MAN OF LAW'S TALE

The Prologe of the Manne of Lawes Tale

O hateful harm! condicion of poverte!

With thurst, with coold, with hunger so confoundid!

• To asken help thee shameth in thyn herte;

• If thou noon aske so soore artow y-woundid,

ΙΟΙ

That verray nede unwrappeth al thy wounde hid! Maugree thyn heed thou most for indigence

Or stele, or begge, or borwé thy despence!

• Thow blamest Crist, and seist ful bitterly, He mysdeparteth richesse temporal;

Thy neighėbore thou wytest synfully,

And seist thou hast to lite and he hath al. "Parfay," seistow, "somtyme he rekene shal, Whan that his tayl shal brennen in the gleede, • For he noght helpeth needfulle in hir neede."

The fifteen lines to which
a small dot is prefixed
are imitated from the
sixteenth chapter of Pope
Innocent III.'s De Con-
temptu Mundi.

The

two Biblical quotations
are from Ecclus. xl. 29

and Prov. xiv. 20.

101. thee, H it.

108. Thy, H And thy.
wytest, blamest.

109. to lite, too little.

105

Herke, what is the sentence of the wise "Bet is to dyen than have indigence;" · Thyselvė neighėbor wol thee despise, If thou be poure, farwel thy reverence! Yet of the wise man take this sentence: "Alle the dayes of poure men been wikke;" Be war therfore, er thou come to that prikke!

• If thou be poure thy brother hateth thee,
And alle thy freendės fleen from thee, allas!
O riche marchauntz, ful of wele been yee,
O noble, o prudent folk, as in this cas!
Youre baggės been nat fild with ambès as,

115

120

But with sys cynk, that renneth for youre chaunce; At Cristėmasse wel myrie may ye daunce!

126

Ye seken lond and see for yowre wynnynges;

As wise folk ye knowen all thestaat

Of regnės; ye been fadres of tidynges

And talės, bothe of pees and of debaat.

130

I were right now of tales desolaat,

Nere that a marchant-goon is many a yeere—

Me taughte a tale, which that ye shal heere.

113. Herke, H Herkneth.

114. Bet, better.

118. the, om. E2.
123. 0 (2nd), om. H1.

124. ambes as, both aces.

125. sys cynk, six and five.
126. wel, om. E.

128. ye, Camb.* that; H as.
132. goon is, H goon sitthen.
133. which that ye shal, H
which ye
shall after.

Heere begynneth The Man of Lawe his Tale

PART I

In Surrye whilom dwelte a compaignye

• Of chapmen riche, and therto sadde and trewe,
That wyde-where senten hir spicerye,

Clothes of gold, and satyns riche of hewe.
Hir chaffare was so thrifty and so newe
That every wight hath deyntee to chaffare
With hem, and eek to sellen hem hire ware.

Now fil it that the maistres of that sort

Han shapen hem to Rome for to wende,
Were it for chapmanhode, or for disport,

Noon oother message wolde they thider sende,

136

140

But comen hem-self to Rome, this is the ende; 145

of Chaucer's additions. Trivet's story was also modified by Gower in his Confessio Amantis. Parallels to parts of it are found in the tale of the wife of the Emperor Merelaus in the Gesta Romanorum, and in the Life of King Offa, by Matthew Paris. Surrye, Syria. 135. sadde, grave. 136. wyde-where, widely. 139. hath deyntee, holds it good. 140. hire, H of hire. 144. message, messenger. 145. comen, H came.

134.

And in swich place as thoughte hem ávantage
For hire entente, they take hir herbergage.

Sojourned han thise marchantz in that toun
A certein tyme, as fil to hire plesance ;
And so bifel that thexcellent renoun

Of the Emperourės doghter, dame Custance,
Reported was, with every circumstance,
Unto thise Surryen marchantz in swich wyse
Fro day to day, as I shal yow devyse.

150

This was the commune voys of every man: 155 "Oure Emperour of Rome, God hym see!

A doghter hath that syn the world bigan,
To rekene as wel hir goodness as beautee,
Nas nevere swich another as is shee.

I prey to God, in honour hire susteene,

And wolde she were of all Europe the queene!

In hire is heigh beautee withoutė pride,
Yowthe withouté grenehede or folye;
To alle hire werkės vertu is hir gyde;
Humblesse hath slayn in hire al tirannye;
She is miróur of allé curteisye,

147. herbergage, lodging.
151. Emperoures, E Emperours,
Cam.3 Emperour.

153. swich, E swich a.

156. God hym see, God regard

him.

160. in honour hire susteene, H hir save and susteene.

160

165

Hir herte is verray chambre of hoolynesse,
Hir hand ministre of fredam for almesse.”

And al this voys was sooth, as God is trewe;
But now to purpos lat us turne agayn.

170

Thise marchantz han doon fraught hir shippės

newe,

And whan they han this blisful mayden sayn,
Hoom to Surrýë been they went ful fayn,
And doon hir nedės as they han doon yoore,
And lyven in wele, I kan sey yow namoore.

Now fil it that thise marchantz stode in grace
Of hym that was the sowdan of Surrye,
For whan they cam from any strangė place
He wolde of his benigné curteisye

Make hem good chiere and bisily espye
Tidynges of sondry regnės, for to leere

The wondres that they myghtė seen or heere.

Amongės otherẻ thyngės specially,

175

180

• Thise marchantz han hym toold of dame Custance

So greet noblesse in ernest, ceriously,

185

in E, which may be meant either for serie (seriously) or seriatim (in order); Camb. certeynly, Lansd. curiously, H so rially. Seriatim is probably the meaning, for in Trivet the merchants praise Constance for wit, wisdom, beauty, gentleness and nobility.