Canterbury Tales and Other Poems, Geoffrey Chaucer [good fiction books to read txt] 📗

swear, they weighede ten pound <38>

That on the Sunday were upon her head.

Her hosen weren of fine scarlet red,

Full strait y-tied, and shoes full moist* and new *fresh <39>

Bold was her face, and fair and red of hue.

She was a worthy woman all her live,

Husbands at the church door had she had five, Withouten other company in youth;

But thereof needeth not to speak as nouth*. *now And thrice had she been at Jerusalem;

She hadde passed many a strange stream At Rome she had been, and at Bologne,

In Galice at Saint James, <40> and at Cologne; She coude* much of wand’rng by the Way. knew Gat-toothed was she, soothly for to say. *Buck-toothed<41>

Upon an ambler easily she sat,

Y-wimpled well, and on her head an hat As broad as is a buckler or a targe.

A foot-mantle about her hippes large,

And on her feet a pair of spurres sharp.

In fellowship well could she laugh and carp* jest, talk Of remedies of love she knew perchance For of that art she coud the olde dance. *knew A good man there was of religion,

That was a poore PARSON of a town:

But rich he was of holy thought and werk*. *work He was also a learned man, a clerk,

That Christe’s gospel truly woulde preach.

His parishens* devoutly would he teach. *parishioners Benign he was, and wonder diligent,

And in adversity full patient:

And such he was y-proved *often sithes*. oftentimes

Full loth were him to curse for his tithes, But rather would he given out of doubt, Unto his poore parishens about,

Of his off’ring, and eke of his substance.

He could in little thing have suffisance. he was satisfied with Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder, very little

But he ne left not, for no rain nor thunder, In sickness and in mischief to visit

The farthest in his parish, much and lit, great and small

Upon his feet, and in his hand a staff.

This noble ensample to his sheep he gaf, gave That first he wrought, and afterward he taught.

Out of the gospel he the wordes caught, And this figure he added yet thereto,

That if gold ruste, what should iron do?

For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust, No wonder is a lewed* man to rust: *unlearned And shame it is, if that a priest take keep, To see a shitten shepherd and clean sheep: Well ought a priest ensample for to give, By his own cleanness, how his sheep should live.

He sette not his benefice to hire,

And left his sheep eucumber’d in the mire, And ran unto London, unto Saint Paul’s, To seeke him a chantery<42> for souls, Or with a brotherhood to be withold: detained But dwelt at home, and kepte well his fold, So that the wolf ne made it not miscarry.

He was a shepherd, and no mercenary.

And though he holy were, and virtuous, He was to sinful men not dispitous* severe Nor of his speeche dangerous nor dign *disdainful But in his teaching discreet and benign.

To drawen folk to heaven, with fairness, By good ensample, was his business:

*But it were* any person obstinate, but if it were

What so he were of high or low estate, Him would he snibbe* sharply for the nones**. reprove *nonce,occasion A better priest I trow that nowhere none is.

He waited after no pomp nor reverence, Nor maked him a spiced conscience, artificial conscience

But Christe’s lore, and his apostles’ twelve, He taught, and first he follow’d it himselve.

 

With him there was a PLOUGHMAN, was his brother, That had y-laid of dung full many a fother*. ton A true swinker and a good was he, *hard worker Living in peace and perfect charity.

God loved he beste with all his heart

At alle times, were it gain or smart, pain, loss And then his neighebour right as himselve.

He woulde thresh, and thereto dike*, and delve, *dig ditches For Christe’s sake, for every poore wight, Withouten hire, if it lay in his might.

His tithes payed he full fair and well, Both of his *proper swink*, and his chattel** his own labour **goods In a tabard* he rode upon a mare. *sleeveless jerkin There was also a Reeve, and a Millere, A Sompnour, and a Pardoner also,

A Manciple, and myself, there were no mo’.

 

The MILLER was a stout carle for the nones, Full big he was of brawn, and eke of bones; That proved well, for *ov’r all where* he came, wheresoever

At wrestling he would bear away the ram.<43>

He was short-shouldered, broad, a thicke gnarr*, stump of wood There was no door, that he n’old heave off bar, *could not Or break it at a running with his head.

His beard as any sow or fox was red,

And thereto broad, as though it were a spade.

Upon the cop* right of his nose he had *head <44>

A wart, and thereon stood a tuft of hairs Red as the bristles of a sowe’s ears.

His nose-thirles* blacke were and wide. *nostrils <45>

A sword and buckler bare he by his side.

His mouth as wide was as a furnace.

He was a jangler, and a goliardais, buffoon <46>

And that was most of sin and harlotries.

Well could he steale corn, and tolle thrice And yet he had a thumb of gold, pardie.<47>

A white coat and a blue hood weared he A baggepipe well could he blow and soun’, And therewithal he brought us out of town.

 

A gentle MANCIPLE <48> was there of a temple, Of which achatours* mighte take ensample buyers For to be wise in buying of vitaille. victuals For whether that he paid, or took by taile*, on credit Algate he waited so in his achate**, always *purchase That he was aye before in good estate.

Now is not that of God a full fair grace That such a lewed* mannes wit shall pace** unlearned *surpass The wisdom of an heap of learned men?

Of masters had he more than thries ten, That were of law expert and curious:

Of which there was a dozen in that house, Worthy to be stewards of rent and land Of any lord that is in Engleland,

To make him live by his proper good,

In honour debtless, but if he were wood, unless he were mad

Or live as scarcely as him list desire; And able for to helpen all a shire

In any case that mighte fall or hap;

And yet this Manciple set their aller cap outwitted them all

 

The REEVE <49> was a slender choleric man His beard was shav’d as nigh as ever he can.

His hair was by his eares round y-shorn; His top was docked like a priest beforn Full longe were his legges, and full lean Y-like a staff, there was no calf y-seen Well could he keep a garner* and a bin storeplaces for grain There was no auditor could on him win

Well wist he by the drought, and by the rain, The yielding of his seed and of his grain His lorde’s sheep, his neat*, and his dairy cattle His swine, his horse, his store, and his poultry, Were wholly in this Reeve’s governing, And by his cov’nant gave he reckoning, Since that his lord was twenty year of age; There could no man bring him in arrearage There was no bailiff, herd, nor other hine servant That he ne knew his sleight and his covine* tricks and cheating

They were adrad* of him, as of the death in dread His wonning was full fair upon an heath *abode With greene trees y-shadow’d was his place.

He coulde better than his lord purchase Full rich he was y-stored privily

His lord well could he please subtilly, To give and lend him of his owen good, And have a thank, and yet* a coat and hood. also In youth he learned had a good mistere trade He was a well good wright, a carpentere This Reeve sate upon a right good stot, steed That was all pomely gray, and highte** Scot. dappled *called A long surcoat of perse* upon he had, *sky-blue And by his side he bare a rusty blade.

Of Norfolk was this Reeve, of which I tell, Beside a town men clepen* Baldeswell, *call Tucked he was, as is a friar, about,

And ever rode the *hinderest of the rout*. hindmost of the group

 

A SOMPNOUR* was there with us in that place, *summoner <50>

That had a fire-red cherubinnes face,

For sausefleme* he was, with eyen narrow. red or pimply As hot he was and lecherous as a sparrow, With scalled browes black, and pilled beard: *scanty Of his visage children were sore afeard.

There n’as quicksilver, litharge, nor brimstone, Boras, ceruse, nor oil of tartar none, Nor ointement that woulde cleanse or bite, That him might helpen of his whelkes* white, pustules Nor of the knobbes sitting on his cheeks. *buttons Well lov’d he garlic, onions, and leeks, And for to drink strong wine as red as blood.

Then would he speak, and cry as he were wood; And when that he well drunken had the wine, Then would he speake no word but Latin.

A fewe termes knew he, two or three,

That he had learned out of some decree; No wonder is, he heard it all the day.

And eke ye knowen well, how that a jay Can clepen* “Wat,” as well as can the Pope. call But whoso would in other thing him grope, *search Then had he spent all his philosophy,

Aye, Questio quid juris,<51> would he cry.

 

He was a gentle harlot* and a kind; *a low fellow<52>

A better fellow should a man not find.

He woulde suffer, for a quart of wine, A good fellow to have his concubine

A twelvemonth, and excuse him at the full.

Full privily a *finch eke could he pull*. “fleece” a man

And if he found owhere* a good fellaw, *anywhere He woulde teache him to have none awe

In such a case of the archdeacon’s curse; But if a manne’s soul were in his purse; unless

For in his purse he should y-punished be.

“Purse is the archedeacon’s hell,” said he.

But well I wot, he lied right indeed:

Of cursing ought each guilty man to dread, For curse will slay right as assoiling* saveth; *absolving And also ‘ware him of a significavit<53>.

In danger had he at his owen guise

The younge girles of the diocese, <54>

And knew their counsel, and was of their rede*. *counsel A garland had he set upon his head,

As great as it were for an alestake*: *The post of an alehouse sign A buckler had he made him of a cake.

 

With him there rode a gentle PARDONERE <55>

Of Ronceval, his friend and his compere, That straight was comen from the court of Rome.

Full loud he sang, “Come hither, love, to me”

This Sompnour *bare to him a stiff burdoun*, sang the bass

Was never trump of half so great a soun’.

This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax, But smooth it hung, as doth a strike* of flax: *strip By ounces hung his lockes that he had, And therewith he his shoulders oversprad.

Full thin it lay, by culpons* one and one, *locks, shreds But hood for jollity, he weared none,

For it was trussed up in his wallet.

Him thought he rode all of the *newe get*, latest fashion<56>

Dishevel,