And helde her fast by the haunchë bones,
And saidë, "Leman, love me well at once,
Or I will dien, all so God me save.”
And she sprang as a colt doth in the trave: 1
And with her head she writhed fast away,
And said; "I will not kiss thee, by my fay."
Why let be," quoth she, "let be, Nicholas,
Or I will cry out harow and alas! 3
Do away your handës, for your courtesy."
This Nicholas gan mercy for to cry,
And spake so fair, and proffer'd him so fast,
That she her love him granted at the last,
And swore her oath by Saint Thomas of Kent,
That she would be at his commandement,
When that she may her leisure well espy.
"My husband is so full of jealousy,
That but ye waite well, and be privy,
I wot right well I am but dead," quoth she.
"Ye mustë be full derne 5 as in this case."
"Nay, thereof care thee nought," quoth Nicho-
las:
"A clerk had litherly beset his while,
But if he could a carpenter beguile."
And thus they were accorded and y-sworn
To wait a time, as I have said beforn.
When Nicholas had done thus every deal,7
And thwacked her about the lendes well,
He kiss'd her sweet, and taketh his psalt'ry
And playeth fast, and maketh melody.
Then fell it thus, that to the parish church,
Of Christe's owen workës for to wirch,8
This good wife went upon a holy day :
Her forehead shone as bright as any day,
So was it washen, when she left her werk.
Now was there of that church a parish clerk,
The which that was y-cleped Absolon.
Curl'd was his hair, and as the gold it shone,
And strutted as a fannë large and broad;
Full straight and even lay his jolly shode.10
His rode 11 was red, his eyen grey as goose,
With Paule's windows carven 12 on his shoes.
In hosen red he went full fetisly. 13
Y-clad he was full small and properly,
All in a kirtle 14 of a light waget; 15
Full fair and thickë be the pointës set.
And thereupon he had a gay surplíce,
As white as is the blossom on the rise. 16
A merry child he was, so God me save;
Well could he letten blood, and clip, and shave,
And make a charter of land, and a quittance.
In twenty manners could he trip and dance,
After the school of Oxenfordë tho,17
1 Travise; a frame in which unruly horses were shod. 2 Faith.
3 Haro! an old Norman cry for redress or aid. The "Clameur de Haro" was lately raised, under peculiar circumstances, as the prelude to a legal protest, in Jersey.
And with his leggës castë to and fro;
And playen songës on a small ribible; 18
Thereto he sung sometimes a loud quinible. 19
And as well could he play on a gitérn.20
In all the town was brewhouse nor tavérn,
That he not visited with his solas,21
There as that any gaillard tapstere 22
But sooth to say he was somedeal squaimous 23
Of farting, and of speechë dangerous.
This Absolon, that jolly was and gay, Went with a censer on the holy day, Censing 24 the wives of the parish fast; And many a lovely look he on them cast, And namely 25 on this carpénter's wife: To look on her him thought a merry life. She was so proper, and sweet, and likerous. I dare well say, if she had been a mouse, And he a cat, he would her hent anon.26 This parish clerk, this jolly Absolon, Hath in his heartë such a love-longing! That of no wife took he none offering; For courtesy he said he wouldë none. The moon at night full clear and brightë shone, And Absolon his gitern hath y-taken, For paramours he thoughtë for to waken, And forth he went, jolif 27 and amorous, Till he came to the carpentérë's house, A little after the cock had y-crow, And dressed him 23 under a shot 29 window, That was upon the carpentérë's wall. He singeth in his voice gentle and small; "Now, dear lady, if thy will be,
I pray that ye will rue 30 on me;"
Full well accordant to his giterning.
This carpenter awoke, and heard him sing,
And spake unto his wife, and said anon,
"What, Alison, hear'st thou not Absolon,
That chanteth thus under our bower 31 wall?'
And she answer'd her husband therewithal;
"Yes, God wot, John, I hear him every deal."
This passeth forth; what will ye bet 32 than
well?
From day to day this jolly Absolon
So wooeth her, that him is woebegone.
He waketh all the night, and all the day,
To comb his lockës broad, and make him gay.
He wooeth her by means and by brocage,33
And swore he wouldë be her owen page.
He singeth brokking 34 as a nightingale.
He sent her piment,35 mead, and spiced ale,
And wafers 36 piping hot out of the glede : 37
And, for she was of town, he proffer'd meed.38
he did the French of Stratford at Bow. page 18. 18 Rebeck, a kind of fiddle. 19 Treble. 20 Guitar. 22 Gay, licentious girl that 23 Somewhat squeamish. 25 Above all,
6 Ill spent his time. 9 Stretched.
21 Mirth, sport. served in a tavern. 24 Burning incense for. 26 Have soon caught. 28 Stationed himself.
29 Projecting or bow window, whence it was possible
12 His shoes ornamented like the windows of St to shoot at any one approaching the door. Paul's, especially like the old rose-window.
14 A gown girt around the waist.
1s Twig, bush; German, "Reis," a twig; "Reisig,"
33 By presents and by agents, pimping, or brokerage.
35 A drink made with wine, honey, and spices.
38 Because she was town-bred, he offered wealth,
or money reward, for her love.
For some folk will be wonnen for richess,
And some for strokes, and some with gentiless.
Sometimes, to show his lightness and mast'ry,
He playeth Herod1 on a scaffold high.
But what availeth him as in this case?
So loveth she the Hendy Nicholas,
That Absolon may blow the buckë's horn:
He had for all his labour but a scorn.
And thus she maketh Absolon her ape,
And all his earnest turneth to a jape.3
Full sooth is this provérb, it is no lie;
Men say right thus alway; the nighë sly
Maketh oft time the far lief to be loth.4
For though that Absolon be wood or wroth
Because that he far was from her sight,
This nigh Nicholas stood still in his light.
Now bear thee well, thou Hendy Nicholas,
For Absolon may wail and sing “ Alas!"
And so befell, that on a Saturday
This carpenter was gone to Oseney,
And Hendy Nicholas and Alisón
Accorded were to this conclusión,
That Nicholas shall shapë him a wile 6
The silly jealous husband to beguile;
And if so were the game went aright,
She shouldë sleepen in his arms all night;
For this was her desire and his also.
And right anon, withoutë wordës mo',
This Nicholas no longer would he tarry,
But doth full soft unto his chamber carry
Both meat and drinkë for a day or tway.
And to her husband bade her for to say,
If that he asked after Nicholas,
She shouldë say, "She wist not where he was;
Of all the day she saw him not with eye;
She trowed he was in some maladý,
For no cry that her maiden could him call
He would answer, for nought that might befall."
Thus passed forth all thilkë 9 Saturday,
That Nicholas still in his chamber lay,
And ate, and slept, and didde what him list
Till Sunday, that the sunne went to rest.10
This silly carpenter had great marvail 11
Of Nicholas, or what thing might him ail,
And said; "I am adrad,12 by Saint Thomas!
It standeth not aright with Nicholas :
God shieldë 13 that he died suddenly.
This world is now full tickle 14 sickerly.15
I saw to-day a corpse y-borne to chirch,
That now on Monday last I saw him wirch.16
"Go up," quod he unto his knave, 17 "anon;
Clepe 18 at his door, or knockë with a stone:
1 Parish-clerks, like Absolon, had leading parts in the mysteries or religious plays; Herod was one of these parts, which may have been an object of competition among the amateurs of the period. 2May go whistle."
Look how it is, and tell me bolděly."
This knavë went him up full sturdily,
And, at the chamber door while that he stood,
He cried and knocked as that he were wood:5
"What how? what do ye, Master Nicholay?
How may ye sleepen all the longë day?"
But all for nought, he heardë not a word.
An hole he found full low upon the board,
There as 19 the cat was wont in for to creep,
And at that hole he looked in full deep,
And at the last he had of him a sight.
This Nicholas sat ever gaping upright,
As he had kyked 20 on the newë moon.
Adown he went, and told his master soon,
In what array he saw this ilkë 21 man.
This carpenter to blissen him 22 began,
And said: "Now help us, Sainte Frideswide, 23
A man wot 24 little what shall him betide.
This man is fall'n with his astronomy
Into some woodness 25 or some agony.
I thought aye well how that it should be.
Men should know nought of Goddë's privity.26
Yea, blessed be alway a lewed 27 man,
That nought but only his believe can. 28
So far'd another clerk with astrónomý:
He walked in the fieldës for to pry
Upon 29 the starrës, what there should befall,
Till he was in a marlë pit y-fall.30
He saw not that. But yet, by Saint Thomas!
Me rueth sore of 31 Hendy Nicholas :
He shall be rated of his studying, 32
If that I may, by Jesus, heaven's king!
Get me a staff, that I may underspore 33
While that thou, Robin, heavest off the door :
He shall out of his studying, as I guess."
And to the chamber door he gan him dress.34
His knave was a strong carl for the nonce,
And by the hasp 35 he heav'd it off at once;
Into the floor the door fell down anon.
This Nicholas sat aye as still as stone,
And ever he gap'd upward into the air.
The carpenter ween'd 36 he were in despair,
And hent 37 him by the shoulders mightily,
And shook him hard, and cried spitously; 38
"What, Nicholas? what how, man? look adown:
Awake, and think on Christë's passioún.
I crouche thee39 from elves, and from wights."40
Therewith the night-spell said he anon rights,41
On the four halves 42 of the house about,
And on the threshold of the door without.
"Lord Jesus Christ, and Saintë Benedight,
Blessë this house from every wicked wight,
24 Knows.
25 Madness.
27 Unlearned.
"credo."
126 Secret counsel.
28 Knows no more than his 29 Watch, keep watch on, 30 Till he fell into a marl-pit,
4 The cunning one near at hand oft makes the loving tus," tells this story of Thales; but it has since ap one afar off to be odious.
10 Till Sunday evening.
12 Afraid, in dread. Ticklish, fickle, uncertain.
peared in many other forms.
32 Chidden, rated, for his devotion to study.
33 Heave up the door by a lever beneath.
34 Apply himself.
35 Lock; from the Anglo-Saxon, "hæpsian," to lock, fasten; German, "Hespe."
39 Protect thee, by signing the sign of the Cross. 40 Witches, who were not of the feminine gender only.
From the night mare, the white Pater-noster;
Where wonnest1 thou now, Saintë Peter's sister?"
And at the last this Hendy Nicholas
Gan for to sigh full sore, and said; "Alas!
Shall all the world be lost eftsoonës 2 now?"
This carpenter answer'd; "What sayest thou?
What? think on God, as we do, men that
swink."3
This Nicholas answer'd; "Fetch me a drink;
And after will I speak in privity
Of certain thing that toucheth thee and me:
I will tell it no other man certain."
"Yes," quoth this carpenter, "full yore ago."17
"Hast thou not heard," quoth Nicholas, "also
The sorrow of Noë, with his fellowship,
That he had ere he got his wife to ship? 18
Him had been lever, 19 I dare well undertake,
At thilkë 20 time, than all his wethers black,
That she had had a ship herself alone.
And therefore know'st thou what is best to be
done?
This asketh haste, and of an hasty thing
Men may not preach or makë tarrying.
Anon go get us fast into this inn 21
A kneading trough, or else a kemelin, 22
For each of us; but look that they be large,
In whichë we may swim as in a barge:
And have therein vitaillë suffisant
But for one day; fie on the remenant;
and The water shall aslake 23 and go away
Aboutë prime 24 upon the nextë day.
This carpenter went down, and came again,
And brought of mighty ale a largë quart;
And when that each of them had drunk his part,
This Nicholas his chamber door fast shet,4
And down the carpentér by him he set,
And saidë; "John, mine host full lief
dear,
Thou shalt upon thy truthë swear me here,
But Robin may not know of this, thy knave,25
That to no wight thou shalt my counsel wray: 6 Nor eke thy maiden Gill I may not save:
For it is Christë's counsel that I say,
And if thou tell it man, thou art forlore: 7
For this vengeance thou shalt have therefor,
That if thou wrayë6 me, thou shalt be wood."
"Nay, Christ forbid it for his holy blood!"
Quoth then this silly man; "I am no blab,"
Nor, though I say it, am I lief to gab. 10
Say what thou wilt, I shall it never tell
To child or wife, by him that harried Hell." 11
"Now, John," quoth Nicholas, "I will not lie;
I have y-found in my astrology,
As I have looked in the moonë bright,
That now on Monday next, at quarter night,
Shall fall a rain, and that so wild and wood,8
That never half so great was Noë's flood.
This world," he said, "in less than half an hour
Shall all be dreint, 12 so hideous is the shower:
Thus shall mankindë drench,13 and lose their
life."
This carpenter answér'd; "Alas, my wife!
And shall she drench? alas, mine Alisoún!"
For sorrow of this he fell almost adown,
And said; "Is there no remedy in this case?"
"Why, yes, for God," quoth Hendy Nicholas;
"If thou wilt worken after lore and rede; 14
Thou may'st not worken after thine own head.
For thus saith Solomon, that was full true:
Work all by counsel, and thou shalt not rue.15
And if thou workë wilt by good counseil,
I undertake, withoutë mast or sail,
Yet shall I savë her, and thee, and me.
Hast thou not heard how saved was Noë,
When that our Lord had warned him beforn,
That all the world with water should be lorn?"16
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Ask me not why: for though thou askë me
I will not telle Goddë's privity.
Sufficeth thee, but if thy wit be mad,26
To have as great a grace as Noë had;
Thy wife shall I well saven out of doubt.
Go now thy way, and speed thee hereabout.
But when thou hast for her, and thee, and me,
Y-gotten us these kneading tubbës three,
Then shalt thou hang them in the roof full high,
So that no man our purveyance 27 espy:
And when thou hast done thus as I have said,
And hast our vitaille fair in them y-laid,
And eke an axe to smite the cord in two
When that the water comes, that we may go,
And break an hole on high upon the gable
Into the garden-ward, over the stable,
That we may freely passë forth our way,
When that the greate shower is gone away.
Then shalt thou swim as merry, I undertake,
As doth the white duck after her drake:
Then will I clepe, 28 'How, Alison? how, John?
Be merry: for the flood will pass anon.'
And thou wilt say, 'Hail, Master Nicholay,
Good-morrow, I see thee well, for it is day.'
And then shall we be lordës all our life
Of all the world, as Noë and his wife.
But of one thing I warnë thee full right,
Be well advised, on that ilke 29 night,
When we be enter'd into shippë's board,
That none of us not speak a single word,
Nor clepe nor cry, but be in his prayére,
For that is Godde's owen hestë 30 dear.
Thy wife and thou must hangen far atween,31
For that betwixtë you shall be no sin,
forth and get him a new wife, because he was leaving
her gossips in the town to drown. Shem and his
brothers got her shipped by main force; and Noah,
coming forward to welcome her, was greeted with a
box on the ear.
19 He would have given all his black wethers, if she had had an ark to herself. 20 That. 21 House.
22 Brewing-tub.
24 Early forenoon.
2 Slacken, abate.
25 Servant.
26 Unless thou be out of thy wits.
27 Foresight, providence.
No more in looking than there shall in deed.
This ordinance is said: go, God thee speed.
To-morrow night, when men be all asleep,
Into our kneading tubbes will we creep,
And sittë there, abiding Goddë's grace.
Go now thy way, I have no longer space
To make of this no longer sermoníng:
Men say thus: Send the wise, and say nothing:
Thou art so wise, it needeth thee nought teach.
Go, save our lives, and that I thee beseech."
This silly carpenter went forth his way,
Full oft he said, "Alas! and Well-a-day!"
And to his wife he told his privity,
And she was ware, and better knew than he
What all this quainte cast was for to say.1
But natheless she fear'd as she would dey,2
And said: " Alas! go forth thy way anon.
Help us to scape, or we be dead each one.
I am thy true and very wedded wife;
Go, dearë spouse, and help to save our life."
Lo, what a great thing is affectión!
Men may die of imaginatión,
So deeply may impressión be take.
This silly carpenter begins to quake:
He thinketh verily that he may see
This newë flood come weltering as the sea
To drenchen Alison, his honey dear.
He weepeth, waileth, maketh sorry cheer;✦
He sigheth, with full many a sorry sough.5
He go❜th, and getteth him a kneading trough,
And after that a tub, and a kemelin,
And privily he sent them to his inu :
And hung them in the roof full privily.
With his own hand then made he ladders three,
To climbe by the ranges and the stalks 6
Unto the tubbës hanging in the balks ;7
And victualed them, kemelin, trough, and tub,
With bread and cheese, and good ale in a jub,8
Sufficing right enough as for a day.
But ere that he had made all this array,
He sent his knave, and eke his wench also,
Upon his need 10 to London for to go.
And on the Monday, when it drew to night,
He shut his door withoutë candle light,
And dressed 11 every thing as it should be.
And shortly up they climbed all the three.
They satte stillë well a furlong way. 12
"Now, Pater noster, clum," 13 said Nicholay,
And "clum," quoth John; and "clum," said
Alison :
This carpenter said his devotión,
And still he sat and bidded his prayére,
Awaiting on the rain, if he it hear.
The deade sleep, for weary business,
1 What all the strange contrivance meant.
2 Pretended to fear that she would die.
3 Drown.
4 A dismal countenance.
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Fell on this carpenter, right as I guess,
About the curfew-time,14 or little more,
For travail of his ghost 15 he groaned sore,
And eft he routed, for his head mislay.1
Adown the ladder stalked Nicholay;
And Alison full soft adown she sped.
Withoutë wordës more they went to bed,
There as 17 the carpenter was wont to lie :
There was the revel, and the melody.
And thus lay Alison and Nicholas,
In business of mirth and in solace,
Until the bell of laudes 18 gan to ring,
And friars in the chancel went to sing.
This parish clerk, this amorous Absolon,
That is for love alway so woebegone,
Upon the Monday was at Oseney
With company, him to disport and play;
And asked upon cas 19 a cloisterer 20
Full privily after John the carpenter;
And he drew him apart out of the church,
And said, "I n'ot; 21 I saw him not here
wirch 22
Since Saturday; I trow that he be went
For timber, where our abbot hath him sent.
For he is wont for timber for to go,
And dwellen at the Grange a day or two:
Or else he is at his own house certain.
Where that he be, I cannot soothly sayn." 23
This Absolon full jolly was and light,
And thought, "Now is the time to wake all
night,
For sickerly 24 I saw him not stirring
About his door, since day began to spring.
So may I thrive, but I shall at cock crow
Full privily go knock at his windów,
That stands full low upon his bower wall: 25
To Alison then will I tellen all
My love-longing; for I shall not miss
That at the leaste way I shall her kiss.
Some manner comfort shall I have, parfay, 26
My mouth hath itched all this livelong day:
That is a sign of kissing at the least.
All night I mette 27 eke I was at a feast.
Therefore I will go sleep an hour or tway,
And all the night then will I wake and play."
When that the first cock crowed had, anon
Up rose this jolly lover Absolon,
And him arrayed gay, at point devise. 28
But first he chewed grains and liquorice,
To smelle sweet, ere he had combed his hair.
Under his tongue a true love 30 he bare,
For thereby thought he to be gracious.
Then came he to the carpentérë's house,
And still he stood under the shot window;
extinguish fire and candle, and go to rest; hence the
word curfew, from French, "couvre-feu," cover-fire.
15 Spirit. 16 Then he snored, for his head lay awry.
18 Matins, or morning song, at three in the morning.
19 Occasion.
20 Cloistered monk.
Work.
9 His servant and serving-maid.
12 As long as it might take to walk a furlong. 13 "Clum," like "mum," a note of silence; but otherwise explained as the humming sound made in repeating prayers; from the Anglo-Saxon, "clumian," to mutter, speak in an under-tone, keep silence. 14 Eight in the evening, when, by the law of William the Conqueror, all people were, on ringing of a bell, to
23 Say certainly.
25 Chamber wall; the
jected over the door.
24 Sure enough.
window, it has been said, pro-
26 By my faith.
29 With exact care.
29 Grains of Paris, or Paradise; a favourite spice. 30 Some sweet herb: another reading, however, is "a true love-knot," which may have been of the nature of a charm.
Unto his breast it raught,1 it was so low;
And soft he coughed with a semisoún'.
"What do ye, honeycomb, sweet Alisoún?
My faire bird, my sweet cinamomé,3
Awaken, leman mine, and speak to me.
Full little thinkë ye upon my woe,
That for your love I sweat there as I go.
No wonder is that I do swelt and sweat.
I mourn as doth a lamb after the teat.
Y-wis, leman, I have such love-longing,
That like a turtle true is my mourning.
I may not eat, no more than a maid.”
"Go from the window, thou jack fool," she
said:
"As help me God, it will not be, come ba me.8
I love another, else I were to blamë,
Well better than thee, by Jesus, Absolon.
Go forth thy way, or I will cast a stone;
And let me sleep; a twenty devil way."
'Alas!" quoth Absolon, "and well away!
That true love ever was so ill beset:
Then kiss me, since that it may be no bet,10
For Jesus' love, and for the love of me."
"Wilt thou then go thy way therewith?" quoth
she.
"Yea, certes, leman," quoth this Absolon.
"Then make thee ready," quoth she, "I come
[And unto Nicholas she said full still: 11
"By God's corpus, this game went fair and well."
This silly Absolon heard every deal,14
And on his lip he gan for anger bite;
And to himself he said, "I shall thee quite.15
Who rubbeth now, who frotteth 16 now his lips
With dust, with sand, with straw, with cloth,
with chips,
But Absolon? that saith full oft, "Alas!
My soul betake I unto Sathanas,
But me were lever 17 than all this town," quoth
he,
"Of this despite awroken 18 for to be.
Alas! alas! that I have been y-blent."19
His hotë love is cold, and all y-quent.20
For from that time that he had kiss'd her erse,
Of paramours he settë not a kers, 21
For he was healed of his malady;
Full often paramours he gan defy,
And weep as doth a child that hath been beat.
A softe pace he went over the street
Unto a smith, men callen Dan 22 Gerveis,
That in his forgë smithed plough-harnéss;
He sharped share and culter busily.
This Absolon knocked all easily,
And said; "Undo, Gerveis, and that anon."
"What, who art thou?" "It is I, Absolon."
"What? Absolon, what? Christë's sweetë
tree, 23
"Now peace, and thou shalt laugh anon thy Why rise so rath? 24 hey! benedicite,
This Absolon down set him on his knees,
And said; "I am a lord at all degrees:
For after this I hope there cometh more ;
Leman,thy grace, and, sweetë bird, thine ore. "12
The window she undid, and that in haste.
"Have done," quoth she, come off, and speed
thee fast,
Lest that our neighëbours should thee espy."
Then Absolon gan wipe his mouth full dry.
Dark was the night as pitch or as the coal,
And at the window she put out her hole,
And Absolon him fell ne bet ne werse,13
But with his mouth he kiss'd her naked erse
Full savourly. When he was ware of this,
Aback he start, and thought it was amiss,
For well he wist a woman hath no beard.
He felt a thing all rough, and long y-hair'd,
And saidë; "Fy, alas! what have I do?"
"Te he!" quoth she, and clapt the window
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What aileth you? some gay girl,25 God it wote,
Hath brought you thus upon the virëtote: 26
By Saint Neot, ye wot well what I mean."
This Absolon he raughtë 27 not a bean
Of all his play; no word again he gaf,28
For he had more tow on his distaff 29
Than Gerveis knew, and saidë; "Friend so
dear,
That hotë culter in the chimney here
Lend it to me, I have therewith to don: 30
I will it bring again to thee full soon."
Gerveis answered; "Certes, were it gold,
Or in a pokë 31 nobles all untold,
Thou shouldst it have, as I am a true smith.
Hey! Christe's foot, what will ye do there-
with?"
"Thereof," quoth Absolon, "be as be may;
I shall well tell it thee another day:
And caught the culter by the colde stele.32
Full soft out at the door he gan to steal,
And went unto the carpentérë's wall.
He coughed first, and knocked therewithal
Upon the window, right as he did ere. 33
23 Cross. 25 As applied to a young woman of light manners, this euphemistic phrase has enjoyed a wonderful vitality.
26 Urry reads "meritote," and explains it from Spelman as a game in which children made themselves giddy by whirling on ropes. In French, "virer" means to turn; and the explanation may, therefore, suit either reading. In modern slang parlance, Gerveis "on the rampage," would probably have said, the swing"-not very far from Spelman's rendering. 27 Recked, cared.
29 A proverbial saying: he was playing a deeper game, had more serious business on hand. 31 Bag.
30 Something to do.
32 Handle.
33 Before; German, "eher."
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