* * * * *
=Here biginneth the Somonour his Tale.=
Lordinges, ther is in Yorkshire, as I gesse,
A mersshy contree called Holdernesse, 1710
In which ther wente a limitour aboute,
To preche, and eek to begge, it is no doute.
And so bifel, that on a day this frere
Had preched at a chirche in his manere,
And specially, aboven every thing, 1715
Excited he the peple in his preching,
To trentals, and to yeve, for goddes sake,
Wher-with men mighten holy houses make, (10)
Ther as divyne service is honoured,
Nat ther as it is wasted and devoured, 1720
Ne ther it nedeth nat for to be yive,
As to possessioners, that mowen live,
Thanked be god, in wele and habundaunce.
‘Trentals,’ seyde he, ‘deliveren fro penaunce
Hir freendes soules, as wel olde as yonge, 1725
Ye, whan that they been hastily y-songe;
Nat for to holde a preest Ioly and gay,
He singeth nat but o masse in a day; (20)
Delivereth out,’ quod he, ‘anon the soules;
Ful hard it is with fleshhook or with oules 1730
To been y-clawed, or to brenne or bake;
Now spede yow hastily, for Cristes sake.’
[373: T. 7315-7349.]
And whan this frere had seyd al his entente,
With _qui cum patre_ forth his wey he wente.
HEADING. _So_ E.; Hn. Somnours (_for_ Somonour his). 1710. Cp. Pt.
Ln. mersshy; Hl. mersschly; E. Hn. merssh. 1718. Cp. Hl. mighten; E.
Hn. myghte. 1721. Cp. Hl. yiue; _rest_ yeue.
Whan folk in chirche had yeve him what hem leste, 1735
He wente his wey, no lenger wolde he reste,
With scrippe and tipped staf, y-tukked hye;
In every hous he gan to poure and prye, (30)
And beggeth mele, and chese, or elles corn.
His felawe hadde a staf tipped with horn, 1740
A peyre of tables al of yvory,
And a poyntel polisshed fetisly,
And wroot the names alwey, as he stood,
Of alle folk that yaf him any good,
Ascaunces that he wolde for hem preye. 1745
‘Yeve us a busshel whete, malt, or reye,
A goddes kechil, or a trip of chese,
Or elles what yow list, we may nat chese; (40)
A goddes halfpeny or a masse-peny,
Or yeve us of your brawn, if ye have eny; 1750
A dagon of your blanket, leve dame,
Our suster dere, lo! here I write your name;
Bacon or beef, or swich thing as ye finde.’
1735. E. lest. 1736. E. Pt. Ln. Hl. went. 1738. E. Hn. Ln. poure;
_rest_ pore. 1743. E. wroote. 1745. Hn. Ascaunces; E. Asaunces; Hl.
Pt. Ln. Ascaunce; Cp. Ascance. E. prey. 1746. Ln. Yeue; Cp. Yiue;
_rest_ Yif (_see_ 1750). E. him; _rest_ vs. 1747. Ln. kechel; Hl.
kichil. Cp. Pt. trippe; Ln. trep. 1750. E. Hn. Hl. yif; _rest_ yeue
(yiue). 1751. Cm. Cp. Hl. dagoun.
A sturdy harlot wente ay hem bihinde,
That was hir hostes man, and bar a sak, 1755
And what men yaf hem, leyde it on his bak.
And whan that he was out at dore anon,
He planed awey the names everichon (50)
That he biforn had writen in his tables;
He served hem with nyfles and with fables. 1760
‘Nay, ther thou lixt, thou Somnour,’ quod the Frere.
‘Pees,’ quod our Host, ‘for Cristes moder dere;
Tel forth thy tale and spare it nat at al.’
So thryve I, quod this Somnour, so I shal.—
So longe he wente hous by hous, til he 1765
Cam til an hous ther he was wont to be
Refresshed more than in an hundred placis.
[374: T. 7350-7385.]
Sik lay the gode man, whos that the place is; (60)
Bedrede up-on a couche lowe he lay.
‘_Deus hic_,’ quod he, ‘O Thomas, freend, good day,’ 1770
Seyde this frere curteisly and softe.
‘Thomas,’ quod he, ‘god yelde yow! ful ofte
Have I up-on this bench faren ful weel.
Here have I eten many a mery meel’;
And fro the bench he droof awey the cat, 1775
And leyde adoun his potente and his hat,
And eek his scrippe, and sette him softe adoun.
His felawe was go walked in-to toun, (70)
Forth with his knave, in-to that hostelrye
Wher-as he shoop him thilke night to lye. 1780
1768. Hl. that; _rest om._ 1769. Pt. Hl. Bedred. 1772. Hl. yeld
it. 1774. E. myrie; Hn. Cm. murye; _rest_ mery.
‘O dere maister,’ quod this syke man,
‘How han ye fare sith that March bigan?
I saugh yow noght this fourtenight or more.’
‘God woot,’ quod he, ‘laboured have I ful sore;
And specially, for thy savacioun 1785
Have I seyd many a precious orisoun,
And for our othere frendes, god hem blesse!
I have to-day been at your chirche at messe, (80)
And seyd a sermon after my simple wit,
Nat al after the text of holy writ; 1790
For it is hard to yow, as I suppose,
And therfore wol I teche yow al the glose.
Glosinge is a glorious thing, certeyn,
For lettre sleeth, so as we clerkes seyn.
Ther have I taught hem to be charitable, 1795
And spende hir good ther it is resonable,
And ther I saugh our dame; a! wher is she?’
1783. E. Hn. fourtnyght; _rest_ fourtenight. 1784. E. Hn. I haue;
_rest_ haue I. 1792. Hl. ay (_for_ al). 1793. Hl. a ful glorious.
1794. E. thise; Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. we.
‘Yond in the yerd I trowe that she be,’ (90)
Seyde this man, ‘and she wol come anon.’
‘Ey, maister! wel-come be ye, by seint Iohn!’ 1800
Seyde this wyf, ‘how fare ye hertely?’
The frere aryseth up ful curteisly,
And hir embraceth in his armes narwe,
[375: T. 7386-7422.]
And kiste hir swete, and chirketh as a sparwe
With his lippes: ‘dame,’ quod he, ‘right weel, 1805
As he that is your servant every deel.
Thanked be god, that yow yaf soule and lyf,
Yet saugh I nat this day so fair a wyf (100)
In al the chirche, god so save me!’
1804. E. Hn. chirteth.
‘Ye, god amende defautes, sir,’ quod she, 1810
‘Algates wel-come be ye, by my fey!’
‘Graunt mercy, dame, this have I founde alwey.
But of your grete goodnesse, by your leve,
I wolde prey yow that ye nat yow greve,
I wol with Thomas speke a litel throwe. 1815
Thise curats been ful necligent and slowe
To grope tendrely a conscience.
In shrift, in preching is my diligence, (110)
And studie in Petres wordes, and in Poules.
I walke, and fisshe Cristen mennes soules, 1820
To yelden Iesu Crist his propre rente;
To sprede his word is set al myn entente.’
‘Now, by your leve, o dere sir,’ quod she,
‘Chydeth him weel, for seinte Trinitee.
He is as angry as a pissemyre, 1825
Though that he have al that he can desyre.
Though I him wrye a-night and make him warm,
And on hym leye my leg outher myn arm, (120)
He groneth lyk our boor, lyth in our sty.
Other desport right noon of him have I; 1830
I may nat plese him in no maner cas.’
1830. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. of him right non.
‘O Thomas! _Ie vous dy_, Thomas! Thomas!
This maketh the feend, this moste ben amended.
Ire is a thing that hye god defended,
And ther-of wol I speke a word or two.’ 1835
1832. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. _Ieo_.
‘Now maister,’ quod the wyf, ‘er that I go,
What wol ye dyne? I wol go ther-aboute.’
‘Now dame,’ quod he, ‘_Ie vous dy sanz doute_, (130)
Have I nat of a capon but the livere,
And of your softe breed nat but a shivere, 1840
[376: T. 7423-7459.]
And after that a rosted pigges heed,
(But that I nolde no beest for me were deed),
Thanne hadde I with yow hoomly suffisaunce.
I am a man of litel sustenaunce.
My spirit hath his fostring in the Bible. 1845
The body is ay so redy and penyble
To wake, that my stomak is destroyed.
I prey yow, dame, ye be nat anoyed, (140)
Though I so freendly yow my conseil shewe;
By god, I wolde nat telle it but a fewe.’ 1850
1838. Cp. Pt. Hl. _Ieo_.
‘Now, sir,’ quod she, ‘but o word er I go;
My child is deed with-inne thise wykes two,
Sone after that ye wente out of this toun.’
‘His deeth saugh I by revelacioun,’
Seith this frere, ‘at hoom in our dortour. 1855
I dar wel seyn that, er that half an hour
After his deeth, I saugh him born to blisse
In myn avisioun, so god me wisse! (150)
So dide our sexteyn and our fermerer,
That han been trewe freres fifty yeer; 1860
They may now, god be thanked of his lone,
Maken hir Iubilee and walke allone.
And up I roos, and al our covent eke,
With many a tere trikling on my cheke,
Withouten noyse or clateringe of belles; 1865
_Te deum_ was our song and no-thing elles,
Save that to Crist I seyde an orisoun,
Thankinge him of his revelacioun. (160)
For sir and dame, trusteth me right weel,
Our orisons been more effectueel, 1870
And more we seen of Cristes secree thinges
Than burel folk, al-though they weren kinges.
We live in povert and in abstinence,
And burel folk in richesse and despence
Of mete and drinke, and in hir foul delyt. 1875
We han this worldes lust al in despyt.
Lazar and Dives liveden diversly,
[377: T. 7460-7496.]
And diverse guerdon hadden they ther-by. (170)
Who-so wol preye, he moot faste and be clene,
And fatte his soule and make his body lene. 1880
We fare as seith thapostle; cloth and fode
Suffysen us, though they be nat ful gode.
The clennesse and the fastinge of us freres
Maketh that Crist accepteth our preyeres.
1856. Ln. than; _rest_ that. 1870. E. Hn. wel moore; _rest om._
wel. 1872. Hl. borel. 1873. Cm. Hl. pouert; _rest_ pouerte. 1874.
Hl. borel. 1878. E. Hn. gerdon; Cm. gerdoun; Pt. guardon.
Lo, Moyses fourty dayes and fourty night 1885
Fasted, er that the heighe god of might
Spak with him in the mountain of Sinay.
With empty wombe, fastinge many a day, (180)
Receyved he the lawe that was writen
With goddes finger; and Elie, wel ye witen, 1890
In mount Oreb, er he hadde any speche
With hye god, that is our lyves leche,
He fasted longe and was in contemplaunce.
1887. Hn. mountayne; Ln. Dd. mounte; _rest_ mount.
Aaron, that hadde the temple in governaunce,
And eek the othere preestes everichon, 1895
In-to the temple whan they sholde gon
To preye for the peple, and do servyse,
They nolden drinken, in no maner wyse, (190)
No drinke, which that mighte hem dronke make,
But there in abstinence preye and wake, 1900
Lest that they deyden; tak heed what I seye.
But they be sobre that for the peple preye,
War that I seye,—namore! for it suffyseth.
Our lord Iesu, as holy writ devyseth,
Yaf us ensample of fastinge and preyeres. 1905
Therfor we mendinants, we sely freres,
Been wedded to poverte and continence,
To charitee, humblesse, and abstinence, (200)
To persecucion for rightwisnesse,
To wepinge, misericorde, and clennesse. 1910
And therfor may ye see that our preyeres—
I speke of us, we mendinants, we freres—
Ben to the hye god more acceptable
Than youres, with your festes at the table.
[378: T. 7497-7530.]
Fro Paradys first, if I shal nat lye, 1915
Was man out chaced for his glotonye;
And chaast was man in Paradys, certeyn.
1895. E. Hn. Cp. Ln. that; Cm. Hl. Pt. the. 1901. E. taak heede.
1906, 12. E. mendynantz.
But herkne now, Thomas, what I shal seyn. (210)
I ne have no text of it, as I suppose,
But I shall finde it in a maner glose, 1930
That specially our swete lord Iesus
Spak this by freres, whan he seyde thus:
“Blessed be they that povre in spirit been.”
And so forth al the gospel may ye seen,
Wher it be lyker our professioun, 1925
Or hirs that swimmen in possessioun.
Fy on hir pompe and on hir glotonye!
And for hir lewednesse I hem diffye. (220)
1918. Cm. Pt. Hl. now; _rest om._ 1923. E. pouere; Hn. poure; Ln. Hl.
pouer; Cm. poore; Cp. pore. 1925. E. Hn. likker; Cm. lykere. 1927.
E. Hn. _om. 2nd_ on.
Me thinketh they ben lyk Iovinian,
Fat as a whale, and walkinge as a swan; 1930
Al vinolent as botel in the spence.
Hir preyer is of ful gret reverence;
Whan they for soules seye the psalm of Davit,
Lo, “buf!” they seye, “_cor meum eructavit_!”
Who folweth Cristes gospel and his fore, 1935
But we that humble been and chast and pore,
Werkers of goddes word, not auditours?
Therfore, right as an hauk up, at a sours, (230)
Up springeth in-to their, right so prayeres
Of charitable and chaste bisy freres 1940
Maken hir sours to goddes eres two.
Thomas! Thomas! so mote I ryde or go,
And by that lord that clepid is seint Yve,
Nere thou our brother, sholdestou nat thryve!
In our chapitre praye we day and night 1945
To Crist, that he thee sende hele and might,
Thy body for to welden hastily.’
1934. buf] E. but; Hl. boef. 1935. E. Hn. foore; Cm. Hl. fore; _rest_
lore. 1937. E. Cm. Werkeris. 1938. up at] Hl. vpon. 1939. Hl.
thaer; Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. the eyre (ayre). 1947. E. weelden.
‘God woot,’ quod he, ‘no-thing ther-of fele I; (240)
[379: T. 7531-7565.]
As help me Crist, as I, in fewe yeres,
Han spended, up-on dyvers maner freres, 1950
Ful many a pound; yet fare I never the bet.
Certeyn, my good have I almost biset.
Farwel, my gold! for it is al ago!’
1949. Hn. Hl. I in; E. Cm. in a; Pt. I haue in. 1950. Hn. Hl. Haue
spended; E. I han spent. 1952. E. I haue.
The frere answerde, ‘O Thomas, dostow so?
What nedeth yow diverse freres seche? 1955
What nedeth him that hath a parfit leche
To sechen othere leches in the toun?
Your inconstance is your confusioun. (250)
Holde ye than me, or elles our covent,
To praye for yow ben insufficient? 1960
Thomas, that Iape nis nat worth a myte;
Your maladye is for we han to lyte.
“A! yif that covent half a quarter otes!”
“A! yif that covent four and twenty grotes!”
“A! yif that frere a peny, and lat him go!” 1965
Nay, nay, Thomas! it may no-thing be so.
What is a ferthing worth parted in twelve?
Lo, ech thing that is oned in him-selve (260)
Is more strong than whan it is to-scatered.
Thomas, of me thou shalt nat been y-flatered; 1970
Thou woldest han our labour al for noght.
The hye god, that al this world hath wroght,
Seith that the werkman worthy is his hyre.
Thomas! noght of your tresor I desyre
As for my-self, but that al our covent 1975
To preye for yow is ay so diligent,
And for to builden Cristes owene chirche.
Thomas! if ye wol lernen for to wirche, (270)
Of buildinge up of chirches may ye finde
If it be good, in Thomas lyf of Inde. 1980
Ye lye heer, ful of anger and of yre,
With which the devel set your herte a-fyre,
And chyden heer this sely innocent,
[380: T. 7566-7597.]
Your wyf, that is so meke and pacient.
And therfor, Thomas, trowe me if thee leste, 1985
Ne stryve nat with thy wyf, as for thy beste;
And ber this word awey now, by thy feith,
Touchinge this thing, lo, what the wyse seith: (280)
“With-in thyn hous ne be thou no leoun;
To thy subgits do noon oppressioun; 1990
Ne make thyne aqueyntances nat to flee.”
And Thomas, yet eft-sones I charge thee,
Be war from hir that in thy bosom slepeth;
War fro the serpent that so slyly crepeth
Under the gras, and stingeth subtilly. 1995
Be war, my sone, and herkne paciently,
That twenty thousand men han lost hir lyves,
For stryving with hir lemmans and hir wyves. (290)
Now sith ye han so holy and meke a wyf,
What nedeth yow, Thomas, to maken stryf? 2000
Ther nis, y-wis, no serpent so cruel,
Whan man tret on his tayl, ne half so fel,
As womman is, whan she hath caught an ire;
Vengeance is thanne al that they desyre.
Ire is a sinne, oon of the grete of sevene, 2005
Abhominable un-to the god of hevene;
And to him-self it is destruccion.
This every lewed viker or person (300)
Can seye, how Ire engendreth homicyde.
Ire is, in sooth, executour of pryde. 2010
I coude of Ire seye so muche sorwe,
My tale sholde laste til to-morwe.
And therfor preye I god bothe day and night,
An irous man, god sende him litel might!
It is greet harm and, certes, gret pitee, 2015
[381: T. 7598-7632.]
To sette an irous man in heigh degree.
1959. E. thanne. 1968. E. it-; _rest_ him-. 1977. E. Hn. Hl.
buylden; Cm. bildyn; Cp. bulden; Pt. beelden; Ln. bilden. 1981. E.
_om._ and. 1983. E. Hn. Hl. the; _rest_ this. 1988. E. this; _rest_
swich (such). 1989. _All_ With-inne. 1991. E. Hn. Cm. aqueyntances;
Hl. acqueyntis; _rest_ aqueintance. Cm. not to; Pt. for to; Hl. fro
thee; _rest_ nat for to. 1993. Pt. yre (_for_ hir). 1994. Hn. War
fro; Hl. War for; Pt. Ware the for; Cm. By-war from; E. Be war fro; Cp.
Ln. Be war of. 1999. Hl. and meke; Cp. Ln. and so meke; _rest_
meke. 2002. E. What (_for_ Whan). E. Hn. man tret; Cm. man trat;
_rest_ men trede. After 2004 Hl. _ins. 2 spurious lines_: Schortly
may no man by rym and vers Tellen her thoughtes, thay ben so diuers.
_After_ 2012 Hl. _ins. 2 spurious lines_: Ire is the grate of synne as
saith the wise To fle ther-fro ech man schuld him deuyse. 2015. Hn.
Cp. Ln. certes; Hl. also; _rest_ eke (eek).
Whilom ther was an irous potestat,
As seith Senek, that, duringe his estaat, (310)
Up-on a day out riden knightes two,
And as fortune wolde that it were so, 2020
That oon of hem cam hoom, that other noght.
Anon the knight bifore the Iuge is broght,
That seyde thus, ‘thou hast thy felawe slayn,
For which I deme thee to the deeth, certayn.’
And to another knight comanded he, 2025
‘Go lede him to the deeth, I charge thee.’
And happed, as they wente by the weye
Toward the place ther he sholde deye, (320)
The knight cam, which men wenden had be deed.
Thanne thoughte they, it was the beste reed, 2030
To lede hem bothe to the Iuge agayn.
They seiden, ‘lord, the knight ne hath nat slayn
His felawe; here he standeth hool alyve.’
‘Ye shul be deed,’ quod he, ‘so moot I thryve!
That is to seyn, bothe oon, and two, and three!’ 2035
And to the firste knight right thus spak he,
‘I dampned thee, thou most algate be deed.
And thou also most nedes lese thyn heed, (330)
For thou art cause why thy felawe deyth.’
And to the thridde knight right thus he seyth, 2040
‘Thou hast nat doon that I comanded thee.’
And thus he dide don sleen hem alle three.
2037. _Here_ Hl. _adds two spurious lines_: Than thoughte thay it were
the beste rede To lede him forth into a fair mede.
Irous Cambyses was eek dronkelewe,
And ay delyted him to been a shrewe.
And so bifel, a lord of his meynee, 2045
That lovede vertuous moralitee,
Seyde on a day bitwix hem two right thus:
‘A lord is lost, if he be vicious; (340)
And dronkenesse is eek a foul record
Of any man, and namely in a lord. 2050
[382: T. 7633-7669.]
Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere
Awaiting on a lord, and he noot where.
For goddes love, drink more attemprely;
Wyn maketh man to lesen wrecchedly
His minde, and eek his limes everichon.’ 2055
2046. Hn. Cm. louede (= lov’de); E. loued. 2047. E. bitwene. 2048.
_Here_ Hl. _adds two spurious lines_: An irous man is lik a frentik
best In which ther is of wisdom noon arrest. 2048. E. Pt. vicius.
2050. Hl. of (_for_ in). 2055. Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. eek; _rest om._
‘The revers shaltou se,’ quod he, ‘anon;
And preve it, by thyn owene experience,
That wyn ne dooth to folk no swich offence. (350)
Ther is no wyn bireveth me my might
Of hand ne foot, ne of myn eyen sight’— 2060
And, for despyt, he drank ful muchel more
An hondred part than he had doon bifore;
And right anon, this irous cursed wrecche
Leet this knightes sone bifore him fecche,
Comandinge him he sholde bifore him stonde. 2065
And sodeynly he took his bowe in honde,
And up the streng he pulled to his ere,
And with an arwe he slow the child right there: (360)
‘Now whether have I a siker hand or noon?’
Quod he, ‘is al my might and minde agoon? 2070
Hath wyn bireved me myn eyen sight?’
2062. E. _om._ doon. 2064. Hl. sone anoon; _rest_ sone. 2069. E.
wheither. 2071. E. bireft; _rest_ byreued.
What sholde I telle thanswere of the knight?
His sone was slayn, ther is na-more to seye.
Beth war therfor with lordes how ye pleye.
Singeth _Placebo_, and I shal, if I can, 2075
But if it be un-to a povre man.
To a povre man men sholde hise vyces telle,
But nat to a lord, thogh he sholde go to helle. (370)
Lo irous Cirus, thilke Percien,
How he destroyed the river of Gysen, 2080
For that an hors of his was dreynt ther-inne,
Whan that he wente Babiloigne to winne.
He made that the river was so smal,
That wommen mighte wade it over al.
Lo, what seyde he, that so wel teche can? 2085
“Ne be no felawe to an irous man,
Ne with no wood man walke by the weye,
[383: T. 7670-7704.]
Lest thee repente;” ther is na-more to seye. (380)
Now Thomas, leve brother, lef thyn ire;
Thou shall me finde as Iust as is a squire. 2090
Hold nat the develes knyf ay at thyn herte;
Thyn angre dooth thee al to sore smerte;
But shewe to me al thy confessioun.’