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

were than a barrel of ale

My wife at home had heard this legend once; This is a gentle tale for the nonce;

As, to my purpose, wiste ye my will.

But thing that will not be, let it be still.’”

 

In other manuscripts of less authority the Host proceeds, in two similar stanzas, to impose a Tale on the Franklin; but Tyrwhitt is probably right in setting them aside as spurious, and in admitting the genuineness of the first only, if it be supposed that Chaucer forgot to cancel it when he had decided on another mode of connecting the Merchant’s with the Clerk’s Tale.

 

2. Saint Thomas of Ind: St. Thomas the Apostle, who was believed to have travelled in India.

 

THE TALE.<l>

 

Whilom there was dwelling in Lombardy

A worthy knight, that born was at Pavie, In which he liv’d in great prosperity; And forty years a wifeless man was he, And follow’d aye his bodily delight

On women, where as was his appetite,

As do these fooles that be seculeres.<2>

And, when that he was passed sixty years, Were it for holiness, or for dotage,

I cannot say, but such a great corage inclination Hadde this knight to be a wedded man,

That day and night he did all that he can To espy where that he might wedded be; Praying our Lord to grante him, that he Mighte once knowen of that blissful life That is betwixt a husband and his wife, And for to live under that holy bond

With which God firste man and woman bond.

“None other life,” said he, “is worth a bean; For wedlock is so easy, and so clean,

That in this world it is a paradise.”

Thus said this olde knight, that was so wise.

And certainly, as sooth* as God is king, true To take a wife it is a glorious thing, And namely when a man is old and hoar, *especially Then is a wife the fruit of his treasor; Then should he take a young wife and a fair, On which he might engender him an heir, And lead his life in joy and in solace; mirth, delight Whereas these bachelors singen “Alas!”

When that they find any adversity

In love, which is but childish vanity.

And truely it sits* well to be so, becomes, befits That bachelors have often pain and woe: On brittle ground they build, and brittleness They finde when they weene sickerness: think that there They live but as a bird or as a beast, is security*

In liberty, and under no arrest; check, control Whereas a wedded man in his estate

Liveth a life blissful and ordinate,

Under the yoke of marriage y-bound;

Well may his heart in joy and bliss abound.

For who can be so buxom* as a wife? *obedient Who is so true, and eke so attentive

To keep* him, sick and whole, as is his make?* care for **mate For weal or woe she will him not forsake: She is not weary him to love and serve, Though that he lie bedrid until he sterve. die And yet some clerkes say it is not so; Of which he, Theophrast, is one of tho: those *What force* though Theophrast list for to lie? what matter

 

“Take no wife,” quoth he, <3> “for husbandry, thrift As for to spare in household thy dispence; A true servant doth more diligence

Thy good to keep, than doth thine owen wife, For she will claim a half part all her life.

And if that thou be sick, so God me save, Thy very friendes, or a true knave, servant Will keep thee bet than she, that *waiteth aye ahways waits to After thy good, and hath done many a day.” inherit your property*

This sentence, and a hundred times worse, Writeth this man, there God his bones curse.

But take no keep* of all such vanity, notice Defy Theophrast, and hearken to me. *distrust A wife is Godde’s gifte verily;

All other manner giftes hardily, truly As handes, rentes, pasture, or commune, common land Or mebles,* all be giftes of fortune, *furniture <4>

That passen as a shadow on the wall:

But dread* thou not, if plainly speak I shall, *doubt A wife will last, and in thine house endure, Well longer than thee list, paraventure. perhaps Marriage is a full great sacrament;

He which that hath no wife, I hold him shent; ruined He liveth helpless, and all desolate

(I speak of folk *in secular estate*): who are not And hearken why, I say not this for nought, — of the clergy

That woman is for manne’s help y-wrought.

The highe God, when he had Adam maked, And saw him all alone belly naked,

God of his greate goodness saide then, Let us now make a help unto this man

Like to himself; and then he made him Eve.

Here may ye see, and hereby may ye preve, prove That a wife is man s help and his comfort, His paradise terrestre and his disport.

So buxom* and so virtuous is she, *obedient, complying They muste needes live in unity;

One flesh they be, and one blood, as I guess, With but one heart in weal and in distress.

A wife? Ah! Saint Mary, ben’dicite,

How might a man have any adversity

That hath a wife? certes I cannot say

The bliss the which that is betwixt them tway, There may no tongue it tell, or hearte think.

If he be poor, she helpeth him to swink; labour She keeps his good, and wasteth never a deal; whit All that her husband list, her liketh* well; *pleaseth She saith not ones Nay, when he saith Yea; “Do this,” saith he; “All ready, Sir,” saith she.

O blissful order, wedlock precious!

Thou art so merry, and eke so virtuous, And so commended and approved eke,

That every man that holds him worth a leek Upon his bare knees ought all his life To thank his God, that him hath sent a wife; Or elles pray to God him for to send

A wife, to last unto his life’s end.

For then his life is set in sickerness, security He may not be deceived, as I guess,

So that he work after his wife’s rede; counsel Then may he boldely bear up his head,

They be so true, and therewithal so wise.

For which, if thou wilt worken as the wise, Do alway so as women will thee rede. counsel Lo how that Jacob, as these clerkes read, By good counsel of his mother Rebecc’

Bounde the kiddes skin about his neck; For which his father’s benison* he wan. *benediction Lo Judith, as the story telle can,

By good counsel she Godde’s people kept, And slew him, Holofernes, while he slept.

Lo Abigail, by good counsel, how she

Saved her husband Nabal, when that he

Should have been slain. And lo, Esther also By counsel good deliver’d out of woe

The people of God, and made him, Mardoche, Of Assuere enhanced* for to be. advanced in dignity There is nothing in gree superlative of higher esteem*

(As saith Senec) above a humble wife.

Suffer thy wife’s tongue, as Cato bit; bid She shall command, and thou shalt suffer it, And yet she will obey of courtesy.

A wife is keeper of thine husbandry:

Well may the sicke man bewail and weep, There as there is no wife the house to keep.

I warne thee, if wisely thou wilt wirch, work Love well thy wife, as Christ loveth his church: Thou lov’st thyself, if thou lovest thy wife.

No man hateth his flesh, but in his life He fost’reth it; and therefore bid I thee Cherish thy wife, or thou shalt never the. thrive Husband and wife, what *so men jape or play, although men joke Of worldly folk holde the sicker* way; and jeer certain They be so knit there may no harm betide, And namely* upon the wife’s side. * especially For which this January, of whom I told, Consider’d hath within his dayes old,

The lusty life, the virtuous quiet,

That is in marriage honey-sweet.

And for his friends upon a day he sent To tell them the effect of his intent.

With face sad,* his tale he hath them told: grave, earnest He saide, “Friendes, I am hoar and old, And almost (God wot) on my pitte’s brink, *grave’s Upon my soule somewhat must I think.

I have my body foolishly dispended,

Blessed be God that it shall be amended; For I will be certain a wedded man,

And that anon in all the haste I can,

Unto some maiden, fair and tender of age; I pray you shape* for my marriage * arrange, contrive All suddenly, for I will not abide:

And I will fond* to espy, on my side, *try To whom I may be wedded hastily.

But forasmuch as ye be more than,

Ye shalle rather* such a thing espy

Than I, and where me best were to ally.

But one thing warn I you, my friendes dear, I will none old wife have in no mannere: She shall not passe sixteen year certain.

Old fish and younge flesh would I have fain.

Better,” quoth he, “a pike than a pickerel, young pike And better than old beef is tender veal.

I will no woman thirty year of age,

It is but beanestraw and great forage.

And eke these olde widows (God it wot) They conne* so much craft on Wade’s boat,<5> know So muche brooke harm when that them lest, they can do so much That with them should I never live in rest. harm when they wish*

For sundry schooles make subtle clerkes; Woman of many schooles half a clerk is.

But certainly a young thing men may guy, guide Right as men may warm wax with handes ply. bend,mould Wherefore I say you plainly in a clause, I will none old wife have, right for this cause.

For if so were I hadde such mischance, That I in her could have no pleasance, Then should I lead my life in avoutrie, adultery And go straight to the devil when I die.

Nor children should I none upon her getten: Yet *were me lever* houndes had me eaten I would rather

Than that mine heritage shoulde fall

In strange hands: and this I tell you all.

I doubte not I know the cause why

Men shoulde wed: and farthermore know I There speaketh many a man of marriage

That knows no more of it than doth my page, For what causes a man should take a wife.

If he ne may not live chaste his life, Take him a wife with great devotion,

Because of lawful procreation

Of children, to th’ honour of God above, And not only for paramour or love;

And for they shoulde lechery eschew,

And yield their debte when that it is due: Or for that each of them should help the other In mischief,* as a sister shall the brother, *trouble And live in chastity full holily.

But, Sires, by your leave, that am not I, For, God be thanked, I dare make avaunt, boast I feel my limbes stark* and suffisant *strong To do all that a man belongeth to:

I wot myselfe best what I may do.

Though I be hoar, I fare as doth a tree, That blossoms ere the fruit y-waxen* be; *grown The blossomy tree is neither dry nor dead; I feel me now here hoar but on my head.

Mine heart and all my limbes are as green As laurel through the year is for