Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 37

This gentil monk answerde in this manere; 1385 'Now, trewely, myn owene lady dere, I have,' quod he, 'on yow so greet a routhe, That I yow swere and plighte yow my trouthe, That whan your housbond is to Flaundres fare, I wol delivere yow out of this care; 1390 For I wol bringe yow an hundred frankes.' (201) And with that word he caughte hir by the flankes, And hir embraceth harde, and kiste hir ofte.

'Goth now your wey,' quod he, 'al stille and softe, And lat us dyne as sone as that ye may; 1395 For by my chilindre it is pryme of day.

Goth now, and beeth as trewe as I shal be.'

1389. E. housbonde.

'Now, elles G.o.d forbede, sire,' quod she, And forth she gooth, as Iolif as a pye, And bad the c.o.kes that they sholde hem hye, 1400 [173: T. 13141-13176.]

So that men mighte dyne, and that anon. (211) Up to hir housbonde is this wyf y-gon, And knokketh at his countour boldely.

'_Qui la_?' quod he. 'Peter! it am I,'

Quod she, 'what, sire, how longe wol ye faste? 1405 How longe tyme wol ye rekene and caste Your sommes, and your bokes, and your thinges?

The devel have part of alle swiche rekeninges!

Ye have y-nough, pardee, of G.o.ddes sonde; Come doun to-day, and lat your bagges stonde. 1410 Ne be ye nat ashamed that daun Iohn (221) Shal fasting al this day elenge goon?

What! lat us here a messe, and go we dyne.'

1404. E. Hn. Who ther (_with_ Qi la _in margin_); Hl. Qy la; Cp. Pt.

Quy la; Ln. Que la. 1408. Hl. Cm. of; _rest_ on. 1412. E. Cm.

alenge; _rest_ elenge. 1413. E. _om._ What.

'Wyf,' quod this man, 'litel canstow devyne The curious bisinesse that we have. 1415 For of us chapmen, al-so G.o.d me save, And by that lord that cleped is Seint Yve, Scarsly amonges twelve ten shul thryve, Continuelly, lastinge un-to our age.

We may wel make chere and good visage, 1420 And dryve forth the world as it may be, (231) And kepen our estaat in privetee, Til we be deed, or elles that we pleye A pilgrimage, or goon out of the weye.

And therfor have I greet necessitee 1425 Up-on this queinte world tavyse me; For evermore we mote stonde in drede Of hap and fortune in our chapmanhede.

1417. E. clepid. 1418. E. xij. 1420. E. chiere. 1426. E. Hn. Cm.

tauyse; _rest_ to auyse.

To Flaundres wol I go to-morwe at day, And come agayn, as sone as ever I may. 1430 For which, my dere wyf, I thee biseke, (241) As be to every wight buxom and meke, And for to kepe our good be curious, And honestly governe wel our hous.

Thou hast y-nough, in every maner wyse, 1435 That to a thrifty houshold may suffyse.

[174: T. 13177-13214.]

Thee lakketh noon array ne no vitaille, Of silver in thy purs shaltow nat faille.'

And with that word his countour-dore he shette, And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette, 1440 But hastily a messe was ther seyd, (251) And spedily the tables were y-leyd, And to the diner faste they hem spedde; And richely this monk the chapman fedde.

1441. E. Hn. But; _rest_ And.

At-after diner daun Iohn sobrely 1445 This chapman took a-part, and prively He seyde him thus, 'cosyn, it standeth so, That wel I see to Brugges wol ye go.

G.o.d and seint Austin spede yow and gyde!

I prey yow, cosin, wysly that ye ryde; 1450 Governeth yow also of your diete (261) Atemprely, and namely in this hete.

Bitwix us two nedeth no strange fare; Fare-wel, cosyn; G.o.d s.h.i.+lde yow fro care.

If any thing ther be by day or night, 1455 If it lye in my power and my might, That ye me wol comande in any wyse, It shal be doon, right as ye wol devyse.

1445. E. Hn. Cm. At; _rest_ And. 1455. E. Hn. And if that any thyng by day or night.

O thing, er that ye goon, if it may be, I wolde prey yow; for to lene me 1460 An hundred frankes, for a wyke or tweye, (271) For certein beestes that I moste beye, To store with a place that is oures.

G.o.d help me so, I wolde it were youres!

I shal nat faille surely of my day, 1465 Nat for a thousand frankes, a myle-way.

But lat this thing be secree, I yow preye, For yet to-night thise beestes moot I beye; And fare-now wel, myn owene cosin dere, Graunt mercy of your cost and of your chere.' 1470

1465. E. at; _rest_ of.

This n.o.ble marchant gentilly anon (281) Answerde, and seyde, 'o cosin myn, daun Iohn, Now sikerly this is a smal requeste; My gold is youres, whan that it yow leste.

[175: T. 13215-13250.]

And nat only my gold, but my chaffare; 1475 Take what yow list, G.o.d s.h.i.+lde that ye spare.

But o thing is, ye knowe it wel y-nogh, Of chapmen, that hir moneye is hir plogh.

We may creaunce whyl we have a name, But goldlees for to be, it is no game. 1480 Paye it agayn whan it lyth in your ese; (291) After my might ful fayn wolde I yow plese.'

1479. Cm. encrece (_for_ creaunce).

Thise hundred frankes he fette forth anon, And prively he took hem to daun Iohn.

No wight in al this world wiste of this lone, 1485 Savinge this marchant and daun Iohn allone.

They drinke, and speke, and rome a whyle and pleye, Til that daun Iohn rydeth to his abbeye.

1483. E. fette hyrn forth; _rest om._ hym.

The morwe cam, and forth this marchant rydeth To Flaundres-ward; his prentis wel him gydeth, 1490 Til he cam in-to Brugges merily. (301) Now gooth this marchant faste and bisily Aboute his nede, and byeth and creaunceth.

He neither pleyeth at the dees ne daunceth; But as a marchant, shortly for to telle, 1495 He let his lyf, and there I lete him dwelle.

1491. E. Hn. murily. 1494. E. Cm. _om._ the. 1496. E. Hn. let; Cm.

lat; Hl. Pt. lad; Cp. leet; Ln. lete (let = ledeth).

The Sonday next this Marchant was agon, To Seint Denys y-comen is daun Iohn, With crowne and berd all fresh and newe y-shave.

In al the hous ther nas so litel a knave, 1500 Ne no wight elles, that he nas ful fayn, (311) For that my lord daun Iohn was come agayn.

And shortly to the point right for to gon, This faire wyf accorded with daun Iohn, That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al night 1505 Have hir in his armes bolt-upright; And this acord parfourned was in dede.

In mirthe al night a bisy lyf they lede Til it was day, that daun Iohn wente his way, And bad the meynee 'fare-wel, have good day!' 1510 [176: T. 13251-13287.]

For noon of hem, ne no wight in the toun, (321) Hath of daun Iohn right no suspecioun.

And forth he rydeth hoom to his abbeye, Or where him list; namore of him I seye.

1502. E. Hn. Cm. _om._ For. 1503. E. right to the point. 1506. E.

hise.

This marchant, whan that ended was the faire, 1515 To Seint Denys he gan for to repaire, And with his wyf he maketh feste and chere, And telleth hir that chaffare is so dere, That nedes moste he make a chevisaunce.

For he was bounde in a reconissaunce 1520 To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon. (331) For which this marchant is to Paris gon, To borwe of certein frendes that he hadde A certein frankes; and somme with him he ladde.

And whan that he was come in-to the toun, 1525 For greet chertee and greet affeccioun, Un-to daun Iohn he gooth him first, to pleye; Nat for to axe or borwe of him moneye, But for to wite and seen of his welfare, And for to tellen him of his chaffare, 1530 As freendes doon whan they ben met y-fere. (341) Daun Iohn him maketh feste and mery chere; And he him tolde agayn ful specially, How he hadde wel y-boght and graciously, Thanked be G.o.d, al hool his marchandyse. 1535 Save that he moste, in alle maner wyse, Maken a chevisaunce, as for his beste, And thanne he sholde been in Ioye and reste.

1517, 1532. E. feeste. 1519, 1537. E. cheuyssau_n_ce. 1520. Hl.

bounde; _rest_ bounden. 1526. Pt. cheertee; Ln. chere; _rest_ chiertee. 1532. E. murye.

Daun Iohn answerde, 'certes, I am fayn That ye in hele ar comen hoom agayn. 1540 And if that I were riche, as have I blisse, (351) Of twenty thousand sheeld shold ye nat misse, For ye so kindely this other day Lente me gold; and as I can and may, I thanke yow, by G.o.d and by seint Iame! 1545 But nathelees I took un-to our dame, Your wyf at hoom, the same gold ageyn [177: T. 13288-13323.]

Upon your bench; she woot it wel, certeyn, By certein tokenes that I can hir telle.

Now, by your leve, I may no lenger dwelle, 1550 Our abbot wol out of this toun anon; (361) And in his companye moot I gon.

Grete wel our dame, myn owene nece swete, And fare-wel, dere cosin, til we mete!'

1540. ar] Cp. Pt. Ln. be. 1549. E. Hn. Cm. yow; _rest_ hir.

This Marchant, which that was ful war and wys, 1555 Creaunced hath, and payd eek in Parys, To certeyn Lumbardes, redy in hir hond, The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond; And hoom he gooth, mery as a papeiay.

For wel he knew he stood in swich array, 1560 That nedes moste he winne in that viage (371) A thousand frankes above al his costage.

1558. E. hadde; Hl. took; _rest_ gat. _Over_ bond _is the gloss_--obligacionem. 1559. E. murie. E. papeiay; _rest_ papyniay, popiniay. 1562. E. Hn. Cm. Cp. abouen; _rest_ aboue.