Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,

No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;

And shame it is, if a preest take keep,

A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.

505

Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,

By his clennesse, how that his sheep shold live.

He sette nat his benefice to hyre,

(510)

And leet his sheep encombred in the myre,

And ran to London, un-to sëynt Poules,

510

To seken him a chaunterie for soules,

Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;

[16: T. 514-547.]

But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,

So that the wolf ne made it nat miscarie;

He was a shepherde and no mercenarie.

515

And though he holy were, and vertuous,

He was to sinful man nat despitous,

Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,

(520)

But in his teching discreet and benigne.

To drawen folk to heven by fairnesse

520

By good ensample, was his bisinesse:

But it were any persone obstinat,

What-so he were, of heigh or lowe estat,

Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nones.

A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher noon is.

525

He wayted after no pompe and reverence,

Ne maked him a spyced conscience,

But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,

(530)

He taughte, and first he folwed it him-selve.

485. Hl. I-proued; E. Cp. Pt. preued. 486. E. hise. 490. Hl. Cm. Pt. han; E. Hn. Cp. Ln. haue. 493. E. siknesse. 497. E. firste. E. ins. that ( by mistake ) before he. 503. Hl. alone ins. that after if. 505. Hl. ȝiue; E. yeue. 509. Hl. Cp. seynte. 510. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. chaunterie; E. Hn. chauntrie. 512. E. dwelleth; rest dwelte. E. keepeth; Ln. keped; rest kepte. 514. Hl. no; rest not a. 516. Hl. to senful man nought; rest nat to sinful man. 520. All but Hl. this was. 522. Hn. lowe; E. lough. 523. E. nonys. 525. E. waiteth; rest waited. 527. E. hise. 528. Hl. and; rest but.

Plowman.

With him ther was a Plowman, was his brother,

530

That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother,

A trewe swinker and a good was he,

Livinge in pees and parfit charitee.

God loved he best with al his hole herte

At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,

535

And thanne his neighebour right as him-selve.

He wolde thresshe, and ther-to dyke and delve,

For Cristes sake, for every povre wight,

(540)

Withouten hyre, if it lay in his might.

His tythes payed he ful faire and wel,

540

Bothe of his propre swink and his catel.

In a tabard he rood upon a mere.

534. E. Pt. Ln. he; rest him. 537. for] Hn. Hl. with. 539. Cp. Pt. payed; Cm. Hl. payede; E. Hn. payde. 540. propre] Hl. owne.

Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,

A Somnour and a Pardoner also,

A Maunciple, and my-self; ther were namo.

Miller.

The Miller was a stout carl, for the nones,

[17: T. 548-582.]

546

Ful big he was of braun, and eek of bones;

That proved wel, for over-al ther he cam,

(550)

At wrastling he wolde have alwey the ram.

He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,

550

Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre,

Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed.

His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,

And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade.

Up-on the cop right of his nose he hade

555

A werte, and ther-on stood a tuft of heres,

Reed as the bristles of a sowes eres;

His nose-thirles blake were and wyde.

(560)

A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde;

His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.

560

He was a Ianglere and a goliardeys,

And that was most of sinne and harlotryes.

Wel coude he stelen corn, and tollen thryes;

And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.

A whyt cote and a blew hood wered he.

565

A baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne,

And ther-with-al he broghte us out of towne.

550. Cp. Hl. nolde; Hn. noolde; E. ne wolde. 555. E. toft; Ln. tofte: rest tuft. E. herys. 556. Hn. bristles; E. brustles; Pt. brysteles; Hl. Cp. berstles. E. erys. 558. All but Cp. and a. 559. Hl. wyde; rest greet, gret. 565. Hl. om. wel.

Maunciple.

A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,

(570)

Of which achatours mighte take exemple

For to be wyse in bying of vitaille.

570

For whether that he payde, or took by taille,

Algate he wayted so in his achat,

That he was ay biforn and in good stat.

Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,

That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace

575

The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?

Of maistres hadde he mo than thryes ten,

That were of lawe expert and curious;

(580)

Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous,

Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and lond

580

Of any lord that is in Engelond,

[18: T. 583-615.]

To make him live by his propre good,

In honour dettelees, but he were wood,

Or live as scarsly as him list desire;

And able for to helpen al a shire

585

In any cas that mighte falle or happe;

And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.

570. E. Hn. wheither. 571. E. Achaat. 572. E. staat. 577. E. weren. 578. E. whiche. Cm. doseyn; E. duszeyne. 581. E. maken. 582. Cm. but; Cp. Pt. but if that; rest but if. 585. E. Hn. caas.

Reve.

The Reve was a sclendre colerik man,

(590)

His berd was shave as ny as ever he can.

His heer was by his eres round y-shorn.

590

His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.

Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,

Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.

Wel coude he kepe a gerner and a binne;

Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne.

595

Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn,

The yelding of his seed, and of his greyn.

His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,

(600)

His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye,

Was hoolly in this reves governing,

600

And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening,

Sin that his lord was twenty yeer of age;

Ther coude no man bringe him in arrerage.

Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne,

That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;

605

They were adrad of him, as of the deeth.

His woning was ful fair up-on an heeth,

With grene treës shadwed was his place.

(610)

He coude bettre than his lord purchace.

Ful riche he was astored prively,

610

His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly,

To yeve and lene him of his owne good,

And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.

In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister;

[19: T. 616-652.]

He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.

615

This reve sat up-on a ful good stot,

That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.

A long surcote of pers up-on he hade,

(620)

And by his syde he bar a rusty blade.

Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,

620

Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle.

Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,

And ever he rood the hindreste of our route.

589. All but Hl. Ln. ins. ful after eres. 590. E. doked. 594. E. of; rest on. 603. ne (2)] E. Hn. Cp. Pt. nor. 604. Hl. they ( for he). E. Cm. om. ne. 606. Hl. fair; E. faire. 607. E. Hn. shadwed; Hl. I-schadewed; Cm. I-schadewid; Cp. Pt. shadewed; Ln. schadowed. 611. Hl. owne; E. owene. 612. E. om. and. E. gowne; rest cote. 613. So Hn. Hl.; E. and rest hadde lerned. Cp. Hl. mester. 618. E. baar.