Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 56

Hn. Ther; _rest_ Wher. 271. E. And; _rest_ Was. 275. E. Hn. Hl.

anhanged; _rest_ honged.

Heer men may seen how sinne hath his meryte!

Beth war, for no man woot whom G.o.d wol smyte In no degree, ne in which maner wyse The worm of conscience may agryse 280 Of wikked lyf, though it so privee be, That no man woot ther-of but G.o.d and he.

For be he lewed man, or elles lered, He noot how sone that he shal been afered.

Therfore I rede yow this conseil take, 285 Forsaketh sinne, er sinne yow forsake.

HERE ENDETH THE PHISICIENS TALE.

278. E. Hn. whom; _rest_ how. 280. E. Hn. may agryse; _rest_ wol (wil) arise. 283. E. ellis. Cp. Ln. Whether he be lewed man or lered; _so_ Pt. (_with_ Where _for_ Whether); so Hl. (_with_ Wher that _for_ Whether). COLOPHON. _So_ E. Hn.; Sloane _has_ Here endethe the tale of the Mayster of phisyk; Hl. Here endeth the Doctor of phisique his tale.

[299: T. 12221-12239.]

WORDS OF THE HOST.

THE WORDES OF THE HOST TO THE PHISICIEN AND THE PARDONER.

Our Hoste gan to swere as he were wood, 'Harrow!' quod he, 'by nayles and by blood!.

This was a fals cherl and a fals Iustyse!

As shamful deeth as herte may devyse 290 Come to thise Iuges and hir advocats!

Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!

Allas! to dere boghte she beautee!

Wherfore I seye al day, as men may see, That yiftes of fortune or of nature 295 Ben cause of deeth to many a creature. (10) Hir beautee was hir deeth, I dar wel sayn; Allas! so pitously as she was slayn!

Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now Men han ful ofte more harm than prow. 300 But trewely, myn owene mayster dere, This is a pitous tale for to here.

But natheles, pa.s.se over, is no fors; I prey to G.o.d, so save thy gentil cors, And eek thyne urinals and thy Iordanes, 305 [300: T. 12240-12262.]

Thyn Ypocras, and eek thy Galianes, (20) And every boist ful of thy letuarie; G.o.d blesse hem, and our lady seinte Marie!

So mot I theen, thou art a propre man, And lyk a prelat, by seint Ronyan! 310 Seyde I nat wel? I can nat speke in terme; But wel I woot, thou doost my herte to erme, That I almost have caught a cardiacle.

By corpus bones! but I have triacle, Or elles a draught of moyste and corny ale, 315 Or but I here anon a mery tale, (30) Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde.

Thou bel amy, thou Pardoner,' he seyde, 'Tel us som mirthe or Iapes right anon.'

'It shall be doon,' quod he, 'by seint Ronyon! 320 But first,' quod he, 'heer at this ale-stake I wol both drinke, and eten of a cake.'

HEADING. _So_ E. E. Hoost. 287. Ln. oste; _rest_ hoost, ost. 290.

E. shameful. 291, 292. _So_ E. Hn. Pt.; _but_ Cp. _has_--So falle vpon his body and his bones The deuyl I bekenne him al at ones; _so also_ Ln. Hl. 291. E. (_alone_) _ins._ false _before_ Iuges. E. Hn.

Aduocatz; Pt. aduocas. 295. E. Hn. and; _rest_ or. 296. E. Hn. to; _rest_ of. 297, 298. _So_ Cp. Ln. Hl.; _rest omit these lines._ 300. E. Hn. for harm; _rest om._ for. 303. Hl. this is; _the rest omit_ this. 305. Ln. Iordanes; Cp. Iurdanes; E. Hn. Iurdones. 306.

Cp. Galianes; E. Hn. Galiones. 307. Hl. boist; E. Hn. boyste; Cp. Pt.

Ln. box. 313. E. Hn. cardynacle(!). 322. eten of] Hl. byt on.

But right anon thise gentils gonne to crye, 'Nay! lat him telle us of no ribaudye; Tel us som moral thing, that we may lere 325 Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly here.' (40) 'I graunte, y-wis,' quod he, 'but I mot thinke Up-on som honest thing, whyl that I drinke.

323. E. Hn. And; _the rest_ But. 324. E. Hn. Cp. Hl. ribaudye; Ln.

rebaudie; Pt. rybaudrye. 327. _For ll._ 326, 327, Hl. _has_--Gladly, quod he, and sayde as ye schal heere: But in the cuppe wil I me bethinke.

[301: T. 12263-12288.]

THE PROLOGUE OF THE PARDONERS TALE.

HERE FOLWETH THE PROLOGE OF THE PARDONERS TALE.

_Radix malorum est Cupiditas: Ad Thimotheum, s.e.xto._

'Lordings,' quod he, 'in chirches whan I preche, I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche, 330 And ringe it out as round as gooth a belle, For I can al by rote that I telle.

My theme is alwey oon, and ever was-- "_Radix malorum est Cupiditas_."

First I p.r.o.nounce whennes that I come, 335 And than my bulles shewe I, alle and somme.

Our lige lordes seel on my patente, That shewe I first, my body to warente, (10) That no man be so bold, ne preest ne clerk, Me to destourbe of Cristes holy werk; 340 And after that than telle I forth my tales, Bulles of popes and of cardinales, Of patriarkes, and bishoppes I shewe; And in Latyn I speke a wordes fewe, To saffron with my predicacioun, 345 And for to stire men to devocioun.

Than shewe I forth my longe cristal stones, Y-crammed ful of cloutes and of bones; (20) Reliks been they, as wenen they echoon.

Than have I in latoun a sholder-boon 350 Which that was of an holy Iewes shepe.

"Good men," seye I, "tak of my wordes kepe; If that this boon be wa.s.she in any welle, If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swelle [302: T. 12289-12324.]

That any worm hath ete, or worm y-stonge, 355 Tak water of that welle, and wash his tonge, And it is hool anon; and forthermore, Of pokkes and of scabbe, and every sore (30) Shal every sheep be hool, that of this welle Drinketh a draughte; tak kepe eek what I telle. 360 If that the good-man, that the bestes oweth, Wol every wike, er that the c.o.k him croweth, Fastinge, drinken of this welle a draughte, As thilke holy Iewe our eldres taughte, His bestes and his stoor shal multiplye. 565 And, sirs, also it heleth Ialousye; For, though a man be falle in Ialous rage, Let maken with this water his potage, (40) And never shal he more his wyf mistriste, Though he the sooth of hir defaute wiste; 370 Al had she taken preestes two or three.

346. E. Hn. Hl. hem; _rest_ men. 350. E. _omits_ I _by accident._ 352. E. Hl. Pt. Ln. Good; E. Hn. Cp. Goode. Hn. I seye; _rest_ say I, saie I. 366. E. Hn. sire; _rest_ sires, sirs.

Heer is a miteyn eek, that ye may see.

He that his hond wol putte in this miteyn, He shal have multiplying of his greyn, Whan he hath sowen, be it whete or otes, 375 So that he offre pens, or elles grotes.

Good men and wommen, o thing warne I yow, If any wight be in this chirche now, (50) That hath doon sinne horrible, that he Dar nat, for shame, of it y-shriven be, 380 Or any womman, be she yong or old, That hath y-maad hir housbond c.o.kewold, Swich folk shul have no power ne no grace To offren to my reliks in this place.

And who-so findeth him out of swich blame, 385 He wol com up and offre in G.o.ddes name, And I a.s.soille him by the auctoritee Which that by bulle y-graunted was to me." (60)

377. E. Hn. Goode; _rest_ And. 382. Cp. Ln. Hl. ymaad; Pt. made; E.

Hn. ymaked. 385. E. fame; _rest_ blame. 386. Hn. He; _rest_ They.

E. on; Hn. a; _rest_ in. 387. E. Hl. hem; _rest_ him or hym.

By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer, An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner. 390 [303: T. 12325-12361.]

I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet, And whan the lewed peple is doun y-set, I preche, so as ye han herd bifore, And telle an hundred false Iapes more.

Than peyne I me to strecche forth the nekke, 395 And est and west upon the peple I bekke, As doth a dowve sitting on a berne.

Myn hondes and my tonge goon so yerne, (70) That it is Ioye to see my bisinesse.

Of avaryce and of swich cursednesse 400 Is al my preching, for to make hem free To yeve her pens, and namely un-to me.

For my entente is nat but for to winne, And no-thing for correccioun of sinne.

I rekke never, whan that they ben beried, 405 Though that her soules goon a-blakeberied!

For certes, many a predicacioun Comth ofte tyme of yvel entencioun; (80) Som for plesaunce of folk and flaterye, To been avaunced by ipocrisye, 410 And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate.

For, whan I dar non other weyes debate, Than wol I stinge him with my tonge smerte In preching, so that he shal nat asterte To been defamed falsly, if that he 415 Hath trespased to my brethren or to me.

For, though I telle noght his propre name, Men shal wel knowe that it is the same (90) By signes and by othere circ.u.mstances.

Thus quyte I folk that doon us displesances; 420 Thus spitte I out my venim under hewe Of holynesse, to seme holy and trewe.

395. the] Cm. myn; Cp. Ln. Hl. my. 405. E. Hl. _omit_ that.

But shortly myn entente I wol devyse; I preche of no-thing but for coveityse.

Therfor my theme is yet, and ever was-- 425 "_Radix malorum est cupiditas_."

Thus can I preche agayn that same vyce [304: T. 12362-12396.]

Which that I use, and that is avaryce. (100) But, though my-self be gilty in that sinne, Yet can I maken other folk to twinne 430 From avaryce, and sore to repente.

But that is nat my princ.i.p.al entente.