Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Summoner's Tale (1 128 words)

Text size: − / +

Display options

Display as: HTML / XML / original HC / raw XML

Show source and parameters: yes / no

Line numbers: on / off

Page breaks: on / off

Corpus contents

Sort by: author / title

For more sorting options, please use the search feature.

page 133

column 1


1And to the firste knyght right thus spak he,
2'I dampned thee; thou most algate be deed.
3And thou also most nedes lese thyn heed,
4For thou art cause why thy felawe deyth.'
5And to the thridde knyght right thus he seith,
6'Thou hast nat doon that I comanded thee.'
7And thus he dide doon sleen hem alle thre.

8"Irous Cambises was eek dronkelewe,
9And ay delited hym to been a shrewe.
10And so bifel, a lord of his meynee

column 2


11That loved vertuous moralitee
12Seyde on a day bitwix hem two right thus:
13" 'A lord is lost, if he be vicius;
14And dronkenesse is eek a foul record
15Of any man, and namely in a lord.
16Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere
17Awaityng on a lord, and he noot where.
18For Goddes love, drynk moore attemprely!
19Wyn maketh man to lesen wrecchedly
20His mynde and eek his lymes everichon.'

21" 'The revers shaltou se,' quod he, 'anon,
22And preve it by thyn owene experience,
23That wyn ne dooth to folk no swich offence.
24Ther is no wyn bireveth me my myght
25Of hand ne foot, ne of myne eyen sight.'
26And for despit he drank ful muchel moore,
27An hondred part, than he hadde don bifoore;
28And right anon this irous, cursed wrecche
29Leet this knyghtes sone bifore hym fecche,
30Comandynge hym he sholde bifore hym stonde.
31And sodeynly he took his bowe in honde,
32And up the streng he pulled to his ere,
33And with an arwe he slow the child right there.
34'Now wheither have I a siker hand or noon?'
35Quod he; 'Is al my myght and mynde agon?
36Hath wyn bireved me myn eyen sight?'
37What sholde I telle th'answere of the knyght?
38His sone was slayn; ther is namoore to seye.
39Beth war, therfore, with lordes how ye pleye.
40Syngeth Placebo, and 'I shal, if I kan,'
41But if it be unto a povre man.
42To a povre man men sholde his vices telle,
43But nat to a lord, thogh he sholde go to helle.

44"Lo irous Cirus, thilke Percien,
45How he destroyed the ryver of Gysen,
46For that an hors of his was dreynt therinne,
47Whan that he wente Babiloigne to wynne.
48He made that the ryver was so smal
49That wommen myghte wade it over al.
50Lo, what seyde he that so wel teche kan?'
51'Ne be no felawe to an irous man,
52Ne with no wood man walke by the weye,
53Lest thee repente;' I wol no ferther seye.

page 134

column 1


54"Now, Thomas, leeve brother, lef thyn ire;
55Thou shalt me fynde as just as is a squyre.
56Hoold nat the develes knyf ay at thyn herte -
57Thyn angre dooth thee al to soore smerte -
58But shewe to me al thy confessioun."
59"Nay," quod the sike man, "by Seint Symoun!
60I have be shryven this day at my curat.
61I have hym toold hoolly al myn estat;
62Nedeth namoore to speken of it," seith he,
63"But if me list, of myn humylitee."

64"Yif me thanne of thy gold, to make oure cloystre,"
65Quod he, "for many a muscle and many an oystre,
66Whan othere men han ben ful wel at eyse,
67Hath been oure foode, our cloystre for to reyse.
68And yet, God woot, unnethe the fundement
69Parfourned is, ne of our pavement
70Nys nat a tyle yet withinne oure wones.
71By God, we owen fourty pound for stones.

72"Now help, Thomas, for hym that harwed helle!
73For elles moste we oure bookes selle.
74And if yow lakke oure predicacioun,
75Thanne goth the world al to destruccioun.
76For whoso wolde us fro this world bireve,
77So God me save, Thomas, by youre leve,
78He wolde bireve out of this world the sonne.
79For who kan teche and werchen as we konne?
80And that is nat of litel tyme," quod he,
81"But syn Elye was, or Elise,
82Han freres been - that fynde I of record -
83In charitee, ythanked be oure Lord!
84Now Thomas, help, for seinte charitee!"
85And doun anon he sette hym on his knee.
86 This sike man wax wel ny wood for ire;
87He wolde that the frere had been on-fire
88With his false dissymulacioun.
89"Swich thyng as is in my possessioun,"
90Quod he, "that may I yeve, and noon oother.

column 2


91Ye sey me thus, how that I am youre brother?"

92"Ye, certes," quod the frere, "trusteth weel.
93I took oure dame oure lettre with oure seel."

94"Now wel," quod he, "and somwhat shal I yive
95Unto youre hooly covent whil I lyve;
96And in thyn hand thou shalt it have anon,
97On this condicion, and oother noon,
98That thou departe it so, my deere brother,
99That every frere have also muche as oother.
100This shaltou swere on thy professioun,
101Withouten fraude or cavillacioun."

102"I swere it," quod this frere, "by my feith!"
103And therwithal his hand in his he leith,
104"Lo, heer my feith; in me shal be no lak."
105 "Now thanne, put in thyn hand doun by my bak,"
106Seyde this man, "and grope wel bihynde.
107Bynethe my buttok there shaltow fynde
108A thyng that I have hyd in pryvetee."
109 "A!" thoghte this frere, "That shal go with me!"
110And doun his hand he launcheth to the clifte
111In hope for to fynde there a yifte.
112And whan this sike man felte this frere
113Aboute his tuwel grope there and heere,
114Amydde his hand he leet the frere a fart;
115Ther nys no capul, drawynge in a cart,
116That myghte have lete a fart of swich a soun.

117The frere up stirte as dooth a wood leoun -
118"A, false cherl," quod he, "for Goddes bones!
119This hastow for despit doon for the nones.
120Thou shalt abye this fart, if that I may!"

121His meynee, whiche that herden this affray,
122Cam lepynge in and chaced out the frere;
123And forth he gooth, with a ful angry cheere,
124And fette his felawe, ther as lay his stoor.
125He looked as it were a wilde boor;
126He grynte with his teeth, so was he wrooth.
127A sturdy paas doun to the court he gooth,
128Wher as ther woned a man of greet honour,
129To whom that he was alwey confessour.

page 135

column 1


130This worthy man was lord of that village.
131This frere cam as he were in a rage,
132Where as this lord sat etyng at his bord;
133Unnethes myghte the frere speke a word,
134Til atte laste he seyde, "God yow see!"

135This lord gan looke, and seide, "Benedicitee!
136What, frere John, what maner world is this?
137I se wel that som thyng ther is amys;
138Ye looken as the wode were ful of thevys.
139Sit doun anon, and tel me what youre grief is,
140And it shal been amended, if I may."