Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 55

And taketh kepe of that that I shal seyn; 90 Of alle tresons sovereyn pestilence Is whan a wight bitrayseth innocence.

80. E. Hn. han; _rest_ conne. 82. _So_ E. Hn.; _rest_ Kepeth wel tho that ye undertake. 84. E. Hn. olde; _rest_ theves. 86. _Read_ kep'th; E. Hn. _om._ hem; Hl. hir(!). E. wolde; _rest_ wole (wil).

92. E. Hn. bitrayseth; _rest_ betrayeth.

Ye fadres and ye modres eek also, Though ye han children, be it oon or two, [293: T. 12029-12063.]

Your is the charge of al hir surveyaunce, 95 Whyl that they been under your governaunce.

Beth war that by ensample of your livinge, Or by your necligence in chastisinge, That they ne perisse; for I dar wel seye, If that they doon, ye shul it dere abeye. 100 Under a shepherde softe and necligent The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent.

Suffyseth oon ensample now as here, For I mot turne agayn to my matere.

95. E. Hn. surveiaunce; _rest_ sufferaunce (suffraunce). 97. E. Hn.

if; _rest_ that. 99. E. Hn. _om._ ne. 103, 4. E. _om. both lines; I follow_ Hn. _and the rest_.

This mayde, of which I wol this tale expresse, 105 So kepte hir-self, hir neded no maistresse; For in hir living maydens mighten rede, As in a book, every good word or dede, That longeth to a mayden vertuous; She was so prudent and so bountevous. 110 For which the fame out-sp.r.o.ng on every syde Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde; That thurgh that land they preysed hir echone, That loved vertu, save envye allone, That sory is of other mennes wele, 115 And glad is of his sorwe and his unhele; (The doctour maketh this descripcioun).

This mayde up-on a day wente in the toun Toward a temple, with hir moder dere, As is of yonge maydens the manere. 120

105. E. Hn. I wol this; _rest_ I telle my. 119. E. Hn. a; _rest_ the.

Now was ther thanne a Iustice in that toun, That governour was of that regioun.

And so bifel, this Iuge his eyen caste Up-on this mayde, avysinge him ful faste, As she cam forby ther this Iuge stood. 125 Anon his herte chaunged and his mood, So was he caught with beautee of this mayde; And to him-self ful prively he sayde, 'This mayde shal be myn, for any man.'

125. E. Hn. ther as; _rest om._ as.

[294: T. 12064-12100.]

Anon the feend in-to his herte ran, 130 And taughte him sodeynly, that he by slighte The mayden to his purpos winne mighte.

For certes, by no force, ne by no mede, Him thoughte, he was nat able for to spede; For she was strong of freendes, and eek she 135 Confermed was in swich soverayn bountee, That wel he wiste he mighte hir never winne As for to make hir with hir body sinne.

For which, by greet deliberacioun, He sente after a cherl, was in the toun, 140 Which that he knew for subtil and for bold.

This Iuge un-to this cherl his tale hath told In secree wyse, and made him to ensure, He sholde telle it to no creature, And if he dide, he sholde lese his heed. 145 Whan that a.s.sented was this cursed reed, Glad was this Iuge and maked him greet chere, And yaf hym yiftes preciouse and dere.

138. E. maken; _rest_ make. 140, 142. E. Hn. cherl; _rest_ clerk.

147. E. Hn. this; _rest_ the.

Whan shapen was al hir conspiracye Fro point to point, how that his lecherye 150 Parfourned sholde been ful subtilly, As ye shul here it after openly, Hoom gooth the cherl, that highte Claudius.

This false Iuge that highte Apius, So was his name, (for this is no fable, 155 But knowen for historial thing notable, The sentence of it sooth is, out of doute), This false Iuge gooth now faste aboute To hasten his delyt al that he may.

And so bifel sone after, on a day, 160 This false Iuge, as telleth us the storie, As he was wont, sat in his consistorie, And yaf his domes up-on sondry cas.

This false cherl cam forth a ful greet pas, And seyde, 'lord, if that it be your wille, 165 As dooth me right up-on this pitous bille, [295: T. 12101-12136.]

In which I pleyne up-on Virginius.

And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus, I wol it preve, and finde good witnesse, That sooth is that my bille wol expresse.' 170

149. E. Hn. hir; _rest_ this. 153, 164. E. Hn. cherl; _rest_ clerk.

155. E. Hn. this; _rest_ it.

The Iuge answerde, 'of this, in his absence, I may nat yeve diffinitif sentence.

Lat do him calle, and I wol gladly here; Thou shall have al right, and no wrong here.'

172. E. diffynyue; rest diffinitif. 173, 174. E. heere, glossed audire; and heere, glossed hie.

Virginius cam, to wite the Iuges wille, 175 And right anon was rad this cursed bille; The sentence of it was as ye shul here.

'To yow, my lord, sire Apius so dere, Sheweth your povre servant Claudius, How that a knight, called Virginius, 180 Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee, Holdeth, expres agayn the wil of me, My servant, which that is my thral by right, Which fro myn hous was stole up-on a night, Whyl that she was ful yong; this wol I preve 185 By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greve.

She nis his doghter nat, what so he seye; Wherfore to yow, my lord the Iuge, I preye, Yeld me my thral, if that it be your wille.'

Lo! this was al the sentence of his bille. 190

Virginius gan up-on the cherl biholde, But hastily, er he his tale tolde, And wolde have preved it, as sholde a knight, And eek by witnessing of many a wight, That it was fals that seyde his adversarie, 195 This cursed Iuge wolde no-thing tarie, Ne here a word more of Virginius, But yaf his Iugement, and seyde thus:--

191. E. Hn. Cm. cherl; rest clerk.

'I deme anon this cherl his servant have; Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save. 200 Go bring hir forth, and put hir in our warde, The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde.'

199, 202. E. Hn. Cm. cherl; rest clerk.

[296: T. 12137-12173.]

And whan this worthy knight Virginius, Thurgh sentence of this Iustice Apius, Moste by force his dere doghter yiven 205 Un-to the Iuge, in lecherye to liven, He gooth him hoom, and sette him in his halle, And leet anon his dere doghter calle, And, with a face deed as a.s.shen colde, Upon hir humble face he gan biholde, 210 With fadres pitee stiking thurgh his herte, Al wolde he from his purpos nat converte.

202. E. Hn. Cm. this; rest thus. 205. Hl. Cp. yiuen; rest yeuen.

'Doghter,' quod he, 'Virginia, by thy name, Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame, That thou most suffre; allas! that I was bore! 215 For never thou deservedest wherfore To dyen with a swerd or with a knyf.

O dere doghter, ender of my lyf, Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce, That thou were never out of my remembraunce! 220 O doghter, which that art my laste wo, And in my lyf my laste Ioye also, O gemme of chast.i.tee, in pacience Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence.

For love and nat for hate, thou most be deed; 225 My pitous hand mot smyten of thyn heed.

Allas! that ever Apius thee say!

Thus hath he falsly Iuged thee to-day'-- And tolde hir al the cas, as ye bifore Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it more. 230

223. E. o; rest of.

'O mercy, dere fader,' quod this mayde, And with that word she both hir armes layde About his nekke, as she was wont to do: The teres broste out of hir eyen two, And seyde, 'G.o.de fader, shal I dye? 235 Is ther no grace? is ther no remedye?'

234. E. Hn. teeris. E. bruste; Cm. broste; Pt. brosten; Hn. borste; Cp. Ln. barsten; Hl. brast.

'No, certes, dere doghter myn,' quod he.

'Thanne yif me leyser, fader myn,' quod she, 'My deeth for to compleyne a litel s.p.a.ce; [297: T. 12174-12208.]

For pardee, Iepte yaf his doghter grace 240 For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas!

And G.o.d it woot, no-thing was hir trespas, But for she ran hir fader first to see, To welcome him with greet solempnitee.'

And with that word she fil aswowne anon, 245 And after, whan hir swowning is agon, She ryseth up, and to hir fader sayde, 'Blessed be G.o.d, that I shal dye a mayde.

Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame; Doth with your child your wil, a G.o.ddes name!' 250

243. E. Hn. for; _rest_ first. 248. E. Ln. Blissed; _rest_ Blessed.

And with that word she preyed him ful ofte, That with his swerd he wolde smyte softe, And with that word aswowne doun she fil.

Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil, Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente, 255 And to the Iuge he gan it to presente, As he sat yet in doom in consistorie.

And whan the Iuge it saugh, as seith the storie, He bad to take him and anhange him faste.

But right anon a thousand peple in thraste, 260 To save the knight, for routhe and for pitee, For knowen was the false iniquitee.

The peple anon hath suspect of this thing, By manere of the cherles chalanging, That it was by the a.s.sent of Apius; 265 They wisten wel that he was lecherous.

For which un-to this Apius they gon, And caste him in a prison right anon, Wher-as he slow him-self; and Claudius, That servant was un-to this Apius, 270 Was demed for to hange upon a tree; But that Virginius, of his pitee, So preyde for him that he was exyled; And elles, certes, he had been bigyled.

[298: T. 12209-12220.]

The remenant were anhanged, more and lesse, 275 That were consentant of this cursednesse.--

252. _All but_ E. Hn. _ins._ hir _before_ softe. 259. E. Hn. anhange; _rest_ honge. 260. E. Hn. a thousand; _rest_ al the. 263. E. of; _rest_ in. 264. E. Hn. the cherles; _rest_ this clerkes. 269. E.