Geoffrey Chaucer

c. 1340-1400

From THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN1

c. 1385

THE PROLOGUE

A thousande tymes I have herd men telle, That there is joy in hevene, and peyne in helle, And I accordé wel that it is so;

But, nathėles, yet wot I wel also,

That ther is noon dwellying in this countree, 5
That eythir hath in hevene or in helle y-be,
Ne may of hit noon other weyes witen,
But as he hath herd seyde, or founde it writen;
For by assay ther may no man it preve.

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But God forbedė but men shuldė leve2 Wel more thing than men han seen with eye! Men shal not wenen everything a lye But-if hymselfe it seeth, or ellės dooth; For, God wot, thing is never the lasse sooth, Thogh every wight ne may it not y-see. Bernarde, the monke, ne saugh nat al, parde! Than motė we to bokes that we fynde,Thurgh which that oldė thingės ben in mynde, And to the doctrine of these oldė wyse, Yevé credénce, in every skylful wise, That tellen of these olde appreved stories, Of holynesse, of regnes, of victóries, Of love, of hate, of other sondry thynges Of whiche I may not maken rehersýnges. And if that oldė bokės were awey, Y-lorne' were of rémembraunce the key. Wel ought us, thanne, honóuren and beleve These bokės, ther we han noon other preve. And as for me, though that I konne but lyte, On bokes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yive I feyth and ful credénce,

So hertely, that ther is gamės noon

And in myn herte have hem in reverence

That from my bokės maketh me to goon, But it be seldom on the holyday,

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Save, certeynly, whan that the month of May
Is comen, and that I here the foulės" synge,
And that the flourės gynnen for to sprynge,—
Farewel my boke, and my devocion!

Now have I thanne suche a condicion,
Thát of alle the floures in the mede,

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1 This poem (like its greater successor, The Canterbury Tales), consists of a number of separate stories, introduced by a Prologue. In the Legend, however, all the stories are of women who have been victims or martyrs to love. Chaucer apparently intended to tell the legends of nineteen good women, but the poem is unfinished. • Believe

Bernard of Clairvaux (1091–1153). Even St. Bernard, holy and wise as he was, did not see everything. The passage is founded on a Latin proverb Bernardus monachus non videt omnia."

Whan it uprysith erly by the morwe;
That blisful sightė softneth al my sorwe,
So glad am I, whan that I have presence
Of it, to doon it allé reverence,

As she that is of alle flourés flour,
Fulfilled of al vertu and honour,

And evere ilikė' faire, and fresshe of hewe.
And I love it, and evere ylikė newe,
And ever shal, til that myn hertė dye;
Al swere I nat, of this I wol nat lye;
Ther loved no wight hotter in his lyve.
And whan that it is eve, I renne blyve,
As sone as evere the sonné gynneth weste,
To seen this flour, how it wol go to reste,
For fere of nyght, so hateth she derknesse!
Hir chere is pleynly sprad in the brightnesse
Of the sonne, for ther it wol unclose.
Allas, that I ne had Englyssh, ryme or prose
Súffisant this flour to preyse aright!

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Be ye my gide, and lady sovereyne.
As to my erthely god, to yowe I calle,
Bothe in this werke, and in my sorwės alle.

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But wherfore that I spake to yive credénce To oldė stories, and doon hem reverence, And that men mosten more thyng beleve Then they may seen at eye or elles preve, That shal I seyn, whanne that I see my tymeI may nat al attones 18 speke in ryme. My besy1 gost, that thursteth alwey newe, To seen this flour so yong, so fresshe of hewe, Constreyned me with so gledy20 desire, That in myn herte I feelė yet the fire, That made me to ryse er it wer day, And this was now the firstė morwe of May, 1 Alike. 8 Quickly.

Óf this flour, whan that it shulde unclose
Agayne the sonne, that roos as rede as rose,
That in the brest was of the beste,22 that day,
That Agenorės doghtre23 ladde away.
And doun on knes anon-ryght I me sette, 115
And as I koude, this fresshe flour I grette,
Knelyng alwey, til it unclosed was,
Upon the smalė, softė, swotė24 gras,

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That was with floures swote enbrouded 25 al, 119
Of swich swetnesse, and swich odóur over-al,
That for to speke of gomme,26 or herbe, or tree,
Comparisoun may noon y-maked be;
For it surmounteth pleynly alle odoures,
Ánd of riche beauté allé floures.
Forgeten had the erthe his pore estate
Of wyntir, that him naked made and mate,27
And with his swerd of colde so sorẻ greved;
Now hath the atemprisonne 23 al that releved
That naked was, and clad it new agayne.
The smale foulės, of the sesoun fayne,29
That of the panter and the nette ben scaped.
Upon the foweler, that hem made a-whaped31
In wynter, and distroyed hadde hire broode,
In his dispite hem thoghte it did hem goode
To synge of hym, and in hir songe dispise 135
The foule cherle, that, for his coveytise,
Had hem betrayed with his sophistrye.

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This was hir songe, "The foweler we deffye, And al his crafte," And somme songen clere Layes of love, that joye it was to here, In worshipynge and in preysing of hir make;32 And, for the newė blisful somers sake, Upon the braunches ful of blosmės softe, In hire delyt, they turned hem ful ofte, And songen, "Blessed be Seynt Valentyne! 145 For on his day I chees you to be myne, Withouten répentyng myne hertė swete!" And therewithal hire bekės gonnen meete.

...

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His swootė breth, and made hem for to sprede,
As god and goddesse of the floury mede.
In whiche me thoght I myghte, day by day,
Dwellen alwey, the joly month of May,
Withouten slepe, withouten mete or drynke.
Adoun ful softély I gan to synke,

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And lenynge on myn elbowe and my syde,
The longe day, I shoop39 me for to abide,
For nothing ellis, and I shal nat lye,
But for to loke upon the dayėsie,
That men by resoun wel it calle may
The dayėsie, or elles the ÿe of day,
The emperice, and floure of floures alle.
I pray to God that fairė mote she falle,40
And alle that loven flourės, for hire sake!
But, nathėles, ne wene nat that I make11
In preysing of the Flour agayn the Leef,
No more than of the corne agayn the sheef;
For as to me nys lever noon, ne lother,
I nam witholden yit with never nother.
Ne I not12 who serveth Leef, ne who the Flour.
Wel browken they hir service or labour!
For this thing is al of another tonne,"
Of oldė storye, er swiche thinge was begonne.
Whan that the sonne out of the southe gan
weste,

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And that this flour gan close, and goon to reste, For derknesse of the nyght, the which she

dredde,

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Home to myn house full swiftly I me spedde
To goon to reste, and erly for to ryse,
To seen this flour to-sprede, as I devyse.
And in a litel herber45 that I have,
That benched was on turvės fressh y-grave,
I bad men sholdė me my couché make;
For deyntee of the newe someres sake,
I had hem strawen flourės on my bed.
Whan I was leyde, and hadde myn eyen hed,"
I fel on slepe, in-with an houre or two.
Me mette48 how I lay in the medewė tho,
To seen this flour that I love so and drede;"
And from a-fer come walkyng in the mede
The god of Love, and in his hand a quene,
And she was clad in real50 habite grene;
A fret of gold she hadde next her heer.
And upon that a white crowne she beer,
With flourouns52 smale, and I shal nat lye,
For al the worlde ryght as a daÿesye
Y-córouned is with white levės lyte,
So were the flourouns of hire córoune white;
For of o53 perlė, fyne, órientál,
Hire white córoune was i-maked al,

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For which the white coroune above the grene
Máde hire lyke a daysie for to sene,
Considered eke hir fret of golde above.
Y-clothed was this mighty god of Love
In silke enbrouded, ful of grenė greves,❝
In-with a fret of redé rosé leves,

The fresshest syn the worlde was first bygonne.

43 May they enjoy.

45 Arbor, or resting place, a or herbage.

46 For the sake of enjoying. 48 Dreamt. 49 Revere.

62 Small flowers.

40 Good may befall.

42 Ne wot, not know. 44 Cask.

plot covered with grass

47 Hidden.

50 Royal. 63 One.

$1 Ornament. и Groves.

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His giltė here was corowned with a sonne
In stede of golde, for hevynesse and wyghte;
Therwith me thoght his face shon so brighte
That wel unnethės55 myght I him beholde;
And in his hande me thoght I saugh him holde
Two firy dartės as the gledės 56 rede,
And aungelyke his wyngės saugh I sprede.
And, al be that men seyn that blynd is he,
Algate57 me thoghte that he myghte se;
For sternély on me he gan byholde,
So that his loking doth myn herté colde.
And by the hande he helde this noble quene,
Crowned with white, and clothed al in grene,
So womanly, so bénigne, and so meke,
That in this world, thogh that men woldė seke,
Hálf hire beutė shuldė men nat fynde
In creäture that formed is by Kynde. 58
And therfore may I seyn, as thynketh me,
This song in preysyng of this lady fre.
Hyde Absalon, thy giltė tresses clere;
Ester, ley thou thy mekenesse al adoun;
Hyde, Jonathas, al thy frendly manére;
Penalopee, and Marcia Catoun,
Make of youre wifhode no comparysoun;
Hyde ye youre beautés, Ysoude and Eleyne;
My lady comith, that al this may disteyne.59
Thy faire body lat it nat appere,
Lavyne; and thou Lucresse of Rome toun
And Polixene, that boghten love so dere,
And Cloepatre, with all thy passÿoun,
Hyde ye your trouthe of love, and your renoun,
And thou, Tesbė, that hast of love suche peyne;
My lady comith, that al this may disteyne.
Hero, Dido, Laudómia, alle yfere,0
And Phillis, hangying for thy Demophon,
And Canacé, espied by thy cherė,
Ysiphilie, betraysed with Jason,
Maketh of your trouthé neythir boost ne soun,
Nor Ypermystre, or Adriane, ye tweyne;
My lady cometh, that al thys may dysteyne.

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This balade may ful wel y-songen be, As I have seyde erst, by my lady free; For certeynly al thise mowe nat suffice To apperen wyth my lady in no wyse. For as the sonne wole the fire disteyne, So passeth al my lady sovereyne, That is so good, so faire, so debonayre, I prey to God that ever falle hire faire. For nadde61 comfort ben of hire presence, I hadde ben dede, withouten any defence, For drede of Lovės wordės, and his chere, 280 As, when tyme is, herafter ye shal here.

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Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus3 eek with his swetė breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendré croppès5 and the yongé sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronn,
And smale fowelės maken melodÿe,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye
(So priketh hem Natúre in hir coráges,)"
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straungė strondės,
To ferne halwės, kowthe9 in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shirės ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blissful10 martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were
seeke.11

Bifil that in that seson on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard12 as I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Čaunterbury with ful devout corage, 13
At nyght were come into that hostelrye
Wel nyne-and-twenty in a compaignye,
Of sondry folk, by áventure14 y-falle
In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed15 attė beste.
And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
So hadde I spoken with hem everychon,
That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
And made forward 16 erly for to ryse,
To take oure wey, ther as I yow devyse.

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But natheless, whil I have tyme and space, Er that I ferther in this talė pacė, Me thynketh it accordaunt to resóun To telle yow al the condicioun Of ech of hem, so as it semed me, And whiche they weren, and of what degree, And eek in what array that they were inne; And at a Knyght than wol I first begynne. 42

The west wind, noted for its mild and life-giving influence. Cf. Eng. Zephyr. ' Sprouts.

4 Wood.

6 Aries, the first of the signs of the zodiac. The young sun (i. e. the sun just beginning its annual course), passed through the Ram from March 12th to April 11th. Hence, during April, half the sun's course was "in the Ram." To say that this half course was completed, is equivalent to saying that the time was after April 11th. 7 Hearts. 8 Distant Saints. 10 Thomas à Becket.

• Known. 11 Sick.

12 A famous Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London.

57 All the same.

13 Heart.

60 Together.

* Moisture.

16 Agreement.

14 By chance.

15 Entertained. 17 Alexandria in Egypt.

18 i. e. "he had been placed at the head of the dais, or table (bord) of state." 19 Prussia.

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In Lettow hadde he reysėd1 and in Ruce,-2
No cristen man so ofte of his degree.
In Gernades at the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarÿe.5
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,'
Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
At many a noble aryves hadde he be.

At mortal battailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for oure feithe at Tramyssene
In lystės thries, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatÿe1o
Again another hethen in Turkÿe;

And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys.
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.

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He never yet no vileynye11 ne sayde,

In al his lyfe, unto no maner wight.

He was a verray parfit, gentil knyght. But for to tellen yow of his array,

His hors weren goode, but he ne was nat gay;

Of fustian he wered a gypón12

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Al bismotered13 with his habergeon14

A lovyere and a lusty bacheler, 15

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With lokkes crulle16 as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse,
Of his statúre he was of even lengthe,17
And wonderly delyvere18 and greet of strengthe;
And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie, 19 85
In Flaundrés, in Artoys and Pycardie,
And born hym weel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrouded 20 was he, as it were a meede
Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede;
Syngynge he was, or floytynge, 21 al the day;
He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
Short was his gowne, with slevės longe and
wyde;

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Wel koude he sitte on hors and fairė ryde;
He koudė songės make and wel endite,
Juste and eek daunce and weel purtreye22 and
write.

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Under his belt he bar ful thriftily-
Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly;
His arwės drouped noght with fetherės lowe
And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.
A not-heed 26 hadde he, with a broun visage.
Of woodecraft wel koude27 he al the usage. 110
Upon his arm he baar a gay bracér, 28

And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler.
And on that oother syde a gay daggére,
Harneised wel and sharpe as point of spere;
A Cristophere on his brest of silver sheene;
An horn he bar, the bawdryk 30 was of grene. 116
A forster was he, soothly as I gesse.

And Frenssh she spake ful faire and fetisly33
After the scole of Stratford-attė-Bowe,34
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
At metė wel y-taught was she with-alle,
She leet no morsel from hir lippės falle,
Ne wette hir fyngrès in hir sauce depe.
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe, 130
Thát no drope ne fille35 upon hire breste;

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.30 Hire over-lippé wyped she so clene,

That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

Of Court,39 and been estatlich 40 of manére,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But for to speken of hire conscience,11
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smalė houndės hadde she that she fedde 146
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel breed;42
But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;43
And al was conscience and tendré herte.

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Ful semyly hir wympul44 pynched was; Hire nose tretys, 45 hir eyen greye as glas, Hir mouth ful smal and there-to softe and reed, But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed; It was almost a spannė brood I trowe, For, hardily, she was not undergrowe. Cropped head. 28 Arm guard.

27 Knew.

29 A brooch with a figure of St. Christopher. 30 Shoulder belt.

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31 St. Eloy, or Eligius, patron saint of goldsmiths and farriers.

34 After the style (scole) of those in or about Stratfordat-Bow; i. e. the Prioresse spoke the provincial, or AngloNorman, and not the Parisian French. The priory over which she presided is supposed to have been near Stratford-at-Bow, then a village only a few miles from London. 35 Fell. 36 Pleasure. 37 Reached. 38 Surely.

39 Cheere of Court, imitate courtly behaviour. 40 Stately, dignified.

42 Fine white bread.

43 Smote it sharply with a stick (yerde).

44 Neck cloth.

45 Shapely.

41 Sympathy.

Surely,

Ful fetys1 was hir cloke, as I was war;
Of smal corál aboute hire arm she bar
A peire of bedės,2 gauded al with grene,
And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
On which ther was first write a crowned A,3 161
And after Amor vincet omnia.

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Another Nonnė with hire hadde she That was hir Chapėleyne, and Preestes thre. A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrie, An outridere, that lovede venerie;5 A manly man, to been an abbot able. Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable, And whan he rood men myghte his brydel heere Gýnglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere, And eeke as loude as dooth the chapel belle. Ther as this lord was keepere of the celle, The reule of seint Maure or of seint Benéit, By-cause that it was olde and som-del streit," This ilkė Monk leet oldė thyngės pace, And heeld after the newe world a space. He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen10 That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men, Ne that a Monk whan he is reechelees11 Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees: This is to seyn, a Monk out of his cloystre. But thilkė12 text heeld he nat worth an oystre; And I seyde his opinioun was good. What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood, 13

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Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken1 with his handės and laboure,
As Austyn15 bit?16 How shal the world be
served?

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Lat Austyn have his swynk" to him reserved.
Therfore he was a prikasour18 aright;
Grehoundes he hadde; as swift as fowel in flight:
Of prikyng and of hunting for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves y-purfiled19 at the hond
With grys, 20 and that the fyneste of a lond;
And for to festne his hood under his chyn
He hadde of gold y-wrought a curious pyn,
A love knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face as he hadde been enoynt.
He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;
Hise eyen stepe21 and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;22
His bootės souple, his hors in greet estaat.

1 Neat.

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2 A string of beads. Here the beads were coral, gauded with green, i. e., the larger beads or gawdies, were of green. "A," probably stood for Amor, or Charity, crowned as the greatest of Christian virtues.

i. e. as we should say, one well fitted to succeed. • Hunting.

St. Maur, or Maurus, a follower and successor of St. Benedict who was founder of the Benedictine Order. His rules of monastic discipline (reule of Seint Beneit), came to be widely followed throughout Europe.

? Somewhat strict.

8 Pass.

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A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour, 24 a ful solempnė25 man; In alle the ordres foure28 is noon that kan So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage; He hadde maad ful many a mariage Of yonge wommen at his owenė cost: Unto his ordre he was a noble post. Ful wel biloved and famuliér was he With frankėleyns27 over al in his contree; And eek with worthy wommen of the toun, For he hadde power of confessioun, As seyde hym-self, moore than a curát, For of his ordre he was licenciat.28 Ful swetely herde he confessioun, And pleasaunt was his absolucioun. He was an esy man to yeve penáunce Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce; For unto a poure ordre for to yive Is signé that a man is wel y-shryve; For, if he yaf, he dorstė make avaunt29 He wiste that a man was répentaunt: For many a man so harde is of his herte He may nat wepe al thogh hym soorė smerte, Therefore in stede of wepynge and preyéres Men moote yeve silver to the poure freres. His typet30 was ay farsed full31 of knyves And pynnės for to yeven yonge wyves; And certeinly he hadde a murey note; Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote:32 Of yeddynges33 he baar outrély the pris; His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys, Ther-to34 he strong was as a champioun. He knew the tavernes well in al the toun And everich hostiler and tappestere35 Bet than a lazar36 or a beggėstere;37 For unto swich a worthy man as he Acorded nat, as by his facultee, To have with sike lazars áqueyntáunce; It is nat honeste, it may nat avaunce Fór to declen with no swiche poraille;38 But al with riche and selleres of vitaille. And over al, ther as profit sholde arise, Curteis he was and lowely of servyse, Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous! He was the bestė beggere in his hous, For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,39 So plesaunt was his In principio,40

26 The Dominican, Franciscan, Carmelite, and Augustin, or Austin Friars.

27 A franklin was a free landed proprietor who held directly from the crown.

28 He had been licensed by the Pope to perform certain religious offices. 29 Boast. 30 Tippet, hood or cowl, which seems to have been used as a pocket. 33 Songs. 36 Leper. 39 Shoe.

1 Stuffed. 34 Wholly or entirely. #7 Beggar.

32 Small harp. 35 Barmaid. 38 Poor people.

40 The opening words of the Gospel of St. John, In principio erat terbum, were used as a salutation by the friars as they entered a house on their rounds of mercy.