The Canterbury Tales (unsourced)/The Squire's Prologue and Tale

THE PROLOGUE
"HEY! Godde's mercy!" said our Hoste tho, "Now such a wife I pray God keep me fro'. Lo, suche sleightes and subtilities In women be; for aye as busy as bees Are they us silly men for to deceive, And from the soothe will they ever weive,   As this Merchante's tale it proveth well. But natheless, as true as any steel, I have a wife, though that she poore be; But of her tongue a labbing shrew is she;                  And yet she hath a heap of vices mo'.                        Thereof no force; let all such thinges go.                But wit ye what? in counsel be it said,   Me rueth sore I am unto her tied; For, an' I shoulde reckon every vice                             Which that she hath, y-wis I were too nice;     And cause why, it should reported be And told her by some of this company (By whom, it needeth not for to declare, Since women connen utter such chaffare), And eke my wit sufficeth not thereto To tellen all; wherefore my tale is do. Squier, come near, if it your wille be, And say somewhat of love, for certes ye Conne thereon as much as any man."                   "Nay, Sir," quoth he; "but such thing as I can, With hearty will, -- for I will not rebel Against your lust, -- a tale will I tell. Have me excused if I speak amiss; My will is good; and lo, my tale is this."

Pars Prima
At Sarra, in the land of Tartary, There dwelt a king that warrayed Russie, Through which there died many a doughty man; This noble king was called Cambuscan, Which in his time was of so great renown, That there was nowhere in no regioun So excellent a lord in alle thing: Him lacked nought that longeth to a king, As of the sect of which that he was born. He kept his law to which he was y-sworn, And thereto he was hardy, wise, and rich, And piteous and just, always y-lich; True of his word, benign and honourable; Of his corage as any centre stable; Young, fresh, and strong, in armes desirous As any bachelor of all his house. A fair person he was, and fortunate, And kept alway so well his royal estate, That there was nowhere such another man. This noble king, this Tartar Cambuscan, Hadde two sons by Elfeta his wife, Of which the eldest highte Algarsife, The other was y-called Camballo. A daughter had this worthy king also, That youngest was, and highte Canace: But for to telle you all her beauty, It lies not in my tongue, nor my conning; I dare not undertake so high a thing: Mine English eke is insufficient, It muste be a rhetor excellent, That couth his colours longing for that art, If he should her describen any part; I am none such, I must speak as I can.

And so befell, that when this Cambuscan Had twenty winters borne his diadem, As he was wont from year to year, I deem, He let the feast of his nativity Do crye, throughout Sarra his city, The last Idus of March, after the year. Phoebus the sun full jolly was and clear, For he was nigh his exaltation In Marte's face, and in his mansion In Aries, the choleric hot sign: Full lusty was the weather and benign; For which the fowls against the sunne sheen, What for the season and the younge green, Full loude sange their affections: Them seemed to have got protections Against the sword of winter keen and cold. This Cambuscan, of which I have you told, In royal vesture, sat upon his dais, With diadem, full high in his palace; And held his feast so solemn and so rich, That in this worlde was there none it lich. Of which if I should tell all the array, Then would it occupy a summer's day; And eke it needeth not for to devise At every course the order of service. I will not tellen of their strange sewes, Nor of their swannes, nor their heronsews. Eke in that land, as telle knightes old, There is some meat that is full dainty hold, That in this land men reck of it full small: There is no man that may reporten all. I will not tarry you, for it is prime, And for it is no fruit, but loss of time; Unto my purpose I will have recourse. And so befell that, after the third course, While that this king sat thus in his nobley, Hearing his ministreles their thinges play Before him at his board deliciously, In at the halle door all suddenly There came a knight upon a steed of brass, And in his hand a broad mirror of glass; Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring, And by his side a naked sword hanging: And up he rode unto the highe board. In all the hall was there not spoke a word, For marvel of this knight; him to behold Full busily they waited, young and old.

This strange knight, that came thus suddenly, All armed, save his head, full richely, Saluted king, and queen, and lordes all, By order as they satten in the hall, With so high reverence and observance, As well in speech as in his countenance, That Gawain with his olde courtesy, Though he were come again out of Faerie, Him coulde not amende with a word. And after this, before the highe board, He with a manly voice said his message, After the form used in his language, Withoute vice of syllable or letter. And, for his tale shoulde seem the better, Accordant to his worde's was his cheer, As teacheth art of speech them that it lear. Albeit that I cannot sound his style, Nor cannot climb over so high a stile, Yet say I this, as to commune intent, Thus much amounteth all that ever he meant, If it so be that I have it in mind. He said; "The king of Araby and Ind, My liege lord, on this solemne day Saluteth you as he best can and may, And sendeth you, in honour of your feast, By me, that am all ready at your hest,                      This steed of brass, that easily and well Can in the space of one day naturel (This is to say, in four-and-twenty hours), Whereso you list, in drought or else in show'rs, Beare your body into every place To which your hearte willeth for to pace,                    Withoute wem of you, through foul or fair.               Or if you list to fly as high in air As doth an eagle, when him list to soar, This same steed shall bear you evermore Withoute harm, till ye be where you lest             (Though that ye sleepen on his back, or rest), And turn again, with writhing of a pin.                      He that it wrought, he coude many a gin;   He waited in any a constellation, Ere he had done this operation, And knew full many a seal and many a bond This mirror eke, that I have in mine hond, Hath such a might, that men may in it see When there shall fall any adversity Unto your realm, or to yourself also, And openly who is your friend or foe. And over all this, if any lady bright Hath set her heart on any manner wight, If he be false, she shall his treason see, His newe love, and all his subtlety, So openly that there shall nothing hide. Wherefore, against this lusty summer-tide, This mirror, and this ring that ye may see, He hath sent to my lady Canace, Your excellente daughter that is here. The virtue of this ring, if ye will hear, Is this, that if her list it for to wear Upon her thumb, or in her purse it bear, There is no fowl that flyeth under heaven, That she shall not well understand his steven, And know his meaning openly and plain, And answer him in his language again: And every grass that groweth upon root She shall eke know, to whom it will do boot, All be his woundes ne'er so deep and wide. This naked sword, that hangeth by my side, Such virtue hath, that what man that it smite, Throughout his armour it will carve and bite, Were it as thick as is a branched oak: And what man is y-wounded with the stroke Shall ne'er be whole, till that you list, of grace, To stroke him with the flat in thilke place Where he is hurt; this is as much to sayn, Ye muste with the flatte sword again Stroke him upon the wound, and it will close. This is the very sooth, withoute glose; It faileth not, while it is in your hold."

And when this knight had thus his tale told, He rode out of the hall, and down he light. His steede, which that shone as sunne bright, Stood in the court as still as any stone. The knight is to his chamber led anon, And is unarmed, and to meat y-set. These presents be full richely y-fet, -- This is to say, the sword and the mirrour, -- And borne anon into the highe tow'r, With certain officers ordain'd therefor; And unto Canace the ring is bore Solemnely, where she sat at the table; But sickerly, withouten any fable, The horse of brass, that may not be remued. It stood as it were to the ground y-glued; There may no man out of the place it drive For no engine of windlass or polive; And cause why, for they can not the craft; And therefore in the place they have it laft, Till that the knight hath taught them the mannere To voide him, as ye shall after hear.

Great was the press, that swarmed to and fro To gauren on this horse that stoode so: For it so high was, and so broad and long, So well proportioned for to be strong, Right as it were a steed of Lombardy; Therewith so horsely, and so quick of eye, As it a gentle Poileis courser were: For certes, from his tail unto his ear Nature nor art ne could him not amend In no degree, as all the people wend. But evermore their moste wonder was How that it coulde go, and was of brass; It was of Faerie, as the people seem'd. Diverse folk diversely they deem'd; As many heads, as many wittes been. They murmured, as doth a swarm of been, And made skills after their fantasies, Rehearsing of the olde poetries, And said that it was like the Pegasee, The horse that hadde winges for to flee; Or else it was the Greeke's horse Sinon, That broughte Troye to destruction, As men may in the olde gestes read. Mine heart," quoth one, "is evermore in dread; I trow some men of armes be therein, That shape them this city for to win: It were right good that all such thing were know." Another rowned to his fellow low,                         And said, "He lies; for it is rather like An apparence made by some magic, As jugglers playen at these feastes great." Of sundry doubts they jangle thus and treat. As lewed people deeme commonly                              Of thinges that be made more subtilly Than they can in their lewdness comprehend; They deeme gladly to the badder end.              And some of them wonder'd on the mirrour,                    That borne was up into the master tow'r,                  How men might in it suche thinges see. Another answer'd and said, it might well be Naturally by compositions Of angles, and of sly reflections; And saide that in Rome was such a one. They speak of Alhazen and Vitellon, And Aristotle, that wrote in their lives Of quainte mirrors, and of prospectives,                      As knowe they that have their bookes heard. And other folk have wonder'd on the swerd,                    That woulde pierce throughout every thing; And fell in speech of Telephus the king, And of Achilles for his quainte spear, For he could with it bothe heal and dere, Right in such wise as men may with the swerd Of which right now ye have yourselves heard. They spake of sundry hard'ning of metal, And spake of medicines therewithal, And how, and when, it shoulde harden'd be, Which is unknowen algate unto me. Then spake they of Canacee's ring, And saiden all, that such a wondrous thing Of craft of rings heard they never none, Save that he, Moses, and King Solomon, Hadden a name of conning in such art. Thus said the people, and drew them apart. Put natheless some saide that it was Wonder to maken of fern ashes glass, And yet is glass nought like ashes of fern; But for they have y-knowen it so ferne Therefore ceaseth their jangling and their wonder. As sore wonder some on cause of thunder, On ebb and flood, on gossamer and mist, And on all things, till that the cause is wist. Thus jangle they, and deemen and devise, Till that the king gan from his board arise.

Phoebus had left the angle meridional, And yet ascending was the beast royal, The gentle Lion, with his Aldrian, When that this Tartar king, this Cambuscan, Rose from the board, there as he sat full high Before him went the loude minstrelsy, Till he came to his chamber of parements, There as they sounded diverse instruments, That it was like a heaven for to hear. Now danced lusty Venus' children dear: For in the Fish their lady sat full And looked on them with a friendly eye. This noble king is set upon his throne; This strange knight is fetched to him full sone, And on the dance he goes with Canace. Here is the revel and the jollity, That is not able a dull man to devise: He must have knowen love and his service, And been a feastly man, as fresh as May, That shoulde you devise such array. Who coulde telle you the form of dances So uncouth, and so freshe countenances Such subtle lookings and dissimulances, For dread of jealous men's apperceivings? No man but Launcelot, and he is dead. Therefore I pass o'er all this lustihead I say no more, but in this jolliness I leave them, till to supper men them dress. The steward bids the spices for to hie And eke the wine, in all this melody; The ushers and the squiers be y-gone, The spices and the wine is come anon; They eat and drink, and when this hath an end, Unto the temple, as reason was, they wend; The service done, they suppen all by day What needeth you rehearse their array? Each man wot well, that at a kinge's feast Is plenty, to the most, and to the least, And dainties more than be in my knowing.

At after supper went this noble king To see the horse of brass, with all a rout Of lordes and of ladies him about. Such wond'ring was there on this horse of brass, That, since the great siege of Troye was, There as men wonder'd on a horse also, Ne'er was there such a wond'ring as was tho. But finally the king asked the knight The virtue of this courser, and the might, And prayed him to tell his governance. The horse anon began to trip and dance, When that the knight laid hand upon his rein, And saide, "Sir, there is no more to sayn, But when you list to riden anywhere, Ye muste trill a pin, stands in his ear,                   Which I shall telle you betwixt us two; Ye muste name him to what place also, Or to what country that you list to ride. And when ye come where you list abide, Bid him descend, and trill another pin (For therein lies th' effect of all the gin),        And he will down descend and do your will, And in that place he will abide still; Though all the world had the contrary swore, He shall not thence be throwen nor be bore. Or, if you list to bid him thennes gon, Trill this pin, and he will vanish anon Out of the sight of every manner wight, And come again, be it by day or night, When that you list to clepe him again                           In such a guise, as I shall to you sayn Betwixte you and me, and that full soon. Ride when you list, there is no more to do'n.' Informed when the king was of the knight, And had conceived in his wit aright The manner and the form of all this thing, Full glad and blithe, this noble doughty king Repaired to his revel as beforn. The bridle is into the tower borne, And kept among his jewels lefe and dear; The horse vanish'd, I n'ot in what mannere, Out of their sight; ye get no more of me: But thus I leave in lust and jollity This Cambuscan his lordes feastying, Until well nigh the day began to spring.

Pars Secunda
The norice of digestion, the sleep, Gan on them wink, and bade them take keep, That muche mirth and labour will have rest. And with a gaping mouth he all them kest, And said, that it was time to lie down, For blood was in his dominatioun: "Cherish the blood, nature's friend," quoth he. They thanked him gaping, by two and three; And every wight gan draw him to his rest; As sleep them bade, they took it for the best. Their dreames shall not now be told for me; Full are their heades of fumosity, That caused dreams of which there is no charge: They slepte; till that, it was prime large, The moste part, but it was Canace; She was full measurable, as women be: For of her father had she ta'en her leave To go to rest, soon after it was eve; Her liste not appalled for to be; Nor on the morrow unfeastly for to see; And slept her firste sleep; and then awoke. For such a joy she in her hearte took Both of her quainte a ring and her mirrour, That twenty times she changed her colour; And in her sleep, right for th' impression Of her mirror, she had a vision. Wherefore, ere that the sunne gan up glide, She call'd upon her mistress' her beside, And saide, that her liste for to rise.

These olde women, that be gladly wise As are her mistresses answer'd anon, And said; "Madame, whither will ye gon Thus early? for the folk be all in rest." "I will," quoth she, "arise; for me lest No longer for to sleep, and walk about." Her mistresses call'd women a great rout, And up they rose, well a ten or twelve; Up rose freshe Canace herselve, As ruddy and bright as is the yonnge sun That in the Ram is four degrees y-run; No higher was he, when she ready was; And forth she walked easily a pace, Array'd after the lusty season swoot, Lightely for to play, and walk on foot, Nought but with five or six of her meinie; And in a trench forth in the park went she. The vapour, which up from the earthe glode, Made the sun to seem ruddy and broad: But, natheless, it was so fair a sight That it made all their heartes for to light, What for the season and the morrowning, And for the fowles that she hearde sing. For right anon she wiste what they meant Right by their song, and knew all their intent. The knotte, why that every tale is told, If it be tarried till the list be cold Of them that have it hearken'd after yore, The savour passeth ever longer more; For fulsomness of the prolixity: And by that same reason thinketh me. I shoulde unto the knotte condescend, And maken of her walking soon an end.

Amid a tree fordry, as white as chalk, As Canacee was playing in her walk, There sat a falcon o'er her head full high, That with a piteous voice so gan to cry; That all the wood resounded of her cry, And beat she had herself so piteously With both her winges, till the redde blood Ran endelong the tree, there as she stood And ever-in-one alway she cried and shright; And with her beak herselfe she so pight, That there is no tiger, nor cruel beast, That dwelleth either in wood or in forest; But would have wept, if that he weepe could, For sorrow of her; she shriek'd alway so loud. For there was never yet no man alive, If that he could a falcon well descrive; That heard of such another of fairness As well of plumage, as of gentleness; Of shape, of all that mighte reckon'd be. A falcon peregrine seemed she, Of fremde land; and ever as she stood She swooned now and now for lack of blood; Till well-nigh is she fallen from the tree.

This faire kinge's daughter Canace, That on her finger bare the quainte ring, Through which she understood well every thing That any fowl may in his leden sayn, And could him answer in his leden again; Hath understoode what this falcon said, And well-nigh for the ruth almost she died; And to the tree she went, full hastily, And on this falcon looked piteously; And held her lap abroad; for well she wist The falcon muste falle from the twist When that she swooned next, for lack of blood. A longe while to waite her she stood; Till at the last she apake in this mannere Unto the hawk, as ye shall after hear: "What is the cause, if it be for to tell, That ye be in this furial pain of hell?" Quoth Canace unto this hawk above; "Is this for sorrow of of death; or loss of love? For; as I trow, these be the causes two;                    That cause most a gentle hearte woe: Of other harm it needeth not to speak. For ye yourself upon yourself awreak;                         Which proveth well, that either ire or dread                    Must be occasion of your cruel deed, Since that I see none other wight you chase: For love of God, as do yourselfe grace;               Or what may be your help? for, west nor east,               I never saw ere now no bird nor beast That fared with himself so piteously Ye slay me with your sorrow verily; I have of you so great compassioun. For Godde's love come from the tree adown And, as I am a kinge's daughter true, If that I verily the causes knew Of your disease, if it lay in my might,                      I would amend it, ere that it were night, So wisly help me the great God of kind. And herbes shall I right enoughe find, To heale with your hurtes hastily." Then shriek'd this falcon yet more piteously Than ever she did, and fell to ground anon, And lay aswoon, as dead as lies a stone, Till Canace had in her lap her take, Unto that time she gan of swoon awake: And, after that she out of swoon abraid,                     Right in her hawke's leden thus she said:

"That pity runneth soon in gentle heart (Feeling his simil'tude in paines smart), Is proved every day, as men may see, As well by work as by authority;      For gentle hearte kitheth gentleness.                         I see well, that ye have on my distress Compassion, my faire Canace, Of very womanly benignity That nature in your princples hath set. But for no hope for to fare the bet,                        But for t' obey unto your hearte free, And for to make others aware by me, As by the whelp chastis'd is the lion,          Right for that cause and that conclusion, While that I have a leisure and a space, Mine harm I will confessen ere I pace." And ever while the one her sorrow told, The other wept, as she to water wo'ld, Till that the falcon bade her to be still, And with a sigh right thus she said her till: "Where I was bred (alas that ilke day!)                         And foster'd in a rock of marble gray So tenderly, that nothing ailed me, I wiste not what was adversity,                                 Till I could flee full high under the sky.                       Then dwell'd a tercelet me faste by, That seem'd a well of alle gentleness; All were he full of treason and falseness,          It was so wrapped under humble cheer,                And under hue of truth, in such mannere,                 Under pleasance, and under busy pain, That no wight weened that he coulde feign, So deep in grain he dyed his colours. Right as a serpent hides him under flow'rs, Till he may see his time for to bite, Right so this god of love's hypocrite Did so his ceremonies and obeisances, And kept in semblance all his observances, That sounden unto gentleness of love.             As on a tomb is all the fair above, And under is the corpse, which that ye wet, Such was this hypocrite, both cold and hot; And in this wise he served his intent, That, save the fiend, none wiste what he meant: Till he so long had weeped and complain'd, And many a year his service to me feign'd, Till that mine heart, too piteous and too nice, All innocent of his crowned malice, Forfeared of his death, as thoughte me, Upon his oathes and his surety Granted him love, on this conditioun, That evermore mine honour and renown Were saved, bothe privy and apert; This is to say, that, after his desert, I gave him all my heart and all my thought (God wot, and he, that other wayes nought), And took his heart in change of mine for aye. But sooth is said, gone since many a day, A true wight and a thiefe think not one. And when he saw the thing so far y-gone, That I had granted him fully my love, In such a wise as I have said above, And given him my true heart as free As he swore that he gave his heart to me, Anon this tiger, full of doubleness, Fell on his knees with so great humbleness, With so high reverence, as by his cheer, So like a gentle lover in mannere, So ravish'd, as it seemed, for the joy, That never Jason, nor Paris of Troy, -- Jason? certes, nor ever other man, Since Lamech was, that alderfirst began To love two, as write folk beforn, Nor ever since the firste man was born, Coulde no man, by twenty thousand Counterfeit the sophimes of his art; Where doubleness of feigning should approach, Nor worthy were t'unbuckle his galoche, Nor could so thank a wight, as he did me. His manner was a heaven for to see To any woman, were she ne'er so wise; So painted he and kempt, at point devise, As well his wordes as his countenance. And I so lov'd him for his obeisance, And for the truth I deemed in his heart, That, if so were that any thing him smart, All were it ne'er so lite, and I it wist, Methought I felt death at my hearte twist. And shortly, so farforth this thing is went, That my will was his wille's instrument; That is to say, my will obey'd his will In alle thing, as far as reason fill, Keeping the boundes of my worship ever; And never had I thing so lefe, or lever, As him, God wot, nor never shall no mo'.

"This lasted longer than a year or two, That I supposed of him naught but good. But finally, thus at the last it stood, That fortune woulde that he muste twin              Out of that place which that I was in. Whe'er me was woe, it is no question;                         I cannot make of it description. For one thing dare I telle boldely, I know what is the pain of death thereby; Such harm I felt, for he might not byleve.                 So on a day of me he took his leave, So sorrowful eke, that I ween'd verily, That he had felt as muche harm as I, When that I heard him speak, and saw his hue. But natheless, I thought he was so true, And eke that he repaire should again Within a little while, sooth to sayn, And reason would eke that he muste go For his honour, as often happ'neth so, That I made virtue of necessity, And took it well, since that it muste be. As I best might, I hid from him my sorrow, And took him by the hand, Saint John to borrow, And said him thus; 'Lo, I am youres all; Be such as I have been to you, and shall.' What he answer'd, it needs not to rehearse; Who can say bet than he, who can do worse? When he had all well said, then had he done. Therefore behoveth him a full long spoon, That shall eat with a fiend; thus heard I say. So at the last he muste forth his way, And forth he flew, till he came where him lest. When it came him to purpose for to rest, I trow that he had thilke text in mind, That alle thing repairing to his kind Gladdeth himself; thus say men, as I guess; Men love of [proper] kind newfangleness, As birdes do, that men in cages feed. For though thou night and day take of them heed, And strew their cage fair and soft as silk, And give them sugar, honey, bread, and milk, Yet, right anon as that his door is up, He with his feet will spurne down his cup, And to the wood he will, and wormes eat; So newefangle be they of their meat, And love novelties, of proper kind; No gentleness of bloode may them bind. So far'd this tercelet, alas the day! Though he were gentle born, and fresh, and gay, And goodly for to see, and humble, and free, He saw upon a time a kite flee, And suddenly he loved this kite so, That all his love is clean from me y-go: And hath his trothe falsed in this wise. Thus hath the kite my love in her service, And I am lorn withoute remedy."

And with that word this falcon gan to cry, And swooned eft in Canacee's barme Great was the sorrow, for that hawke's harm, That Canace and all her women made; They wist not how they might the falcon glade. But Canace home bare her in her lap, And softely in plasters gan her wrap, There as she with her beak had hurt herselve. Now cannot Canace but herbes delve Out of the ground, and make salves new Of herbes precious and fine of hue, To heale with this hawk; from day to night She did her business, and all her might. And by her bedde's head she made a mew, And cover'd it with velouettes blue, In sign of truth that is in woman seen; And all without the mew is painted green, In which were painted all these false fowls, As be these tidifes, tercelets, and owls; And pies, on them for to cry and chide, Right for despite were painted them beside.

Thus leave I Canace her hawk keeping. I will no more as now speak of her ring, Till it come eft to purpose for to sayn How that this falcon got her love again Repentant, as the story telleth us, By mediation of Camballus, The kinge's son of which that I you told. But henceforth I will my process hold To speak of aventures, and of battailes, That yet was never heard so great marvailles. First I will telle you of Cambuscan, That in his time many a city wan; And after will I speak of Algarsife, How he won Theodora to his wife, For whom full oft in great peril he was, N'had he been holpen by the horse of brass. And after will I speak of Camballo, That fought in listes with the brethren two For Canace, ere that he might her win; And where I left I will again begin.