Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 99

But thilke wronges may I nat endure That thou spekest of our G.o.ddes here,' quod he.

Cecile answerede, 'o nyce creature, Thou seydest no word sin thou spak to me That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee; 495 And that thou were, in every maner wyse, A lewed officer and a veyn Iustyse.

Ther lakketh no-thing to thyn utter yen That thou nart blind, for thing that we seen alle That it is stoon, that men may wel espyen, 500 That ilke stoon a G.o.d thou wolt it calle.

I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle, And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it finde, Sin that thou seest nat with thyn yen blinde.

[525: T. 15973-16005.]

It is a shame that the peple shal 505 So scorne thee, and laughe at thy folye; For comunly men woot it wel overal, That mighty G.o.d is in his hevenes hye, And thise images, wel thou mayst espye, To thee ne to hem-self mowe nought profyte, 510 For in effect they been nat worth a myte.'

510. E. Ln. _insert_ ne _before_ mowe; E. mowen; Hn. mowe.

Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she, And he weex wroth, and bad men sholde hir lede Hom til hir hous, 'and in hir hous,' quod he, 'Brenne hir right in a bath of flambes rede.' 515 And as he bad, right so was doon in dede; For in a bath they gonne hir faste shetten, And night and day greet fyr they under betten.

518. E. fyre; Hn. Cm. fyr.

The longe night and eek a day also, For al the fyr and eek the bathes hete, 520 She sat al cold, and felede no wo, It made hir nat a drope for to swete.

But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete; For he, Almachius, with ful wikke entente To sleen hir in the bath his sonde sente. 525

521. Cm. felede; E. Hn. feled; Cp. Pt. Ln. felt of it. 524. E. Hn. a ful; Cm. a; _rest_ ful.

Three strokes in the nekke he smoot hir tho, The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce He mighte noght smyte al hir nekke a-two; And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce, That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce 530 The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or sore, This tormentour ne dorste do na-more.

528. Cp. Pt. smyten; _rest_ smyte. 530. man (2)] E. men.

But half-deed, with hir nekke y-corven there, He lefte hir lye, and on his wey is went.

The cristen folk, which that aboute hir were, 535 With shetes han the blood ful faire y-hent.

Thre dayes lived she in this torment, [526: T. 16006-16021.]

And never cessed hem the feith to teche; That she hadde fostred, hem she gan to preche;

534. Cm. is went; _rest_ he wente (_or_ he went) _against the rime._

And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thing, 540 And to the pope Urban bitook hem tho, And seyde, 'I axed this at hevene king, To han respyt three dayes and na-mo, To recomende to yow, er that I go, Thise soules, lo! and that I mighte do werche 545 Here of myn hous perpetuelly a cherche.'

542. E. at; _rest_ of; _see_ G 621.

Seint Urban, with his deknes, prively The body fette, and buried it by nighte Among his othere seintes honestly.

Hir hous the chirche of seint Cecilie highte; 550 Seint Urban halwed it, as he wel mighte; In which, into this day, in n.o.ble wyse, Men doon to Crist and to his seint servyse.

HERE IS ENDED THE SECONDE NONNES TALE.

548. E. This; _rest_ The. 550. E. Hn. Ln. seinte. 553. E. Hn. Pt.

seinte; Cp. seintz; Pt. seintes. COLOPHON. _From_ E. Hn.; Hl. Here endeth the secounde Nonne hir tale of the lif of seint Cecilie.

[527: T. 16022-16043.]

THE CANON'S YEOMAN'S PROLOGUE

THE PROLOGE OF THE CHANONS YEMANNES TALE.

Whan ended was the lyf of seint Cecyle, Er we had riden fully fyve myle, 555 At Boghton under Blee us gan atake A man, that clothed was in clothes blake, And undernethe he hadde a whyt surplys.

His hakeney, that was al pomely grys, So swatte, that it wonder was to see; 560 It semed he had priked myles three.

The hors eek that his yeman rood upon So swatte, that unnethe mighte it gon. (10) Aboute the peytrel stood the foom ful hye, He was of fome al flekked as a pye. 565 A male tweyfold on his croper lay, It semed that he caried lyte array.

Al light for somer rood this worthy man, And in myn herte wondren I bigan What that he was, til that I understood 570 How that his cloke was sowed to his hood; For which, when I had longe avysed me, I demed him som chanon for to be. (20) His hat heng at his bak doun by a laas, For he had riden more than trot or paas; 575 [528: T. 16044-16079.]

He had ay priked lyk as he were wood.

A clote-leef he hadde under his hood For swoot, and for to kepe his heed from hete.

But it was Ioye for to seen him swete!

His forheed dropped as a stillatorie, 580 Were ful of plantain and of paritorie.

And whan that he was come, he gan to crye, 'G.o.d save,' quod he, 'this Ioly companye! (30) Faste have I priked,' quod he, 'for your sake, By-cause that I wolde yow atake, 585 To ryden in this mery companye.'

His yeman eek was ful of curteisye, And seyde, 'sires, now in the morwe-tyde Out of your hostelrye I saugh you ryde, And warned heer my lord and my soverayn, 590 Which that to ryden with yow is ful fayn, For his desport; he loveth daliaunce.'

554. E. toold was al; Cm. told was; _rest_ ended was. E. Pt.

seinte. 558. So E.; _rest_ And vnder that he hadde a whit surplys.

559. E. which at; _rest omit_ which. 561. E. as he; Cm. that he; _rest_ he. 562. E. hakeney; _rest_ hors. 564. E. _omits_ ll. 564, 565. 566. E. Hn. vpon; _rest_ on. 569. E. to wondren; _rest omit_ to. 574. E. Hn. heeng; Hl. heng; Cm. Cp. hyng. 586. E. som; _rest_ this. 589. E. Hn. sangh; Pt. segh. 591. E. _omits_ that.

'Freend, for thy warning G.o.d yeve thee good chaunce,'

Than seyde our host, 'for certes, it wolde seme (41) Thy lord were wys, and so I may wel deme; 595 He is ful Iocund also, dar I leye.

Can he oght telle a mery tale or tweye, With which he glade may this companye?'

593. E. _omits_ good. 594. E. certain; _rest_ certes.

'Who, sire? my lord? ye, ye, withouten lye, He can of murthe, and eek of Iolitee 600 Nat but ynough; also sir, trusteth me, And ye him knewe as wel as do I, Ye wolde wondre how wel and craftily (50) He coude werke, and that in sondry wyse.

He hath take on him many a greet empryse, 605 Which were ful hard for any that is here To bringe aboute, but they of him it lere.

As homely as he rit amonges yow, If ye him knewe, it wolde be for your prow; Ye wolde nat forgoon his aqueyntaunce 610 For mochel good, I dar leye in balaunce [529: T. 16080-16117.]

Al that I have in my possessioun.

He is a man of heigh discrecioun, (60) I warne you wel, he is a pa.s.sing man.'

603. E. Cm. craftily; _rest_ thriftily.

"Wel,' quod our host, 'I pray thee, tel me than, 615 Is he a clerk, or noon? tel what he is.'

'Nay, he is gretter than a clerk, y-wis,'

Seyde this yeman, 'and in wordes fewe, Host, of his craft som-what I wol yow shewe.

I seye, my lord can swich subtilitee-- 620 (But al his craft ye may nat wite at me; And som-what helpe I yet to his werking)-- That al this ground on which we been ryding, (70) Til that we come to Caunterbury toun, He coude al clene turne it up-so-doun, 625 And pave it al of silver and of gold.'

621. E. for; Hl. of; _rest_ at.

And whan this yeman hadde thus y-told Unto our host, he seyde, '_benedicite!_ This thing is wonder merveillous to me, Sin that thy lord is of so heigh prudence, 630 By-cause of which men sholde him reverence, That of his worship rekketh he so lyte; His oversloppe nis nat worth a myte, (80) As in effect, to him, so mote I go!

It is al baudy and to-tore also. 635 Why is thy lord so s.l.u.ttish, I thee preye, And is of power better cloth to beye, If that his dede accorde with thy speche?

Telle me that, and that I thee biseche.'

627. E. this tale; Cm. this; _rest_ thus.

'Why?' quod this yeman, 'wherto axe ye me? 640 G.o.d help me so, for he shal never thee!

(But I wol nat avowe that I seye, And therfor kepe it secree, I yow preye). (90) He is to wys, in feith, as I bileve; That that is overdoon, it wol nat preve 645 Aright, as clerkes seyn, it is a vyce.