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

worthy women of the town: For he had power of confession,

As said himselfe, more than a curate,

For of his order he was licentiate.

Full sweetely heard he confession,

And pleasant was his absolution.

He was an easy man to give penance,

There as he wist to have a good pittance: where he know he would For unto a poor order for to give get good payment

Is signe that a man is well y-shrive.

For if he gave, he durste make avant, dared to boast

He wiste* that the man was repentant. *knew For many a man so hard is of his heart, He may not weep although him sore smart.

Therefore instead of weeping and prayeres, Men must give silver to the poore freres.

His tippet was aye farsed* full of knives *stuffed And pinnes, for to give to faire wives; And certainly he had a merry note:

Well could he sing and playen *on a rote*; from memory

Of yeddings* he bare utterly the prize. *songs His neck was white as is the fleur-de-lis.

Thereto he strong was as a champion,

And knew well the taverns in every town.

And every hosteler and gay tapstere,

Better than a lazar* or a beggere, *leper For unto such a worthy man as he

Accordeth not, as by his faculty,

To have with such lazars acquaintance.

It is not honest, it may not advance,

As for to deale with no such pouraille*, offal, refuse But all with rich, and sellers of vitaille. victuals And ov’r all there as* profit should arise, *in every place where&

Courteous he was, and lowly of service; There n’as no man nowhere so virtuous.

He was the beste beggar in all his house: And gave a certain farme for the grant, <19>

None of his bretheren came in his haunt.

For though a widow hadde but one shoe, So pleasant was his In Principio,<20>

Yet would he have a farthing ere he went; His purchase was well better than his rent.

And rage he could and play as any whelp, In lovedays <21>; there could he muchel* help. *greatly For there was he not like a cloisterer, With threadbare cope as is a poor scholer; But he was like a master or a pope.

Of double worsted was his semicope, short cloak That rounded was as a bell out of press.

Somewhat he lisped for his wantonness, To make his English sweet upon his tongue; And in his harping, when that he had sung, His eyen* twinkled in his head aright, *eyes As do the starres in a frosty night.

This worthy limitour <18> was call’d Huberd.

 

A MERCHANT was there with a forked beard, In motley, and high on his horse he sat, Upon his head a Flandrish beaver hat.

His bootes clasped fair and fetisly*. *neatly His reasons aye spake he full solemnly, Sounding alway th’ increase of his winning.

He would the sea were kept <22> for any thing Betwixte Middleburg and Orewell<23>

Well could he in exchange shieldes* sell *crown coins <24>

This worthy man full well his wit beset*; employed There wiste no wight** that he was in debt, knew *man So estately was he of governance so well he managed

With his bargains, and with his chevisance*. *business contract For sooth he was a worthy man withal,

But sooth to say, I n’ot* how men him call. know not A CLERK there was of Oxenford also, Oxford That unto logic hadde long y-go. *devoted himself As leane was his horse as is a rake,

And he was not right fat, I undertake; But looked hollow*, and thereto soberly**. thin; *poorly Full threadbare was his overest courtepy, uppermost short cloak

For he had gotten him yet no benefice, Ne was not worldly, to have an office.

For him was lever* have at his bed’s head *rather Twenty bookes, clothed in black or red, Of Aristotle, and his philosophy,

Than robes rich, or fiddle, or psalt’ry.

But all be that he was a philosopher,

Yet hadde he but little gold in coffer, But all that he might of his friendes hent, obtain On bookes and on learning he it spent, And busily gan for the soules pray

Of them that gave him <25> wherewith to scholay study Of study took he moste care and heed.

Not one word spake he more than was need; And that was said in form and reverence, And short and quick, and full of high sentence.

Sounding in moral virtue was his speech, And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach.

 

A SERGEANT OF THE LAW, wary and wise,

That often had y-been at the Parvis, <26>

There was also, full rich of excellence.

Discreet he was, and of great reverence: He seemed such, his wordes were so wise, Justice he was full often in assize,

By patent, and by plein* commission; *full For his science, and for his high renown, Of fees and robes had he many one.

So great a purchaser was nowhere none.

All was fee simple to him, in effect

His purchasing might not be in suspect suspicion Nowhere so busy a man as he there was

And yet he seemed busier than he was

In termes had he case’ and doomes* all *judgements That from the time of King Will. were fall.

Thereto he could indite, and make a thing There coulde no wight *pinch at* his writing. find fault with

And every statute coud* he plain by rote knew He rode but homely in a medley coat, multicoloured Girt with a seint of silk, with barres small; *sash Of his array tell I no longer tale.

 

A FRANKELIN* was in this company; *Rich landowner White was his beard, as is the daisy.

Of his complexion he was sanguine.

Well lov’d he in the morn a sop in wine.

To liven in delight was ever his won, wont For he was Epicurus’ owen son,

That held opinion, that plein* delight *full Was verily felicity perfite.

An householder, and that a great, was he; Saint Julian<27> he was in his country.

His bread, his ale, was alway after one; pressed on one

A better envined* man was nowhere none; *stored with wine Withoute bake-meat never was his house, Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous, It snowed in his house of meat and drink, Of alle dainties that men coulde think.

After the sundry seasons of the year,

So changed he his meat and his soupere.

Full many a fat partridge had he in mew, cage <28>

And many a bream, and many a luce* in stew**<29> pike *fish-pond Woe was his cook, but if his sauce were unless

Poignant and sharp, and ready all his gear.

His table dormant* in his hall alway *fixed Stood ready cover’d all the longe day.

At sessions there was he lord and sire.

Full often time he was *knight of the shire* Member of Parliament

An anlace*, and a gipciere** all of silk, dagger *purse Hung at his girdle, white as morning milk.

A sheriff had he been, and a countour<30>

Was nowhere such a worthy vavasour<31>.

 

An HABERDASHER, and a CARPENTER,

A WEBBE*, a DYER, and a TAPISER**, weaver *tapestry-maker Were with us eke, cloth’d in one livery, Of a solemn and great fraternity.

Full fresh and new their gear y-picked* was. spruce Their knives were y-chaped not with brass, mounted But all with silver wrought full clean and well, Their girdles and their pouches every deal*. in every part

Well seemed each of them a fair burgess, To sitten in a guild-hall, on the dais. <32>

Evereach, for the wisdom that he can*, knew Was shapely for to be an alderman. *fitted For chattels hadde they enough and rent, And eke their wives would it well assent: And elles certain they had been to blame.

It is full fair to be y-clep’d madame, And for to go to vigils all before,

And have a mantle royally y-bore.<33>

 

A COOK they hadde with them for the nones, occasion To boil the chickens and the marrow bones, And powder merchant tart and galingale.

Well could he know a draught of London ale.

He could roast, and stew, and broil, and fry, Make mortrewes, and well bake a pie.

But great harm was it, as it thoughte me, That, on his shin a mormal* hadde he. *ulcer For blanc manger, that made he with the best <34>

 

A SHIPMAN was there, *wonned far by West*: who dwelt far For ought I wot, be was of Dartemouth. to the West

He rode upon a rouncy*, as he couth, hack All in a gown of falding to the knee. *coarse cloth A dagger hanging by a lace had he

About his neck under his arm adown;

The hot summer had made his hue all brown; And certainly he was a good fellaw.

Full many a draught of wine he had y-draw From Bourdeaux-ward, while that the chapmen sleep; Of nice conscience took he no keep.

If that he fought, and had the higher hand, *By water he sent them home to every land.* he drowned his But of his craft to reckon well his tides, prisoners

His streames and his strandes him besides, His herberow*, his moon, and lodemanage**, harbourage There was none such, from Hull unto Carthage *pilotage<35>

Hardy he was, and wise, I undertake:

With many a tempest had his beard been shake.

He knew well all the havens, as they were, From Scotland to the Cape of Finisterre, And every creek in Bretagne and in Spain: His barge y-cleped was the Magdelain.

 

With us there was a DOCTOR OF PHYSIC;

In all this worlde was there none him like To speak of physic, and of surgery:

For he was grounded in astronomy.

He kept his patient a full great deal

In houres by his magic natural.

Well could he fortune* the ascendent *make fortunate Of his images for his patient,.

He knew the cause of every malady,

Were it of cold, or hot, or moist, or dry, And where engender’d, and of what humour.

He was a very perfect practisour

The cause y-know,* and of his harm the root, known Anon he gave to the sick man his boot *remedy Full ready had he his apothecaries,

To send his drugges and his lectuaries For each of them made other for to win Their friendship was not newe to begin Well knew he the old Esculapius,

And Dioscorides, and eke Rufus;

Old Hippocras, Hali, and Gallien;

Serapion, Rasis, and Avicen;

Averrois, Damascene, and Constantin;

Bernard, and Gatisden, and Gilbertin. <36>

Of his diet measurable was he,

For it was of no superfluity,

But of great nourishing, and digestible.

His study was but little on the Bible.

In sanguine* and in perse** he clad was all red *blue Lined with taffeta, and with sendall*. fine silk And yet he was but easy of dispense*: he spent very little

He kept that he won in the pestilence. the money he made For gold in physic is a cordial; during the plague

Therefore he loved gold in special.

 

A good WIFE was there OF beside BATH,

But she was somedeal deaf, and that was scath*. damage; pity Of cloth-making she hadde such an haunt, *skill She passed them of Ypres, and of Gaunt. <37>

In all the parish wife was there none, That to the off’ring* before her should gon, *the offering at mass And if there did, certain so wroth was she, That she was out of alle charity

Her coverchiefs* were full fine of ground *head-dresses I durste