Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 83

Straw for thy Senek, and for thy proverbes, I counte nat a panier ful of herbes Of scole-termes; wyser men than thow, As thou hast herd, a.s.senteden right now 1570 To my purpos; Placebo, what sey ye?'

1566. E. Hn. ysayd; Cm. Hl. sayd; Cp. Pt. Ln. al said.

'I seye, it is a cursed man,' quod he, 'That letteth matrimoine, sikerly.'

And with that word they rysen sodeynly, (330) And been a.s.sented fully, that he sholde 1575 Be wedded whanne him list and wher he wolde.

1573. E. Hn. Hl. matrimoigne; Pt. matrimoyne; _rest_ matrimonye.

Heigh fantasye and curious bisinesse Fro day to day gan in the soule impresse Of Ianuarie aboute his mariage.

Many fair shap, and many a fair visage 1580 Ther pa.s.seth thurgh his herte, night by night.

As who-so toke a mirour polished bright, And sette it in a commune market-place, Than sholde he see many a figure pace (340) By his mirour; and, in the same wyse, 1585 Gan Ianuarie inwith his thoght devyse Of maydens, whiche that dwelten him bisyde.

He wiste nat wher that he mighte abyde.

For if that oon have beaute in hir face, Another stant so in the peples grace 1590 For hir sadnesse, and hir benignitee, [437: T. 9466-9503.]

That of the peple grettest voys hath she.

And somme were riche, and hadden badde name.

But nathelees, bitwixe ernest and game, (350) He atte laste apoynted him on oon, 1595 And leet alle othere from his herte goon, And chees hir of his owene auctoritee; For love is blind al day, and may nat see.

And whan that he was in his bed y-broght, He purtreyed, in his herte and in his thoght, 1600 Hir fresshe beautee and hir age tendre, Hir myddel smal, hir armes longe and sclendre, Hir wyse governaunce, hir gentillesse, Hir wommanly beringe and hir sadnesse. (360) And whan that he on hir was condescended, 1605 Him thoughte his chois mighte nat ben amended.

For whan that he him-self concluded hadde, Him thoughte ech other mannes wit so badde, That inpossible it were to replye Agayn his chois, this was his fantasye. 1610 His freendes sente he to at his instaunce, And preyed hem to doon him that plesaunce, That hastily they wolden to him come; He wolde abregge hir labour, alle and some. (370) Nedeth na-more for him to go ne ryde, 1615 He was apoynted ther he wolde abyde.

1582. E. And; _rest_ As. E. polisshed. 1584. E. Thanne. E. Hn. se ful many. 1587. E. Cm. Pt. dwellen. 1591. E. Cm. benyngnytee.

1602. E. sklendre. 1609. E. repplye. 1611. E. Cm. Hise. 1615. Ln.

hem.

Placebo cam, and eek his freendes sone, And alderfirst he bad hem alle a bone, That noon of hem none argumentes make Agayn the purpos which that he hath take; 1620 'Which purpos was plesant to G.o.d,' seyde he, 'And verray ground of his prosperitee.'

1617. E. Cm. Hise.

He seyde, ther was a mayden in the toun, Which that of beautee hadde greet renoun, (380) Al were it so she were of smal degree; 1625 Suffyseth him hir youthe and hir beautee.

Which mayde, he seyde, he wolde han to his wyf, To lede in ese and holinesse his lyf.

And thanked G.o.d, that he mighte han hire al, [438: T. 9504-9539.]

That no wight of his blisse parten shal. 1630 And preyde hem to labouren in this nede, And shapen that he faille nat to spede; For thanne, he seyde, his spirit was at ese.

'Thanne is,' quod he, 'no-thing may me displese, (390) Saue o thing priketh in my conscience, 1635 The which I wol reherce in your presence.

1630. Cm. of; Cp. Ln. with; _rest om._ 1631. Hn. labouren; _rest_ laboure.

I have,' quod he, 'herd seyd, ful yore ago, Ther may no man han parfite blisses two, This is to seye, in erthe and eek in hevene.

For though he kepe him fro the sinnes sevene, 1640 And eek from every branche of thilke tree, Yet is ther so parfit felicitee, And so greet ese and l.u.s.t in mariage, That ever I am agast, now in myn age, (400) That I shal lede now so mery a lyf, 1645 So delicat, with-outen wo and stryf, That I shal have myn hevene in erthe here.

For sith that verray hevene is boght so dere, With tribulacioun and greet penaunce, How sholde I thanne, that live in swich plesaunce 1650 As alle wedded men don with hir wyvis, Come to the blisse ther Crist eterne on lyve is?

This is my drede, and ye, my bretheren tweye, a.s.soilleth me this questioun, I preye.' (410)

1645. E. myrie; Hn. murye.

Iustinus, which that hated his folye, 1655 Answerde anon, right in his Iaperye; And for he wolde his longe tale abregge, He wolde noon auctoritee allegge, But seyde, 'sire, so ther be noon obstacle Other than this, G.o.d of his hye miracle 1660 And of his mercy may so for yow wirche, That, er ye have your right of holy chirche, Ye may repente of wedded mannes lyf, In which ye seyn ther is no wo ne stryf. (420) And elles, G.o.d forbede but he sente 1665 [439: T. 9540-9576.]

A wedded man him grace to repente Wel ofte rather than a sengle man!

And therfore, sire, the beste reed I can, Dispeire yow noght, but have in your memorie, Paraunter she may be your purgatorie! 1670 She may be G.o.ddes mene, and G.o.ddes whippe; Than shal your soule up to hevene skippe Swifter than dooth an arwe out of the bowe!

I hope to G.o.d, her-after shul ye knowe, (430) That their nis no so greet felicitee 1675 In mariage, ne never-mo shal be, That yow shal lette of your savacioun, So that ye use, as skile is and resoun, The l.u.s.tes of your wyf attemprely, And that ye plese hir nat to amorously, 1680 And that ye kepe yow eek from other sinne.

My tale is doon:--for my wit is thinne.

Beth nat agast her-of, my brother dere.'-- (But lat us waden out of this matere. (440) The Wyf of Bathe, if ye han understonde, 1685 Of mariage, which we have on honde, Declared hath ful wel in litel s.p.a.ce).-- 'Fareth now wel, G.o.d have yow in his grace.'

1660. Hn. Pt. hye; E. hygh. 1661. E. his hygh mercy; _rest om._ hygh. 1665. Cp. Pt. Ln. but if. 1672. E. Thanne. 1682.

_Incomplete_. 1686. Hn. we; _rest_ ye.

And with this word this Justin and his brother Han take hir leve, and ech of hem of other. 1690 For whan they sawe it moste nedes be, They wroghten so, by sly and wys tretee, That she, this mayden, which that Maius highte, As hastily as ever that she mighte, (450) Shal wedded be un-to this Ianuarie. 1695 I trowe it were to longe yow to tarie, If I yow tolde of every scrit and bond, By which that she was feffed in his lond; Or for to herknen of hir riche array.

But finally y-comen is the day 1700 That to the chirche bothe be they went For to receyve the holy sacrement.

[440: T. 9577-9612.]

Forth comth the preest, with stole aboute his nekke, And bad hir be lyk Sarra and Rebekke, (460) In wisdom and in trouthe of mariage; 1705 And seyde his orisons, as is usage, And crouched hem, and bad G.o.d sholde hem blesse, And made al siker y-nogh with holinesse.

1691. Hn. Cp. sawe; E. Hl. saugh. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. _ins._ that _bef_.

it. E. _om._ nedes. 1692. sly] Hl. sleighte. 1693. MSS. Mayus.

1698. Hl. feoffed. 1704. E. lyk to; _rest om._ to. 1706. his] E.

hir. 1707. E. Hn. Cm. croucheth.

Thus been they wedded with solempnitee, And at the feste sitteth he and she 1710 With other worthy folk up-on the deys.

Al ful of Ioye and blisse is the paleys, And ful of instruments and of vitaille, The moste deyntevous of al Itaille. (470) Biforn hem stoode swiche instruments of soun, 1715 That Orpheus, ne of Thebes Amphioun, Ne maden never swich a melodye.

1715. _So_ Cm. Hl.; E. _puts_ swich _before_ soun; Hn. _repeats_ swich _before_ soun.

At every cours than cam loud minstraleye, That never tromped Ioab, for to here, Nor he, Theodomas, yet half so clere, 1720 At Thebes, whan the citee was in doute.

Bacus the wyn hem skinketh al aboute, And Venus laugheth up-on every wight.

For Ianuarie was bicome hir knight, (480) And wolde bothe a.s.sayen his corage 1725 In libertee, and eek in mariage; And with hir fyrbrond in hir hand aboute Daunceth biforn the bryde and al the route.

And certeinly, I dar right wel seyn this, Ymeneus, that G.o.d of wedding is, 1730 Saugh never his lyf so mery a wedded man.

Hold thou thy pees, thou poete Marcian, That wrytest us that ilke wedding murie Of hir, Philologye, and him, Mercurie (490) And of the songes that the Muses songe. 1735 To smal is bothe thy penne, and eek thy tonge, For to descryven of this mariage.

Whan tendre youthe hath wedded stouping age, [441: T. 9613-9648.]

Ther is swich mirthe that it may nat be writen; a.s.sayeth it your-self, than may ye witen 1740 If that I lye or noon in this matere.

1718. E. Hn. thanne; Hl. ther. 1731. E. myrie; Hn. murye. 1740. E.

thanne. 1741. E. matiere.

Maius, that sit with so benigne a chere, Hir to biholde it semed fayerye; Quene Ester loked never with swich an ye (500) On a.s.suer, so meke a look hath she. 1745 I may yow nat devyse al hir beautee; But thus muche of hir beautee telle I may, That she was lyk the brighte morwe of May, Fulfild of alle beautee and plesaunce.

1742. E. benyngne; chiere. 1743. Cp. Pt. Hl. fayerye: _rest_ fairye. 1744. Pt. Hl. ye; Cp. yhe; _rest_ eye.

This Ianuarie is ravisshed in a traunce 1750 At every time he loked on hir face; But in his herte he gan hir to manace, That he that night in armes wolde hir streyne Harder than ever Paris dide Eleyne. (510) But nathelees, yet hadde he greet pitee, 1755 That thilke night offenden hir moste he; And thoughte, 'allas! o tendre creature!

Now wolde G.o.d ye mighte wel endure Al my corage, it is so sharp and kene; I am agast ye shul it nat sustene. 1760 But G.o.d forbede that I dide al my might!

Now wolde G.o.d that it were woxen night, And that the night wolde lasten evermo.

I wolde that al this peple were ago.' (520) And finally, he doth al his labour, 1765 As he best mighte, savinge his honour, To haste hem fro the mete in subtil wyse.

1751. Hl. lokith.

The tyme cam that reson was to ryse; And after that, men daunce and drinken faste, And spyces al aboute the hous they caste; 1770 And ful of Ioye and blisse is every man; All but a squyer, highte Damian, Which carf biforn the knight ful many a day.

He was so ravisshed on his lady May, (530) [442: T. 9649-9683.]

That for the verray peyne he was ny wood; 1775 Almost he swelte and swowned ther he stood.

So sore hath Venus hurt him with hir brond, As that she bar it daunsinge in hir hond.

And to his bed he wente him hastily; Na-more of him as at this tyme speke I. 1780 But ther I lete him wepe y-nough and pleyne, Til fresshe May wol rewen on his peyne.

1772. E. Hn. Cm. highte; _rest_ that highte (hight). 1780. Hl. as; _rest om._ E. _om._ I.

O perilous fyr, that in the bedstraw bredeth! AUCTOR.

O famulier foo, that his servyce bedeth! (540) O servant traitour, false hoomly hewe, 1785 Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe, G.o.d shilde us alle from your aqueyntaunce!