol pa.s.se as lightly as I can.

4117. E. _om._ the, _and has_ greet. 4119. E. Hn. Cm. dreden; _rest_ dremen; _see_ 4159. 4121. E. grete; _rest_ rede. 4125. _So_ E. Hn.

Cm.; Cp. of beres and of boles; Ln. Pt. of beres and boles; Hl. of beres or of boles.

Lo Catoun, which that was so wys a man, 4130 Seyde he nat thus, ne do no fors of dremes? (121) Now, sire,' quod she, 'whan we flee fro the bemes, For G.o.ddes love, as tak som laxatyf; Up peril of my soule, and of my lyf, I counseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye, 4135 That bothe of colere and of malencolye Ye purge yow; and for ye shul nat tarie, Though in this toun is noon apotecarie, I shal my-self to herbes techen yow, That shul ben for your hele, and for your prow; 4140 And in our yerd tho herbes shal I finde, (131) The whiche han of hir propretee, by kinde, To purgen yow binethe, and eek above.

Forget not this, for G.o.ddes owene love!

[275: T. 14961-14996.]

Ye been ful colerik of compleccioun. 4145 Ware the sonne in his ascencioun Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hote; And if it do, I dar wel leye a grote, That ye shul have a fevere terciane, Or an agu, that may be youre bane. 4150 A day or two ye shul have digestyves (141) Of wormes, er ye take your laxatyves, Of lauriol, centaure, and fumetere, Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there, Of catapuce, or of gaytres beryis, 4155 Of erbe yve, growing in our yerd, that mery is; Pekke hem up right as they growe, and ete hem in.

Be mery, housbond, for your fader kin!

Dredeth no dreem; I can say yow na-more.'

4132. E. ye; _rest_ we. 4136, 7. Hl. _om._ 4155. Cp. Ln. gaytres; E. gaitrys; Hn. gaytrys; Hl. gaytre; Cm. gattris; Pt. gatys. 4156.

Ln. that; Hn. they; _rest_ ther.

'Madame,' quod he, '_graunt mercy_ of your lore. 4160 But nathelees, as touching daun Catoun, (151) That hath of wisdom such a greet renoun, Though that he bad no dremes for to drede, By G.o.d, men may in olde bokes rede Of many a man, more of auctoritee 4165 Than ever Catoun was, so mote I thee, Than al the revers seyn of his sentence, And han wel founden by experience, That dremes ben significaciouns, As wel of Ioye as tribulaciouns 4170 That folk enduren in this lyf present. (161) Ther nedeth make of this noon argument; The verray preve sheweth it in dede.

4166. Hn. Cm. Cp. mote; E. moot. 4167. his] E. Pt. this. 4170. E.

Cm. Cp. Ln. Hl. _ins._ of _after_ as.

Oon of the gretteste auctours that men rede Seith thus, that whylom two felawes wente 4175 On pilgrimage, in a ful good entente; And happed so, thay come into a toun, Wher-as ther was swich congregacioun Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage, That they ne founde as muche as o cotage, 4180 [276: T. 14997-15033.]

In which they bothe mighte y-logged be. (171) Wherfor thay mosten, of necessitee, As for that night, departen compaignye; And ech of hem goth to his hostelrye, And took his logging as it wolde falle. 4185 That oon of hem was logged in a stalle, Fer in a yerd, with oxen of the plough; That other man was logged wel y-nough, As was his aventure, or his fortune, That us governeth alle as in commune. 4190

4174. Cm. autourys; Hl. auctorite; _rest_ auctour (_sic_). 4177. E.

Hn. coomen in; Cm. comyn in. 4181. E. logged.

And so bifel, that, longe er it were day, (181) This man mette in his bed, ther-as he lay, How that his felawe gan up-on him calle, And seyde, 'allas! for in an oxes stalle This night I shal be mordred ther I lye. 4195 Now help me, dere brother, er I dye; In alle haste com to me,' he sayde.

This man out of his sleep for fere abrayde; But whan that he was wakned of his sleep, He turned him, and took of this no keep; 4200 Him thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitee. (191) Thus twyes in his sleping dremed he.

And atte thridde tyme yet his felawe Cam, as him thoughte, and seide, 'I am now slawe; Bihold my blody woundes, depe and wyde! 4205 Arys up erly in the morwe-tyde, And at the west gate of the toun,' quod he, 'A carte ful of donge ther shaltow see, In which my body is hid ful prively; Do thilke carte aresten boldely. 4210 My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn;' (201) And tolde him every poynt how he was slayn, With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe.

And truste wel, his dreem he fond ful trewe; For on the morwe, as sone as it was day, 4215 To his felawes in he took the way; And whan that he cam to this oxes stalle, [277: T. 15034-15069.]

After his felawe he bigan to calle.

4194. Hl. Cp. Ln. oxe. 4196. er] Ln. ar; E. Hn. Hl. or. 4200. E.

it; _rest_ this. 4210. E. arresten. 4217. Hl. Cp. Ln. oxe.

The hostiler answered him anon, And seyde, 'sire, your felawe is agon, 4220 As sone as day he wente out of the toun.' (211) This man gan fallen in suspecioun, Remembring on his dremes that he mette, And forth he goth, no lenger wolde he lette, Unto the west gate of the toun, and fond 4225 A dong-carte, as it were to donge lond, That was arrayed in the same wyse As ye han herd the dede man devyse; And with an hardy herte he gan to crye Vengeaunce and Iustice of this felonye:-- 4230 'My felawe mordred is this same night, (221) And in this carte he lyth gapinge upright.

I crye out on the ministres,' quod he, 'That sholden kepe and reulen this citee; Harrow! allas! her lyth my felawe slayn!' 4235 What sholde I more un-to this tale sayn?

The peple out-sterte, and caste the cart to grounde, And in the middel of the dong they founde The dede man, that mordred was al newe.

4219. Cp. Hl. answered; E. Hn. answerde. 4222. Hl. _ins._ a _after_ in; Cp. Pt. Ln. _ins._ gret (grete). 4226. Hn. Cm. Hl. wente as it were; Cp. Pt. Ln. as he wente. 4232. E. Hn. Cm. _ins._ heere _after_ carte.

O blisful G.o.d, that art so Iust and trewe! 4240 Lo, how that thou biwreyest mordre alway! (231) Mordre wol out, that see we day by day.

Mordre is so wlatsom and abhominable To G.o.d, that is so Iust and resonable, That he ne wol nat suffre it heled be; 4245 Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or three, Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun.

And right anoon, ministres of that toun Han hent the carter, and so sore him pyned, And eek the hostiler so sore engyned, 4250 That thay biknewe hir wikkednesse anoon, (241) And were an-hanged by the nekke-boon.

4247. E. Hn. Cm. this (this is _being p.r.o.nounced_ this); _rest_ this is. 4248. Hl. _ins._ the _after_ anoon.

Here may men seen that dremes been to drede.

[278: T. 15070-15105.]

And certes, in the same book I rede, Right in the nexte chapitre after this, 4255 (I gabbe nat, so have I Ioye or blis,) Two men that wolde han pa.s.sed over see, For certeyn cause, in-to a fer contree, If that the wind ne hadde been contrarie, That made hem in a citee for to tarie, 4260 That stood ful mery upon an haven-syde. (251) But on a day, agayn the even-tyde, The wind gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste.

Iolif and glad they wente un-to hir reste, And casten hem ful erly for to saille; 4265 But to that oo man fil a greet mervaille.

That oon of hem, in sleping as he lay, Him mette a wonder dreem, agayn the day; Him thoughte a man stood by his beddes syde, And him comaunded, that he sholde abyde, 4270 And seyde him thus, 'if thou to-morwe wende, (261) Thou shalt be dreynt; my tale is at an ende.'

He wook, and tolde his felawe what he mette, And preyde him his viage for to lette; As for that day, he preyde him to abyde. 4275 His felawe, that lay by his beddes syde, Gan for to laughe, and scorned him ful faste.

'No dreem,' quod he, 'may so myn herte agaste, That I wol lette for to do my thinges.

I sette not a straw by thy dreminges, 4280 For swevenes been but vanitees and Iapes. (271) Men dreme al-day of owles or of apes, And eke of many a mase therwithal; Men dreme of thing that nevere was ne shal.

But sith I see that thou wolt heer abyde, 4285 And thus for-sleuthen wilfully thy tyde, G.o.d wot it reweth me; and have good day.'

And thus he took his leve, and wente his way.

But er that he hadde halfe his cours y-seyled, [279: T. 15106-15141.]

Noot I nat why, ne what mischaunce it eyled, 4290 But casuelly the shippes botme rente, (281) And ship and man under the water wente In sighte of othere shippes it byside, That with hem seyled at the same tyde.

And therfor, faire Pertelote so dere, 4295 By swiche ensamples olde maistow lere, That no man sholde been to recchelees Of dremes, for I sey thee, doutelees, That many a dreem ful sore is for to drede.

4256. Cp. Ln. and (_for_ or). 4266. _All ins._ herkneth (herken) _after_ But. 4274. E. Hn. Hl. _om._ for; _cf._ l. 4265. 4275. E.

Hn. byde. 4282. E. Hn. or; _rest_ and. 4283. Hl. eke; _rest om._ 4293. it] Cp. Pt. him; Ln. hem; Hl. ther. 4296. E. _ins._ yet _after_ olde.

Lo, in the lyf of seint Kenelm, I rede, 4300 That was Kenulphus sone, the n.o.ble king (291) Of Mercenrike, how Kenelm mette a thing; A lyte er he was mordred, on a day, His mordre in his avisioun he say.

His norice him expouned every del 4305 His sweven, and bad him for to kepe him wel For traisoun; but he nas but seven yeer old, And therfore litel tale hath he told Of any dreem, so holy was his herte.

By G.o.d, I hadde lever than my sherte 4310 That ye had rad his legende, as have I. (301) Dame Pertelote, I sey yow trewely, Macrobeus, that writ the avisioun In Affrike of the worthy Cipioun, Affermeth dremes, and seith that they been 4315 Warning of thinges that men after seen.

4309. E. is; _rest_ was. 4313. Cm. thauysioun.

And forther-more, I pray yow loketh wel In the olde testament, of Daniel, If he held dremes any vanitee.

Reed eek of Ioseph, and ther shul ye see 4320 Wher dremes ben somtyme (I sey nat alle) (311) Warning of thinges that shul after falle.

Loke of Egipt the king, daun Pharao, His bakere and his boteler also, Wher they ne felte noon effect in dremes. 4325 [280: T. 15142-15177.]

Who-so wol seken actes of sondry remes, May rede of dremes many a wonder thing.

4319. E. Hn. Cp. heeld. 4324. Cm. Ln. boteler: Pt. botelere; E. Hn.