The Canterbury Tales ~ Middle English

The Sailor's Tale
Middle English


1	A merchant whilom dwelled at seint-denys,
2	That riche was, for which men helde hym wys.
3	A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee;
4	And compaignable and revelous was she,
5	Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence
6	Than worth is al the chiere and reverence
7	That men hem doon at festes and at daunces.
8	Swiche salutaciouns and contenances
9	Passen as dooth a shadwe upon the wal;
10	But wo is hym that payen moot for al!
11	The sely housbonde, algate he moot paye,
12	He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,
13	Al for his owene worshipe richely,
14	In which array we daunce jolily.
15	And if that he noght may, par aventure,
16	Or ellis list no swich dispence endure,
17	But thynketh it is wasted and ylost,
18	Thanne moot another payen for oure cost,
19	Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.
20	this noble marchaunt heeld a worthy hous,
21	For which ne hadde alday so greet repair
22	For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,
23	That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.
24	Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale,
25	Ther was a monk, a fair man and a boold --
26	I trowe a thritty wynter he was oold --
27	That evere in oon was drawynge to that place.
28	This yonge monk, that was so fair of face,
29	Aqueynted was so with the goode man,
30	Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan,
31	That in his hous as famulier was he
32	As it is possible any freend to be.
33	and for as muchel as this goode man,
34	And eek this monk, of which that I began,
35	Were bothe two yborn in o village,
36	The monk hym claymeth as for cosynage;
37	And he agayn, he seith nat ones nay,
38	But was as glad therof as fowel of day;
39	For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.
40	Thus been they knyt with eterne alliaunce,
41	And ech of hem gan oother for t'assure
42	Of bretherhede, whil that hir lyf may dure.
43	Free was daun john, and namely of dispence,
44	As in that hous, and ful of diligence
45	To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage.
46	He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page
47	In al that hous; but after hir degree,
48	He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,
49	Whan that he cam, som manere honest thyng;
50	For which they were as glad of his comyng
51	As fowel is fayn whan that the sonne up riseth.
52	Na moore of this as now, for it suffiseth.
53	But so bifel, this marchant on a day
54	Shoop hym to make redy his array
55	Toward the toun of brugges for to fare,
56	To byen there a porcioun of ware;
57	For which he hath to parys sent anon
58	A messager, and preyed hat daun john
59	That he sholde come to seint-denys to pleye
60	With hym and with his wyf a day or tweye,
61	Er he to brugges wente, in alle wise.
62	This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
63	Hath of his abbot, as hym list, licence,
64	By cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
65	And eek an officer, out for to ryde,
66	To seen hir graunges and hire bernes wyde,
67	And unto seint-denys he comth anon.
68	Who was so welcome as my lord daun john,
69	Oure deere cosyn, ful of curteisye?
70	With hym broghte he a jubbe of malvesye,
71	And eek another, ful of fyn vernage,
72	And volatyl, as ay was his usage.
73	And thus I lete hem ete and drynke and pleye,
74	This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.
75	The thridde day, this marchant up ariseth,
76	And on his nedes sadly hym avyseth,
77	And up into his countour-hous gooth he
78	To rekene with hymself, as wel may be,
79	Of thilke yeer how that it with hym stood,
80	And how that he despended hadde his good,
81	And if that he encressed were or noon.
82	His bookes and his bagges many oon
83	He leith biforn hym on his countyng-bord.
84	Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
85	For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette;
86	And eek he nolde that no man sholde hym lette
87	Of his acountes, for the meene tyme;
88	And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.
89	Daun john was rysen in the morwe also,
90	And in the gardyn walketh to and fro,
91	And hath his thynges seyd ful curteisly.
92	This goode wyf cam walkynge pryvely
93	Into the gardyn, there he walketh softe,
94	And hym saleweth, as she hath doon ofte.
95	A mayde child cam in hire compaignye,
96	Which as hir list she may governe and gye,
97	For yet under the yerde was the mayde.
98	O deere cosyn myn, daun john, she sayde,
99	What eyleth yow so rathe for to ryse?
100	Nece, quod he, it oghte ynough suffise
101	Fyve houres for to slepe upon a nyght,
102	But it were for an old appalled wight,
103	As been thise wedded men, that lye and dare
104	As in a fourme sit a wery hare,
105	Were al forstraught with houndes grete and smale.
106	But deere nece, why be ye so pale?
107	I trowe, certes, that oure goode man
108	Hath yow laboured sith the nyght bigan,
109	That yow were nede to resten hastily.
110	And with that word he lough ful murily,
111	And of his owene thought he was reed.
112	This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed
113	And seyde thus, ye, God woot al, quod she.
114	Nay, cosyn myn, it stant nat so with me;
115	For, by that God that yaf me soule and lyf,
116	In al the reawme of france is ther no wyf
117	That lasse lust hath to that sory pley.
118	For I may synge -- allas and weylawey
119	That I was born, -- but to no wight, quod she,
120	Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me.
121	Wherfore I thynke out of this land to wende,
122	Or elles of myself to make an ende,
123	So ful am I of drede and eek of care.
124	This monk bigan upon this wyf to stare,
125	And seyde, allas, my nece, God forbede
126	That ye, for any sorwe or any drede,
127	Fordo youreself; but telleth me youre grief.
128	Paraventure I may, in youre meschief,
129	Conseille or helpe; and therfore telleth me
130	Al youre anoy, for it shal been secree.
131	For on my porthors here I make an ooth
132	That nevere in my lyf, for lief ne looth,
133	Ne shal I of no conseil yow biwreye.
134	The same agayn to yow, quod she, I seye.
135	By God and by this porthors I yow swere,
136	Though men me wolde al into pieces tere,
137	Ne shal I nevere, for to goon to helle,
138	Biwreye a word of thyng that ye me telle,
139	Nat for no cosynage ne alliance,
140	But verraily, for love and affiance.
141	Thus been they sworn, and heerupon they kiste,
142	And ech of hem tolde oother what hem liste.
143	Cosyn, quod she, if that I hadde a space,
144	As I have noon, and namely in this place,
145	Thanne wolde I telle a legende of my lyf,
146	What I have suffred with I was a wyf
147	With myn housbonde, al be he youre cosyn.
148	Nay, quod this monk, by God and seint martyn,
149	He is na moore cosyn unto me
150	Than is this leef that hangeth on the tree!
151	I clepe hym so, by seint denys of fraunce,
152	To have the moore cause of aqueyntaunce
153	Of yow, which I have loved specially
154	Aboven alle wommen, sikerly.
155	This swere I yow on my professioun.
156	Telleth youre grief, lest that he come adoun;
157	And hasteth yow, and gooth youre wey anon.
158	My deere love, quod she, o my daun john,
159	Ful lief were me this conseil for to hyde,
160	But out it moot, I may namoore abyde.
161	Myn housbonde is to me the worste man
162	That evere was sith that the world bigan.
163	But sith I am a wyf, it sit nat me
164	To tellen no wight of oure privetee,
165	Neither abedde, ne in noon oother place;
166	God shilde I sholde it tellen, for his grace!
167	A wyf ne shal nat seyn of hir housbonde
168	But al honour, as I kan understonde;
169	Save unto yow thus muche I tellen shal
170	As helpe me god, he is noght worth at al
171	In no degree the value of a flye.
172	But yet me greveth moost his nygardye.
173	And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly
174	Desiren thynges sixe as wel as I
175	They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be
176	Hardy, and wise, and riche, and therto free,
177	And buxom unto his wyf, and fressh abedde.
178	But by that ilke lord that for us bledde,
179	For his honour, myself for to arraye,
180	A sonday next I moste nedes paye
181	An hundred frankes, or ellis I am lorn.
182	Yet were me levere that I were unborn
183	Than me were doon a sclaundre or vileynye;
184	And if myn housbonde eek it myghte espye,
185	I nere but lost; and therfore I yow preye,
186	Lene me this somme, or ellis moot I deye.
187	Daun john, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes.
188	Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes,
189	If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.
190	For at a certeyn day I wol yow paye,
191	And doon to yow what plesance and service
192	That I may doon, right as yow list devise.
193	And but I do, God take on me vengeance
194	As foul as evere hadde genylon of france.
195	This gentil monk answerde in this manere
196	Now trewely, myn owene lady deere,
197	I have, quod he, on yow so greet a routhe
198	That I yow swere, and plighte yow my trouthe,
199	That whan youre housbonde is to flaundres fare,
200	I wol delyvere yow out of this care;
201	For I wol brynge yow an hundred frankes.
202	And with that word he caughte hire by the flankes,
203	And hire embraceth harde, and kiste hire ofte.
204	Gooth now youre wey, quod he, al stille and softe,
205	And lat us dyne as soone as that ye may;
206	For by my chilyndre it is pryme of day.
207	Gooth now, and beeth as trewe as I shal be.
208	Now elles God forbede, sire, quod she;
209	And forth she gooth as jolif as a pye,
210	And bad the cookes that they sholde hem hye,
211	So that men myghte dyne, and that anon.
212	Up to hir housbonde is this wyf ygon,
213	And knokketh at his countour boldely.
214	Quy la? quod he. Peter! it am I,
215	Quod she; what, sire, how longe wol ye faste?
216	How longe tyme wol ye rekene and caste
217	Youre sommes, and youre bookes, and youre thynges?
218	The devel have part on alle swiche rekenynges!
219	Ye have ynough, pardee, of goddes sonde;
220	Com doun to-day, and lat youre bagges stonde.
221	Ne be ye nat ashamed that daun john
222	Shal fasting al this day alenge goon?
223	What! lat us heere a messe, and go we dyne.
224	Wyf, quod this man, litel kanstow devyne
225	The curious bisynesse that we have.
226	For of us chapmen, also God me save,
227	And by that lord that clepid is seint yve,
228	Scarsly amonges twelve tweye shul thryve
229	Continuelly, lastynge unto oure age.
230	We may wel make chiere and good visage,
231	And dryve forth the world as it may be,
232	And kepen oure estaat in pryvetee,
233	Til we be deed, or elles that we pleye
234	A pilgrymage, or goon out of the weye.
235	And therfore have I greet necessitee
236	Upon this queynte world t' avyse me;
237	For everemoore we moote stonde in drede
238	Of hap and fortune in oure chapmanhede.
239	To flaundres wol I go to-morwe at day,
240	And come agayn, as soone as evere I may.
241	For which, my deere wyf, I thee diseke,
242	As be to every wight buxom and meke,
243	And for to kepe oure good be curious,
244	And honestly governe wel oure hous.
245	Thou hast ynough, in every maner wise,
246	That to a thrifty houshold may suffise.
247	Thee lakketh noon array ne no vitaille;
248	Of silver in thy purs shaltow nat faille.
249	And with that word his countour-dore he shette,
250	And doun he gooth, no lenger wolde he lette.
251	But hastily a messe was ther seyd,
252	And spedily the tables were yleyd,
253	And to the dyner faste they hem spedde,
254	And richely this monk the chapman fedde.
255	At after-dyner daun john sobrely
256	This chapman took apart, and prively
257	He seyde hym thus
258	That wel I se to brugges wol ye go.
259	Go and seint austyn spede yow and gyde!
260	I prey yow, cosyn, wisely that ye ryde.
261	Governeth yow also of youre diete
262	Atemprely, and namely in this hete.
263	Bitwix us two nedeth no strange fare;
264	Farewel, cosyn; God shilde yow fro care!
265	And if that any thyng by day or nyght,
266	If it lye in my power and my myght,
267	That ye me wol comande in any wyse,
268	It shal be doon, right as ye wol devyse.
269	O thyng, er that ye goon, if it may be,
270	I wolde prey yow; for to lene me
271	An hundred frankes, for a wyke or tweye,
272	For certein beestes that I moste beye,
273	To stoore with a place that is oures.
274	God helpe me so, I wolde it were youres!
275	I shal nat faille surely of my day,
276	Nat for a thousand frankes, a mile way.
277	But lat this thyng be secree, I yow preye,
278	For yet to-nyght thise beestes moot I beye.
279	And fare now wel, myn owene cosyn deere;
280	Graunt mercy of youre cost and of youre cheere.
281	This noble marchant gentilly anon
282	Answerde and seyde, o cosyn myn, daun john,
283	Now sikerly this is a smal requeste.
284	My gold is youres, whan that it yow leste,
285	And nat oonly my gold, but my chaffare.
286	Take what yow list, God shilde that ye spare.
287	But o thyng is, ye knowe it wel ynogh,
288	Of chapmen, that hir moneie is hir plogh.
289	We may creaunce whil we have a name;
290	But goldlees for to be, it is no game.
291	Paye it agayn whan it lith in youre ese;
292	After my myght ful fayn wolde I yow plese.
293	Thise hundred frankes he fette forth anon,
294	And prively he took hem to daun john.
295	No wight in al this world wiste of this loone,
296	Savynge this marchant and daun john allone.
297	They drynke, and speke, and rome a while and pleye,
298	Til that daun john rideth to his abbeye.
299	The morwe cam, and forth this marchant rideth
300	To flaundres-ward; his prentys wel hym gydeth,
301	Til he came into brugges murily.
302	Now gooth this marchant faste and bisily
303	Aboute his nede, and byeth and creaunceth.
304	He neither pleyeth at the dees ne daunceth,
305	But as a marchaunt, shortly for to telle,
306	He let him lyf, and there I lete hym dwelle.
307	The sonday next the marchant was agon,
308	To seint-denys ycomen is daun john,
309	With crowne and berd al fressh and newe yshave.
310	In al the hous ther nas so litel a knave,
311	Ne no wight elles, that he nas ful fayn
312	For that my lord daun john was come agayn.
313	And shortly to the point right for to gon,
314	This faire wyf acorded with daun john
315	That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al nyght
316	Have hire in his armes bolt upright;
317	And this acord parfourned was in dede.
318	In myrthe al nyght a bisy lyf they lede
319	Til it was day, that daun john wente his way,
320	And bad the meynee farewel, have good day!
321	For noon of hem, ne no wight in the toun,
322	Hath of daun john right no suspecioun.
323	And forth he rydeth hoom to his abbeye,
324	Or where hym list; namoore of hym I seye.
325	This marchant, whan that ended was the faire,
326	To seint-denys he gan for to repaire,
327	And with his wyf he maketh feeste and cheere,
328	And telleth hire that chaffare is so deere
329	That nedes moste he make a chevyssaunce;
330	For he was bounden in a reconyssaunce
331	To paye twenty thousand sheeld anon.
332	For which this marchant is to parys gon
333	To borwe of certeine freendes that he hadde
334	A certeyn frankes; and somme with him he ladde.
335	And whan that he was come into the toun,
336	For greet chiertee and greet affeccioun,
337	Unto daun john he gooth first, hym to pleye;
338	Nat for to axe or borwe of hym moneye,
339	But for to wite and seen of his welfare,
340	And for to tellen hym of his chaffare,
341	As freendes doon whan they been met yfeere.
342	Daun john hym maketh feeste and murye cheere,
343	And he hym tolde agayn, ful specially,
344	How he hadde wel yboght and graciously,
345	Thanked be god, al hool his marchandise;
346	Save that he moste, in alle maner wise,
347	Maken a chevyssaunce, as for his beste,
348	And thanne he sholde been in joye and reste.
349	Daun john answerde, certes, I am fayn
350	That ye in heele ar comen hom agayn.
351	And if that I were riche, as have I blisse,
352	Of twenty thousand sheeld sholde ye nat mysse,
353	For ye so kyndely this oother day
354	Lente me gold; and as I kan and may,
355	I thanke yow, by God and by seint jame!
356	But nathelees, I took unto oure dame,
357	Youre wyf, at hom, the same gold ageyn
358	Upon youre bench; she woot it wel, certeyn,
359	By certeyn tokenes that I kan hire telle.
360	Now, by youre leve, I may no lenger dwelle;
361	Oure abbot wole out of this toun anon,
362	And in his compaignye moot I goon.
363	Grete wel oure dame, myn owene nece sweete,
364	And fare wel, deere cosyn, til we meete!
365	This marchant, which that was ful war and wys,
366	Creanced hath, and payd eek in parys
367	To certeyn lumbardes, redy in hir hond,
368	The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond;
369	And hoom he gooth, murie as a papejay,
370	For wel he knew he stood in swich array
371	That nedes moste he wynne in that viage
372	A thousand frankes aboven al his costage.
373	His wyf ful redy mette hym atte gate,
374	As she was wont of oold usage algate,
375	And al that nyght in myrthe they bisette;
376	For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.
377	Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace
378	His wyf al newe, and kiste hire on hir face,
379	And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.
380	Namoore, quod she, by god, ye have ynough!
381	And wantownly agayn with hym she pleyde,
382	Til atte laste thus this marchant seyde
383	By go, quod he, I am a litel wrooth
384	With yow, my wyf, although it be me looth.
385	And woot ye why? by god, as that I gesse
386	That ye han maad a manere straungenesse
387	Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun john.
388	Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon,
389	That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed
390	By redy token; and heeld hym yvele apayed,
391	For that I to hym spak of chevyssaunce;
392	Me semed so, as by his contenaunce.
393	But nathelees, by god, oure hevene kyng,
394	I thoughte nat to axen hym no thyng.
395	I prey thee, wyf, ne do namoore so;
396	Telle me alwey, er that I fro thee go,
397	If any dettour hath in myn absence
398	Ypayed thee, lest thurgh thy necligence
399	I myghte hym axe a thing that he hath payed.
400	This wyf was nat afered nor affrayed,
401	But boldely she seyde, and that anon;
402	Marie, I deffie the false monk, daun john!
403	I kepe nat of his tokenes never a deel;
404	He took me certeyn gold, that woot I weel, --
405	What! yvel thedam on his monkes snowte!
406	For, God it woot, I wende, withouten doute,
407	That he hadde yeve it me bycause of yow,
408	To doon therwith myn honour and my prow,
409	For cosynage, and eek for beele cheere
410	That he hath had ful ofte tymes heere.
411	But sith I se I stonde in this disjoynt,
412	I wol answere yow shortly to the poynt.
413	Ye han mo slakkere dettours than am i!
414	For I wol paye yow wel and redily
415	Fro day to day, and if so be I faille,
416	I am youre wyf; score it upon my taille,
417	And I shal paye as soone as ever I may.
418	For by my trouthe, I have on myn array,
419	And nat on wast, bistowed every deel;
420	And for I have bistowed it so weel
421	For youre honour, for goddes sake, I seye,
422	As be nat wrooth, but lat us laughe and pleye.
423	Ye shal my joly body have to wedde;
424	By god, I wol nat paye yow but abedde!
425	Forgyve it me, myn owene spouse deere;
426	Turne hiderward, and maketh bettre cheere.
427	This marchant saugh ther was no remedie,
428	And for to chide it nere but folie,
429	Sith that the thyng may nat amended be.
430	Now wyf, he seyde, and I foryeve it thee;
431	But, by thy lyf, ne be namoore so large.
432	Keep bet my good, this yeve I thee in charge.
433	Thus endeth now my tale, and God us sende
434	Taillynge ynough unto oure lyves ende. Amen