Section 7:
THE FRIAR'S TALE.
THE FRIAR'S TALE.
| THE PROLOGUE.<1> |
| This worthy limitour, this noble Frere, |
| He made always a manner louring cheer* *countenance |
| Upon the Sompnour; but for honesty* *courtesy |
| No villain word as yet to him spake he: |
| But at the last he said unto the Wife: |
| "Dame," quoth he, "God give you right good life, |
| Ye have here touched, all so may I the,* *thrive |
| In school matter a greate difficulty. |
| Ye have said muche thing right well, I say; |
| But, Dame, here as we ride by the way, |
| Us needeth not but for to speak of game, |
| And leave authorities, in Godde's name, |
| To preaching, and to school eke of clergy. |
| But if it like unto this company, |
| I will you of a Sompnour tell a game; |
| Pardie, ye may well knowe by the name, |
| That of a Sompnour may no good be said; |
| I pray that none of you be *evil paid;* *dissatisfied* |
| A Sompnour is a runner up and down |
| With mandements* for fornicatioun, *mandates, summonses* |
| And is y-beat at every towne's end." |
| Then spake our Host; "Ah, sir, ye should be hend* *civil, gentle |
| And courteous, as a man of your estate; |
| In company we will have no debate: |
| Tell us your tale, and let the Sompnour be." |
| "Nay," quoth the Sompnour, "let him say by me |
| What so him list; when it comes to my lot, |
| By God, I shall him quiten* every groat! *pay him off |
| I shall him telle what a great honour |
| It is to be a flattering limitour |
| And his office I shall him tell y-wis". |
| Our Host answered, "Peace, no more of this." |
| And afterward he said unto the frere, |
| "Tell forth your tale, mine owen master dear." |
| Notes to the Prologue to the Friar's tale |
| 1. On the Tale of the Friar, and that of the Sompnour which |
| follows, Tyrwhitt has remarked that they "are well engrafted |
| upon that of the Wife of Bath. The ill-humour which shows |
| itself between these two characters is quite natural, as no two |
| professions at that time were at more constant variance. The |
| regular clergy, and particularly the mendicant friars, affected a |
| total exemption from all ecclesiastical jurisdiction, except that |
| of the Pope, which made them exceedingly obnoxious to the |
| bishops and of course to all the inferior officers of the national |
| hierarchy." Both tales, whatever their origin, are bitter satires |
| on the greed and worldliness of the Romish clergy. |
| THE TALE. |
| Whilom* there was dwelling in my country *once on a time |
| An archdeacon, a man of high degree, |
| That boldely did execution, |
| In punishing of fornication, |
| Of witchecraft, and eke of bawdery, |
| Of defamation, and adultery, |
| Of churche-reeves,* and of testaments, *churchwardens |
| Of contracts, and of lack of sacraments, |
| And eke of many another manner* crime, *sort of |
| Which needeth not rehearsen at this time, |
| Of usury, and simony also; |
| But, certes, lechours did he greatest woe; |
| They shoulde singen, if that they were hent;* *caught |
| And smale tithers<1> were foul y-shent,* *troubled, put to shame |
| If any person would on them complain; |
| There might astert them no pecunial pain.<2> |
| For smalle tithes, and small offering, |
| He made the people piteously to sing; |
| For ere the bishop caught them with his crook, |
| They weren in the archedeacon's book; |
| Then had he, through his jurisdiction, |
| Power to do on them correction. |
| He had a Sompnour ready to his hand, |
| A slier boy was none in Engleland; |
| For subtlely he had his espiaille,* *espionage |
| That taught him well where it might aught avail. |
| He coulde spare of lechours one or two, |
| To teache him to four and twenty mo'. |
| For,—though this Sompnour wood* be as a hare,—*furious, mad |
| To tell his harlotry I will not spare, |
| For we be out of their correction, |
| They have of us no jurisdiction, |
| Ne never shall have, term of all their lives. |
| "Peter; so be the women of the stives,"* *stews |
| Quoth this Sompnour, "y-put out of our cure."* *care |
| "Peace, with mischance and with misaventure," |
| Our Hoste said, "and let him tell his tale. |
| Now telle forth, and let the Sompnour gale,* *whistle; bawl |
| Nor spare not, mine owen master dear." |
| This false thief, the Sompnour (quoth the Frere), |
| Had always bawdes ready to his hand, |
| As any hawk to lure in Engleland, |
| That told him all the secrets that they knew,— |
| For their acquaintance was not come of new; |
| They were his approvers* privily. *informers |
| He took himself at great profit thereby: |
| His master knew not always what he wan.* *won |
| Withoute mandement, a lewed* man *ignorant |
| He could summon, on pain of Christe's curse, |
| And they were inly glad to fill his purse, |
| And make him greate feastes at the nale.* *alehouse |
| And right as Judas hadde purses smale,* *small |
| And was a thief, right such a thief was he, |
| His master had but half *his duety.* *what was owing him* |
| He was (if I shall give him his laud) |
| A thief, and eke a Sompnour, and a bawd. |
| And he had wenches at his retinue, |
| That whether that Sir Robert or Sir Hugh, |
| Or Jack, or Ralph, or whoso that it were |
| That lay by them, they told it in his ear. |
| Thus were the wench and he of one assent; |
| And he would fetch a feigned mandement, |
| And to the chapter summon them both two, |
| And pill* the man, and let the wenche go. *plunder, pluck |
| Then would he say, "Friend, I shall for thy sake |
| Do strike thee out of oure letters blake;* *black |
| Thee thar* no more as in this case travail; *need |
| I am thy friend where I may thee avail." |
| Certain he knew of bribers many mo' |
| Than possible is to tell in yeare's two: |
| For in this world is no dog for the bow,<3> |
| That can a hurt deer from a whole know, |
| Bet* than this Sompnour knew a sly lechour, *better |
| Or an adult'rer, or a paramour: |
| And, for that was the fruit of all his rent, |
| Therefore on it he set all his intent. |
| And so befell, that once upon a day. |
| This Sompnour, waiting ever on his prey, |
| Rode forth to summon a widow, an old ribibe,<4> |
| Feigning a cause, for he would have a bribe. |
| And happen'd that he saw before him ride |
| A gay yeoman under a forest side: |
| A bow he bare, and arrows bright and keen, |
| He had upon a courtepy* of green, *short doublet |
| A hat upon his head with fringes blake.* *black |
| "Sir," quoth this Sompnour, "hail, and well o'ertake." |
| "Welcome," quoth he, "and every good fellaw; |
| Whither ridest thou under this green shaw?"* shade |
| Saide this yeoman; "wilt thou far to-day?" |
| This Sompnour answer'd him, and saide, "Nay. |
| Here faste by," quoth he, "is mine intent |
| To ride, for to raisen up a rent, |
| That longeth to my lorde's duety." |
| "Ah! art thou then a bailiff?" "Yea," quoth he. |
| He durste not for very filth and shame |
| Say that he was a Sompnour, for the name. |
| "De par dieux," <5> quoth this yeoman, "leve* brother, *dear |
| Thou art a bailiff, and I am another. |
| I am unknowen, as in this country. |
| Of thine acquaintance I will praye thee, |
| And eke of brotherhood, if that thee list.* *please |
| I have gold and silver lying in my chest; |
| If that thee hap to come into our shire, |
| All shall be thine, right as thou wilt desire." |
| "Grand mercy,"* quoth this Sompnour, "by my faith." *great thanks |
| Each in the other's hand his trothe lay'th, |
| For to be sworne brethren till they dey.* *die<6> |
| In dalliance they ride forth and play. |
| This Sompnour, which that was as full of jangles,* *chattering |
| As full of venom be those wariangles,* * butcher-birds <7> |
| And ev'r inquiring upon every thing, |
| "Brother," quoth he, "where is now your dwelling, |
| Another day if that I should you seech?"* *seek, visit |
| This yeoman him answered in soft speech; |
| Brother," quoth he, "far in the North country,<8> |
| Where as I hope some time I shall thee see |
| Ere we depart I shall thee so well wiss,* *inform |
| That of mine house shalt thou never miss." |
| Now, brother," quoth this Sompnour, "I you pray, |
| Teach me, while that we ride by the way, |
| (Since that ye be a bailiff as am I,) |
| Some subtilty, and tell me faithfully |
| For mine office how that I most may win. |
| And *spare not* for conscience or for sin, *conceal nothing* |
| But, as my brother, tell me how do ye." |
| Now by my trothe, brother mine," said he, |
| As I shall tell to thee a faithful tale: |
| My wages be full strait and eke full smale; |
| My lord is hard to me and dangerous,* *niggardly |
| And mine office is full laborious; |
| And therefore by extortion I live, |
| Forsooth I take all that men will me give. |
| Algate* by sleighte, or by violence, *whether |
| From year to year I win all my dispence; |
| I can no better tell thee faithfully." |
| Now certes," quoth this Sompnour, "so fare* I; *do |
| I spare not to take, God it wot, |
| *But if* it be too heavy or too hot. *unless* |
| What I may get in counsel privily, |
| No manner conscience of that have I. |
| N'ere* mine extortion, I might not live, *were it not for |
| For of such japes* will I not be shrive.** *tricks **confessed |
| Stomach nor conscience know I none; |
| I shrew* these shrifte-fathers** every one. *curse **confessors |
| Well be we met, by God and by St Jame. |
| But, leve brother, tell me then thy name," |
| Quoth this Sompnour. Right in this meane while |
| This yeoman gan a little for to smile. |
| "Brother," quoth he, "wilt thou that I thee tell? |
| I am a fiend, my dwelling is in hell, |
| And here I ride about my purchasing, |
| To know where men will give me any thing. |
| *My purchase is th' effect of all my rent* *what I can gain is my |
| Look how thou ridest for the same intent sole revenue* |
| To winne good, thou reckest never how, |
| Right so fare I, for ride will I now |
| Into the worlde's ende for a prey." |
| "Ah," quoth this Sompnour, "benedicite! what say y'? |
| I weened ye were a yeoman truly. *thought |
| Ye have a manne's shape as well as I |
| Have ye then a figure determinate |
| In helle, where ye be in your estate?"* *at home |
| "Nay, certainly," quoth he, there have we none, |
| But when us liketh we can take us one, |
| Or elles make you seem* that we be shape *believe |
| Sometime like a man, or like an ape; |
| Or like an angel can I ride or go; |
| It is no wondrous thing though it be so, |
| A lousy juggler can deceive thee. |
| And pardie, yet can I more craft* than he." *skill, cunning |
| "Why," quoth the Sompnour, "ride ye then or gon |
| In sundry shapes and not always in one?" |
| "For we," quoth he, "will us in such form make. |
| As most is able our prey for to take." |
| "What maketh you to have all this labour?" |
| "Full many a cause, leve Sir Sompnour," |
| Saide this fiend. "But all thing hath a time; |
| The day is short and it is passed prime, |
| And yet have I won nothing in this day; |
| I will intend* to winning, if I may, *apply myself |
| And not intend our thinges to declare: |
| For, brother mine, thy wit is all too bare |
| To understand, although I told them thee. |
| *But for* thou askest why laboure we: *because* |
| For sometimes we be Godde's instruments |
| And meanes to do his commandements, |
| When that him list, upon his creatures, |
| In divers acts and in divers figures: |
| Withoute him we have no might certain, |
| If that him list to stande thereagain.* *against it |
| And sometimes, at our prayer have we leave |
| Only the body, not the soul, to grieve: |
| Witness on Job, whom that we did full woe, |
| And sometimes have we might on both the two,— |
| This is to say, on soul and body eke, |
| And sometimes be we suffer'd for to seek |
| Upon a man and do his soul unrest |
| And not his body, and all is for the best, |
| When he withstandeth our temptation, |
| It is a cause of his salvation, |
| Albeit that it was not our intent |
| He should be safe, but that we would him hent.* *catch |
| And sometimes be we servants unto man, |
| As to the archbishop Saint Dunstan, |
| And to th'apostle servant eke was I." |
| "Yet tell me," quoth this Sompnour, "faithfully, |
| Make ye you newe bodies thus alway |
| Of th' elements?" The fiend answered, "Nay: |
| Sometimes we feign, and sometimes we arise |
| With deade bodies, in full sundry wise, |
| And speak as reas'nably, and fair, and well, |
| As to the Pythoness<9> did Samuel: |
| And yet will some men say it was not he. |
| I *do no force of* your divinity. *set no value upon* |
| But one thing warn I thee, I will not jape,* jest |
| Thou wilt *algates weet* how we be shape: *assuredly know* |
| Thou shalt hereafterward, my brother dear, |
| Come, where thee needeth not of me to lear.* *learn |
| For thou shalt by thine own experience |
| *Conne in a chair to rede of this sentence,* *learn to understand |
| Better than Virgil, while he was alive, what I have said* |
| Or Dante also. <10> Now let us ride blive,* *briskly |
| For I will holde company with thee, |
| Till it be so that thou forsake me." |
| "Nay," quoth this Sompnour, "that shall ne'er betide. |
| I am a yeoman, that is known full wide; |
| My trothe will I hold, as in this case; |
| For though thou wert the devil Satanas, |
| My trothe will I hold to thee, my brother, |
| As I have sworn, and each of us to other, |
| For to be true brethren in this case, |
| And both we go *abouten our purchase.* *seeking what we |
| Take thou thy part, what that men will thee give, may pick up* |
| And I shall mine, thus may we bothe live. |
| And if that any of us have more than other, |
| Let him be true, and part it with his brother." |
| "I grante," quoth the devil, "by my fay." |
| And with that word they rode forth their way, |
| And right at th'ent'ring of the towne's end, |
| To which this Sompnour shope* him for to wend,** *shaped **go |
| They saw a cart, that charged was with hay, |
| Which that a carter drove forth on his way. |
| Deep was the way, for which the carte stood: |
| The carter smote, and cried as he were wood,* *mad |
| "Heit Scot! heit Brok! what, spare ye for the stones? |
| The fiend (quoth he) you fetch body and bones, |
| As farforthly* as ever ye were foal'd, *sure |
| So muche woe as I have with you tholed.* *endured <11> |
| The devil have all, horses, and cart, and hay." |
| The Sompnour said, "Here shall we have a prey," |
| And near the fiend he drew, *as nought ne were,* *as if nothing |
| Full privily, and rowned* in his ear: were the matter* |
| "Hearken, my brother, hearken, by thy faith, *whispered |
| Hearest thou not, how that the carter saith? |
| Hent* it anon, for he hath giv'n it thee, *seize |
| Both hay and cart, and eke his capels* three." *horses <12> |
| "Nay," quoth the devil, "God wot, never a deal,* whit |
| It is not his intent, trust thou me well; |
| Ask him thyself, if thou not trowest* me, *believest |
| Or elles stint* a while and thou shalt see." *stop |
| The carter thwack'd his horses on the croup, |
| And they began to drawen and to stoop. |
| "Heit now," quoth he; "there, Jesus Christ you bless, |
| And all his handiwork, both more and less! |
| That was well twight,* mine owen liart,** boy, *pulled **grey<13> |
| I pray God save thy body, and Saint Loy! |
| Now is my cart out of the slough, pardie." |
| "Lo, brother," quoth the fiend, "what told I thee? |
| Here may ye see, mine owen deare brother, |
| The churl spake one thing, but he thought another. |
| Let us go forth abouten our voyage; |
| Here win I nothing upon this carriage." |
| When that they came somewhat out of the town, |
| This Sompnour to his brother gan to rown; |
| "Brother," quoth he, "here wons* an old rebeck,<14> *dwells |
| That had almost as lief to lose her neck. |
| As for to give a penny of her good. |
| I will have twelvepence, though that she be wood,* *mad |
| Or I will summon her to our office; |
| And yet, God wot, of her know I no vice. |
| But for thou canst not, as in this country, |
| Winne thy cost, take here example of me." |
| This Sompnour clapped at the widow's gate: |
| "Come out," he said, "thou olde very trate;* *trot <15> |
| I trow thou hast some friar or priest with thee." |
| "Who clappeth?" said this wife; "benedicite, |
| God save you, Sir, what is your sweete will?" |
| "I have," quoth he, "of summons here a bill. |
| Up* pain of cursing, looke that thou be *upon |
| To-morrow before our archdeacon's knee, |
| To answer to the court of certain things." |
| "Now Lord," quoth she, "Christ Jesus, king of kings, |
| So wis1y* helpe me, *as I not may.* *surely *as I cannot* |
| I have been sick, and that full many a day. |
| I may not go so far," quoth she, "nor ride, |
| But I be dead, so pricketh it my side. |
| May I not ask a libel, Sir Sompnour, |
| And answer there by my procuratour |
| To such thing as men would appose* me?" *accuse |
| "Yes," quoth this Sompnour, "pay anon, let see, |
| Twelvepence to me, and I will thee acquit. |
| I shall no profit have thereby but lit:* *little |
| My master hath the profit and not I. |
| Come off, and let me ride hastily; |
| Give me twelvepence, I may no longer tarry." |
| "Twelvepence!" quoth she; "now lady Sainte Mary |
| So wisly* help me out of care and sin, *surely |
| This wide world though that I should it win, |
| No have I not twelvepence within my hold. |
| Ye know full well that I am poor and old; |
| *Kithe your almes* upon me poor wretch." *show your charity* |
| "Nay then," quoth he, "the foule fiend me fetch, |
| If I excuse thee, though thou should'st be spilt."* *ruined |
| "Alas!" quoth she, "God wot, I have no guilt." |
| "Pay me," quoth he, "or, by the sweet Saint Anne, |
| As I will bear away thy newe pan |
| For debte, which thou owest me of old,— |
| When that thou madest thine husband cuckold,— |
| I paid at home for thy correction." |
| "Thou liest," quoth she, "by my salvation; |
| Never was I ere now, widow or wife, |
| Summon'd unto your court in all my life; |
| Nor never I was but of my body true. |
| Unto the devil rough and black of hue |
| Give I thy body and my pan also." |
| And when the devil heard her curse so |
| Upon her knees, he said in this mannere; |
| "Now, Mabily, mine owen mother dear, |
| Is this your will in earnest that ye say?" |
| "The devil," quoth she, "so fetch him ere he dey,* *die |
| And pan and all, but* he will him repent." *unless |
| "Nay, olde stoat,* that is not mine intent," *polecat |
| Quoth this Sompnour, "for to repente me |
| For any thing that I have had of thee; |
| I would I had thy smock and every cloth." |
| "Now, brother," quoth the devil, "be not wroth; |
| Thy body and this pan be mine by right. |
| Thou shalt with me to helle yet tonight, |
| Where thou shalt knowen of our privity* *secrets |
| More than a master of divinity." |
| And with that word the foule fiend him hent.* *seized |
| Body and soul, he with the devil went, |
| Where as the Sompnours have their heritage; |
| And God, that maked after his image |
| Mankinde, save and guide us all and some, |
| And let this Sompnour a good man become. |
| Lordings, I could have told you (quoth this Frere), |
| Had I had leisure for this Sompnour here, |
| After the text of Christ, and Paul, and John, |
| And of our other doctors many a one, |
| Such paines, that your heartes might agrise,* *be horrified |
| Albeit so, that no tongue may devise,*—*relate |
| Though that I might a thousand winters tell,— |
| The pains of thilke* cursed house of hell *that |
| But for to keep us from that cursed place |
| Wake we, and pray we Jesus, of his grace, |
| So keep us from the tempter, Satanas. |
| Hearken this word, beware as in this case. |
| The lion sits *in his await* alway *on the watch* <16> |
| To slay the innocent, if that he may. |
| Disposen aye your heartes to withstond |
| The fiend that would you make thrall and bond; |
| He may not tempte you over your might, |
| For Christ will be your champion and your knight; |
| And pray, that this our Sompnour him repent |
| Of his misdeeds ere that the fiend him hent.* *seize |
| Notes to the Friar's Tale |
| 1. Small tithers: people who did not pay their full tithes. Mr |
| Wright remarks that "the sermons of the friars in the fourteenth |
| century were most frequently designed to impress the ahsolute |
| duty of paying full tithes and offerings". |
| 2. There might astert them no pecunial pain: they got off with |
| no mere pecuniary punishment. (Transcriber's note: "Astert" |
| means "escape". An alternative reading of this line is "there |
| might astert him no pecunial pain" i.e. no fine ever escaped him |
| (the archdeacon)) |
| 3. A dog for the bow: a dog attending a huntsman with bow |
| and arrow. |
| 4. Ribibe: the name of a musical instrument; applied to an old |
| woman because of the shrillness of her voice. |
| 5. De par dieux: by the gods. |
| 6. See note 12 to the Knight's Tale. |
| 7. Wariangles: butcher-birds; which are very noisy and |
| ravenous, and tear in pieces the birds on which they prey; the |
| thorn on which they do this was said to become poisonous. |
| 8. Medieval legends located hell in the North. |
| 9. The Pythoness: the witch, or woman, possesed with a |
| prophesying spirit; from the Greek, "Pythia." Chaucer of |
| course refers to the raising of Samuel's spirit by the witch of |
| Endor. |
| 10. Dante and Virgil were both poets who had in fancy visited |
| Hell. |
| 11. Tholed: suffered, endured; "thole" is still used in Scotland in |
| the same sense. |
| 12. Capels: horses. See note 14 to the Reeve's Tale. |
| 13. Liart: grey; elsewhere applied by Chaucer to the hairs of an |
| old man. So Burns, in the "Cotter's Saturday Night," speaks of |
| the gray temples of "the sire"—"His lyart haffets wearing thin |
| and bare." |
| 14. Rebeck: a kind of fiddle; used like "ribibe," as a nickname |
| for a shrill old scold. |
| 15. Trot; a contemptuous term for an old woman who has |
| trotted about much, or who moves with quick short steps. |
| 16. In his await: on the watch; French, "aux aguets." |
