The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 75

Alas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire Foully fordone, and brought them in the mire.

Alas! for sorrow I will myself slee* *slay And to the crow, "O false thief," said he, "I will thee quite anon thy false tale.

Thou sung whilom* like any nightingale, *once on a time Now shalt thou, false thief, thy song foregon,* *lose And eke thy white feathers every one, Nor ever in all thy life shalt thou speak; Thus shall men on a traitor be awreak. *revenged Thou and thine offspring ever shall be blake,* *black Nor ever sweete noise shall ye make, But ever cry against* tempest and rain, *before, in warning of In token that through thee my wife is slain."

And to the crow he start,* and that anon, *sprang And pull'd his white feathers every one, And made him black, and reft him all his song, And eke his speech, and out at door him flung Unto the devil, *which I him betake;* *to whom I commend him*

And for this cause be all crowes blake.

Lordings, by this ensample, I you pray, Beware, and take keep* what that ye say; *heed Nor telle never man in all your life How that another man hath dight his wife; He will you hate mortally certain.

Dan Solomon, as wise clerkes sayn, Teacheth a man to keep his tongue well; But, as I said, I am not textuel.

But natheless thus taughte me my dame; "My son, think on the crow, in G.o.dde's name.

My son, keep well thy tongue, and keep thy friend; A wicked tongue is worse than is a fiend: My sone, from a fiend men may them bless.* *defend by crossing My son, G.o.d of his endeless goodness themselves Walled a tongue with teeth, and lippes eke, For* man should him advise,** what he speak. *because **consider My son, full often for too muche speech Hath many a man been spilt,* as clerkes teach; *destroyed But for a little speech advisedly Is no man shent,* to speak generally. *ruined My son, thy tongue shouldest thou restrain At alle time, *but when thou dost thy pain* *except when you do To speak of G.o.d in honour and prayere. your best effort*

The firste virtue, son, if thou wilt lear,* *learn Is to restrain and keepe well thy tongue;<4> Thus learne children, when that they be young.

My son, of muche speaking evil advis'd, Where lesse speaking had enough suffic'd, Cometh much harm; thus was me told and taught; In muche speeche sinne wanteth not.

Wost* thou whereof a rakel** tongue serveth? *knowest **hasty Right as a sword forcutteth and forcarveth An arm in two, my deare son, right so A tongue cutteth friends.h.i.+p all in two.

A jangler* is to G.o.d abominable. *prating man Read Solomon, so wise and honourable; Read David in his Psalms, and read Senec'.

My son, speak not, but with thine head thou beck,* *beckon, nod Dissimule as thou wert deaf, if that thou hear A jangler speak of perilous mattere.

The Fleming saith, and learn *if that thee lest,* **if it please thee*

That little jangling causeth muche rest.

My son, if thou no wicked word hast said, *Thee thar not dreade for to be bewray'd;* *thou hast no need to But he that hath missaid, I dare well sayn, fear to be betrayed*

He may by no way call his word again.

Thing that is said is said, and forth it go'th, <5> Though him repent, or be he ne'er so loth; He is his thrall,* to whom that he hath said *slave A tale, *of which he is now evil apaid.* *which he now regrets*

My son, beware, and be no author new Of tidings, whether they be false or true; <6> Whereso thou come, amonges high or low, Keep well thy tongue, and think upon the crow."

Notes to the Manciple's Tale

1. "The fable of 'The Crow,' says Tyrwhitt, "which is the subject of the Manciple's Tale, has been related by so many authors, from Ovid down to Gower, that it is impossible to say whom Chaucer princ.i.p.ally followed. His skill in new dressing an old story was never, perhaps, more successfully exerted."

2. See the parallel to this pa.s.sage in the Squire's Tale, and note 34 to that tale.

3. Wantrust: distrust -- want of trust; so "wanhope," despair - - want of hope.

4. This is quoted in the French "Romance of the Rose," from Cato "De Moribus," 1. i., dist. 3: "Virtutem primam esse puta compescere linguam." ("The first virtue is to be able to control the tongue")

5. "Semel emissum volat irrevocabile verb.u.m." ("A word once uttered flies away and cannot be called back") -- Horace, Epist. 1., 18, 71.

6. This caution is also from Cato "De Moribus," 1. i., dist.

12: "Rumoris fuge ne incipias novus auctor haberi." ("Do not pa.s.s on rumours or be the author of new ones")

THE PARSON'S TALE.

THE PROLOGUE.

By that the Manciple his tale had ended, The sunne from the south line was descended So lowe, that it was not to my sight Degrees nine-and-twenty as in height.

Four of the clock it was then, as I guess, For eleven foot, a little more or less, My shadow was at thilke time, as there, Of such feet as my lengthe parted were In six feet equal of proportion.

Therewith the moone's exaltation,* *rising *In meane* Libra, gan alway ascend, *in the middle of*

As we were ent'ring at a thorpe's* end. *village's For which our Host, as he was wont to gie,* *govern As in this case, our jolly company, Said in this wise; "Lordings every one, Now lacketh us no more tales than one.

Fulfill'd is my sentence and my decree; I trow that we have heard of each degree.* from each cla.s.s or rank Almost fulfilled is mine ordinance; in the company I pray to G.o.d so give him right good chance That telleth us this tale l.u.s.tily.

Sir Priest," quoth he, "art thou a vicary?* *vicar Or art thou a Parson? say sooth by thy fay.* *faith Be what thou be, breake thou not our play; For every man, save thou, hath told his tale.

Unbuckle, and shew us what is in thy mail.* *wallet For truely me thinketh by thy cheer Thou shouldest knit up well a great mattere.

Tell us a fable anon, for c.o.c.ke's bones."

This Parson him answered all at ones; "Thou gettest fable none y-told for me, For Paul, that writeth unto Timothy, Reproveth them that *weive soothfastness,* *forsake truth*

And telle fables, and such wretchedness.

Why should I sowe draff* out of my fist, *chaff, refuse When I may sowe wheat, if that me list?

For which I say, if that you list to hear Morality and virtuous mattere, And then that ye will give me audience, I would full fain at Christe's reverence Do you pleasance lawful, as I can.

But, truste well, I am a southern man, I cannot gest,* rom, ram, ruf, <1> by my letter; *relate stories And, G.o.d wot, rhyme hold I but little better.

And therefore if you list, I will not glose,* *mince matters I will you tell a little tale in prose, To knit up all this feast, and make an end.

And Jesus for his grace wit me send To shewe you the way, in this voyage, Of thilke perfect glorious pilgrimage, <2> That hight Jerusalem celestial.

And if ye vouchesafe, anon I shall Begin upon my tale, for which I pray Tell your advice,* I can no better say. *opinion But natheless this meditation I put it aye under correction Of clerkes,* for I am not textuel; *scholars I take but the sentence,* trust me well. *meaning, sense Therefore I make a protestation, That I will stande to correction."

Upon this word we have a.s.sented soon; For, as us seemed, it was *for to do'n,* *a thing worth doing*

To enden in some virtuous sentence,* *discourse And for to give him s.p.a.ce and audience; And bade our Host he shoulde to him say That alle we to tell his tale him pray.

Our Hoste had. the wordes for us all: "Sir Priest," quoth he, "now faire you befall; Say what you list, and we shall gladly hear."

And with that word he said in this mannere; "Telle," quoth he, "your meditatioun, But hasten you, the sunne will adown.

Be fructuous,* and that in little s.p.a.ce; *fruitful; profitable And to do well G.o.d sende you his grace."

Notes to the Prologue to the Parson's Tale

1. Rom, ram, ruf: a contemptuous reference to the alliterative poetry which was at that time very popular, in preference even, it would seem, to rhyme, in the northern parts of the country, where the language was much more barbarous and unpolished than in the south.

2. Perfect glorious pilgrimage: the word is used here to signify the shrine, or destination, to which pilgrimage is made.

THE TALE. <1>

[The Parson begins his "little treatise" -(which, if given at length, would extend to about thirty of these pages, and which cannot by any stretch of courtesy or fancy be said to merit the t.i.tle of a "Tale") in these words: --]

Our sweet Lord G.o.d of Heaven, that no man will perish, but will that we come all to the knowledge of him, and to the blissful life that is perdurable [everlasting], admonishes us by the prophet Jeremiah, that saith in this wise: "Stand upon the ways, and see and ask of old paths, that is to say, of old sentences, which is the good way, and walk in that way, and ye shall find refres.h.i.+ng for your souls," <2> &c. Many be the spiritual ways that lead folk to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the reign of glory; of which ways there is a full n.o.ble way, and full convenable, which may not fail to man nor to woman, that through sin hath misgone from the right way of Jerusalem celestial; and this way is called penitence. Of which men should gladly hearken and inquire with all their hearts, to wit what is penitence, and whence it is called penitence, and in what manner, and in how many manners, be the actions or workings of penitence, and how many species there be of penitences, and what things appertain and behove to penitence, and what things disturb penitence.

[Penitence is described, on the authority of Saints Ambrose, Isidore, and Gregory, as the bewailing of sin that has been wrought, with the purpose never again to do that thing, or any other thing which a man should bewail; for weeping and not ceasing to do the sin will not avail -- though it is to be hoped that after every time that a man falls, be it ever so often, he may find grace to arise through penitence. And repentant folk that leave their sin ere sin leave them, are accounted by Holy Church sure of their salvation, even though the repentance be at the last hour. There are three actions of penitence; that a man be baptized after he has sinned; that he do no deadly sin after receiving baptism; and that he fall into no venial sins from day to day. "Thereof saith St Augustine, that penitence of good and humble folk is the penitence of every day." The species of penitence are three: solemn, when a man is openly expelled from Holy Church in Lent, or is compelled by Holy Church to do open penance for an open sin openly talked of in the country; common penance, enjoined by priests in certain cases, as to go on pilgrimage naked or barefoot; and privy penance, which men do daily for private sins, of which they confess privately and receive private penance. To very perfect penitence are behoveful and necessary three things: contrition of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction; which are fruitful penitence against delight in thinking, reckless speech, and wicked sinful works.

Penitence may be likened to a tree, having its root in contrition, biding itself in the heart as a tree-root does in the earth; out of this root springs a stalk, that bears branches and leaves of confession, and fruit of satisfaction. Of this root also springs a seed of grace, which is mother of all security, and this seed is eager and hot; and the grace of this seed springs of G.o.d, through remembrance on the day of judgment and on the pains of h.e.l.l. The heat of this seed is the love of G.o.d, and the desire of everlasting joy; and this heat draws the heart of man to G.o.d, and makes him hate his sin. Penance is the tree of life to them that receive it. In penance or contrition man shall understand four things: what is contrition; what are the causes that move a man to contrition; how he should be contrite; and what contrition availeth to the soul. Contrition is the heavy and grievous sorrow that a man receiveth in his heart for his sins, with earnest purpose to confess and do penance, and never more to sin. Six causes ought to move a man to contrition: 1.

He should remember him of his sins; 2. He should reflect that sin putteth a man in great thraldom, and all the greater the higher is the estate from which he falls; 3. He should dread the day of doom and the horrible pains of h.e.l.l; 4. The sorrowful remembrance of the good deeds that man hath omitted to do here on earth, and also the good that he hath lost, ought to make him have contrition; 5. So also ought the remembrance of the pa.s.sion that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins; 6.

And so ought the hope of three things, that is to say, forgiveness of sin, the gift of grace to do well, and the glory of heaven with which G.o.d shall reward man for his good deeds. -- All these points the Parson ill.u.s.trates and enforces at length; waxing especially eloquent under the third head, and plainly setting forth the sternly realistic notions regarding future punishments that were entertained in the time of Chaucer:-] <3>

Certes, all the sorrow that a man might make from the beginning of the world, is but a little thing, at r.e.t.a.r.d of [in comparison with] the sorrow of h.e.l.l. The cause why that Job calleth h.e.l.l the land of darkness; <4> understand, that he calleth it land or earth, for it is stable and never shall fail, and dark, for he that is in h.e.l.l hath default [is devoid] of light natural; for certes the dark light, that shall come out of the fire that ever shall burn, shall turn them all to pain that be in h.e.l.l, for it sheweth them the horrible devils that them torment. Covered with the darkness of death; that is to say, that he that is in h.e.l.l shall have default of the sight of G.o.d; for certes the sight of G.o.d is the life perdurable [everlasting]. The darkness of death, be the sins that the wretched man hath done, which that disturb [prevent] him to see the face of G.o.d, right as a dark cloud doth between us and the sun. Land of misease, because there be three manner of defaults against three things that folk of this world have in this present life; that is to say, honours, delights, and riches. Against honour have they in h.e.l.l shame and confusion: for well ye wot, that men call honour the reverence that man doth to man; but in h.e.l.l is no honour nor reverence; for certes no more reverence shall be done there to a king than to a knave [servant]. For which G.o.d saith by the prophet Jeremiah; "The folk that me despise shall be in despite." Honour is also called great lords.h.i.+p. There shall no wight serve other, but of harm and torment. Honour is also called great dignity and highness; but in h.e.l.l shall they be all fortrodden [trampled under foot] of devils. As G.o.d saith, "The horrible devils shall go and come upon the heads of d.a.m.ned folk;" and this is, forasmuch as the higher that they were in this present life, the more shall they be abated [abased] and defouled in h.e.l.l. Against the riches of this world shall they have misease [trouble, torment] of poverty, and this poverty shall be in four things: in default [want] of treasure; of which David saith, "The rich folk that embraced and oned [united] all their heart to treasure of this world, shall sleep in the sleeping of death, and nothing shall they find in their hands of all their treasure." And moreover, the misease of h.e.l.l shall be in default of meat and drink. For G.o.d saith thus by Moses, "They shall be wasted with hunger, and the birds of h.e.l.l shall devour them with bitter death, and the gall of the dragon shall be their drink, and the venom of the dragon their morsels." And furthermore, their misease shall be in default of clothing, for they shall be naked in body, as of clothing, save the fire in which they burn, and other filths; and naked shall they be in soul, of all manner virtues, which that is the clothing of the soul.

Where be then the gay robes, and the soft sheets, and the fine s.h.i.+rts? Lo, what saith of them the prophet Isaiah, that under them shall be strewed moths, and their covertures shall be of worms of h.e.l.l. And furthermore, their misease shall be in default of friends, for he is not poor that hath good friends: but there is no friend; for neither G.o.d nor any good creature shall be friend to them, and evereach of them shall hate other with deadly hate.

The Sons and the daughters shall rebel against father and mother, and kindred against kindred, and chide and despise each other, both day and night, as G.o.d saith by the prophet Micah.

And the loving children, that whom loved so fleshly each other, would each of them eat the other if they might. For how should they love together in the pains of h.e.l.l, when they hated each other in the prosperity of this life? For trust well, their fleshly love was deadly hate; as saith the prophet David; "Whoso loveth wickedness, he hateth his own soul:" and whoso hateth his own soul, certes he may love none other wight in no manner: and therefore in h.e.l.l is no solace nor no friends.h.i.+p, but ever the more kindreds that be in h.e.l.l, the more cursing, the more chiding, and the more deadly hate there is among them.

And furtherover, they shall have default of all manner delights; for certes delights be after the appet.i.tes of the five wits [senses]; as sight, hearing, smelling, savouring [tasting], and touching. But in h.e.l.l their sight shall be full of darkness and of smoke, and their eyes full of tears; and their hearing full of waimenting [lamenting] and grinting [gnas.h.i.+ng] of teeth, as saith Jesus Christ; their nostrils shall be full of stinking; and, as saith Isaiah the prophet, their savouring [tasting] shall be full of bitter gall; and touching of all their body shall be covered with fire that never shall quench, and with worms that never shall die, as G.o.d saith by the mouth of Isaiah. And forasmuch as they shall not ween that they may die for pain, and by death flee from pain, that may they understand in the word of Job, that saith, "There is the shadow of death." Certes a shadow hath the likeness of the thing of which it is shadowed, but the shadow is not the same thing of which it is shadowed: right so fareth the pain of h.e.l.l; it is like death, for the horrible anguish; and why?

for it paineth them ever as though they should die anon; but certes they shall not die. For, as saith Saint Gregory, "To wretched caitiffs shall be given death without death, and end without end, and default without failing; for their death shall always live, and their end shall evermore begin, and their default shall never fail." And therefore saith Saint John the Evangelist, "They shall follow death, and they shall not find him, and they shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." And eke Job saith, that in h.e.l.l is no order of rule. And albeit that G.o.d hath created all things in right order, and nothing without order, but all things be ordered and numbered, yet nevertheless they that be d.a.m.ned be not in order, nor hold no order. For the earth shall bear them no fruit (for, as the prophet David saith, "G.o.d shall destroy the fruit of the earth, as for them"); nor water shall give them no moisture, nor the air no refres.h.i.+ng, nor the fire no light. For as saith Saint Basil, "The burning of the fire of this world shall G.o.d give in h.e.l.l to them that be d.a.m.ned, but the light and the clearness shall be given in heaven to his children; right as the good man giveth flesh to his children, and bones to his hounds." And for they shall have no hope to escape, saith Job at last, that there shall horror and grisly dread dwell without end. Horror is always dread of harm that is to come, and this dread shall ever dwell in the hearts of them that be d.a.m.ned.

And therefore have they lost all their hope for seven causes.

First, for G.o.d that is their judge shall be without mercy to them; nor they may not please him; nor none of his hallows [saints]; nor they may give nothing for their ransom; nor they have no voice to speak to him; nor they may not flee from pain; nor they have no goodness in them that they may shew to deliver them from pain.