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

is at an end Now Jesus Christ, that of his might may send Joy after woe, govern us in his grace

And keep us alle that be in this place.

 

Notes to the Man of Law’s Tale

 

1. This tale is believed by Tyrwhitt to have been taken, with no material change, from the “Confessio Amantis” of John Gower, who was contemporary with Chaucer, though somewhat his senior. In the prologue, the references to the stories of Canace, and of Apollonius Tyrius, seem to be an attack on Gower, who had given these tales in his book; whence Tyrwhitt concludes that the friendship between the two poets suffered some interruption in the latter part of their lives. Gower was not the inventor of the story, which he found in old French romances, and it is not improbable that Chaucer may have gone to the same source as Gower, though the latter undoubtedly led the way.

(Transcriber’s note: later commentators have identified the introduction describing the sorrows of poverty, along with the other moralising interludes in the tale, as translated from “De Contemptu Mundi” (“On the contempt of the world”) by Pope Innocent.)

 

2. Transcriber’ note: This refers to the game of hazard, a dice game like craps, in which two (“ambes ace”) won, and eleven (“six-cinque”) lost.

 

3. Purpose: discourse, tale: French “propos”.

 

4. “Peace” rhymed with “lese” and “chese”, the old forms of “lose” and “choose”.

 

5. According to Middle Age writers there were two motions of the first heaven; one everything always from east to west above the stars; the other moving the stars against the first motion, from west to east, on two other poles.

 

6. Atyzar: the meaning of this word is not known; but “occifer”, murderer, has been suggested instead by Urry, on the authority of a marginal reading on a manuscript.

(Transcriber’s note: later commentators explain it as derived from Arabic “al-ta’thir”, influence - used here in an astrological sense)

 

7. “Thou knittest thee where thou art not receiv’d, Where thou wert well, from thennes art thou weiv’d”

i.e.

“Thou joinest thyself where thou art rejected, and art declined or departed from the place where thou wert well.” The moon portends the fortunes of Constance.

 

8. Fand: endeavour; from Anglo-Saxon, “fandian,” to try 9. Feng: take; Anglo-Saxon “fengian”, German, “fangen”.

 

10. Him and her on which thy limbes faithfully extend: those who in faith wear the crucifix.

 

11. The four spirits of tempest: the four angels who held the four winds of the earth and to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea (Rev. vii. 1, 2).

 

12. Thennes would it not in all a tide: thence would it not move for long, at all.

 

13. A manner Latin corrupt: a kind of bastard Latin.

 

14. Knave child: male child; German “Knabe”.

 

15. Heried: honoured, praised; from Anglo-Saxon, “herian.”

Compare German, “herrlich,” glorious, honourable.

 

16. Beknow: confess; German, “bekennen.”

 

17. The poet here refers to Gower’s version of the story.

 

18. Stound: short time; German, “stunde”, hour.

 

19. Gestes: histories, exploits; Latin, “res gestae”.

 

THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE.

 

THE PROLOGUE. <1>

 

Experience, though none authority authoritative texts Were in this world, is right enough for me To speak of woe that is in marriage:

For, lordings, since I twelve year was of age, (Thanked be God that *is etern on live), lives eternally*

Husbands at the church door have I had five,<2>

For I so often have y-wedded be,

And all were worthy men in their degree.

But me was told, not longe time gone is That sithen* Christe went never but ones since To wedding, in the Cane of Galilee, Cana That by that ilk example taught he me, *same That I not wedded shoulde be but once.

Lo, hearken eke a sharp word for the nonce, occasion Beside a welle Jesus, God and man,

Spake in reproof of the Samaritan:

“Thou hast y-had five husbandes,” said he; “And thilke* man, that now hath wedded thee, *that Is not thine husband:” <3> thus said he certain; What that he meant thereby, I cannot sayn.

But that I aske, why the fifthe man

Was not husband to the Samaritan?

How many might she have in marriage?

Yet heard I never tellen *in mine age in my life*

Upon this number definitioun.

Men may divine, and glosen* up and down; *comment But well I wot, express without a lie, God bade us for to wax and multiply;

That gentle text can I well understand.

Eke well I wot, he said, that mine husband Should leave father and mother, and take to me; But of no number mention made he,

Of bigamy or of octogamy;

Why then should men speak of it villainy? as if it were a disgrace Lo here, the wise king Dan* Solomon, *Lord <4>

I trow that he had wives more than one; As would to God it lawful were to me

To be refreshed half so oft as he!

What gift* of God had he for all his wives? *special favour, licence No man hath such, that in this world alive is.

God wot, this noble king, *as to my wit, as I understand*

The first night had many a merry fit

With each of them, so *well was him on live. so well he lived*

Blessed be God that I have wedded five!

Welcome the sixth whenever that he shall.

For since I will not keep me chaste in all, When mine husband is from the world y-gone, Some Christian man shall wedde me anon.

For then th’ apostle saith that I am free To wed, a’ God’s half, where it liketh me. on God’s part

He saith, that to be wedded is no sin; Better is to be wedded than to brin. burn What recketh* me though folk say villainy** care *evil Of shrewed* Lamech, and his bigamy? *impious, wicked I wot well Abraham was a holy man,

And Jacob eke, as far as ev’r I can. know And each of them had wives more than two; And many another holy man also.

Where can ye see, *in any manner age, in any period*

That highe God defended* marriage *forbade <5>

By word express? I pray you tell it me; Or where commanded he virginity?

I wot as well as you, it is no dread, doubt Th’ apostle, when he spake of maidenhead, He said, that precept thereof had he none: Men may counsel a woman to be one, a maid But counseling is no commandement;

He put it in our owen judgement.

For, hadde God commanded maidenhead,

Then had he damned* wedding out of dread;* condemned **doubt And certes, if there were no seed y-sow, sown Virginity then whereof should it grow?

Paul durste not commanden, at the least, A thing of which his Master gave no hest. command The dart* is set up for virginity; *goal <6>

Catch whoso may, who runneth best let see.

But this word is not ta’en of every wight, *But there as* God will give it of his might. except where

I wot well that th’ apostle was a maid, But natheless, although he wrote and said, He would that every wight were such as he, All is but counsel to virginity.

And, since to be a wife he gave me leave Of indulgence, so is it no repreve scandal, reproach To wedde me, if that my make* should die, mate, husband Without exception of bigamy; charge, reproach All were it* good no woman for to touch though it might be

(He meant as in his bed or in his couch), For peril is both fire and tow t’assemble Ye know what this example may resemble.

This is all and some, he held virginity More profit than wedding in frailty:

(*Frailty clepe I, but if* that he and she frailty I call it, Would lead their lives all in chastity), unless

I grant it well, I have of none envy

Who maidenhead prefer to bigamy;

It liketh them t’ be clean in body and ghost; soul Of mine estate* I will not make a boast. *condition For, well ye know, a lord in his household Hath not every vessel all of gold; <7>

Some are of tree, and do their lord service.

God calleth folk to him in sundry wise, And each one hath of God a proper gift, Some this, some that, as liketh him to shift. appoint, distribute Virginity is great perfection,

And continence eke with devotion:

But Christ, that of perfection is the well, fountain Bade not every wight he should go sell All that he had, and give it to the poor, And in such wise follow him and his lore: doctrine He spake to them that would live perfectly, —

And, lordings, by your leave, that am not I; I will bestow the flower of mine age

In th’ acts and in the fruits of marriage.

Tell me also, to what conclusion end, purpose Were members made of generation,

And of so perfect wise a wight* y-wrought? *being Trust me right well, they were not made for nought.

Glose whoso will, and say both up and down, That they were made for the purgatioun Of urine, and of other thinges smale,

And eke to know a female from a male:

And for none other cause? say ye no?

Experience wot well it is not so.

So that the clerkes* be not with me wroth, scholars I say this, that they were made for both, That is to say, for office, and for ease for duty and Of engendrure, there we God not displease. for pleasure*

Why should men elles in their bookes set, That man shall yield unto his wife her debt?

Now wherewith should he make his payement, If he us’d not his silly instrument?

Then were they made upon a creature

To purge urine, and eke for engendrure.

But I say not that every wight is hold, obliged That hath such harness* as I to you told, *equipment To go and use them in engendrure;

Then should men take of chastity no cure. care Christ was a maid, and shapen* as a man, *fashioned And many a saint, since that this world began, Yet ever liv’d in perfect chastity.

I will not vie* with no virginity. contend Let them with bread of pured wheat be fed, *purified And let us wives eat our barley bread.

And yet with barley bread, Mark tell us can,<8>

Our Lord Jesus refreshed many a man.

In such estate as God hath *cleped us, called us to I’ll persevere, I am not precious, over-dainty In wifehood I will use mine instrument As freely as my Maker hath it sent.

If I be dangerous* God give me sorrow; *sparing of my favours Mine husband shall it have, both eve and morrow, When that him list come forth and pay his debt.

A husband will I have, I *will no let, will bear no hindrance*

Which shall be both my debtor and my thrall, slave And have his tribulation withal

Upon his flesh, while that I am his wife.

I have the power during all my life

Upon his proper body, and not he;

Right thus th’ apostle told it unto me, And bade our husbands for to love us well; All this sentence me liketh every deal. whit Up start the Pardoner, and that anon;

“Now, Dame,” quoth he, “by God and by Saint John, Ye are a noble preacher in this case.

I was about to wed a wife, alas!

What?