The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 48

Th'odour of flowers, and the freshe sight, Would have maked any hearte light That e'er was born, *but if* too great sickness *unless*

Or too great sorrow held it in distress; So full it was of beauty and pleasance.

And after dinner they began to dance And sing also, save Dorigen alone Who made alway her complaint and her moan, For she saw not him on the dance go That was her husband, and her love also; But natheless she must a time abide And with good hope let her sorrow slide.

Upon this dance, amonge other men, Danced a squier before Dorigen That fresher was, and jollier of array *As to my doom,* than is the month of May. *in my judgment*

He sang and danced, pa.s.sing any man, That is or was since that the world began; Therewith he was, if men should him descrive, One of the *beste faring* men alive, *most accomplished*

Young, strong, and virtuous, and rich, and wise, And well beloved, and holden in great price.* *esteem, value And, shortly if the sooth I telle shall, *Unweeting of* this Dorigen at all, *unknown to*

This l.u.s.ty squier, servant to Venus, Which that y-called was Aurelius, Had lov'd her best of any creature Two year and more, as was his aventure;* *fortune But never durst he tell her his grievance; Withoute cup he drank all his penance.

He was despaired, nothing durst he say, Save in his songes somewhat would he wray* *betray His woe, as in a general complaining; He said, he lov'd, and was belov'd nothing.

Of suche matter made he many lays, Songes, complaintes, roundels, virelays <8> How that he durste not his sorrow tell, But languished, as doth a Fury in h.e.l.l; And die he must, he said, as did Echo For Narcissus, that durst not tell her woe.

In other manner than ye hear me say, He durste not to her his woe bewray, Save that paraventure sometimes at dances, Where younge folke keep their observances, It may well be he looked on her face In such a wise, as man that asketh grace, But nothing wiste she of his intent.

Nath'less it happen'd, ere they thennes* went, *thence (from the Because that he was her neighebour, garden)*

And was a man of worship and honour, And she had knowen him *of time yore,* *for a long time*

They fell in speech, and forth aye more and more Unto his purpose drew Aurelius; And when he saw his time, he saide thus: Madam," quoth he, "by G.o.d that this world made, So that I wist it might your hearte glade,* *gladden I would, that day that your Arviragus Went over sea, that I, Aurelius, Had gone where I should never come again; For well I wot my service is in vain.

My guerdon* is but bursting of mine heart. *reward Madame, rue upon my paine's smart, For with a word ye may me slay or save.

Here at your feet G.o.d would that I were grave.

I have now no leisure more to say: Have mercy, sweet, or you will *do me dey."* *cause me to die*

She gan to look upon Aurelius; "Is this your will," quoth she, "and say ye thus?

Ne'er erst,"* quoth she, "I wiste what ye meant: *before But now, Aurelius, I know your intent.

By thilke* G.o.d that gave me soul and life, *that Never shall I be an untrue wife In word nor work, as far as I have wit; I will be his to whom that I am knit; Take this for final answer as of me."

But after that *in play* thus saide she. *playfully, in jest*

"Aurelius," quoth she, "by high G.o.d above, Yet will I grante you to be your love (Since I you see so piteously complain); Looke, what day that endelong* Bretagne *from end to end of Ye remove all the rockes, stone by stone, That they not lette* ship nor boat to gon, *prevent I say, when ye have made this coast so clean Of rockes, that there is no stone seen, Then will I love you best of any man; Have here my troth, in all that ever I can; For well I wot that it shall ne'er betide.

Let such folly out of your hearte glide.

What dainty* should a man have in his life *value, pleasure For to go love another manne's wife, That hath her body when that ever him liketh?"

Aurelius full often sore siketh;* *sigheth Is there none other grace in you?" quoth he, "No, by that Lord," quoth she, "that maked me.

Woe was Aurelius when that he this heard, And with a sorrowful heart he thus answer'd.

"Madame, quoth he, "this were an impossible.

Then must I die of sudden death horrible."

And with that word he turned him anon.

Then came her other friends many a one, And in the alleys roamed up and down, And nothing wist of this conclusion, But suddenly began to revel new, Till that the brighte sun had lost his hue, For th' horizon had reft the sun his light (This is as much to say as it was night); And home they go in mirth and in solace; Save only wretch'd Aurelius, alas He to his house is gone with sorrowful heart.

He said, he may not from his death astart.* *escape Him seemed, that he felt his hearte cold.

Up to the heav'n his handes gan he hold, And on his knees bare he set him down.

And in his raving said his orisoun.* *prayer For very woe out of his wit he braid;* *wandered He wist not what he spake, but thus he said; With piteous heart his plaint hath he begun Unto the G.o.ds, and first unto the Sun.

He said; "Apollo G.o.d and governour Of every plante, herbe, tree, and flower, That giv'st, after thy declination, To each of them his time and his season, As thine herberow* changeth low and high; *dwelling, situation Lord Phoebus: cast thy merciable eye On wretched Aurelius, which that am but lorn.* *undone Lo, lord, my lady hath my death y-sworn, Withoute guilt, but* thy benignity *unless Upon my deadly heart have some pity.

For well I wot, Lord Phoebus, if you lest,* *please Ye may me helpe, save my lady, best.

Now vouchsafe, that I may you devise* *tell, explain How that I may be holp,* and in what wise. *helped Your blissful sister, Lucina the sheen, <9> That of the sea is chief G.o.ddess and queen, -- Though Neptunus have deity in the sea, Yet emperess above him is she; -- Ye know well, lord, that, right as her desire Is to be quick'd* and lighted of your fire, *quickened For which she followeth you full busily, Right so the sea desireth naturally To follow her, as she that is G.o.ddess Both in the sea and rivers more and less.

Wherefore, Lord Phoebus, this is my request, Do this miracle, or *do mine hearte brest;* *cause my heart That flow, next at this opposition, to burst*

Which in the sign shall be of the Lion, As praye her so great a flood to bring, That five fathom at least it overspring The highest rock in Armoric Bretagne, And let this flood endure yeares twain: Then certes to my lady may I say, "Holde your hest," the rockes be away.

Lord Phoebus, this miracle do for me, Pray her she go no faster course than ye; I say this, pray your sister that she go No faster course than ye these yeares two: Then shall she be even at full alway, And spring-flood laste bothe night and day.

And *but she* vouchesafe in such mannere *if she do not*

To grante me my sov'reign lady dear, Pray her to sink every rock adown Into her owen darke regioun Under the ground, where Pluto dwelleth in Or nevermore shall I my lady win.

Thy temple in Delphos will I barefoot seek.

Lord Phoebus! see the teares on my cheek And on my pain have some compa.s.sioun."

And with that word in sorrow he fell down, And longe time he lay forth in a trance.

His brother, which that knew of his penance,* *distress Up caught him, and to bed he hath him brought, Despaired in this torment and this thought Let I this woeful creature lie; Choose he for me whe'er* he will live or die. *whether

Arviragus with health and great honour (As he that was of chivalry the flow'r) Is come home, and other worthy men.

Oh, blissful art thou now, thou Dorigen!

Thou hast thy l.u.s.ty husband in thine arms, The freshe knight, the worthy man of arms, That loveth thee as his own hearte's life: *Nothing list him to be imaginatif* *he cared not to fancy*

If any wight had spoke, while he was out, To her of love; he had of that no doubt;* *fear, suspicion He not intended* to no such mattere, *occupied himself with But danced, jousted, and made merry cheer.

And thus in joy and bliss I let them dwell, And of the sick Aurelius will I tell In languor and in torment furious Two year and more lay wretch'd Aurelius, Ere any foot on earth he mighte gon; Nor comfort in this time had he none, Save of his brother, which that was a clerk.* *scholar He knew of all this woe and all this work; For to none other creature certain Of this matter he durst no worde sayn; Under his breast he bare it more secree Than e'er did Pamphilus for Galatee.<10> His breast was whole withoute for to seen, But in his heart aye was the arrow keen, And well ye know that of a sursanure <11> In surgery is perilous the cure, But* men might touch the arrow or come thereby. *except His brother wept and wailed privily, Till at the last him fell in remembrance, That while he was at Orleans <12> in France, -- As younge clerkes, that be likerous* -- *eager To readen artes that be curious, Seeken in every *halk and every hern* *nook and corner* <13> Particular sciences for to learn,-- He him remember'd, that upon a day At Orleans in study a book he say* *saw Of magic natural, which his fellaw, That was that time a bachelor of law All* were he there to learn another craft, *though Had privily upon his desk y-laft; Which book spake much of operations Touching the eight and-twenty mansions That longe to the Moon, and such folly As in our dayes is not worth a fly; For holy church's faith, in our believe,* *belief, creed Us suff'reth none illusion to grieve.

And when this book was in his remembrance Anon for joy his heart began to dance, And to himself he saide privily; "My brother shall be warish'd* hastily *cured For I am sicker* that there be sciences, *certain By which men make divers apparences, Such as these subtle tregetoures play. *tricksters <14> For oft at feaste's have I well heard say, That tregetours, within a halle large, Have made come in a water and a barge, And in the halle rowen up and down.

Sometimes hath seemed come a grim lioun, And sometimes flowers spring as in a mead; Sometimes a vine, and grapes white and red; Sometimes a castle all of lime and stone; And, when them liked, voided* it anon: *vanished Thus seemed it to every manne's sight.

Now then conclude I thus; if that I might At Orleans some olde fellow find, That hath these Moone's mansions in mind, Or other magic natural above.

He should well make my brother have his love.

For with an appearance a clerk* may make, *learned man To manne's sight, that all the rockes blake Of Bretagne were voided* every one, *removed And shippes by the brinke come and gon, And in such form endure a day or two; Then were my brother warish'd* of his woe, *cured Then must she needes *holde her behest,* *keep her promise*

Or elles he shall shame her at the least."

Why should I make a longer tale of this?

Unto his brother's bed he comen is, And such comfort he gave him, for to gon To Orleans, that he upstart anon, And on his way forth-ward then is he fare,* *gone In hope for to be lissed* of his care. *eased of <15>

When they were come almost to that city, *But if it were* a two furlong or three, *all but*

A young clerk roaming by himself they met, Which that in Latin *thriftily them gret.* *greeted them And after that he said a wondrous thing; civilly*

I know," quoth he, "the cause of your coming;"

Aud ere they farther any foote went, He told them all that was in their intent.

The Breton clerk him asked of fellaws The which he hadde known in olde daws,* *days And he answer'd him that they deade were, For which he wept full often many a tear.

Down off his horse Aurelius light anon, And forth with this magician is be gone Home to his house, and made him well at ease; Them lacked no vitail* that might them please. *victuals, food So well-array'd a house as there was one, Aurelius in his life saw never none.

He shewed him, ere they went to suppere, Forestes, parkes, full of wilde deer.

There saw he hartes with their hornes high, The greatest that were ever seen with eye.

He saw of them an hundred slain with hounds, And some with arrows bleed of bitter wounds.

He saw, when voided* were the wilde deer, *pa.s.sed away These falconers upon a fair rivere, That with their hawkes have the heron slain.

Then saw he knightes jousting in a plain.

And after this he did him such pleasance, That he him shew'd his lady on a dance, In which himselfe danced, as him thought.

And when this master, that this magic wrought, Saw it was time, he clapp'd his handes two, And farewell, all the revel is y-go.* *gone, removed And yet remov'd they never out of the house, While they saw all the sightes marvellous; But in his study, where his bookes be, They satte still, and no wight but they three.

To him this master called his squier,

And said him thus, "May we go to supper?

Almost an hour it is, I undertake, Since I you bade our supper for to make, When that these worthy men wente with me Into my study, where my bookes be."

"Sir," quoth this squier, "when it liketh you.

It is all ready, though ye will right now."

"Go we then sup," quoth he, "as for the best; These amorous folk some time must have rest."

At after supper fell they in treaty What summe should this master's guerdon* be, *reward To remove all the rockes of Bretagne, And eke from Gironde <16> to the mouth of Seine.

He made it strange,* and swore, so G.o.d him save, *a matter of Less than a thousand pound he would not have, difficulty*

*Nor gladly for that sum he would not gon.* *see note <17>*

Aurelius with blissful heart anon Answered thus; "Fie on a thousand pound!

This wide world, which that men say is round, I would it give, if I were lord of it.

This bargain is full-driv'n, for we be knit;* *agreed Ye shall be payed truly by my troth.

But looke, for no negligence or sloth, Ye tarry us here no longer than to-morrow."

"Nay," quoth the clerk, *"have here my faith to borrow."* *I pledge my To bed is gone Aurelius when him lest, faith on it*

And well-nigh all that night he had his rest, What for his labour, and his hope of bliss, His woeful heart *of penance had a liss.* *had a respite from suffering*

Upon the morrow, when that it was day, Unto Bretagne they took the righte way, Aurelius and this magician beside, And be descended where they would abide: And this was, as the bookes me remember, The colde frosty season of December.

Phoebus wax'd old, and hued like latoun,* *bra.s.s That in his hote declinatioun Shone as the burned gold, with streames* bright; *beams But now in Capricorn adown he light, Where as he shone full pale, I dare well sayn.

The bitter frostes, with the sleet and rain, Destroyed have the green in every yard. *courtyard, garden Ja.n.u.s sits by the fire with double beard, And drinketh of his bugle horn the wine: Before him stands the brawn of tusked swine And "nowel"* crieth every l.u.s.ty man *Noel <18> Aurelius, in all that ev'r he can, Did to his master cheer and reverence, And prayed him to do his diligence To bringe him out of his paines smart, Or with a sword that he would slit his heart.

This subtle clerk such ruth* had on this man, *pity That night and day he sped him, that he can, To wait a time of his conclusion; This is to say, to make illusion, By such an appearance of jugglery (I know no termes of astrology), That she and every wight should ween and say, That of Bretagne the rockes were away, Or else they were sunken under ground.

So at the last he hath a time found To make his j.a.pes* and his wretchedness *tricks Of such a *superst.i.tious cursedness.* *detestable villainy*

His tables Toletanes <19> forth he brought, Full well corrected, that there lacked nought, Neither his collect, nor his expanse years, Neither his rootes, nor his other gears, As be his centres, and his arguments, And his proportional convenients For his equations in everything.

And by his eighte spheres in his working, He knew full well how far Alnath <20> was shove From the head of that fix'd Aries above, That in the ninthe sphere consider'd is.

Full subtilly he calcul'd all this.

When he had found his firste mansion, He knew the remnant by proportion; And knew the rising of his moone well, And in whose face, and term, and every deal; And knew full well the moone's mansion Accordant to his operation; And knew also his other observances, For such illusions and such meschances,* *wicked devices As heathen folk used in thilke days.