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

Bright was the day, and blue the firmament;

Phoebus of gold his streamës down had sent

To gladden every flow’r with his warmnéss;

He was that time in Geminis, I guess,

But little from his declinatión

Of Cancer, Jovë’s exaltatión.

And so befell, in that bright morning-tide,

That in the garden, on the farther side,

Pluto, that is the king of Faërie,

And many a lady in his company

Following his wife, the queen Proserpina⁠—

Which that he ravished out of Ethna,2964

While that she gather’d flowers in the mead

(In Claudian ye may the story read,

How in his grisly chariot he her fet)⁠—2965

This king of Faërie adown him set

Upon a bank of turfës fresh and green,

And right anon thus said he to his queen.

“My wife,” quoth he, “there may no wight say nay⁠—2966

Experience so proves it every day⁠—

The treason which that woman doth to man.

Ten hundred thousand stories tell I can

Notáble of your untruth and brittleness.2967

O Solomon, richest of all richéss,

Full fill’d of sapience and worldly glory,

Full worthy be thy wordës of memóry

To every wight that wit and reason can.2968

Thus praised he yet the bounté2969 of man:

‘Among a thousand men yet found I one,

But of all women found I never none.’2970

Thus said this king, that knew your wickedness;

And Jesus, Filius Sirach,2971 as I guess,

He spake of you but seldom reverénce.

A wildë fire and córrupt pestilence

So fall upon your bodies yet tonight!

Ne see ye not this honourable knight?

Because, alas! that he is blind and old,

His owen man shall makë him cuckóld.

Lo, where he sits, the lechour, in the tree.

Now will I granten, of my majesty,

Unto this oldë blindë worthy knight,

That he shall have again his eyen sight,

When that his wife will do him villainy;

Then shall be knowen all her harlotry,

Both in reproof of her and other mo’.”

“Yea, Sir,” quoth Proserpine, “and will ye so?

Now by my mother Ceres’ soul I swear

That I shall give her suffisant answér,

And allë women after, for her sake;

That though they be in any guilt y-take,

With facë bold they shall themselves excuse,

And bear them down that wouldë them accuse.

For lack of answer, none of them shall dien.

All2972 had ye seen a thing with both your eyen,

Yet shall we visage it2973 so hardily,

And weep, and swear, and chidë subtilly,

That ye shall be as lewëd2974 as be geese.

What recketh me of your authorities?

I wot well that this Jew, this Solomon,

Found of us women foolës many one:

But though that he foundë no good womán,

Yet there hath found many another man

Women full good, and true, and virtuoús;

Witness on them that dwelt in Christë’s house;

With martyrdom they proved their constánce.

The Roman gestës2975 makë remembránce

Of many a very truë wife also.

But, Sirë, be not wroth, albeit so,

Though that he said he found no good womán,

I pray you take the sentence2976 of the man:

He meant thus, that in sovereign bounté2977

Is none but God, no, neither he nor she.2978

Hey, for the very God that is but one,

Why makë ye so much of Solomon?

What though he made a temple, Goddë’s house?

What though he werë rich and glorioús?

So made he eke a temple of false goddës;

How might he do a thing that more forbode2979 is?

Pardie, as fair as ye his name emplaster,2980

He was a lechour, and an idolaster,2981

And in his eld he very2982 God forsook.

And if that God had not (as saith the book)

Spared him for his father’s sake, he should

Have lost his regnë2983 rather2984 than he would.

I settë not, of2985 all the villainy

That he of women wrote, a butterfly.

I am a woman, needës must I speak,

Or ellës swell until mine heartë break.

For since he said that we be jangleresses,2986

As ever may I brookë2987 whole my tresses,

I shall not spare for no courtesy

To speak him harm, that said us villainy.”

“Dame,” quoth this Pluto, “be no longer wroth;

I give it up: but, since I swore mine oath

That I would grant to him his sight again,

My word shall stand, that warn I you certáin:

I am a king, it sits2988 me not to lie.”

“And I,” quoth she, “am queen of Faërie.

Her answer she shall have, I undertake,

Let us no morë wordës of it make.

Forsooth, I will no longer you contráry.”

Now let us turn again to January,

That in the garden with his fairë May

Singeth well merrier than the popinjay:2989

“You love I best, and shall, and other none.”

So long about the alleys is he gone,

Till he was comë to that ilkë perry,2990

Where as this Damian sattë full merry

On high, among the freshë leavës green.

This freshë May, that is so bright and sheen,

Gan for to sigh, and said, “Alas my side!

Now, Sir,” quoth she, “for aught that may betide,

I must have of the pearës that I see,

Or I must die, so sorë longeth me

To eaten of the smallë pearës green;

Help, for her love that is of heaven queen!

I tell you well, a woman in my plight

May have to fruit so great an appetite,

That she may dien, but2991 she of it have.”

“Alas!” quoth he, “that I had here a knave2992

That couldë climb; alas! alas!” quoth he,

“For I am blind.” “Yea, Sir, no force,”2993 quoth she;

“But would ye vouchësafe, for Goddë’s sake,

The perry in your armës for to take

(For well I wot that ye mistrustë me),

Then would I climbë well enough,” quoth she,

“So I my foot might set upon your back.”

“Certes,” said he, “therein shall be no lack,

Might I you helpë with mine heartë’s blood.”

He stooped down, and on his back she stood,

And caught her by a twist,2994 and up she go’th.

(Ladies, I pray you that ye be not wroth,

I cannot glose,2995 I am a rudë man):

And suddenly anon this Damian

Gan pullen up the smock, and in he throng.2996

And when that Pluto saw this greatë wrong,

To January he gave again his sight,

And made him see as well as ever he might.

And when he thus had caught his sight again,

Was never man of anything so fain:

But on his wife his thought was evermo’.

Up to the tree he cast his eyen two,

And saw how Damian his wife had dress’d,

In such mannére, it may not be express’d,

But if2997 I wouldë speak uncourteously.

And up he gave a roaring and a cry,

As doth the mother when the child shall die;

“Out! help! alas! harow!” he gan to cry;

“O strongë, lady, stowre what doest thou?”

And she answered: “Sir, what aileth you?

Have patience and reason in your mind,

I have you help’d on both your eyen blind.

On peril of my soul, I shall not lien,

As me was taught to helpë with your eyen,

Was nothing better for to make you see,

Than struggle with a man upon a tree:

God wot, I did it in full good intent.”

“Struggle!” quoth he, “yea, algate in it went.

God give you both one shamë’s death to dien!

He swived thee; I saw it with mine eyen;

And ellës be I hanged by the halse.”2999

“Then is,” quoth she, “my medicine all false;

For certainly, if that ye mightë see,

Ye would not say these wordës unto me.

Ye have some glimpsing,3000 and no perfect sight.”

“I see,” quoth he, “as well as ever I might,

(Thanked be God!) with both mine eyen two,

And by my faith me thought he did thee so.”

“Ye maze, ye mazë,3001 goodë Sir,” quoth she;

“This thank have I for I have made you see:

Alas!” quoth she, “that e’er I was so kind.”

“Now, Dame,” quoth he, “let all pass out of mind;

Come down, my lefe,3002 and if I have missaid,

God help me so, as I am evil apaid.3003

But, by my father’s soul, I ween’d have seen

How that this Damian had by thee lain,

And that thy smock had lain upon his breast.”

“Yea, Sir,” quoth she, “ye may ween as ye lest:3004

But, Sir, a man that wakes out of his sleep,

He may not suddenly well takë keep3005

Upon a thing, nor see it perfectly,

Till that he be adawed3006 verily.

Right so a man, that long hath blind y-be,

He may not suddenly so well y-see,

First when his sight is newë come again,

As he that hath a day or two y-seen.

Till that your sight establish’d be a while,

There may full many a sightë you beguile.

Beware, I pray you, for, by heaven’s king,

Full many a man weeneth to see a thing,

And it is all another than it seemeth;

He which that misconceiveth oft misdeemeth.”3007

And with that word she leapt down from the tree.

This January, who is glad but he?

He kissed her, and clipped3008 her full oft,

And on her womb he stroked her full soft;

And to his palace home he hath her lad.3009

Now, goodë men, I pray you to be glad.

Thus endeth here my tale of Januáry,

God bless us, and his mother, Saintë Mary.