This falsè chanoun came upon a day Unto the prieste's chamber where he lay, Beseeching him to lene him a certain Of gold, and he would quit it him again. "Lene me a mark," quod he, "but dayes three, And at my day I will it quitè thee.
And, if so be that thou finde me false, Another day hong me up by the halse."
This priest him took a mark, and that as swithe; And this chanoun him thanked ofte sithe, And took his leave, and wente forth his way; And attè thriddè day brought his money, And to the priest he took his gold again- Whereof this priest was wonder glad and fain. "Certes," quod he, "nothing annoyeth me To lene a man a noble, or two or three, Or what thing were in my possession, Whan he so true is of condition
That in no wise he breake wol his day: To such a man I can never say nay.'
"What!" quod this chanoun, "should I be untrue? Nay, that were thing yfallen of the new! Truth is a thing that I wol ever keep Unto that day in which that I shall creep Into my grave, and elles God forbede! Believeth that as sicker as your creed. God thank I, and in good time be it said, That there was never man yet evil-apaid For gold ne silver that he to me lent, Ne never falsehood in my heart I meant. And, sir," quod he, "now of my privity, Sin' ye so goodlich have be unto me, And kythed to me so great gentilesse, Somewhat to quitè with your kindeness, I will you show, and, if you lust to lere, I will you teache plainly, the mannere How I can worken in philosophy.
Taketh good heed, ye shul seen well at ye That I wol doon a maistry ere I go."
"Yea?" quod the priest, "yea, sir, and wul ye so?
Mary! thereof I pray you heartily."
"At your commandement, sir, truely,"
Quod the chanoun, "and elles God forbede !"
Lo how this thief couthè his service beed !1 Full sooth it is that such proffered service
Stinketh, as witnessen these olde wise. And that full soon I wol it verify
In this chanoun, root of all treachery, That evermore delight hath and gladness (Such fiendly thoughtes in his heart impress) How Christe's people he may to mischief bring. God keep us from his false dissimiling!
What wiste this priest with whom that he dealt? Ne of his harm coming he nothing felt. O silly priest, O silly innocent,
With covetise anon thou shalt be blent !1 O graceless! full blind is thy conceit : Nothing art thou warè of the deceit Which that this fox yshapen hath to thee! His wily wrenches I wis thou mayst not flee. Wherefore to go to the conclusion That referreth to thy confusion, Unhappy man-anon I will me hie To tellen thine unwit and thy folly,
And eke the falseness of that other wretch, Als farforth as my cunning wollè stretch.
This chanoun was my lord, ye woulde ween?? Sir ost, in faith, and by the heaven queen, It was another chanoun, and not he, That can an hundred-fold more subtlety. He hath betrayèd folkes many time: Of his falsenèss it dulleth me to rhyme. Ever whan I speake of his falsehede, For shame of him my cheekes wexen reed. Algatès they beginne for to glow;
For reedness have I none, right well I know, In my visage, for fumès diverse
Of metals, which ye han heard me rehearse, Consumèd and wasted han my reedness.- Now take heed of this chanoun's cursedness.
"Sir," quod he to the priest, "let your man goen For quicksilver, that we it had anon; And let him bringe ounces two or three; And, whan he cometh, as fast shul ye see
A wonder thing which ye saw never ere this." "Sir," quod the priest, "it shall be done, I wis."
He bad his servant fetche him his things;
And he all ready was at his biddings, And went him forth, and com anon again With this quicksilver, shortly for to sayn,
2 This and some other allusions in the tale of the Canon's Yeoman refer back
to what he had stated in his "prologue," given by Chaucer as introductory to
And took these ounces three to the chanoun. And he it laide fair and well adoun,
And bad the servant coales for to bring, That he anon might go to his working. The coales right anon weren yfett; And this chanoun took out a croselet1 Of his bosom, and showed it to the priest.
"This instrument," quod he, "which that thou seest, Take in thine hond; and put thyself therein Of this quicksilver an ounce; and here begin, In the name of Christ, to wax a philosopher. There been full few which that I woulde proffer To showe hem thus much of my science: For ye shul seen here by experience That this quicksilver I wul mortify Right in your sight anon, withouten lie, And make it as good silver and as fine As there is any in your purse or mine, Or ellèswhere; and make it malleable :- And elles holdeth me false, and unable Amonges folk forever to appear.
I have a powder here, that cost me dear, Shall make all good; for it is cause of all My cunning which that I you showe shall. Voideth your man, and let him be thereout; And shet the doore whiles we ben about Our privity, that no man us aspie Whiles we werken in this philosophy.
All, as he bad, fulfillèd was in deed. This ilkè servant anon right out-yede; And his maistèr shittè the door anon, And to here labour speedily they gone.
This priest, at this cursed chanoun's bidding, Upon the fire anon sette this thing, And blew the fire, and busied him full fast. And this chanoun into the croslet cast A powder-noot I whereof that it was Ymade, outher of chalk outher of glass, Or somewhat elles was nought worth a fly, To blinde with this priest; and bad him hie, These coales for to couchen all above
The croislet; for, "in tokening I thee love," Quod this chanoun, "thine owne handes two Shall wirchè all thing which that shall be do."
"Graunt-mercy," quod the priest; and was full glad, And couchèd coales as the chanoun bad.
And, while he busy was, this fiendly wretch, This false chanoun (the foule fiend him fetch !) "Out of his bosom took a bechen coal,
In which full subtilly was made an hole; And therein put was of silver limayl1 An ounce, and stopped was withoute fail The hole with wex, to keep the limayl in. And understondeth that this falsè gin
Was not made there, but it was made before: And other thinges I shall telle more
Hereafterward which that he with him brought. Ere he com there, to bèguile him he thought, And so he dedè, ere they went atwin:
Till he had turned him, couth he nought blyn.' It dulleth me whan that I of him speak: On his falsehedè fain would I me wreak, If I wist how; but he is here and there,- He is so variant he byt3 nowhere.
But taketh heed now, sirs, for Goddes love. He took his coal of which I spake above, And in his hond he bare it privily: And, whiles the prieste couched busily The coales, as I tolde
you ere this, This chanoun saide: "Friend, ye doon amiss : This is not couchèd as it oughte be; But soon I shall amenden it," quod he. "Now let me mellè therewith but awhile, For of you have I pity, by Saint Gile!
Ye been right hot, I see well how ye sweat : Have here a cloth, and wipe away the wet.
And, whilès that this priest him wiped has, This chanoun took his coal (I shrew his face!) And laid it aboven on the midward
Of the croslet, and blew well afterward, Till that the coales gonnè faste brenn.
"Now give us drinke," quod the chanoun the: "Als swithe all shall be well, I undertake. Sitte we down, and let us merry make."
And, whan that the chanounes bechen coal Was brent, all the limayl out of the hole Into the croslet anon fell adoun; And so it muste needes by reasoun, Since it so even above couchèd was. But thereof wist the priest nothing, alas! He deemed all the coals ilikè good, For of the sleight he nothing understood. 1 Filings.
And, whan this alcamister saw his timè,
"Rise up, sir priest," quod he, "and stondè by me: And, for I wot well ingot have ye none,
Goth, walketh forth, and bringe a chalk-stone; For I wol make it of the same shape That is an ingold, if I may have hap. And bring with you a bowle or a pan Full of water; and ye shall well see than How that our business shall hap and preve. And yit, for you shoul have no misbelieve Ne wrong conceit of me in your absence, I ne wol nought ben out of your presence, But go with you, and come with you again."
The chamber-doore, shortly for to sayn They opened and shet, and went here way; And forth with hem they carried the key, And comen again withouten any delay. What should I tarry all the longe day? He took the chalk, and shop1 it in the wise Of an ingot, as I shall you devise: I say, he took out of his owne sleeve A teyne of silver (evil mot he cheeve !)3 Which that was but an ounce of wight. And taketh heed now of his cursed sleight: He shop his ingot in length and in brede Of this teyne, withouten any dread, So slyly that the priest it nought aspied; And in his sleeve again he gan it hide; And fro the fire he took up his matteer, And into the ingot put it with merry cheer;
And into the water-vessel he it cast
Whan that him list; and bad this priest as fast
"Look what there is: put in thine hond, and grope:
Thou finde there shalt silver, as I hope." What, devil of helle, should it elles be? Shaving of silver silver is, pardie!
He put in his hond, and took up a teyne Of silver fine; and glad in every vein Was this priest when he saw it was so.
"Goddes blessing, and his moder's also, And alle halwes', have ye, sir chanoun !" Saide this priest (and I, here malison) : "But, and ye vouchesauf to teache me This noble craft and this subtility, I will be your in all that ever I may."
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