Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 9

With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISYK, DOCTOUR.

In al this world ne was ther noon him lyk To speke of phisik and of surgerye; For he was grounded in astronomye.

He kepte his pacient a ful greet del 415 In houres, by his magik naturel.

Wel coude he fortunen the ascendent Of his images for his pacient. (420) He knew the cause of everich maladye, Were it of hoot or cold, or moiste, or drye, 420 And where engendred, and of what humour; He was a verrey parfit practisour.

The cause y-knowe, and of his harm the rote, Anon he yaf the seke man his bote.

Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries, 425 To sende him drogges and his letuaries, For ech of hem made other for to winne; Hir frendschipe nas nat newe to biginne. (430) Wel knew he the olde Esculapius, And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus, 430 Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galien; Serapion, Razis, and Avicen; Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn; Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.

Of his diete mesurable was he, 435 For it was of no superfluitee, But of greet norissing and digestible.

His studie was but litel on the Bible. (440) In sangwin and in pers he clad was al, [14: T. 442-478.]

Lyned with taffata and with sendal; 440 And yet he was but esy of dispence; He kepte that he wan in pestilence.

For gold in phisik is a cordial, Therfore he lovede gold in special.

415. Hl. wondurly wel; _rest_ a ful greet deel (del). 416. E. Hn.

natureel. 418. E. Hn. hise; Cm. hese. 421. E. Cm. Hl. where they; Hn. where it. 424. Cm. Ln. seke; _rest_ sike. 425. E. hise. 426.

E. Hn. Cm. drogges; Cp. Pt. Ln. drugges; Hl. dragges. 430. Pt. Rufus; Cm. Rufijs; Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. Rusus; E. Risus. 431. Hl. Pt. Old; _rest_ Olde.

A good WYF was ther of bisyde BATHE, WYF OF BATHE.

But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe. 446 Of clooth-making she hadde swiche an haunt, She pa.s.sed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. (450) In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon That to the offring bifore hir sholde goon; 450 And if ther dide, certeyn, so wrooth was she, That she was out of alle charitee.

Hir coverchiefs ful fyne were of ground; I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound That on a Sonday were upon hir heed. 455 Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed, Ful streite y-teyd, and shoos ful moiste and newe.

Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe. (460) She was a worthy womman al hir lyve, Housbondes at chirche-dore she hadde fyve, 460 Withouten other companye in youthe; But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe.

And thryes hadde she been at Ierusalem; She hadde pa.s.sed many a straunge streem; At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne, 465 In Galice at seint Iame, and at Coloigne.

She coude muche of wandring by the weye.

Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye. (470) Up-on an amblere esily she sat, Y-wimpled wel, and on hir heed an hat 470 As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large, And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.

In felawschip wel coude she laughe and carpe.

Of remedyes of love she knew per-chaunce, 475 For she coude of that art the olde daunce.

452. Hl. was thanne out. 453, 455. E. weren. 457. Cp. Hl. schoos; E. Pt. Ln. shoes. 458. E. Hn. Boold. 463. Ln. had. 467. Ln.

muche; Hl. Pt. Cp. moche; E. Hn. muchel. 474. E. Hn. felaweschip.

476. Hl. For of that art sche knew.

[15: T. 479-513.]

A good man was ther of religioun, PERSOUN.

And was a povre PERSOUN of a toun; (480) But riche he was of holy thoght and werk.

He was also a lerned man, a clerk, 480 That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche; His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.

Benigne he was, and wonder diligent, And in adversitee ful pacient; And swich he was y-preved ofte sythes. 485 Ful looth were him to cursen for his tythes, But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute, Un-to his povre parisshens aboute (490) Of his offring, and eek of his substaunce.

He coude in litel thing han suffisaunce. 490 Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer a-sonder, But he ne lafte nat, for reyn ne thonder, In siknes nor in meschief, to visyte The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lyte, Up-on his feet, and in his hand a staf. 495 This n.o.ble ensample to his sheep he yaf, That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte; Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte; (500) And this figure he added eek ther-to, That if gold ruste, what shal iren do? 500 For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste, No wonder is a lewed man to ruste; And shame it is, if a preest take keep, A s.h.i.ten shepherde and a clene sheep.

Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive, 505 By his clennesse, how that his sheep shold live.

He sette nat his benefice to hyre, And leet his sheep encombred in the myre, (510) And ran to London, un-to seynt Poules, To seken him a chaunterie for soules, 510 Or with a bretherhed to been withholde; [16: T. 514-547.]

But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde, So that the wolf ne made it nat miscarie; He was a shepherde and no mercenarie.

And though he holy were, and vertuous, 515 He was to sinful man nat despitous, Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne, But in his teching discreet and benigne. (520) To drawen folk to heven by fairnesse By good ensample, was his bisinesse: 520 But it were any persone obstinat, What-so he were, of heigh or lowe estat, Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nones.

A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher noon is.

He wayted after no pompe and reverence, 525 Ne maked him a spyced conscience, But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taughte, and first he folwed it him-selve. (530)

485. Hl. I-proued; E. Cp. Pt. preued. 486. E. hise. 490. Hl. Cm.

Pt. han; E. Hn. Cp. Ln. haue. 493. E. siknesse. 497. E. firste.

E. _ins._ that (_by mistake_) _before_ he. 503. Hl. _alone ins._ that _after_ if. 505. Hl. [gh]iue; E. yeue. 509. Hl. Cp. seynte. 510.

Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. chaunterie; E. Hn. chauntrie. 512. E. dwelleth; _rest_ dwelte. E. keepeth; Ln. keped; _rest_ kepte. 514. Hl. no; _rest_ not a. 516. Hl. to senful man nought; _rest_ nat to sinful man. 520. _All but_ Hl. this was. 522. Hn. lowe; E. lough. 523.

E. nonys. 525. E. waiteth; _rest_ waited. 527. E. hise. 528. Hl.

and; _rest_ but.

With him ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother, PLOWMAN.

That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother, 530 A trewe swinker and a good was he, Livinge in pees and parfit charitee.

G.o.d loved he best with al his hole herte At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte, And thanne his neighebour right as him-selve. 535 He wolde thresshe, and ther-to d.y.k.e and delve, For Cristes sake, for every povre wight, Withouten hyre, if it lay in his might. (540) His tythes payed he ful faire and wel, Bothe of his propre swink and his catel. 540 In a tabard he rood upon a mere.

534. E. Pt. Ln. he; _rest_ him. 537. for] Hn. Hl. with. 539. Cp.

Pt. payed; Cm. Hl. payede; E. Hn. payde. 540. propre] Hl. owne.

Ther was also a Reve and a Millere, A Somnour and a Pardoner also, A Maunciple, and my-self; ther were namo.

The MILLER was a stout carl, for the nones, MILLER.

[17: T. 548-582.]

Ful big he was of braun, and eek of bones; 546 That proved wel, for over-al ther he cam, At wrastling he wolde have alwey the ram. (550) He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre, Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, 550 Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed.

His berd as any sowe or fox was reed, And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade.

Up-on the cop right of his nose he hade A werte, and ther-on stood a tuft of heres, 555 Reed as the bristles of a sowes eres; His nose-thirles blake were and wyde.

A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde; (560) His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.

He was a Ianglere and a goliardeys, 560 And that was most of sinne and harlotryes.

Wel coude he stelen corn, and tollen thryes; And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.

A whyt cote and a blew hood wered he.

A baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne, 565 And ther-with-al he broghte us out of towne.

550. Cp. Hl. nolde; Hn. noolde; E. ne wolde. 555. E. toft; Ln. tofte: _rest_ tuft. E. herys. 556. Hn. bristles; E. brustles; Pt. brysteles; Hl. Cp. berstles. E. erys. 558. _All but_ Cp. and a. 559. Hl.

wyde; _rest_ greet, gret. 565. Hl. _om._ wel.

A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple, MAUNCIPLE.

Of which achatours mighte take exemple (570) For to be wyse in bying of vitaille.

For whether that he payde, or took by taille, 570 Algate he wayted so in his achat, That he was ay biforn and in good stat.

Now is nat that of G.o.d a ful fair grace, That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace The wisdom of an heep of lerned men? 575 Of maistres hadde he mo than thryes ten, That were of lawe expert and curious; Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous, (580) Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and lond Of any lord that is in Engelond, 580 [18: T. 583-615.]

To make him live by his propre good, In honour dettelees, but he were wood, Or live as scarsly as him list desire; And able for to helpen al a shire In any cas that mighte falle or happe; 585 And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.

570. E. Hn. wheither. 571. E. Achaat. 572. E. staat. 577. E.

weren. 578. E. whiche. Cm. doseyn; E. duszeyne. 581. E. maken.

582. Cm. but; Cp. Pt. but if that; _rest_ but if. 585. E. Hn. caas.

The REVE was a sclendre colerik man, REVE.

His berd was shave as ny as ever he can. (590) His heer was by his eres round y-shorn.

His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn. 590 Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene, Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.

Wel coude he kepe a gerner and a binne; Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne.

Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn, 595 The yelding of his seed, and of his greyn.

His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye, His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye, (600) Was hoolly in this reves governing, And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening, 600 Sin that his lord was twenty yeer of age; Ther coude no man bringe him in arrerage.

Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne, That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne; They were adrad of him, as of the deeth. 605 His woning was ful fair up-on an heeth, With grene trees shadwed was his place.

He coude bettre than his lord purchace. (610) Ful riche he was astored prively, His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly, 610 To yeve and lene him of his owne good, And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.

In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister; [19: T. 616-652.]

He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.

This reve sat up-on a ful good stot, 615 That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.

A long surcote of pers up-on he hade, And by his syde he bar a rusty blade. (620) Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle, Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle. 620 Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute, And ever he rood the hindreste of our route.

589. _All but_ Hl. Ln. _ins._ ful _after_ eres. 590. E. doked. 594.

E. of; _rest_ on. 603. ne (2)] E. Hn. Cp. Pt. nor. 604. Hl. they (_for_ he). E. Cm. _om._ ne. 606. Hl. fair; E. faire. 607. E. Hn.

shadwed; Hl. I-schadewed; Cm. I-schadewid; Cp. Pt. shadewed; Ln.