Prologue
1 This worthy lymytour, this noble frere,
2 He made alwey a maner louryng chiere
3 Upon the Somonour, but for honestee
4 No vileyns word as yet to hym spak he.
5 But atte laste he seyde unto the wyf,
6 Dame, quod he, God yeve yow right good lyf!
7 Ye han heer touched, also moot I thee,
8 In scole-matere greet difficultee.
9 Ye han seyd muche thyng right wel, I seye.
10 But dame, heere as we ryde by the weye
11 Us nedeth nat to speken but of game,
12 And lete auctoritees, on Goddes name,
13 To prechyng and to scole eek of clergye.
14 But if it lyke to this compaignye,
15 I wol yow of a somonour telle a game.
16 Pardee, ye may wel knowe bby the name
17 That of a somonour may no good be sayd;
18 I praye that noon of you be yvele apayd.
19 A somonour is a renner up and doun
20 With mandementz for fornicacioun,
21 And is ybet at every townes ende.
22 Oure Hoost tho spak, A sire, ye sholde be hende
23 And curteys, as a man of youre estaat.
24 In compaignye we wol have no debaat.
25 Telleth youre tale, and lat the Somonour be.
26 Nay, quod the Somonour, lat hym seye to me
27 What so hym list. Whan it comth to my lot,
28 By God I shal hym quiten every grot.
29 I shal hym tellen which a greet honour
30 It is to be a flaterynge lymytour,
31 And his office I shal hym teele, ywis.
32 Oure Hoost answerde, Pees, namoore of this!
33 And after this he seyde unto the Frere,
34 Tel forth youre tale, leeve maister deere.
1 Whilom ther was dwellynge in my contree
2 And erchedeken, a man of heigh degree,
3 That boldely dide execucioun
4 In punysshynge of fornicacioun,
5 Of wicchecraft, and eek of bawderye,
6 Of difamacioun, and avowtrye,
7 Of chirche reves, and of testamentz,
8 Of contractes and of lakke of sacramentz,
9 Of usure, and of symonye also.
10 But certes, lecchours dide he grettest wo;
11 They sholde syngen if that they were hent;
12 And smale tytheres weren foule yshent,
13 If any persoun wolde upon hem pleyne.
14 Ther myghte asterte hym no pecunyal peyne.
15 For smale tithes and for smal offrynge
16 He made the peple pitously to synge.
17 For er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook,
18 They weren in the erchedeknes book.
19 Thanne hadde he, thurgh his jurisdiccioun,
20 Power to doon on hem correccioun.
21 He hadde a somonour redy to his hond;
22 A slyer boye nas noon in engelond;
23 For subtilly he hadde his espiaille,
24 That taughte hym wel wher that hym myghte availle.
25 He koude spare of lecchours oon or two,
26 To techen hym to foure and twenty mo.
27 For thogh this somonour wood were as an hare,
28 To telle his harlotrye I wol nat spare;
29 For we been out of his correccioun.
30 They han of us no jurisdiccioun,
31 Ne nevere shullen, terme of alle hir lyves. --
32 Peter! so been the wommen of the styves,
33 Quod the somonour, yput out of oure cure!
34 Pees! with myschance and with mysaventure!
35 Thys seyde oure hoost, and lat hym telle his tale.
36 Now telleth forth, thogh that the somonour gale;
37 Ne spareth nat, myn owene maister deere. --
38 This false theef, this somonour, quod the frere,
39 Hadde alwey bawdes redy to his hond,
40 As any hauk to lure in engelond,
41 That tolde hym al the secree that they knewe;
42 For hire acqueyntace was nat come of newe.
43 They weren his approwours prively.
44 He took hymself a greet profit therby;
45 His maister knew nat alwey what he wan.
46 Withouten mandement a lewed man
47 He koude somne, on peyne of cristes curs,
48 And they were glade for to fille his purs,
49 And make hym grete feestes atte nale.
50 And right as judas hadde purses smale,
51 And was a theef, right swich a theef was he;
52 His maister hadde but half his duetee.
53 He was, if I shal yeven hym his laude,
54 A theef, and eek a somnour, and baude.
55 He hadde eek wenches at his retenue,
56 That, wheither that sir robert or sir huwe,
57 Or jakke, or rauf, or whoso that it were
58 That lay by hem, they tolde it in his ere.
59 Thus was the wenche and he of oon assent;
60 And he wolde fecche a feyned mandement,
61 And somne hem to chapitre bothe two,
62 And pile the man, and lete the wenche go.
63 Thanne wolde he seye, freend, I shal for thy sake
64 Do striken hire out of oure lettres blake;
65 Thee thar namoore as in this cas travaille.
66 I am thy freend, ther I thee may availle.
67 Certeyn he knew of briberyes mo
68 Than possible is to telle in yeres two.
69 For in this world nys dogge for the bowe
70 That kan an hurt deer from an hool yknowe
71 Bet than this somnour knew a sly lecchour,
72 Or an avowtier, or a paramour.
73 And for that was the fruyt of al his rente,
74 Therfore on it he sette al his entente.
75 And so bifel that ones on a day
76 This somnour, evere waityng on his pray,
77 Rood for to somne an old wydwe, a ribibe,
78 Feynynge a cause, for he wolde brybe.
79 And happed that he saugh bifore hym ryde
80 A gay yeman, under a forest syde,
81 A bowe he bar, and arwes brighte and kene;
82 He hadde upon a courtepy of grene,
83 An hat upon his heed with frenges blake.
84 Sire, quod this somnour, hayl, and wel atake!
85 Welcome, quod he, and every good felawe!
86 Wher rydestow, under this grene-wode shawe?
87 Seyde this yeman, wiltow fer to day?
88 This somnour hym answerde and seyde, nay;
89 Heere faste by, quod he, is myn entente
90 To ryden, for to reysen up a rente
91 That longeth to my lordes duetee.
92 Artow thanne a bailly? ye, quod he.
93 He dorste nat, for verray filthe and shame
94 Seye that he was a somonour, for the name.
95 Depardieux, quod this yeman, deere broother,
96 Thou art a bailly, and I am another.
97 I am unknowen as in this contree;
98 Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee,
99 And eek of bretherhede, if that yow leste.
100 I have gold and silver in my cheste;
101 If that thee happe to comen in oure shire,
102 Al shal be thyn, right as thou wolt desire.
103 Grantmercy, quod this somonour, by my feith!
104 Everych on ootheres hand his trouthe leith,
105 For to be sworne bretheren til they deye.
106 In daliance they ryden forth and pleye.
107 This somonour, which that was as ful of jangles,
108 As ful of venym been thise waryangles,
109 And evere enqueryng upon every thyng,
110 Brother, quod he, where is now youre dwellyng
111 Another day if that I sholde yow seche?
112 This yeman hym answerde in softe speche,
113 Brother, quod he, fer in the north contree,
114 Where-as I hope som tyme I shal thee see.
115 Er we departe, I shal thee so wel wisse
116 That of myn hous ne shaltow nevere mysse.
117 Now, brother, quod this somonour, I yow preye,
118 Teche me, whil that we ryden by the weye,
119 Syn that ye been a baillif as am I,
120 Som subtiltee, and tel me feithfully
121 In myn office how that I may moost wynne;
122 And spareth nat for conscience ne synne,
123 But as my brother tel me, how do ye.
124 Now, by my trouthe, brother deere, seyde he,
125 As I shal tellen thee a feithful tale,
126 My wages been ful streite and ful smale.
127 My lord is hard to me and daungerous,
128 And myn office is ful laborous,
129 And therfore by extorcions I lyve.
130 For sothe, I take al that men wol me yive.
131 Algate,by gleyghte or by violence,
132 Fro yeer to yeer I wynne al my dispence.
133 I kan no bettre telle, feithfully.
134 Now certes, quod this somonour, so fare I.
135 I spare nat to taken, God it woot,
136 But if it be to hevy or to hoot.
137 What I may gete in conseil prively,
138 No maner conscience of that have I.
139 Nere myn extorcioun, I myghte nat lyven,
140 Ne of swiche japes wol I nat be shryven.
141 Stomak ne conscience ne knowe I noon;
142 I shrewe thise shrifte-fadres everychoon.
143 Wel be we met, by God and by seint jame!
144 But, leeve brother, tel me thanne thy name,
145 Quod this somonour. In this meene while
146 This yeman gan a litel for to smyle.
147 Brother, quod he, wiltow that I thee telle?
148 I am a feend; my dwellyng is in helle,
149 And heere I ryde aboute my purchasyng,
150 To wite wher men wol yeve me any thyng.
151 My purchas is th' effect of al my rente.
152 Looke how thou rydest for the same entente,
153 To wynne good, thou rekkest nevere how;
154 Right so fare I, for ryde wolde I now
155 Unto the worldes ende for a preye.
156 Al! quod this somonour, benedicite! sey ye?
157 I wende ye were a yeman trewely.
158 Ye han a mannes shap as wel as I;
159 Han ye a figure thanne determinat
160 In helle, ther ye been in youre estat?
161 Nay, certeinly, quod he, ther have we noon;
162 But whan us liketh, we kan take us oon,
163 Or elles make yow seme we been shape
164 Somtyme lyk a man, or lyk an ape,
165 Or lyk an angel kan I ryde or go.
166 It is no wonder thyng thogh it be so;
167 A lowsy jogelour kan deceyve thee,
168 And pardee, yet kan I moore craft than he.
169 Why, quod this somonour, ryde ye thanne or goon
170 In sondry shap, and nat alwey in oon?
171 For we, quod he, wol us swiche formes make
172 As moost able is oure preyes for to take.
173 What maketh yow to han al this labour?
174 Ful many a cause, leeve sire somonour,
175 Seyde this feend, but alle thyng hath tyme.
176 The day is short, and it is passed pryme,
177 And yet ne wan I nothyng in this day.
178 I wol entende to wynnyng, if I may,
179 And nat entende oure wittes to declare.
180 For, brother myn, thy wit is al to bare
181 To understonde, althogh I tolde hem thee.
182 But, for thou axest why labouren we --
183 For somtyme we been goddes instrumentz,
184 And meenes to doon his comandementz,
185 Whan that hym list, upon his creatures,
186 In divers art and in diverse figures.
187 Withouten hym we have no myght, certayn,
188 If that hym list stonden ther-agayn.
189 And somtyme, at oure prayere, han we leve
190 Oonly the body and nat the soule greve;
191 Witnesse on job, whom that we diden wo.
192 And somtyme han we myght of bothe two,
193 This is to seyn, of soule and body eke.
194 And somtyme be we suffred for to seke
195 Upon a man, and doon his soule unreste,
196 And nat his body, and al is for the beste.
197 Whan he withstandeth oure temptacioun,
198 It is a cause of his savacioun,
199 Al be it that it was nat oure entente
200 He sholde be sauf, but that we wolde hym hente.
201 And somtyme be we servant unto man,
202 As to the erchebisshop seint dunstan,
203 And to the apostles servent eek was I.
204 Yet tel me, quod the somonour, feithfully,
205 Make ye yow newe bodies thus alway
206 Of elementz? the feend answerde, nay.
207 Somtyme we feyne, and somtyme we aryse
208 With dede bodyes, in ful sondry wyse,
209 And speke as renably and faire and wel
210 As to the phitonissa dide samuel.
211 (and yet wol som men seye it was nat he;
212 I do no fors of youre dyvynytee.)
213 But o thyng warne I thee, I wol nat jape, --
214 Thou wolt algates wite how we been shape;
215 Thou shalt herafterward, my brother deere,
216 Come there thee nedeth nat of me to leere.
217 For thou shalt, by thyn owene experience,
218 Konne in a chayer rede of this sentence
219 Bet than virgile, while he was on lyve,
220 Or dant also. Now lat us ryde blyve,
221 For I wole holde compaignye with thee
222 Til it be so that thou forsake me.
223 Nay, quod this somonour, that shal nat bityde!
224 I am a yeman, knowen is ful wyde;
225 My trouthe wol I holde, as in this cas.
226 For though thou were the devel Sathanas,
227 My trouthe wol I holde to my brother,
228 As I am sworn, and ech of us til oother,
229 For to be trewe brother in this cas;
230 And bothe we goon abouten oure purchas.
231 Taak thou thy part, what that men wol thee yive,
232 And I shal myn; thus may we bothe lyve.
233 And if that any of us have moore than oother,
234 Lat hym be trewe, and parte it with his brother.
235 I graunte, quod the devel, by my fey.
236 And with that word they ryden forth hir wey.
237 And right at the entryng of the townes ende,
238 To which this somonour shoop hym for to wende,
239 They saugh a cart that charged was with hey,
240 Which that a cartere droof forth in his wey.
241 Deep was the wey, for which the carte stood.
242 The cartere smoot, and cryde as he were wood,
243 Hayt, brok! hayt, scot! what spare ye for the stones?
244 The feend, quod he, yow fecche, body and bones,
245 As ferforthly as evere were ye foled,
246 So muche wo as I have with yow tholed!
247 The devel have al, bothe hors and cart and hey!
248 This somonour seyde, heere shal we have a pley.
249 And neer the feend he drough, as noght ne were,
250 Ful prively, and rowned in his ere
251 Herkne, my brother, herkne, by thy feith!
252 Herestow nat how that the cartere seith?
253 Hent it anon, for he hath yeve it thee,
254 Bothe hey and cart, and eek his caples thre.
255 Nay, quod the devel, God woot, never a deel!
256 It is nat his entente, trust me weel.
257 Axe hym thyself, it thou nat trowest me;
258 Or elles stynt a while, and thou shalt see.
259 This cartere thakketh his hors upon the croupe,
260 And they bigonne to drawen and to stoupe.
261 Heyt! now, quod he, ther jhesu crist yow blesse,
262 And al his handwerk, bothe moore and lesse!
263 That was wel twight, myn owene lyard boy.
264 I pray God save thee, and seinte loy!
265 Now is my cart out of the slow, pardee!
266 Lo, brother, quod the feend, what tolde I thee?
267 Heere may ye se, myn owene deere brother,
268 The carl spak oo thing, but he thoghte another.
269 Lat us go forth abouten oure viage;
270 Heere wynne I nothyng upon cariage.
271 Whan that they coomen somwhat out of towne,
272 This somonour to his brother gan to rowne
273 Brother, quod he, heere woneth an old rebekke,
274 That hadde almoost as lief to lese hire nekke
275 As for to yeve a peny of hir good.
276 I wole han twelf pens, though that she be wood,
277 Or I wol sompne hire unto oure office;
278 And yet, God woot, of hire knowe I no vice.
279 But for thou kanst nat, as in this contree,
280 Wynne thy cost, taak heer ensample of me.
281 This somonour clappeth at the wydwes gate.
282 Com out, quod he, thou olde virytrate!
283 I trowe thou hast som frere or preest with thee.
284 Who clappeth? seyde this wyf, benedicitee!
285 God save you, sire, what is youre sweete wille?
286 I have, quod he, of somonce here a bille;
287 Up peyne of cursyng, looke that thou be
288 To-morn bifore the erchedeknes knee,
289 T' answere to the court of certeyn thynges.
290 Now, lord, quod she, crist jhesu, kyng of kynges,
291 So wisly helpe me, as I ne may.
292 I have been syk, and that ful many a day.
293 I may nat go so fer, quod she, ne ryde,
294 But I be deed, so priketh it in my syde.
295 May I nat axe a libel, sire somonour,
296 And answere there by my procuratour
297 To swich thyng as men wole opposen me?
298 Yis, quod this somonour, pay anon, lat se,
299 Twelf pens to me, and I wol thee acquite.
300 I shal no profit han therby but lite;
301 My maister hath the profit, and nat I.
302 Com of, and lat me ryden hastily;
303 Yif me twelf pens, I may no lenger tarye.
304 Twelf pens! quod she, now, lady seinte marie
305 So wisly help me out of care and synne,
306 This wyde world thogh that I sholde wynne,
307 Ne have I nat twelf pens withinne myn hoold.
308 Ye knowen wel that I am povre and oold;
309 Kithe youre almesse on me povre wrecche.
310 Nay thanne, quod he, the foule feend me fecche
311 If I th' excuse, though thou shul be spilt!
312 allas! quod she, God woot, I have no gilt.
313 Pay me, quod he, or by the swete seinte anne,
314 As I wol bere awey thy newe panne
315 For dette which thou owest me of old.
316 Whan that thou madest thyn housbonde cokewold,
317 I payde at hoom for thy correccioun.
318 Thou lixt! quod she, by my savacioun,
319 Ne was I nevere er now, wydwe ne wyf,
320 Somoned unto youre court in al my lyf;
321 Ne nevere I nas but of my body trewe!
322 Unto the devel blak and rough of hewe
323 Yeve I thy body and my panne also!
324 And whan the devel herde hire cursen so
325 Upon hir knees, he seyde in this manere,
326 Now, mabely, myn owene mooder deere,
327 Is this youre wyl in ernest that ye seye?
328 The devel, quod she, so fecche hym er he deye,
329 And panne and al, but he wol hym repente!
330 Nay, olde stot, that is nat myn entente,
331 Quod this somonour, for to repente me
332 For any thyng that I have had of thee.
333 I wolde I hadde thy smok and every clooth!
334 Now, brother, quod the devel, be nat wrooth;
335 Thy body and this panne been myne by right.
336 Thow shalt with me to helle yet to-nyght,
337 Where thou shalt knowen of oure privetee
338 Moore than a maister of dyvynytee.
339 And with that word this foule feend hym hente;
340 Body and soule he with the devel wente
341 Where as that somonours han hir heritage.
342 And god, that maked after his ymage
343 Mankynde, save and gyde us, alle and some,
344 And leve thise somonours goode men bicome!
345 Lordynges, I koude han toold yow, quod this frere,
346 Hadde I had leyser for this somonour heere,
347 After the text of crist, poul, and john,
348 And of oure othere doctours many oon,
349 Swiche peynes that youre hertes myghte agryse,
350 Al be it so no tonge may it devyse,
351 Thogh that I myghte a thousand wynter telle
352 The peynes of thilke cursed hous of helle.
353 But for to kepe us fro that cursed place,
354 Waketh, and preyeth jhesu for his grace
355 So kepe us from the temptour Sathanas.
356 Herketh this word! beth war, as in this cas
357 The leoun sit in his awayt alway
358 To sle the innocent, if that he may.
359 Disposeth ay youre hertes to withstonde
360 The feend, that yow wolde make thral and bonde.
361 He may nat tempte yow over youre myght,
362 For crist wol be youre champion and knyght.
363 And prayeth that thise somonours hem repente
364 Of hir mysdedes, er that the feend hem hente!