Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Nonne Prestes Tale - Part One
=The prologue of the Nonne Preestes Tale.
= ‘Ho!
’ quod the knight, ‘good sir, na-more of this, That ye han seyd is right y-nough, y-wis, And mochel more; for litel hevinesse Is right y-nough to mochel folk, I gesse.
3960 I seye for me, it is a greet disese Wher-as men han ben in greet welthe and ese, To heren of hir sodeyn fal, allas!
And the contrarie is Ioie and greet solas, As whan a man hath been in povre estaat, 3965 And clymbeth up, and wexeth fortunat, (10) And ther abydeth in prosperitee, Swich thing is gladsom, as it thinketh me, And of swich thing were goodly for to telle.
’ ‘Ye,’ quod our hoste, ‘by seint Poules belle, 3970 Ye seye right sooth; this monk, he clappeth loude, He spak how “fortune covered with a cloude” I noot never what, and als of a “Tragedie” Right now ye herde, and parde!
no remedie It is for to biwaille, ne compleyne 3975 That that is doon, and als it is a peyne, (20) As ye han seyd, to here of hevinesse.
Sir monk, na-more of this, so god yow blesse!
Your tale anoyeth al this companye;
Swich talking is nat worth a boterflye; 3980 For ther-in is ther no desport ne game.
Wherfor, sir Monk, or dan Piers by your name, [270: T.
14799-14826. ] I preye yow hertely, telle us somwhat elles, For sikerly, nere clinking of your belles, That on your brydel hange on every syde, 3985 By heven king, that for us alle dyde, (30) I sholde er this han fallen doun for slepe, Although the slough had never been so depe;
Than had your tale al be told in vayn.
For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn, 3990 “Wher-as a man may have noon audience, Noght helpeth it to tellen his sentence.
” And wel I woot the substance is in me, If any thing shal wel reported be.
Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.
’ 3995 ‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye; (40) Now let another telle, as I have told.
’ Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde un-to the Nonnes Preest anon, ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, 4000 Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde up-on a Iade.
What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene;
Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.
’ 4005 ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go, (50) But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:‘— And right anon his tale he hath attamed, And thus he seyde un-to us everichon, This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.
4010 _Explicit.
_ 3982. Pt.
or; Hn.
o; _rest omit.
_ 4002. though] Hl.
al-though.
4004. Pt.
Hl.
rek.
4005. E.
Hn.
murie; _rest_ mery.
4006. Cp.
Ln.
Yis, ost, quod he, so mote I ryde or go.
[271: T.
14827-14852. ] * * * * * THE NONNE PREESTES TALE.
* * * * * =Here biginneth the Nonne Preestes Tale of the Cok and Hen, Chauntecleer and Pertelote.
= A povre widwe, somdel stope in age, Was whylom dwelling in a narwe cotage, Bisyde a grove, stonding in a dale.
This widwe, of which I telle yow my tale, Sin thilke day that she was last a wyf, 4015 In pacience ladde a ful simple lyf, For litel was hir catel and hir rente;
By housbondrye, of such as God hir sente, She fond hir-self, and eek hir doghtren two.
Three large sowes hadde she, and namo, 4020 Three kyn, and eek a sheep that highte Malle.
(11) Ful sooty was hir bour, and eek hir halle, In which she eet ful many a sclendre meel.
Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel.
No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte; 4025 Hir dyete was accordant to hir cote.
Repleccioun ne made hir never syk;
Attempree dyete was al hir phisyk, And exercyse, and hertes suffisaunce.
The goute lette hir no-thing for to daunce, 4030 Napoplexye shente nat hir heed; (21) No wyn ne drank she, neither whyt ne reed;
Hir bord was served most with whyt and blak, Milk and broun breed, in which she fond no lak, Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye, 4035 For she was as it were a maner deye.
4011. E.
Hn.
stape; Ln.
stoupe; _rest_ stope.
4013. E.
grene.
4021. E.
keen; Hn.
Hl.
Cp.
kyn.
4031. E.
Hn.
Napoplexie; _rest_ Ne poplexie.
[272: T.
14853-14887. ] A yerd she hadde, enclosed al aboute With stikkes, and a drye dich with-oute, In which she hadde a cok, hight Chauntecleer, In al the land of crowing nas his peer.
4040 His vois was merier than the mery orgon (31) On messe-dayes that in the chirche gon;
Wel sikerer was his crowing in his logge, Than is a clokke, or an abbey orlogge.
By nature knew he ech ascencioun 4045 Of equinoxial in thilke toun;
For whan degrees fiftene were ascended, Thanne crew he, that it mighte nat ben amended.
His comb was redder than the fyn coral, And batailed, as it were a castel-wal.
4050 His bile was blak, and as the Ieet it shoon; (41) Lyk asur were his legges, and his toon;
His nayles whytter than the lilie flour, And lyk the burned gold was his colour.
This gentil cok hadde in his governaunce 4055 Sevene hennes, for to doon al his plesaunce, Whiche were his sustres and his paramours, And wonder lyk to him, as of colours.
Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote.
4060 Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire, (51) And compaignable, and bar hir-self so faire, Sin thilke day that she was seven night old, That trewely she hath the herte in hold Of Chauntecleer loken in every lith; 4065 He loved hir so, that wel was him therwith.
But such a Ioye was it to here hem singe, Whan that the brighte sonne gan to springe, In swete accord, ‘my lief is faren in londe.
’ For thilke tyme, as I have understonde, 4070 Bestes and briddes coude speke and singe.
(61) 4039. E.
Hn.
heet; Cp.
that highte; _rest_ that hight.
4041. E.
Hn.
Cm.
murier.
E.
Cm.
murie.
4045. Hl.
knew he; E. Pt.
he crew; _rest_ he knew.
4046. E.
Ln.
_ins.
_ the _after_ Of.
4051. Hl.
geet; Pt.
Ln.
gete.
4054. Hl.
Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
burnischt.
4062. Hl.
ful (_for_ so).
4068. E.
Cm.
Ln.
bigan.
[273: T.
14888-14924. ] And so bifel, that in a daweninge, As Chauntecleer among his wyves alle Sat on his perche, that was in the halle, And next him sat this faire Pertelote, 4075 This Chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte, As man that in his dreem is drecched sore.
And whan that Pertelote thus herde him rore, She was agast, and seyde, ‘O herte dere, What eyleth yow, to grone in this manere?
4080 Ye been a verray sleper, fy for shame!
’ (71) And he answerde and seyde thus, ‘madame, I pray yow, that ye take it nat a-grief: By god, me mette I was in swich meschief Right now, that yet myn herte is sore afright.
4085 Now god,’ quod he, ‘my swevene recche aright, And keep my body out of foul prisoun!
Me mette, how that I romed up and doun Withinne our yerde, wher-as I saugh a beste, Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areste 4090 Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed.
(81) His colour was bitwixe yelwe and reed;
And tipped was his tail, and bothe his eres, With blak, unlyk the remenant of his heres;
His snowte smal, with glowinge eyen tweye.
4095 Yet of his look for fere almost I deye;
This caused me my groning, doutelees.
’ 4072. a] E. Pt.
the.
4079. E.
o; _rest om.
_ 4084. mette] E. thoughte.
4086. E.
Hn.
recche; Cm.
reche; _rest_ rede, reed.
4091. E.
Hn.
Cm.
_om.
_ wolde.
‘Avoy!
’ quod she, ‘fy on yow, hertelees!
Allas!
’ quod she, ‘for, by that god above, Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love; 4100 I can nat love a coward, by my feith.
(91) For certes, what so any womman seith, We alle desyren, if it mighte be, To han housbondes hardy, wyse, and free, And secree, and no nigard, ne no fool, 4105 Ne him that is agast of every tool, Ne noon avauntour, by that god above!
How dorste ye seyn for shame unto your love, [274: T.
14925-14960. ] That any thing mighte make yow aferd?
Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd?
4110 Allas!
and conne ye been agast of swevenis?
(101) No-thing, god wot, but vanitee, in sweven is.
Swevenes engendren of replecciouns, And ofte of fume, and of complecciouns, Whan humours been to habundant in a wight.
4115 Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-night, Cometh of the grete superfluitee Of youre rede _colera_, pardee, Which causeth folk to dreden in here dremes Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes, 4120 Of grete bestes, that they wol hem byte, (111) Of contek, and of whelpes grete and lyte;
Right as the humour of malencolye Causeth ful many a man, in sleep, to crye, For fere of blake beres, or boles blake, 4125 Or elles, blake develes wole hem take.
Of othere humours coude I telle also, That werken many a man in sleep ful wo;
But I wol passe as lightly as I can.
4117. E.
_om.
_ the, _and has_ greet.
4119. E.
Hn.
Cm.
dreden; _rest_ dremen; _see_ 4159. 4121. E.
grete; _rest_ rede.
4125. _So_ E. Hn.
Cm.
; Cp.
of beres and of boles; Ln.
Pt.
of beres and boles; Hl.
of beres or of boles.
Lo Catoun, which that was so wys a man, 4130 Seyde he nat thus, ne do no fors of dremes?
(121) Now, sire,’ quod she, ‘whan we flee fro the bemes, For Goddes love, as tak som laxatyf;
Up peril of my soule, and of my lyf, I counseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye, 4135 That bothe of colere and of malencolye Ye purge yow; and for ye shul nat tarie, Though in this toun is noon apotecarie, I shal my-self to herbes techen yow, That shul ben for your hele, and for your prow; 4140 And in our yerd tho herbes shal I finde, (131) The whiche han of hir propretee, by kinde, To purgen yow binethe, and eek above.
Forget not this, for goddes owene love!
[275: T.
14961-14996. ] Ye been ful colerik of compleccioun.
4145 Ware the sonne in his ascencioun Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hote;
And if it do, I dar wel leye a grote, That ye shul have a fevere terciane, Or an agu, that may be youre bane.
4150 A day or two ye shul have digestyves (141) Of wormes, er ye take your laxatyves, Of lauriol, centaure, and fumetere, Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there, Of catapuce, or of gaytres beryis, 4155 Of erbe yve, growing in our yerd, that mery is;
Pekke hem up right as they growe, and ete hem in.
Be mery, housbond, for your fader kin!
Dredeth no dreem; I can say yow na-more.
’ 4132. E.
ye; _rest_ we.
4136, 7. Hl.
_om.
_ 4155. Cp.
Ln.
gaytres;
E.
gaitrys; Hn.
gaytrys; Hl.
gaytre; Cm.
gattris; Pt.
gatys.
4156. Ln.
that; Hn.
they; _rest_ ther.
‘Madame,’ quod he, ‘_graunt mercy_ of your lore.
4160 But nathelees, as touching daun Catoun, (151) That hath of wisdom such a greet renoun, Though that he bad no dremes for to drede, By god, men may in olde bokes rede Of many a man, more of auctoritee 4165 Than ever Catoun was, so mote I thee, Than al the revers seyn of his sentence, And han wel founden by experience, That dremes ben significaciouns, As wel of Ioye as tribulaciouns 4170 That folk enduren in this lyf present.
(161) Ther nedeth make of this noon argument;
The verray preve sheweth it in dede.
4166. Hn.
Cm.
Cp.
mote; E. moot.
4167. his] E. Pt.
this.
4170. E.
Cm.
Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
_ins.
_ of _after_ as.
Oon of the gretteste auctours that men rede Seith thus, that whylom two felawes wente 4175 On pilgrimage, in a ful good entente;
And happed so, thay come into a toun, Wher-as ther was swich congregacioun Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage, That they ne founde as muche as o cotage, 4180 [276: T.
14997-15033. ] In which they bothe mighte y-logged be.
(171) Wherfor thay mosten, of necessitee, As for that night, departen compaignye;
And ech of hem goth to his hostelrye, And took his logging as it wolde falle.
4185 That oon of hem was logged in a stalle, Fer in a yerd, with oxen of the plough;
That other man was logged wel y-nough, As was his aventure, or his fortune, That us governeth alle as in commune.
4190 4174. Cm.
autourys; Hl.
auctorite; _rest_ auctour (_sic_).
4177. E.
Hn.
coomen in; Cm.
comyn in.
4181. E.
logged.
And so bifel, that, longe er it were day, (181) This man mette in his bed, ther-as he lay, How that his felawe gan up-on him calle, And seyde, ‘allas!
for in an oxes stalle This night I shal be mordred ther I lye.
4195 Now help me, dere brother, er I dye;
In alle haste com to me,’ he sayde.
This man out of his sleep for fere abrayde;
But whan that he was wakned of his sleep, He turned him, and took of this no keep; 4200 Him thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitee.
(191) Thus twyës in his sleping dremed he.
And atte thridde tyme yet his felawe Cam, as him thoughte, and seide, ‘I am now slawe;
Bihold my blody woundes, depe and wyde!
4205 Arys up erly in the morwe-tyde, And at the west gate of the toun,’ quod he, ‘A carte ful of donge ther shaltow see, In which my body is hid ful prively;
Do thilke carte aresten boldely.
4210 My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn;’ (201) And tolde him every poynt how he was slayn, With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe.
And truste wel, his dreem he fond ful trewe;
For on the morwe, as sone as it was day, 4215 To his felawes in he took the way;
And whan that he cam to this oxes stalle, [277: T.
15034-15069. ] After his felawe he bigan to calle.
4194. Hl.
Cp.
Ln.
oxe.
4196. er] Ln.
ar; E. Hn.
Hl.
or.
4200. E.
it; _rest_ this.
4210. E.
arresten.
4217. Hl.
Cp.
Ln.
oxe.
The hostiler answered him anon, And seyde, ‘sire, your felawe is agon, 4220 As sone as day he wente out of the toun.
’ (211) This man gan fallen in suspecioun, Remembring on his dremes that he mette, And forth he goth, no lenger wolde he lette, Unto the west gate of the toun, and fond 4225 A dong-carte, as it were to donge lond, That was arrayed in the same wyse As ye han herd the dede man devyse;
And with an hardy herte he gan to crye Vengeaunce and Iustice of this felonye:— 4230 ‘My felawe mordred is this same night, (221) And in this carte he lyth gapinge upright.
I crye out on the ministres,’ quod he, ‘That sholden kepe and reulen this citee;
Harrow!
allas!
her lyth my felawe slayn!
’ 4235 What sholde I more un-to this tale sayn?
The peple out-sterte, and caste the cart to grounde, And in the middel of the dong they founde The dede man, that mordred was al newe.
4219. Cp.
Hl.
answered; E. Hn.
answerde.
4222. Hl.
_ins.
_ a _after_ in; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
_ins.
_ gret (grete).
4226. Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
wente as it were; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
as he wente.
4232. E.
Hn.
Cm.
_ins.
_ heere _after_ carte.
O blisful god, that art so Iust and trewe!
4240 Lo, how that thou biwreyest mordre alway!
(231) Mordre wol out, that see we day by day.
Mordre is so wlatsom and abhominable To god, that is so Iust and resonable, That he ne wol nat suffre it heled be; 4245 Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or three, Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun.
And right anoon, ministres of that toun Han hent the carter, and so sore him pyned, And eek the hostiler so sore engyned, 4250 That thay biknewe hir wikkednesse anoon, (241) And were an-hanged by the nekke-boon.
4247. E.
Hn.
