Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 85

Amonges othere of his honest thinges, [449: T. 9903-9938.]

He made a gardin, walled al with stoon; So fair a gardin woot I nowher noon. 2030 For out of doute, I verraily suppose, That he that wroot the Romance of the Rose Ne coude of it the beautee wel devyse; Ne Priapus ne mighte nat suffyse, (790) Though he be G.o.d of gardins, for to telle 2035 The beautee of the gardin and the welle, That stood under a laurer alwey grene.

Ful ofte tyme he, Pluto, and his quene, Proserpina, and al hir fayerye Disporten hem and maken melodye Aboute that welle, and daunced, as men tolde.

2024, 2028. E. Hn. Cm. Cp. honeste. 2032. Cm. Hl. roma.n.u.s; Ln.

romans. 2039. Cp. Hl. fayerie; _rest_ fairye.

This n.o.ble knight, this Ianuarie the olde, Swich deintee hath in it to walke and pleye, That he wol no wight suffren bere the keye (800) Save he him-self; for of the smale wiket 2045 He bar alwey of silver a smal cliket, With which, whan that him leste, he it unshette.

And whan he wolde paye his wyf hir dette In somer seson, thider wolde he go, And May his wyf, and no wight but they two; And thinges whiche that were nat doon a-bedde, He in the gardin parfourned hem and spedde.

And in this wyse, many a mery day, Lived this Ianuarie and fresshe May. (810) But worldly Ioye may nat alwey dure 2055 To Ianuarie, ne to no creature.

2046. E. baar. Hl. smal; _rest om._ 2053. E. Hn. murye.

O sodeyn hap, o thou fortune instable, AUCTOR.

Lyk to the scorpion so deceivable, That flaterest with thyn heed when thou wolt stinge; Thy tayl is deeth, thurgh thyn enveniminge. 2060 O brotil Ioye! o swete venim queynte!

O monstre, that so subtilly canst peynte Thy yiftes, under hewe of stedfastnesse, That thou deceyvest bothe more and lesse! (820) [450: T. 9939-9974.]

Why hastow Ianuarie thus deceyved, 2065 That haddest him for thy ful frend receyved?

And now thou hast biraft him bothe hise yen, For sorwe of which desyreth he to dyen.

2059. E. synge; _rest_ stinge. 2061. venim] Cp. Pt. Ln. poyson.

2063. E. stidefastnesse. 2067. Hl. yen; Cm. Iyen; _rest_ eyen.

Allas! this n.o.ble Ianuarie free, Amidde his l.u.s.t and his prosperitee, 2070 Is woxen blind, and that al sodeynly.

He wepeth and he wayleth pitously; And ther-with-al the fyr of Ialousye, Lest that his wyf sholde falle in som folye, (830) So brente his herte, that he wolde fayn 2075 That som man bothe him and hir had slayn.

For neither after his deeth, nor in his lyf, Ne wolde he that she were love ne wyf, But ever live as widwe in clothes blake, Soul as the turtle that lost hath hir make. 2080 But atte laste, after a monthe or tweye, His sorwe gan aswage, sooth to seye; For whan he wiste it may noon other be, He paciently took his adversitee; (840) Save, out of doute, he may nat forgoon 2085 That he nas Ialous evermore in oon; Which Ialousye it was so outrageous, That neither in halle, nin noon other hous, Ne in noon other place, never-the-mo, He nolde suffre hir for to ryde or go, 2090 But-if that he had hand on hir alway; For which ful ofte wepeth fresshe May, That loveth Damian so benignely, That she mot outher dyen sodeynly, (850) Or elles she mot han him as hir leste; 2095 She wayteth whan hir herte wolde breste.

2074. E. swich; _rest_ som (sum). 2080. Cp. Ln. Soule; Pt. Sool; _rest_ Soul. 2089. E. Nyn; _rest_ Ne in. 2091. E. hond (_but_ hand _in_ l. 2103). 2093. E. benyngnely.

Up-on that other syde Damian Bicomen is the sorwefulleste man That ever was; for neither night ne day Ne mighte he speke a word to fresshe May, 2100 [451: T. 9975-10010.]

As to his purpos, of no swich matere, But-if that Ianuarie moste it here, That hadde an hand up-on hir evermo.

But nathelees, by wryting to and fro (860) And privee signes, wiste he what she mente; 2105 And she knew eek the fyn of his entente.

O Ianuarie, what mighte it thee availle, AUCTOR.

Thou mightest see as fer as shippes saille?

For also good is blind deceyved be, As be deceyved whan a man may se. 2110 Lo, Argus, which that hadde an hondred yen, For al that ever he coude poure or pryen, Yet was he blent; and, G.o.d wot, so ben mo, That wenen wisly that it be nat so. (870) Pa.s.se over is an ese, I sey na-more. 2115

2108. E. Ln. Thogh thou; Hl. If thou; _rest_ Thou. 2109. Cm. Ln.

also; _rest_ as. 2110. _All_ As to be. 2111. Ln. yene; _rest_ eyen.

This fresshe May, that I spak of so yore, In warme wex hath emprented the cliket, That Ianuarie bar of the smale wiket, By which in-to his gardin ofte he wente.

And Damian, that knew al hir entente, 2120 The cliket countrefeted prively; Ther nis na-more to seye, but hastily Som wonder by this cliket shal bityde, Which ye shul heren, if ye wole abyde. (880)

2117. Pt. Ln. warme; _rest_ warm. _Perhaps read_ emprented hath.

2118. Pt. smal; _rest_ smale.

O n.o.ble Ovyde, ful sooth seystou, G.o.d woot! AUCTOR.

What sleighte is it, thogh it be long and hoot, 2126 That he nil finde it out in som manere?

By Piramus and Tesbee may men lere; Thogh they were kept ful longe streite overal, They been accorded, rouninge thurgh a wal, 2130 Ther no wight coude han founde out swich a sleighte.

But now to purpos; er that dayes eighte Were pa.s.sed, er the monthe of Iuil, bifil That Ianuarie hath caught so greet a wil, (890) Thurgh egging of his wyf, him for to pleye 2135 In his gardin, and no wight but they tweye, [452: T. 10011-10046.]

That in a morwe un-to this May seith he: 'Rys up, my wyf, my love, my lady free; The turtles vois is herd, my douve swete; The winter is goon, with alle his reynes wete; 2140 Com forth now, with thyn eyen columbyn!

How fairer been thy brestes than is wyn!

The gardin is enclosed al aboute; Com forth, my whyte spouse; out of doute, (900) Thou hast me wounded in myn herte, o wyf! 2145 No spot of thee ne knew I al my lyf.

Com forth, and lat us taken our disport; I chees thee for my wyf and my confort.'

2133, 4. Cm. befel, wyl; _rest_ bifille, wille; _see note._ 2139. E.

turtle. 2140. Cp. Pt. Ln. alle (al); _rest om._ 2146. Cp. Pt. Ln.

in (_for_ of). 2147. E. som; _rest_ our (oure).

Swiche olde lewed wordes used he; On Damian a signe made she, 2150 That he sholde go biforen with his cliket: This Damian thanne hath opened the wiket, And in he stirte, and that in swich manere, That no wight mighte it see neither y-here; (910) And stille he sit under a bush anoon. 2155

2151. Ln. beforne; _rest_ biforn; _read_ biforen.

This Ianuarie, as blind as is a stoon, With Maius in his hand, and no wight mo, In-to his fresshe gardin is ago, And clapte to the wiket sodeynly.

'Now, wyf,' quod he, 'heer nis but thou and I, 2160 That art the creature that I best love.

For, by that lord that sit in heven above, Lever ich hadde dyen on a knyf, Than thee offende, trewe dere wyf! (920) For G.o.ddes sake, thenk how I thee chees, 2165 Noght for no coveityse, doutelees, But only for the love I had to thee.

And though that I be old, and may nat see, Beth to me trewe, and I shal telle yow why.

Three thinges, certes, shul ye winne ther-by; 2170 First, love of Crist, and to your-self honour, And al myn heritage, toun and tour; [453: T. 10047-10082.]

I yeve it yow, maketh chartres as yow leste; This shal be doon to-morwe er sonne reste. (930) So wisly G.o.d my soule bringe in blisse, 2175 I prey yow first, in covenant ye me kisse.

And thogh that I be Ialous, wyte me noght.

Ye been so depe enprented in my thoght, That, whan that I considere your beautee, And ther-with-al the unlykly elde of me, 2180 I may nat, certes, thogh I sholde dye, Forbere to been out of your companye For verray love; this is with-outen doute.

Now kis me, wyf, and lat us rome aboute.' (940)

2163. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. to dyen; Cp. Pt. Ln. _om._ to. 2170. E. Hn.

shal; Pt. Cm. Hl. shul. 2177, 2181. E. though. 2179. E. Pt. _om._ that.

This fresshe May, whan she thise wordes herde, 2185 Benignely to Ianuarie answerde, But first and forward she bigan to wepe, 'I have,' quod she, 'a soule for to kepe As wel as ye, and also myn honour, And of my wyfhod thilke tendre flour, 2190 Which that I have a.s.sured in your hond, Whan that the preest to yow my body bond; Wherfore I wole answere in this manere By the leve of yow, my lord so dere: (950) I prey to G.o.d, that never dawe the day 2195 That I ne sterve, as foule as womman may, If ever I do un-to my kin that shame, Or elles I empeyre so my name, That I be fals; and if I do that lakke, Do strepe me and put me in a sakke, 2200 And in the nexte river do me drenche.

I am a gentil womman and no wenche.

Why speke ye thus? but men ben ever untrewe, And wommen have repreve of yow ay newe. (960) Ye han non other contenance, I leve, 2205 But speke to us of untrust and repreve.'

2186. E. Benyngnely. 2194. Cp. Pt. Ln. With (_for_ By). 2205. Cm.

Cp. Pt. Ln. can (_for_ han).

And with that word she saugh wher Damian Sat in the bush, and coughen she bigan, [454: T. 10083-10114.]

And with hir finger signes made she, That Damian sholde climbe up-on a tree, 2210 That charged was with fruit, and up he wente; For verraily he knew al hir entente, And every signe that she coude make Wel bet than Ianuarie, hir owene make. (970) For in a lettre she had told him al 2215 Of this matere, how he werchen shal.

And thus I lete him sitte up-on the pyrie, And Ianuarie and May rominge myrie.

2208. E. Hl. coughen; Hn. coghen; Cm. coghe. 2215. E. hadde toold.

2217. Pt. pirry; Hn. purye; _rest_ pyrie (pirie, pyry). 2218. Hn.

murye; Cp. myry; Hl. mirye; Cm. Pt. Ln. merie (mery).

Bright was the day, and blew the firmament, Phebus of gold his stremes doun hath sent, 2220 To gladen every flour with his warmnesse.

He was that tyme _in Geminis_, as I gesse, But litel fro his declinacioun Of Cancer, Iovis exaltacioun. (980) And so bifel, that brighte morwe-tyde, 2225 That in that gardin, in the ferther syde, Pluto, that is the king of fayerye, And many a lady in his companye, Folwinge his wyf, the quene Proserpyne, Ech after other, right as any lyne-- 2230 Whil that she gadered floures in the mede, In Claudian ye may the story rede, How in his grisly carte he hir fette:-- This king of fairye thanne adoun him sette (990) Up-on a bench of turves, fresh and grene, 2235 And right anon thus seyde he to his quene.

2220. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. _put_ hath _before_ of gold; Cp. Pt. Ln. doun hath his stremes sent. E. Hn. Hl. ysent; _rest_ sent. 2227. Cp. Pt. Ln.

the; _rest_ on. Cp. Hl. fayerye; _rest_ fairye. 2230. Cm. ony; E. Hl.

a (_for_ any). Cp. Pt. Ln. _have_ Which that he rauysshed out of Proserpyna(!). 2232. Hl. story; _rest_ stories. 2233. E. And; _rest_ How. E. grisely. E. Hn. Cm. sette; _rest_ fette. 2234. Cp.

Pt. Ln. _om._ thanne.