The Canterbury Tales · The Merchant’s Tale · The Tale 2746 (1/4)

The Tale2746

Whilom there was dwelling in Lombardy

A worthy knight, that born was at Pavie,

In which he liv’d in great prosperity;

And forty years a wifeless man was he,

And follow’d aye his bodily delight

On women, where as was his appetite,

As do these foolës that be seculeres.2747

And, when that he was passed sixty years,

Were it for holiness, or for dotáge,

I cannot say, but such a great coráge2748

Haddë this knight to be a wedded man,

That day and night he did all that he can

To espy where that he might wedded be;

Praying our Lord to grantë him, that he

Mightë once knowen of that blissful life

That is betwixt a husband and his wife,

And for to live under that holy bond

With which God firstë man and woman bond.

“None other life,” said he, “is worth a bean;

For wedlock is so easy, and so clean,

That in this world it is a paradise.”

Thus said this oldë knight, that was so wise.

And certainly, as sooth2749 as God is king,

To take a wife it is a glorious thing,

And namely2750 when a man is old and hoar,

Then is a wife the fruit of his treasór;

Then should he take a young wife and a fair,

On which he might engender him an heir,

And lead his life in joy and in solace;2751

Whereas these bachelors singen “Alas!”

When that they find any adversity

In love, which is but childish vanity.

And truëly it sits2752 well to be so,

That bachelors have often pain and woe:

On brittle ground they build, and brittleness

They findë, when they weenë sickerness:2753

They live but as a bird or as a beast,

In liberty, and under no arrest;2754

Whereas a wedded man in his estate

Liveth a life blissful and ordinate,

Under the yoke of marriáge y-bound;

Well may his heart in joy and bliss abound.

For who can be so buxom2755 as a wife?

Who is so true, and eke so áttentíve

To keep2756 him, sick and whole, as is his make?2757

For weal or woe she will him not forsake:

She is not weary him to love and serve,

Though that he lie bedrid until he sterve.2758

And yet some clerkës say it is not so;

Of which he, Theophrast, is one of tho:2759

What force2760 though Theophrast list for to lie?

“Takë no wife,” quoth he, “for husbandry,2761

As for to spare in household thy dispence;

A truë servant doth more diligence

Thy good to keep, than doth thine owen wife,

For she will claim a half part all her life.

And if that thou be sick, so God me save,

Thy very friendës, or a truë knave,2762

Will keep thee bet2763 than she, that waiteth aye

After2764 thy good, and hath done many a day.”

This sentence, and a hundred timës worse,

Writeth this man, there God his bonës curse.

But take no keep2765 of all such vanity,

Defy2766 Theóphrast, and hearken to me.

A wife is Goddë’s giftë verily;

All other manner giftës hardily,2767

As landës, rentës, pasture, or commúne,2768

Or mebles,2769 all be giftës of fortúne,

That passen as a shadow on the wall:

But dread2770 thou not, if plainly speak I shall,

A wife will last, and in thine house endure,

Well longer than thee list, paráventure.2771

Marriage is a full great sacrament;

He which that hath no wife, I hold him shent;2772

He liveth helpless, and all desolate

(I speak of folk in secular estate):2773

And hearken why⁠—I say not this for nought⁠—

That woman is for mannë’s help y-wrought.

The highë God, when he had Adam maked,

And saw him all alonë belly naked,

God of his greatë goodness saidë then,

Let us now make a help unto this man

Like to himself; and then he made him Eve.

Here may ye see, and hereby may ye preve,2774

That a wife is man’s help and his comfórt,

His paradise terrestre and his disport.

So buxom2775 and so virtuous is she,

They mustë needës live in unity;

One flesh they be, and one blood, as I guess,

With but one heart in weal and in distress.

A wife? Ah! Saint Marý, ben’dicite,

How might a man have any adversity

That hath a wife? certes I cannot say

The bliss the which that is betwixt them tway,

There may no tongue it tell, or heartë think.

If he be poor, she helpeth him to swink;2776

She keeps his good, and wasteth never a deal;2777

All that her husband list, her liketh2778 well;

She saith not onës Nay, when he saith Yea;

“Do this,” saith he; “All ready, Sir,” saith she.

O blissful order, wedlock precioús!

Thou art so merry, and eke so virtuous,

And so commended and approved eke,

That every man that holds him worth a leek

Upon his barë knees ought all his life

To thank his God, that him hath sent a wife;

Or ellës pray to God him for to send

A wife, to last unto his lifë’s end.

For then his life is set in sickerness,2779

He may not be deceived, as I guess,

So that he work after his wifë’s rede;2780

Then may he boldëly bear up his head,

They be so true, and therewithal so wise.

For which, if thou wilt worken as the wise,

Do alway so as women will thee rede.2781

Lo how that Jacob, as these clerkës read,

By good counsel of his mother Rebecc’

Boundë the kiddë’s skin about his neck;

For which his father’s benison2782 he wan.

Lo Judith, as the story tellë can,

By good counsel she Goddë’s people kept,

And slew him, Holofernes, while he slept.

Lo Abigail, by good counsél, how she

Saved her husband Nabal, when that he

Should have been slain. And lo, Esther also

By counsel good deliver’d out of woe

The people of God, and made him, Mardoché,

Of Assuere enhanced2783 for to be.

There is nothing in gree superlative2784

(As saith Senec) above a humble wife.

Suffer thy wifë’s tongue, as Cato bit;2785

She shall command, and thou shalt suffer it,

And yet she will obey of courtesy.

A wife is keeper of thine husbandry:

Well may the sickë man bewail and weep,

There as there is no wife the house to keep.

I warnë thee, if wisely thou wilt wirch,2786

Love well thy wife, as Christ loveth his church:

Thou lov’st thyself, if thou lovest thy wife.

No man hateth his flesh, but in his life

He fost’reth it; and therefore bid I thee

Cherish thy wife, or thou shalt never thé.2787

Husband and wife, what so men jape or play,2788

Of worldly folk holdë the sicker2789 way;

They be so knit there may no harm betide,

And namëly2790 upon the wifë’s side.

For which this January, of whom I told,

Consider’d hath within his dayës old,

The lusty life, the virtuous quiét,

That is in marriágë honey-sweet.

And for his friends upon a day he sent

To tell them the effect of his intent.

With facë sad,2791 his tale he hath them told:

He saidë, “Friendës, I am hoar and old,

And almost (God wot) on my pittë’s2792 brink,

Upon my soulë somewhat must I think.

I have my body foolishly dispended,

Blessed be God that it shall be amended;

For I will be certáin a wedded man,

And that anon in all the haste I can,

Unto some maiden, fair and tender of age;

I pray you shapë2793 for my marriáge

All suddenly, for I will not abide:

And I will fond2794 to éspy, on my side,

To whom I may be wedded hastily.

But forasmuch as ye be more than I,

Ye shallë rather2795 such a thing espy

Than I, and where me best were to ally.

But one thing warn I you, my friendës dear,

I will none old wife have in no mannére:

She shall not passë sixteen year certáin.

Old fish and youngë flesh would I have fain.

Better,” quoth he, “a pike than a pickerel,2796

And better than old beef is tender veal.

I will no woman thirty year of age,

It is but beanëstraw and great foráge.

And eke these oldë widows (God it wot)

They connë2797 so much craft on Wadë’s boat,2798

So muchë brookë harm2799 when that them lest,2800

That with them should I never live in rest.

For sundry schoolës makë subtle clerkës;

Woman of many schoolës half a clerk is.

But certainly a young thing men may guy,2801

Right as men may warm wax with handës ply.2802

Wherefore I say you plainly in a clause,

I will none old wife have, right for this cause.

For if so were I haddë such mischance,

That I in her could havë no pleasance,

Then should I lead my life in avoutrie,2803

And go straight to the devil when I die.

Nor children should I none upon her getten:

Yet were me lever2804 houndës had me eaten

Than that mine heritagë shouldë fall

In strangë hands: and this I tell you all.

I doubtë not I know the causë why

Men shouldë wed: and farthermore know I

There speaketh many a man of marriáge

That knows no more of it than doth my page,

For what causes a man should take a wife.

If he ne may not livë chaste his life,

Take him a wife with great devotión,

Because of lawful procreatión

Of children, to th’ honoúr of God above,

And not only for paramour or love;

And for they shouldë lechery eschew,

And yield their debtë when that it is due:

Or for that each of them should help the other

In mischief,2805 as a sister shall the brother,

And live in chastity full holily.

But, Sirës, by your leave, that am not I,

For, God be thanked, I dare make avaunt,2806

I feel my limbës stark2807 and suffisant

To do all that a man belongeth to:

I wot myselfë best what I may do.

Though I be hoar, I fare as doth a tree,

That blossoms ere the fruit y-waxen2808 be;

The blossomy tree is neither dry nor dead;

I feel me now here hoar but on my head.

Mine heart and all my limbës are as green

As laurel through the year is for to seen.2809

And, since that ye have heard all mine intent,

I pray you to my will ye would assent.”

Diversë men diversëly him told

Of marriáge many examples old;

Some blamed it, some praised it, certáin;

But at the lastë, shortly for to sayn

(As all day2810 falleth altercatión

Betwixtë friends in disputatión),

There fell a strife betwixt his brethren two,

Of which that one was callëd Placebo,

Justinus soothly callëd was that other.

Placebo said; “O January, brother,

Full little need have ye, my lord so dear,

Counsel to ask of any that is here:

But that ye be so full of sapience,

That you not liketh, for your high prudénce,

To waivë2811 from the word of Solomon.

This word said he unto us every one;

Work allë thing by counsel⁠—thus said he⁠—

And thennë shalt thou not repentë thee.

But though that Solomon spake such a word,

Mine owen dearë brother and my lord,

So wisly2812 God my soulë bring at rest,

I hold your owen counsel is the best.

For, brother mine, take of me this motive;2813

I have now been a court-man all my life,

And, God it wot, though I unworthy be,

I havë standen in full great degree

Aboutë lordës of full high estate;

Yet had I ne’er with none of them debate;

I never them contráried truëly.

I know well that my lord can2814 more than I;

What that he saith I hold it firm and stable,

I say the same, or else a thing sembláble.

A full great fool is any counsellor

That serveth any lord of high honoúr,

That dare presume, or onës thinken it;

That his counsel should pass his lordë’s wit.

Nay, lordës be no foolës by my fay.

Ye have yourselfë shewed here to-day

So high senténce,2815 so holily and well,

That I consent, and cónfirm every deal2816

Your wordës all, and your opinioún.

By God, there is no man in all this town

Nor in Itále, could better have y-said:

Christ holds him of this counsel well apaid.2817

And truëly it is a high couráge

Of any man that stopen2818 is in age,

To take a young wife, by my father’s kin;

Your heartë hangeth on a jolly pin.

Do now in this matter right as you lest,

For finally I hold it for the best.”

Justinus, that aye stillë sat and heard,

Right in this wise to Placebo answér’d.

“Now, brother mine, be patient I pray,

Since ye have said, and hearken what I say.

Senec, among his other wordës wise,

Saith, that a man ought him right well advise,2819

To whom he gives his hand or his chattél.

And since I ought advisë me right well

To whom I give my good away from me,

Well more I ought advisë me, pardie,

To whom I give my body: for alway

I warn you well it is no childë’s play

To take a wife without advisëment.

Men must inquirë (this is mine assent)

Whe’er she be wise, or sober, or dronkelew,2820

Or proud, or any other ways a shrew,

A chidester,2821 or a waster of thy good,

Or rich or poor; or else a man is wood.2822

Albeit so, that no man findë shall

None in this world, that trotteth whole in all,2823

No man, nor beast, such as men can devise,2824

But nathehess it ought enough suffice

With any wife, if so were that she had

More goodë thewës2825 than her vices bad:

And all this asketh leisure to inquére.

For, God it wot, I have wept many a tear

Full privily, since I have had a wife.

Praise whoso will a wedded mannë’s life,

Certes, I find in it but cost and care,

And observánces of all blisses bare.

And yet, God wot, my neighëbours about,

And namëly2826 of women many a rout,2827

Say that I have the mostë steadfast wife,

And eke the meekest one, that beareth life.

But I know best where wringeth2828 me my shoe,

Ye may for me right as you likë do.

Advisë you, ye be a man of age,

How that ye enter into marriáge;

And namely2829 with a young wife and a fair.

By him that made water, fire, earth, air,

The youngest man that is in all this rout2830

Is busy enough to bringen it about

To have his wife alonë, trustë me:

Ye shall not please her fully yearës three,

This is to say, to do her full pleasánce.

A wife asketh full many an observánce.

I pray you that ye be not evil apaid.”2831

“Well,” quoth this January, “and hast thou said?

Straw for thy Senec, and for thy provérbs,

I countë not a pannier full of herbs

Of schoolë termës; wiser men than thou,

As thou hast heard, assented here right now

To my purpose: Placebo, what say ye?”

“I say it is a cursed2832 man,” quoth he,

“That letteth2833 matrimony, sickerly.”

And with that word they rise up suddenly,

And be assented fully, that he should

Be wedded when him list, and where he would.