Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

See ye that ook? right ther ye shul him finde.

God save yow, that boghte agayn mankinde,

And yow amende!"-thus seyde this olde

man.

And everich of thise ryotoures ran,

440

Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde

Of florins fyne of golde ycoyned rounde Wel ny an eighte1 busshels, as hem thoughte.

No lenger thanne after Deeth they soughte, But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte, For that the florins been so faire and brighte, 446

That doun they sette hem by this precious hord.

The worste of hem he spak the firste word. "Brethren," quod he, "tak kepe2 what I seye;

My wit is greet, though that I bourde3 and pleye.

450

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.
Thou woost wel that our felawe is agon;
And heer is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
That shal departed been among us three.
But natheles, if I can shape it so 485
That it departed were among us two,
Hadde I nat doon a frendes torn to thee?"
That other answerde, "I noot how that
may be;

He woot10 how that the gold is with us tweye;

What shal we doon, what shal we to him seye?"

490

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

But mighte this gold be caried fro this That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat place

[blocks in formation]

biwreye."13

495

"Now," quod the firste, "thou woost wel we be tweye,

And two of us shul strenger be than oon. Look whan that he is set, and right anoon Arys, as though thou woldest with him pleye;

And I shal ryve him thurgh the sydes tweye

500

Whyl that thou strogelest with him as in game,

And with thy dagger look thou do the

same;

And than shal al this gold departed be, My dere freend, bitwixen me and thee; Than may we bothe our lustes al fulfille,505 And pleye at dees right at our owene wille."

And thus acorded14 been thise shrewes tweye

To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me

seye.

2 note of. • quickly.

3 jest. 7 it seems best.

4 thought.

[blocks in formation]

8 fist.

[blocks in formation]

14 agreed.

This yongest, which that wente un-to the toun,

Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun 510 The beautee of thise florins newe and brighte.

[blocks in formation]

In caryinge of the gold out of that place.
And whan this ryotour, with sory grace,
Had filled with wyn his grete botels three,
To his felawes agayn repaireth he.

"O lord!" quod he, "if so were that I Had filled with
mighte

Have al this tresor to my-self allone,
Ther is no man that liveth under the
trone1

Of god, that sholde live so mery as I!" 515
And atte laste the feend, our enemy,
Putte in his thought that he shold poyson
beye,2

With which he mighte sleen his felawes
tweye;

3

For why the feend fond him in swich lyvinge,

520

That he had leve1 him to sorwe bringe,
For this was outrely his ful entente
To sleen hem bothe, and never to repente.
And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he
tarie,

Into the toun, un-to a pothecarie,

And preyed him, that he him wolde

[blocks in formation]

550

What nedeth it to sermone17 of it more? For right as they had cast his deeth bifore, Right so they han him slayn, and that

anon.

And whan that this was doon, thus spak that oon,

"Now lat us sitte and drinke, and make us merie,

555

And afterward we wol his body berie."
And with that word it happed him, par

cas,

18

[blocks in formation]

For which anon they storven19 bothe two.
But, certes, I suppose that Avicen
561
Wroot never in no canon,"
ne in no fen,2
Mo21 wonder22 signes of empoisoning
Than hadde thise wrecches two, er hir
ending.

Thus ended been thise homicydes two, 565
And eek the false empoysoner also.

O cursed sinne, ful of cursednesse!
O traytours homicyde, o wikkednesse!
O glotonye, luxurie, and hasardrye!
Thou blasphemour of Crist with vileinye
And othes grete, of usage23 and of pryde!571
Allas! mankynde, how may it bityde,
That to thy creatour which that thee
wroghte,

And with his precious herte-blood thee
boghte,

Thou art so fals and so unkinde, allas! 575
Now, goode men, god forgeve yow your

trespas,

And ware yow24 fro the sinne of avaryce.
Myn holy pardoun may yow alle waryce,25
So that ye offre nobles or sterlinges,
Or elles silver broches, spones, ringes. 580
Boweth your heed under this holy bulle!
Cometh up, ye wyves, offreth of your
wolle!

26

Your name I entre heer in my rolle anon;
In-to the blisse of hevene shul ye gon;

5 entirely. 10 amount. 14 seized.

15 planned.
19 died.

16 labor.
17 speak.
20 See notes. 21 more.

23 habit.

24 keep you.

25 cure.

18 by chance. 22 wonderful. 26 wool.

I yow assoile, by myn heigh power, 585 Yow that wol offre, as clene and eek as cleer

As ye were born; and, lo, sirs, thus I preche.

And Iesu Crist, that is our soules leche,
So graunte yow his pardon to receyve;
For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve.590
But sirs, o word forgat I in my tale;
I have reliks and pardon in my male,1
As faire as any man in Engelond,
Whiche were me yeven by the popes

[blocks in formation]

Werk wel thy-self, that other folk canst rede;13

And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

ΙΟ

Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse,
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal;
Gret reste11 stant15 in litel besinesse,
And eek be war to sporne16 ageyn an al;
Stryve noght, as doth the crokke with
the wal.

Daunte1 thyself, that dauntest otheres dede;

And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

[blocks in formation]

4 low.

17 subdue.

8 truth.

21 reward.

11 blinds. 12 have relish for.

25 be.

14

peace. 18 asks. 22 person.

15 resides. 19 spirit. 23 unless.

16 kick.

20 cease. 24 appearance. 25 before.

That of yelownesse hadde never pere.
Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere,1
Quene of comfort and of good companye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now
purs, that be to me my lyves light, 15
And saveour, as doun2 in this worlde here,
Out of this toune help me through your
might,

Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere;
For I am shave as nye3 as any frere.1
But yit I pray un-to your curtesye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
LENVOY DE CHAUCER

20

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

And summe murthes59 to maken

[merged small][ocr errors]

30

that suche

[ocr errors][merged small]

And get gold with here gle61 giltles I trowe. Bote japers62 and jangelers,63 Iudas chil

35

dren, Founden64 hem fantasyes65 and fooles

hem maaden,

[ocr errors]

And habbeth wit at heor wille66 to worchen67 gif hem luste;

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

14 enchantment.

43 outward appearance.

45 many. 46 our.

36 planting.

39 wasters.

42 clothed.

[blocks in formation]

48 happiness of the kingdom of heaven. 50 keep themselves. 53 wander. 54 luxurious.

$7 trade.

1 guide.

[blocks in formation]

6 have power to.

[blocks in formation]

9 shepherd.

10 went.

4 friar. garment. 11 hills.

5 art.

49 nuns.

12 happened.

13 wonder.

15 tired with wandering.

[blocks in formation]

18 sounded.

[blocks in formation]

21 dream.

22 dream.

24 on high.

60 know how.

58 prosper.

63 buffoons. 64 feigned.

66 at command.

68 what.

[blocks in formation]

23 knew.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »