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

muste be full derne* as in this case.” secret “Nay, thereof care thee nought,” quoth Nicholas: “A clerk had litherly beset his while, ill spent his time*

But if he could a carpenter beguile.” *unless And thus they were accorded and y-sworn To wait a time, as I have said beforn.

When Nicholas had done thus every deal, whit And thwacked her about the lendes* well, *loins He kiss’d her sweet, and taketh his psalt’ry And playeth fast, and maketh melody.

Then fell it thus, that to the parish church, Of Christe’s owen workes for to wirch, work This good wife went upon a holy day;

Her forehead shone as bright as any day, So was it washen, when she left her werk.

 

Now was there of that church a parish clerk, The which that was y-cleped Absolon.

Curl’d was his hair, and as the gold it shone, And strutted* as a fanne large and broad; stretched Full straight and even lay his jolly shode. head of hair His rode was red, his eyen grey as goose, *complexion With Paule’s windows carven on his shoes <16>

In hosen red he went full fetisly*. daintily, neatly Y-clad he was full small and properly, All in a kirtle of a light waget*; girdle *sky blue Full fair and thicke be the pointes set, And thereupon he had a gay surplice,

As white as is the blossom on the rise*. *twig <17>

A merry child he was, so God me save;

Well could he letten blood, and clip, and shave, And make a charter of land, and a quittance.

In twenty manners could he trip and dance, After the school of Oxenforde tho*,<18> *then And with his legges caste to and fro;

And playen songes on a small ribible*; *fiddle Thereto he sung sometimes a loud quinible treble And as well could he play on a gitern. guitar In all the town was brewhouse nor tavern, That he not visited with his solas, mirth, sport There as that any *garnard tapstere* was. licentious barmaid

But sooth to say he was somedeal squaimous squeamish Of farting, and of speeche dangerous.

This Absolon, that jolly was and gay,

Went with a censer on the holy day,

Censing* the wives of the parish fast; burning incense for And many a lovely look he on them cast, And namely on this carpenter’s wife: *especially To look on her him thought a merry life.

She was so proper, and sweet, and likerous.

I dare well say, if she had been a mouse, And he a cat, he would *her hent anon*. have soon caught her

This parish clerk, this jolly Absolon, Hath in his hearte such a love-longing!

That of no wife took he none offering; For courtesy he said he woulde none.

The moon at night full clear and brighte shone, And Absolon his gitern hath y-taken,

For paramours he thoughte for to waken, And forth he went, jolif* and amorous, *joyous Till he came to the carpentere’s house, A little after the cock had y-crow,

And *dressed him* under a shot window <19>, stationed himself.

That was upon the carpentere’s wall.

He singeth in his voice gentle and small; “Now, dear lady, if thy will be,

I pray that ye will rue* on me;” *take pity Full well accordant to his giterning.

This carpenter awoke, and heard him sing, And spake unto his wife, and said anon, What Alison, hear’st thou not Absolon, That chanteth thus under our bower* wall?” *chamber And she answer’d her husband therewithal; “Yes, God wot, John, I hear him every deal.”

This passeth forth; what will ye bet* than well? *better From day to day this jolly Absolon

So wooeth her, that him is woebegone.

He waketh all the night, and all the day, To comb his lockes broad, and make him gay.

He wooeth her *by means and by brocage, by presents and by agents*

And swore he woulde be her owen page.

He singeth brokking* as a nightingale. quavering He sent her piment <20>, mead, and spiced ale, And wafers piping hot out of the glede**: cakes *coals And, for she was of town, he proffer’d meed.<21>

For some folk will be wonnen for richess, And some for strokes, and some with gentiless.

Sometimes, to show his lightness and mast’ry, He playeth Herod <22> on a scaffold high.

But what availeth him as in this case?

So loveth she the Hendy Nicholas,

That Absolon may blow the bucke’s horn: “go whistle”

He had for all his labour but a scorn.

And thus she maketh Absolon her ape,

And all his earnest turneth to a jape*. *jest Full sooth is this proverb, it is no lie; Men say right thus alway; the nighe sly Maketh oft time the far lief to be loth. <23>

For though that Absolon be wood* or wroth *mad Because that he far was from her sight, This nigh Nicholas stood still in his light.

Now bear thee well, thou Hendy Nicholas, For Absolon may wail and sing “Alas!”

 

And so befell, that on a Saturday

This carpenter was gone to Oseney,

And Hendy Nicholas and Alison

Accorded were to this conclusion,

That Nicholas shall *shape him a wile devise a stratagem*

The silly jealous husband to beguile;

And if so were the game went aright,

She shoulde sleepen in his arms all night; For this was her desire and his also.

And right anon, withoute wordes mo’,

This Nicholas no longer would he tarry, But doth full soft unto his chamber carry Both meat and drinke for a day or tway.

And to her husband bade her for to say, If that he asked after Nicholas,

She shoulde say, “She wist* not where he was; knew Of all the day she saw him not with eye; She trowed he was in some malady, *believed For no cry that her maiden could him call He would answer, for nought that might befall.”

Thus passed forth all thilke* Saturday, that That Nicholas still in his chamber lay, And ate, and slept, and didde what him list Till Sunday, that the sunne went to rest. when This silly carpenter had great marvaill wondered greatly*

Of Nicholas, or what thing might him ail, And said; “I am adrad*, by Saint Thomas! *afraid, in dread It standeth not aright with Nicholas:

*God shielde* that he died suddenly. heaven forbid!

This world is now full fickle sickerly*. certainly I saw to-day a corpse y-borne to chirch, That now on Monday last I saw him wirch. work “Go up,” quod he unto his knave, “anon; *servant.

Clepe* at his door, or knocke with a stone: *call Look how it is, and tell me boldely.”

This knave went him up full sturdily,

And, at the chamber door while that he stood, He cried and knocked as that he were wood: mad “What how? what do ye, Master Nicholay?

How may ye sleepen all the longe day?”

But all for nought, he hearde not a word.

An hole he found full low upon the board, Where as the cat was wont in for to creep, And at that hole he looked in full deep, And at the last he had of him a sight.

This Nicholas sat ever gaping upright, As he had kyked* on the newe moon. *looked <24>

Adown he went, and told his master soon, In what array he saw this ilke* man. same This carpenter to blissen him* began, bless, cross himself

And said: “Now help us, Sainte Frideswide.<25>

A man wot* little what shall him betide. *knows This man is fall’n with his astronomy

Into some woodness* or some agony. *madness I thought aye well how that it shoulde be.

Men should know nought of Godde’s privity*. secrets Yea, blessed be alway a lewed man, unlearned That nought but only his believe can*. knows no more So far’d another clerk with astronomy: than his “credo.”

He walked in the fieldes for to *pry

Upon* the starres, what there should befall, keep watch on

Till he was in a marle pit y-fall.<26>

He saw not that. But yet, by Saint Thomas!

Me rueth sore of Hendy Nicholas: I am very sorry for

He shall be rated of his studying, chidden for

If that I may, by Jesus, heaven’s king!

Get me a staff, that I may underspore lever up While that thou, Robin, heavest off the door: He shall out of his studying, as I guess.”

And to the chamber door he gan him dress apply himself.

His knave was a strong carl for the nonce, And by the hasp he heav’d it off at once; Into the floor the door fell down anon.

This Nicholas sat aye as still as stone, And ever he gap’d upward into the air.

The carpenter ween’d* he were in despair, thought And hent him by the shoulders mightily, *caught And shook him hard, and cried spitously; angrily “What, Nicholas? what how, man? look adown: Awake, and think on Christe’s passioun.

I crouche thee<27> from elves, and from wights*. *witches Therewith the night-spell said he anon rights, properly On the four halves* of the house about, *corners And on the threshold of the door without.

“Lord Jesus Christ, and Sainte Benedight, Blesse this house from every wicked wight, From the night mare, the white Pater-noster; Where wonnest* thou now, Sainte Peter’s sister?” *dwellest And at the last this Hendy Nicholas

Gan for to sigh full sore, and said; “Alas!

Shall all time world be lost eftsoones* now?” *forthwith This carpenter answer’d; “What sayest thou?

What? think on God, as we do, men that swink.*” *labour This Nicholas answer’d; “Fetch me a drink; And after will I speak in privity

Of certain thing that toucheth thee and me: I will tell it no other man certain.”

 

This carpenter went down, and came again, And brought of mighty ale a large quart; And when that each of them had drunk his part, This Nicholas his chamber door fast shet, shut And down the carpenter by him he set,

And saide; “John, mine host full lief* and dear, loved Thou shalt upon thy truthe swear me here, That to no wight thou shalt my counsel wray: *betray For it is Christes counsel that I say, And if thou tell it man, thou art forlore: lost<28>

For this vengeance thou shalt have therefor, That if thou wraye* me, thou shalt be wood**.” betray *mad “Nay, Christ forbid it for his holy blood!”

Quoth then this silly man; “I am no blab, talker Nor, though I say it, am I *lief to gab*. fond of speech

Say what thou wilt, I shall it never tell To child or wife, by him that harried Hell.” <29>

 

“Now, John,” quoth Nicholas, “I will not lie, I have y-found in my astrology,

As I have looked in the moone bright,

That now on Monday next, at quarter night, Shall fall a rain, and that so wild and wood, mad That never half so great was Noe’s flood.

This world,” he said, “in less than half an hour Shall all be dreint*, so hideous is the shower: drowned Thus shall mankinde drench, and lose their life.” *drown This carpenter answer’d; “Alas, my wife!

And shall she drench? alas, mine Alisoun!”

For sorrow of this he fell almost adown, And said; “Is there no remedy in this case?”

“Why, yes, for God,” quoth Hendy Nicholas; “If thou wilt worken after *lore and rede*; learning and advice

Thou may’st not worken after thine own head.

For thus saith Solomon, that was full true: Work all