Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 117

712. Hl. _om. 2nd_ I. 713. Hl. hem; rest _om._ Harl. boe housbonde; _rest_ myn housbondes. 715. Hl. came; _see_ l. 717. 718. Rl. Sl.

Cp. putte; _rest_ put. 719. Hl. alle; rest _om._ 722. Hl. me; _rest_ do me. 723. Cp. thoughte the false; _rest_ thought the fals.

724. MSS. most, _the_ e _being elided_. 725, 726. Rl. Sl. Cp. laste, faste; _rest_ last, fast.

Gamelyn hath a brother that highte sir Ote, As good a knight and hende as mighte gon on foote.

Anon ther yede a messager to that goode knight, And tolde him al-togidere how Gamelyn was dight. 730 Anon as sire Ote herde how Gamelyn was a-dight, He was wonder sory was he no-thing light, And leet sadle a steede and the way he nam, And to his tweyne bretheren anon-right he cam.

'Sire,' seyde sire Ote to the scherreve tho, 735 'We ben but three bretheren schul we never be mo; And thou hast y-prisoned the beste of us alle; Swich another brother yvel mot him bifalle!'

'Sire Ote,' seide the false knight 'lat be thy curs; By G.o.d, for thy wordes he schal fare the wurs; 740 To the kinges prisoun anon he is y-nome, And ther he schal abyde til the Iustice come.'

'Parde!' seyde sir Ote 'better it schal be; I bidde him to maynpris that thou graunte him me Til the nexte sitting of deliveraunce, 745 And thanne lat Gamelyn stande to his chaunce.'

'Brother, in swich a forward I take him to thee; And by thy fader soule that thee bigat and me, But-if he be redy whan the Iustice sitte, Thou schalt bere the Iuggement for al thy grete witte.' 750 'I graunte wel,' seide sir Ote 'that it so be.

Let deliver him anon and tak him to me.'

Tho was Gamelyn delivered to sire Ote his brother, And that night dwellede that on with that other.

On the morn seyde Gamelyn to sire Ote the hende, 755 'Brother,' he seide, 'I moot for sothe, from thee wende, To loke how my yonge men leden here lyf, Whether they liven in Ioye or elles in stryf.'

'By G.o.d!' seyde sire Ote 'that is a cold reed, Now I see that al the cark schal fallen on myn heed; 760 For when the Iustice sitte and thou be nought y-founde, [664]

I schal anon be take and in thy stede y-bounde.'

'Brother,' sayde Gamelyn 'dismaye thee nought, For by seint Iame in Gales that many man hath sought, If that G.o.d almighty holde my lyf and wit, 765 I wil be ther redy whan the Iustice sit.'

Than seide sir Ote to Gamelyn 'G.o.d schilde thee fro schame; Com whan thou seest tyme and bring us out of blame.'

728. Hl. Cp. heende; _rest_ hende. 729. Hl. ther; _rest om._ 730.

Hl. Cp. told; _rest_ tolde. 734. Hl. anon right; Ln. ful sone; _rest_ right sone. 737. Rl. Cp. beste; _rest_ best. 739. Pt. Ln. false; _rest_ fals. 741. Hl. anon; _rest om._ 744. Hl. Cp. maymp_ri_s.

Hl. Sl. Ln. graunt; _rest_ graunte. Hl. him; Cp. Ln. to; _rest on_.

747. Hl. forthward; _rest_ forward. 749. Hl. if; rest om. 754. Hl.

Cp. dwelleden; Ln. dwelden; _rest_ dwellide, dwellid, dwelled. 755.

Hl. Cp. heende: Rl. hynde; _rest_ hende. 761, 766. MSS. sitte, _except_ Hl. sitt _in l._ 766. _Here_ sitte _is subj_.; _but in_ l. 766 sit = sitteth. 765. Hl. hold; Rl. hold me; _rest_ holde me. 765, 766. Hl. witt, sitt.

Litheth, and lesteneth and holdeth you stille, And ye schul here how Gamelyn hadde al his wille. 770 Gamelyn wente ayein under woode-rys, And fond there pleying yonge men of prys.

Tho was yong Gamelyn glad and blithe y-nough, Whan he fond his mery men under woode-bough.

Gamelyn and his men talkeden in-feere, 775 And they hadde good game here maister to heere; They tolden him of aventures that they hadde founde, And Gamelyn hem tolde ayein how he was fast y-bounde.

Whyl Gamelyn was outlawed hadde he no cors; There was no man that for him ferde the wors, 780 But abbotes and priours monk and chanoun; On hem left he no-thing whan he mighte hem nom.

Whyl Gamelyn and his men made merthes ryve, The false knight his brother yvel mot he thryve!

For he was fast aboute bothe day and other, 785 For to hyre the quest to hangen his brother.

Gamelyn stood on a day and, as he biheeld The woodes and the schawes in the wilde feeld, He thoughte on his brother how he him beheet That he wolde be redy whan the Iustice seet; 790 He thoughte wel that he wolde withoute delay, Come afore the Iustice to kepen his day, And seide to his yonge men 'dighteth you yare, For whan the Iustice sitte we moote be thare, For I am under borwe til that I come, 795 And my brother for me to prisoun schal be nome.'

'By seint Iame!' seyde his yonge men 'and thou rede therto, Ordeyne how it schal be and it schal be do.'

Whyl Gamelyn was coming ther the Iustice sat, The false knight his brother foryat he nat that, 800 To huyre the men on his quest to hangen his brother; Though he hadde nought that oon he wolde have that other.

[665]

Tho cam Gamelyn fro under woode-rys, And broughte with him his yonge men of prys.

769. Hl. lestneth; Cp. lesteneth; Rl. Pt. listeneth. 770. Rl. Sl. Cp.

hadde; _rest_ had. Hl. Pt. al; _rest om._. 771. Hl. a[gh]ein; _rest om._. 773. Hl. Cp. Ln. [gh]onge; _rest_ [gh]ong. 774. Hl. mery; _rest om._. 775. Hl. talked; Rl. Pt. talkeden; Sl. talkiden. 779.

Sl. Cp. Ln. hadde; Rl. hade; _rest_ had. 782. MSS. might; _the_ e _being elided._ 784. Cp. false; _rest_ fals. 789. Hl. thought; _see l._ 791. 794. Hl. sitt. 800. Cp. Ln. false; _rest_ fals. 804. Hl.

his; _rest om._

'I see wel,' seyde Gamelyn 'the Iustice is set; 805 Go aforn, Adam and loke how it spet.'

Adam wente into the halle and loked al aboute, He seyh there stonde lordes grete and stoute, And sir Ote his brother fetered wel fast; Tho went Adam out of halle as he were agast. 810 Adam said to Gamelyn and to his felawes alle, 'Sir Ote stant y-fetered in the moot-halle.'

'Yonge men,' seide Gamelyn 'this ye heeren alle; Sire Ote stant y-fetered in the moot-halle.

If G.o.d yif us grace wel for to doo, 815 He schal it abegge that broughte him ther-too.'

Thanne sayde Adam that lokkes hadde h.o.r.e, 'Cristes curs mote he have that him bond so sore!

And thou wilt, Gamelyn do after my reed, Ther is noon in the halle schal bere awey his heed.' 820 'Adam,' seyde Gamelyn 'we wiln nought don so, We wil slee the giltif and lat the other go.

I wil into the halle and with the Iustice speke; On hem that ben gultif I wil ben awreke.

Lat non scape at the dore take, yonge men, yeme; 825 For I wil be Iustice this day domes for to deme.

G.o.d spede me this day at my newe werk!

Adam, com on with me for thou schalt be my clerk.'

His men answereden him and bade him doon his best, 'And if thou to us have neede thou schalt finde us prest; 830 We wiln stande with thee whyl that we may dure, And but we werke manly pay us non hure.'

'Yonge men,' seyde Gamelyn 'so mot I wel thee!

As trusty a maister ye schal finde of me.'

Right there the Iustice sat in the halle, 835 In wente Gamelyn amonges hem alle.

805, 806. MSS. sette, spette (_wrongly_). 807. Cp. wente; _rest_ went. 808. Hl. gret; _rest_ grete. 811. Hl. felaws; _rest_ felawes, felowes. 816. Ln brouht it; Hl. _om._ it; _rest_ it broughte; but read broughte him. 818. Rl. Sl, Pt. mote; Ln. mot; Hl. Cp. most.

819. Cp. reed; Hl. red; _rest_ rede. 822. Hl. Pt. lat; _rest_ late 826. for to _in_ MS. Camb. Mm. 2. 5; _rest om._ for. 828. Hl. on; _rest om._ 829. Rl. bade; _rest_ bad.

Gamelyn leet unfetere his brother out of bende.

Thanne seyde sire Ote his brother that was hende, 'Thou haddest almost, Gamelyn dwelled to longe, For the quest is oute on me that I schulde honge.' 840 'Brother,' seyde Gamelyn 'so G.o.d yif me good rest!

This day they schuln ben hanged that ben on thy quest; And the Iustice bothe that is the Iugge-man, [666]

And the scherreve bothe thurgh him it bigan.'

Thanne seyde Gamelyn to the Iustise, 845 Now is thy power y-don thou most nedes arise; Thow hast yeven domes that ben yvel dight, I wil sitten in thy sete and dressen hem aright.'

The Iustice sat stille and roos nought anoon; And Gamelyn clevede [a-two] his cheeke-boon; 850 Gamelyn took him in his arm and no more spak, But threw him over the barre and his arm to-brak.

Durste non to Gamelyn seye but good, For ferd of the company that withoute stood.

Gamelyn sette him doun in the Iustices seet, 855 And sire Ote his brother by him and Adam at his feet.

Whan Gamelyn was y-set in the Iustices stede, Herkneth of a bourde that Gamelyn dede.

He leet fetre the Iustice and his false brother, And dede hem come to the barre that oon with that other. 860 Tho Gamelyn hadde thus y-doon hadde he no reste, Til he had enquered who was on the queste For to deme his brother sir Ote, for to honge; Er he wiste which they were him thoughte ful longe.

But as sone as Gamelyn wiste wher they were, 865 He dede hem everichone feteren in-feere, And bringen hem to the barre and sette hem in rewe; 'By my faith!' seyde the Iustice 'the scherreve is a schrewe!'

Than seyde Gamelyn to the Iustise, 'Thou hast y-yeve domes of the wors a.s.sise; 870 And the twelve sisours that weren of the queste, They schul ben hanged this day so have I good reste!'

Thanne seide the scherreve to yonge Gamelyn, 'Lord, I crye the mercy brother art thou myn.'

'Therfore,' seyde Gamelyn 'have thou Cristes curs, 875 For, and thou were maister yit I schulde have wors.'

For to make short tale and nought to tarie longe, He ordeyned him a queste of his men so stronge; The Iustice and the scherreve bothe honged hye, To weyven with the ropes and with the winde drye; 880 And the twelve sisours (sorwe have that rekke!) Alle they were hanged faste by the nekke.

Thus ended the false knight with his treccherye, [667]

That ever hadde y-lad his lyf in falsnes and folye.

He was hanged by the nekke and nought by the purs; 885 That was the meede that he hadde for his fadres curs.

837. Hl. beende; Cp. Pt. Ln. bende. 838. Hl. Cp. heende; _rest_ hende. 843. Hl. _om._ the. Hl. Iugges; _rest_ Iugge, Iuge. 845.

Cp. Thanne; _rest_ Than. 850. _I supply_ a-two. 851. Hl. arm; _rest_ armes. 854. Rl. Harl. ferd; Pt. feerd; Hl. Cp. fered; Ln.

ferde. 855. MSS. sete. 857. stede] Hl. Rl. Cp. sete (_wrongly_).

859. Cp. Ln. false; _rest_ fals. 861. Cp. hadde; Rl. hade; Hl. had (_2nd time_). 861, 862. Hl. rest, quest; _see ll._ 871, 872. 864.

Hl. Cp. Ln. he; Rl. Pt. him; Harl. (1758) hym. 866. Cp. feteren; Hl.

fetere. 872. Hl. _om._ good. 877. Hl. tarie; _rest om._ 878. Rl.

Pt. Harl. quest; _rest_ queste. 879. Cp. be; _rest_ bothe, both.

880. Hl. _om._ the _before_ ropes. Hl. Rl. Cp. wynd; _rest_ wynde, winde. 883. Cp. Ln. false; _rest_ fals. 884. Cp. hadde; Ln. hade; _rest_ had. 885. Hl. Pt. nek; _rest_ necke, nekke. 886. Rl. Cp.

hadde; _rest_ had.

Sire Ote was eldest and Gamelyn was ying, They wenten with here frendes even to the king; They made pees with the king of the best a.s.sise.

The king loved wel sir Ote and made him Iustise. 890 And after, the king made Gamelyn bothe in est and west, Chief Iustice of al his free forest; Alle his wighte yonge men the king foryaf here gilt, And sitthen in good office the king hem hath y-pilt.

Thus wan Gamelyn his lond and his leede, 895 And wrak him of his enemys and quitte hem here meede; And sire Ote his brother made him his heir, And siththen wedded Gamelyn a wyf bothe good and feyr; They liveden to-gidere whyl that Crist wolde, And sithen was Gamelyn graven under molde. 900 And so schal we alle may ther no man flee: G.o.d bringe us to the Ioye that ever schal be!

888. Hl. They; _rest om._ Hl. freendes. Hl. euen to; Rl. Harl. and pa.s.seden to; Pt. and pa.s.sed to; Cp. and pa.s.sed with; Ln. and pesed with. 892. Hl. al; _rest om._ 896. Cp. Pt. quitte; Hl. quyt. 902.

Ln. bringe; _rest_ bryng, bring.

END OF VOL. IV.