Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Monk's Tale - Part One
=The mery wordes of the Host to the Monk.
= Whan ended was my tale of Melibee, And of Prudence and hir benignitee, 3080 Our hoste seyde, ‘as I am faithful man, And by the precious _corpus Madrian_, I hadde lever than a barel ale That goode lief my wyf hadde herd this tale!
For she nis no-thing of swich pacience 3085 As was this Melibeus wyf Prudence.
By goddes bones!
whan I bete my knaves, She bringth me forth the grete clobbed staves, (10) And cryeth, “slee the dogges everichoon, And brek hem, bothe bak and every boon.
” 3090 And if that any neighebor of myne Wol nat in chirche to my wyf enclyne, Or be so hardy to hir to trespace, Whan she comth hoom, she rampeth in my face, And cryeth, “false coward, wreek thy wyf, 3095 By _corpus_ bones!
I wol have thy knyf, And thou shalt have my distaf and go spinne!
” Fro day to night right thus she wol biginne;— (20) “Allas!
” she seith, “that ever I was shape To wedde a milksop or a coward ape, 3100 That wol be overlad with every wight!
Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyves right!
” This is my lyf, but-if that I wol fighte;
And out at dore anon I moot me dighte, Or elles I am but lost, but-if that I 3105 Be lyk a wilde leoun fool-hardy.
I woot wel she wol do me slee som day Som neighebor, and thanne go my wey.
(30) [242: T.
13925-13962. ] For I am perilous with knyf in honde, Al be it that I dar nat hir withstonde, 3110 For she is big in armes, by my feith, That shal he finde, that hir misdooth or seith.
But lat us passe awey fro this matere.
HEADING.
_From_ E. ; Hn.
Here bigynneth The Prologe of the Monkes tale.
E.
murye.
3082. the] E. Hn.
that.
3085. E.
Hn.
_omit_ For.
3094. Pt.
hoom; Hl.
hom; Cp.
Ln.
home; E. Hn.
_omit.
_ 3099. E.
Hn.
euere that I. 3110. E.
Cp.
Ln.
hire nat; Hn.
Cm.
Pt.
Hl.
nat hire.
My lord the Monk,’ quod he, ‘be mery of chere;
For ye shul telle a tale trewely.
3115 Lo!
Rouchestre stant heer faste by!
Ryd forth, myn owene lord, brek nat our game, But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat your name, (40) Wher shal I calle yow my lord dan Iohn, Or dan Thomas, or elles dan Albon?
3120 Of what hous be ye, by your fader kin?
I vow to god, thou, hast a ful fair skin, It is a gentil pasture ther thou goost;
Thou art nat lyk a penaunt or a goost.
Upon my feith, thou art som officer, 3125 Som worthy sexteyn, or som celerer, For by my fader soule, as to my doom, Thou art a maister whan thou art at hoom; (50) No povre cloisterer, ne no novys, But a governour, wyly and wys.
3130 And therwithal of brawnes and of bones A wel-faring persone for the nones.
I pray to god, yeve him confusioun That first thee broghte un-to religioun;
Thou woldest han been a trede-foul aright.
3135 Haddestow as greet a leve, as thou hast might To parfourne al thy lust in engendrure, Thou haddest bigeten many a creature.
(60) Alas!
why werestow so wyd a cope?
God yeve me sorwe!
but, and I were a pope, 3140 Not only thou, but every mighty man, Thogh he were shorn ful hye upon his pan, Sholde have a wyf; for al the world is lorn!
Religioun hath take up al the corn Of treding, and we borel men ben shrimpes!
3145 Of feble trees ther comen wrecched impes.
[243: T.
13963-13996. ] This maketh that our heires been so sclendre And feble, that they may nat wel engendre.
(70) This maketh that our wyves wol assaye Religious folk, for ye may bettre paye 3150 Of Venus payements than mowe we;
God woot, no lussheburghes payen ye!
But be nat wrooth, my lord, for that I pleye;
Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye.
’ 3114. E.
Hn.
myrie.
3119, 20. E.
daun.
3129. E.
Hn.
Pt.
Ln.
cloistrer.
3138. E.
Hn.
ful many.
3147, 8. E.
_om.
these lines;
from_ Hn.
; Hn.
Cm.
sklendre; Cp.
Pt.
sclendre (sclender_e_).
3151. E.
paiementz.
3152. E.
Hn.
lussheburgh; Cp.
lussheburghes; Hl.
lusscheburghes.
This worthy monk took al in pacience, 3155 And seyde, ‘I wol doon al my diligence, As fer as souneth in-to honestee, To telle yow a tale, or two, or three.
(80) And if yow list to herkne hiderward, I wol yow seyn the lyf of seint Edward; 3160 Or elles first Tragedies wol I telle Of whiche I have an hundred in my celle.
Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storie, As olde bokes maken us memorie, Of him that stood in greet prosperitee 3165 And is y-fallen out of heigh degree Into miserie, and endeth wrecchedly.
And they ben versifyed comunly (90) Of six feet, which men clepe _exametron_.
In prose eek been endyted many oon, 3170 And eek in metre, in many a sondry wyse.
Lo!
this declaring oughte y-nough suffise.
3160. E.
_omits_ yow.
3163. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
for to; _rest omit_ for.
3168. E.
communely; Cm.
comounly; Hn.
Hl.
comunly.
Now herkneth, if yow lyketh for to here;
But first I yow biseke in this matere, Though I by ordre telle nat thise thinges, 3175 Be it of popes, emperours, or kinges, After hir ages, as men writen finde, But telle hem som bifore and som bihinde, (100) As it now comth un-to my remembraunce;
Have me excused of myn ignoraunce.
’ 3180 _Explicit_.
[244: T.
13997-14016. ] * * * * * THE MONKES TALE.
* * * * * =Here biginneth the Monkes Tale, De Casibus Virorum Illustrium.
= I wol biwayle in maner of Tragedie The harm of hem that stode in heigh degree, And fillen so that ther nas no remedie To bringe hem out of hir adversitee;
For certein, whan that fortune list to flee, 3185 Ther may no man the cours of hir withholde;
Lat no man truste on blind prosperitee;
Be war by thise ensamples trewe and olde.
HEADING.
_From_ E. (E.
Heere).
3188. E.
Pt.
of; _rest_ by.
LUCIFER.
At Lucifer, though he an angel were, And nat a man, at him I wol biginne; 3190 For, thogh fortune may non angel dere, (11) From heigh degree yet fel he for his sinne Doun in-to helle, wher he yet is inne.
O Lucifer!
brightest of angels alle, Now artow Sathanas, that maist nat twinne 3195 Out of miserie, in which that thou art falle.
3191. E.
though; Hn.
thogh.
ADAM.
Lo Adam, in the feld of Damassene, With goddes owene finger wroght was he, And nat bigeten of mannes sperme unclene, And welte al Paradys, saving o tree.
3200 [245: T.
14017-14048. ] Had never worldly man so heigh degree (21) As Adam, til he for misgovernaunce Was drive out of his hye prosperitee To labour, and to helle, and to meschaunce.
3197. Cm.
Hl.
Damassene; E. Hn.
Damyssene.
SAMPSON.
Lo Sampson, which that was annunciat 3205 By thangel, longe er his nativitee, And was to god almighty consecrat, And stood in noblesse, whyl he mighte see.
Was never swich another as was he, To speke of strengthe, and therwith hardinesse; 3210 But to his wyves tolde he his secree, (31) Through which he slow him-self, for wrecchednesse.
3206. Hl.
Cp.
thangel; Hn.
Pt.
Ln.
the aungel; E. Cm.
angel.
Sampson, this noble almighty champioun, Withouten wepen save his hondes tweye, He slow and al to-rente the leoun, 3215 Toward his wedding walking by the weye.
His false wyf coude him so plese and preye Til she his conseil knew, and she untrewe Un-to his foos his conseil gan biwreye, And him forsook, and took another newe.
3220 Three hundred foxes took Sampson for ire, (41) And alle hir tayles he togider bond, And sette the foxes tayles alle on fire, For he on every tayl had knit a brond;
And they brende alle the cornes in that lond, 3225 And alle hir oliveres and vynes eek.
A thousand men he slow eek with his hond, And had no wepen but an asses cheek.
Whan they were slayn, so thursted him that he Was wel my lorn, for which he gan to preye 3230 That god wolde on his peyne han som pitee, (51) And sende him drinke, or elles moste he deye;
[246: T.
14049-14080. ] And of this asses cheke, that was dreye, Out of a wang-tooth sprang anon a welle, Of which he drank y-nogh, shortly to seye, 3235 Thus heelp him god, as _Iudicum_ can telle.
3235. E.
anon; _rest_ ynogh, ynough, ynouhe, &c. By verray force, at Gazan, on a night, Maugree Philistiens of that citee, The gates of the toun he hath up-plight, And on his bak y-caried hem hath he 3240 Hye on an hille, that men mighte hem see.
(61) O noble almighty Sampson, leef and dere, Had thou nat told to wommen thy secree, In al this worlde ne hadde been thy pere!
This Sampson never sicer drank ne wyn, 3245 Ne on his heed cam rasour noon ne shere, By precept of the messager divyn, For alle his strengthes in his heres were;
And fully twenty winter, yeer by yere, He hadde of Israel the governaunce.
3250 But sone shal he wepen many a tere, (71) For wommen shal him bringen to meschaunce!
3245. E.
Hn.
ciser (_for_ sicer); Hl.
siser; Cm.
Pt.
Ln.
sythir; Cp.
cyder.
Un-to his lemman Dalida he tolde That in his heres al his strengthe lay, And falsly to his fo-men she him solde.
3255 And sleping in hir barme up-on a day She made to clippe or shere his heer awey, And made his fo-men al his craft espyen;
And whan that they him fonde in this array, They bounde him faste, and putten out his yën. 3260 3257. E.
Hl.
heres; _rest_ heer, here.
3258. E.
Hn.
this craft;
_rest_ his craft.
But er his heer were clipped or y-shave, (81) Ther was no bond with which men might him binde;
But now is he in prisoun in a cave, Wher-as they made him at the querne grinde.
[247: T.
14081-14112. ] O noble Sampson, strongest of mankinde, 3265 O whylom Iuge in glorie and in richesse, Now maystow wepen with thyn yën blinde, Sith thou fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse.
3261. E.
were; _rest_ was; _see l. _ 3328. Thende of this caytif was as I shal seye;
His fo-men made a feste upon a day, 3270 And made him as hir fool bifore hem pleye, (91) And this was in a temple of greet array.
But atte laste he made a foul affray;
For he two pilers shook, and made hem falle, And doun fil temple and al, and ther it lay, 3275 And slow him-self, and eek his fo-men alle.
3271. E.
Cm.
a; _rest_ hire, here.
3274. E.
the; _rest_ two.
This is to seyn, the princes everichoon, And eek three thousand bodies wer ther slayn With falling of the grete temple of stoon.
Of Sampson now wol I na-more seyn.
3280 Beth war by this ensample old and playn (101) That no men telle hir conseil til hir wyves Of swich thing as they wolde han secree fayn, If that it touche hir limmes or hir lyves.
HERCULES.
Of Hercules the sovereyn conquerour 3285 Singen his workes laude and heigh renoun;
For in his tyme of strengthe he was the flour.
He slow, and rafte the skin of the leoun;
He of Centauros leyde the boost adoun;
He Arpies slow, the cruel briddes felle; 3290 He golden apples rafte of the dragoun; (111) He drow out Cerberus, the hound of helle: He slow the cruel tyrant Busirus, And made his hors to frete him, flesh and boon;
He slow the firy serpent venimous; 3295 Of Achelois two hornes, he brak oon;
[248: T.
14113-14148. ] And he slow Cacus in a cave of stoon;
He slow the geaunt Antheus the stronge;
He slow the grisly boor, and that anoon, And bar the heven on his nekke longe.
3300 3294. E.
flessh.
3296. E.
Cm.
hornes two; _rest_ two hornes.
Was never wight, sith that the world bigan, (121) That slow so many monstres as dide he.
Thurgh-out this wyde world his name ran, What for his strengthe, and for his heigh bountee, And every reaume wente he for to see.
3305 He was so strong that no man mighte him lette;
At bothe the worldes endes, seith Trophee, In stede of boundes, he a piler sette.
3308. E.
stide; pileer.
A lemman hadde this noble champioun, That highte Dianira, fresh as May; 3310 And, as thise clerkes maken mencioun, (131) She hath him sent a sherte fresh and gay.
Allas!
this sherte, allas and weylaway!
Envenimed was so subtilly with-alle, That, er that he had wered it half a day, 3315 It made his flesh al from his bones falle.
3310, 2. E.
fressh.
3316. E.
flessh.
But nathelees somme clerkes hir excusen By oon that highte Nessus, that it maked;
Be as be may, I wol hir noght accusen;
But on his bak this sherte he wered al naked, 3320 Til that his flesh was for the venim blaked.
(141) And whan he sey noon other remedye, In hote coles he hath him-selven raked, For with no venim deyned him to dye.
Thus starf this worthy mighty Hercules; 3325 Lo, who may truste on fortune any throwe?
For him that folweth al this world of prees, Er he be war, is ofte y-leyd ful lowe.
Ful wys is he that can him-selven knowe.
Beth war, for whan that fortune list to glose, 3330 Than wayteth she hir man to overthrowe (151) By swich a wey as he wolde leest suppose.
[249: T.
14149-14180. ] NABUGODONOSOR (NEBUCHADNEZZAR).
The mighty trone, the precious tresor, The glorious ceptre and royal magestee That hadde the king Nabugodonosor, 3335 With tonge unnethe may discryved be.
He twyes wan Ierusalem the citee;
The vessel of the temple he with him ladde.
At Babiloyne was his sovereyn see, In which his glorie and his delyt he hadde.
3340 3336. Hl.
vnnethes.
The fairest children of the blood royal (161) Of Israel he leet do gelde anoon, And maked ech of hem to been his thral.
Amonges othere Daniel was oon, That was the wysest child of everichoon; 3345 For he the dremes of the king expouned, Wher-as in Chaldey clerk ne was ther noon That wiste to what fyn his dremes souned.
This proude king leet make a statue of golde, Sixty cubytes long, and seven in brede, 3350 To which image bothe yonge and olde (171) Comaunded he to loute, and have in drede;
Or in a fourneys ful of flambes rede He shal be brent, that wolde noght obeye.
But never wolde assente to that dede 3355 Daniel, ne his yonge felawes tweye.
3351. E.
The; _rest_ To.
E.
Hn.
Cm.
he bothe; _rest omit_ he.
3352. E.
Hn.
Cm.
_omit_ he.
This king of kinges proud was and elaat, He wende that god, that sit in magestee, Ne mighte him nat bireve of his estaat: But sodeynly he loste his dignitee, 3360 And lyk a beste him semed for to be, (181) And eet hay as an oxe, and lay ther-oute;
In reyn with wilde bestes walked he, Til certein tyme was y-come aboute.
[250: T.
14181-14212. ] And lyk an egles fetheres wexe his heres, 3365 His nayles lyk a briddes clawes were;
Til god relessed him a certein yeres, And yaf him wit; and than with many a tere He thanked god, and ever his lyf in fere Was he to doon amis, or more trespace; 3370 And, til that tyme he leyd was on his bere, (191) He knew that god was ful of might and grace.
3365. Wexe _is the right reading, whence_ Cm.
wexsyn, _and_ Hl.
Cp.
were (_for_ wexe); E. Hn.
wax; Pt.
Ln.
was (_for_ wax).
BALTHASAR (BELSHAZZAR).
His sone, which that highte Balthasar, That heeld the regne after his fader day, He by his fader coude nought be war, 3375 For proud he was of herte and of array;
And eek an ydolastre was he ay.
His hye estaat assured him in pryde.
But fortune caste him doun, and ther he lay, And sodeynly his regne gan divyde.
3380 3377. E.
he was; _rest_ was he.
A feste he made un-to his lordes alle (201) Up-on a tyme, and bad hem blythe be, And than his officeres gan he calle— ‘Goth, bringeth forth the vessels,’ [tho] quod he, ‘Which that my fader, in his prosperitee, 3385 Out of the temple of Ierusalem birafte, And to our hye goddes thanke we Of honour, that our eldres with us lafte.
’ 3384. _I supply_ tho.
_For_ vessels, _see_ 3391, 3416, 3418. His wyf, his lordes, and his concubynes Ay dronken, whyl hir appetytes laste, 3390 Out of thise noble vessels sundry wynes; (211) And on a wal this king his yën caste, And sey an hond armlees, that wroot ful faste, For fere of which he quook and syked sore.
This hond, that Balthasar so sore agaste, 3395 Wroot _Mane, techel, phares_, and na-more.
[251: T.
14213-14244. ] In al that lond magicien was noon That coude expoune what this lettre mente;
But Daniel expouned it anoon, And seyde, ‘king, god to thy fader lente 3400 Glorie and honour, regne, tresour, rente: (221) And he was proud, and no-thing god ne dradde, And therfor god gret wreche up-on him sente, And him birafte the regne that he hadde.
3400. Hn.
lente; _rest_ sente (_but see_ l. 3403).
He was out cast of mannes companye, 3405 With asses was his habitacioun, And eet hey as a beste in weet and drye, Til that he knew, by grace and by resoun, That god of heven hath dominacioun Over every regne and every creature; 3410 And thanne had god of him compassioun, (231) And him restored his regne and his figure.
Eek thou, that art his sone, art proud also, And knowest alle thise thinges verraily, And art rebel to god, and art his fo.
3415 Thou drank eek of his vessels boldely;
Thy wyf eek and thy wenches sinfully Dronke of the same vessels sondry wynes, And heriest false goddes cursedly;
Therfor to thee y-shapen ful gret pyne is.
3420 This hand was sent from god, that on the walle (241) Wroot _mane, techel, phares_, truste me;
Thy regne is doon, thou weyest noght at alle;
