Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 84

O Ianuarie, dronken in plesaunce Of mariage, see how thy Damian, Thyn owene squyer and thy borne man, 1790 Entendeth for to do thee vileinye.

G.o.d graunte thee thyn hoomly fo tespye.

For in this world nis worse pestilence Than hoomly foo al day in thy presence. (550)

1784. Cp. Hl. famuler; Pt. famulere; Ln. famylere. 1786. Hn. Cp.

neddre; Cm. neddere; Hl. nedder; Pt. adder. 1789. Pt. Hl. Of; Cp. Ln.

O(!); _rest_ In. 1790. Cm. bore; Cp. Ln. Hl. borne; _rest_ born.

1792. Cp. Ln. to espye; Hn. Hl. espye.

Parfourned hath the sonne his ark diurne, 1795 No lenger may the body of him soiurne On thorisonte, as in that lat.i.tude.

Night with his mantel, that is derk and rude, Gan oversprede the hemisperie aboute; For which departed is this l.u.s.ty route 1800 Fro Ianuarie, with thank on every syde.

Hom to hir houses l.u.s.tily they ryde, Wher-as they doon hir thinges as hem leste, And whan they sye hir tyme, goon to reste. (560) Sone after that, this hastif Ianuarie 1805 Wolde go to bedde, he wolde no lenger tarie.

He drinketh ipocras, clarree, and vernage Of spyces hote, tencresen his corage; And many a letuarie hadde he ful fyn, [443: T. 9684-9719.]

Swiche as the cursed monk dan Constantyn 1810 Hath writen in his book _de Coitu_; To eten hem alle, he nas no-thing eschu.

And to his privee freendes thus seyde he: 'For G.o.ddes love, as sone as it may be, (570) Lat voyden al this hous in curteys wyse.' 1815 And they han doon right as he wol devyse.

Men drinken, and the travers drawe anon; The bryde was broght a-bedde as stille as stoon; And whan the bed was with the preest y-blessed, Out of the chambre hath every wight him dressed. 1820 And Ianuarie hath faste in armes take His fresshe May, his paradys, his make.

He lulleth hir, he kisseth hir ful ofte With thikke bristles of his berd unsofte, (580) Lyk to the skin of houndfish, sharp as brere, 1825 For he was shave al newe in his manere.

He rubbeth hir aboute hir tendre face, And seyde thus, 'allas! I moot tres.p.a.ce To yow, my spouse, and yow gretly offende, Er tyme come that I wil doun descende. 1830 But nathelees, considereth this,' quod he, 'Ther nis no werkman, what-so-ever he be, That may bothe werke wel and hastily; This wol be doon at leyser parfitly. (590) It is no fors how longe that we pleye; 1835 In trewe wedlok wedded be we tweye; And blessed be the yok that we been inne, For in our actes we mowe do no sinne.

A man may do no sinne with his wyf, Ne hurte him-selven with his owene knyf; 1840 For we han leve to pleye us by the lawe.'

Thus laboureth he til that the day gan dawe; And than he taketh a sop in fyn clarree, And upright in his bed than sitteth he, (600) And after that he sang ful loude and clere, 1845 [444: T. 9720-9755.]

And kiste his wyf, and made wantoun chere.

He was al coltish, ful of ragerye, And ful of Iargon as a flekked pye.

The slakke skin aboute his nekke shaketh, Whyl that he sang; so chaunteth he and craketh. 1850 But G.o.d wot what that May thoughte in hir herte, Whan she him saugh up sittinge in his sherte, In his night-cappe, and with his nekke lene; She preyseth nat his pleying worth a bene. (610) Than seide he thus, 'my reste wol I take; 1855 Now day is come, I may no lenger wake.'

And doun he leyde his heed, and sleep til pryme.

And afterward, whan that he saugh his tyme, Up ryseth Ianuarie; but fresshe May Holdeth hir chambre un-to the fourthe day, 1860 As usage is of wyves for the beste.

For every labour som-tyme moot han reste, Or elles longe may he nat endure; This is to seyn, no lyves creature, (620) Be it of fish, or brid, or beest, or man. 1865

1802. E. Hl. hous; _rest_ houses. 1808. Cp. Pt. Hl. to encresen.

1809. E. hath. 1810. E. _om._ cursed. 1812. Cm. Ln. was; _rest_ nas. 1824. Cp. HL. thikke; _rest_ thilke (_with_ lk = kk). E. Cm.

brustles. 1838. E. Hn. Cm. _om._ our. 1843. E. thanne; fyne.

1844. E. thanne. 1846. E. wantowne. 1847. E. coltissh. 1848. Cp.

Pt. Girgoun; Ln. Girgun. 1851. Hn. thoghte. 1855. E. Thanne.

1860. Pt. Ln. Hl. Holdeth; Cp. Holt; E. Hn. Heeld; Cm. Held.

Now wol I speke of woful Damian, That languissheth for love, as ye shul here; Therfore I speke to him in this manere: I seye, 'O sely Damian, allas!

Answere to my demaunde, as in this cas, 1870 How shaltow to thy lady fresshe May Telle thy wo? She wole alwey seye "nay"; Eek if thou speke, she wol thy wo biwreye; G.o.d be thyn help, I can no bettre seye.' (630)

1867. Cp. langureth; Pt. languowreth; Ln. longurith. 1870. E.

Andswere.

This syke Damian in Venus fyr 1875 So brenneth, that he dyeth for desyr; For which he putte his lyf in aventure, No lenger mighte he in this wyse endure; But prively a penner gan he borwe, And in a lettre wroot he al his sorwe, 1880 In manere of a compleynt or a lay, [445: T. 9756-9792.]

Un-to his faire fresshe lady May.

And in a purs of silk, heng on his sherte, He hath it put, and leyde it at his herte. (640)

The mone that, at noon, was, thilke day 1885 That Ianuarie hath wedded fresshe May, In two of Taur, was in-to Cancre gliden; So longe hath Maius in hir chambre biden, As custume is un-to thise n.o.bles alle.

A bryde shal nat eten in the halle, 1890 Til dayes foure or three dayes atte leste Y-pa.s.sed been; than lat hir go to feste.

The fourthe day compleet fro noon to noon, Whan that the heighe ma.s.se was y-doon, (650) In halle sit this Ianuarie, and May 1895 As fresh as is the brighte someres day.

And so bifel, how that this G.o.de man Remembred him upon this Damian, And seyde, 'Seinte Marie! how may this be, That Damian entendeth nat to me? 1900 Is he ay syk, or how may this bityde?'

His squyeres, whiche that stoden ther bisyde, Excused him by-cause of his siknesse, Which letted him to doon his bisinesse; (660) Noon other cause mighte make him tarie. 1905

1888. Hl. Hn. Cp. abiden. 1892. E. thanne. 1896. E. fressh. 1902.

E. Hise.

'That me forthinketh,' quod this Ianuarie, 'He is a gentil squyer, by my trouthe!

If that he deyde, it were harm and routhe; He is as wys, discreet, and as secree As any man I woot of his degree; 1910 And ther-to manly and eek servisable, And for to been a thrifty man right able.

But after mete, as sone as ever I may, I wol my-self visyte him and eek May, (670) To doon him al the confort that I can.' 1915 And for that word him blessed every man, That, of his bountee and his gentillesse, He wolde so conforten in siknesse [446: T. 9793-9830.]

His squyer, for it was a gentil dede.

'Dame,' quod this Ianuarie, 'tak good hede, 1920 At-after mete ye, with your wommen alle, Whan ye han been in chambre out of this halle, That alle ye go see this Damian; Doth him disport, he is a gentil man; (680) And telleth him that I wol him visyte, 1925 Have I no-thing but rested me a lyte; And spede yow faste, for I wole abyde Til that ye slepe faste by my syde.'

And with that word he gan to him to calle A squyer, that was marchal of his halle, 1930 And tolde him certeyn thinges, what he wolde.

1920. E. taak. 1921. E. noon; _rest_ mete.

This fresshe May hath streight hir wey y-holde, With alle hir wommen, un-to Damian.

Doun by his beddes syde sit she than, (690) Confortinge him as goodly as she may. 1935 This Damian, whan that his tyme he say, In secree wise his purs, and eek his bille, In which that he y-writen hadde his wille, Hath put in-to hir hand, with-outen more, Save that he syketh wonder depe and sore, 1940 And softely to hir right thus seyde he: 'Mercy! and that ye nat discovere me; For I am deed, if that this thing be kid.'

This purs hath she inwith hir bosom hid, (700) And wente hir wey; ye gete namore of me. 1945 But un-to Ianuarie y-comen is she, That on his beddes syde sit ful softe.

He taketh hir, and kisseth hir ful ofte, And leyde him doun to slepe, and that anon.

She feyned hir as that she moste gon 1950 Ther-as ye woot that every wight mot nede.

And whan she of this bille hath taken hede, She rente it al to cloutes atte laste, And in the privee softely it caste. (710)

Who studieth now but faire fresshe May? 1955 Adoun by olde Ianuarie she lay, [447: T. 9831-9866.]

That sleep, til that the coughe hath him awaked; Anon he preyde hir strepen hir al naked; He wolde of hir, he seyde, han som plesaunce, And seyde, hir clothes dide him encombraunce, 1960 And she obeyeth, be hir lief or looth.

But lest that precious folk be with me wrooth, How that he wroghte, I dar nat to yow telle; Or whether hir thoughte it paradys or h.e.l.le; (720) But here I lete hem werken in hir wyse 1965 Til evensong rong, and that they moste aryse.

1957. Hn. Cm. coghe; Ln. couhe. 1962. E. ye; Cm. the; _rest_ that.

1964. E. wheither that; Hn. Cm. Hl. _om._ that. 1966. Cp. Ln.

euesong.

Were it by destinee or aventure, Were it by influence or by nature, Or constellacion, that in swich estat The hevene stood, that tyme fortunat 1970 Was for to putte a bille of Venus werkes (For alle thing hath tyme, as seyn thise clerkes) To any womman, for to gete hir love, I can nat seye; but grete G.o.d above, (730) That knoweth that non act is causelees, 1975 He deme of al, for I wol holde my pees.

But sooth is this, how that this fresshe May Hath take swich impression that day, For pitee of this syke Damian, That from hir herte she ne dryve can 1980 The remembraunce for to doon him ese.

'Certeyn,' thoghte she, 'whom that this thing displese, I rekke noght, for here I him a.s.sure, To love him best of any creature, (740) Though he na-more hadde than his sherte.' 1985 Lo, pitee renneth sone in gentil herte.

1967. _All but_ Ln. Hl. _ins._ by _after_ or. 1969, 70. E. estaat, fortunaat. 1971. Hn. Hl. As; E. Cp. Pt. Ln. Was.

Heer may ye se how excellent franchyse In wommen is, whan they hem narwe avyse.

Som tyrant is, as ther be many oon, That hath an herte as hard as any stoon, 1990 Which wolde han lete him sterven in the place Wel rather than han graunted him hir grace; [448: T. 9867-9902.]

And hem reioysen in hir cruel pryde, And rekke nat to been an homicyde. (750)

1991. E. Cm. lat. E. storuen. 1993. E. crueel.

This gentil May, fulfilled of pitee, 1995 Right of hir hande a lettre made she, In which she graunteth him hir verray grace; Ther lakketh noght but only day and place, Wher that she mighte un-to his l.u.s.t suffyse: For it shal be right as he wol devyse. 2000 And whan she saugh hir time, up-on a day, To visite this Damian goth May, And sotilly this lettre doun she threste Under his pilwe, rede it if him leste. (760) She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste 2005 So secrely, that no wight of it wiste, And bad him been al hool, and forth she wente To Ianuarie, whan that he for hir sente.

1996. Hn. Hl. maked; Cm. makede. 1998. Cm. Hl. but only; _rest_ only but. 2002. _All_ visite; _perhaps read_ visiten. 2007. she] E.

he. 2008. hir] E. him.

Up ryseth Damian the nexte morwe, Al pa.s.sed was his siknesse and his sorwe. 2010 He kembeth him, he proyneth him and pyketh, He dooth al that his lady l.u.s.t and lyketh; And eek to Ianuarie he gooth as lowe As ever dide a dogge for the bowe. (770) He is so plesant un-to every man, 2015 (For craft is al, who-so that do it can) That every wight is fayn to speke him good; And fully in his lady grace he stood.

Thus lete I Damian aboute his nede, And in my tale forth I wol procede. 2020

2011. E. preyneth; Hn. prayneth; Hl. pruneth. 2018. Hn. Cm. ladyes; _rest_ lady.

Somme clerkes holden that felicitee Stant in delyt, and therefor certeyn he, This n.o.ble Ianuarie, with al his might, In honest wyse, as longeth to a knight, (780) Shoop him to live ful deliciously. 2025 His housinge, his array, as honestly To his degree was maked as a kinges.