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Section 15 "> | Our Host upon his stirrups stood anon, | | And saide; "Good men, hearken every one, | | This was a thrifty* tale for the nones. *discreet, profitable | | Sir Parish Priest," quoth he, "for Godde's bones, | | Tell us a tale, as was thy *forword yore:* *promise formerly* | | I see well that ye learned men in lore | | Can* muche good, by Godde's dignity." *know | | The Parson him answer'd, "Ben'dicite! | | What ails the man, so sinfully to swear?" | | Our Host answer'd, "O Jankin, be ye there? | | Now, good men," quoth our Host, "hearken to me. | | I smell a Lollard <2> in the wind," quoth he. | | "Abide, for Godde's digne* passion, *worthy | | For we shall have a predication: | | This Lollard here will preachen us somewhat." | | "Nay, by my father's soul, that shall he not, | | Saide the Shipman; "Here shall he not preach, | | He shall no gospel glose* here nor teach. *comment upon | | We all believe in the great God," quoth he. | | "He woulde sowe some difficulty, | | Or springe cockle <3> in our cleane corn. | | And therefore, Host, I warne thee beforn, | | My jolly body shall a tale tell, | | And I shall clinke you so merry a bell, | | That I shall waken all this company; | | But it shall not be of philosophy, | | Nor of physic, nor termes quaint of law; | | There is but little Latin in my maw."* *belly |
| Notes to the Prologue to the Shipman's Tale |
| 1. The Prologue here given was transferred by Tyrwhitt from | | the place, preceding the Squire's Tale, which it had formerly | | occupied; the Shipman's Tale having no Prologue in the best | | manuscripts. |
| 2. Lollard: A contemptuous name for the followers of | | Wyckliffe; presumably derived from the Latin, "lolium," tares, | | as if they were the tares among the Lord's wheat; so, a few lines | | below, the Shipman intimates his fear lest the Parson should | | "spring cockle in our clean corn." |
| 3. Cockle: A weed, the "Agrostemma githago" of Linnaeus; | | perhaps named from the Anglo-Saxon, "ceocan," because it | | chokes the corn. | | (Transcriber's note: It is also possible Chaucer had in mind | | Matthew 13:25, where in some translations, an enemy sowed | | "cockle" amongst the wheat. (Other translations have "tares" | | and "darnel".)) |
| A Merchant whilom dwell'd at Saint Denise, | | That riche was, for which men held him wise. | | A wife he had of excellent beauty, | | And *companiable and revellous* was she, *fond of society and | | Which is a thing that causeth more dispence merry making* | | Than worth is all the cheer and reverence | | That men them do at feastes and at dances. | | Such salutations and countenances | | Passen, as doth the shadow on the wall; | | Put woe is him that paye must for all. | | The sely* husband algate** he must pay, *innocent **always | | He must us <2> clothe and he must us array | | All for his owen worship richely: | | In which array we dance jollily. | | And if that he may not, paraventure, | | Or elles list not such dispence endure, | | But thinketh it is wasted and y-lost, | | Then must another paye for our cost, | | Or lend us gold, and that is perilous. |
| This noble merchant held a noble house; | | For which he had all day so great repair,* *resort of visitors | | For his largesse, and for his wife was fair, | | That wonder is; but hearken to my tale. | | Amonges all these guestes great and smale, | | There was a monk, a fair man and a bold, | | I trow a thirty winter he was old, | | That ever-in-one* was drawing to that place. *constantly | | This younge monk, that was so fair of face, | | Acquainted was so with this goode man, | | Since that their firste knowledge began, | | That in his house as familiar was he | | As it is possible any friend to be. | | And, for as muchel as this goode man, | | And eke this monk of which that I began, | | Were both the two y-born in one village, | | The monk *him claimed, as for cousinage,* *claimed kindred | | And he again him said not once nay, with him* | | But was as glad thereof as fowl of day; | | "For to his heart it was a great pleasance. | | Thus be they knit with etern' alliance, | | And each of them gan other to assure | | Of brotherhood while that their life may dure. | | Free was Dan <3> John, and namely* of dispence,** *especially **spending | | As in that house, and full of diligence | | To do pleasance, and also *great costage;* *liberal outlay* | | He not forgot to give the leaste page | | In all that house; but, after their degree, | | He gave the lord, and sithen* his meinie,** *afterwards **servants | | When that he came, some manner honest thing; | | For which they were as glad of his coming | | As fowl is fain when that the sun upriseth. | | No more of this as now, for it sufficeth. |
| But so befell, this merchant on a day | | Shope* him to make ready his array *resolved, arranged | | Toward the town of Bruges <4> for to fare, | | To buye there a portion of ware;* *merchandise | | For which he hath to Paris sent anon | | A messenger, and prayed hath Dan John | | That he should come to Saint Denis, and play* *enjoy himself | | With him, and with his wife, a day or tway, | | Ere he to Bruges went, in alle wise. | | This noble monk, of which I you devise,* *tell | | Had of his abbot, as him list, licence, | | (Because he was a man of high prudence, | | And eke an officer out for to ride, | | To see their granges and their barnes wide); <5> | | And unto Saint Denis he came anon. | | Who was so welcome as my lord Dan John, | | Our deare cousin, full of courtesy? | | With him he brought a jub* of malvesie, *jug | | And eke another full of fine vernage, <6> | | And volatile,* as aye was his usage: *wild-fowl | | And thus I let them eat, and drink, and play, | | This merchant and this monk, a day or tway. | | The thirde day the merchant up ariseth, | | And on his needeis sadly him adviseth; | | And up into his countour-house* went he, *counting-house <7> | | To reckon with himself as well may be, | | Of thilke* year, how that it with him stood, *that | | And how that he dispended bad his good, | | And if that he increased were or non. | | His bookes and his bagges many a one | | He laid before him on his counting-board. | | Full riche was his treasure and his hoard; | | For which full fast his countour door he shet; | | And eke he would that no man should him let* *hinder | | Of his accountes, for the meane time: | | And thus he sat, till it was passed prime. |
| Dan John was risen in the morn also, | | And in the garden walked to and fro, | | And had his thinges said full courteously. | | The good wife came walking full privily | | Into the garden, where he walked soft, | | And him saluted, as she had done oft; | | A maiden child came in her company, | | Which as her list she might govern and gie,* *guide | | For yet under the yarde* was the maid. *rod <8> | | "O deare cousin mine, Dan John," she said, | | "What aileth you so rath* for to arise?" *early | | "Niece," quoth he, "it ought enough suffice | | Five houres for to sleep upon a night;' | | But* it were for an old appalled** wight, *unless **pallid, wasted | | As be these wedded men, that lie and dare,* *stare | | As in a forme sits a weary hare, | | Alle forstraught* with houndes great and smale; *distracted, confounded | | But, deare niece, why be ye so pale? | | I trowe certes that our goode man | | Hath you so laboured, since this night began, | | That you were need to reste hastily." | | And with that word he laugh'd full merrily, | | And of his owen thought he wax'd all red. | | This faire wife gan for to shake her head, | | And saide thus; "Yea, God wot all" quoth she. | | "Nay, cousin mine, it stands not so with me; | | For by that God, that gave me soul and life, | | In all the realm of France is there no wife | | That lesse lust hath to that sorry play; | | For I may sing alas and well-away! | | That I was born; but to no wight," quoth she, | | "Dare I not tell how that it stands with me. | | Wherefore I think out of this land to wend, | | Or elles of myself to make an end, | | So full am I of dread and eke of care." |
| This monk began upon this wife to stare, | | And said, "Alas! my niece, God forbid | | That ye for any sorrow, or any dread, | | Fordo* yourself: but telle me your grief, *destroy | | Paraventure I may, in your mischief,* *distress | | Counsel or help; and therefore telle me | | All your annoy, for it shall be secre. | | For on my portos* here I make an oath, *breviary | | That never in my life, *for lief nor loth,* *willing or unwilling* | | Ne shall I of no counsel you bewray." | | "The same again to you," quoth she, "I say. | | By God and by this portos I you swear, | | Though men me woulden all in pieces tear, | | Ne shall I never, for* to go to hell, *though I should | | Bewray* one word of thing that ye me tell, *betray | | For no cousinage, nor alliance, | | But verily for love and affiance."* *confidence, promise | | Thus be they sworn, and thereupon they kiss'd, | | And each of them told other what them list. | | "Cousin," quoth she, "if that I hadde space, | | As I have none, and namely* in this place, *specially | | Then would I tell a legend of my life, | | What I have suffer'd since I was a wife | | With mine husband, all* be he your cousin. *although | | "Nay," quoth this monk, "by God and Saint Martin, | | He is no more cousin unto me, | | Than is the leaf that hangeth on the tree; | | I call him so, by Saint Denis of France, | | To have the more cause of acquaintance | | Of you, which I have loved specially | | Aboven alle women sickerly,* *surely | | This swear I you *on my professioun;* *by my vows of religion | | Tell me your grief, lest that he come adown, | | And hasten you, and go away anon." |
| "My deare love," quoth she, "O my Dan John, | | Full lief* were me this counsel for to hide, *pleasant | | But out it must, I may no more abide. | | My husband is to me the worste man | | That ever was since that the world began; | | But since I am a wife, it sits* not me *becomes | | To telle no wight of our privity, | | Neither in bed, nor in none other place; | | God shield* I shoulde tell it for his grace; *forbid | | A wife shall not say of her husband | | But all honour, as I can understand; | | Save unto you thus much I telle shall; | | As help me God, he is nought worth at all | | In no degree, the value of a fly. | | But yet me grieveth most his niggardy.* *stinginess | | And well ye wot, that women naturally | | Desire thinges six, as well as I. | | They woulde that their husbands shoulde be | | Hardy,* and wise, and rich, and thereto free, *brave | | And buxom* to his wife, and fresh in bed. *yielding, obedient | | But, by that ilke* Lord that for us bled, *same | | For his honour myself for to array, | | On Sunday next I muste needes pay | | A hundred francs, or elles am I lorn.* *ruined, undone | | Yet *were me lever* that I were unborn, *I would rather* | | Than me were done slander or villainy. | | And if mine husband eke might it espy, | | I were but lost; and therefore I you pray, | | Lend me this sum, or elles must I dey.* *die | | Dan John, I say, lend me these hundred francs; | | Pardie, I will not faile you, *my thanks,* *if I can help it* | | If that you list to do that I you pray; | | For at a certain day I will you pay, | | And do to you what pleasance and service | | That I may do, right as you list devise. | | And but* I do, God take on me vengeance, *unless | | As foul as e'er had Ganilion <9> of France." |
| This gentle monk answer'd in this mannere; | | "Now truely, mine owen lady dear, | | I have," quoth he, "on you so greate ruth,* *pity | | That I you swear, and plighte you my truth, | | That when your husband is to Flanders fare,* *gone | | I will deliver you out of this care, | | For I will bringe you a hundred francs." | | And with that word he caught her by the flanks, | | And her embraced hard, and kissed her oft. | | "Go now your way," quoth he, "all still and soft, | | And let us dine as soon as that ye may, | | For by my cylinder* 'tis prime of day; *portable sundial | | Go now, and be as true as I shall be ." | | "Now elles God forbidde, Sir," quoth she; | | And forth she went, as jolly as a pie, | | And bade the cookes that they should them hie,* *make haste | | So that men mighte dine, and that anon. | | Up to her husband is this wife gone, | | And knocked at his contour boldely. | | *"Qui est la?"* quoth he. "Peter! it am I," *who is there?* | | Quoth she; "What, Sir, how longe all will ye fast? | | How longe time will ye reckon and cast | | Your summes, and your bookes, and your things? | | The devil have part of all such reckonings! | | Ye have enough, pardie, of Godde's sond.* *sending, gifts | | Come down to-day, and let your bagges stond.* *stand | | Ne be ye not ashamed, that Dan John | | Shall fasting all this day elenge* gon? *see note <10> | | What? let us hear a mass, and go we dine." | | "Wife," quoth this man, "little canst thou divine | | The curious businesse that we have; | | For of us chapmen,* all so God me save, *merchants | | And by that lord that cleped is Saint Ive, | | Scarcely amonges twenty, ten shall thrive | | Continually, lasting unto our age. | | We may well make cheer and good visage, | | And drive forth the world as it may be, | | And keepen our estate in privity, | | Till we be dead, or elles that we play | | A pilgrimage, or go out of the way. | | And therefore have I great necessity | | Upon this quaint* world to advise** me. *strange **consider | | For evermore must we stand in dread | | Of hap and fortune in our chapmanhead.* *trading | | To Flanders will I go to-morrow at day, | | And come again as soon as e'er I may: | | For which, my deare wife, I thee beseek *beseech | | As be to every wight buxom* and meek, *civil, courteous | | And for to keep our good be curious, | | And honestly governe well our house. | | Thou hast enough, in every manner wise, | | That to a thrifty household may suffice. | | Thee lacketh none array, nor no vitail; | | Of silver in thy purse thou shalt not fail." |
| And with that word his contour door he shet,* *shut | | And down he went; no longer would he let;* *delay, hinder | | And hastily a mass was there said, | | And speedily the tables were laid, | | And to the dinner faste they them sped, | | And richely this monk the chapman fed. | | And after dinner Dan John soberly | | This chapman took apart, and privily | | He said him thus: "Cousin, it standeth so, | | That, well I see, to Bruges ye will go; | | God and Saint Austin speede you and guide. | | I pray you, cousin, wisely that ye ride: | | Governe you also of your diet | | Attemperly,* and namely** in this heat. *moderately | | Betwixt us two needeth no *strange fare;* *ado, ceremony* | | Farewell, cousin, God shielde you from care. | | If any thing there be, by day or night, | | If it lie in my power and my might, | | That ye me will command in any wise, | | It shall be done, right as ye will devise. | | But one thing ere ye go, if it may be; | | I woulde pray you for to lend to me | | A hundred frankes, for a week or twy, | | For certain beastes that I muste buy, | | To store with a place that is ours | | (God help me so, I would that it were yours); | | I shall not faile surely of my day, | | Not for a thousand francs, a mile way. | | But let this thing be secret, I you pray; | | For yet to-night these beastes must I buy. | | And fare now well, mine owen cousin dear; | | *Grand mercy* of your cost and of your cheer." *great thanks* |
| This noble merchant gentilly* anon *like a gentleman | | Answer'd and said, "O cousin mine, Dan John, | | Now sickerly this is a small request: | | My gold is youres, when that it you lest, | | And not only my gold, but my chaffare;* *merchandise | | Take what you list, *God shielde that ye spare.* *God forbid that you | | But one thing is, ye know it well enow should take too little* | | Of chapmen, that their money is their plough. | | We may creance* while we have a name, *obtain credit | | But goldless for to be it is no game. | | Pay it again when it lies in your ease; | | After my might full fain would I you please." |
| These hundred frankes set he forth anon, | | And privily he took them to Dan John; | | No wight in all this world wist of this loan, | | Saving the merchant and Dan John alone. | | They drink, and speak, and roam a while, and play, | | Till that Dan John rode unto his abbay. | | The morrow came, and forth this merchant rideth | | To Flanders-ward, his prentice well him guideth, | | Till he came unto Bruges merrily. | | Now went this merchant fast and busily | | About his need, and buyed and creanced;* *got credit | | He neither played at the dice, nor danced; | | But as a merchant, shortly for to tell, | | He led his life; and there I let him dwell. |
| The Sunday next* the merchant was y-gone, *after | | To Saint Denis y-comen is Dan John, | | With crown and beard all fresh and newly shave, | | In all the house was not so little a knave,* *servant-boy | | Nor no wight elles that was not full fain | | For that my lord Dan John was come again. | | And shortly to the point right for to gon, | | The faire wife accorded with Dan John, | | That for these hundred francs he should all night | | Have her in his armes bolt upright; | | And this accord performed was in deed. | | In mirth all night a busy life they lead, | | Till it was day, that Dan John went his way, | | And bade the meinie* "Farewell; have good day." *servants | | For none of them, nor no wight in the town, | | Had of Dan John right no suspicioun; | | And forth he rode home to his abbay, | | Or where him list; no more of him I say. |
| The merchant, when that ended was the fair, | | To Saint Denis he gan for to repair, | | And with his wife he made feast and cheer, | | And tolde her that chaffare* was so dear, *merchandise | | That needes must he make a chevisance;* *loan <11> | | For he was bound in a recognisance | | To paye twenty thousand shields* anon. *crowns, ecus | | For which this merchant is to Paris gone, | | To borrow of certain friendes that he had | | A certain francs, and some with him he lad.* *took | | And when that he was come into the town, | | For great cherte* and great affectioun *love | | Unto Dan John he wente first to play; | | Not for to borrow of him no money, | | Bat for to weet* and see of his welfare, *know | | And for to telle him of his chaffare, | | As friendes do, when they be met in fere.* *company | | Dan John him made feast and merry cheer; | | And he him told again full specially, | | How he had well y-bought and graciously | | (Thanked be God) all whole his merchandise; | | Save that he must, in alle manner wise, | | Maken a chevisance, as for his best; | | And then he shoulde be in joy and rest. | | Dan John answered, "Certes, I am fain* *glad | | That ye in health be come borne again: | | And if that I were rich, as have I bliss, | | Of twenty thousand shields should ye not miss, | | For ye so kindely the other day | | Lente me gold, and as I can and may | | I thanke you, by God and by Saint Jame. | | But natheless I took unto our Dame, | | Your wife at home, the same gold again, | | Upon your bench; she wot it well, certain, | | By certain tokens that I can her tell | | Now, by your leave, I may no longer dwell; | | Our abbot will out of this town anon, | | And in his company I muste gon. | | Greet well our Dame, mine owen niece sweet, | | And farewell, deare cousin, till we meet. |
| This merchant, which that was full ware and wise, | | *Creanced hath,* and paid eke in Paris *had obtained credit* | | To certain Lombards ready in their hond | | The sum of gold, and got of them his bond, | | And home he went, merry as a popinjay.* *parrot | | For well he knew he stood in such array | | That needes must he win in that voyage | | A thousand francs, above all his costage.* *expenses | | His wife full ready met him at the gate, | | As she was wont of old usage algate* *always | | And all that night in mirthe they beset;* *spent | | For he was rich, and clearly out of debt. | | When it was day, the merchant gan embrace | | His wife all new, and kiss'd her in her face, | | And up he went, and maked it full tough. |
| "No more," quoth she, "by God ye have enough;" | | And wantonly again with him she play'd, | | Till at the last this merchant to her said. | | "By God," quoth he, "I am a little wroth | | With you, my wife, although it be me loth; | | And wot ye why? by God, as that I guess, | | That ye have made a *manner strangeness* *a kind of estrangement* | | Betwixte me and my cousin, Dan John. | | Ye should have warned me, ere I had gone, | | That he you had a hundred frankes paid | | By ready token; he *had him evil apaid* *was displeased* | | For that I to him spake of chevisance,* *borrowing | | (He seemed so as by his countenance); | | But natheless, by God of heaven king, | | I thoughte not to ask of him no thing. | | I pray thee, wife, do thou no more so. | | Tell me alway, ere that I from thee go, | | If any debtor hath in mine absence | | Y-payed thee, lest through thy negligence | | I might him ask a thing that he hath paid." |
| This wife was not afeared nor afraid, | | But boldely she said, and that anon; | | "Mary! I defy that false monk Dan John, | | I keep* not of his tokens never a deal:** *care **whit | | He took me certain gold, I wot it well.— | | What? evil thedom* on his monke's snout!—*thriving | | For, God it wot, I ween'd withoute doubt | | That he had given it me, because of you, | | To do therewith mine honour and my prow,* *profit | | For cousinage, and eke for belle cheer | | That he hath had full often here. | | But since I see I stand in such disjoint,* *awkward position | | I will answer you shortly to the point. | | Ye have more slacke debtors than am I; | | For I will pay you well and readily, | | From day to day, and if so be I fail, | | I am your wife, score it upon my tail, | | And I shall pay as soon as ever I may. | | For, by my troth, I have on mine array, | | And not in waste, bestow'd it every deal. | | And, for I have bestowed it so well, | | For your honour, for Godde's sake I say, | | As be not wroth, but let us laugh and play. | | Ye shall my jolly body have *to wed;* *in pledge* | | By God, I will not pay you but in bed; | | Forgive it me, mine owen spouse dear; | | Turn hitherward, and make better cheer." |
| The merchant saw none other remedy; | | And for to chide, it were but a folly, | | Since that the thing might not amended be. | | "Now, wife," he said, "and I forgive it thee; | | But by thy life be no more so large;* *liberal, lavish | | Keep better my good, this give I thee in charge." | | Thus endeth now my tale; and God us send | | Taling enough, until our lives' end! |
| Notes to the Shipman's Tale |
| 1. In this Tale Chaucer seems to have followed an old French | | story, which also formed the groundwork of the first story in | | the eighth day of the "Decameron." |
| 2. "He must us clothe": So in all the manuscripts and from this | | and the following lines, it must be inferred that Chaucer had | | intended to put the Tale in the mouth of a female speaker. |
| 3. Dan: a title bestowed on priests and scholars; from | | "Dominus," like the Spanish "Don". |
| 4. Bruges was in Chaucer's time the great emporium of | | European commerce. |
| 5. The monk had been appointed by his abbot to inspect and | | manage the rural property of the monastery. |
| 6. Malvesie or Malmesy wine derived its name from Malvasia, a | | region of the Morea near Cape Malea, where it was made, as it | | also was on Chios and some other Greek islands. Vernage was | | "vernaccia", a sweet Italian wine. |
 7. Contour-house: counting-house; French, "comptoir." |
| 8. Under the yarde: under the rod; in pupillage; a phrase | | properly used of children, but employed by the Clerk in the | | prologue to his tale. See note 1 to the Prologue to the Clerk's | | Tale. |
| 9. Genelon, Ganelon, or Ganilion; one of Charlemagne's | | officers, whose treachery was the cause of the disastrous defeat | | of the Christians by the Saracens at Roncevalles; he was torn to | | pieces by four horses. |
| 10. Elenge: From French, "eloigner," to remove; it may mean | | either the lonely, cheerless condition of the priest, or the strange | | behaviour of the merchant in leaving him to himself. |
| 11. Make a chevisance: raise money by means of a borrowing | | agreement; from French, "achever," to finish; the general | | meaning of the word is a bargain, an agreement. |
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