Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 66

Greet was the wo the knight hadde in his thoght, Whan he was with his wyf a-bedde y-broght; He walweth, and he turneth to and fro. 1085 His olde wyf lay smylinge evermo, (230) And seyde, 'o dere housbond, _benedicite_!

Fareth every knight thus with his wyf as ye?

Is this the lawe of king Arthures hous?

Is every knight of his so dangerous? 1090 I am your owene love and eek your wyf; I am she, which that saved hath your lyf; And certes, yet dide I yow never unright; Why fare ye thus with me this firste night?

Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit; 1095 What is my gilt? for G.o.ddes love, tel me it, (240) And it shal been amended, if I may.'

1091. Cp. Pt. Ln. eek; _rest om._ 1093. E. Hn. yet ne dide. 1096.

Cm. Hl. me; _rest om._ (_Read_ G.o.ddes _as_ G.o.d's).

'Amended?' quod this knight, 'allas! nay, nay!

It wol nat been amended never mo!

Thou art so loothly, and so old also, 1100 [352: T. 6683-6718.]

And ther-to comen of so lowe a kinde, That litel wonder is, thogh I walwe and winde.

So wolde G.o.d myn herte wolde breste!'

1101. E. lough. 1102. Pt. no (_for_ litel). _Read_ wonder's.

'Is this,' quod she, 'the cause of your unreste?'

'Ye, certainly,' quod he, 'no wonder is.' 1105

'Now, sire,' quod she, 'I coude amende al this, (250) If that me liste, er it were dayes three, So wel ye mighte here yow un-to me.

But for ye speken of swich gentillesse As is descended out of old richesse, 1110 That therfore sholden ye be gentil men, Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen.

Loke who that is most vertuous alway, Privee and apert, and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, 1115 And tak him for the grettest gentil man. (260) Crist wol, we clayme of him our gentillesse, Nat of our eldres for hir old richesse.

For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage, For which we clayme to been of heigh parage, 1120 Yet may they nat biquethe, for no-thing, To noon of us hir vertuous living, That made hem gentil men y-called be; And bad us folwen hem in swich degree.

1112. Cp. Pt. nys (_for_ is). 1116. Cp. Pt. Ln. And take; _rest om._ And.

Wel can the wyse poete of Florence, 1125 That highte Dant, speken in this sentence; (270) Lo in swich maner rym is Dantes tale: "Ful selde up ryseth by his branches smale Prowesse of man, for G.o.d, of his goodnesse, Wol that of him we clayme our gentillesse;" 1130 For of our eldres may we no-thing clayme But temporel thing, that man may hurte and mayme.

1126. Hl. of (_for_ in). Cm. declare (_for_ speken in). 1129. E.

goodnesse; _rest_ prowesse.

Eek every wight wot this as wel as I, If gentillesse were planted naturelly Un-to a certeyn linage, doun the lyne, 1135 Privee ne apert, than wolde they never fyne (280) [353: T. 6719-6753.]

To doon of gentillesse the faire offyce; They mighte do no vileinye or vyce.

1134. E. natureelly. 1136. E. Cm. nor; Hl. ne; _rest_ and. E. thanne.

Tak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous Bitwix this and the mount of Caucasus, 1140 And lat men shette the dores and go thenne; Yet wol the fyr as faire lye and brenne, As twenty thousand men mighte it biholde; His office naturel ay wol it holde, Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye. 1145

1139. E. Taak. 1140. E. Kaukasous. 1144. E. natureel.

Heer may ye see wel, how that genterye (290) Is nat annexed to possessioun, Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo! in his kinde.

For, G.o.d it woot, men may wel often finde 1150 A lordes sone do shame and vileinye; And he that wol han prys of his gentrye For he was boren of a gentil hous, And hadde hise eldres n.o.ble and vertuous, And nil him-selven do no gentil dedis, 1155 Ne folwe his gentil auncestre that deed is, (300) He nis nat gentil, be he duk or erl; For vileyns sinful dedes make a cherl.

For gentillesse nis but renomee Of thyne auncestres, for hir heigh bountee, 1160 Which is a strange thing to thy persone.

Thy gentillesse cometh fro G.o.d allone; Than comth our verray gentillesse of grace, It was no-thing biquethe us with our place.

1153. Cp. Hl. boren; Cm. bore; _rest_ born. 1155. E. nel; _rest_ nyl. 1156. E. Hn. folwen. 1162. _Read_ comth; _see_ 1163. 1163.

E. Thanne.

Thenketh how n.o.ble, as seith Valerius, 1165 Was thilke Tullius Hostilius, (310) That out of povert roos to heigh n.o.blesse.

Redeth Senek, and redeth eek Boece, Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is, That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis; 1170 And therfore, leve housbond, I thus conclude, [354: T. 6754-6788.]

Al were it that myne auncestres were rude, Yet may the hye G.o.d, and so hope I, Grante me grace to liven vertuously.

Thanne am I gentil, whan that I biginne 1175 To liven vertuously and weyve sinne. (320)

1166. E. Hn. Hostillius. 1167. Cm. Cp. Ln. Hl. pouert; _rest_ pouerte. 1168. E. Reed; _rest_ Redeth. 1169. Cp. Pt. Ln. it; _rest om._ 1172. E. Hn. weren (_2nd_). 1176. Cm. leuyn; Pt. leuen; _rest_ weyue (weyuen).

And ther-as ye of povert me repreve, The hye G.o.d, on whom that we bileve, In wilful povert chees to live his lyf.

And certes every man, mayden, or wyf, 1180 May understonde that Iesus, hevene king, Ne wolde nat chese a vicious living.

Glad povert is an honest thing, certeyn; This wol Senek and othere clerkes seyn.

Who-so that halt him payd of his poverte, 1185 I holde him riche, al hadde he nat a sherte. (330) He that coveyteth is a povre wight, For he wolde han that is nat in his might.

But he that noght hath, ne coveyteth have, Is riche, al-though ye holde him but a knave. 1190

1177. E. Hn. pouerte; _rest_ pouert. 1179. E. Hn. Pt. pouerte; _rest_ pouert; _so in_ 1183, 1191. 1182. E. chesen; E. _om._ a. 1183. E.

Hn. honeste; Cm. oneste.

Verray povert, it singeth proprely; Iuvenal seith of povert merily: "The povre man, whan he goth by the weye, Bifore the theves he may singe and pleye."

Povert is hateful good, and, as I gesse, 1195 A ful greet bringer out of bisinesse; (340) A greet amender eek of sapience To him that taketh it in pacience.

Povert is this, al-though it seme elenge: Possessioun, that no wight wol chalenge. 1200 Povert ful ofte, whan a man is lowe, Maketh his G.o.d and eek him-self to knowe.

Povert a spectacle is, as thinketh me, Thurgh which he may his verray frendes see.

And therfore, sire, sin that I noght yow greve, 1205 Of my povert na-more ye me repreve. (350)

1191. E. Cm. it syngeth; _rest_ is sinne (!). 1192. E. Hn. Cp.

myrily. 1195. Cp. Pt. Ln. hatel. 1199. Hn. Hl. elenge; Ln. alinge; _rest_ alenge. 1205. E. hise.

[355: T. 6789-6826.]

Now, sire, of elde ye repreve me; And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee Were in no book, ye gentils of honour Seyn that men sholde an old wight doon favour, 1210 And clepe him fader, for your gentillesse; And auctours shal I finden, as I gesse.

Now ther ye seye, that I am foul and old, Than drede you noght to been a c.o.kewold; For filthe and elde, al-so moot I thee, 1215 Been grete wardeyns up-on chast.i.tee. (360) But nathelees, sin I knowe your delyt, I shal fulfille your worldly appetyt.

Chese now,' quod she, 'oon of thise thinges tweye, To han me foul and old til that I deye, 1220 And be to yow a trewe humble wyf, And never yow displese in al my lyf, Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair, And take your aventure of the repair That shal be to your hous, by-cause of me, 1225 Or in som other place, may wel be. (370) Now chese your-selven, whether that yow lyketh.'

1227. E. wheither.

This knight avyseth him and sore syketh, But atte laste he seyde in this manere, 'My lady and my love, and wyf so dere, 1230 I put me in your wyse governance; Cheseth your-self, which may be most plesance, And most honour to yow and me also.

I do no fors the whether of the two; For as yow lyketh, it suffiseth me.' 1235

'Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,' quod she, (380) 'Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?'

1234. E. wheither. 1236. of--maistrye] Cm. the maysterye.

'Ye, certes, wyf,' quod he, 'I holde it best.'

'Kis me,' quod she, 'we be no lenger wrothe; For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe, 1240 This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good.

I prey to G.o.d that I mot sterven wood, But I to yow be al-so good and trewe As ever was wyf, sin that the world was newe.

[356: T. 6827-6846.]

And, but I be to-morn as fair to sene 1245 As any lady, emperyce, or quene, (390) That is bitwixe the est and eke the west, Doth with my lyf and deeth right as yow lest.

Cast up the curtin, loke how that it is.'