Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 65

907. E. Hl. tellen it; Hn. tellen me; Cm. telle me; _rest_ telle it me. 908. E. shal (_for_ wol).

Wo was this knight and sorwefully he syketh; But what! he may nat do al as him lyketh.

And at the laste, he chees him for to wende, 915 And come agayn, right at the yeres ende, (60) [347: T. 6499-6536.]

With swich answere as G.o.d wolde him purveye; And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye.

914. Cm. [gh]it (_for_ what); E. _om._

He seketh every hous and every place, Wher-as he hopeth for to finde grace, 920 To lerne, what thing wommen loven most; But he ne coude arryven in no cost, Wher-as he mighte finde in this matere Two creatures accordinge in-fere.

Somme seyde, wommen loven best richesse, 925 Somme seyde, honour, somme seyde, Iolynesse; (70) Somme, riche array, somme seyden, l.u.s.t abedde, And ofte tyme to be widwe and wedde.

Somme seyde, that our hertes been most esed, Whan that we been y-flatered and y-plesed. 930 He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye; A man shal winne us best with flaterye; And with attendance, and with bisinesse, Been we y-lymed, bothe more and lesse.

And somme seyn, how that we loven best 935 For to be free, and do right as us lest, (80) And that no man repreve us of our vyce, But seye that we be wyse, and no-thing nyce.

For trewely, ther is noon of us alle, If any wight wol clawe us on the galle, 940 That we nil kike, for he seith us sooth; a.s.say, and he shal finde it that so dooth.

For be we never so vicious with-inne, We wol been holden wyse, and clene of sinne.

935. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. _om._ how. 941. nil] E. nel; Cm. nolde.

And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we 945 For to ben holden stable and eek secree, (90) And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle.

But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele; Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; 950 Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale?

Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge up-on his heed two a.s.ses eres, [348: T. 6537-6572.]

The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, 955 Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, (100) That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo.

He loved hir most, and trusted hir also; He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure. 960

958. Hn. Cp. Hl. trusted; Cm. trostid; E. triste. 959. Cm. preyede; Hl. prayed; Hn. preyed; E. preyde.

She swoor him 'nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name; She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.'

But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, 965 That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; (110) Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte; And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; 970 Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth un-to the water doun: 'Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,'

Quod she, 'to thee I telle it, and namo; 975 Myn housbond hath longe a.s.ses eres two! (120) Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute; I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,'

Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; 980 The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere.

972. Cm. b.u.mbith; Cp. Pt. b.u.mlith; Hl. b.u.mblith.

This knight, of which my tale is specially, Whan that he saugh he mighte nat come therby, This is to seye, what wommen loven moost, 985 With-inne his brest ful sorweful was the goost; (130) But hoom he gooth, he mighte nat soiourne.

The day was come, that hoomward moste he tourne, And in his wey it happed him to ryde, In al this care, under a forest-syde, 990 [349: T. 6573-6609.]

Wher-as he saugh up-on a daunce go Of ladies foure and twenty, and yet mo; Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne, In hope that som wisdom sholde he lerne.

But certeinly, er he came fully there, 995 Vanisshed was this daunce, he niste where. (140) No creature saugh he that bar lyf, Save on the grene he saugh sittinge a wyf; A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.

Agayn the knight this olde wyf gan ryse, 1000 And seyde, 'sir knight, heer-forth ne lyth no wey.

Tel me, what that ye seken, by your fey?

Paraventure it may the bettre be; Thise olde folk can muchel thing,' quod she.

985. E. loue. 990. E. Hn. this; _rest_ his. 993. Hn. whiche; E.

which; _rest vary_.

'My leve mooder,' quod this knight certeyn, 1005 'I nam but deed, but-if that I can seyn (150) What thing it is that wommen most desyre; Coude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quyte your hyre.'

'Plighte me thy trouthe, heer in myn hand,' quod she, 'The nexte thing that I requere thee, 1010 Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy might; And I wol telle it yow er it be night.'

'Have heer my trouthe,' quod the knight, 'I grante.'

'Thanne,' quod she, 'I dar me wel avante, Thy lyf is sauf, for I wol stonde therby, 1015 Up-on my lyf, the queen wol seye as I. (160) Lat see which is the proudeste of hem alle, That wereth on a coverchief or a calle, That dar seye nay, of that I shal thee teche; Lat us go forth with-outen lenger speche.' 1020 Tho rouned she a pistel in his ere, And bad him to be glad, and have no fere.

1016. E. queene.

Whan they be comen to the court, this knight Seyde, 'he had holde his day, as he hadde hight, And redy was his answere,' as he sayde. 1025 Ful many a n.o.ble wyf, and many a mayde, (170) And many a widwe, for that they ben wyse, [350: T. 6610-6645.]

The quene hir-self sittinge as a Iustyse, a.s.sembled been, his answere for to here; And afterward this knight was bode appere. 1030

1028. E. Hn. Cp. Ln. _om._ a.

To every wight comanded was silence, And that the knight sholde telle in audience, What thing that worldly wommen loven best.

This knight ne stood nat stille as doth a best, But to his questioun anon answerde 1035 With manly voys, that al the court it herde: (180)

'My lige lady, generally,' quod he, 'Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; 1040 This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.'

1038. E. _om._ to. 1042. E. _om._ heer; Cm. al.

In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, 'he was worthy han his lyf.' 1045

And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, (190) Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: 'Mercy,' quod she, 'my sovereyn lady quene!

Er that your court departe, do me right.

I taughte this answere un-to the knight; 1050 For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might.

Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,'

Quod she, 'that thou me take un-to thy wyf; 1055 For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf. (200) If I sey fals, sey nay, up-on thy fey!'

1052. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. _om._ of. 1054. E. thanne.

This knight answerde, 'allas! and weylawey!

I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.

For G.o.ddes love, as chees a newe requeste; 1060 Tak al my good, and lat my body go.'

1061. E. Hn. Taak.

'Nay than,' quod she, 'I shrewe us bothe two!

For thogh that I be foul, and old, and pore, [351: T. 6646-6682.]

I nolde for al the metal, ne for ore, That under erthe is grave, or lyth above, 1065 But-if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.' (210)

1062. E. thanne. 1063. _All but_ Cp. Pt. _om. 1st_ and. E. oold, poore. 1064. Hl. the oure; E. Hn. oore; Cm. Pt. ore; Cp. oure; Ln.

oer.

'My love?' quod he; 'nay, my dampnacioun!

Allas! that any of my nacioun Sholde ever so foule disparaged be!'

But al for noght, the ende is this, that he 1070 Constreyned was, he nedes moste hir wedde; And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.

1070. E. Hn. thende.

Now wolden som men seye, paraventure, That, for my necligence, I do no cure To tellen yow the Ioye and al tharray 1075 That at the feste was that ilke day. (220) To whiche thing shortly answere I shal; I seye, ther nas no Ioye ne feste at al, Ther nas but hevinesse and muche sorwe; For prively he wedded hir on a morwe, 1080 And al day after hidde him as an oule; So wo was him, his wyf looked so foule.