Canterbury Tales and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer (best summer reads .TXT) 📕

>8. Tombesteres: female dancers or tumblers; from Anglo-Saxon, “tumban,” to dance.

 

9. “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.” Eph. v.18.

 

10. The reference is probably to the diligent inquiries Herod made at the time of Christ’s birth. See Matt. ii. 4-8

 

11. A drunkard. “Perhaps,” says Tyrwhitt, “Chaucer refers to Epist. LXXXIII., ‘Extende in plures dies illum ebrii habitum; nunquid de furore dubitabis? nunc quoque non est minor sed brevior.’” (“Prolong the drunkard’s condition to several days; will you doubt his madness? Even as it is, the madness is no less; merely shorter.”)

 

12. Defended: forbidden; French, “defendu.” St Jerome, in his book against Jovinian, says that so long as Adam fasted, he was in Paradise; he ate, and he was thrust out.

 

13. “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God shall destroy both it and them.” 1 Cor. vi. 13.

 

14. “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Phil.

iii. 18, 19.

 

15. Cod: bag; Anglo-Saxon, “codde;” hence peas-cod, pin-cod (pin-cushion), &c.

 

16. Compare with the lines which follow, the picture of the drunken messenger in the Man of Law’s Tale.

 

17. Lepe: A town near Cadiz, whence a stronger wine than the Gascon vintages afforded was imported to England. French wine was often adulterated with the cheaper and stronger Spanish.

 

18. Another reading is “Fleet Street.”

 

19. Attila was suffocated in the night by a haemorrhage, brought on by a debauch, when he was preparing a new invasion of Italy, in 453.

 

20. “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink; lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” Prov.

xxxi. 4, 5.

 

21. Most manuscripts, evidently in error, have “Stilbon” and “Calidone” for Chilon and Lacedaemon. Chilon was one of the seven sages of Greece, and flourished about B.C. 590.

According to Diogenes Laertius, he died, under the pressure of age and joy, in the arms of his son, who had just been crowned victor at the Olympic games.

 

22. “Swear not at all;” Christ’s words in Matt. v. 34.

 

23. “And thou shalt swear, the lord liveth in truth, in judgement, and in righteousness.” Jeremiah iv. 2

 

24. The nails that fastened Christ on the cross, which were regarded with superstitious reverence.

 

25. Hailes: An abbey in Gloucestershire, where, under the designation of “the blood of Hailes,” a portion of Christ’s blood was preserved.

 

26. Go bet: a hunting phrase; apparently its force is, “go beat up the game.”

 

27. Haw; farmyard, hedge Compare the French, “haie.”

 

28. Avicen, or Avicenna, was among the distinguished physicians of the Arabian school in the eleventh century, and very popular in the Middle Ages. His great work was called “Canon Medicinae,” and was divided into “fens,” “fennes,” or sections.

 

29. Assoil: absolve. compare the Scotch law-term “assoilzie,”

to acquit.

 

30. Saint Helen, according to Sir John Mandeville, found the cross of Christ deep below ground, under a rock, where the Jews had hidden it; and she tested the genuineness of the sacred tree, by raising to life a dead man laid upon it.

 

THE SHIPMAN’S TALE.<1>

 

THE PROLOGUE

 

Our Host upon his stirrups stood anon, And saide; “Good men, hearken every one, This was a thrifty* tale for the nones. discreet, profitable Sir Parish Priest,” quoth he, “for Godde’s bones, Tell us a tale, as was thy forword yore: promise formerly*

I see well that ye learned men in lore Can* muche good, by Godde’s dignity.” *know The Parson him answer’d, “Ben’dicite!

What ails the man, so sinfully to swear?”

Our Host answer’d, “O Jankin, be ye there?

Now, good men,” quoth our Host, “hearken to me.

I smell a Lollard <2> in the wind,” quoth he.

“Abide, for Godde’s digne* passion, *worthy For we shall have a predication:

This Lollard here will preachen us somewhat.”

“Nay, by my father’s soul, that shall he not, Saide the Shipman; “Here shall he not preach, He shall no gospel glose* here nor teach. *comment upon We all believe in the great God,” quoth he.

“He woulde sowe some difficulty,

Or springe cockle <3> in our cleane corn.

And therefore, Host, I warne thee beforn, My jolly body shall a tale tell,

And I shall clinke you so merry a bell, That I shall waken all this company;

But it shall not be of philosophy,

Nor of physic, nor termes quaint of law; There is but little Latin in my maw.” belly Notes to the Prologue to the Shipman’s Tale 1. The Prologue here given was transferred by Tyrwhitt from the place, preceding the Squire’s Tale, which it had formerly occupied; the Shipman’s Tale having no Prologue in the best manuscripts.

 

2. Lollard: A contemptuous name for the followers of Wyckliffe; presumably derived from the Latin, “lolium,” tares, as if they were the tares among the Lord’s wheat; so, a few lines below, the Shipman intimates his fear lest the Parson should “spring cockle in our clean corn.”

 

3. Cockle: A weed, the “Agrostemma githago” of Linnaeus; perhaps named from the Anglo-Saxon, “ceocan,” because it chokes the corn.

(Transcriber’s note: It is also possible Chaucer had in mind Matthew 13:25, where in some translations, an enemy sowed “cockle” amongst the wheat. (Other translations have “tares”

and “darnel”.))

 

THE TALE. <1>

 

A Merchant whilom dwell’d at Saint Denise, That riche was, for which men held him wise.

A wife he had of excellent beauty,

And *companiable and revellous* was she, fond of society and Which is a thing that causeth more dispence merry making

Than worth is all the cheer and reverence That men them do at feastes and at dances.

Such salutations and countenances

Passen, as doth the shadow on the wall; Put woe is him that paye must for all.

The sely* husband algate** he must pay, innocent *always He must us <2> clothe and he must us array All for his owen worship richely:

In which array we dance jollily.

And if that he may not, paraventure,

Or elles list not such dispence endure, But thinketh it is wasted and y-lost,

Then must another paye for our cost,

Or lend us gold, and that is perilous.

 

This noble merchant held a noble house; For which he had all day so great repair, resort of visitors For his largesse, and for his wife was fair, That wonder is; but hearken to my tale.

Amonges all these guestes great and smale, There was a monk, a fair man and a bold, I trow a thirty winter he was old,

That ever-in-one* was drawing to that place. *constantly This younge monk, that was so fair of face, Acquainted was so with this goode man, Since that their firste knowledge began, That in his house as familiar was he

As it is possible any friend to be.

And, for as muchel as this goode man,

And eke this monk of which that I began, Were both the two y-born in one village, The monk *him claimed, as for cousinage, claimed kindred And he again him said not once nay, with him*

But was as glad thereof as fowl of day; “For to his heart it was a great pleasance.

Thus be they knit with etern’ alliance, And each of them gan other to assure

Of brotherhood while that their life may dure.

Free was Dan <3> John, and namely* of dispence,** especially *spending As in that house, and full of diligence To do pleasance, and also *great costage; liberal outlay*

He not forgot to give the leaste page

In all that house; but, after their degree, He gave the lord, and sithen* his meinie,* afterwards **servants When that he came, some manner honest thing; For which they were as glad of his coming As fowl is fain when that the sun upriseth.

No more of this as now, for it sufficeth.

 

But so befell, this merchant on a day

Shope* him to make ready his array *resolved, arranged Toward the town of Bruges <4> for to fare, To buye there a portion of ware; merchandise For which he hath to Paris sent anon

A messenger, and prayed hath Dan John

That he should come to Saint Denis, and play enjoy himself With him, and with his wife, a day or tway, Ere he to Bruges went, in alle wise.

This noble monk, of which I you devise, tell Had of his abbot, as him list, licence, (Because he was a man of high prudence, And eke an officer out for to ride,

To see their granges and their barnes wide); <5>

And unto Saint Denis he came anon.

Who was so welcome as my lord Dan John, Our deare cousin, full of courtesy?

With him he brought a jub* of malvesie, *jug And eke another full of fine vernage, <6>

And volatile,* as aye was his usage: *wild-fowl And thus I let them eat, and drink, and play, This merchant and this monk, a day or tway.

The thirde day the merchant up ariseth, And on his needeis sadly him adviseth; And up into his countour-house* went he, *counting-house <7>

To reckon with himself as well may be, Of thilke* year, how that it with him stood, *that And how that he dispended bad his good, And if that he increased were or non.

His bookes and his bagges many a one

He laid before him on his counting-board.

Full riche was his treasure and his hoard; For which full fast his countour door he shet; And eke he would that no man should him let hinder Of his accountes, for the meane time:

And thus he sat, till it was passed prime.

 

Dan John was risen in the morn also,

And in the garden walked to and fro,

And had his thinges said full courteously.

The good wife came walking full privily Into the garden, where he walked soft, And him saluted, as she had done oft;

A maiden child came in her company,

Which as her list she might govern and gie, guide For yet under the yarde* was the maid. *rod <8>

“O deare cousin mine, Dan John,” she said, “What aileth you so rath* for to arise?” *early “Niece,” quoth he, “it ought enough suffice Five houres for to sleep upon a night;’

But* it were for an old appalled** wight, unless *pallid, wasted As be these wedded men, that lie and dare, stare As in a forme sits a weary hare,

Alle forstraught* with houndes great and smale; *distracted, confounded But, deare niece, why be ye so pale?

I trowe certes that our goode man

Hath you so laboured, since this night began, That you were need to reste hastily.”

And with that word he laugh’d full merrily, And of his owen thought he wax’d all red.

This faire wife gan for to shake her head, And saide thus; “Yea, God wot all” quoth she.

“Nay, cousin mine, it stands not so with me; For by that God, that gave me soul and life, In all the realm of France is there no wife That lesse lust hath to that sorry play; For I may sing alas and wellaway!

That I was born; but to no wight,” quoth she, “Dare I not tell how that it stands with me.

Wherefore I think out of this land to wend, Or elles of myself to