Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Marchante's Tale - Part Two - and Epilogue
1867. Cp.
langureth; Pt.
languowreth; Ln.
longurith.
1870. E.
Andswere.
This syke Damian in Venus fyr 1875 So brenneth, that he dyeth for desyr;
For which he putte his lyf in aventure, No lenger mighte he in this wyse endure;
But prively a penner gan he borwe, And in a lettre wroot he al his sorwe, 1880 In manere of a compleynt or a lay, [445: T.
9756-9792. ] Un-to his faire fresshe lady May.
And in a purs of silk, heng on his sherte, He hath it put, and leyde it at his herte.
(640) The mone that, at noon, was, thilke day 1885 That Ianuarie hath wedded fresshe May, In two of Taur, was in-to Cancre gliden;
So longe hath Maius in hir chambre biden, As custume is un-to thise nobles alle.
A bryde shal nat eten in the halle, 1890 Til dayes foure or three dayes atte leste Y-passed been; than lat hir go to feste.
The fourthe day compleet fro noon to noon, Whan that the heighe masse was y-doon, (650) In halle sit this Ianuarie, and May 1895 As fresh as is the brighte someres day.
And so bifel, how that this gode man Remembred him upon this Damian, And seyde, ‘Seinte Marie!
how may this be, That Damian entendeth nat to me?
1900 Is he ay syk, or how may this bityde?
’ His squyeres, whiche that stoden ther bisyde, Excused him by-cause of his siknesse, Which letted him to doon his bisinesse; (660) Noon other cause mighte make him tarie.
1905 1888. Hl.
Hn.
Cp.
abiden.
1892. E.
thanne.
1896. E.
fressh.
1902. E.
Hise.
‘That me forthinketh,’ quod this Ianuarie, ‘He is a gentil squyer, by my trouthe!
If that he deyde, it were harm and routhe;
He is as wys, discreet, and as secree As any man I woot of his degree; 1910 And ther-to manly and eek servisable, And for to been a thrifty man right able.
But after mete, as sone as ever I may, I wol my-self visyte him and eek May, (670) To doon him al the confort that I can.
’ 1915 And for that word him blessed every man, That, of his bountee and his gentillesse, He wolde so conforten in siknesse [446: T.
9793-9830. ] His squyer, for it was a gentil dede.
‘Dame,’ quod this Ianuarie, ‘tak good hede, 1920 At-after mete ye, with your wommen alle, Whan ye han been in chambre out of this halle, That alle ye go see this Damian;
Doth him disport, he is a gentil man; (680) And telleth him that I wol him visyte, 1925 Have I no-thing but rested me a lyte;
And spede yow faste, for I wole abyde Til that ye slepe faste by my syde.
’ And with that word he gan to him to calle A squyer, that was marchal of his halle, 1930 And tolde him certeyn thinges, what he wolde.
1920. E.
taak.
1921. E.
noon; _rest_ mete.
This fresshe May hath streight hir wey y-holde, With alle hir wommen, un-to Damian.
Doun by his beddes syde sit she than, (690) Confortinge him as goodly as she may.
1935 This Damian, whan that his tyme he say, In secree wise his purs, and eek his bille, In which that he y-writen hadde his wille, Hath put in-to hir hand, with-outen more, Save that he syketh wonder depe and sore, 1940 And softely to hir right thus seyde he: ‘Mercy!
and that ye nat discovere me;
For I am deed, if that this thing be kid.
’ This purs hath she inwith hir bosom hid, (700) And wente hir wey; ye gete namore of me.
1945 But un-to Ianuarie y-comen is she, That on his beddes syde sit ful softe.
He taketh hir, and kisseth hir ful ofte, And leyde him doun to slepe, and that anon.
She feyned hir as that she moste gon 1950 Ther-as ye woot that every wight mot nede.
And whan she of this bille hath taken hede, She rente it al to cloutes atte laste, And in the privee softely it caste.
(710) Who studieth now but faire fresshe May?
1955 Adoun by olde Ianuarie she lay, [447: T.
9831-9866. ] That sleep, til that the coughe hath him awaked;
Anon he preyde hir strepen hir al naked;
He wolde of hir, he seyde, han som plesaunce, And seyde, hir clothes dide him encombraunce, 1960 And she obeyeth, be hir lief or looth.
But lest that precious folk be with me wrooth, How that he wroghte, I dar nat to yow telle;
Or whether hir thoughte it paradys or helle; (720) But here I lete hem werken in hir wyse 1965 Til evensong rong, and that they moste aryse.
1957. Hn.
Cm.
coghe; Ln.
couhe.
1962. E.
ye; Cm.
the; _rest_ that.
1964. E.
wheither that; Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
_om.
_ that.
1966. Cp.
Ln.
euesong.
Were it by destinee or aventure, Were it by influence or by nature, Or constellacion, that in swich estat The hevene stood, that tyme fortunat 1970 Was for to putte a bille of Venus werkes (For alle thing hath tyme, as seyn thise clerkes) To any womman, for to gete hir love, I can nat seye; but grete god above, (730) That knoweth that non act is causelees, 1975 He deme of al, for I wol holde my pees.
But sooth is this, how that this fresshe May Hath take swich impression that day, For pitee of this syke Damian, That from hir herte she ne dryve can 1980 The remembraunce for to doon him ese.
‘Certeyn,’ thoghte she, ‘whom that this thing displese, I rekke noght, for here I him assure, To love him best of any creature, (740) Though he na-more hadde than his sherte.
’ 1985 Lo, pitee renneth sone in gentil herte.
1967. _All but_ Ln.
Hl.
_ins.
_ by _after_ or.
1969, 70. E.
estaat, fortunaat.
1971. Hn.
Hl.
As; E. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Was.
Heer may ye se how excellent franchyse In wommen is, whan they hem narwe avyse.
Som tyrant is, as ther be many oon, That hath an herte as hard as any stoon, 1990 Which wolde han lete him sterven in the place Wel rather than han graunted him hir grace;
[448: T.
9867-9902. ] And hem reioysen in hir cruel pryde, And rekke nat to been an homicyde.
(750) 1991. E.
Cm.
lat.
E.
storuen.
1993. E.
crueel.
This gentil May, fulfilled of pitee, 1995 Right of hir hande a lettre made she, In which she graunteth him hir verray grace;
Ther lakketh noght but only day and place, Wher that she mighte un-to his lust suffyse: For it shal be right as he wol devyse.
2000 And whan she saugh hir time, up-on a day, To visite this Damian goth May, And sotilly this lettre doun she threste Under his pilwe, rede it if him leste.
(760) She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste 2005 So secrely, that no wight of it wiste, And bad him been al hool, and forth she wente To Ianuarie, whan that he for hir sente.
1996. Hn.
Hl.
maked; Cm.
makede.
1998. Cm.
Hl.
but only; _rest_ only but.
2002. _All_ visite; _perhaps read_ visiten.
2007. she] E. he.
2008. hir] E. him.
Up ryseth Damian the nexte morwe, Al passed was his siknesse and his sorwe.
2010 He kembeth him, he proyneth him and pyketh, He dooth al that his lady lust and lyketh;
And eek to Ianuarie he gooth as lowe As ever dide a dogge for the bowe.
(770) He is so plesant un-to every man, 2015 (For craft is al, who-so that do it can) That every wight is fayn to speke him good;
And fully in his lady grace he stood.
Thus lete I Damian aboute his nede, And in my tale forth I wol procede.
2020 2011. E.
preyneth; Hn.
prayneth; Hl.
pruneth.
2018. Hn.
Cm.
ladyes;
_rest_ lady.
Somme clerkes holden that felicitee Stant in delyt, and therefor certeyn he, This noble Ianuarie, with al his might, In honest wyse, as longeth to a knight, (780) Shoop him to live ful deliciously.
2025 His housinge, his array, as honestly To his degree was maked as a kinges.
Amonges othere of his honest thinges, [449: T.
9903-9938. ] He made a gardin, walled al with stoon;
So fair a gardin woot I nowher noon.
2030 For out of doute, I verraily suppose, That he that wroot the Romance of the Rose Ne coude of it the beautee wel devyse;
Ne Priapus ne mighte nat suffyse, (790) Though he be god of gardins, for to telle 2035 The beautee of the gardin and the welle, That stood under a laurer alwey grene.
Ful ofte tyme he, Pluto, and his quene, Proserpina, and al hir fayërye Disporten hem and maken melodye Aboute that welle, and daunced, as men tolde.
2024, 2028. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Cp.
honeste.
2032. Cm.
Hl.
romanus; Ln.
romans.
2039. Cp.
Hl.
fayerie; _rest_ fairye.
This noble knight, this Ianuarie the olde, Swich deintee hath in it to walke and pleye, That he wol no wight suffren bere the keye (800) Save he him-self; for of the smale wiket 2045 He bar alwey of silver a smal cliket, With which, whan that him leste, he it unshette.
And whan he wolde paye his wyf hir dette In somer seson, thider wolde he go, And May his wyf, and no wight but they two;
And thinges whiche that were nat doon a-bedde, He in the gardin parfourned hem and spedde.
And in this wyse, many a mery day, Lived this Ianuarie and fresshe May.
(810) But worldly Ioye may nat alwey dure 2055 To Ianuarie, ne to no creature.
2046. E.
baar.
Hl.
smal; _rest om.
_ 2053. E.
Hn.
murye.
O sodeyn hap, o thou fortune instable, =Auctor.
= Lyk to the scorpion so deceivable, That flaterest with thyn heed when thou wolt stinge;
Thy tayl is deeth, thurgh thyn enveniminge.
2060 O brotil Ioye!
o swete venim queynte!
O monstre, that so subtilly canst peynte Thy yiftes, under hewe of stedfastnesse, That thou deceyvest bothe more and lesse!
(820) [450: T.
9939-9974. ] Why hastow Ianuarie thus deceyved, 2065 That haddest him for thy ful frend receyved?
And now thou hast biraft him bothe hise yën, For sorwe of which desyreth he to dyen.
2059. E.
synge; _rest_ stinge.
2061. venim] Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
poyson.
2063. E.
stidefastnesse.
2067. Hl.
yen; Cm.
Iyen; _rest_ eyen.
Allas!
this noble Ianuarie free, Amidde his lust and his prosperitee, 2070 Is woxen blind, and that al sodeynly.
He wepeth and he wayleth pitously;
And ther-with-al the fyr of Ialousye, Lest that his wyf sholde falle in som folye, (830) So brente his herte, that he wolde fayn 2075 That som man bothe him and hir had slayn.
For neither after his deeth, nor in his lyf, Ne wolde he that she were love ne wyf, But ever live as widwe in clothes blake, Soul as the turtle that lost hath hir make.
2080 But atte laste, after a monthe or tweye, His sorwe gan aswage, sooth to seye;
For whan he wiste it may noon other be, He paciently took his adversitee; (840) Save, out of doute, he may nat forgoon 2085 That he nas Ialous evermore in oon;
Which Ialousye it was so outrageous, That neither in halle, nin noon other hous, Ne in noon other place, never-the-mo, He nolde suffre hir for to ryde or go, 2090 But-if that he had hand on hir alway;
For which ful ofte wepeth fresshe May, That loveth Damian so benignely, That she mot outher dyen sodeynly, (850) Or elles she mot han him as hir leste; 2095 She wayteth whan hir herte wolde breste.
2074. E.
swich; _rest_ som (sum).
2080. Cp.
Ln.
Soule; Pt.
Sool;
_rest_ Soul.
2089. E.
Nyn; _rest_ Ne in.
2091. E.
hond (_but_ hand _in_ l. 2103).
2093. E.
benyngnely.
Up-on that other syde Damian Bicomen is the sorwefulleste man That ever was; for neither night ne day Ne mighte he speke a word to fresshe May, 2100 [451: T.
9975-10010. ] As to his purpos, of no swich matere, But-if that Ianuarie moste it here, That hadde an hand up-on hir evermo.
But nathelees, by wryting to and fro (860) And privee signes, wiste he what she mente; 2105 And she knew eek the fyn of his entente.
O Ianuarie, what mighte it thee availle, =Auctor.
= Thou mightest see as fer as shippes saille?
For also good is blind deceyved be, As be deceyved whan a man may se.
2110 Lo, Argus, which that hadde an hondred yën, For al that ever he coude poure or pryen, Yet was he blent; and, god wot, so ben mo, That wenen wisly that it be nat so.
(870) Passe over is an ese, I sey na-more.
2115 2108. E.
Ln.
Thogh thou; Hl.
If thou; _rest_ Thou.
2109. Cm.
Ln.
also; _rest_ as.
2110. _All_ As to be.
2111. Ln.
yene; _rest_ eyen.
This fresshe May, that I spak of so yore, In warme wex hath emprented the cliket, That Ianuarie bar of the smale wiket, By which in-to his gardin ofte he wente.
And Damian, that knew al hir entente, 2120 The cliket countrefeted prively;
Ther nis na-more to seye, but hastily Som wonder by this cliket shal bityde, Which ye shul heren, if ye wole abyde.
(880) 2117. Pt.
Ln.
warme; _rest_ warm.
_Perhaps read_ emprented hath.
2118. Pt.
smal; _rest_ smale.
O noble Ovyde, ful sooth seystou, god woot!
=Auctor.
= What sleighte is it, thogh it be long and hoot, 2126 That he nil finde it out in som manere?
By Piramus and Tesbee may men lere;
Thogh they were kept ful longe streite overal, They been accorded, rouninge thurgh a wal, 2130 Ther no wight coude han founde out swich a sleighte.
But now to purpos; er that dayes eighte Were passed, er the monthe of Iuil, bifil That Ianuarie hath caught so greet a wil, (890) Thurgh egging of his wyf, him for to pleye 2135 In his gardin, and no wight but they tweye, [452: T.
10011-10046. ] That in a morwe un-to this May seith he: ‘Rys up, my wyf, my love, my lady free;
The turtles vois is herd, my douve swete;
The winter is goon, with alle his reynes wete; 2140 Com forth now, with thyn eyën columbyn!
How fairer been thy brestes than is wyn!
The gardin is enclosed al aboute;
Com forth, my whyte spouse; out of doute, (900) Thou hast me wounded in myn herte, o wyf!
2145 No spot of thee ne knew I al my lyf.
Com forth, and lat us taken our disport;
I chees thee for my wyf and my confort.
’ 2133, 4. Cm.
befel, wyl; _rest_ bifille, wille; _see note.
_ 2139. E.
turtle.
2140. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
alle (al); _rest om.
_ 2146. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
in (_for_ of).
2147. E.
som; _rest_ our (oure).
Swiche olde lewed wordes used he;
On Damian a signe made she, 2150 That he sholde go biforen with his cliket: This Damian thanne hath opened the wiket, And in he stirte, and that in swich manere, That no wight mighte it see neither y-here; (910) And stille he sit under a bush anoon.
2155 2151. Ln.
beforne; _rest_ biforn; _read_ biforen.
This Ianuarie, as blind as is a stoon, With Maius in his hand, and no wight mo, In-to his fresshe gardin is ago, And clapte to the wiket sodeynly.
‘Now, wyf,’ quod he, ‘heer nis but thou and I, 2160 That art the creature that I best love.
For, by that lord that sit in heven above, Lever ich hadde dyen on a knyf, Than thee offende, trewe dere wyf!
(920) For goddes sake, thenk how I thee chees, 2165 Noght for no coveityse, doutelees, But only for the love I had to thee.
And though that I be old, and may nat see, Beth to me trewe, and I shal telle yow why.
Three thinges, certes, shul ye winne ther-by; 2170 First, love of Crist, and to your-self honour, And al myn heritage, toun and tour;
[453: T.
10047-10082. ] I yeve it yow, maketh chartres as yow leste;
This shal be doon to-morwe er sonne reste.
(930) So wisly god my soule bringe in blisse, 2175 I prey yow first, in covenant ye me kisse.
And thogh that I be Ialous, wyte me noght.
Ye been so depe enprented in my thoght, That, whan that I considere your beautee, And ther-with-al the unlykly elde of me, 2180 I may nat, certes, thogh I sholde dye, Forbere to been out of your companye For verray love; this is with-outen doute.
Now kis me, wyf, and lat us rome aboute.
’ (940) 2163. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
to dyen; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
_om.
_ to.
2170. E.
Hn.
shal; Pt.
Cm.
Hl.
shul.
2177, 2181. E.
though.
2179. E.
Pt.
_om.
_ that.
This fresshe May, whan she thise wordes herde, 2185 Benignely to Ianuarie answerde, But first and forward she bigan to wepe, ‘I have,’ quod she, ‘a soule for to kepe As wel as ye, and also myn honour, And of my wyfhod thilke tendre flour, 2190 Which that I have assured in your hond, Whan that the preest to yow my body bond;
