Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 70

And leve this Somnour good man to bicome!

1642. Hl. maked; _rest_ made. 1644. E. Hn. this Somonours goode men bicome.

Lordinges, I coude han told yow, quod this Frere, 1645 Hadde I had leyser for this Somnour here, After the text of Crist [and] Poul and Iohn And of our othere doctours many oon, (350) Swiche peynes, that your hertes mighte agryse, Al-be-it so, no tonge may devyse, 1650 Thogh that I mighte a thousand winter telle, The peyne of thilke cursed hous of h.e.l.le.

But, for to kepe us fro that cursed place, Waketh, and preyeth Iesu for his grace So kepe us fro the temptour Sathanas. 1655 Herketh this word, beth war as in this cas; The leoun sit in his await alway To slee the innocent, if that he may. (360) Disposeth ay your hertes to withstonde The feend, that yow wolde make thral and bonde. 1660 He may nat tempten yow over your might; For Crist wol be your champion and knight.

And prayeth that thise Somnours hem repente Of hir misdedes, er that the feend hem hente.

HERE ENDETH THE FRERES TALE.

1647. _I supply_ and. 1649. E. Ln. Hl. herte (_see_ l. 1659). 1650.

E. Hn. may it; _rest om._ it. 1652. E. Hn. Pt. peynes; _rest_ peyne. 1661. E. Hn. Hl. tempte; _rest_ tempten. 1663. _So_ E. Hn.; Cp. Pt. Ln. this somnour him; Hl. oure sompnour him. 1664. _So_ E.

Hn.; _rest_ his mysdede ... him. Cm. _om._ that (_perhaps rightly_). COLOPHON. _So_ E. Hn. Cm.; Cp. Hl. Her endeth the Frere his tale.

[370: T. 7247-7270.]

THE SOMNOUR'S PROLOGUE

THE PROLOGE OF THE SOMNOURS TALE.

This Somnour in his stiropes hye stood; 1665 Up-on this Frere his herte was so wood, That lyk an aspen leef he quook for yre.

HEADING. _So_ E. Hn.; E. Somonours. 1665. E. Somonour; Hl. sompnour; _rest_ Somnour.

'Lordinges,' quod he, 'but o thing I desyre; I yow biseke that, of your curteisye, Sin ye han herd this false Frere lye, 1670 As suffereth me I may my tale telle!

This Frere bosteth that he knoweth h.e.l.le, And G.o.d it woot, that it is litel wonder; Freres and feendes been but lyte a-sonder. (10) For pardee, ye han ofte tyme herd telle, 1675 How that a frere ravisshed was to h.e.l.le In spirit ones by a visioun; And as an angel ladde him up and doun, To shewen him the peynes that ther were, In al the place saugh he nat a frere; 1680 Of other folk he saugh y-nowe in wo.

Un-to this angel spak the frere tho:

1676. E. vanysshed(!); _rest_ rauysshed.

"Now, sir," quod he, "han freres swich a grace That noon of hem shal come to this place?" (20)

"Yis," quod this angel, "many a millioun!" 1685 And un-to Sathanas he ladde him doun.

"And now hath Sathanas," seith he, "a tayl Brodder than of a carrik is the sayl.

[371: T. 7271-7290.]

Hold up thy tayl, thou Sathanas!" quod he, "Shewe forth thyn ers, and lat the frere see 1690 Wher is the nest of freres in this place!"

And, er that half a furlong-wey of s.p.a.ce, Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve, Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve (30) Twenty thousand freres in a route, 1695 And thurgh-out h.e.l.le swarmeden aboute; And comen agayn, as faste as they may gon, And in his ers they crepten everichon.

He clapte his tayl agayn, and lay ful stille.

This frere, whan he loked hadde his fille 1700 Upon the torments of this sory place, His spirit G.o.d restored of his grace Un-to his body agayn, and he awook; But natheles, for fere yet he quook, (40) So was the develes ers ay in his minde, 1705 That is his heritage of verray kinde.

G.o.d save yow alle, save this cursed Frere; My prologe wol I ende in this manere.'

HERE ENDETH THE PROLOGE OF THE SOMNOURS TALE.

1692. Pt. Hl. than; _rest_ that. 1693. E. Hn. swarmeden; Hl. swarmed al. 1700. Cp. Hn. loked hadde; Pt. Ln. Hl. loked had; E. hadde looke al (_sic_). COLOPHON. _From_ Hn.

[372: T. 7291-7314.]

THE SOMNOURS TALE.

HERE BIGINNETH THE SOMONOUR HIS TALE.

Lordinges, ther is in Yorks.h.i.+re, as I gesse, A mersshy contree called Holdernesse, 1710 In which ther wente a limitour aboute, To preche, and eek to begge, it is no doute.

And so bifel, that on a day this frere Had preched at a chirche in his manere, And specially, aboven every thing, 1715 Excited he the peple in his preching, To trentals, and to yeve, for G.o.ddes sake, Wher-with men mighten holy houses make, (10) Ther as divyne service is honoured, Nat ther as it is wasted and devoured, 1720 Ne ther it nedeth nat for to be yive, As to possessioners, that mowen live, Thanked be G.o.d, in wele and habundaunce.

'Trentals,' seyde he, 'deliveren fro penaunce Hir freendes soules, as wel olde as yonge, 1725 Ye, whan that they been hastily y-songe; Nat for to holde a preest Ioly and gay, He singeth nat but o ma.s.se in a day; (20) Delivereth out,' quod he, 'anon the soules; Ful hard it is with fleshhook or with oules 1730 To been y-clawed, or to brenne or bake; Now spede yow hastily, for Cristes sake.'

[373: T. 7315-7349.]

And whan this frere had seyd al his entente, With _qui c.u.m patre_ forth his wey he wente.

HEADING. _So_ E.; Hn. Somnours (_for_ Somonour his). 1710. Cp. Pt.

Ln. mersshy; Hl. mersschly; E. Hn. merssh. 1718. Cp. Hl. mighten; E.

Hn. myghte. 1721. Cp. Hl. yiue; _rest_ yeue.

Whan folk in chirche had yeve him what hem leste, 1735 He wente his wey, no lenger wolde he reste, With scrippe and tipped staf, y-tukked hye; In every hous he gan to poure and prye, (30) And beggeth mele, and chese, or elles corn.

His felawe hadde a staf tipped with horn, 1740 A peyre of tables al of yvory, And a poyntel polisshed fetisly, And wroot the names alwey, as he stood, Of alle folk that yaf him any good, Ascaunces that he wolde for hem preye. 1745 'Yeve us a busshel whete, malt, or reye, A G.o.ddes kechil, or a trip of chese, Or elles what yow list, we may nat chese; (40) A G.o.ddes halfpeny or a ma.s.se-peny, Or yeve us of your brawn, if ye have eny; 1750 A dagon of your blanket, leve dame, Our suster dere, lo! here I write your name; Bacon or beef, or swich thing as ye finde.'

1735. E. lest. 1736. E. Pt. Ln. Hl. went. 1738. E. Hn. Ln. poure; _rest_ pore. 1743. E. wroote. 1745. Hn. Ascaunces; E. Asaunces; Hl.

Pt. Ln. Ascaunce; Cp. Ascance. E. prey. 1746. Ln. Yeue; Cp. Yiue; _rest_ Yif (_see_ 1750). E. him; _rest_ vs. 1747. Ln. kechel; Hl.

kichil. Cp. Pt. trippe; Ln. trep. 1750. E. Hn. Hl. yif; _rest_ yeue (yiue). 1751. Cm. Cp. Hl. dagoun.

A st.u.r.dy harlot wente ay hem bihinde, That was hir hostes man, and bar a sak, 1755 And what men yaf hem, leyde it on his bak.

And whan that he was out at dore anon, He planed awey the names everichon (50) That he biforn had writen in his tables; He served hem with nyfles and with fables. 1760

'Nay, ther thou lixt, thou Somnour,' quod the Frere.

'Pees,' quod our Host, 'for Cristes moder dere; Tel forth thy tale and spare it nat at al.'

So thryve I, quod this Somnour, so I shal.--

So longe he wente hous by hous, til he 1765 Cam til an hous ther he was wont to be Refresshed more than in an hundred placis.

[374: T. 7350-7385.]

Sik lay the G.o.de man, whos that the place is; (60) Bedrede up-on a couche lowe he lay.

'_Deus hic_,' quod he, 'O Thomas, freend, good day,' 1770 Seyde this frere curteisly and softe.

'Thomas,' quod he, 'G.o.d yelde yow! ful ofte Have I up-on this bench faren ful weel.

Here have I eten many a mery meel'; And fro the bench he droof awey the cat, 1775 And leyde adoun his potente and his hat, And eek his scrippe, and sette him softe adoun.

His felawe was go walked in-to toun, (70) Forth with his knave, in-to that hostelrye Wher-as he shoop him thilke night to lye. 1780

1768. Hl. that; _rest om._ 1769. Pt. Hl. Bedred. 1772. Hl. yeld it. 1774. E. myrie; Hn. Cm. murye; _rest_ mery.

'O dere maister,' quod this syke man, 'How han ye fare sith that March bigan?

I saugh yow noght this fourtenight or more.'

'G.o.d woot,' quod he, 'laboured have I ful sore; And specially, for thy savacioun 1785 Have I seyd many a precious orisoun, And for our othere frendes, G.o.d hem blesse!

I have to-day been at your chirche at messe, (80) And seyd a sermon after my simple wit, Nat al after the text of holy writ; 1790 For it is hard to yow, as I suppose, And therfore wol I teche yow al the glose.

Glosinge is a glorious thing, certeyn, For lettre sleeth, so as we clerkes seyn.

Ther have I taught hem to be charitable, 1795 And spende hir good ther it is resonable, And ther I saugh our dame; a! wher is she?'