* * * * *
=Here biginneth the Shipmannes Tale.=
A marchant whylom dwelled at Seint Denys,
That riche was, for which men helde him wys;
A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee,
And compaignable and revelous was she,
Which is a thing that causeth more dispence 1195
Than worth is al the chere and reverence
That men hem doon at festes and at daunces;
Swiche salutaciouns and contenaunces
Passen as dooth a shadwe up-on the wal.
But wo is him that payen moot for al; 1200
The sely housbond, algate he mot paye; (11)
He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,
Al for his owene worship richely,
In which array we daunce Iolily.
And if that he noght may, par-aventure, 1205
Or elles, list no swich dispence endure,
But thinketh it is wasted and y-lost,
Than moot another payen for our cost,
Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.
1191. Hl. hild. 1196. E. chiere. 1201. E. honsbonde. Hn. moot;
Pt. mot; rest moste. 1205. Pt. Hl. may not. 1206. E. ellis. 1208.
E. Thanne.
This noble Marchant heeld a worthy hous, 1210
For which he hadde alday so greet repair (21)
For his largesse, and for his wyf was fair,
That wonder is; but herkneth to my tale.
Amonges alle his gestes, grete and smale,
Ther was a monk, a fair man and a bold, 1215
I trowe of thritty winter he was old,
That ever in oon was drawing to that place.
[168: T. 12958-12994.]
This yonge monk, that was so fair of face,
Aqueinted was so with the gode man,
Sith that hir firste knoweliche bigan, 1220
That in his hous as famulier was he (31)
As it possible is any freend to be.
1214. E. Hn. hise; Hl. these; _rest_ his. 1216. E. of; Hn. Cp. Ln. a;
_rest om._ 1217. E. comynge; rest drawyng. 1220-3. Pt. _omits._
And for as muchel as this gode man
And eek this monk, of which that I bigan,
Were bothe two y-born in o village, 1225
The monk him claimeth as for cosinage;
And he again, he seith nat ones nay,
But was as glad ther-of as fowel of day;
For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.
Thus been they knit with eterne alliaunce, 1230
And ech of hem gan other for tassure (41)
Of bretherhede, whyl that hir lyf may dure.
1222. E. _om._ is; Hl. possibil is; _rest_ is possible. 1231. E. Hn.
Pt. ech; Hl. ilk; _rest_ ilke. Cp. for to assure; Hl. Ln. to assure
(_om._ for).
Free was daun Iohn, and namely of dispence,
As in that hous; and ful of diligence
To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage. 1235
He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page
In al that hous; but, after hir degree,
He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,
When that he cam, som maner honest thing;
For which they were as glad of his coming 1240
As fowel is fayn, whan that the sonne up-ryseth. (51)
Na more of this as now, for it suffyseth.
1237. E. the; _rest_ that.
But so bifel, this marchant on a day
Shoop him to make redy his array
Toward the toun of Brugges for to fare, 1245
To byën ther a porcioun of ware;
For which he hath to Paris sent anon
A messager, and preyed hath daun Iohn
That he sholde come to Seint Denys to pleye
With him and with his wyf a day or tweye, 1250
Er he to Brugges wente, in alle wyse. (61)
This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
Hath of his abbot, as him list, licence,
By-cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
[169: T. 12995-13031.]
And eek an officer, out for to ryde, 1255
To seen hir graunges and hir bernes wyde;
And un-to Seint Denys he comth anon.
Who was so welcome as my lord daun Iohn,
Our dere cosin, ful of curteisye?
With him broghte he a Iubbe of Malvesye, 1260
And eek another, ful of fyn Vernage, (71)
And volatyl, as ay was his usage.
And thus I lete hem ete and drinke and pleye,
This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.
1261. Cp. Ln. good (_for_ fyn); Hl. wyn. 1262. Hl. volantyn (!)
1263. E. _om._ ete and.
The thridde day, this marchant up aryseth, 1265
And on his nedes sadly him avyseth,
And up in-to his countour-hous goth he
To rekene with him-self, as wel may be,
Of thilke yeer, how that it with him stood,
And how that he despended hadde his good; 1270
And if that he encressed were or noon. (81)
His bokes and his bagges many oon
He leith biforn him on his counting-bord;
Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
For which ful faste his countour-dore he shette; 1275
And eek he nolde that no man sholde him lette
Of his accountes, for the mene tyme;
And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.