The Canterbury Tales

  I pray yow al my labour to relesse1069;

  1070 I may nat telle hir wo until tomorwe1070 –

  I am so wery for to speke of sorwe.

  But finally, whan that the sooth is wist1072,

  That Alla giltelees was of hir wo,

  I trowe an hundred times been they kist,

  1075 And swich a blisse is ther bitwix hem two

  That, save the joye that lasteth everemo,

  Ther is noon lik that any creature

  Hath seyn1078 or shal, whil that the world may dure.

  Tho preyde she hir housbond mekely,

  1080 In relief of hir longe pitous pine1080,

  That he wolde preye hir fader specially,

  That of his magestee he wolde encline

  To vouchesauf1083 som day with him to dine.

  She preyde him eek he sholde by no weye

  1085 Unto hir fader no word of hir seye.

  Som men wolde seyn how that the child Maurice

  Dooth this message unto this Emperour;

  But, as I gesse, Alla was noght so nice1088,

  To him that was of so soverein1089 honour –

  1090 As he that is of Cristen folk the flour –

  Sente1091 any child; but it is bet to deme

  He wente himself, and so it may wel seme.

  This Emperour hath graunted gentilly1093

  To come to diner as he him bisoghte;

  1095 And wel rede I he looked bisily1095

  Upon this child, and on his doghter thoghte.

  Alla gooth to his in, and as him oghte

  Arrayed for this feste in1097 every wise,

  As ferforth as his konning may suffise1099.

  1100 The morwe cam, and Alla gan him dresse1100,

  And eek his wif, this Emperour to meete,

  And forth they ride in joye and in gladnesse.

  And whan she saugh hir fader in the strete,

  She lighte doun1104 and falleth him to feete.

  1105 ‘Fader,’ quod she, ‘youre yonge child Custaunce

  Is now ful clene1106 out of youre remembraunce.

  ‘I am youre doghter Custance,’ quod she,

  ‘That whilom1108 ye han sent unto Surrye.

  It am I1109, fader, that in the salte see

  1110 Was put allone, and dampned1110 for to die.

  Now goode fader, mercy I yow crye!

  Sende me namoore unto noon hethenesse,

  But thonke my lord heere of his kindenesse.’

  Who kan the pitous joye tellen al

  1115 Bitwix hem thre, sin they be thus ymette?

  But of my tale make an ende I shal;

  The day goth faste, I wol no lenger lette1117.

  This glade folk to diner they hem sette;

  In joye and blisse at mete1119 I lete hem dwelle,

  1120 A thousand fold wel moore than I kan telle.

  This child Maurice was sithen1121 emperour

  Maad by the Pope, and lived cristenly1122;

  To Cristes chirche he dide greet honour.

  But I lete al his story passen by;

  1125 Of Custaunce is my tale specially.

  In th’olde Romain gestes1126 may men finde

  Maurices lif; I bere it noght in minde.

  This King Alla, whan he his time say1128,

  With his Custaunce, his holy wif so swete,

  1130 To Engelond been they come the righte way1130,

  Wheras they live in joye and in quiete.

  But litel while it lasteth, I yow heete1132,

  Joye of this world, for time wol nat abide1133;

  Fro day to night it chaungeth as1134 the tide.

  1135 Who lived evere in swich delit o1135 day

  That him ne moeved outher conscience1136,

  Or ire, or talent1137, or som kinnes affray,

  Envye, or pride, or passion, or offence?

  I ne seye but for this ende this sentence1139,

  1140 That litel while in joye or in plesaunce

  Lasteth the blisse of Alla with Custaunce.

  For deeth, that taketh of heigh and logh his rente1142,

  Whan passed was a yeer, evene1143 as I gesse,

  Out of this world this King Alla he hente1144,

  1145 For whom Custance hath ful greet hevinesse1145.

  Now lat us prayen God his soule blesse!

  And dame Custaunce, finally to seye,

  Toward the toun of Rome gooth hir weye.

  To Rome is come this holy creature,

  1150 And findeth hire freendes hoole and sounde;

  Now is she scaped al hir aventure1151.

  And whan that she hir fader hath yfounde,

  Doun on hir knees falleth she to grounde;

  Wepinge for tendrenesse in herte blithe,

  1155 She herieth1155 God an hundred thousand sithe.

  In vertu and in holy almes-dede

  They liven alle, and nevere asonder wende1157;

  Til deeth departeth1158 hem this lif they lede.

  And fareth now wel, my tale is at an ende.

  1160 Now Jesu Crist, that of his might may sende

  Joye after wo, governe us in his grace,

  And kepe us alle that been in this place! Amen.

  Heere endeth the Tale of the Man of Lawe.

  THE EPILOGUE TO THE MAN OF LAW’S TALE

  Our Hoost upon his stiropes stood anoon,

  And seide, ‘Gode men, herkneth everychoon!

  1165 This was a thrifty1165 tale for the nones!

  Sire parisshe prest1166,’ quod he, ‘for Goddes bones,

  Tel us a tale, as was thy forward yore1167.

  I sel wel that ye lerned men in lore1168

  Kan muche good1169, by Goddes dignitee.’

  1170 The Persoun him answerde, ‘Benedicite!

  What eileth1171 the man, so sinfully to swere?’

  Our Hoost answerde, ‘O Jankin, be ye there?

  I smelle a Loller in the wind!’ quod he.

  ‘Now, gode men,’ quod our Hooste, ‘herkeneth me!

  1175 Abide, for Goddes digne1175 passioun,

  For we shal han a predicacioun1176 –

  This Loller heer will prechen us somwhat.’

  ‘Nay, by my fader soule, that shal he nat!’

  Seide the Shipman, ‘Heer shal he nat preche.

  1180 He shal no gospel glosen1180 heer ne teche.

  We leven1181 alle in the grete God,’ quod he,

  ‘He wolde sowen som difficultee,

  Or springen1183 cokkel in our clene corn.

  And therfor, Hoost, I warne1184 thee biforn,

  1185 My joly body1185 shal a tale telle,

  And I shal1186 clinken yow so mery a belle

  That I shal waken al this compaignye.

  But it shal nat be of philosophye,

  Ne phislyas1189, ne termes queinte of lawe.

  1190 Ther is but litel Latin in my mawe1190!’

  THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE

  The Prologe of the Wives Tale of Bathe.

  ‘Experience, thogh noon auctoritee1

  Were in this world, is right inogh for me

  To speke of wo that is in mariage.

  For, lordinges, sith I twelve yeer was of age,

  5 Thonked be God that is eterne on live5,

  Housbondes at chirche-dore I have had five –

  If I so ofte mighte han wedded be –

  And alle were worthy men in hir degree8.

  But me was told, certein, noght longe agon is,

  10 That sith that Crist ne wente nevere but onis10

  To wedding in the Cane of Galilee,

  That by the same ensample taughte he me

  That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.

  Herke eek, lo, which a sharp word for the nones

  15 Biside a welle, Jesus, God and man,

  Spak in repreeve16 of the Samaritan:

  “Thow hast yhad five housbondes,” quod he,

  “And that ilke18 man which now hath thee

 
Is nat thin housbonde” – thus seide he, certein.

  20 What that he mente therby, I kan nat seyn;

  But that I axe21 why that the fifthe man

  Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?

  How manye mighte she have in mariage?

  Yet herde I nevere tellen in min age

  25 Upon this nombre diffinicioun25.

  Men may divine26 and glosen, up and doun,

  But wel I woot27, expres, withouten lie,

  God bad us for to wexe and multiplye.

  That gentil text kan I wel understonde!

  30 Eek wel I woot, he seide that min housbonde

  Sholde lete31 fader and moder and take to me;

  But of no nombre mencioun made he,

  Of bigamye, or of octogamye33.

  Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileinye34?

  35 ‘Lo, here, the wise king, daun Salomon,

  I trowe36 he hadde wives mo than oon!

  As wolde God it leveful37 were to me

  To be refresshed half so ofte as he!

  Which39 yifte of God hadde he for alle his wivis!

  40 No man hath swich that in this world alive is.

  God woot, this noble king, as to my wit41,

  The firste night had many a murye fit42

  With ech of hem, so wel was him on live43!

  Blessed be God, that I have wedded five,

  44a Of whiche I have ypiked out the beste,

  Bothe of here nether purs and of here cheste.

  Diverse scoles maken parfit clerkes,

  And diverse practik in many sondry werkes

  Maketh the werkman parfit, sekirly.

  44f Of five husbondes scoleying am I;

  45 Welcome the sixte, whan that evere45 he shal!

  For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast46 in al;

  Whan min housbonde is fro the world ygon,

  Som Cristen man shal wedde me anon.

  For thanne th’Apostle seyth that I am free

  50 To wedde, a Goddes half50, wher liketh me.

  He seyth that to be wedded is no sinne;

  “Bet is to be wedded than to brinne52.”

  What rekketh me, theigh folk seye vileinye53

  Of shrewed54 Lameth and his bigamye?

  55 I woot wel Abraham was an holy man,

  And Jacob eek, as fer as evere I kan56,

  And ech of hem hadde wives mo than two,

  And many another holy man also.

  Where kan ye seye, in any maner age,

  60 That heighe God defended mariage

  By expres61 word? I pray yow, telleth me.

  Or where comanded he virginitee?

  I woot as wel as ye, it is no drede63,

  Th’Apostle, whan he speketh of maidenhede64,

  65 He seide that precept therof hadde he noon.

  Men may conseille a womman to be oon66,

  But conseilling nis no comandement;

  He put it in oure owene juggement.

  For hadde God comanded maidenhede,

  70 Thanne hadde he dampned wedding with the dede70.

  And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe71,

  Virginitee, thanne wherof72 sholde it growe?

  Poul73 dorste nat comanden, at the leeste,

  A thing of which his maister yaf74 noon heeste.

  75 The dart75 is set up for virginitee;

  Cacche whoso may76, who renneth best lat se!

  ‘But this word is noght take of77 every wight,

  But theras God list yeve78 it of his might.

  I woot wel that th’Apostle was a maide79,

  80 But nathelees, thogh that he wroot and saide

  He wolde that every wight were swich as he,

  Al nis but82 conseil to virginitee.

  And for to been a wif he yaf me leve

  Of indulgence84; so nis it no repreve

  85 To wedde me, if that my make85 die,

  Withoute excepcioun of86 bigamye,

  Al were it good87 no womman for to touche –

  He mente as in his bed or in his couche –

  For peril is bothe fir and tow t’assemble –

  90 Ye knowe what this ensample90 may resemble!

  This al and som91: he heeld virginitee

  Moore parfit than wedding in freletee92.

  Freletee clepe93 I, but if that he and she

  Wolde leden al hir lif in chastitee.

  95 I graunte it wel, I have noon envye,

  Thogh maidenhede preferre96 bigamye.

  Hem liketh to be clene, in body and goost97.

  Of min estat ne wol I make no boost98;

  For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold

  100 Ne hath nat every vessel al of gold.

  Somme been of tree101, and doon hir lord servise.

  God clepeth102 folk to him in sondry wise,

  And everich hath of God a propre103 yifte,

  Som this, som that, as him liketh shifte104.

  105 ‘Virginitee is greet perfeccioun

  And continence eek with devocioun.

  But Crist, that of perfeccioun is welle107,

  Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle

  Al that he hadde, and yeve it to the poore,

  110 And in swich wise folwe him and his foore110.

  He spak to hem that wolde live parfitly;

  And lordinges, by youre leve, that am nat I!

  I wol bistowe the flour of al min age113

  In th’actes and in fruit of mariage.

  115 ‘Telle me also, to what conclusioun115

  Were membres maad of generacioun,116

  And of so parfit wis a wright ywroght?117

  Trusteth right wel, they were nat maad for noght.

  Glose whoso wole, and seye bothe up and doun119

  120 That they were maad for purgacioun120

  Of urine, and oure bothe thinges smale

  Was eek to knowe a femele122 from a male,

  And for noon oother cause – sey ye no?

  Th’experience woot wel it is noght so.

  125 So that125 the clerkes be nat with me wrothe,

  I sey this: that they beth126 made for bothe –

  That is to seye, for office127 and for ese

  Of engendrure128, ther we nat God displese.

  Why sholde men ellis in hir bokes sette

  130 That man shal yelde130 to his wif hir dette?

  Now wherwith sholde he make his paiement,

  If he ne used his sely instrument132?

  Thanne were they maad upon a creature

  To purge urine, and eek for engendrure.

  135 ‘But I seye noght that every wight is holde135,

  That hath swich harneis136 as I to yow tolde,

  To goon and usen hem in engendrure –