Page:The Canterbury Tales and Faerie Queene.djvu/178
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THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Of th' Earl Hugolin of Pise the languoúr<r1> There may no tonguë tellë for pitý. But little out of Piaa stands a tow'r, In whichë tow'r in prison put was he, And with him be his little children three; The eldest scarcely five years was of age; Alas! Fortúne, it was great crueltý Such birdës for to put in such a cage.
Damned was he to die in that prisón; For Roger, which that bishop was of Pise, Had on him made a false suggestión, Through which the people gan upon him rise. And put him in prisón, in such a wise As ye have heard; and meat and drink he had So small, that well unneth<r2> it might suffice, And therewithal it was full poor and bad.
And on a day befell, that in that hour When that his meatë wont was to be brought. The jailor shut the doorës of the tow'r; He heard it right well, but he spakë nought. And in his heart anon there fell a thought. That they for hunger woulde do him dien;<r3> "Alas!" quoth he, "alaa that I was wrought!"<r4>Therewith the tearës fellë from his eyen.
His youngest son, that three years was of age. Unto him said, "Father, why do ye weep! When will the jailor bringen our pottáge? Is there no morsel bread that ye do keep ? I am so hungry, that I may not sleep. Now wouldë God that I might sleepen ever! Then should not hunger in my womb{{subst:e}} creep; There is no thing, save bread, that me were lever."<r5>
Thus day by day this child began to cry, Till in his father's barme<r6> adown he lay, And saidS, " Farewell, father, I must die ; " And kiss'd his father, and died the same day. And when the woeful father did it sey,' For woe his armgs two he gan to bite, And said, "Alas! Fort<ine, and well-away ! To thy false wheel my woe all may I wite." ^
His children ween'd ^ that it for hunger was That he his armes gnaVd, and not for woe, And saide, " Father, do not so, alas ! But rather eat the flesh upon us two. Our flesh thou gave us, our flesh take us fro'. And eat enough;" right thus they to him
said. And after that, within a day or two. They laid them in his lap adown, and died.
Himself, despaired, eke for hunger starf." Thus ended is this mighty Earl of Pise ; From high estate Fort<ine jiway him carf .^^ Of this tragedy it ought enough suffice ; Whoso will hear it in a longer wise," Keade the greate poet of It&le,
IS More at length.
That Dante hight, for he can it devise '^ From point to point, not one word will he fail.
THE NUN'S PRIEST'S TALK
THE PROLOGUE.
"Ho! " quoth the Knight, " good sir, no more of this; That ye have said is right enough, y-wis,<r14>And muche more; for little heaviness Is right enough to muche folk, I guess. I say for me, it is a great disease,<r15>Where as men have been in great wealth and ease. To hearen of their sudden fall, alas! And the contráry is joy and great solas,<r13>As when a man hath been in poor estate. And climbeth up, and waxeth fortunate, And there abideth in prosperity; Such thing is gladsome, as it thinketh me. And of such thing were goodly for to tell." "Yea," quoth our Hoste, " by Saint Paulë's bell. Ye say right sooth ; this monk hath clapped loud;<r17> He spake how Fortune cover'd with a cloud I wot not what, and als' of a tragédy Right now ye heard : and pardie no remédy It is for to bewails, nor complain That that is done, and also it is pain. As ye have said, to hear of heaviness. Sir Monk, no more of this, so God you bless; Your tale annoyeth all this company; Such talking is not worth a butterfly. For therein is there no disport nor game; Therefore, Sir Monks, Dan Piers by your name, I pray you heart'ly, tell us somewhat else. For sickerly, n'ere clinking of your bells,<r18>That on your bridle hang on every side. By heaven's king, that for us alls died, I should ere this, have fallen down for sleep, Although the slough had been never so deep; Then had your talë been all told in vain. For certainly, as these olerkSs sayn. Where as a man may have no audience. Nought helpeth it to telle his sentence. And well I wot the substance is in me, If anything shall well reported be. Sir, say somewhat of hunting," I you pray." "Nay," quoth the Monk, " I have no lust to
play;M Npw let another tell, as I have told." ^^
TTlien spake our Host with rudS speech and bold, And said unto the NunnS's Priest anon,
imprisoned by his nephew, and died a captive in 1385.
His death is the latest historical feet mentioned in the
Tales ; and thus it throws the date of their composition
to about the sixtieth year of Chaucer's age.
1 Agony. ^ With difSculty.
s Cause him to die. i * Made, born.
B Dearer. « Lap. ' See.
a Blame, impute. » Thought.
10 Died. " Cut off.
1! Relate. The story of TJ^golino is told in the 33a canto of the "Inferno." 14 Of a surety.
15 Source of distress, annoyance.
16 Delight, comfort. 17 Talked.
18 Were It «ot for the jingling of your bridle-bells. See note 13, page 19.
i» The request is justifled by the description of the Monk in the Prologue as "an out-rider, that loved venery ; " see page 19.
so I have no fondness for jesting.