Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 64

Lucya, likerous, loved hir housbond so, That, for he sholde alwey up-on hir thinke, She yaf him swich a maner love-drinke, That he was deed, er it were by the morwe; 755 And thus algates housbondes han sorwe.

750. E. vpon; _rest_ on.

Than tolde he me, how oon Latumius Compleyned to his felawe Arrius, [342: T. 6341-6376.]

That in his gardin growed swich a tree, On which, he seyde, how that his wyves three 760 Hanged hem-self for herte despitous.

"O leve brother," quod this Arrius, "Yif me a plante of thilke blissed tree, And in my gardin planted shal it be!"

757. E. Thanne. E. Hn. how that oon. Cm. Latymyus; _rest_ Latumyus.

758. E. Hn. Hl. vnto; _rest_ to. 764. E. Ln. it shal; Pt. shal he; _rest_ shal it.

Of latter date, of wyves hath he red, 765 That somme han slayn hir housbondes in hir bed, And lete hir lechour dighte hir al the night Whyl that the corps lay in the floor up-right.

And somme han drive nayles in hir brayn Whyl that they slepte, and thus they han hem slayn. 770 Somme han hem yeve poysoun in hir drinke.

He spak more harm than herte may bithinke.

And ther-with-al, he knew of mo proverbes Than in this world ther growen gras or herbes.

"Bet is," quod he, "thyn habitacioun 775 Be with a leoun or a foul dragoun, Than with a womman usinge for to chyde.

Bet is," quod he, "hye in the roof abyde Than with an angry wyf doun in the hous; They been so wikked and contrarious; 780 They haten that hir housbondes loveth ay."

He seyde, "a womman cast hir shame away, Whan she cast of hir smok;" and forther-mo, "A fair womman, but she be chaast also, Is lyk a gold ring in a sowes nose." 785 Who wolde wenen, or who wolde suppose The wo that in myn herte was, and pyne?

767. E. lecchour. 768. Cm. Whils; Hl. Whil; _rest_ Whan; _see_ 770.

786. E. leeue; _rest_ wene; _but read_ wenen.

And whan I saugh he wolde never fyne To reden on this cursed book al night, Al sodeynly three leves have I plight 790 Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke, I with my fist so took him on the cheke, That in our fyr he fil bakward adoun.

And he up-stirte as dooth a wood leoun, [343: T. 6377-6410.]

And with his fist he smoot me on the heed, 795 That in the floor I lay as I were deed.

And when he saugh how stille that I lay, He was agast, and wolde han fled his way, Til atte laste out of my swogh I breyde: "O! hastow slayn me, false theef?" I seyde, 800 "And for my land thus hastow mordred me?

Er I be deed, yet wol I kisse thee."

792. E. Cp. fest; _rest_ fist. 795. E. Hn. Cp. fest; _rest_ fist.

And neer he cam, and kneled faire adoun, And seyde, "dere suster Alisoun, As help me G.o.d, I shal thee never smyte; 805 That I have doon, it is thy-self to wyte.

Foryeve it me, and that I thee biseke"-- And yet eft-sones I hitte him on the cheke, And seyde, "theef, thus muchel am I wreke; Now wol I dye, I may no lenger speke." 810 But atte laste, with muchel care and wo, We fille acorded, by us selven two.

He yaf me al the brydel in myn hond To han the governance of hous and lond, And of his tonge and of his hond also, 815 And made him brenne his book anon right tho.

And whan that I hadde geten un-to me, By maistrie, al the soveraynetee, And that he seyde, "myn owene trewe wyf, Do as thee l.u.s.t the terme of al thy lyf, 820 Keep thyn honour, and keep eek myn estaat"-- After that day we hadden never debaat.

G.o.d help me so, I was to him as kinde As any wyf from Denmark un-to Inde, And also trewe, and so was he to me. 825 I prey to G.o.d that sit in magestee, So blesse his soule, for his mercy dere!

Now wol I seye my tale, if ye wol here.'

812. E. Hn. Cp. Pt. vs; Cm. Ln. Hl. oure. 815. E. Hn. Pt. _om. 2nd_ of. 820. E. to; Cm. for; Hl. in; _rest_ the (_before_ terme). 822.

Hl. neuer had.

[344: T. 6411-6438.]

BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.

The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, 'Now, dame,' quod he, 'so have I Ioye or blis, 830 This is a long preamble of a tale!'

And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, 'Lo!' quod the Somnour, 'G.o.ddes armes two!

A frere wol entremette him ever-mo.

Lo, G.o.de men, a flye and eek a frere 835 Wol falle in every dish and eek matere.

What spekestow of preambulacioun?

What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.'

832. E. Somonour; Hn. Cm. Cp. Pt. somnour. 836. Cp. Pt. Ln. eek; _rest om._

'Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?' quod the Frere, 840 'Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.'

'Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,'

Quod this Somnour, 'and I bishrewe me, 845 But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.'

Our hoste cryde 'pees! and that anoon!' 850 And seyde, 'lat the womman telle hir tale.

Ye fare as folk that dronken been of ale.

Do, dame, tel forth your tale, and that is best.'

850. Cp. Hl. hoste; Ln. oste; E. Hn. hoost. 852. E. Cm. were; _rest_ ben. 853. E. telle (_but_ tel _in_ 856).

'Al redy, sir,' quod she, 'right as yow lest, If I have licence of this worthy Frere.' 855

'Yis, dame,' quod he, 'tel forth, and I wol here.'

HERE ENDETH THE WYF OF BATHE HIR PROLOGE.

COLOPHON. Hn. Here endeth the prologe of the Wyf of Bathe. E. _adds_ and bigynneth hir tale.

[345: T. 6439-6463.]

THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE.

HERE BIGINNETH THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE.

In tholde dayes of the king Arthour, Of which that Britons speken greet honour, All was this land fulfild of fayerye.

The elf-queen, with hir Ioly companye, 860 Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede; This was the olde opinion, as I rede, I speke of manye hundred yeres ago; But now can no man see none elves mo.

For now the grete charitee and prayeres 865 Of limitours and othere holy freres, (10) That serchen every lond and every streem, As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem, Blessinge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures, Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures, 870 Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes, This maketh that ther been no fayeryes.

For ther as wont to walken was an elf, Ther walketh now the limitour him-self In undermeles and in morweninges, 875 And seyth his matins and his holy thinges (20) As he goth in his limitacioun.

Wommen may go saufly up and doun, In every bush, or under every tree; Ther is noon other incubus but he, 880 And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour.

HEADING. _From_ Hn. 857. E. Cm. _om._ the. 859. Cp. fayerie; _rest_ fairye. 872. Cp. fayeries; E. Hn. fairyes. 880. Hl. inc.u.mbent (!). 881. Cm. non; _rest_ but. Hl. ne wol but doon hem.

[346: T. 6464-6498.]

And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a l.u.s.ty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river; And happed that, allone as she was born, 885 He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, (30) Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed; For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute un-to the king Arthour, 890 That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho; But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, 895 Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, (40) And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille.

882. E. Hn. Cm. _om._ it. 883. E. _om._ his. 885. E. Hn. he(!).

887. Cm. Ln. whiche; _rest_ which. 888. E. Cm. Hl. birafte; _rest_ he rafte (refte). 895. Hl. Cm. preyeden; E. Hn. preyden. 898. E.

wheither.

The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, 900 Whan that she saugh hir tyme, up-on a day: 'Thou standest yet,' quod she, 'in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.

I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren? 905 Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren. (50) And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere. 910 And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.'