Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Nonne Prestes Tale - Part Two
Whan that the month in which the world bigan, That highte March, whan god first maked man, Was complet, and [y]-passed were also, Sin March bigan, thritty dayes and two, 4380 Bifel that Chauntecleer, in al his pryde, (371) His seven wyves walking by his syde, Caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne, That in the signe of Taurus hadde y-ronne Twenty degrees and oon, and somwhat more; 4385 And knew by kynde, and by noon other lore, That it was pryme, and crew with blisful stevene.
‘The sonne,’ he sayde, ‘is clomben up on hevene Fourty degrees and oon, and more, y-wis.
Madame Pertelote, my worldes blis, 4390 Herkneth thise blisful briddes how they singe, (381) And see the fresshe floures how they springe;
Ful is myn herte of revel and solas.
’ But sodeinly him fil a sorweful cas;
For ever the latter ende of Ioye is wo.
4395 [282: T.
15212-15248. ] God woot that worldly Ioye is sone ago;
And if a rethor coude faire endyte, He in a cronique saufly mighte it wryte, As for a sovereyn notabilitee.
Now every wys man, lat him herkne me; 4400 This storie is al-so trewe, I undertake, (391) As is the book of Launcelot de Lake, That wommen holde in ful gret reverence.
Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence.
4379. _All_ passed.
4380. Hl.
tway monthes and dayes tuo.
4386. And] Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
He.
4398. Hl.
Cp.
cronique; _rest_ cronicle.
4404. torne] E. come.
A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee, 4405 That in the grove hadde woned yeres three, By heigh imaginacioun forn-cast, The same night thurgh-out the hegges brast Into the yerd, ther Chauntecleer the faire Was wont, and eek his wyves, to repaire; 4410 And in a bed of wortes stille he lay, (401) Til it was passed undern of the day, Wayting his tyme on Chauntecleer to falle, As gladly doon thise homicydes alle, That in awayt liggen to mordre men.
4415 O false mordrer, lurking in thy den!
O newe Scariot, newe Genilon!
False dissimilour, O Greek Sinon, That broghtest Troye al outrely to sorwe!
O Chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe, 4420 That thou into that yerd flough fro the bemes!
(411) Thou were ful wel y-warned by thy dremes, That thilke day was perilous to thee.
But what that god forwoot mot nedes be, After the opinioun of certeyn clerkis.
4425 Witnesse on him, that any perfit clerk is, That in scole is gret altercacioun In this matere, and greet disputisoun, And hath ben of an hundred thousand men.
But I ne can not bulte it to the bren, 4430 As can the holy doctour Augustyn, (421) Or Boece, or the bishop Bradwardyn, [283: T.
15249-15284. ] Whether that goddes worthy forwiting Streyneth me nedely for to doon a thing, (Nedely clepe I simple necessitee); 4435 Or elles, if free choys be graunted me To do that same thing, or do it noght, Though god forwoot it, er that it was wroght;
Or if his witing streyneth nevere a del But by necessitee condicionel.
4440 I wol not han to do of swich matere; (431) My tale is of a cok, as ye may here, That took his counseil of his wyf, with sorwe, To walken in the yerd upon that morwe That he had met the dreem, that I yow tolde.
4445 Wommennes counseils been ful ofte colde;
Wommannes counseil broghte us first to wo, And made Adam fro paradys to go, Ther-as he was ful mery, and wel at ese.
But for I noot, to whom it mighte displese, 4450 If I counseil of wommen wolde blame, (441) Passe over, for I seyde it in my game.
Rede auctours, wher they trete of swich matere, And what thay seyn of wommen ye may here.
Thise been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne; 4455 I can noon harm of no womman divyne.
4412. E.
Hn.
Pt.
vndren.
4421. E.
Hn.
flaugh; Cm.
flaw; Cp.
fleyȝe; Hl.
flough.
4433. E.
Wheither.
4434. E.
nedefully to doon.
4442. may] Hl.
Cp.
Pt.
schal (schuln).
4445. yow] E. of.
4448. E.
out of (_for_ fro).
4452. seyde] E. seye.
Faire in the sond, to bathe hir merily, Lyth Pertelote, and alle hir sustres by, Agayn the sonne; and Chauntecleer so free Song merier than the mermayde in the see; 4460 For Phisiologus seith sikerly, (451) How that they singen wel and merily.
And so bifel that, as he caste his yë, Among the wortes, on a boterflye, He was war of this fox that lay ful lowe.
4465 No-thing ne liste him thanne for to crowe, But cryde anon, ‘cok, cok,’ and up he sterte, As man that was affrayed in his herte.
[284: T.
15285-15322. ] For naturelly a beest desyreth flee Fro his contrarie, if he may it see, 4470 Though he never erst had seyn it with his yë.
(461) 4460. E murier.
4462. E.
myrily.
This Chauntecleer, whan he gan him espye, He wolde han fled, but that the fox anon Seyde, ‘Gentil sire, allas!
wher wol ye gon?
Be ye affrayed of me that am your freend?
4475 Now certes, I were worse than a feend, If I to yow wolde harm or vileinye.
I am nat come your counseil for tespye;
But trewely, the cause of my cominge Was only for to herkne how that ye singe.
4480 For trewely ye have as mery a stevene (471) As eny aungel hath, that is in hevene;
Therwith ye han in musik more felinge Than hadde Boece, or any that can singe.
My lord your fader (god his soule blesse!
) 4485 And eek your moder, of hir gentilesse, Han in myn hous y-been, to my gret ese;
And certes, sire, ful fayn wolde I yow plese.
But for men speke of singing, I wol saye, So mote I brouke wel myn eyen tweye, 4490 Save yow, I herde never man so singe, (48l) As dide your fader in the morweninge;
Certes, it was of herte, al that he song.
And for to make his voys the more strong, He wolde so peyne him, that with bothe his yën 4495 He moste winke, so loude he wolde cryen, And stonden on his tiptoon ther-with-al, And strecche forth his nekke long and smal.
And eek he was of swich discrecioun, That ther nas no man in no regioun 4500 That him in song or wisdom mighte passe.
(491) I have wel rad in daun Burnel the Asse, Among his vers, how that ther was a cok, For that a preestes sone yaf him a knok Upon his leg, whyl he was yong and nyce, 4505 He made him for to lese his benefyce.
[285: T.
15323-15359. ] But certeyn, ther nis no comparisoun Bitwix the wisdom and discrecioun Of youre fader, and of his subtiltee.
Now singeth, sire, for seinte charitee, 4510 Let see, conne ye your fader countrefete?
’ (501) This Chauntecleer his winges gan to bete, As man that coude his tresoun nat espye, So was he ravisshed with his flaterye.
4482. E.
_om.
_ hath.
4484. Hl.
Pt.
had.
4489. E.
_ins.
_ yow _after_ wol.
4491. E.
herde I; yet (_for_ so).
4508. E.
Cm.
Cp.
Bitwixe.
Allas!
ye lordes, many a fals flatour 4515 Is in your courtes, and many a losengeour, That plesen yow wel more, by my feith, Than he that soothfastnesse unto yow seith.
Redeth Ecclesiaste of flaterye;
Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye.
4520 This Chauntecleer stood hye up-on his toos, (511) Strecching his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos, And gan to crowe loude for the nones;
And daun Russel the fox sterte up at ones, And by the gargat hente Chauntecleer, 4525 And on his bak toward the wode him beer, For yet ne was ther no man that him sewed.
O destinee, that mayst nat been eschewed!
Allas, that Chauntecleer fleigh fro the bemes!
Allas, his wyf ne roghte nat of dremes!
4530 And on a Friday fil al this meschaunce.
(521) O Venus, that art goddesse of plesaunce, Sin that thy servant was this Chauntecleer, And in thy service dide al his poweer, More for delyt, than world to multiplye, 4535 Why woldestow suffre him on thy day to dye?
O Gaufred, dere mayster soverayn, That, whan thy worthy king Richard was slayn With shot, compleynedest his deth so sore, Why ne hadde I now thy sentence and thy lore, 4540 The Friday for to chide, as diden ye?
(531) (For on a Friday soothly slayn was he.
) Than wolde I shewe yow how that I coude pleyne [286: T.
15360-15395. ] For Chauntecleres drede, and for his peyne.
4524. E.
Hn.
Cm.
stirte.
4525. E.
Hn.
gargat; Cm.
Hl.
garget; Ln.
gorge.
4531. E.
Hn.
Cm.
fil; _rest_ fel.
Certes, swich cry ne lamentacioun 4545 Was never of ladies maad, whan Ilioun Was wonne, and Pirrus with his streite swerd, Whan he hadde hent king Priam by the berd, And slayn him (as saith us _Eneydos_), As maden alle the hennes in the clos, 4550 Whan they had seyn of Chauntecleer the sighte.
(541) But sovereynly dame Pertelote shrighte, Ful louder than dide Hasdrubales wyf, Whan that hir housbond hadde lost his lyf, And that the Romayns hadde brend Cartage; 4555 She was so ful of torment and of rage, That wilfully into the fyr she sterte, And brende hir-selven with a stedfast herte.
O woful hennes, right so cryden ye, As, whan that Nero brende the citee 4560 Of Rome, cryden senatoures wyves, (551) For that hir housbondes losten alle hir lyves;
Withouten gilt this Nero hath hem slayn.
Now wol I torne to my tale agayn:— 4552. E.
sodeynly (_for_ sovereynly).
4554. Hn.
Cm.
y-lost.
4564. E.
Now turne I wole.
This sely widwe, and eek hir doghtres two, 4565 Herden thise hennes crye and maken wo, And out at dores sterten they anoon, And syen the fox toward the grove goon, And bar upon his bak the cok away;
And cryden, ‘Out!
harrow!
and weylaway!
4570 Ha, ha, the fox!
’ and after him they ran, (561) And eek with staves many another man;
Ran Colle our dogge, and Talbot, and Gerland, And Malkin, with a distaf in hir hand;
Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges 4575 So were they fered for berking of the dogges And shouting of the men and wimmen eke, They ronne so, hem thoughte hir herte breke.
They yelleden as feendes doon in helle;
[287: T.
15396-15431. ] The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle; 4580 The gees for fere flowen over the trees; (571) Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees;
So hidous was the noyse, a!
_benedicite_!
Certes, he Iakke Straw, and his meynee, Ne made never shoutes half so shrille, 4585 Whan that they wolden any Fleming kille, As thilke day was maad upon the fox.
Of bras thay broghten bemes, and of box, Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and pouped, And therwithal thay shryked and they houped; 4590 It semed as that heven sholde falle.
(581) Now, gode men, I pray yow herkneth alle!
4567. E.
Hn.
Cm.
stirten.
4570. Pt.
They.
4575. E.
Hl.
_om.
_ eek.
4576. Hl.
were they; _rest om.
_ 4579. E.
yolleden.
4585. E.
Ln.
shille.
4590. E.
Hn.
skriked.
Lo, how fortune turneth sodeinly The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy!
This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak, 4595 In al his drede, un-to the fox he spak, And seyde, ‘sire, if that I were as ye, Yet sholde I seyn (as wis god helpe me), Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle!
A verray pestilence up-on yow falle!
4600 Now am I come un-to this wodes syde, (591) Maugree your heed, the cok shal heer abyde;
I wol him ete in feith, and that anon.
’— The fox answerde, ‘in feith, it shal be don,’— And as he spak that word, al sodeinly 4605 This cok brak from his mouth deliverly, And heighe up-on a tree he fleigh anon.
And whan the fox saugh that he was y-gon, ‘Allas!
’ quod he, ‘O Chauntecleer, allas!
I have to yow,’ quod he, ‘y-doon trespas, 4610 In-as-muche as I maked yow aferd, (601) Whan I yow hente, and broghte out of the yerd;
But, sire, I dide it in no wikke entente;
Com doun, and I shal telle yow what I mente.
I shal seye sooth to yow, god help me so.
’ 4615 [288: T.
15432-15452. ] ‘Nay than,’ quod he, ‘I shrewe us bothe two, And first I shrewe my-self, bothe blood and bones, If thou bigyle me ofter than ones.
Thou shalt na-more, thurgh thy flaterye, Do me to singe and winke with myn yë.
4620 For he that winketh, whan he sholde see, (611) Al wilfully, god lat him never thee!
’ ‘Nay,’ quod the fox, ‘but god yeve him meschaunce, That is so undiscreet of governaunce, That Iangleth whan he sholde holde his pees.
’ 4625 4594. E.
_om.
_ eek.
4598. E.
wolde (_for_ sholde).
4601. E.
the (_for_ this).
4608. Hl.
i-goon; _rest_ gon, goon.
4612. E.
Hn.
into this (_for_ out of the).
4613. E.
of (_for_ in).
4618. E.
Hn.
Hl.
_ins.
_ any _before_ ofter.
Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees, And necligent, and truste on flaterye.
But ye that holden this tale a folye, As of a fox, or of a cok and hen, Taketh the moralitee, good men.
4630 For seint Paul seith, that al that writen is, (621) To our doctryne it is y-write, y-wis.
Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille.
4630. Pt.
good; _rest_ goode.
Now, gode god, if that it be thy wille, As seith my lord, so make us alle good men; 4635 And bringe us to his heighe blisse.
Amen.
=Here is ended the Nonne Preestes Tale.
= 4635. Hl.
Pt.
Ln.
good; _rest_ goode.
COLOPHON.
Cp.
Nonne; E. Hn.
Nonnes.
Hl.
Here endeth the tale of Chaunteclere and p_er_telote.
[289: T.
15453-15468. ] * * * * * EPILOGUE TO THE NONNE PREESTES TALE.
* * * * * ‘Sir Nonnes Preest,’ our hoste seyde anoon, ‘Y-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!
This was a mery tale of Chauntecleer.
But, by my trouthe, if thou were seculer, 4640 Thou woldest been a trede-foul a-right.
For, if thou have corage as thou hast might, Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene, Ya, mo than seven tymes seventene.
See, whiche braunes hath this gentil Preest, 4645 So greet a nekke, and swich a large breest!
(10) He loketh as a sperhauk with his yën;
Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen With brasil, ne with greyn of Portingale.
Now sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!
’ 4650 And after that he, with ful mery chere, Seide to another, as ye shullen here.
_These genuine lines only occur in_ Dd.
, _in_ MS. Reg.
17 D.
xv, _and in_ MS. Addit.
5140 (B.
M.
).
_The text is founded on_ Dd.
4637. Dd.
oure hoost.
4639. Dd.
murie; Reg.
Add.
mery.
4641. Dd.
ben.
Dd.
tredfoul; Reg.
Add.
trede foule.
4645. Dd.
which; Reg.
whiche; Add.
suche.
4646. Dd.
gret.
4647. Dd.
sp_er_hauke; eyen.
4648. Dd.
dyghen; Reg.
Add.
dyen.
4650-2. _I suspect these three lines to be spurious.
_ 4650. Reg.
youre mery tale.
4652. to] _all_ un-to.
another] Add.
the Nonne.
NOTE.
_Three varieties of a_ Doctour’s Prologue _are given, respectively, by_ Tyrwhitt, Wright, _and_ Morris; _but are all spurious.
Perhaps the best is the very short one in_ Tyrwhitt, _as follows:—_ ‘Ye, let that passen,’ quod our Hoste, ‘as now.
Sire Doctour of Phisyk, I preye yow, Telle us a tale of som honest matere.
’ ‘It shal be doon, if that ye wol it here,’ Seyde this Doctour, and his tale bigan anon.
‘Now, good men,’ quod he, ‘herkneth everichon.
’ [290: T.
11935-11957. ] * * * * * GROUP C.
THE PHISICIENS TALE.
* * * * * *** _For a spurious_ Prologue, _see p. _ 289. =Here folweth the Phisiciens Tale.
= Ther was, as telleth Titus Livius, A knight that called was Virginius, Fulfild of honour and of worthinesse, And strong of freendes and of greet richesse.
