O glotonye, ful of cursednesse, Lo, how dere, shortly for to sayn, 175 Adam our fader, and his wyf also, Fro Paradys to labour and to wo Were driven for that vyce, it is no drede;29 For whyl that Adam fasted, as I rede, 180 He was in Paradys; and whan that he Eet of the fruyt defended30 on the tree, Anon he was out-cast to wo and peyne. O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!31 O, wiste a man how many maladyes Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes, He wolde been the more mesurable32 Of his diete, sittinge at his table. Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth, Maketh that, Est and West, and North and South, 185 190 Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn, 305 And swere in dome, and eek in rightwisnesse;' "" But ydel swering is a cursednesse. 310 Forswering, ire, falsnesse, homicyde. Thise ryotoures three, of whiche I telle, 341 "Sir," quod this boy, "it nedeth neveradel. 18 It was me told, er ye cam heer, two houres; He was, pardee, an old felawe19, of youres; And sodeynly he was yslayn to-night, 345 For-dronke, 20 as he sat on his bench upright; Ther cam a privee theef, men clepeth21 That in this contree al the peple sleeth, 349 How that the seconde heste of him is And, maister, er ye come in his presence, Me thinketh that it were necessarie For to be war of swich an adversarie: Beth redy for to mete him evermore. Thus taughte me my dame, I sey namore. "By seinte Marie," seyde this taverner, "The child seith sooth,22 for he hath slayn this yeer, 11 plainly. 12 depart. 13 five. 14 three. 15 cursed. 16 nine o'clock A. M. 17 quickly. 18 there is no need of it. 19 companion. 20 dead drunk. 22 truth. 21 name. Henne1 over a myle, with-in a greet village, Both man and womman, child and hyne,2 and page. 360 I trowe his habitacioun be there; By goddes dignitee, er it be night.” Togidres han thise three her trouthes plight, To live and dyen ech of hem for other, 375 As though he were his owene yboren brother. And up they sterte al dronken, in this rage, And forth they goon towardes that village, Of which the taverner had spoke biforn, And many a grisly ooth than han they Thou spak right now of thilke traitour Deeth, 425 That in this contree alle our frendes sleeth. Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his aspye,23 24 25 Tel wher he is, or thou shalt it abye,2 By god, and by the holy sacrament! For soothly thou art oon of his assent, 430 To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!" "Now, sirs," quod he, "if that yow be so leef26 To finde Deeth, turne up this croked wey, For in that grove I lafte him, by my fey, Under a tree, and ther he wol abyde; 435 Nat for your boost 28 he wol him no-thing hyde. 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. 440 And everich of thise ryotoures ran, 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 This tresor hath fortune un-to us yiven, 455 485 Thy profit wol I telle thee anon. He woot10 how that the gold is with us tweye; What shal we doon, what shal we to him seye?" 490 "Shal it be conseil?" seyde the firste shrewe, 12 "And I shal tellen thee, in wordes fewe, What we shal doon, and bringe it wel aboute." "I graunte," quod that other, "out of doute, But mighte this gold be caried fro this That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat 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. * jest. 4 thought. 6 quickly. 7 it seems best. 8 fist. 12 scoundrel. 13 betray. 14 agreed. |