For which whan I had long avised me

I demed him fome chanon for to be.
His hat heng at his back doun by a las,
For he had ridden more than trot or pas;
He had ay priked like as he were wode.
A clote lefe he had laid under his hode

For fwete, and for to kepe his hed fro hete:

But it was joye for to feen him swete;

16040

16045

His forehed dropped as a ftillatorie

Were ful of plantaine or of paritorie.

And whan that he was come he gan to crie, 16050
God fave (quod he) this joly compagnie!

Fast have I priked (quod he) for your fake,
Because that I wolde you atake,
To riden in this mery compagnie.

His Yeman was eke ful of curtefie,

And faide, Sires, now in the morwe tide

16055

Out of your hostelrie I saw you ride,

And warned here my lord and foverain,

Which that to riden with you is ful fain

For his difport; he loveth daliance.

1606*

Frend, for thy warning God yeve the good chance,

Than faid our Hofte: certain it wolde feme

Thy lord were wife, and fo I may wel deme;
He is ful joconde alfo dare I leye:

Can he ought tell a mery tale or tweie,
With which he gladen may this compagnie ?
Who, Sire? my lord? Ye, Sire, withouten lie,

16065

He can of mirth and eke of jolitee
Not but ynough; alfo, Sire, trusteth me
And ye him knew al fo wel as do I
Ye wolden wondre how wel and craftily
He coude werke, and that in fondry wife:
He hath take on him many a gret emprise,
Which were ful harde for any that is here
To bring about but they of him it lere.
As homely as he rideth amonges you
If ye him knew it wold be for your prow:
Ye wolden not forgon his acquaintance

For mochel good, I dare lay in balance
All that I have in my poffeffion.
He is a man of high difcreffion;

16070

16075

16080

I warne you wel he is a paffing man.

Wel, quod our Hofte, I pray thee tell me than

16085

Is he a clerk or non? Tell what he is.

Nay, he is greter than a clerk ywis,
Saide this Yeman, and in wordes fewe,
Hofte, of his craft fomwhat I wol you fhewe.

I fay my lord can fwiche a fubtiltee,

(But all his craft ye moun not wete of me,

And fomwhat help I yet to his werking)

16090

That all the ground on which we ben riding,

'Til that we come to Canterbury toun,

He coud al clene turnen up fo doun,

And pave it all of filver and of gold.

And whan this Yeman had this tale ytolde 16095

Unto our Hofte, he faid Benedicite!
This thing is wonder mervaillous to me,
Sin that thy lord is of fo high prudence,
Because of which men fhulde him reverence,
That of his worship rekketh he fo lite;
His overest floppe it is not worth a mite,
As in effect, to him, fo mote I go;
It is all baudy and to-tore alfo.
Why is thy lord fo fluttish I thee preye,
And is of power better cloth to beye,
If that his dede acorded with thy fpeche?
Telle me that, and that I thee befeche.
Why? quod this Yeman, wherto axe ye
God helpe me fo, for he shal never the:
(But I wol not avowen that I say,
And therfore kepe it fecree I you pray)
He is to wife in faith, as I beleve:
Thing that is overdon it wol not preve
Aright, as clerkes fain; it is a vice;

16105

me?

16110

Wherfore in that I hold him lewed and nice; 16115 For whan a man hath overgret a wit

Ful oft him happeth to misusen it:

So doth my lord, and that me greveth fore:
God it amende; I can say now no more.

Therof no force, good Yeman, quod our Hoft;

Sin of the conning of thy lord thou wost
Telle how he doth, I pray thee hertily,
Sin that he is fo crafty and fo fly.

Volume V

F

16121

Wher dwellen ye, if it to tellen be?

In the fubarbes of a toun, quod he,

16125

Lurking in hernes and in lanes blinde,
Wheras thise robbours and thise theves by kinde
Holden hir privee fereful refidence,

As they that dare not shewen hir presence;

So faren we, if I shal say the sothe.

Yet, quod our Hofte, let me talken to the;
Why art thou fo difcoloured of thy face?

Peter, quod he, God yeve it harde grace;
I am so used the hote fire to blow
That it hath changed my colour I trow:
I n'am not wont in no mirrour to prie,
But fwinke fore, and lerne to multiplie.
We blundren ever and poren in the fire,
And for all that we faille of our defire;
For ever we lacken our conclufion.
To mochel folk we don illufion,
And borwe gold be it a pound or two,
Or ten or twelve, or many fommes mo,
And make hem wenen at the lefte wey

16130

16135

16140

That of a pound we connen maken twey;

16145

Yet is it falfe; and ay we han good hope

It for to don, and after it we grope:

But that fcience is fo fer us beforne,

We mowen not, although we had it fworne,
It overtake, it flit away so fast;

16150

It wol us maken beggers at the laft.

While this Yeman was thus in his talking

16155

This chanon drow him nere and herd all thing
Which this Yeman fpake, for fufpecion
Of mennes fpeche ever had this chanon;
For Caton fayth, that he that gilty is
Demeth all thing be spoken of him ywis:
That was the cause he gan so nigh him drawe
To his Yeman, to herken all his fawe;
And thus he faide unto his Yeman tho:
Hold thou thy pees, and speke no wordes mo,
For if thou do thou shalt it dere abie:
Thou fclaundreft me here in this compagnie,
And eke discoverest that thou fhuldeft hide.

16160

Ye, quod our Hofte, tell on, what fo betide;
Of all his thretening recke not a mite.

In faith, quod he, no more I do but lite.
And whan this chanou faw it wold not be
But his Yeman wold tell his privetee,

16166

He fled away for veray forwe and fhame.

16170

A! quod the Yeman, here shal rise a game:

All that I can anon I wol you telle,

Sin he is gon: the foule fend him quelle,

For never hereafter wol I with him mete

For peny ne for pound, I you behete.

16175

. 16156. For Caton fayth] This precept of Cato is in 1. i.

dift. 17.;

Ne cures fi quis tacito fermone loquatur;
Conícius ipfe fibi de se putat omnia dici.