THE MERCHANT OF ST. DENIS.
That I shal wakyn al this companye;
But it shal nat ben of philosophye,
Ne of phisyk, ne termes queint of lawe ;
There is but litel Latin in my mawe."
Heere bigynneth The Shipmannes Tale.1
A marchant whilom dwelled at Seint Denys,2 That riche was, for which men helde hym (12,932 T.)
A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee,
And compaignable and revelous was she,
Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence
Than worth is al the chiere and reverence
That men hem doon at festes and at daunces.
Swiche salutaciouns and contenaunces
Passen as dooth a shadwe up-on the wal,
But wo is hym that payen moot for al!
"The sely housbonde algate 3 he moste paye;
He moot us clothe and he moot us arraye,
Al for his owene worship richely,
In which array we daunce jolily.
And if that he noght may, par aventure,
Or ellis list no swich dispence endure,
But thynketh it is wasted and ylost, (12,947 T.)
Thanne moot another payen for oure cost,
Or lene us gold, and that is perilous." 5631
This noble marchaunt heeld a worthy hous,
1 A story, the plot of which is the same as that of this one, is briefly related, with different accessories, by Boccaccio, being the first novel of the eighth day. A suburb of Paris. 3 Always. 4 Lend
For which he hadde alday so greet repair
For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,
That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.
Amonges alle hise gestes grete and smale Ther was a monk, a fair man and a boold, I trowe of thritty wynter he was oold, That evere in oon was comynge to that place. This yonge monk, that was so fair of face, 5640 Aqueynted was so with the goode man Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan, That in his hous as famulier was he As is possible any freend to be.
And for as muchel as this goode man And eek this monk, of which that I bigan, Were bothe two yborn in o village, The monk hym claymeth as for cosynage;1 And he agayn he seith nat ones nay, But was as glad ther-of as fowel of day; 5650 For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce. Thus been they knyt with eterne alliaunce, And ech of hem gan oother for tassure Of bretherhede whil that hir lyf may dure. Free was Daun John, and namely of dis
As in that hous, and ful of diligence
To doon plesaunce; and also greet costage
He noght forgat to geve the leeste page
In al the hous, but after hir degree.
He gaf the lord and sitthe al his meynee,
1 Relationship. 2 Especially. Afterwards all his household.
THE MERCHANT PREPARES TO TRAVEL. 215
Whan that he cam, som manere honest thyng,
For which they were as glad of his comyng
As fowel is fayn whan that the sonne up-riseth;
Na moore of this as now, for it suffiseth.
But so bifel this marchant on a day
Shoop1 hym to make redy his array
Toward the toun of Brugges for to fare,
To byen there a porcioun of ware ;
For which he hath to Parys sent anon
A messager, and preyed hath Daun John 5670
That he sholde come to Seint Denys, to pleye
With hym and with his wyf a day or tweye,
Er he to Brugges wente, in alle wise.
This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
Hath of his abbot as hym list licence,
By cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
And eek an officer, - out for to ryde
To seen hir graunges and hire bernes wyde,
And un-to Seint Denys he comth anon.
Who was so welcome as my lord Daun John,
"Oure deere cosyn, ful of curteisye"?
With hym broghte he a jubbe of malvesye 2
And eek another, ful of fyn ernage,
And volatyl, as ay was his usage, (13,002 T.) And thus I lete hem drynke and pleye,
This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye. The thridde day this marchant up ariseth, And on hise nedes sadly 5 hym avyseth,
1 Prepared. 2 Jug of a sort of wine. 8 A white wine. Cf. 1. 14,143. Fowis. Seriously.
And up in-to his countour-hous gooth he,
To rekene with hym self, as1 wel may be, 5690
Of thilke yeer, how that it with hym stood,
And how that he despended hadde his good,
And if that he encressed were or noon.
Hise bookes and hise bagges many oon
He leith biforn hym on his countyng-bord.
Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
For which ful faste his countour dore he shette,
And eek he nolde that no man sholde hym lette
Of hise accountes, for the meene tyme ;
And thus he sit til it was passed pryme. 5700
Daun John was rysen in the morwe also
And in the gardyn walketh to and fro
And hath hise thynges 2 seyd ful curteisly.
This goode wyf cam walkynge pryvely
In to the gardyn, there he walketh softe,
And hym saleweth, as she hath doon ofte.
A mayde child cam in hire compaignye,
Which as hir list she may governe and gye,3
For yet under the yerde was the mayde. 5709
"O deere cosyn myn, Daun John," she sayde,
"What eyleth yow, so rathe 5 for to ryse?"
Nece," quod he, "it oghte ynough suffise Fyve houres for to slepe up-on a nyght, But it were for an old appalled wight, As been thise wedded men that lye and dare,' As, in a fourme, sit a wery hare
1 Not in Elles. MS. 2 Devotions. control. 5 Early. 6 Enfeebled. 7 Stare.
CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION.
Were al forstraught with houndes grete and
But, deere nece, why be ye so pale?
I trowe certes that oure goode man
Hath yow laboured sith the nyght bigan, 5720
That yow were nede to resten hastily ;"
And with that word he lough ful murily
And of his owene thought he wax al reed.1
This faire wyf gan for to shake hir heed, And seyde thus: "Ye, God woot al,” quod she, “Nay, nay, cosyn myn, it stant nat so with
For by that God that gaf me soule and lyf,
In al the reawme of France is ther no wyf
That lasse 2 lust hath to that sory pleye;
For I may synge allas! and weylawey! 5730
That I was born; but to no wight," quod she,
"Dar I nat telle how that it stant with me;
Wherfore I thynke out of this land to wende,
Or elles of my-self to make an ende, (13,052 T.)
So ful am I of drede and eek of care."
This monk bigan up-on this wyf to stare,
And seyde, "Allas, my nece, God forbede
That ye, for any sorwe or any drede,
Fordo youre-self; but tel me of youre grief;
Paraventure I yow may in youre meschief 5740
Conseille or helpe; and therfore telleth me
All youre anoy, for it shal been secree;
For on my porthors I make an ooth
1 Red. 2 Less. 3 Ruin. Breviary.
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