English Prose and Verse from Beowulf to Stevenson

Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche." Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche;

784

Us thoghte it was noght worth to make it wys,1

And graunted hym withouten moore avys,2 And bad him seye his verdit, as hym leste. "Lordynges," quod he, "now herkneth for the beste;

But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn; 789
This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,
That ech of yow, to shorte with your weye,
In this viáge shal telle tales tweye,-
To Caunterburyward, I mean it so,
And homward he shal tellen othere two,-
Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.

795

And which of yow that bereth hym beste of alle, That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas

We dronken, and to resté wente echon, Withouten any lenger taryynge.

820

824

Amorwė, whan that day gan for to sprynge,
Up roos oure Hoost and was oure aller cok,4
And gadrede us togidre alle in a flok,
And forth we riden, a little moore than paas,5
Unto the warteryng of Seint Thomas;
And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste
And seydė, "Lordynges, herkneth, if yow leste:
Ye woot youre forward' and I it yow recorde.
If even-song and morwe-song accorde,
Lat se now who shal telle the firstė tale.
As ever mote I drynkė wyn or ale,

Whoso be rebel to my juggėment

830

834

Shal paye for all that by the wey is spent!
Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne.
He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.

"To make it a matter of wisdom or deliberation." 2 Advice. a Wisdom. A foot-pace.

4 Cock for us all.

"Sire Knyght," quod he, "my mayster and my lord,

Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord. Cometh neer," quod he, "my lady Prioresse, 839 And ye sire Clerk, lat be your shamefastnesse, Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man."

845

Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
And, shortly for to tellen as it was,
Were it by áventure, or sort, or cas, 10
The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,
Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght:
And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,11
By foreward12 and by composicioun,

849

As he han herd; what nedeth wordės mo?
And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,
As he that wys was and obedient

To kepe his foreward by his free assent,
He seydė, "Syn I shal bigynne the game,
What, welcome be the cut, a Goddės name! 854
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.'
And with that word we ryden forth oure weye;
And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
His tale anon, and seyde in this manėre.

THE PARDONER'S TALE

665

Thise riotoures thre, of whiche I telle, Longe erst er prime 13 rong of any belle, Were set hem in a taverne for to drynke; And as they sat they herde a belle clynke Biforn a cors, was carried to his grave. That oon of hem gan callen to his knave:14 "Go bet," quod he, "and axé redily 15 What cors is this that passeth heer forby, And looke that thou reporte his name weel." "Sire," quod this boy, "it nedeth never a deel, It was me toold er ye cam heere two houres; 671 He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres, And sodeynly he was y-slayn to-nyght, For-dronke, as he sat on his bench upright; Ther cam a privee theef, men clepeth Deeth,675 That in this contree al the peplé sleeth, And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo, And wente his wey withouten wordės mo. He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence, 16 And maister, er ye come in his presence, Me thynketh that it were necessarie For to be war of swich an adversarie; Beth redy for to meete hym evermoore; Thus taughtė me my dame; I sey na-moore." By Seinte Marie!" seyde this taverner, 685 "The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this

Henne over a mile, withinne a greet village, Bothe man and womman, child, and hyne, is and page;

I trowe his habitacioun be there;

To been avysed 19 greet wysdom it were,

10 Chance, destiny or luck.

12 Agreement.

690

11 Right.

13 In general the interval between 6 and 9 A. M. More specifically, one of the seven stated times or hours of devotion. From the ringing of the bell, it refers here to the canonical hour for service. 16 Quickly.

14 Boy.

16 Probably the plague of 1348-9, the earliest of the four great plagues in the 14th century. 19 Forewarned.

17 Hence.

18 Hind.

Whan they han goon nat fully half a mile, Right as they wolde han troden over a stile, An oold man and a poure with hem mette; This oldė man ful mekély hem grette And seyed thus: "Now, lordės, God yow see!"'" The proudeste of thise riotoures three Answerde agayn, "What, carl with sory grace, Why artow al for-wrapped, save thy face? Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age?"

This oldė man gan looke in his visage, And seyde thus: "For I ne kan nat fynde A man, though that I walked into Ynde, Neither in citee, ne in no village,

716

720

That wolde chaunge his youthė for myn age; And therfore moot I han myn age stille,

As longé tyme as it is Goddes wille.

Ne Deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf; Thus walke I, lyk a restéless kaityf,

725

And on the ground which is my moodrės3 gate,

I knokke with my staf, erly and late,
And seye, 'Leeve mooder, leet me in!

730

735

Lo, how I vanysshe, flessh and blood and skyn;
Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste?
Móoder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste
That in my chambré longè tyme hath be,
Ye, for an heyré-clowt10 to wrappė me!'
But yet to me she wol nat do that grace,
For which ful pale and welkėd11 is my face.
"But, sires, to yow it is no curteisye
To speken to an old man vileynye,
But he trespasse in word, or elles in dede.
In Hooly Writ ye may your self wel rede,
Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed,
Ye sholde arise; wherfore I yeve yow reed,12
Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now, 745
Namoore than ye wolde men did to yow
In age, if that ye so longe abyde.

740

And God be with yow, where ye go or ryde; I moote go thider as I have to go.'

⚫ Started.

Nay, olde cherl, by God, thou shalt nat so!" Seyde this oother hasardour13 anon;

751

"Thou partest nat so lightly, by Seint_John!
Thou spak right now of thilke traytour, Deeth,
That in this contree alle oure freendės sleeth;
Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his espye, 755
Telle where he is, or thou shalt it abye,11
By God and by the hooly sacrement!
For soothly, thou art oon of his assent
To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!"
"Now, sires," quod he, "if that ye so be leef
To fynde Deeth, turne up this croked wey,
For in that grove I lafte hym, by my fey,
Under a tree, and there he wole abyde;
Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng
hyde.

759

Se ye that ook? Right there ye shal hym fynde.

765

God save yow that boghte agayn mankynde, And yow amende!" thus seyde this oldė man; And everich of thise riotourės ran

This tresor hath Fortúne unto us yeven
In myrthe and jolitee oure lyf to lyven,
And lightly as it comth so wol we spende.
Ey, Goddes precious dignitee! who wendel
To-day, that we sholde hav so faire a grace?
But myghte this gold be caried fro this place
Hoom to myn hous, or ellės unto youres,
(For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures),
Thanne were we in heigh felicitee.
But trewely, by day it may nat bee;
Men wolde seyn that we were thevės stronge,
And for oure owene tresor doon us honge.
This tresor moste y-caried be by nyghte
As wisely and as slyly as it myghte.
Wherfore, I rede that cut" among us all
Be drawe, and let se wher the cut wol falle;
And he that hath the cut with hertė blithe
Shal renne to the towne, and that ful swythe, 18
And brynge us breed and wyn ful privély,
And two of us shul kepen subtilly

Dear Mother. 12 Advice.

14 Pay for. Weemed, know. 19 Fist.

He woot how that the gold is with us tweye; What shal we doon, what shal we to hym seye?" "Shal it be conseil?" seyde the firtse shrewe,1 "And I shal tellen thee in wordės fewe What we shal doon, and bryngen it wel aboute." "I grauntė," quod that oother, "out of doute, That by my trouthe I shal thee nat biwreye.' "Now," quod the firste," thou woost wel we be tweye,

825

831

And two of us shul strenger be than oon.
Looke whan that he is set, and right anoon
Arys, as though thou woldest with hym pleye,
And I shal ryve hym thurgh the sydes tweye,
Whil that thou strogelst with hym as in game,
And with thy daggere looke thou do the same;
And thanne shal al this gold departed be,
My deeré freend, bitwixen me and thee.
Thanne may we bothe oure lustės all fulfille,
And pleye at dees2 right at oure owene wille."
And thus acorded been thise shrewės tweye, 835
To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye.
This yongeste, which that wente unto the
toun,

Ful oft in herte he rolleth up and doun

The beautee of thise floryns newe and brighte; "O Lord,"quod he, "if so were that I myghte 840 Have al this tresor to myself allone,

Ther is no man that lyveth under the trone3
Of God, that sholdė lyve so murye as I!"
And atté laste the feend, oure enemy,
Putte in his thought that he sholde poyson
beye,

845

With which he myghtė sleen his felawes tweye;
For-why the feend foond hym in swich lyvynge,
That he hadde leve hym to sorwe brynge,
For this was outrėlys his fulle entente
To sleen hem bothe and never to repente.
And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he tarie,
Into the toun, unto a pothecarie,

And ware yow fro the synne of avarice.
Myn hooly pardoun may you alle warice.15

905

850

And preyde hym that he hym wolde selle Som poysoun, that he myghte his rattės quelle;

Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be nyght,
That I of you the blisful soun may here,
Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright

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

Now, purse, that be to me my lyvės light

And Saveour, as doun in this worlde here,
Out of this toun help me thorogh your myght,
Syn that ye wole not been my tresorére;
For I am shave2 as nye as is a frere.
But yet I pray unto your curtesye,
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

THE BALLAD OF GOOD COUNSEL OR
TRUTH

(After 1386)

Flee fro the prees, and dwelle with sothefast

nesse

Suffice unto thy thyng though hit be smal;

For hord hath hate and clymbyng tikelnesse,
Prees hath envye, and welė blent1 overal;
Savour 2 no more than thee bihovė shal;

and lady and sovereign of all other lands, and is blessed and hallowed with the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; in the which land it pleased him to take flesh and 5 blood of the Virgin Mary, to environ 2 that holy land with his blessed feet; and there he would of his blessedness shadow him in the said blessed and glorious Virgin Mary, and become man, and work many miracles, and preach and 10 teach the faith and the law of Christian men unto his children; and there it pleased him to suffer many reprovings and scorns for us; and he that was king of heaven, of air, of earth, of sea, and of all things that are contained in 15 them, would only be called king of that land, when he said, "Rex sum Judeorum," that is to say, I am king of the Jews; and that land he chose before all other lands, as the best and most worthy land, and the most virtuous land of all 20 the world; for it is the heart and the middle of al the world; by witness of the philosopher, who saith thus, "Virtus rerum in medio consistit;" that is to say, "The virtue of things is in the middle;" and in that land he would lead

Werk wel thy-self, that other folk canst rede,3 25 his life, and suffer passion and death from the And trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.

Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal:
Greet resté stant in litel besynesse;
An eek be war to sporne ageyn an al; 5
Stryve noght, as doth the crokke with the wal.
Dauntė thy-self, that dauntest otherės dede.
And trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.
That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse.8
The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal.
Her nis non hoom, her nis but wildernesse.
Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy
stal,

Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al;
Hold the hye wey, and let thy gost thee lede, 20
And trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.

THE VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF SIR
JOHN MANDEVILLE 1

THE PROLOGUE

Jews for us, to redeem and deliver us from the pains of hell, and from death without end, which was ordained for us for the sin of our first father Adam, and for our own sins 30 also:-..

Wherefore every good Christian man, that is of power, and hath whereof, should labour with all his strength to conquer our right heritage, For and drive out all the unbelieving men. 35 we are called Christian men, after Christ our father. And if we be right children of Christ, we ought to claim the heritage that our father left us, and take it out of heathen men's hands.

And forasmuch as it is long time passed that there was no general passage or voyage over the sea, and many men desiring to hear speak of the Holy Land, and have thereof great solace and comfort, I, John Maundeville, knight, 45 albeit I be not worthy, who was born in England, in the town of Saint Albans, passed the sea in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1322, on the day of St. Michael; and hitherto have been a long time over the sea, and have seen and gone through many divers lands, and many provinces, and kingdoms, and isles, and have passed through Tartary, Persia, Ermony (Armenia) the Little and the Great; through Lybia, Chaldea, and a great part of Ethiopia; through Amazonia, India the Less and the Greater, a great part; and throughout many other isles that are about India; where dwell many divers folks, and of divers manners and

Forasmuch as the land beyond the sea, that is to say, the Holy Land, which men call the land of promise or of behest, passing all other 50 lands, is the most worthy land, most excellent,

• Advise. & Awl. • Earthen pot. 8 Submission. • Beast. This famous travel book and collection of marvels 55 was long supposed to be the composition of one, Sir John Mandeville, who had actually travelled in the countries he mentions. It is now known to be a translation of a French original, supposedly by Jean de Burgogne (d. 1372), which in turn was a compilation from various classical and medieval writers.

Go about in.

laws, and of divers shapes of men. Of which lands and isles I shall speak more plainly hereafter. And I shall devise you some part of things that are there, when time shall be as it may best come to my mind; and especially for them that will and are in purpose to visit the holy city of Jerusalem, and the holy places that are thereabout. And I shall tell the way that they shall hold thither; for I have ofttimes passed and ridden the 10 there are in other isles about, of the which way, with good company of many lords: God be thanked!

other isle are people that go upon their hands and feet like beasts, and are all skinned and feathered, and would leap as lightly into trees, and from tree to tree, as squirrels or 5 apes. . . And in another isle are people that go always upon their knees, and at every step they go it seems that they would fall; and they have eight toes on every foot. Many other divers people of divers natures

And ye shall understand that I have put this book out of Latin into French, and translated it again out of French into English, that every 15 man of my nation may understand it; and that lords and knights and other noble and worthy men that know Latin but little, and have been beyond the sea, may know and understand, if I err from defect of memory, and may redress it 20 and amend it. For things passed out of long time from a man's mind or from his sight turn soon into forgetting; because a man's mind may not be comprehended or withheld, on account of the frailty of mankind.

WONDERS OF THE ISLES ABOUT JAVA

it were too long to tell.

KING ALEXANDER AND THE ISLE OF
BRAGMAN

And beyond that isle is another isle, great and rich, where are good and true people, and of good living after their belief, and of good faith, and although they are not christened, yet by natural law they are full of all virtue, and eschew all vices.

And that isle is called the isle of Bragman, and some men call it the Land of Faith; 25 and through it runs a great river called Thebe.

And in general all the men of those isles, and of all the borders thereabout, are truer than in any other country thereabout, and more just

From that isle, in going by sea towards the south, is another great isle, called Dondun, in 30 than others in all things. which are people of wicked kinds, so that the father eats the son, the son the father, the husband the wife, and the wife the husband.

And because they are so true, and so just, and so full of all good conditions, they are never grieved with tempests, nor with thunder and lightning, nor with hail, nor with pestilence, nor with war, nor with famine, nor with any other tribulation, as we are many times amongst us for our sins; wherefore it appears evident that God loveth them for their good deeds.

The king of this isle is a great and powerful 35 lord, and has under him fifty-four great isles, which give tribute to him; and in every one of these isles is a king crowned, all obedient to that king. In one of these isles are people of great stature, like giants, hideous to look upon; 40 They believe well in God that made all

things, and worship Him; and they prize no earthly riches; and they live full orderly, and so soberly in meat and drink, that they live right long. And the most part of them die

and they have but one eye, which is in the midIdle of the forehead; and they eat nothing but raw flesh and fish. And in another isle towards the south dwell people of foul stature and cursed nature, who have no heads, but their eyes are 45 without sickness, when nature faileth them for in their shoulders.

old age.

And it befell, in king Alexander's time, that he purposed to conquer that isle; but when they of the country heard it, they sent messengers to him with letters, that said thus:"What may we be now to that man to whom all the world is insufficient? Thou shalt find nothing in us to cause thee to war against us; for we have no riches, nor do we desire any;

In another isle are people who have the face all flat, without nose and without mouth. In another isle are people that have the lip above the mouth so great, that when they sleep in the 50 sun they cover all the face with that lip. And in another isle there are dwarfs, which have no mouth, but instead of their mouth they have a little round hole; and when they shall eat or drink, they take it through a pipe, or a pen, or 55 and all the goods of our country are in common. such a thing, and suck it in. And in another isle are people that have ears so long that they hang down to their knees. And in another isle are people that have horses' feet. In an

Our meat, with which we sustain our bodies, is our riches; and instead of treasure of gold and silver, we make our treasure of acorns and peas, and to love one another. .

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