The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
But God forbidde, for his blissful might,
But if a clerk could do a gentle deed
As well as any of you, it is no drede* *doubt
Sir, I release thee thy thousand pound,
As thou right now were crept out of the ground,
Nor ever ere now haddest knowen me.
For, Sir, I will not take a penny of thee
For all my craft, nor naught for my travail;* *labour, pains
Thou hast y-payed well for my vitaille;
It is enough; and farewell, have good day.”
And took his horse, and forth he went his way.
Lordings, this question would I aske now,
Which was the moste free,* as thinketh you? *generous <32>
Now telle me, ere that ye farther wend.
I can* no more, my tale is at an end. *know, can tell
Notes to The Franklin’s Tale
1. Well unnethes durst this knight for dread: This knight hardly
dared, for fear (that she would not entertain his suit.)
2. “Ne woulde God never betwixt us twain,
As in my guilt, were either war or strife”
Would to God there may never be war or strife between us,
through my fault.
3. Perhaps the true reading is “beteth” — prepares, makes ready,
his wings for flight.
4. Penmark: On the west coast of Brittany, between Brest and
L’Orient. The name is composed of two British words, “pen,”
mountain, and “mark,” region; it therefore means the
mountainous country
5. Cairrud: “The red city;” it is not known where it was
situated.
6. Warished: cured; French, “guerir,” to heal, or recover from
sickness.
7. Annoyeth: works mischief; from Latin, “nocco,” I hurt.
8. Virelays: ballads; the “virelai” was an ancient French poem
of two rhymes.
9. Lucina the sheen: Diana the bright. See note 54 to the
Knight’s Tale.
10. In a Latin poem, very popular in Chaucer’s time, Pamphilus
relates his amour with Galatea, setting out with the idea
adopted by our poet in the lines that follow.
11. Sursanure: A wound healed on the surface, but festering
beneath.
12. Orleans: Where there was a celebrated and very famous
university, afterwards eclipsed by that of Paris. It was founded
by Philip le Bel in 1312.
13. Every halk and every hern: Every nook and corner, Anglo-
Saxon, “healc,” a nook; “hyrn,” a corner.
14. Tregetoures: tricksters, jugglers. The word is probably
derived — in “treget,” deceit or imposture — from the French
“trebuchet,” a military machine; since it is evident that much and
elaborate machinery must have been employed to produce the
effects afterwards described. Another derivation is from the
Low Latin, “tricator,” a deceiver.
15. Lissed of: eased of; released from; another form of “less” or
“lessen.”
16. Gironde: The river, formed by the union of the Dordogne
and Garonne, on which Bourdeaux stands.
17. Nor gladly for that sum he would not gon: And even for
that sum he would not willingly go to work.
18. “Noel,” the French for Christmas — derived from “natalis,”
and signifying that on that day Christ was born — came to be
used as a festive cry by the people on solemn occasions.
19. Tables Toletanes: Toledan tables; the astronomical tables
composed by order Of Alphonso II, King of Castile, about 1250
and so called because they were adapted to the city of Toledo.
20. “Alnath,” Says Mr Wright, was “the first star in the horns of
Aries, whence the first mansion of the moon is named.”
21. Another and better reading is “a week or two.”
22. These stories are all taken from the book of St Jerome
“Contra Jovinianum,” from which the Wife of Bath drew so
many of her ancient instances. See note 1 to the prologue to the
Wife of Bath’s Tale.
23. Panthea. Abradatas, King of Susa, was an ally of the
Assyrians against Cyrus; and his wife was taken at the conquest
of the Assyrian camp. Struck by the honourable treatment she
received at the captors hands, Abradatas joined Cyrus, and fell
in battle against his former alhes. His wife, inconsolable at his
loss, slew herself immediately.
24. Protesilaus was the husband of Laedamia. She begged the
gods, after his death, that but three hours’ converse with him
might be allowed her; the request was granted; and when her
dead husband, at the expiry of the time, returned to the world of
shades, she bore him company.
25. The daughter of Cato of Utica, Porcia married Marcus
Brutus, the friend and the assassin of Julius Caesar; when her
husband died by his own hand after the battle of Philippi, she
committed suicide, it is said, by swallowing live coals — all
other means having been removed by her friends.
26. Artemisia, Queen of Caria, who built to her husband
Mausolus, the splendid monument which was accounted among
the wonders of the world; and who mingled her husband’s ashes
with her daily drink. “Barbarie” is used in the Greek sense, to
designate the non-Hellenic peoples of Asia.
27. Teuta: Queen of Illyria, who, after her husband’s death,
made war on and was conquered by the Romans, B.C 228.
28. At this point, in some manuscripts, occur thefollowing two
lines: —
“The same thing I say of Bilia,
Of Rhodegone and of Valeria.”
29. Bound: prepared; going. To “boun” or “bown” is a good
old word, whence comes our word “bound,” in the sense of “on
the way.”
30. That from his lust yet were him lever abide: He would
rather do without his pleasure.
31. Such apparence: such an ocular deception, or apparition —
more properly, disappearance — as the removal of the rocks.
32. The same question is stated a the end of Boccaccio’s version
of the story in the “Philocopo,” where the queen determines in
favour of Aviragus. The question is evidently one of those
which it was the fashion to propose for debate in the mediaeval
“courts of love.”
THE DOCTOR’S TALE.
THE PROLOGUE. <1>
[“YEA, let that passe,” quoth our Host, “as now.
Sir Doctor of Physik, I praye you,
Tell us a tale of some honest mattere.”
“It shall be done, if that ye will it hear,”
Said this Doctor; and his tale gan anon.
“Now, good men,” quoth he, “hearken everyone.”]
Notes to the Prologue to the Doctor’s Tale
1. The authenticity of the prologue is questionable. It is found in
one manuscript only; other manuscripts give other prologues,
more plainly not Chaucer’s than this; and some manuscripts
have merely a colophon to the effect that “Here endeth the
Franklin’s Tale and beginneth the Physician’s Tale without a
prologue.” The Tale itself is the well-known story of Virginia,
with several departures from the text of Livy. Chaucer probably
followed the “Romance of the Rose” and Gower’s “Confessio
Amantis,” in both of which the story is found.
THE TALE.
There was, as telleth Titus Livius, <1>
A knight, that called was Virginius,
Full filled of honour and worthiness,
And strong of friendes, and of great richess.
This knight one daughter hadde by his wife;
No children had he more in all his life.
Fair was this maid in excellent beauty
Aboven ev’ry wight that man may see:
For nature had with sov’reign diligence
Y-formed her in so great excellence,
As though she woulde say, “Lo, I, Nature,
Thus can I form and paint a creature,
When that me list; who can me counterfeit?
Pygmalion? not though he aye forge and beat,
Or grave or painte: for I dare well sayn,
Apelles, Zeuxis, shoulde work in vain,
Either to grave, or paint, or forge, or beat,
If they presumed me to counterfeit.
For he that is the former principal,
Hath made me his vicar-general
To form and painten earthly creatures
Right as me list, and all thing in my cure* is, *care
Under the moone, that may wane and wax.
And for my work right nothing will I ax* *ask
My lord and I be full of one accord.
I made her to the worship* of my lord;
So do I all mine other creatures,
What colour that they have, or what figures.”
Thus seemeth me that Nature woulde say.
This maiden was of age twelve year and tway,* *two
In which that Nature hadde such delight.
For right as she can paint a lily white,
And red a rose, right with such painture
She painted had this noble creature,
Ere she was born, upon her limbes free,
Where as by right such colours shoulde be:
And Phoebus dyed had her tresses great,
Like to the streames* of his burned heat. *beams, rays
And if that excellent was her beauty,
A thousand-fold more virtuous was she.
In her there lacked no condition,
That is to praise, as by discretion.
As well in ghost* as body chaste was she: *mind, spirit
For which she flower’d in virginity,
With all humility and abstinence,
With alle temperance and patience,
With measure* eke of bearing and array. *moderation
Discreet she was in answering alway,
Though she were wise as Pallas, dare I sayn;
Her faconde* eke full womanly and plain, *speech <2>
No counterfeited termes hadde she
To seeme wise; but after her degree
She spake, and all her worde’s more and less
Sounding in virtue and in gentleness.
Shamefast she was in maiden’s shamefastness,
Constant in heart, and ever *in business* *diligent, eager*
To drive her out of idle sluggardy:
Bacchus had of her mouth right no mast’ry.
For wine and slothe <3> do Venus increase,
As men in fire will casten oil and grease.
And of her owen virtue, unconstrain’d,
She had herself full often sick y-feign’d,
For that she woulde flee the company,
Where likely was to treaten of folly,
As is at feasts, at revels, and at dances,
That be occasions of dalliances.
Such thinges make children for to be
Too soone ripe and bold, as men may see,
Which is full perilous, and hath been yore;* *of old
For all too soone may she learne lore
Of boldeness, when that she is a wife.
And ye mistresses,* in your olde life *governesses, duennas
That lordes’ daughters have in governance,
Take not of my wordes displeasance
Thinke that ye be set in governings
Of lordes’ daughters only for two things;
Either for ye have kept your honesty,
Or else for ye have fallen in frailty
And knowe well enough the olde dance,
And have forsaken fully such meschance* *wickedness <4>
For evermore; therefore, for Christe’s sake,
To teach them virtue look that ye not slake.* *be slack, fail
A thief of venison, that hath forlaft* *forsaken, left
His lik’rousness,* and all his olde craft, *gluttony
Can keep a forest best of any man;
Now keep them well, for if ye will ye can.
Look well, that ye unto no vice assent,
Lest ye be damned for your wick’* intent, *wicked, evil
For whoso doth, a traitor is certain;
And take keep* of that I shall you sayn; *heed
Of alle treason, sov’reign pestilence
Is when a wight betrayeth innocence.
Ye fathers, and ye mothers eke also,
Though ye have children, be it one or mo’,
Yours is the charge of all their surveyance,* *supervision
While that they be under your governance.
Beware, that by example of your living,
Or by your negligence in chastising,
That they not perish for I dare well say,
If that they do, ye shall it dear abeye.* *pay for, suffer for
Under a shepherd soft and negligent
The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent.
Suffice this example now as here,
For I must turn again to my mattere.
This maid, of which I tell my tale express,
She kept herself, her needed no mistress;
For in her living maidens mighte read,
As in a book, ev’ry good word and deed
That longeth to a maiden virtuous;
She was so prudent and so bounteous.
For which the fame out sprang on every side
Both of her beauty and her bounte* wide: *goodness
That through the land they praised her each one
That loved virtue, save envy alone,