Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Parson's (Persones) Prologue and Tale - Part 1
=Here folweth the Prologe of the Persones Tale.
= By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended, The sonne fro the south lyne was descended So lowe, that he nas nat, to my sighte, Degreës nyne and twenty as in highte.
Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse; 5 For eleven foot, or litel more or lesse, My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there, Of swich feet as my lengthe parted were In six feet equal of proporcioun.
Ther-with the mones exaltacioun, 10 I mene Libra, alwey gan ascende, As we were entringe at a thropes ende;
For which our host, as he was wont to gye, As in this caas, our Ioly companye, Seyde in this wyse, ‘lordings everichoon, 15 Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon.
Fulfild is my sentence and my decree;
I trowe that we han herd of ech degree.
Almost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce;
[568: T.
17331-17366. ] I prey to god, so yeve him right good chaunce, 20 That telleth this tale to us lustily.
Sir preest,’ quod he, ‘artow a vicary?
Or art a person?
sey sooth, by thy fey!
Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat our pley;
For every man, save thou, hath told his tale, 25 Unbokel, and shewe us what is in thy male;
For trewely, me thinketh, by thy chere, Thou sholdest knitte up wel a greet matere.
Tel us a tale anon, for cokkes bones!
’ 1. E.
Hn.
al; _rest om.
_ 2. E.
Cm.
was; _rest_ is.
3. E.
ne nas;
Cm.
ne was; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
was.
5. _The MSS.
have_ Ten; _but see the note.
_ 8. Hn.
swich; E. swiche.
10. _Perhaps for_ the mones _we should read_ Saturnes; _see the note.
_ 11. _So all but_ Hl.
, _which has_ In mena.
12. thropes] Hl.
townes.
17. E.
Fulfilled; Hn.
Cp.
Fulfild; _see_ l. 19. 23. Cm.
art; E. Hn.
arte; Hl.
artow; _rest_ art thou.
This Persone him answerde, al at ones, 30 ‘Thou getest fable noon y-told for me;
For Paul, that wryteth unto Timothee, Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse, And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.
Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, 35 Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?
For which I seye, if that yow list to here Moralitee and vertuous matere, And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience, I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence, 40 Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I can.
But trusteth wel, I am a Southren man, I can nat geste—rum, ram, ruf—by lettre, Ne, god wot, rym holde I but litel bettre;
And therfor, if yow list, I wol nat glose.
45 I wol yow telle a mery tale in prose To knitte up al this feeste, and make an ende.
And Iesu, for his grace, wit me sende To shewe yow the wey, in this viage, Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrimage 50 That highte Ierusalem celestial.
And, if ye vouche-sauf, anon I shal Biginne upon my tale, for whiche I preye Telle your avys, I can no bettre seye.
But nathelees, this meditacioun 55 [569: T.
17367-17385. ] I putte it ay under correccioun Of clerkes, for I am nat textual;
I take but the sentens, trusteth wel.
Therfor I make protestacioun That I wol stonde to correccioun.
’ 60 30. _I supply_ him _from_ ed.
1550. 32. E.
Hn.
Thymothee.
33. E.
Hl.
weyueth.
40. E.
_omits_ ful.
41. E.
leefful; Hn.
leueful; Pt.
leefull; Cp.
Ln.
lefful.
43. E.
geeste.
rum] Hn.
Cp.
Ln.
rom.
46. E.
Hn.
myrie.
57, 58. E.
textueel, weel.
58. E.
_omits_ the.
Hl.
sentens; _rest_ sentence.
59. E.
make a; _rest omit_ a. Up-on this word we han assented sone, For, as us semed, it was for to done, To enden in som vertuous sentence, And for to yeve him space and audience;
And bede our host he sholde to him seye, 65 That alle we to telle his tale him preye.
62. E.
vs; _rest_ it, _which is inferior.
_ Our host hadde the wordes for us alle:— ‘Sir preest,’ quod he, ‘now fayre yow bifalle!
Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly here’— And with that word he seyde in this manere— 70 ‘Telleth,’ quod he, ‘your meditacioun.
But hasteth yow, the sonne wol adoun;
Beth fructuous, and that in litel space, And to do wel god sende yow his grace!
’ =Explicit prohemium.
= COLOPHON.
_So_ E. Hn.
Ln.
; Pt.
—Thus endeth the prolog of the persons tale.
[570] * * * * * THE PERSONES TALE.
* * * * * =Here biginneth the Persones Tale.
= _Ier.
_ 6º.
_State super vias et videte et interrogate de viis antiquis, que sit via bona; et ambulate in ea, et inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, &c. _ § 1. Our swete lord god of hevene, that no man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle to the knoweleche of him, and to the blisful lyf that is perdurable, /75 amonesteth us by the prophete Ieremie, that seith in this wyse: / ‘stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth and axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde sentences) which is the goode wey; / and walketh in that wey, and ye shul finde refresshinge for your soules,’ &c. / Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden folk to oure Lord Iesu Crist, and to the regne of glorie.
/ Of whiche weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and a ful covenable, which may nat faile to man ne to womman, that thurgh sinne hath misgoon fro the righte wey of Ierusalem celestial; /80 and this wey is cleped Penitence, of which man sholde gladly herknen and enquere with al his herte; / to witen what is Penitence, and whennes it is cleped Penitence, and in how manye maneres been the accions or werkinges of Penitence, / and how manye spyces ther been of Penitence, and whiche thinges apertenen and bihoven to Penitence, and whiche thinges destourben Penitence.
/ HEADING.
_From_ E. (E.
Heere; Persouns).
75. E.
_om.
2nd _to.
76. E.
and seith; _rest _that seith.
78. E.
Hn.
Ln.
shal; Pt.
shul.
79. Pt.
espiritual; Ln.
spirituele.
80. E.
_om.
2nd _ful.
E.
to no man;
_rest om.
_ no. 82. Ln.
penance (_for 2nd and 3rd _Penitence).
83. E.
speces; Hl.
spieces; _rest _spices.
§ 2. Seint Ambrose seith, that ‘Penitence is the pleyninge of man for the gilt that he hath doon, and na-more to do any thing for which him oghte to pleyne.
’ / And som doctour seith: ‘Penitence is the waymentinge of man, that sorweth for his sinne [571] and pyneth him-self for he hath misdoon.
’ /85 Penitence, with certeyne circumstances, is verray repentance of a man that halt him-self in sorwe and other peyne for hise giltes.
/ And for he shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwailen the sinnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe, and to doon satisfaccioun, / and never to doon thing for which him oghte more to biwayle or to compleyne, and to continue in goode werkes: or elles his repentance may nat availle.
/ For as seith seint Isidre: ‘he is a Iaper and a gabber, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone dooth thing, for which him oghte repente.
’ / Wepinge, and nat for to stinte to doon sinne, may nat avaylle.
/90 But nathelees, men shal hope that every tyme that man falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise thurgh Penitence, if he have grace: but certeinly it is greet doute.
/ For as seith Seint Gregorie: ‘unnethe aryseth he out of sinne, that is charged with the charge of yvel usage.
’ / And therfore repentant folk, that stinte for to sinne, and forlete sinne er that sinne forlete hem, holy chirche holdeth hem siker of hir savacioun.
/ And he that sinneth, and verraily repenteth him in his laste ende, holy chirche yet hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of oure lord Iesu Crist, for his repentaunce; but tak the siker wey.
/ 84. E.
_om.
_ the _before _gilt.
85. Ln.
Hl.
peyneth.
86. Hl.
holt.
88. E.
_om.
_ to _bef_.
biwayle _and_ continue.
90. Hl.
doon;
E.
_om.
_; _rest_ do.
94. Hl.
Ln.
ende; E. Hn.
Pt.
_om.
_ E.
taak (_glossed_ tene); siker (_glossed_ certum).
Cm.
sikerer.
_After_ wey, Cm.
_adds_—& the more certeyn.
§ 3. And now, sith I have declared yow what thing is Penitence, now shul ye understonde that ther been three accions of Penitence.
/95 The firste accion of Penitence is, that a man be baptized after that he hath sinned.
/ Seint Augustin seith: ‘but he be penitent for his olde sinful lyf, he may nat biginne the newe clene lif.
’ / For certes, if he be baptized withouten penitence of his olde gilt, he receiveth the mark of baptisme, but nat the grace ne the remission of his sinnes, til he have repentance verray.
/ Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly sinne after that they han received baptisme.
/ The thridde defaute is, that men fallen in venial sinnes after hir baptisme, fro day to day.
/100 Ther-of seith Seint Augustin, that ‘penitence of goode and humble folk is the penitence of every day.
’ / 96. _All but_ E. _om.
_ accion of Penitence.
97. Hl.
but if.
98-100. E.
Hn.
baptesme.
100. Hl.
in-to venial synne.
[572] § 4. The spyces of Penitence been three.
That oon of hem is solempne, another is commune, and the thridde is privee.
/ Thilke penance that is solempne, is in two maneres; as to be put out of holy chirche in lente, for slaughtre of children, and swich maner thing.
/ Another is, whan a man hath sinned openly, of which sinne the fame is openly spoken in the contree; and thanne holy chirche by Iugement destreineth him for to do open penaunce.
/ Commune penaunce is that preestes enioinen men comunly in certeyn caas; as for to goon, peraventure, naked in pilgrimages, or bare-foot.
/105 Privee penaunce is thilke that men doon alday for privee sinnes, of whiche we shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce.
/ 102. E.
Hn.
speces (_glossed_ species); _rest_ spices.
103. E.
Hn.
As to; _rest_ as is to.
104. E.
Another thyng is; _rest om.
_ thyng.
Hl.
streyneth.
105. E.
Cm.
_om.
_ comunly.
106. E.
they shryue hem.
§ 5. Now shaltow understande what is bihovely and necessarie to verray parfit Penitence.
And this stant on three thinges; / Contricioun of herte, Confessioun of Mouth, and Satisfaccioun.
/ For which seith Seint Iohn Crisostom: ‘Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benignely every peyne that him is enioyned, with contricion of herte, and shrift of mouth, with satisfaccion; and in werkinge of alle maner humilitee.
’ / And this is fruitful Penitence agayn three thinges in whiche we wratthe oure lord Iesu Crist: /110 this is to seyn, by delyt in thinkinge, by recchelesnesse in spekinge, and by wikked sinful werkinge.
/ And agayns thise wikkede giltes is Penitence, that may be lykned un-to a tree.
/ 107. E.
is bihouely; Cm.
is behofly; _rest_ bihoueth (behoueth).
Hl.
stondith.
109. Hl.
humblete.
112. Hl.
these thre wickid.
§ 6. The rote of this tree is Contricion, that hydeth him in the herte of him that is verray repentant, right as the rote of a tree hydeth him in the erthe.
/ Of the rote of Contricion springeth a stalke, that bereth braunches and leves of Confession, and fruit of Satisfaccion.
/ For which Crist seith in his gospel: ‘dooth digne fruit of Penitence’; for by this fruit may men knowe this tree, and nat by the rote that is hid in the herte of man, ne by the braunches ne by the leves of Confession.
/115 And therefore oure Lord Iesu Crist seith thus: ‘by the fruit of hem ye shul knowen hem.
’ / Of this rote eek springeth a seed of grace, the which seed is moder of sikernesse, and this seed is egre and [573] hoot.
/ The grace of this seed springeth of god, thurgh remembrance of the day of dome and on the peynes of helle.
/ Of this matere seith Salomon, that ‘in the drede of god man forleteth his sinne.
’ / The hete of this seed is the love of god, and the desiring of the Ioye perdurable.
/120 This hete draweth the herte of a man to god, and dooth him haten his sinne.
/ For soothly, ther is no-thing that savoureth so wel to a child as the milk of his norice, ne no-thing is to him more abhominable than thilke milk whan it is medled with other mete.
/ Right so the sinful man that loveth his sinne, him semeth that it is to him most swete of any-thing; / but fro that tyme that he loveth sadly our lord Iesu Crist, and desireth the lif perdurable, ther nis to him no-thing more abhominable.
/ For soothly, the lawe of god is the love of god; for which David the prophete seith: ‘I have loved thy lawe and hated wikkednesse and hate’; he that loveth god kepeth his lawe and his word.
/125 This tree saugh the prophete Daniel in spirit, up-on the avision of the king Nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled him to do penitence.
/ Penaunce is the tree of lyf to hem that it receiven, and he that holdeth him in verray penitence is blessed; after the sentence of Salomon.
/ 117. E.
a grace (_for_ of grace).
122. E.
_om.
_ is to him.
125. E.
loued god; _rest_ loueth god.
126. E.
_om.
_ in spirit.
up-on] E. in.
§ 7. In this Penitence or Contricion man shal understonde foure thinges, that is to seyn, what is Contricion: and whiche been the causes that moeven a man to Contricion: and how he sholde be contrit: and what Contricion availleth to the soule.
/ Thanne is it thus: that Contricion is the verray sorwe that a man receiveth in his herte for his sinnes, with sad purpos to shryve him, and to do penaunce, and nevermore to do sinne.
/ And this sorwe shal been in this manere, as seith seint Bernard: ‘it shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharpe and poinant in herte.
’ /130 First, for man hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and more sharpe and poinant, for he hath agilt his fader celestial; / and yet more sharpe and poinant, for he hath wrathed and agilt him that boghte him; which with his precious blood hath delivered us fro the bondes of sinne, and fro the crueltee of the devel and fro the peynes of helle.
/ 131. Cp.
agult; Hl.
agiltid.
§ 8. The causes that oghte moeve a man to Contricion been six.
First, a man shal remembre him of hise sinnes; / but loke [574] he that thilke remembrance ne be to him no delyt by no wey, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt.
For Iob seith: ‘sinful men doon werkes worthy of Confession.
’ / And therfore seith Ezechie: ‘I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lyf, in bitternesse of myn herte.
’ /135 And god seith in the Apocalips: remembreth yow fro whennes that ye been falle’; for biforn that tyme that ye sinned, ye were the children of god, and limes of the regne of god; / but for your sinne ye been woxen thral and foul, and membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre of holy chirche, and fode of the false serpent;
perpetuel matere of the fyr of helle.
/ And yet more foul and abhominable, for ye trespassen so ofte tyme, as doth the hound that retourneth to eten his spewing.
/ And yet be ye fouler for your longe continuing in sinne and your sinful usage, for which ye be roten in your sinne, as a beest in his dong.
/ Swiche manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame of his sinne, and no delyt, as god seith by the prophete Ezechiel: /140 ‘ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes, and they shuln displese yow.
’ Sothly, sinnes been the weyes that leden folk to helle.
/ 134. E.
looke he; _rest om.
_ he.
135. Hl.
Ln.
Ezechiel.
137. E.
p_er_petueel.
§ 9. The seconde cause that oghte make a man to have desdeyn of sinne is this: that, as seith seint Peter, ‘who-so that doth sinne is thral of sinne’; and sinne put a man in greet thraldom.
/ And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel: ‘I wente sorweful in desdayn of my-self.
’ And certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of sinne, and withdrawe him from that thraldom and vileinye.
/ And lo, what seith Seneca in this matere.
He seith thus: ‘though I wiste that neither god ne man ne sholde nevere knowe it, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do sinne.
’ / And the same Seneca also seith: ‘I am born to gretter thinges than to be thral to my body, or than for to maken of my body a thral.
’ /145 Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman maken of his body, than for to yeven his body to sinne.
/ Al were it the fouleste cherl, or the fouleste womman that liveth, and leest of value, yet is he thanne more foule and more in servitute.
/ Evere fro the hyer degree that man falleth, the more is he thral, and more to god and to the world vile and abhominable.
/ O gode god, wel oghte [575] man have desdayn of sinne; sith that, thurgh sinne, ther he was free, now is he maked bonde.
/ And therfore seyth Seint Augustin: ‘if thou hast desdayn of thy servant, if he agilte or sinne, have thou thanne desdayn that thou thy-self sholdest do sinne.
’ /150 Take reward of thy value, that thou ne be to foul to thy-self.
/ Allas!
wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to been servauntz and thralles to sinne, and sore been ashamed of hem-self, / that god of his endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, or yeven hem wit, strengthe of body, hele, beautee, prosperitee, / and boghte hem fro the deeth with his herte blood, that they so unkindely, agayns his gentilesse, quyten him so vileinsly, to slaughtre of hir owene soules.
/ O gode god, ye wommen that been of so greet beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe of Salomon, that seith: /155 ‘he lykneth a fair womman, that is a fool of hir body, lyk to a ring of gold that were in the groyn of a sowe.
’ / For right as a sowe wroteth in everich ordure, so wroteth she hir beautee in the stinkinge ordure of sinne.
/ 143. E.
And certes; _rest om.
_ And.
144. E.
Hn.
_wrongly ins_, god _after_ that.
