Now, sire, of elde ye repreve me; And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee

Were in no book, ye gentils of honour

Seyn that men sholde an old wight doon favour,

And clepe him fader, for your gentillesse ;

And auctours shal I finden, as I gesse.
Now ther ye seye, that I am foul and old,
Than drede you noght to been a cokewold;
For filthe and elde, al-so moot I thee,

Been grete wardeyns up-on chastitee.
But nathelees, sin I knowe your delyt,

I shal fulfille your worldly appetyt.
Chese now,' quod she, 'oon of thise thinges tweye,
To han me foul and old til that I deye,

1210

1215

(360)

1220

And be to yow a trewe humble wyf,

And never yow displese in al my lyf,

Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,

And take your aventure of the repair

That shal be to your hous, by-cause of me,

Or in som other place, may wel be.

Now chese your-selven, whether that yow lyketh.'

This knight avyseth him and sore syketh,

But atte laste he seyde in this manere,

'My lady and my love, and wyf so dere,

I put me in your wyse governance;

Cheseth your-self, which may be most plesance,
And most honour to yow and me also.

I do no fors the whether of the two;
For as yow lyketh, it suffiseth me.'

'Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,' quod she,
'Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?'
'Ye, certes, wyf,' quod he, 'I holde it best.'
'Kis me,' quod she, 'we be no lenger wrothe;

For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe,
This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good.

I prey to god that I mot sterven wood,

But I to yow be al-so good and trewe

As ever was wyf, sin that the world was newe.

1225

(370)

1230

1235

(380)

1236. of-maistrye] Cm. the maysterye.

1227, 1234. E. wheither.

1240

And, but I be to-morn as fair to sene

As any lady, emperyce, or quene,

That is bitwixe the est and eke the west,
Doth with my lyf and deeth right as yow lest.
Cast up the curtin, loke how that it is.'

And whan the knight saugh verraily al this,
That she so fair was, and so yong ther-to,
For Ioye he hente hir in his armes two,
His herte bathed in a bath of blisse;
A thousand tyme a-rewe he gan hir kisse.
And she obeyed him in every thing
That mighte doon him plesance or lyking.

And thus they live, un-to hir lyves ende,
In parfit Ioye; and Iesu Crist us sende
Housbondes meke, yonge, and fresshe a-bedde,
And grace toverbyde hem that we wedde.
And eek I preye Iesu shorte hir lyves
That wol nat be governed by hir wyves;
And olde and angry nigardes of dispence,
God sende hem sone verray pestilence.

Here endeth the Wyves Tale of Bathe.

1245

(390)

1250

1255

(400)

1260

1254. E. Hn. Ln. a rewe; Hl. on rowe; rest a rowe. 1259. E. om. and. Ln. fresshe; E. fressh. 1260. E. Hn. touerbyde; Cm. Hl. to ouerbyde; Cp. Pt. Ln. to ouerlede (!). 1261. Cm. preye; Hn. praye; E. pray. 1262. E. Hn. nat wol; rest transpose. COLOPHON. So E. Hn.

THE FRIAR'S PROLOGUE.

(T. 6847-6868).

The Prologe of the Freres tale.

HIS worthy limitour, this noble Frere,

THH

He made alwey a maner louring chere Upon the Somnour, but for honestee

No vileyns word as yet to him spak he.

But atte laste he seyde un-to the Wyf,

'Dame,' quod he, 'god yeve yow right good lyf!
Ye han heer touched, al-so moot I thee,
In scole-matere greet difficultee;

Ye han seyd muchel thing right wel, I seye;
But dame, here as we ryden by the weye,
Us nedeth nat to speken but of game,
And lete auctoritees, on goddes name,
To preching and to scole eek of clergye.
But if it lyke to this companye,

I wol yow of a somnour telle a game.
Pardee, ye may wel knowe by the name,
That of a somnour may no good be sayd;
I praye that noon of you be yvel apayd.
A somnour is a renner up and doun

With mandements for fornicacioun,
And is y-bet at every tounes ende.'

Our host tho spak, 'a! sire, ye sholde be hende

1266. E. chiere.

1265

1270

(10)

1275

1280

(20)

1285

1274. E.

HEADING. So E. Hn. 1267. E. Somonour; Hn. Somnour. 1273. E. Hn. muche; Ln. muchel; rest mochel. ryde; rest ryden. 1277. Hl. scoles. E. Hn. Hl. om. eek. 1278. E. And; 1284. E. Hn. mandementz. 1286. Hl. oste (om. tho).

rest But.

And curteys, as a man of your estaat;

In companye we wol have no debaat.
Telleth your tale, and lat the Somnour be.'

'Nay,' quod the Somnour, 'lat him seye to me What so him list; whan it comth to my lot,

By god, I shal him quyten every grot.
I shal him tellen which a greet honour
It is to be a flateringe limitour;

And his offyce I shal him telle, y-wis.'

1

Our host answerde, 'pees, na-more of this.' And after this he seyde un-to the Frere,

'Tel forth your tale, leve maister deere.'

Here endeth the Prologe of the Frere.

1290

(29) [T. 6876 [T. 6879

1296

Tyr

After 1. 1294 all but Hl. wrongly insert 11. 1307 and 1308; which see. whitt also inserts them. 1298. E. Hn. leeue; Hl. my; Cp. Ln. my leue; Pt.

my owen.

COLOPHON. From Hn.; so Pt. (with Thus for Here).

يد

THE FRERES TALE.

Here biginneth the Freres tale.

WHILOM ther

was dwellinge in my contree An erchedeken, a man of heigh degree,

That boldely dide execucioun

In punisshinge of fornicacioun,

Of wicchecraft, and eek of bauderye,
Of diffamacioun, and avoutrye,

Of chirche-reves, and of testaments,

Of contractes, and of lakke of sacraments,
And eek of many another maner cryme
Which nedeth nat rehercen at this tyme;
Of usure, and of symonye also.

But certes, lechours dide he grettest wo;
They sholde singen, if that they were hent;
And smale tytheres weren foule y-shent.
If any persone wolde up-on hem pleyne,

Ther mighte asterte him no pecunial peyne.
For smale tythes and for smal offringe,

He made the peple pitously to singe.

For er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook,
They weren in the erchedeknes book.

Thanne hadde he, thurgh his Iurisdiccioun,
Power to doon on hem correccioun.

HEADING. So E. Pt.

1306. E. Hn. and eek; rest and.

1300

1305

[T. om. [T. om.

(11)

1310

1315

(20)

1320

1307, 1308. 1307. E. Hn. Ln. om. eek. 1310. Ln. lychoures; rest lecchours. 1315. Pt. Ln. eek; E. om.

Wrongly inserted after 1. 1294 in all but Hl.
1308. E. Hn. for; rest at.
Hn. Hl. for; Cp. eek for;
1318. Cp. Pt. Hl. weren;
read Thanne.

1317. E. HI. him.

rest were. 1319. III. And; rest And thanne;