Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Ma(u)nciple's Prologue and Tale
=Here folweth the Prologe of the Maunciples Tale.
= Wite ye nat wher ther stant a litel toun Which that y-cleped is Bob-up-and-doun, Under the Blee, in Caunterbury weye?
Ther gan our hoste for to Iape and pleye, And seyde, ‘sirs, what!
Dun is in the myre!
Is ther no man, for preyere ne for hyre, That wol awake our felawe heer bihinde?
A theef mighte him ful lightly robbe and binde.
See how he nappeth!
see, for cokkes bones, As he wol falle from his hors at ones.
Is that a cook of Londoun, with meschaunce?
Do him come forth, he knoweth his penaunce, For he shal telle a tale, by my fey!
Al-though it be nat worth a botel hey.
Awake, thou cook,’ quod he, ‘god yeve thee sorwe, What eyleth thee to slepe by the morwe?
Hastow had fleen al night, or artow dronke, Or hastow with som quene al night y-swonke, So that thou mayst nat holden up thyn heed?
’ HEADING: _from_ E. Cp.
; Cm.
_has_—Heryth the merye wordys of the Host to the cok of Lundene.
1. E.
Hn.
Woot; Cp.
Hl.
Wot; Cm.
Wote; Pt.
Ln.
Wete; Wite _is better, as in_ l. 82. 7. Cm.
here; E. Hn.
Hl.
al;
_rest omit_.
9. _So_ Cp.
Hl.
; E.
see how for; Hn.
se how for; Cm.
so how for.
[556: T.
16969-17003. ] This cook, that was ful pale and no-thing reed, 20 Seyde to our host, ‘so god my soule blesse, As ther is falle on me swich hevinesse, Noot I nat why, that me were lever slepe Than the beste galoun wyn in Chepe.
’ ‘Wel,’ quod the maunciple, ‘if it may doon ese 25 To thee, sir cook, and to no wight displese Which that heer rydeth in this companye, And that our host wol, of his curteisye, I wol as now excuse thee of thy tale;
For, in good feith, thy visage is ful pale, 30 Thyn yën daswen eek, as that me thinketh, And wel I woot, thy breeth ful soure stinketh, That sheweth wel thou art not wel disposed;
Of me, certein, thou shalt nat been y-glosed.
Se how he ganeth, lo, this dronken wight, 35 As though he wolde us swolwe anon-right.
Hold cloos thy mouth, man, by thy fader kin!
The devel of helle sette his foot ther-in!
Thy cursed breeth infecte wol us alle;
Fy, stinking swyn, fy!
foule moot thee falle!
40 A!
taketh heed, sirs, of this lusty man.
Now, swete sir, wol ye Iusten atte fan?
Ther-to me thinketh ye been wel y-shape!
I trowe that ye dronken han wyn ape, And that is whan men pleyen with a straw.
’ 45 And with this speche the cook wex wrooth and wraw, And on the maunciple he gan nodde faste For lakke of speche, and doun the hors him caste, Wher as he lay, til that men up him took;
This was a fayr chivachee of a cook!
50 Allas!
he nadde holde him by his ladel!
And, er that he agayn were in his sadel, Ther was greet showving bothe to and fro, To lifte him up, and muchel care and wo, [557: T.
17004-17038. ] So unweldy was this sory palled gost.
55 And to the maunciple thanne spak our host, ‘By-cause drink hath dominacioun Upon this man, by my savacioun I trowe he lewedly wolde telle his tale.
For, were it wyn, or old or moysty ale, 60 That he hath dronke, he speketh in his nose, And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose.
He hath also to do more than y-nough To kepe him and his capel out of slough;
And, if he falle from his capel eft-sone, 65 Than shul we alle have y-nough to done, In lifting up his hevy dronken cors.
Telle on thy tale, of him make I no fors.
29. E.
_omits_ as.
31. E.
Hn.
Hl.
daswen; Cm.
daswe; Cp.
dasewen; Pt.
dasen; Ln.
dasoweþe. 36. Cp.
Ln.
vs swolwe; _rest_ swolwe vs. 40. E.
thou; _rest_ thee _or_ the.
46. Cm.
Pt, Ln.
wex; _rest_ wax.
49. E.
Hn.
vp hym; _rest_ him vp.
55. E.
vnweeldy.
59. E.
Cm.
Ln.
_put_ lewedly _before_ he.
62. _So_ E. Hn.
Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
; Cm.
sneseth; Pt.
galpeth.
64. E.
of; _rest_ of the.
But yet, maunciple, in feith thou art to nyce, Thus openly repreve him of his vyce.
70 Another day he wol, peraventure, Reclayme thee, and bringe thee to lure;
I mene, he speke wol of smale thinges, As for to pinchen at thy rekeninges, That wer not honeste, if it cam to preef.
’ 75 ‘No,’ quod the maunciple, ‘that were a greet mescheef!
So mighte he lightly bringe me in the snare.
Yet hadde I lever payen for the mare Which he rit on, than he sholde with me stryve;
I wol nat wratthe him, al-so mote I thryve!
80 That that I spak, I seyde it in my bourde;
And wite ye what?
I have heer, in a gourde, A draught of wyn, ye, of a rype grape, And right anon ye shul seen a good Iape.
This cook shal drinke ther-of, if I may; 85 Up peyne of deeth, he wol nat seye me nay!
’ 76. _All the 7 MSS.
retain_ a: Hl.
_omits_ No. 79. E.
Which that;
_rest omit_ that.
81. E.
speke; _rest_ spak.
85. E.
Pt.
if that;
_rest omit_ that.
And certeinly, to tellen as it was, Of this vessel the cook drank faste, allas!
What neded him?
he drank y-nough biforn.
[558: T.
17039-17053. ] And whan he hadde pouped in this horn, 90 To the maunciple he took the gourde agayn;
And of that drinke the cook was wonder fayn, And thanked him in swich wyse as he coude.
89. So E. ; Cm.
nedith hym; Hn.
Hl.
neded it; _rest_ needeth it.
90. E.
Hn.
Cm.
this; _rest_ his.
Than gan our host to laughen wonder loude, And seyde, ‘I see wel, it is necessarie, 95 Wher that we goon, good drink we with us carie;
For that wol turne rancour and disese Tacord and love, and many a wrong apese.
96. E.
that; _rest_ good.
98. _So_ E. Hn.
; Cm.
Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
To acord;
Pt.
To pees.
O thou Bachus, y-blessed be thy name, That so canst turnen ernest in-to game!
100 Worship and thank be to thy deitee!
Of that matere ye gete na-more of me.
Tel on thy tale, maunciple, I thee preye.
’ 99. Hl.
thou; _rest omit_.
Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Bachus; _rest_ Bacus.
‘Wel, sir,’ quod he, ‘now herkneth what I seye.
’ =Thus Endeth the Prologe of the Manciple.
= COLOPHON.
_From_ Pt.
[559: T.
17054-17079. ] * * * * * THE MAUNCIPLES TALE.
* * * * * =Here biginneth the Maunciples Tale of the Crowe.
= Whan Phebus dwelled here in this erthe adoun, 105 As olde bokes maken mencioun, He was the moste lusty bachiler In al this world, and eek the beste archer;
He slow Phitoun, the serpent, as he lay Slepinge agayn the sonne upon a day; 110 And many another noble worthy dede He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede.
105. E.
world; _rest_ erthe.
108. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Hl.
Of (_for In_).
Pleyen he coude on every minstralcye, And singen, that it was a melodye, (10) To heren of his clere vois the soun.
115 Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioun, That with his singing walled that citee, Coude never singen half so wel as he.
Therto he was the semelieste man That is or was, sith that the world bigan.
120 What nedeth it his fetures to discryve?
For in this world was noon so fair on lyve.
He was ther-with fulfild of gentillesse, Of honour, and of parfit worthinesse.
(20) This Phebus, that was flour of bachelrye, 125 As wel in fredom as in chivalrye, For his desport, in signe eek of victorie Of Phitoun, so as telleth us the storie, Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe.
125. Hn.
Cp.
bachelrye; E. Bachilrie.
Now had this Phebus in his hous a crowe, 130 [560: T.
17080-17114. ] Which in a cage he fostred many a day, And taughte it speken, as men teche a Iay.
Whyt was this crowe, as is a snow-whyt swan, And countrefete the speche of every man (30) He coude, whan he sholde telle a tale.
135 Ther-with in al this world no nightingale Ne coude, by an hondred thousand deel, Singen so wonder merily and weel.
130. E.
hadde.
132. Hl.
speken; _rest_ speke.
133. E.
_om.
_ is.
138. E.
Hn.
myrily.
Now had this Phebus in his hous a wyf, Which that he lovede more than his lyf, 140 And night and day dide ever his diligence Hir for to plese, and doon hir reverence, Save only, if the sothe that I shal sayn, Ialous he was, and wolde have hept hir fayn; (40) For him were looth by-iaped for to be.
145 And so is every wight in swich degree;
But al in ydel, for it availleth noght.
A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thoght, Sholde nat been kept in noon await, certayn;
And trewely, the labour is in vayn 150 To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat be.
This holde I for a verray nycetee, To spille labour, for to kepe wyves;
Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves.
(50) 139. E.
hadde.
143. E.
Cm.
_om.
_ if; Hn.
that.
that] Hn.
if.
147. E.
Cm.
in ydel; _rest_ for naught.
But now to purpos, as I first bigan: 155 This worthy Phebus dooth all that he can To plesen hir, weninge by swich plesaunce, And for his manhede and his governaunce, That no man sholde han put him from hir grace.
But god it woot, ther may no man embrace 160 As to destreyne a thing, which that nature Hath naturelly set in a creature.
157. E.
Cm.
that; Hn.
for; _rest_ by (be).
162. E.
natureelly.
Tak any brid, and put it in a cage, And do al thyn entente and thy corage (60) To fostre it tendrely with mete and drinke, 165 [561: T.
17115-17149. ] Of alle deyntees that thou canst bithinke, And keep it al-so clenly as thou may;
Al-though his cage of gold be never so gay, Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand fold, Lever in a forest, that is rude and cold, 170 Gon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse.
For ever this brid wol doon his bisinesse To escape out of his cage, if he may;
His libertee this brid desireth ay.
(70) 163. E.
Taak.
170. Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
wilde (_for_ rude); Hl.
wyd.
173. Cp.
when; Ln.
Hl.
whan; _rest_ if.
174. E.
Hn.
Cm.
this; _rest_ the.
Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, 175 And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And lat him seen a mous go by the wal;
Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous.
180 Lo, here hath lust his dominacioun, And appetyt flemeth discrecioun.
180. E.
he hath; Cp.
hath sche; _rest_ hath he.
A she-wolf hath also a vileins kinde;
The lewedeste wolf that she may finde, (80) Or leest of reputacion wol she take, 185 In tyme whan hir lust to han a make.
185. Hl.
_ins.
_ him, _and the rest_ that, _before_ wol (_badly_).
Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men That been untrewe, and no-thing by wommen.
For men han ever a likerous appetyt On lower thing to parfourne hir delyt 190 Than on hir wyves, be they never so faire, Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire.
Flesh is so newefangel, with meschaunce, That we ne conne in no-thing han plesaunce (90) That souneth in-to vertu any whyle.
195 195. Hl.
Cm.
souneth; _rest_ sowneth.
This Phebus, which that thoghte upon no gyle, Deceyved was, for al his Iolitee;
For under him another hadde she, A man of litel reputacioun, Noght worth to Phebus in comparisoun.
200 [562: T.
17150-17184. ] The more harm is; it happeth ofte so, Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo.
200. Cp.
Hl.
Nought; E. Hn.
Nat; _rest_ Not; _see_ l. 254. And so bifel, whan Phebus was absent, His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent, (100) Hir lemman?
certes, this is a knavish speche!
205 Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche.
The wyse Plato seith, as ye may rede, The word mot nede accorde with the dede.
If men shal telle proprely a thing, The word mot cosin be to the werking.
210 I am a boistous man, right thus seye I, Ther nis no difference, trewely, Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree, If of hir body dishonest she be, (110) And a povre wenche, other than this— 215 If it so be, they werke bothe amis— But that the gentile, in estaat above, She shal be cleped his lady, as in love;
And for that other is a povre womman, She shal be cleped his wenche, or his lemman.
220 And, god it wool, myn owene dere brother, Men leyn that oon as lowe as lyth that other.
214. E.
Cp.
dishoneste; Hn.
deshoneste.
215. _For_ a, Tyrwhitt _reads_ any.
217. E.
Cm.
hir estaat (stat); _rest om.
_ hir.
Right so, bitwixe a titlelees tiraunt And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt, (120) The same I seye, ther is no difference.
225 To Alisaundre told was this sentence;
That, for the tyrant is of gretter might, By force of meynee for to sleen doun-right, And brennen hous and hoom, and make al plain, Lo!
therfor is he cleped a capitain; 230 And, for the outlawe hath but smal meynee, And may nat doon so greet an harm as he, Ne bringe a contree to so greet mescheef, Men clepen him an outlawe or a theef.
(130) But, for I am a man noght textuel, 235 [563: T.
17185-17219. ] I wol noght telle of textes never a del;
I wol go to my tale, as I bigan.
Whan Phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman, Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage.
223. In Hn.
, titlelees _is glossed by_ sine titulo.
226. Hl.
told was; _rest_ was told.
235, 236. E.
textueel, deel.
The whyte crowe, that heng ay in the cage, 240 Biheld hir werk, and seyde never a word.
And whan that hoom was come Phebus, the lord, This crowe sang ‘cokkow!
cokkow!
cokkow!
’ 240. E.
