Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Man of Law's Tale - Part One
* * * * * THE TALE OF THE MAN OF LAWE.
* * * * * HERE BEGINNETH THE MAN OF LAWE HIS TALE.
In Surrie whylom dwelte a companye Of chapmen riche, and therto sadde and trewe, 135 That wyde-wher senten her spycerye, Clothes of gold, and satins riche of hewe;
Her chaffar was so thrifty and so newe, (40) That every wight hath deyntee to chaffare With hem, and eek to sellen hem hir ware.
140 Now fel it, that the maistres of that sort Han shapen hem to Rome for to wende;
Were it for chapmanhode or for disport, Nan other message wolde they thider sende, But comen hem-self to Rome, this is the ende; 145 And in swich place, as thoughte hem avantage For her entente, they take her herbergage.
Soiourned han thise marchants in that toun (50) A certein tyme, as fel to hir plesance.
And so bifel, that thexcellent renoun 150 Of themperoures doghter, dame Custance, Reported was, with every circumstance, Un-to thise Surrien marchants in swich wyse, Fro day to day, as I shal yow devyse.
150. E.
And; _rest_ But.
153. E.
swich a wyse; _the rest omit_ a. This was the commune vois of every man— 155 ‘Our Emperour of Rome, god him see, A doghter hath that, sin the world bigan, To rekne as wel hir goodnesse as beautee, (60) Nas never swich another as is she;
[135: T.
4580-4616. ] I prey to god in honour hir sustene, 160 And wolde she were of al Europe the quene.
In hir is heigh beautee, with-oute pryde, Yowthe, with-oute grenehede or folye;
To alle hir werkes vertu is hir gyde, Humblesse hath slayn in hir al tirannye.
165 She is mirour of alle curteisye;
Hir herte is verray chambre of holinesse, Hir hand, ministre of fredom for almesse.
’ (70) And al this vois was soth, as god is trewe, But now to purpos lat us turne agayn; 170 Thise marchants han doon fraught hir shippes newe, And, whan they han this blisful mayden seyn, Hoom to Surryë been they went ful fayn, And doon her nedes as they han don yore, And liven in wele; I can sey yow no more.
175 Now fel it, that thise marchants stode in grace Of him, that was the sowdan of Surrye;
For whan they came from any strange place, (80) He wolde, of his benigne curteisye, Make hem good chere, and bisily espye 180 Tydings of sondry regnes, for to lere The wondres that they mighte seen or here.
Amonges othere thinges, specially Thise marchants han him told of dame Custance, So gret noblesse in ernest, ceriously, 185 That this sowdan hath caught so gret plesance To han hir figure in his remembrance, That al his lust and al his bisy cure (90) Was for to love hir whyl his lyf may dure.
Paraventure in thilke large book 190 Which that men clepe the heven, y-writen was With sterres, whan that he his birthe took, That he for love shulde han his deeth, allas!
For in the sterres, clerer than is glas, Is writen, god wot, who-so coude it rede, 195 The deeth of every man, withouten drede.
[136: T.
4617-4651. ] In sterres, many a winter ther-biforn, Was writen the deeth of Ector, Achilles, (100) Of Pompey, Iulius, er they were born;
The stryf of Thebes; and of Ercules, 200 Of Sampson, Turnus, and of Socrates The deeth; but mennes wittes been so dulle, That no wight can wel rede it atte fulle.
This sowdan for his privee conseil sente, And, shortly of this mater for to pace, 205 He hath to hem declared his entente, And seyde hem certein, ‘but he mighte have grace To han Custance with-inne a litel space, (110) He nas but deed;’ and charged hem, in hye, To shapen for his lyf som remedye.
210 Diverse men diverse thinges seyden;
They argumenten, casten up and doun;
Many a subtil resoun forth they leyden, They speken of magik and abusioun;
But finally, as in conclusioun, 215 They can not seen in that non avantage, Ne in non other wey, save mariage.
212. Hl.
Cp.
argumentes.
Than sawe they ther-in swich difficultee (120) By wey of resoun, for to speke al playn, By-cause that ther was swich diversitee 220 Bitwene hir bothe lawes, that they sayn, They trowe ‘that no cristen prince wolde fayn Wedden his child under oure lawes swete That us were taught by Mahoun our prophete.
’ 220. Cm.
_om.
_ that.
And he answerde, ‘rather than I lese 225 Custance, I wol be cristned doutelees;
I mot ben hires, I may non other chese.
I prey yow holde your arguments in pees; (130) Saveth my lyf, and beeth noght recchelees To geten hir that hath my lyf in cure; 230 For in this wo I may not longe endure.
’ [137: T.
4652-4686. ] What nedeth gretter dilatacioun?
I seye, by tretis and embassadrye, And by the popes mediacioun, And al the chirche, and al the chivalrye, 235 That, in destruccioun of Maumetrye, And in encrees of Cristes lawe dere, They ben acorded, so as ye shal here; (140) How that the sowdan and his baronage And alle his liges shulde y-cristned be, 240 And he shal han Custance in mariage, And certein gold, I noot what quantitee, And her-to founden suffisant seurtee;
This same acord was sworn on eyther syde;
Now, faire Custance, almighty god thee gyde!
245 Now wolde som men waiten, as I gesse, That I shulde tellen al the purveyance That themperour, of his grete noblesse, (150) Hath shapen for his doghter dame Custance.
Wel may men knowe that so gret ordinance 250 May no man tellen in a litel clause As was arrayed for so heigh a cause.
255. E.
ynough; Hn.
Cp.
Hl.
ynowe; Cm.
Ln.
Inowe.
Bisshopes ben shapen with hir for to wende, Lordes, ladyes, knightes of renoun, And other folk y-nowe, this is the ende; 255 And notifyed is thurgh-out the toun That every wight, with gret devocioun, Shulde preyen Crist that he this mariage (160) Receyve in gree, and spede this viage.
The day is comen of hir departinge, 260 I sey, the woful day fatal is come, That ther may be no lenger taryinge, But forthward they hem dressen, alle and some;
Custance, that was with sorwe al overcome, Ful pale arist, and dresseth hir to wende; 265 For wel she seeth ther is non other ende.
[138: T.
4687-4721. ] Allas!
what wonder is it though she wepte, That shal be sent to strange nacioun (170) Fro freendes, that so tendrely hir kepte, And to be bounden under subieccioun 270 Of oon, she knoweth not his condicioun.
Housbondes been alle gode, and han ben yore, That knowen wyves, I dar say yow no more.
‘Fader,’ she sayde, ‘thy wrecched child Custance, Thy yonge doghter, fostred up so softe, 275 And ye, my moder, my soverayn plesance Over alle thing, out-taken Crist on-lofte, Custance, your child, hir recomandeth ofte (180) Un-to your grace, for I shal to Surryë, Ne shal I never seen yow more with yë.
280 Allas!
un-to the Barbre nacioun I moste anon, sin that it is your wille;
But Crist, that starf for our redempcioun, So yeve me grace, his hestes to fulfille;
I, wrecche womman, no fors though I spille.
285 Wommen are born to thraldom and penance, And to ben under mannes governance.
’ 282. E.
goon; _rest_ anon.
283. E.
sauacioun; _rest_ redempcioun.
I trowe, at Troye, whan Pirrus brak the wal (190) Or Ylion brende, at Thebes the citee, Nat Rome, for the harm thurgh Hanibal 290 That Romayns hath venquisshed tymes thre, Nas herd swich tendre weping for pitee As in the chambre was for hir departinge;
Bot forth she moot, wher-so she wepe or singe.
289. Cm.
at; _rest om.
_ (Or _means_ ere, _and_ brende _is intransitive_.
) 290. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Nat (_for_ Ne at); Hl.
Ne at.
O firste moevyng cruel firmament, 295 With thy diurnal sweigh that crowdest ay And hurlest al from Est til Occident, That naturelly wolde holde another way, (200) Thy crowding set the heven in swich array At the beginning of this fiers viage, 300 That cruel Mars hath slayn this mariage.
[139: T.
4722-4756. ] Infortunat ascendent tortuous, Of which the lord is helples falle, allas!
Out of his angle in-to the derkest hous.
O Mars, O Atazir, as in this cas!
305 O feble mone, unhappy been thy pas!
Thou knittest thee ther thou art nat receyved, Ther thou were weel, fro thennes artow weyved.
(210) 306. E.
Hn.
Cp.
fieble.
Imprudent emperour of Rome, allas!
Was ther no philosophre in al thy toun?
310 Is no tyme bet than other in swich cas?
Of viage is ther noon eleccioun, Namely to folk of heigh condicioun, Nat whan a rote is of a birthe y-knowe?
Allas!
we ben to lewed or to slowe.
315 To shippe is brought this woful faire mayde Solempnely, with every circumstance.
‘Now Iesu Crist be with yow alle,’ she sayde; (220) Ther nis namore but ‘farewel!
faire Custance!
’ She peyneth hir to make good countenance, 320 And forth I lete hir sayle in this manere, And turne I wol agayn to my matere.
316. E.
come; _rest_ brought.
The moder of the sowdan, welle of vyces, Espyëd hath hir sones pleyn entente, How he wol lete his olde sacrifyces, 325 And right anon she for hir conseil sente;
And they ben come, to knowe what she mente.
And when assembled was this folk in-fere, (230) She sette hir doun, and sayde as ye shal here.
‘Lordes,’ quod she, ‘ye knowen everichon, 330 How that my sone in point is for to lete The holy lawes of our Alkaron, Yeven by goddes message Makomete.
But oon avow to grete god I hete, The lyf shal rather out of my body sterte 335 Than Makometes lawe out of myn herte!
330. E.
she seyde; _rest_ quod she.
333. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
messager; Hl.
messanger; _see note.
_ [140: T.
4757-4791. ] What shulde us tyden of this newe lawe But thraldom to our bodies and penance?
(240) And afterward in helle to be drawe For we reneyed Mahoun our creance?
340 But, lordes, wol ye maken assurance, As I shal seyn, assenting to my lore, And I shall make us sauf for evermore?
’ They sworen and assenten, every man, To live with hir and dye, and by hir stonde; 345 And everich, in the beste wyse he can, To strengthen hir shal alle his freendes fonde;
And she hath this empryse y-take on honde, (250) Which ye shal heren that I shal devyse, And to hem alle she spak right in this wyse.
350 ‘We shul first feyne us cristendom to take, Cold water shal not greve us but a lyte;
And I shal swich a feste and revel make, That, as I trowe, I shal the sowdan quyte.
For though his wyf be cristned never so whyte, 355 She shal have nede to wasshe awey the rede, Thogh she a font-ful water with hir lede.
’ O sowdanesse, rote of iniquitee, (260) Virago, thou Semyram the secounde, O serpent under femininitee, 360 Lyk to the serpent depe in helle y-bounde, O feyned womman, al that may confounde Vertu and innocence, thurgh thy malyce, Is bred in thee, as nest of every vyce!
O Satan, envious sin thilke day 365 That thou were chased from our heritage, Wel knowestow to wommen the olde way!
Thou madest Eva bringe us in servage.
(270) Thou wolt fordoon this cristen mariage.
Thyn instrument so, weylawey the whyle!
370 Makestow of wommen, whan thou wolt begyle.
[141: T.
4792-4824. ] This sowdanesse, whom I thus blame and warie, Leet prively hir conseil goon hir way.
What sholde I in this tale lenger tarie?
She rydeth to the sowdan on a day, 375 And seyde him, that she wolde reneye hir lay, And cristendom of preestes handes fonge, Repenting hir she hethen was so longe, (280) Biseching him to doon hir that honour, That she moste han the cristen men to feste; 380 ‘To plesen hem I wol do my labour.
’ The sowdan seith, ‘I wol don at your heste,’ And kneling thanketh hir of that requeste.
So glad he was, he niste what to seye;
She kiste hir sone, and hoom she gooth hir weye.
385 385. E.
hoome; Hn.
Cm.
hom.
Explicit prima pars.
Sequitur pars secunda.
Arryved ben this cristen folk to londe, In Surrie, with a greet solempne route, And hastily this sowdan sente his sonde, (290) First to his moder, and al the regne aboute, And seyde, his wyf was comen, out of doute, 390 And preyde hir for to ryde agayn the quene, The honour of his regne to sustene.
Gret was the prees, and riche was tharray Of Surriens and Romayns met y-fere;
The moder of the sowdan, riche and gay, 395 Receyveth hir with al-so glad a chere As any moder mighte hir doghter dere, And to the nexte citee ther bisyde (300) A softe pas solempnely they ryde.
Noght trowe I the triumphe of Iulius, 400 Of which that Lucan maketh swich a bost, Was royaller, ne more curious Than was thassemblee of this blisful host.
But this scorpioun, this wikked gost, [142: T.
4825-4859. ] The sowdanesse, for al hir flateringe, 405 Caste under this ful mortally to stinge.
