© Librarius
All rights reserved.
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© Librarius All rights reserved. |
| Whan folk hadde laughen at this nyce cas | |
| Of Absolon and hende Nicholas, | |
| Diverse folk diversely they seyde, | |
| But for the moore part they loughe and pleyde. | |
| 5 | Ne at this tale I saugh no man hym greve, |
| But it were oonly Osewold the Reve. | |
| Bycause he was of carpenteres craft, | |
| A litel ire is in his herte ylaft; | |
| He gan to grucche, and blamed it a lite. |
| 10 | "So theek," quod he, "ful wel koude I thee quite |
| With bleryng of a proud milleres eye, | |
| If that me liste speke of ribaudye. | |
| But ik am oold, me list no pley for age, | |
| Gras-tyme is doon, my fodder is now forage, | |
| 15 | This white top writeth myne olde yeris, |
| Myn herte is also mowled as myne heris, | |
| But if I fare as dooth an open-ers, - | |
| That ilke fruyt is ever lenger the wers, | |
| Til it be roten in mullok or in stree. | |
| 20 | We olde men, I drede, so fare we, |
| Til we be roten kan we nat be rype. | |
| We hoppen ay whil that the world wol pype, | |
| For in oure wyl ther stiketh evere a nayl, | |
| To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl, | |
| 25 | As hath a leek, for thogh oure myght be goon, |
| Oure wyl desireth folie evere in oon. | |
| For whan we may nat doon, than wol we speke, | |
| Yet in oure asshen olde is fyr yreke. |
| "Foure gleedes han we whiche I shal devyse, - | |
| 30 | Avauntyng, liyng, anger, coveitise; |
| Thise foure sparkles longen unto eelde. | |
| Oure olde lemes mowe wel been unweelde, | |
| But wyl ne shal nat faillen, that is sooth. | |
| And yet ik have alwey a coltes tooth, | |
| 35 | As many a yeer as it is passed henne |
| Syn that my tappe of lif bigan to renne. | |
| For sikerly, whan I was bore, anon | |
| Deeth drough the tappe of lyf, and leet it gon, | |
| And ever sithe hath so the tappe yronne, | |
| 40 | Til that almoost al empty is the tonne. |
| The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbe; | |
| The sely tonge may wel rynge and chymbe | |
| Of wrecchednesse that passed is ful yoore. | |
| With olde folk, save dotage, is namoore!" |
| 45 | Whan that oure Hoost hadde herd this sermonyng, |
| He gan to speke as lordly as a kyng, | |
| He seide, "What amounteth al this wit? | |
| What shul we speke alday of hooly writ? | |
| The devel made a reve for to preche, | |
| 50 | And of a soutere a shipman, or a leche. |
| Sey forth thy tale, and tarie nat the tyme. | |
| Lo Depeford, and it is half-wey pryme. | |
| Lo Grenewych, ther many a shrewe is inne! | |
| It were al tyme thy tale to bigynne." | |
| 55 | "Now sires," quod this Osewold the Reve, |
| "I pray yow alle, that ye nat yow greve, | |
| Thogh I answere, and somdeel sette his howve, | |
| For leveful is with force force of-showve. |
| This dronke Millere hath ytoold us heer | |
| 60 | How that bigyled was a carpenteer, |
| Peraventure in scorn, for I am oon. | |
| And, by youre leve, I shal hym quite anoon; | |
| Right in his cherles termes wol I speke. | |
| I pray to God his nekke mote to-breke; | |
| 65 | He kan wel in myn eye seen a stalke, |
| But in his owene he kan nat seen a balke." |