Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 89

Enformed whan the king was of that knight, 335 And hath conceyved in his wit aright The maner and the forme of al this thing, Thus glad and blythe, this n.o.ble doughty king (330) Repeireth to his revel as biforn.

The brydel is un-to the tour y-born, 340 And kept among his Iewels leve and dere.

The hors vanisshed, I noot in what manere, Out of hir sighte; ye gete na-more of me.

[471: T. 10658-10692.]

But thus I lete in l.u.s.t and Iolitee This Cambynskan his lordes festeyinge, 345 Til wel ny the day bigan to springe.

338. E. Cm. Thus; _rest_ Ful. E. Cm. _omit_ doughty. 341. E.

Iueles.

EXPLICIT PRIMA PARS. SEQUITUR PARS SECUNDA.

The norice of digestioun, the slepe, Gan on hem winke, and bad hem taken kepe, (340) That muchel drink and labour wolde han reste; And with a galping mouth hem alle he keste, 350 And seyde, 'it was tyme to lye adoun, For blood was in his dominacioun; Cherissheth blood, natures freend,' quod he.

They thanken him galpinge, by two, by three, And every wight gan drawe him to his reste, 355 As slepe hem bad; they toke it for the beste.

Hir dremes shul nat been y-told for me; Ful were hir hedes of fumositee, (350) That causeth dreem, of which ther nis no charge.

They slepen til that it was pryme large, 360 The moste part, but it were Canacee; She was ful mesurable, as wommen be.

For of hir fader hadde she take leve To gon to reste, sone after it was eve; Hir liste nat appalled for to be, 365 Nor on the morwe unfestlich for to see; And slepte hir firste sleep, and thanne awook.

For swich a Ioye she in hir herte took (360) Both of hir queynte ring and hir mirour, That twenty tyme she changed hir colour; 370 And in hir slepe, right for impressioun Of hir mirour, she hadde a visioun.

Wherfore, er that the sonne gan up glyde, She cleped on hir maistresse hir bisyde, And seyde, that hir liste for to ryse. 375

358. E. heddes; Cm. heedys. 366. Hn. Cm. Nor; E. Hl. Ne; Cp. Pt. Ln.

For [_for_ Nor]. 372. E. Avisioun; _rest_ a visioun.

Thise olde wommen that been gladly wyse, As is hir maistresse, answerde hir anoon, And seyde, 'madame, whider wil ye goon (370) [472: T. 10693-10728.]

Thus erly? for the folk ben alle on reste.'

'I wol,' quod she, 'aryse, for me leste 380 No lenger for to slepe, and walke aboute.'

377. E. _omits_ is. 379. E. Hn. on; Cm. at; _rest_ in.

Hir maistresse clepeth wommen a gret route, And up they rysen, wel a ten or twelve; Up ryseth fresshe Canacee hir-selve, As rody and bright as dooth the yonge sonne, 385 That in the Ram is four degrees up-ronne; Noon hyer was he, whan she redy was; And forth she walketh esily a pas, (380) Arrayed after the l.u.s.ty seson sote Lightly, for to pleye and walke on fote; 390 Nat but with fyve or six of hir meynee; And in a trench, forth in the park, goth she.

The vapour, which that fro the erthe glood, Made the sonne to seme rody and brood; But nathelees, it was so fair a sighte 395 That it made alle hir hertes for to lighte, What for the seson and the morweninge, And for the foules that she herde singe; (390) For right anon she wiste what they mente Right by hir song, and knew al hir entente. 400

382. E. Hn. an; Cm. Hl. a. 386. E. Cm. foure (_rightly_); Hn. 4; _rest_ ten.

The knotte, why that every tale is told, If it be taried til that l.u.s.t be cold Of hem that han it after herkned yore, The savour pa.s.seth ever lenger the more, For fulsomnesse of his prolixitee. 405 And by the same reson thinketh me, I sholde to the knotte condescende, And maken of hir walking sone an ende. (400)

Amidde a tree fordrye, as whyt as chalk, As Canacee was pleying in hir walk, 410 Ther sat a faucon over hir heed ful hye, That with a pitous voys so gan to crye That all the wode resouned of hir cry.

Y-beten hath she hir-self so pitously [473: T. 10729-10763.]

With bothe hir winges, til the rede blood 415 Ran endelong the tree ther-as she stood.

And ever in oon she cryde alwey and shrighte, And with hir beek hir-selven so she prighte, (410) That ther nis tygre, ne noon so cruel beste, That dwelleth either in wode or in foreste 420 That nolde han wept, if that he wepe coude, For sorwe of hir, she shrighte alwey so loude.

For ther nas never yet no man on lyve-- If that I coude a faucon wel discryve-- That herde of swich another of fairnesse, 425 As wel of plumage as of gentillesse Of shap, and al that mighte y-rekened be.

A faucon peregryn than semed she (420) Of fremde land; and evermore, as she stood, She swowneth now and now for lakke of blood, 430 Til wel neigh is she fallen fro the tree.

409. E. fordryed; Cm. fordreyed; _but_ Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. for-drye; Hl.

for-druye. 414. E. Cm. hath; _rest_ hadde (had). 416. E. Cm. omit as. 419, 420. E. Hn. Pt. beest, forest; rest beste, foreste. 420.

E. Hn. outher; rest eyther. 421. E. Pt. she; the rest he. 423. So Cp. Hl.; E. Hn. Cm. neuere man yet; Pt. Ln. neuere yit man.

This faire kinges doghter, Canacee, That on hir finger bar the queynte ring, Thurgh which she understood wel every thing That any foul may in his ledene seyn, 435 And coude answere him in his ledene ageyn, Hath understonde what this faucon seyde, And wel neigh for the rewthe almost she deyde. (430) And to the tree she gooth ful hastily, And on this faucon loketh pitously, 440 And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste The faucon moste fallen fro the twiste, When that it swowned next, for lakke of blood.

A longe while to wayten hir she stood Till atte laste she spak in this manere 445 Un-to the hauk, as ye shul after here.

433. E. Hn. baar. 435. E. fowel. 438. Hl. rewthe; Ln. reuthe; rest routhe.

'What is the cause, if it be for to telle, That ye be in this furial pyne of h.e.l.le?' (440) Quod Canacee un-to this hauk above.

[474: T. 10764-10798.]

'Is this for sorwe of deeth or los of love? 450 For, as I trowe, thise ben causes two That causen moost a gentil herte wo; Of other harm it nedeth nat to speke.

For ye your-self upon your-self yow wreke, Which proveth wel, that either love or drede 455 Mot been encheson of your cruel dede, Sin that I see non other wight yow chace.

For love of G.o.d, as dooth your-selven grace (450) Or what may ben your help; for west nor eest Ne sey I never er now no brid ne beest 460 That ferde with him-self so pitously.

Ye sle me with your sorwe, verraily; I have of yow so gret compa.s.sioun.

For G.o.ddes love, com fro the tree adoun; And, as I am a kinges doghter trewe, 465 If that I verraily the cause knewe Of your disese, if it lay in my might, I wolde amende it, er that it were night, (460) As wisly helpe me gret G.o.d of kinde!

And herbes shal I right y-nowe y-finde 470 To hele with your hurtes hastily.'

448. E. Hn. pyne; rest peyne. 449. E. the; rest this. 452. E.

causeth; _rest_ causen. 455. E. Hn. outher; _rest_ either. 459, 460. E. Hn. Est, beest; Cp. est, best; Cm. est, beste; _rest_ este, beste. 463. E. pa.s.sioun; _rest_ compa.s.sioun. 469. E. the grete; _rest omit_ the.

Tho shrighte this faucon more pitously Than ever she dide, and fil to grounde anoon, And lyth aswowne, deed, and lyk a stoon, Til Canacee hath in hir lappe hir take 475 Un-to the tyme she gan of swough awake.

And, after that she of hir swough gan breyde, Right in hir haukes ledene thus she seyde:-- (470) 'That pitee renneth sone in gentil herte, Feling his similitude in peynes smerte, 480 Is preved al-day, as men may it see, As wel by werk as by auctoritee; For gentil herte kytheth gentillesse.

I see wel, that ye han of my distresse [475: T. 10799-10833.]

Compa.s.sioun, my faire Canacee, 485 Of verray wommanly benignitee That nature in your principles hath set.

But for non hope for to fare the bet, (480) But for to obeye un-to your herte free, And for to maken other be war by me, 490 As by the whelp chasted is the leoun, Right for that cause and that conclusioun, Whyl that I have a leyser and a s.p.a.ce, Myn harm I wol confessen, er I pace.'

And ever, whyl that oon hir sorwe tolde, 495 That other weep, as she to water wolde, Til that the faucon bad hir to be stille; And, with a syk, right thus she seyde hir wille. (490)

472. Hn. Cp. Pt. yet moore; E. Cm. moore yet; Hl. Ln. more. 477. Cm.

swow a-breyde. 481. E. Hl. _omit_ it. 484. E. Cm. _omit_ that.

487. E. yset; Cm. I-set; the _rest_ set, sette. 489. E. _omits_ to.

491. E. Hn. chasted; _rest_ chastysed; _I should propose to read_ is chasted; _but authority is lacking._ 492. _So_ Hl.; _rest_ and for that. 498. E. Hn. wille; _rest_ tille (!)

'Ther I was bred (allas! that harde day!) And fostred in a roche of marbul gray 500 So tendrely, that nothing eyled me, I niste nat what was adversitee, Til I coude flee ful hye under the sky.

Tho dwelte a tercelet me faste by, That semed welle of alle gentillesse; 505 Al were he ful of treson and falsnesse, It was so wrapped under humble chere, And under hewe of trouthe in swich manere, (500) Under plesance, and under bisy peyne, That no wight coude han wend he coude feyne, 510 So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.

Right as a serpent hit him under floures Til he may seen his tyme for to byte, Right so this G.o.d of love, this ypocryte, Doth so his cerimonies and obeisaunces, 515 And kepeth in semblant alle his observances That sowneth in-to gentillesse of love.

As in a toumbe is al the faire above, (510) And under is the corps, swich as ye woot, [476: T. 10834-10868.]

Swich was this ypocryte, bothe cold and hoot, 520 And in this wyse he served his entente, That (save the feend) non wiste what he mente.

Til he so longe had wopen and compleyned, And many a yeer his service to me feyned, Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce, 525 Al innocent of his crouned malice, For-fered of his deeth, as thoughte me, Upon his othes and his seuretee, (520) Graunted him love, on this condicioun, That evermore myn honour and renoun 530 Were saved, bothe privee and apert; This is to seyn, that, after his desert, I yaf him al myn herte and al my thoght-- G.o.d woot and he, that otherwyse noght-- And took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay. 535 But sooth is seyd, gon sithen many a day, "A trew wight and a theef thenken nat oon."

And, whan he saugh the thing so fer y-goon, (530) That I had graunted him fully my love, In swich a gyse as I have seyd above, 540 And yeven him my trewe herte, as free As he swoor he his herte yaf to me; Anon this tygre, ful of doublenesse, Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse, With so heigh reverence, and, as by his chere, 545 So lyk a gentil lovere of manere, So ravisshed, as it semed, for the Ioye, That never Iason, ne Parys of Troye, (540) Iason? certes, ne non other man, Sin Lameth was, that alderfirst bigan 550 To loven two, as writen folk biforn, Ne never, sin the firste man was born, Ne coude man, by twenty thousand part, Countrefete the sophimes of his art; [477: T. 10869-10905.]

Ne were worthy unbokele his galoche, 555 Ther doublenesse or feyning sholde approche, Ne so coude thanke a wight as he did me!

His maner was an heven for to see (550) Til any womman, were she never so wys; So peynted he and kembde at point-devys 560 As wel his wordes as his contenaunce.

And I so lovede him for his obeisaunce, And for the trouthe I demed in his herte, That, if so were that any thing him smerte, Al were it never so lyte, and I it wiste, 565 Me thoughte, I felte deeth myn herte twiste.

And shortly, so ferforth this thing is went, That my wil was his willes instrument; (560) This is to seyn, my wil obeyed his wil In alle thing, as fer as reson fil, 570 Keping the boundes of my wors.h.i.+p ever.

Ne never hadde I thing so leef, ne lever, As him, G.o.d woot! ne never shal na-mo.

499. E. Cm. That; _rest_ Ther. 508. MSS. trouthe, trowthe. 510. E.

I ne; Cm. I not; _rest_ no wight. 511. E. Hn. Cp. Hl. colours. 512.

hit] Hl. hut; Ln. hideth. 516. _p.r.o.nounced_ kep'th. 520. E. the; _the rest_ this. 526. Hl. crouned; Hn. Cp. Pt. crowned; E.

coronned. 529. MSS. vp-on (_for_ on). 533. Cm. Ln. Hl. and al; _rest omit_ al. 535. E. for myn; _rest_ of myn. 537. Hl. Pt. trew; _rest_ trewe. 542. _All_ yaf his herte. 545. _Only_ Cm. _om._ and. 548. E. Cm. Troilus; _rest_ Iason. 551. Cm. wrytyn; _rest_ writen. 555. E. vnbokelen. 557. E. Cp. dide; Cm. dede; _rest_ did. 562. E. Cm. _omit_ so. 572. E. Hn. lief; Ln. lefe; _rest_ leef.

This lasteth lenger than a yeer or two, That I supposed of him noght but good. 575 But fynally, thus atte laste it stood, That fortune wolde that he moste twinne Out of that place which that I was inne. (570) Wher me was wo, that is no questioun; I can nat make of it discripcioun; 580 For o thing dar I tellen boldely, I knowe what is the peyne of deth ther-by; Swich harm I felte for he ne mighte bileve.

So on a day of me he took his leve, So sorwefully eek, that I wende verraily 585 That he had felt as muche harm as I, Whan that I herde him speke, and saugh his hewe.

But nathelees, I thoughte he was so trewe, (580) And eek that he repaire sholde ageyn With-inne a litel whyle, sooth to seyn; 590 And reson wolde eek that he moste go [478: T. 10906-10940.]

For his honour, as ofte it happeth so, That I made vertu of necessitee, And took it wel, sin that it moste be.

As I best mighte, I hidde fro him my sorwe, 595 And took him by the hond, seint Iohn to borwe, And seyde him thus: "lo, I am youres al; Beth swich as I to yow have been, and shal." (590) What he answerde, it nedeth noght reherce, Who can sey bet than he, who can do werse? 600 Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.

"Therfor bihoveth him a ful long spoon That shal ete with a feend," thus herde I seye.