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

To preachings eke, and to these pilgrimages,
To plays of miracles, and marriages,
And weared upon me gay scarlet gites.*                            *gowns
These wormes, nor these mothes, nor these mites
On my apparel frett* them never a deal**                     *fed **whit
And know’st thou why? for they were used* well.                    *worn
Now will I telle forth what happen’d me:
I say, that in the fieldes walked we,
Till truely we had such dalliance,
This clerk and I, that of my purveyance*                      *foresight
I spake to him, and told him how that he,
If I were widow, shoulde wedde me.
For certainly, I say for no bobance,*                      *boasting<23>
Yet was I never without purveyance*                           *foresight
Of marriage, nor of other thinges eke:
I hold a mouse’s wit not worth a leek,
That hath but one hole for to starte* to,<24>                    *escape
And if that faile, then is all y-do.*                              *done
[*I bare him on hand* he had enchanted me          *falsely assured him*
(My dame taughte me that subtilty);
And eke I said, I mette* of him all night,                      *dreamed
He would have slain me, as I lay upright,
And all my bed was full of very blood;
But yet I hop’d that he should do me good;
For blood betoken’d gold, as me was taught.
And all was false, I dream’d of him right naught,
But as I follow’d aye my dame’s lore,
As well of that as of other things more.] <25>
But now, sir, let me see, what shall I sayn?
Aha! by God, I have my tale again.
When that my fourthe husband was on bier,
I wept algate* and made a sorry cheer,**           *always **countenance
As wives must, for it is the usage;
And with my kerchief covered my visage;
But, for I was provided with a make,*                              *mate
I wept but little, that I undertake*                            *promise
To churche was mine husband borne a-morrow
With neighebours that for him made sorrow,
And Jenkin, oure clerk, was one of tho:*                          *those
As help me God, when that I saw him go
After the bier, methought he had a pair
Of legges and of feet so clean and fair,
That all my heart I gave unto his hold.*                        *keeping
He was, I trow, a twenty winter old,
And I was forty, if I shall say sooth,
But yet I had always a colte’s tooth.
Gat-toothed* I was, and that became me well,              *see note <26>
I had the print of Sainte Venus’ seal.
[As help me God, I was a lusty one,
And fair, and rich, and young, and *well begone:*        *in a good way*
For certes I am all venerian*              *under the influence of Venus
In feeling, and my heart is martian;*       *under the influence of Mars
Venus me gave my lust and liquorishness,
And Mars gave me my sturdy hardiness.] <25>
Mine ascendant was Taure,* and Mars therein:                     *Taurus
Alas, alas, that ever love was sin!
I follow’d aye mine inclination
By virtue of my constellation:

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

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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

To preachings eke, and to these pilgrimages,
To plays of miracles, and marriages,
And weared upon me gay scarlet gites.*                            *gowns
These wormes, nor these mothes, nor these mites
On my apparel frett* them never a deal**                     *fed **whit
And know’st thou why? for they were used* well.                    *worn
Now will I telle forth what happen’d me:
I say, that in the fieldes walked we,
Till truely we had such dalliance,
This clerk and I, that of my purveyance*                      *foresight
I spake to him, and told him how that he,
If I were widow, shoulde wedde me.
For certainly, I say for no bobance,*                      *boasting<23>
Yet was I never without purveyance*                           *foresight
Of marriage, nor of other thinges eke:
I hold a mouse’s wit not worth a leek,
That hath but one hole for to starte* to,<24>                    *escape
And if that faile, then is all y-do.*                              *done
[*I bare him on hand* he had enchanted me          *falsely assured him*
(My dame taughte me that subtilty);
And eke I said, I mette* of him all night,                      *dreamed
He would have slain me, as I lay upright,
And all my bed was full of very blood;
But yet I hop’d that he should do me good;
For blood betoken’d gold, as me was taught.
And all was false, I dream’d of him right naught,
But as I follow’d aye my dame’s lore,
As well of that as of other things more.] <25>
But now, sir, let me see, what shall I sayn?
Aha! by God, I have my tale again.
When that my fourthe husband was on bier,
I wept algate* and made a sorry cheer,**           *always **countenance
As wives must, for it is the usage;
And with my kerchief covered my visage;
But, for I was provided with a make,*                              *mate
I wept but little, that I undertake*                            *promise
To churche was mine husband borne a-morrow
With neighebours that for him made sorrow,
And Jenkin, oure clerk, was one of tho:*                          *those
As help me God, when that I saw him go
After the bier, methought he had a pair
Of legges and of feet so clean and fair,
That all my heart I gave unto his hold.*                        *keeping
He was, I trow, a twenty winter old,
And I was forty, if I shall say sooth,
But yet I had always a colte’s tooth.
Gat-toothed* I was, and that became me well,              *see note <26>
I had the print of Sainte Venus’ seal.
[As help me God, I was a lusty one,
And fair, and rich, and young, and *well begone:*        *in a good way*
For certes I am all venerian*              *under the influence of Venus
In feeling, and my heart is martian;*       *under the influence of Mars
Venus me gave my lust and liquorishness,
And Mars gave me my sturdy hardiness.] <25>
Mine ascendant was Taure,* and Mars therein:                     *Taurus
Alas, alas, that ever love was sin!
I follow’d aye mine inclination
By virtue of my constellation:

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

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

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