Geoffrey Chaucer

“ As that this olde cherl, with lokkes hore,
Blasphemed hath our holy covent eke.'
'Now, maister,' quod this lord, 'I yow biseke.'
'No maister, sire,' quod he, 'but servitour, 2185
Thogh I have had in scole swich honour.
God lyketh nat that "Raby" men us calle,
Neither in market ne in your large halle.' (480)
'No fors,' quod he, 'but tel me al your grief.'
'Sire,' quod this frere, 'an odious meschief 2190
This day bitid is to myn ordre and me,
And so per consequens to ech degree
Of holy chirche, god amende it sone!'
'Sir,' quod the lord, 'ye woot what is to done. ”

“ With preching in the pulpit ther he stood,
That I may vouche-sauf, I sey for me,
He hadde the firste smel of fartes three,
And so wolde al his covent hardily; 2285
He bereth him so faire and holily.'
The lord, the lady, and ech man, save the frere,
Seyde that Iankin spak, in this matere, (580)
As wel as Euclide or [as] Ptholomee.
Touchinge this cherl, they seyde, subtiltee 2290
And heigh wit made him speken as he spak;
He nis no fool, ne no demoniak.
And Iankin hath y-wonne a newe goune.—
My tale is doon; we been almost at toune. 2294
Here endeth the Somnours Tale. ”

“ To shewe swich a probleme to the frere?
Never erst er now herde I of swich matere; 2220
I trowe the devel putte it in his minde.
In ars-metryke shal ther no man finde,
Biforn this day, of swich a questioun.
Who sholde make a demonstracioun,
That every man sholde have y-liche his part 2225
As of the soun or savour of a fart?
O nyce proude cherl, I shrewe his face!
Lo, sires,' quod the lord, with harde grace, (520)
'Who ever herde of swich a thing er now?
To every man y-lyke? tel me how? 2230
It is an inpossible, it may nat be!
Ey, nyce cherl, god lete him never thee! ”

“ For that an hors of his was dreynt ther-inne,
Whan that he wente Babiloigne to winne.
He made that the river was so smal,
That wommen mighte wade it over al.
Lo, what seyde he, that so wel teche can? 2085
"Ne be no felawe to an irous man,
Ne with no wood man walke by the weye,
Lest thee repente;" ther is na-more to seye. (380)
Now Thomas, leve brother, lef thyn ire;
Thou shall me finde as Iust as is a squire. 2090
Hold nat the develes knyf ay at thyn herte;
Thyn angre dooth thee al to sore smerte;
But shewe to me al thy confessioun.'
'Nay,' quod the syke man, 'by Seint Simoun! ”

“ Hath been our fode, our cloistre for to reyse.
And yet, god woot, unnethe the fundement
Parfourned is, ne of our pavement
Nis nat a tyle yet with-inne our wones; 2105
By god, we owen fourty pound for stones!
Now help, Thomas, for him that harwed helle!
For elles moste we our bokes selle. (400)
And if ye lakke our predicacioun,
Than gooth the world al to destruccioun. 2110
For who-so wolde us fro this world bireve,
So god me save, Thomas, by your leve,
He wolde bireve out of this world the sonne. ”

“ And ther-of wol I speke a word or two.' 1835
'Now maister,' quod the wyf, 'er that I go,
What wol ye dyne? I wol go ther-aboute.'
'Now dame,' quod he, 'Ie vous dy sanz doute, (130)
Have I nat of a capon but the livere,
And of your softe breed nat but a shivere, 1840
And after that a rosted pigges heed,
(But that I nolde no beest for me were deed) ,
Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce.
I am a man of litel sustenaunce.
My spirit hath his fostring in the Bible. 1845
The body is ay so redy and penyble
To wake, that my stomak is destroyed. ”

“ This every lewed viker or person (300)
Can seye, how Ire engendreth homicyde.
Ire is, in sooth, executour of pryde. 2010
I coude of Ire seye so muche sorwe,
My tale sholde laste til to-morwe.
And therfor preye I god bothe day and night,
An irous man, god sende him litel might!
It is greet harm and, certes, gret pitee, 2015
To sette an irous man in heigh degree.
Whilom ther was an irous potestat,
As seith Senek, that, duringe his estaat, (310)
Up-on a day out riden knightes two,
And as fortune wolde that it were so, 2020
That oon of hem cam hoom, that other noght. ”

“ Schortly may no man by rym and vers Tellen her thoughtes, thay ben so diuers.—After 2012 Hl. ins. 2 spurious lines: Ire is the grate of synne as saith the wise To fle ther-fro ech man schuld him deuyse.—2015. Hn. Cp. Ln. certes; Hl. also; rest eke (eek) .—2037. Here Hl. adds two spurious lines: Than thoughte thay it were the beste rede To lede him forth into a fair mede.—2046. Hn. Cm. louede (= lov'de) ; E. loued.—2047. E. bitwene.—2048. Here Hl. adds two spurious lines: An irous man is lik a frentik best In which ther is of wisdom noon arrest.—2048. ”

“ Ln. om. sire.—2186. E. swich; Hl. such; rest that.—2190. E. he (for this frere) .—2192. E. Pt. in; rest to.—2200. E. al; rest ay.—2201. MS. Add. 5140. all; rest om.—2204. Hn. thynketh yow; Cp. thenke you; Hl. Ln. thynke yow; E. thynke ye.—Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. ther-by.—2205. thinketh = think'th.—2211. E. ins. hym after on (wrongly) .—E. om. may.—2212. Hn. Cp. diffame; Cm. Hl. defame; E. disclaundre.—2218. E. the (for this) .—E. Cm. insert this after cherl.—2222. Ln. metrike; rest metrik.—2224. So the rest; E. Certes it was a shrewed conclusion.—2227. E. vile; rest nyce.—2229. E. herd ”