Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Tale of the Wife of Bath
=Here biginneth the Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
= In tholde dayes of the king Arthour, Of which that Britons speken greet honour, All was this land fulfild of fayerye.
The elf-queen, with hir Ioly companye, 860 Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede;
This was the olde opinion, as I rede, I speke of manye hundred yeres ago;
But now can no man see none elves mo.
For now the grete charitee and prayeres 865 Of limitours and othere holy freres, (10) That serchen every lond and every streem, As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem, Blessinge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures, Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures, 870 Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes, This maketh that ther been no fayeryes.
For ther as wont to walken was an elf, Ther walketh now the limitour him-self In undermeles and in morweninges, 875 And seyth his matins and his holy thinges (20) As he goth in his limitacioun.
Wommen may go saufly up and doun, In every bush, or under every tree;
Ther is noon other incubus but he, 880 And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour.
HEADING.
_From_ Hn.
857. E.
Cm.
_om.
_ the.
859. Cp.
fayerie; _rest_ fairye.
872. Cp.
fayeries; E. Hn.
fairyes.
880. Hl.
incumbent (!
).
881. Cm.
non; _rest_ but.
Hl.
ne wol but doon hem.
[346: T.
6464-6498. ] And so bifel it, that this king Arthour Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler, That on a day cam rydinge fro river;
And happed that, allone as she was born, 885 He saugh a mayde walkinge him biforn, (30) Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed, By verray force he rafte hir maydenheed;
For which oppressioun was swich clamour And swich pursute un-to the king Arthour, 890 That dampned was this knight for to be deed By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed Paraventure, swich was the statut tho;
But that the quene and othere ladies mo So longe preyeden the king of grace, 895 Til he his lyf him graunted in the place, (40) And yaf him to the quene al at hir wille, To chese, whether she wolde him save or spille.
882. E.
Hn.
Cm.
_om.
_ it.
883. E.
_om.
_ his.
885. E.
Hn.
he(!
).
887. Cm.
Ln.
whiche; _rest_ which.
888. E.
Cm.
Hl.
birafte; _rest_ he rafte (refte).
895. Hl.
Cm.
preyeden; E. Hn.
preyden.
898. E.
wheither.
The quene thanketh the king with al hir might, And after this thus spak she to the knight, 900 Whan that she saugh hir tyme, up-on a day: ‘Thou standest yet,’ quod she, ‘in swich array, That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.
I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me What thing is it that wommen most desyren?
905 Be war, and keep thy nekke-boon from yren.
(50) And if thou canst nat tellen it anon, Yet wol I yeve thee leve for to gon A twelf-month and a day, to seche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere.
910 And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace, Thy body for to yelden in this place.
’ 907. E.
Hl.
tellen it; Hn.
tellen me; Cm.
telle me; _rest_ telle it me.
908. E.
shal (_for_ wol).
Wo was this knight and sorwefully he syketh;
But what!
he may nat do al as him lyketh.
And at the laste, he chees him for to wende, 915 And come agayn, right at the yeres ende, (60) [347: T.
6499-6536. ] With swich answere as god wolde him purveye;
And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye.
914. Cm.
ȝit (_for_ what); E. _om.
_ He seketh every hous and every place, Wher-as he hopeth for to finde grace, 920 To lerne, what thing wommen loven most;
But he ne coude arryven in no cost, Wher-as he mighte finde in this matere Two creatures accordinge in-fere.
Somme seyde, wommen loven best richesse, 925 Somme seyde, honour, somme seyde, Iolynesse; (70) Somme, riche array, somme seyden, lust abedde, And ofte tyme to be widwe and wedde.
Somme seyde, that our hertes been most esed, Whan that we been y-flatered and y-plesed.
930 He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye;
A man shal winne us best with flaterye;
And with attendance, and with bisinesse, Been we y-lymed, bothe more and lesse.
And somme seyn, how that we loven best 935 For to be free, and do right as us lest, (80) And that no man repreve us of our vyce, But seye that we be wyse, and no-thing nyce.
For trewely, ther is noon of us alle, If any wight wol clawe us on the galle, 940 That we nil kike, for he seith us sooth;
Assay, and he shal finde it that so dooth.
For be we never so vicious with-inne, We wol been holden wyse, and clene of sinne.
935. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
_om.
_ how.
941. nil] E. nel; Cm.
nolde.
And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we 945 For to ben holden stable and eek secree, (90) And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle.
But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele;
Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; 950 Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale?
Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge up-on his heed two asses eres, [348: T.
6537-6572. ] The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, 955 Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, (100) That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo.
He loved hir most, and trusted hir also;
He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure.
960 958. Hn.
Cp.
Hl.
trusted; Cm.
trostid; E. triste.
959. Cm.
preyede;
Hl.
prayed; Hn.
preyed; E. preyde.
She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name;
She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.
’ But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, 965 That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; (110) Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte;
And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; 970 Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth un-to the water doun: ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’ Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo; 975 Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two!
(120) Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute;
I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,’ Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; 980 The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere.
972. Cm.
bumbith; Cp.
Pt.
bumlith; Hl.
bumblith.
This knight, of which my tale is specially, Whan that he saugh he mighte nat come therby, This is to seye, what wommen loven moost, 985 With-inne his brest ful sorweful was the goost; (130) But hoom he gooth, he mighte nat soiourne.
The day was come, that hoomward moste he tourne, And in his wey it happed him to ryde, In al this care, under a forest-syde, 990 [349: T.
6573-6609. ] Wher-as he saugh up-on a daunce go Of ladies foure and twenty, and yet mo;
Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne, In hope that som wisdom sholde he lerne.
But certeinly, er he came fully there, 995 Vanisshed was this daunce, he niste where.
(140) No creature saugh he that bar lyf, Save on the grene he saugh sittinge a wyf;
A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.
Agayn the knight this olde wyf gan ryse, 1000 And seyde, ‘sir knight, heer-forth ne lyth no wey.
Tel me, what that ye seken, by your fey?
Paraventure it may the bettre be;
Thise olde folk can muchel thing,’ quod she.
985. E.
loue.
990. E.
Hn.
this; _rest_ his.
993. Hn.
whiche; E. which; _rest vary_.
‘My leve mooder,’ quod this knight certeyn, 1005 ‘I nam but deed, but-if that I can seyn (150) What thing it is that wommen most desyre;
Coude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quyte your hyre.
’ ‘Plighte me thy trouthe, heer in myn hand,’ quod she, ‘The nexte thing that I requere thee, 1010 Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy might;
And I wol telle it yow er it be night.
’ ‘Have heer my trouthe,’ quod the knight, ‘I grante.
’ ‘Thanne,’ quod she, ‘I dar me wel avante, Thy lyf is sauf, for I wol stonde therby, 1015 Up-on my lyf, the queen wol seye as I. (160) Lat see which is the proudeste of hem alle, That wereth on a coverchief or a calle, That dar seye nay, of that I shal thee teche;
Lat us go forth with-outen lenger speche.
’ 1020 Tho rouned she a pistel in his ere, And bad him to be glad, and have no fere.
1016. E.
queene.
Whan they be comen to the court, this knight Seyde, ‘he had holde his day, as he hadde hight, And redy was his answere,’ as he sayde.
1025 Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde, (170) And many a widwe, for that they ben wyse, [350: T.
6610-6645. ] The quene hir-self sittinge as a Iustyse, Assembled been, his answere for to here;
And afterward this knight was bode appere.
1030 1028. E.
Hn.
Cp.
Ln.
_om.
_ a. To every wight comanded was silence, And that the knight sholde telle in audience, What thing that worldly wommen loven best.
This knight ne stood nat stille as doth a best, But to his questioun anon answerde 1035 With manly voys, that al the court it herde: (180) ‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he, ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; 1040 This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.
’ 1038. E.
_om.
_ to.
1042. E.
_om.
_ heer; Cm.
al. In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.
’ 1045 And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, (190) Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene!
Er that your court departe, do me right.
I taughte this answere un-to the knight; 1050 For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might.
Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’ Quod she, ‘that thou me take un-to thy wyf; 1055 For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf.
(200) If I sey fals, sey nay, up-on thy fey!
’ 1052. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
_om.
_ of.
1054. E.
thanne.
This knight answerde, ‘allas!
and weylawey!
I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.
For goddes love, as chees a newe requeste; 1060 Tak al my good, and lat my body go.
’ 1061. E.
Hn.
Taak.
‘Nay than,’ quod she, ‘I shrewe us bothe two!
For thogh that I be foul, and old, and pore, [351: T.
6646-6682. ] I nolde for al the metal, ne for ore, That under erthe is grave, or lyth above, 1065 But-if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.
’ (210) 1062. E.
thanne.
1063. _All but_ Cp.
Pt.
_om.
1st_ and.
E.
oold, poore.
1064. Hl.
the oure; E. Hn.
oore; Cm.
Pt.
ore; Cp.
oure; Ln.
oer.
‘My love?
’ quod he; ‘nay, my dampnacioun!
Allas!
that any of my nacioun Sholde ever so foule disparaged be!
’ But al for noght, the ende is this, that he 1070 Constreyned was, he nedes moste hir wedde;
And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.
1070. E.
Hn.
thende.
Now wolden som men seye, paraventure, That, for my necligence, I do no cure To tellen yow the Ioye and al tharray 1075 That at the feste was that ilke day.
(220) To whiche thing shortly answere I shal;
I seye, ther nas no Ioye ne feste at al, Ther nas but hevinesse and muche sorwe;
For prively he wedded hir on a morwe, 1080 And al day after hidde him as an oule;
So wo was him, his wyf looked so foule.
Greet was the wo the knight hadde in his thoght, Whan he was with his wyf a-bedde y-broght;
He walweth, and he turneth to and fro.
1085 His olde wyf lay smylinge evermo, (230) And seyde, ‘o dere housbond, _benedicite_!
Fareth every knight thus with his wyf as ye?
Is this the lawe of king Arthures hous?
Is every knight of his so dangerous?
1090 I am your owene love and eek your wyf;
I am she, which that saved hath your lyf;
And certes, yet dide I yow never unright;
Why fare ye thus with me this firste night?
Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit; 1095 What is my gilt?
for goddes love, tel me it, (240) And it shal been amended, if I may.
’ 1091. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
eek; _rest om.
_ 1093. E.
Hn.
yet ne dide.
1096. Cm.
Hl.
me; _rest om.
_ (_Read_ goddes _as_ god’s).
‘Amended?
’ quod this knight, ‘allas!
nay, nay!
It wol nat been amended never mo!
Thou art so loothly, and so old also, 1100 [352: T.
6683-6718. ] And ther-to comen of so lowe a kinde, That litel wonder is, thogh I walwe and winde.
So wolde god myn herte wolde breste!
’ 1101. E.
lough.
1102. Pt.
no (_for_ litel).
_Read_ wonder’s. ‘Is this,’ quod she, ‘the cause of your unreste?
’ ‘Ye, certainly,’ quod he, ‘no wonder is.
’ 1105 ‘Now, sire,’ quod she, ‘I coude amende al this, (250) If that me liste, er it were dayes three, So wel ye mighte here yow un-to me.
But for ye speken of swich gentillesse As is descended out of old richesse, 1110 That therfore sholden ye be gentil men, Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen.
Loke who that is most vertuous alway, Privee and apert, and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, 1115 And tak him for the grettest gentil man.
(260) Crist wol, we clayme of him our gentillesse, Nat of our eldres for hir old richesse.
For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage, For which we clayme to been of heigh parage, 1120 Yet may they nat biquethe, for no-thing, To noon of us hir vertuous living, That made hem gentil men y-called be;
And bad us folwen hem in swich degree.
1112. Cp.
Pt.
nys (_for_ is).
1116. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
And take; _rest om.
_ And.
Wel can the wyse poete of Florence, 1125 That highte Dant, speken in this sentence; (270) Lo in swich maner rym is Dantes tale: “Ful selde up ryseth by his branches smale Prowesse of man, for god, of his goodnesse, Wol that of him we clayme our gentillesse;” 1130 For of our eldres may we no-thing clayme But temporel thing, that man may hurte and mayme.
1126. Hl.
of (_for_ in).
Cm.
declare (_for_ speken in).
1129. E.
goodnesse; _rest_ prowesse.
Eek every wight wot this as wel as I, If gentillesse were planted naturelly Un-to a certeyn linage, doun the lyne, 1135 Privee ne apert, than wolde they never fyne (280) [353: T.
6719-6753. ] To doon of gentillesse the faire offyce;
They mighte do no vileinye or vyce.
1134. E.
natureelly.
1136. E.
Cm.
nor; Hl.
ne; _rest_ and.
E.
thanne.
Tak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous Bitwix this and the mount of Caucasus, 1140 And lat men shette the dores and go thenne;
Yet wol the fyr as faire lye and brenne, As twenty thousand men mighte it biholde;
His office naturel ay wol it holde, Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye.
1145 1139. E.
Taak.
1140. E.
Kaukasous.
1144. E.
natureel.
Heer may ye see wel, how that genterye (290) Is nat annexed to possessioun, Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo!
