Geoffrey Chaucer - Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales (English Edition)

And spake unto his wife, and said anon,

What Alison, hear'st thou not Absolon,

That chanteth thus under our bower* wall?" *chamber

And she answer'd her husband therewithal;

"Yes, God wot, John, I hear him every deal."

This passeth forth; what will ye bet* than well? *better

From day to day this jolly Absolon

So wooeth her, that him is woebegone.

He waketh all the night, and all the day,

To comb his lockes broad, and make him gay.

He wooeth her *by means and by brocage*, *by presents and by agents*

And swore he woulde be her owen page.

He singeth brokking* as a nightingale. *quavering

He sent her piment <20>, mead, and spiced ale,

And wafers* piping hot out of the glede**: *cakes **coals

And, for she was of town, he proffer'd meed.<21>

For some folk will be wonnen for richess,

And some for strokes, and some with gentiless.

Sometimes, to show his lightness and mast'ry,

He playeth Herod <22> on a scaffold high.

But what availeth him as in this case?

So loveth she the Hendy Nicholas,

That Absolon may *blow the bucke's horn*: *"go whistle"*

He had for all his labour but a scorn.

And thus she maketh Absolon her ape,

And all his earnest turneth to a jape*. *jest

Full sooth is this proverb, it is no lie;

Men say right thus alway; the nighe sly

Maketh oft time the far lief to be loth. <23>

For though that Absolon be wood* or wroth *mad

Because that he far was from her sight,

This nigh Nicholas stood still in his light.

Now bear thee well, thou Hendy Nicholas,

For Absolon may wail and sing "Alas!"

And so befell, that on a Saturday

This carpenter was gone to Oseney,

And Hendy Nicholas and Alison

Accorded were to this conclusion,

That Nicholas shall *shape him a wile* *devise a stratagem*

The silly jealous husband to beguile;

And if so were the game went aright,

She shoulde sleepen in his arms all night;

For this was her desire and his also.

And right anon, withoute wordes mo',

This Nicholas no longer would he tarry,

But doth full soft unto his chamber carry

Both meat and drinke for a day or tway.

And to her husband bade her for to say,

If that he asked after Nicholas,

She shoulde say, "She wist* not where he was; *knew

Of all the day she saw him not with eye;

She trowed* he was in some malady, *believed

For no cry that her maiden could him call

He would answer, for nought that might befall."

Thus passed forth all thilke* Saturday, *that

That Nicholas still in his chamber lay,

And ate, and slept, and didde what him list

Till Sunday, that* the sunne went to rest. *when

This silly carpenter *had great marvaill* *wondered greatly*

Of Nicholas, or what thing might him ail,

And said; "I am adrad*, by Saint Thomas! *afraid, in dread

It standeth not aright with Nicholas:

*God shielde* that he died suddenly. *heaven forbid!*

This world is now full fickle sickerly*. *certainly

I saw to-day a corpse y-borne to chirch,

That now on Monday last I saw him wirch*. *work

"Go up," quod he unto his knave*, "anon; *servant.

Clepe* at his door, or knocke with a stone: *call

Look how it is, and tell me boldely."

This knave went him up full sturdily,

And, at the chamber door while that he stood,

He cried and knocked as that he were wood:* *mad

"What how? what do ye, Master Nicholay?

How may ye sleepen all the longe day?"

But all for nought, he hearde not a word.

An hole he found full low upon the board,

Where as the cat was wont in for to creep,

And at that hole he looked in full deep,

And at the last he had of him a sight.

This Nicholas sat ever gaping upright,

As he had kyked* on the newe moon. *looked <24>

Adown he went, and told his master soon,

In what array he saw this ilke* man. *same

This carpenter to *blissen him* began, *bless, cross himself*

And said: "Now help us, Sainte Frideswide.<25>

A man wot* little what shall him betide. *knows

This man is fall'n with his astronomy

Into some woodness* or some agony. *madness

I thought aye well how that it shoulde be.

Men should know nought of Godde's privity*. *secrets

Yea, blessed be alway a lewed* man, *unlearned

That *nought but only his believe can*. *knows no more

So far'd another clerk with astronomy: than his "credo."*

He walked in the fieldes for to *pry

Upon* the starres, what there should befall, *keep watch on*

Till he was in a marle pit y-fall.<26>

He saw not that. But yet, by Saint Thomas!

*Me rueth sore of* Hendy Nicholas: *I am very sorry for*

He shall be *rated of* his studying, *chidden for*

If that I may, by Jesus, heaven's king!

Get me a staff, that I may underspore* *lever up

While that thou, Robin, heavest off the door:

He shall out of his studying, as I guess."

And to the chamber door he gan him dress* *apply himself.

His knave was a strong carl for the nonce,

And by the hasp he heav'd it off at once;

Into the floor the door fell down anon.

This Nicholas sat aye as still as stone,

And ever he gap'd upward into the air.

The carpenter ween'd* he were in despair, *thought

And hent* him by the shoulders mightily, *caught

And shook him hard, and cried spitously;* *angrily

"What, Nicholas? what how, man? look adown:

Awake, and think on Christe's passioun.

I crouche thee<27> from elves, and from wights*. *witches

Therewith the night-spell said he anon rights*, *properly

On the four halves* of the house about, *corners

And on the threshold of the door without.

"Lord Jesus Christ, and Sainte Benedight,

Blesse this house from every wicked wight,

From the night mare, the white Pater-noster;

Where wonnest* thou now, Sainte Peter's sister?" *dwellest

And at the last this Hendy Nicholas

Gan for to sigh full sore, and said; "Alas!

Shall all time world be lost eftsoones* now?" *forthwith

This carpenter answer'd; "What sayest thou?

What? think on God, as we do, men that swink.*" *labour

This Nicholas answer'd; "Fetch me a drink;

And after will I speak in privity

Of certain thing that toucheth thee and me:

I will tell it no other man certain."

This carpenter went down, and came again,

And brought of mighty ale a large quart;

And when that each of them had drunk his part,

This Nicholas his chamber door fast shet*, *shut

And down the carpenter by him he set,

And saide; "John, mine host full lief* and dear, *loved

Thou shalt upon thy truthe swear me here,

That to no wight thou shalt my counsel wray*: *betray

For it is Christes counsel that I say,

And if thou tell it man, thou art forlore:* *lost<28>

For this vengeance thou shalt have therefor,

That if thou wraye* me, thou shalt be wood**." *betray **mad

"Nay, Christ forbid it for his holy blood!"

Quoth then this silly man; "I am no blab,* *talker

Nor, though I say it, am I *lief to gab*. *fond of speech*

Say what thou wilt, I shall it never tell

To child or wife, by him that harried Hell." <29>

"Now, John," quoth Nicholas, "I will not lie,

I have y-found in my astrology,

As I have looked in the moone bright,

That now on Monday next, at quarter night,

Shall fall a rain, and that so wild and wood*, *mad

That never half so great was Noe's flood.

This world," he said, "in less than half an hour

Shall all be dreint*, so hideous is the shower: *drowned