The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Name: The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey

Chaucer, Geoffrey

Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400; Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Poetry; English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

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

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Canterbury Tales, and Other PoemsChaucer, Geoffrey

ReligionChristian

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Chaucer, Geoffrey

Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400; Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Poetry; English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

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

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

No reviews yet