Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 103

1195. E. myrie; Cm. Cp. merye; _rest_ mery. 1200. E. abouen it; _rest_ aboue. 1203. the] E. that. 1205. Lichf. Cp. Pt. stondeth; Ln. Hl. stonde; Cm. stand; E. sit. 1206. ye] E. I. 1214. E.

conceite.

I seye, he took out of his owene sleve, A teyne of silver (yvele mote he cheve!) 1225 Which that ne was nat but an ounce of weighte; And taketh heed now of his cursed sleighte!

1226. Cm. ne; _rest omit_. 1227. E. taak; _rest_ taketh. 1228. E.

eek; _rest omit_.

[547: T. 16696-16730.]

He shoop his ingot, in lengthe and eek in brede, Of this teyne, with-outen any drede, So slyly, that the preest it nat espyde; 1230 And in his sleve agayn he gan it hyde; And fro the fyr he took up his matere, And in thingot putte it with mery chere, (680) And in the water-vessel he it caste Whan that him l.u.s.te, and bad the preest as faste, 1235 'Look what ther is, put in thyn hand and grope, Thow finde shalt ther silver, as I hope; What, devel of h.e.l.le! sholde it elles be?

Shaving of silver silver is, pardee!'

He putte his hond in, and took up a teyne 1240 Of silver fyn, and glad in every veyne Was this preest, whan he saugh that it was so.

'G.o.ddes blessing, and his modres also, (690) And alle halwes have ye, sir chanoun,'

Seyde this preest, 'and I hir malisoun, 1245 But, and ye vouche-sauf to techen me This n.o.ble craft and this subtilitee, I wol be youre, in al that ever I may!'

1229. Tyrwhitt _reads_ Of thilke; _I propose_--As of this teyne.

1236. E. What that heer is; _rest_ Look what ther is. 1239. E.

_omits_ ll. 1238, 1239. _From_ Lichf. 1242. E. Hl. _omit_ that; _found in_ Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. 1247. Hl. subtilite; Cm. sotylete; E.

subtiltee; _rest_ sotilte, sotiltie; _see_ l. 620.

Quod the chanoun, 'yet wol I make a.s.say The second tyme, that ye may taken hede 1250 And been expert of this, and in your nede Another day a.s.saye in myn absence This disciplyne and this crafty science. (700) Lat take another ounce,' quod he tho, 'Of quik-silver, with-outen wordes mo, 1255 And do ther-with as ye han doon er this With that other, which that now silver is.'

1249. E. preest; _rest_ chanoun.

This preest him bisieth in al that he can To doon as this chanoun, this cursed man, Comanded him, and faste he blew the fyr, 1260 For to come to theffect of his desyr.

And this chanoun, right in the mene whyle, [548: T. 16731-16763.]

Al redy was, the preest eft to bigyle, (710) And, for a countenance, in his hande he bar An holwe stikke (tak keep and be war!) 1265 In the ende of which an ounce, and na-more, Of silver lymail put was, as bifore Was in his cole, and stopped with wex weel For to kepe in his lymail every deel.

And whyl this preest was in his bisinesse, 1270 This chanoun with his stikke gan him dresse To him anon, and his pouder caste in As he did er; (the devel out of his skin (720) Him torne, I pray to G.o.d, for his falshede; For he was ever fals in thoght and dede); 1275 And with this stikke, above the croslet, That was ordeyned with that false get, He stired the coles, til relente gan The wex agayn the fyr, as every man, But it a fool be, woot wel it mot nede, 1280 And al that in the stikke was out yede, And in the croslet hastily it fel.

1260. E. he; _rest om._ 1265. Hl. keep; E. kepe; Cm. keepe; _rest_ hede. 1268. E. _omits_ Was. 1272. Lichf. Ln. pouder; Cm. poudere; E. Cp. poudre. 1274. E. terve; Cm. Pt. turne; _rest_ torne. 1277.

E. Cm. Iet ( = jet); Hl. get; Ln. gett; Cp. Pt. gette.

Now G.o.de sirs, what wol ye bet than wel? (730) Whan that this preest thus was bigyled ageyn, Supposing noght but trouthe, soth to seyn, 1285 He was so glad, that I can nat expresse In no manere his mirthe and his gladnesse; And to the chanoun he profred eftsone Body and good; 'ye,' quod the chanoun sone, 'Though povre I be, crafty thou shalt me finde; 1290 I warne thee, yet is ther more bihinde.

Is ther any coper her-inne?' seyde he.

'Ye,' quod the preest, 'sir, I trowe wel ther be.' (740) 'Elles go by us som, and that as swythe, Now, G.o.de sir, go forth thy wey and hy the.' 1295

1283. Cm. goode: E. good; see l. 1295. Cp. Pt. Ln. The preest supposede nothing but wel. 1284. Cp. Pt. Ln. But busyed him faste, and was wonder fayn. 1286. E. ne kan; _rest omit_ ne. 1292. _So all_. 1295. Cm. Hl. goode; E. good; _rest omit_.

[549: T. 16764-16799.]

He wente his wey, and with the coper cam, And this chanoun it in his handes nam, And of that coper weyed out but an ounce.

Al to simple is my tonge to p.r.o.nounce, As ministre of my wit, the doublenesse 1300 Of this chanoun, rote of al cursednesse.

He semed freendly to hem that knewe him noght, But he was feendly bothe in herte and thoght. (750) It werieth me to telle of his falsnesse, And nathelees yet wol I it expresse, 1305 To thentente that men may be war therby, And for noon other cause, trewely.

1301. E. Cm. alle; _rest omit; read_ al.

He putte his ounce of coper in the croslet, And on the fyr as swythe he hath it set, And caste in poudre, and made the preest to blowe, 1310 And in his werking for to stoupe lowe, As he dide er, and al nas but a Iape; Right as him liste, the preest he made his ape; (760) And afterward in the ingot he it caste, And in the panne putte it at the laste 1315 Of water, and in he putte his owene hond.

And in his sleve (as ye biforn-hond Herde me telle) he hadde a silver teyne.

He slyly took it out, this cursed heyne-- Unwiting this preest of his false craft-- 1320 And in the pannes botme he hath it laft; And in the water rombled to and fro, And wonder prively took up also (770) The coper teyne, noght knowing this preest, And hidde it, and him hente by the breest, 1325 And to him spak, and thus seyde in his game, 'Stoupeth adoun, by G.o.d, ye be to blame, Helpeth me now, as I dide yow whyl-er, Putte in your hand, and loketh what is ther.'

1308. Cm. his; E. the; _rest_ this. 1316. E. the water; _rest_ water and. 1318. E. _omits_ he. 1319. Cp. Hl. took; Cm. tok; E. tooke.

1328. E. a; _rest_ I.

This preest took up this silver teyne anon, 1330 And thanne seyde the chanoun, 'lat us gon [550: T. 16800-16836.]

With thise three teynes, which that we han wroght, To som goldsmith, and wite if they been oght. (780) For, by my feith, I nolde, for myn hood, But-if that they were silver, fyn and good, 1335 And that as swythe preved shal it be.'

1336. E. it shal; Ln. schal he; _rest_ shal it.

Un-to the goldsmith with thise teynes three They wente, and putte thise teynes in a.s.say To fyr and hamer; mighte no man sey nay, But that they weren as hem oghte be. 1340

1339. E. seye; Cm. sey.

This sotted preest, who was gladder than he?

Was never brid gladder agayn the day, Ne nightingale, in the sesoun of May, (790) Nas never noon that l.u.s.te bet to singe; Ne lady l.u.s.tier in carolinge 1345 Or for to speke of love and wommanhede, Ne knight in armes to doon an hardy dede To stonde in grace of his lady dere, Than had this preest this sory craft to lere; And to the chanoun thus he spak and seyde, 1350 'For love of G.o.d, that for us alle deyde, And as I may deserve it un-to yow, What shal this receit coste? telleth now!' (800)

1344. E. man; _rest_ noon (non). 1353. E. receite; Lichf. Cp. Hl.

receyt.

'By our lady,' quod this chanoun, 'it is dere, I warne yow wel; for, save I and a frere, 1355 In Engelond ther can no man it make.'

'No fors,' quod he, 'now, sir, for G.o.ddes sake, What shal I paye? telleth me, I preye.'

'Y-wis,' quod he, 'it is ful dere, I seye; Sir, at o word, if that thee list it have, 1360 Ye shul paye fourty pound, so G.o.d me save!

And, nere the freends.h.i.+p that ye dide er this To me, ye sholde paye more, y-wis.' (810)

This preest the somme of fourty pound anon Of n.o.bles fette, and took hem everichon 1365 To this chanoun, for this ilke receit; Al his werking nas but fraude and deceit.

'Sir preest,' he seyde, 'I kepe han no loos [551: T. 16837-16871.]

Of my craft, for I wolde it kept were cloos; And as ye love me, kepeth it secree; 1370 For, and men knewe al my subtilitee, By G.o.d, they wolden han so greet envye To me, by-cause of my philosophye, (820) I sholde be deed, ther were non other weye.'

1371. E. Cp. knewen; Cm. knewyn; _rest_ knewe. Ln. subtilite; Cm.

subtilete; E. soutiltee; _see_ ll. 620, 1247.

'G.o.d it forbede!' quod the preest, 'what sey ye?' 1375 Yet hadde I lever spenden al the good Which that I have (and elles wexe I wood!) Than that ye sholden falle in swich mescheef.'

1377. E. or; _rest_ and.

'For your good wil, sir, have ye right good preef,'

Quod the chanoun, 'and far-wel, grant mercy!' 1380 He wente his wey and never the preest him sy After that day; and whan that this preest sholde Maken a.s.say, at swich tyme as he wolde, (830) Of this receit, far-wel! it wolde nat be!

Lo, thus byiaped and bigyled was he! 1385 Thus maketh he his introduccioun To bringe folk to hir destruccioun.--

1387. E. Cm. _omit_ hir.

Considereth, sirs, how that, in ech estaat, Bitwixe men and gold ther is debaat So ferforth, that unnethes is ther noon. 1390 This multiplying blent so many oon, That in good feith I trowe that it be The cause grettest of swich sca.r.s.etee. (840) Philosophres speken so mistily In this craft, that men can nat come therby, 1395 For any wit that men han now a-dayes.

They mowe wel chiteren, as doon thise Iayes, And in her termes sette hir l.u.s.t and peyne, But to hir purpos shul they never atteyne.

A man may lightly lerne, if he have aught, 1400 To multiplye, and bringe his good to naught!

1390. E. Hl. vnnethe; _rest_ vnnethes. 1397. E. as that doon; Cm. as don; _rest_ as doon thise.