Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 95

But thus they mette, of aventure or grace; (780) And he saleweth hir with glad entente, And asked of hir whiderward she wente?

1500. E. Hn. Cm. amorus. 1503. E. bown; _rest_ boun.

And she answerde, half as she were mad, 'Un-to the gardin, as myn housbond bad, [505: T. 11817-11854.]

My trouthe for to holde, allas! allas!'

Aurelius gan wondren on this cas, And in his herte had greet compa.s.sioun 1515 Of hir and of hir lamentacioun, And of Arveragus, the worthy knight, That bad hir holden al that she had hight, (790) So looth him was his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe; And in his herte he caughte of this greet routhe, 1520 Consideringe the beste on every syde, That fro his l.u.s.t yet were him lever abyde Than doon so heigh a cherlish wrecchednesse Agayns franchyse and alle gentillesse; For which in fewe wordes seyde he thus: 1525

1515. E. Hn. Cm. hadde.

'Madame, seyth to your lord Arveragus, That sith I see his grete gentillesse (800) To yow, and eek I see wel your distresse, That him were lever han shame (and that were routhe) Than ye to me sholde breke thus your trouthe, 1530 I have wel lever ever to suffre wo Than I departe the love bitwix yow two.

I yow relesse, madame, in-to your hond Quit every surement and every bond, That ye han maad to me as heer-biforn, 1535 Sith thilke tyme which that ye were born.

My trouthe I plighte, I shal yow never repreve Of no biheste, and here I take my leve, (810) As of the treweste and the beste wyf That ever yet I knew in al my lyf. 1540 But every wyf be-war of hir biheste, On Dorigene remembreth atte leste.

Thus can a squyer doon a gentil dede, As well as can a knight, with-outen drede.'

1527. E. Hn. seyeth. 1534. Hn. serement; Hl. seurement.

She thonketh him up-on hir knees al bare, 1545 And hoom un-to hir housbond is she fare, And tolde him al as ye han herd me sayd; And be ye siker, he was so weel apayd, (820) That it were inpossible me to wryte; What sholde I lenger of this cas endyte? 1550 [506: T. 11855-11889.]

Arveragus and Dorigene his wyf In sovereyn blisse leden forth hir lyf.

Never eft ne was ther angre hem bitwene; He cherisseth hir as though she were a quene; And she was to him trewe for evermore. 1555 Of thise two folk ye gete of me na-more.

1556. E. _om._ two.

Aurelius, that his cost hath al forlorn, Curseth the tyme that ever he was born: (830) 'Allas,' quod he, 'allas! that I bihighte Of pured gold a thousand pound of wighte 1560 Un-to this philosophre! how shal I do?

I see na-more but that I am fordo.

Myn heritage moot I nedes selle, And been a begger; heer may I nat dwelle, And shamen al my kinrede in this place, 1565 But I of him may gete bettre grace.

But nathelees, I wol of him a.s.saye, At certeyn dayes, yeer by yeer, to paye, (840) And thanke him of his grete curteisye; My trouthe wol I kepe, I wol nat lye.' 1570

With herte soor he gooth un-to his cofre, And broghte gold un-to this philosophre, The value of fyve hundred pound, I gesse, And him bisecheth, of his gentillesse, To graunte him dayes of the remenaunt, 1575 And seyde, 'maister, I dar wel make avaunt, I failled never of my trouthe as yit; For sikerly my dette shal be quit (850) Towardes yow, how-ever that I fare To goon a-begged in my kirtle bare. 1580 But wolde ye vouche-sauf, up-on seurtee, Two yeer or three for to respyten me, Than were I wel; for elles moot I selle Myn heritage; ther is na-more to telle.'

1580. E. Hn. Cp. a-begged; Ln. abigged; Hl. a begge; Cm. Pt. a beggere. 1581. Cm. Cp. Hl. seurte; Pt. swerte; E. Hn. seuretee.

1583. E. Thanne.

This philosophre sobrely answerde, 1585 [507: T. 11890-11924.]

And seyde thus, whan he thise wordes herde: 'Have I nat holden covenant un-to thee?'

'Yes, certes, wel and trewely,' quod he. (860) 'Hastow nat had thy lady as thee lyketh?'

'No, no,' quod he, and sorwefully he syketh. 1590 'What was the cause? tel me if thou can.'

Aurelius his tale anon bigan, And tolde him al, as ye han herd bifore; It nedeth nat to yow reherce it more.

He seide, 'Arveragus, of gentillesse, 1595 Had lever dye in sorwe and in distresse Than that his wyf were of hir trouthe fals.'

The sorwe of Dorigen he tolde him als, (870) How looth hir was to been a wikked wyf, And that she lever had lost that day hir lyf, 1600 And that hir trouthe she swoor, thurgh innocence: 'She never erst herde speke of apparence; That made me han of hir so greet pitee.

And right as frely as he sente hir me, As frely sente I hir to him ageyn. 1605 This al and som, ther is na-more to seyn.'

1596. E. Hn. Hadde. 1602. E. Hn. Hl. hadde herd; _rest_ herde (herd). 1606. E. Hn. This; _rest_ This is.

This philosophre answerde, 'leve brother, Everich of yow dide gentilly til other. (880) Thou art a squyer, and he is a knight; But G.o.d forbede, for his blisful might, 1610 But-if a clerk coude doon a gentil dede As wel as any of yow, it is no drede!

Sire, I relesse thee thy thousand pound, As thou right now were cropen out of the ground, Ne never er now ne haddest knowen me. 1615 For sire, I wol nat take a peny of thee For al my craft, ne noght for my travaille.

Thou hast y-payed wel for my vitaille; (890) It is y-nogh, and farewel, have good day:'

And took his hors, and forth he gooth his way. 1620

1613. E. releesse. 1614. Cp. Hl. crope; Ln. crepe. Cm. _om._ the.

1616. E. Cm. Cp. taken.

[508: T. 11925-11928.]

Lordinges, this question wolde I aske now, 1621 Which was the moste free, as thinketh yow?

Now telleth me, er that ye ferther wende.

I can na-more, my tale is at an ende. (896)

HERE IS ENDED THE FRANKELEYNS TALE.

1621. E. Hn. Cp. Ln. _ins._ thanne _before_ wolde. COLOPHON. _From_ E.; Hn. Here endeth, &c.; Pt. Thus endeth the Frankleyn his tale.

*** For ll. 11929-34 _in_ Tyrwhitt's text, _see_ Note _at the foot of_ p. 289; _for_ ll. 11935-12902, _see_ pp. 290-319; _for_ ll.

12903-15468, _see_ pp. 165-289.

[509: T. 15469-15489.]

GROUP G.

THE SECONDE NONNES TALE.

***In Tyrwhitt's text, ll. 15469 sqq.; see p. 508.

THE PROLOGE OF THE SECONDE NONNES TALE.

The ministre and the norice un-to vyces, Which that men clepe in English ydelnesse, That porter of the gate is of delyces, To eschue, and by hir contrarie hir oppresse, That is to seyn, by leveful bisinesse, 5 Wel oghten we to doon al our entente, Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us hente.

7. Hn. Hl. hente; E. shente, Pt. shent, Ln. schent, _wrongly._

For he, that with his thousand cordes slye Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe, Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye, 10 He can so lightly cacche him in his trappe, Til that a man be hent right by the lappe, He nis nat war the feend hath him in honde; Wel oughte us werche, and ydelnes withstonde.

And though men dradden never for to dye, 15 Yet seen men wel by reson doutelees, That ydelnesse is roten slogardye, Of which ther never comth no good encrees; And seen, that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees Only to slepe, and for to ete and drinke, 20 And to devouren al that othere swinke.

17. E. Hn. Pt. Ln. Hl. roten; Cm. rote. 18. E. Hn. no good nencrees; Pt. Ln. non encrese; Hl. good encres; Cm. encrees. 19. Cm. hire; Pt.

hure; Hn. Ln. hir; E. it; Hl. her.

[510: T. 15490-15520.]

And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse, That cause is of so greet confusioun, I have heer doon my feithful bisinesse, After the legende, in translacioun 25 Right of thy glorious lyf and pa.s.sioun, Thou with thy gerland wroght of rose and lilie; Thee mene I, mayde and martir, seint Cecilie!

27. Hn. Pt. of; E. Cm. Ln. Hl. with. 28. Hn. Cm. Pt. Ln. martir seinte (seint); Hl. martir; E. mooder.