And ye my brothir in habit and in possessioune,
And now I am here methinketh it is to doon,
To preve it in dede what chere he wold me make,
And to yew my frende also for my sake."
They went forth togidir talking of holy matere,
But woot ye wele in certeyn they had no mind on

watere

To drynk at that tyme, when they wer met in fere, For of the best that myght be founde, and therewith mery chere,

They had, it is no doubte; for spycys and eke wine Went round about the gastoyn and eke the ruyne. The Wyfe of Bath was so wery, she had no wyl to walk,

She toke the Priores by the honde; "Madam, wol ye stalk,

Pryvely into the garden to se the herbes growe, And aftir with our host'is wife in hir parlour rowe? I wol gyve yewe the wyne and ye shul me also, For tyl we go to soper we have nought els to do," The Priores, as women taught of gentil blood and hend,

Assentid to hir counsel, and forth gon they wend, Passyng forth softly into the herbery,

For many a herb grewe for sewe and surgery, And all the aleys feir, and parid, and raylid, and ymakid,

The savige and the isope yfrethid and ystakid, And othir beddis by and by fresh ydight, For comers to the hooste righte a sportful sight. The Marchaunt and the Mancipill, the Miller and the Reve, [meve, And the Clerk of Oxenforth, to townward gan they And al the othir meyne, and lafft noon at home Save the Pardonor, that pryvelich when al they wer goon

Stalkid into the tapstry; for nothing wol he leve To make his covenaunte in certeyn that same eve; He wold be loggit with hir, that was his hole ententioune.

But hap and eke Fortune, and all the constellacioune, Was clere hym ageyns, as ye shul aftir here;

For him had better be yloggit al nyght in a myere Than he was the same nyght or the Sun was up; For such was his fortune he drank without the cupp;

But thereof wist be no delay; ne No man of us alle May have that high connyng to know what shall befall. He stappid into the tapstry wondir pryvely, And fond hir ligging lirylong with half slopy eye, Pourid fellich undir hir hood, and saw all his comyng, [hir slepyng. And lay ay still, as naught she knewe, but feynid He put his hond to hir brest; Awake," quod he, "awake." "A, benedicite! Sir, who wist yew her? out tho I myght betake

66

"Prisoner," quod the Tapstere, "being al aloon;"
And therwith breyd up in a frite, and began to
groon.
[he.
"Now sith ye be my prisoner yeld yew now," quod
"I must nedis," quod she, "I may nothyng fle;
And eke I have no strengith, and am but yong of
age,

And also It is no mastry to cach a mouse in a cage
That may no where stert out, but closid wondir fast;
And eke, sir, I tell yew though I had grete hast
Ye should have coughed when ye com. Wher lern
you curtesy ?

Now trewlich I must chide, for of right pry vety

Women ben som tyme of day when they be aloon.
Wher coud I yew prey when ye com efftsone?"
Nowe mercy, dere swetyng! I wol do so no more;
I thank you an hundrit sithis; and also by your lore
I wol do hereaftir in what plase that I com :
But lovers, Kitt, ben evil avys.d full oft, and to lom;
Wherfore I prey you hertlich hold me excused,
And I behote yew trewly it shall no more be usid.
But now to our purpose: how have ye fare
Sith I was wyth you last! that is my most care;
For yf yee eylid eny thing othir wise then good,
Trewly it wol chaunge my chere and my blood."
"I have farid the wers for yewe," quod Kitt; "do
ye no drede

God that is above? and eke ye had no nede
For to congir me, God woot, wyth your nygro-
mancy,
[body,
That have no more to vaunte me but oonly my
And yf it were disteynid then wer I ondo:
I wis 1 trowe, Jenkyn, ye be nat to trust to;
For evir more ye clerkis con so much in book
Yee wol wynn a woman at first look."
Thought the Pardonere, "This goth wele," and
made his beter chere,'

And axid of hir softly, "Love! who shall ligg here This night that is to comyng? I prey yewe tell me." "I wis it is grete nede to tell yewe," quod she: "Make it nat overqueynt though you be a clerk; Ye knowe wele inough iwis by loke, by word, by work." [cat?" "Shal I com than, Cristian, and fese awey the Shal ye com? per benedicite! what question is that? Wherfor I prey you hertly to be my counsail? Comyth somwhat late, and for nothing faill; The dorr shall stond that up; put it from you soft, But be wele avysid ye wake nat them on lofft," "Care ye nat," quod Jenkin, "I can theron at

best;

He toke his leve, and went his wey as though nothing wer, [wher And met wyth al the felship; but in what plase ne He spake no word therof, but held hym close and styll,

As he that hopid sikirlich to bave had al his wyll,
And thought many a mery thought by hymself
aloon:
[goon;
"I am a loggit," thought he best, "how so evir it
And thoughe it have costid me, yet wol I do my
peyn,
[ageyn."

For to pike hir purs to nyghte and win my cost
Now leve I the Pardonere tyll that it be eve,
And wol returne me ageyn righte, ther as I did leve.
Whan al wer com togider in their herbergage
The Hoost of Southwork, as ye knowe, that had no
spice of rage,

For she is the falsest that evir yit I knewe; To pik the mony out of my purs, lord she made hir trewe." [sot, And therewyth he caught a cardiakill and a cold For who have love longing, and is of corage hote, He hath ful many a myry thought tofore his delyte; And right so had the Pardoner, and was in evil -plight;

For fayling of his purpose he was nothing in ese, Wherfor he fill sodenlich into a wood rese, Entryng wondir fast into a frensy

For pur very angir and for jelousy;

[wood

For when he herd a man within, he was almost And because the cost was his no mervel tho the

moud

Wer turned into vengaunce, of it myght be: But this was the myschief; all so strong as he Was he that was within, and lighter man also, As provid wele the bataile betwene them both to. The Pardonere scrapid efft ageyn; for nothyng wold he blyn, [within. So feyn he wold have herd more of hym that was "What dog is that?" quod the paramour; Kit, wost thou ore ?" [donere." "Have God my trowith," quod she, it is the Par"The Pardoner, with myscheff! God gyve hym evil preff!" [theff." "Sir," she seid; "i 'by my trowith he is the same "Thereof thou liest," quod the Pardoner, "and might nat long forbere.

"A thy fals body!" quod he; "the devil of Hell the tere!

For by my trowith a falsher sawe I nevir noon,"
And nempnid hir namys many mo then oon,
Though to rech hir wer noon honeste
Among men of good worship and degre
But, shortly to conclude; when he had chid inowe
He axid his staff spitouslich, with wordis sharp
and rowe.

"Go to bed," quod he within; "no more noyse thow make;

Thy staff shal be redy to morowe I under take," "In soth," quod he, "I wol nat fro the dorr wend Tyl I have my staff."-" Thow bribour, than have the todir end,"

Quod he that was within; and leyd it on his back, Right in the same plase as chapmen berith their And so he did to mo, as he coud a rede, [pak; Graspying aftir with the staff in lengith and eke in

brede;

"The devil of Hell," quod Jak "breke this thev'is bonis !

The key of the kitchen, as it wer for the nonys,
Is above with our dame: and she hath such usage,
And she be wake of her slepe, she fallith in such
a rage

That al the weke aftir there may no man bir plese,
So she stirith about this house a wood rese.
But now I am avisid but how we shul have lyte;
I have too gistis within that this same nyght
Supid in the halle, and had a litill feir: [pire,
Go up," quod Jak, "and loke, and in the ashis
And I wol kepe the dorr; he shall not stert out."
Nay, for God that wol I nat, lest I cach a clout,"
Seid the todir to Jak, "for thou knowist bettir

than I

All the estris of this house; go up thyself and spy." "6 Nay, for soth," quod Jak, " that were grete unrighte [fighte: To aventur oppon a man that with hym did not Sithens thou hast hym bete and with thy staff ypilt, Me thinkith it wer no reson that I shuld ber the gilt; [hede, For by the blysyng of the cole he myght se myne And lightly lene me such a stroke my hond to be dede. [about; Then wol we do by common assent sech hymal Who that metith hym first pay him on the snout; For methought I herd hym here last among the pannys,

Kepe thou the toder side, but ware the watir cannys, And if he be herein ryght sone we shull hym fynde, And we to be strong inowghe o theffe for to bynde." "Aha ha!" thought the Pardoner, "beth the [a gynne;

pannys aryn?"

And drowhe oppon that side, and thought oppon
So at last he fond oon, and set it on his hede,
For as the case was fall ther' to be had grete nede:
But yit he graspit ferthirmore to have somwhat
in honde,

And fond a grete a ladill right as he was gonde,
And thought for to sterte out betwene them both to
And waytid wele the paramour that had doon hym

WOO,

[nose,

And set him with the ladi!! on the gruscill on the
That all the week aftir he had such a pose,
That both his eyin waterid erliche by the morowe,
But she that was the cause of it had ther' of no
sorowe.

But now to the Pardoner. As he wold stert awey
The hosteler met with hym, but nothyng to his pay:
The Pardoner ran so swith the pan fill him fro
And Jak hosteler aftir him as blyve as he myght
And stapid oppon a brondeal unware,
[go,
That hym had bin beter to have goon more asware,
For the egg of the pann met with his shynne,
And karff atoo a veyn and the next fyn:
But whils that it was grene he thought litil on,
But when the greneness was apast the greff sat ner
the bone;

Yit Jak leyd to his hond to grope wher it sete,
And when he found he was yhurt the Pardoner he

gan to threte,

And swore by Seyut Amyas that he shuld abigg With stroks hard and sore even oppon the rigg; Yf he hym myght fynd he nothyng would hym spare: [a square,

That herd the Pardoner wele, and held hym bettir And thought that he had strokis ryght inough. Wytnes on his armis, his back, and his browe.

Be my trowith and I also and he goith nat al quyte: But and we myght bym fynd we wol aray him so That he shuld have legg ne foot to morrowe on to go.

But how shull we hym fynd? the Moon is adown," (As grace was for the Pardoner) and eke when they did roun [asyde, He herd them evir wel inowe, and went the more And drew him ever bakward, and let the strokis glide.

« Jak,” quod the paramour, “I hold it for the best, Sith the Moon is down, for to go to rest,

And make the gatis fast; he may not then astert, And eke of his own staff he berith a redy mark, Wherby thou mayst him knowe among all the route,

And thou ber a redy ey, and weyt wele aboute To morowe when they shul wend; this is the best rede:

Jak, what seyst thou therto? is this wele yseyd " "Thy wit is clere," quod Jak; "thy wit mut nodis stond."

He made the gatis fast; ther is no more to doon.
The Pardoner stode aside, his chekis ron and bled,
And was ryght evil at ese al nyght in his hede:
He must of force lige lyke a colyn swerd, [berd;
Yit it mevid him wondir sore for making of his
He payd at full ther'fore though a womans art
For wyne and eke for cawdill, and had ther'of no
part:
[derstonde,
He ther❜for preyd Seyn Juliane, as ye mowe on-
That the devill her shulde spede on watir and on
londe,

So to disseive a travellyng man of his herbergage,
And coud not els save curs his angir to aswage;
And was distract of his wit, and in grete despayr
For aftir his hete he caught a cold through the
nyght'is eyr,

That he was ner afound it, and coud, none othir help: [whelp But as he sought his lodggyng he happid oppon a That ley undir a steyir, a grete Walssh dog, That bare about his neck a grete huge clog; Because that he was spetouse, and wold sone bite, The clog was hongit about his nek, for men shuld nat wite

Nothyng dogg'is maister yf he did eny harm, So for to excuse them both it was a wyly charm. The Pardoner wold have loggit hym ther, and lay somwhat nigh, [thigh, The warrok was awakid and caught hym by the And bote hym wondir spetously, defending wele his couch,

That the Pardoner myght nat ne hym nether touch. But held hym a square by that othir side,

As holsom was at that tyme for tercing of his hyde:

He coud noon othir help, but leyd adown his hede
In the dogg'is littir, and wishid aftir brede
Many a time and offt, the dog for to plese,
To have yle ymore nere for his own ese :
But wish what he wold, his fortune seyd ney;
So trewly for the Pardoner it was a dismal dey.
The dog ley evir grownyng, redy for to snache.
Wher'for the Pardoner durst nat with hym mache,

But now to alle the company a morrow whan they shuld gon

Was noon of all the feleship half so sone ydight As was the gentil Pardoner; for al tyme of the nyght

He was aredy in his aray, and had nothing to doon Saffe shake alite his eris, and trus and be goone. Yet or he cam in company he wissh away the blood. And bond the sorys to his hede with the typet of his hood,

[pry,

And made lightsom chere for men shuld nat spy
Nothyng of his turment ne of his luxury;
And the hosteler of the house, for nothing he coud
He coud nat knowe the Pardoner among the com-
pany

A morowe when they shuld wend, for ought that
they coud pour,
[bour,
So wysely went the Pardoner out of the dogg'is
And blynched from the hosteler, and turned offt
about,

And evirmore beheld hym amydward of the rout,
And was evir syngyng to make al thyng good;
But his notis wer somwhat low for aking of his hede;
So at that tyme he had no more grame,
But held hym to his happynes to scape shame.
The Knyght and all the feleship froward gon
they wend,

Passyng forth merely to the toun'ys end;
And by that tyme they were ther the day began to
And the son merely upward gan he pike, [rype,
Pleying undir the egge of the firmament,
"Now," quod the Hoost of Southwork, and to the
feleship bent,

"Who sawe evir so feyre or so glad a day, And how sote this seson is entring into May > The thrustelis and the thrushis, in this glad mornyng,

[gale The ruddok and the goldfynch; but the nyghtinHis amerous notis lo how he twynith small! Lo how the trees grenyth that nakid wer, and nothing

Bare this month afore but their sommer clothing!
Lo how nature makith for them everichone!
And as many as ther be he forgettith noone!
Lo how the seson of the yere and averell shouris
Doith the busshis burgyn out blossoms and flouris!
Lo the prymerosis how fresh they ben to sene!
And many othir flouris among the grasis grene.
Lo how they spryng, and sprede, and of divers
hue!

Beholdith, and seith both rede, white and blue!
That lusty bin and comfortabill for mann'ys sight!
For I sey for myself it makith my herte to light.
Now sith almighty soveryn hath sent so feir a dey
Let se now, as covenant is, in shorting of the wey,
Who shall be the first that shall unlace his male
In comfort of us al, and gyn some mery tale;
For and we shuld now begyn to draw lot
Peraventure it might fal ther it ought not,
On som unlusty persone that wer not wele awakid,
Or semybousy ovyr eve, and had ysong and crakid
Somwhat ovir much: how shuld he than do:
For Who shuld tell a tale he must have good wyll therte.
And eke som men fastyng beth glewid and ybound
In their tongis; and som fastyng beth nothyng

jocound;

And som men in the morning ther mouthis beth adoun; [soun. Tyll that they be charmyd their wordis woll not So thys is my conclusioune and my last knot, It were great gentilnes to tell without lot." "By the rood of Bromholm," quod the Merchant "As fer as I have sailed, riden and ygo, [tho, Sawe I nevir a man yet tofore this ilk day So wele coud rule a company as our Host, in fay His wordis ben so comfortabill, and comyth so in

seson,

That my wit is ovircome to make eny reson
Contrary to his counsaill at myn ymagynacioune,
Wher'for I woll tell a tale to your consolacioune,
In ensampill to yowe that when that I have do
Anothir be right redy then for to tell, ryght so
To fulfyll our Hoost'is wyll and his ordinaunce.
There shall no fawte be found in me: gode wyl
shal be my chaunce:

With this I be excusid of my rudines,
Altho' I cannot peynt my tale, but tell it as it is,
Lepyng ovir no sentence, as ferforth as I may,
But tell yewe the yolke and put the white away."

THE

MERCHANT'S SECOND TALE;

OR, THE HISTORY OF BERYN.

WHILOM yeris passed in the old dawis

When rightfullich by reson governyd wer the lawis, And pryncipally in the cete of Rome, that was so rich,

And worthiest in his dayes, and noon to him ilich
Of worship ne of wele, ne of goveruaunce,
For alle londis christened ther' of had dotaunce,
And all othir natiouns, of what feith they were,
Whils the emperour was hole, and in his paleys there
I mainteynid in honour; and in pop'is se
Rome was then obeied of all christiante.
But it farith ther'by as it doith by othir thingis;
For though nethir cete, regioune, ne kyngis,
Beth nat nowe so worthy as were by olde tyme,
As we fynd in romaunces, in gestis, and in ryme,
For all things doith wast, and eke mann'ys lyff
Y's more shorter than it was; and our wittis fyve
Mowe nat comprehende now in our dieties
As som tyme myght these old wise poetes.
But sith that terrene thinges ben nat perdurabill,
No mervail is though Rome be somwhat variabill
Fro honour and fro wele sith his friendis passid;
As many anothir town is payrid and ylassid
Within these few yeris, as we mowe se at eye;
Lo! sirs, here fast by Wynchelse and Ry.
But yit the name is evir oon of Rome as it was
groundit

After Remus and Romulus, that first that cete foundit,
That brethren weren both to, as old bokis writen;
But of ther lef and governaunce I wol not now
enditen,

But of othir mater that fallith to my mynd;
Wher'for, gentill sirs, ye that beth behind
Drawith somwhat nere thikker to a rout,
That my wordis may soune to eche man about.
Aftir these two brethren Romulus and Remus
Julius Cæsar was emperour, that rightful was of
Domus.

VOL. I.

As semeth wele by reson, who so can entend,
That O mann'ys wyt ne wyll may not comprehend
The boucheff and the myscheff, as muy many hedis;
Ther'for ther operaciouns, ther domes, and ther
dedes,

Were so egallich ydoon; for in all cristen londis
Was noon that they sparid for to mend wrongis,
Then Constantyne the third, aftir these Dosiperis,
Was emperour of Rome, and regnyd many yeris,
So shortly to pas ovir, after Constantyn's dayis
Phus Augustinus, as songen is in layes,
That Constantyn'ys son, and of plener age,
Was emperour ychose, as fill by heritage,
In whose tyme sikerlich the seven sages were
In Rome ydwelling decently; and yf yee lust to lere
How they were yclepid, or I ferther goon,
I woll tell you the names of them everichone,
And declare yeu the cause why they ther namys
The first was ycleped Sother Leg feer,
This is thus much for to sey, as man bering the lawe :
And so he did trewly; for lever he had be sclawe
Then do or sey eny thing that sowned out of reson,
So clene was his conscience yset in trowith and

reson.

[bere,

Marcus Stoycus the second, so pepill hym highte, That is to mene in our constert, a keper of the right: And so he did full trewe; for the record and the

plees

He wrote them evir trewly, and took noon othir fees
But such as was ordynid to take by the yere :
Now, Lord God! in Cristendom I wold it were so

clere.

The third Crassus Asulus among men clepid was,
An house of rest, and ese, and counsail, in every case:
For to onderstond that was his name full right,
For evirmore the counsails he helpid wyth al his
Antonius Judeus the ferth was yclepid, [myght.
That was as much to meen, as wele we myght have
As any posed of all the long yere,
[clepid
That myght have made hym sory or chongit onys
chere,

But evirmore rejoycing, what that evir betid,
For his hert was evir mery, right as the somer
Summus Philopater was the fiffi'is name, [bridd.
That thoughe men wold slee bym, or do hym al
the shame,

Angir, or disease, as evil as men couthe,

Yet wold he love them nevir the wers in hert ne in
mowith.
[above,
His will was cleen undir his foot, and nothing hym
Ther'fore he was clepid Fathir of perfite love.
The sixth and the sevinth of these sevin sages
Was Stypio and Sithero, as thes word astrolages
Was sirname to them both aftir their sciences;
For of astronomy sikerlich the cours and at the fences
Bothe they knowhit wele inoughe, and wer right
sotil of art.

But now to othir purpose, for her I woll depart
As lightly as I can, and draw to my matere,
In that same tyme that these sages were

Tt