Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Marchante's Prologue and Tale - Part One
=The Prologe of the Marchantes Tale.
= ‘Weping and wayling, care, and other sorwe I know y-nogh, on even and a-morwe,’ Quod the Marchaunt, ‘and so don othere mo 1215 That wedded been, I trowe that it be so.
For, wel I woot, it fareth so with me.
I have a wyf, the worste that may be;
For thogh the feend to hir y-coupled were, She wolde him overmacche, I dar wel swere.
1220 What sholde I yow reherce in special Hir hye malice?
she is a shrewe at al. (10) Ther is a long and large difference Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience And of my wyf the passing crueltee.
1225 Were I unbounden, al-so moot I thee!
I wolde never eft comen in the snare.
We wedded men live in sorwe and care;
Assaye who-so wol, and he shal finde I seye sooth, by seint Thomas of Inde, 1230 As for the more part, I sey nat alle.
God shilde that it sholde so bifalle!
(20) A!
good sir hoost!
I have y-wedded be Thise monthes two, and more nat, pardee;
And yet, I trowe, he that all his lyve 1235 Wyflees hath been, though that men wolde him ryve Un-to the herte, ne coude in no manere Tellen so muchel sorwe, as I now here Coude tellen of my wyves cursednesse!
’ ‘Now,’ quod our hoost, ‘Marchaunt, so god yow blesse, 1240 Sin ye so muchel knowen of that art, Ful hertely I pray yow telle us part.
’ (30) ‘Gladly,’ quod he, ‘but of myn owene sore, For sory herte, I telle may na-more.
’ [427: T.
9121-9147. ] * * * * * THE MARCHANTES TALE.
* * * * * =Here biginneth the Marchantes Tale.
= Whylom ther was dwellinge in Lumbardye 1245 A worthy knight, that born was of Pavye, In which he lived in greet prosperitee;
And sixty yeer a wyflees man was he, And folwed ay his bodily delyt On wommen, ther-as was his appetyt, 1250 As doon thise foles that ben seculeer.
And whan that he was passed sixty yeer, Were it for holinesse or for dotage, I can nat seye, but swich a greet corage (10) Hadde this knight to been a wedded man, 1255 That day and night he dooth al that he can Tespyen where he mighte wedded be;
Preyinge our lord to granten him, that he Mighte ones knowe of thilke blisful lyf That is bitwixe an housbond and his wyf; 1260 And for to live under that holy bond With which that first god man and womman bond, ‘Non other lyf,’ seyde he, ‘is worth a bene;
For wedlok is so esy and so clene, (20) That in this world it is a paradys.
’ 1265 Thus seyde this olde knight, that was so wys.
HEADING.
_So_ E. Hn.
Pt.
1246. Pt.
at; Ln.
in (_for_ of).
And certeinly, as sooth as god is king, To take a wyf, it is a glorious thing, And namely whan a man is old and hoor;
Thanne is a wyf the fruit of his tresor.
1270 Than sholde he take a yong wyf and a feir, [428: T.
9148-9180. ] On which he mighte engendren him an heir, And lede his lyf in Ioye and in solas, Wher-as thise bacheleres singe ‘allas,’ (30) Whan that they finden any adversitee 1275 In love, which nis but childish vanitee.
And trewely it sit wel to be so, That bacheleres have often peyne and wo;
On brotel ground they builde, and brotelnesse They finde, whan they wene sikernesse.
1280 They live but as a brid or as a beste, In libertee, and under non areste, Ther-as a wedded man in his estaat Liveth a lyf blisful and ordinaat, (40) Under the yok of mariage y-bounde; 1285 Wel may his herte in Ioye and blisse habounde.
For who can be so buxom as a wyf?
Who is so trewe, and eek so ententyf To kepe him, syk and hool, as is his make?
For wele or wo, she wol him nat forsake.
1290 She nis nat wery him to love and serve, Thogh that he lye bedrede til he sterve.
And yet somme clerkes seyn, it nis nat so, Of whiche he, Theofraste, is oon of tho.
(50) What force though Theofraste liste lye?
1295 ‘Ne take no wyf,’ quod he, ‘for housbondrye, As for to spare in houshold thy dispence;
A trewe servant dooth more diligence, Thy good to kepe, than thyn owene wyf.
For she wol clayme half part al hir lyf; 1300 And if that thou be syk, so god me save, Thy verray frendes or a trewe knave Wol kepe thee bet than she that waiteth ay After thy good, and hath don many a day.
(60) And if thou take a wyf un-to thyn hold, [T. _om.
_ Ful lightly maystow been a cokewold.
’ [T. _om.
_ [429: T.
9181-9216. ] This sentence, and an hundred thinges worse, Wryteth this man, ther god his bones corse!
But take no kepe of al swich vanitee;
Deffye Theofraste and herke me.
1310 1271. E.
Thanne.
1274, 1278. E.
bacheleris.
1281, 2. E.
Pt.
beest, arreest; Cm.
Ln.
beste, areste.
1285. E.
Hn.
this; _rest_ the.
1293. E.
Cp.
nis; _rest_ is.
1301. E.
Hn.
Cm.
_om.
_ that.
1305, 6. _Not in_ Cp.
Ln.
; _in a spurious form in _Hn.
Pt.
Hl.
1310. Cp.
Hl.
herkne; Pt.
Ln.
herkeneth.
A wyf is goddes yifte verraily;
Alle other maner yiftes hardily, As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune, Or moebles, alle ben yiftes of fortune, (70) That passen as a shadwe upon a wal.
1315 But dredelees, if pleynly speke I shal, A wyf wol laste, and in thyn hous endure, Wel lenger than thee list, paraventure.
1316. Cm.
dredles; Hn.
Hl.
dreed nat; Cp.
Ln.
drede nought; Pt.
drede it nouȝt. Mariage is a ful gret sacrement;
He which that hath no wyf, I holde him shent; 1320 He liveth helplees and al desolat, I speke of folk in seculer estaat.
And herke why, I sey nat this for noght, That womman is for mannes help y-wroght.
(80) The hye god, whan he hadde Adam maked, 1325 And saugh him al allone, bely-naked, God of his grete goodnesse seyde than, ‘Lat us now make an help un-to this man Lyk to him-self;’ and thanne he made him Eve.
Heer may ye se, and heer-by may ye preve, 1330 That wyf is mannes help and his confort, His paradys terrestre and his disport.
So buxom and so vertuous is she, They moste nedes live in unitee.
(90) O flesh they been, and o flesh, as I gesse, 1335 Hath but on herte, in wele and in distresse.
1323. Cp.
herkne; Pt.
Ln.
Hl.
herken.
A wyf!
a!
Seinte Marie, _benedicite!
_ How mighte a man han any adversitee That hath a wyf?
certes, I can nat seye.
The blisse which that is bitwixe hem tweye 1340 Ther may no tonge telle, or herte thinke.
If he be povre, she helpeth him to swinke;
[430: T.
9217-9252. ] She kepeth his good, and wasteth never a deel;
Al that hir housbonde lust, hir lyketh weel; (100) She seith not ones ‘nay,’ whan he seith ‘ye.
’ 1345 ‘Do this,’ seith he; ‘al redy, sir,’ seith she.
O blisful ordre of wedlok precious, Thou art so mery, and eek so vertuous, And so commended and appreved eek, That every man that halt him worth a leek, 1350 Up-on his bare knees oghte al his lyf Thanken his god that him hath sent a wyf;
Or elles preye to god him for to sende A wyf, to laste un-to his lyves ende.
(110) For thanne his lyf is set in sikernesse; 1355 He may nat be deceyved, as I gesse, So that he werke after his wyves reed;
Than may he boldly beren up his heed, They been so trewe and ther-with-al so wyse;
For which, if thou wolt werken as the wyse, 1360 Do alwey so as wommen wol thee rede.
1340. Hl.
ioye (_for_ blisse).
1348. E.
Hn.
murye.
1350. Hl.
holt;
Ln.
holdeth.
1351. E.
oughte; Hn.
Cm.
oghte.
1357. E.
reede; Hn.
Cm.
Cp.
reed.
_The scribe of_ E. _misses 1358-61, by confusing this_ reed _with_ rede (1361).
1358-61. _From_ Hn.
; _so_ Cm.
; _so the rest (nearly)_.
1358. Hn.
kepen; _rest_ beren, bere.
Lo, how that Iacob, as thise clerkes rede, By good conseil of his moder Rebekke, Bond the kides skin aboute his nekke; (120) Thurgh which his fadres benisoun he wan.
1365 Lo, Iudith, as the storie eek telle can, By wys conseil she goddes peple kepte, And slow him, Olofernus, whyl he slepte.
Lo Abigayl, by good conseil how she Saved hir housbond Nabal, whan that he 1370 Sholde han be slayn; and loke, Ester also By good conseil delivered out of wo The peple of god, and made him, Mardochee, Of Assuere enhaunced for to be.
(130) Ther nis no-thing in gree superlatyf, 1375 As seith Senek, above an humble wyf.
Suffre thy wyves tonge, as Caton bit;
She shal comande, and thou shalt suffren it;
[431: T.
9253-9289. ] And yet she wol obeye of curteisye.
A wyf is keper of thyn housbondrye; 1380 Wel may the syke man biwaille and wepe, Ther-as ther nis no wyf the hous to kepe.
I warne thee, if wysly thou wolt wirche, Love wel thy wyf, as Crist loveth his chirche.
(140) If thou lovest thy-self, thou lovest thy wyf; 1385 No man hateth his flesh, but in his lyf He fostreth it, and therfore bidde I thee, Cherisse thy wyf, or thou shalt never thee.
Housbond and wyf, what so men Iape or pleye, Of worldly folk holden the siker weye; 1390 They been so knit, ther may noon harm bityde;
And namely, up-on the wyves syde.
For which this Ianuarie, of whom I tolde, Considered hath, in with his dayes olde, (150) The lusty lyf, the vertuous quiete, 1395 That is in mariage hony-swete;
And for his freendes on a day he sente, To tellen hem theffect of his entente.
1384. E.
Hn.
loued; Cm.
louede; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
loueth; Hl.
doth.
With face sad, his tale he hath hem told;
He seyde, ‘freendes, I am hoor and old, 1400 And almost, god wot, on my pittes brinke;
Up-on my soule somwhat moste I thinke.
I have my body folily despended;
Blessed be god, that it shal been amended!
(160) For I wol be, certeyn, a wedded man, 1405 And that anoon in al the haste I can, Un-to som mayde fair and tendre of age.
I prey yow, shapeth for my mariage Al sodeynly, for I wol nat abyde;
And I wol fonde tespyen, on my syde, 1410 To whom I may be wedded hastily.
But for-as-muche as ye ben mo than I, Ye shullen rather swich a thing espyen Than I, and wher me best were to allyen.
(170) 1402. E.
Cm.
the; _rest_ my.
1410. Cp.
Ln.
aspye.
But o thing warne I yow, my freendes dere, 1415 [432: T.
9290-9324. ] I wol non old wyf han in no manere.
She shal nat passe twenty yeer, certayn;
Old fish and yong flesh wolde I have ful fayn.
Bet is,’ quod he, ‘a pyk than a pikerel;
And bet than old boef is the tendre veel.
1420 I wol no womman thritty yeer of age, It is but bene-straw and greet forage.
And eek thise olde widwes, god it woot, They conne so muchel craft on Wades boot, (180) So muchel broken harm, whan that hem leste, 1425 That with hem sholde I never live in reste.
For sondry scoles maken sotil clerkis;
Womman of manye scoles half a clerk is.
But certeynly, a yong thing may men gye, Right as men may warm wex with handes plye.
1430 Wherfore I sey yow pleynly, in a clause, I wol non old wyf han right for this cause.
For if so were, I hadde swich mischaunce, That I in hir ne coude han no plesaunce, (190) Thanne sholde I lede my lyf in avoutrye, 1435 And go streight to the devel, whan I dye.
Ne children sholde I none up-on hir geten;
Yet were me lever houndes had me eten, Than that myn heritage sholde falle In straunge hand, and this I tell yow alle.
1440 I dote nat, I woot the cause why Men sholde wedde, and forthermore wot I, Ther speketh many a man of mariage, That woot na-more of it than woot my page, (200) For whiche causes man sholde take a wyf.
1445 If he ne may nat liven chast his lyf, Take him a wyf with greet devocioun, By-cause of leveful procreacioun Of children, to thonour of god above, And nat only for paramour or love; 1450 [433: T.
9325-9360. ] And for they sholde lecherye eschue, And yelde hir dettes whan that they ben due;
Or for that ech of hem sholde helpen other In meschief, as a suster shal the brother; (210) And live in chastitee ful holily.
1455 But sires, by your leve, that am nat I. For god be thanked, I dar make avaunt, I fele my limes stark and suffisaunt To do al that a man bilongeth to;
I woot my-selven best what I may do.
1460 Though I be hoor, I fare as dooth a tree That blosmeth er that fruyt y-woxen be;
A blosmy tree nis neither drye ne deed.
I fele me nowher hoor but on myn heed; (220) Myn herte and alle my limes been as grene 1465 As laurer thurgh the yeer is for to sene.
And sin that ye han herd al myn entente, I prey yow to my wil ye wole assente.
’ 1418. E.
Hn.
Pt.
_om.
_ ful.
1420. Cm.
bef; Cp.
Pt.
beef.
Hl.
Ln.
_om.
_ the.
1427. E.
sotile.
1432. E.
Cm.
Cp.
Ln.
_om.
_ right.
1433. E.
were that I. 1436. Hl.
Hn.
go; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
so; E. Cm.
_om.
_ E.
vnto (_for_ to).
1438. E.
Pt.
leuere that houndes.
1446. E.
Siththe; Cm.
Sith (_for_ If).
Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
ne; _rest om.
_ 1451. E.
Hl.
Cp.
Pt.
leccherye.
1456. Cm.
siris.
1462. E.
Cp.
that; Ln.
Hl.
that the; Cm.
than; Hn.
Pt.
the.
1463. E.
Hn.
And; Pt.
That;
_rest_ A. Diverse men diversely him tolde Of mariage manye ensamples olde.
1470 Somme blamed it, somme preysed it, certeyn;
But atte laste, shortly for to seyn, As al day falleth altercacioun Bitwixen freendes in disputisoun, (230) Ther fil a stryf bitwixe his bretheren two, 1475 Of whiche that oon was cleped Placebo, Iustinus soothly called was that other.
Placebo seyde, ‘o Ianuarie, brother, Ful litel nede had ye, my lord so dere, Conseil to axe of any that is here; 1480 But that ye been so ful of sapience, That yow ne lyketh, for your heighe prudence, To weyven fro the word of Salomon.
This word seyde he un-to us everichon: (240) “Wirk alle thing by conseil,” thus seyde he, 1485 “And thanne shaltow nat repente thee.
” [434: T.
9361-9394. ] But though that Salomon spak swich a word, Myn owene dere brother and my lord, So wisly god my soule bringe at reste, I hold your owene conseil is the beste.
1490 For brother myn, of me tak this motyf, I have now been a court-man al my lyf.
And god it woot, though I unworthy be, I have stonden in ful greet degree (250) Abouten lordes of ful heigh estaat; 1495 Yet hadde I never with noon of hem debaat.
I never hem contraried, trewely;
I woot wel that my lord can more than I. What that he seith, I holde it ferme and stable;
I seye the same, or elles thing semblable.
1500 A ful gret fool is any conseillour, That serveth any lord of heigh honour, That dar presume, or elles thenken it, That his conseil sholde passe his lordes wit.
(260) Nay, lordes been no foles, by my fay; 1505 Ye han your-selven shewed heer to-day So heigh sentence, so holily and weel, That I consente and conferme every-deel Your wordes alle, and your opinioun.
By god, ther nis no man in al this toun 1510 Nin al Itaille, that coude bet han sayd;
Crist halt him of this conseil wel apayd.
And trewely, it is an heigh corage Of any man, that stopen is in age, (270) To take a yong wyf; by my fader kin, 1515 Your herte hangeth on a Ioly pin.
Doth now in this matere right as yow leste, For finally I holde it for the beste.
’ 1479. E.
hadde.
1490. MSS.
holde.
1491. E.
taak.
1503. E.
Hn.
Cm.
elles; _rest_ ones.
1506. Hn.
Cm.
