The Canterbury Tales; The Chanouns Yemannes Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales; The Chanouns Yemannes Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part	A
	-
PROLOGUE TO THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE	B
	-
The prologe of the Chanouns yemannes tale	B
	-
Whan ended was the lyf of seinte Cecile	C
Er we hadde riden fully fyve mile	D
At Boghtoun under Blee us gan atake	E
A man that clothed was in clothes blake	E
And undernethe he wered a whyt surplys	F
	-
His hakeney which that was al pomely grys	F
So swatte that it wonder was to see	F
It wemed as he had priked miles thre	G
The hors eek that his yeman rood upon	H
So swatte that unnethe myghte it gon	H
	-
Aboute the peytrel stood the foom ful hye	I
He was of fome al flekked as a pye	I
A male tweyfoold upon his croper lay	J
It semed that he caried lite array	J
Al light for somer rood this worthy man	H
	-
And in myn herte wondren I bigan	H
What that he was til that I understood	K
How that his cloke was sowed to his hood	K
For which whan I hadde longe avysed me	F
I demed hym som Chanoun for to be	F
	-
His hat heeng at his bak doun by a laas	F
For he hadde riden moore than trot or paas	F
He hadde ay priked lik as he were wood	K
A clote leef he hadde under his hood	K
For swoot and for to kepe his heed from heete	K
	-
But it was joye for to seen hym swete	K
His forheed dropped as a stillatorie	J
Were ful of plantayne and of paritorie	J
And whan that he was come he gan to crye	I
'God save ' quod he 'this joly compaignye	I
	-
Faste have I priked ' quod he 'for youre sake	E
By cause that I wolde yow atake	E
To riden in this myrie compaignye '	-
His Yeman eek was ful of curteisye	I
And seyde 'Sires now in the morwe tyde	K
	-
Out of youre hostelrie I saugh yow ryde	K
And warned heer my lord and my soverayn	H
Which that to ryden with yow is ful fayn	H
For his desport he loveth daliaunce '	-
'Freend for thy warnyng God yeve thee good chaunce '	-
	-
Thanne seyde oure Hoost 'for certein it wolde seme	F
Thy lord were wys and so I may wel deme	F
He is ful jocunde also dar I leye	I
Can he oght telle a myrie tale or tweye	I
With which he glade may this compaignye '	-
	-
'Who sire my lord ye ye with outen lye	I
He kan of murthe and eek of jolitee	K
Nat but ynough also sire trusteth me	F
And ye hym knewen as wel as do I	I
Ye wolde wondre how wel and craftily	J
	-
He koude werke and that in sondry wise	F
He hath take on hym many a greet emprise	F
Which were ful hard for any that is heere	J
To brynge aboute but they of hym it leere	J
As hoomly as he rit amonges yow	I
	-
If ye hym knewe it wolde be for youre prow	I
Ye wolde nat forgoon his aqueyntaunce	F
For muchel good I dar leye in balaunce	F
Al that I have in my possessioun	H
He is a man of heigh discrecioun	H
	-
I warne yow wel he is a passyng man '	-
'Wel ' quod oure Hoost 'I pray thee tel em than	H
Is he a clerk or noon telle what he is '	-
'Nay he is gretter than a clerk ywis '	-
Seyde this Yeman 'and in wordes fewe	L
	-
Hoost of his craft somwhat I wol yow shewe	L
I seye my lord kan swich subtilitee	K
But al his craft ye may nat wite for me	F
And somwhat helpe I yet to his wirkyng	E
That al this ground on which we been rydyng	E
	-
Til that we come to Caunterbury toun	H
He koude al clene turne it up so doun	H
And pave ti al of silver and of gold '	-
And whan this Yeman hadde this tale ytold	K
Unto oure Hoost he seyde 'Benedicitee	K
	-
This thyng is wonder merveillous to me	F
Syn that thy lord is of so heigh prudence	F
By cause of which men sholde hym reverence	F
That of his worship rekketh he so lite	K
His overslope nys nat worth a myte	K
	-
As in effect to hym so moot I go	E
It is al baudy and to tore also	E
Why is thy lord so sluttissh I the preye	I
And is of power bettre clooth to beye	I
If that his dede accorde with thy speche	M
	-
Telle me that and that I thee biseche '	-
'Why ' quod this Yeman 'wherto axe ye me	F
God help me so for he shal nevere thee	F
But I wol nat avowe that I seye	I
And therfore keepe it secree I yow preye	I
	-
He is to wys in feith as I bileeve	N
That that is overdoon it wol nat preeve	N
Aright as clerkes seyn it is a vice	F
Wherfore in that I holde hym lewed and nyce	F
For whan a man hath over greet a wit	K
	-
Ful oft hym happeth to mysusen it	K
So dooth my lord and that me greveth soore	I
God it amende I kan sey yow namoore '	-
'Therof no fors good Yeman ' quod oure Hoost	K
'Syn of the konnyng of thy lord thow woost	K
	-
Telle how he dooth I pray thee hertely	J
Syn that he is so crafty and so sly	J
Wher dwelle ye if it to telle be '	-
'In the suburbes of a toun ' quod he	F
'Lurkynge in hernes and in lanes blynde	K
	-
Where as thise robbours and thise theves by kynde	K
Holden hir pryvee fereful residence	F
As they that dar nat shewen hir presence	F
So faren we if I shal seye the sothe '	-
'Now ' quod oure Hoost 'yit lat me talke to the	O
	-
Why artow so discoloured of thy face '	-
'Peter ' quod he 'God yeve it harde grace	F
I am so used in the fyr to blowe	E
That it hath chaunged my colour I trowe	E
I am nat wont in no mirrour to prie	I
	-
But swynke soore and lerne multiplie	J
We blondren evere and pouren in the fir	I
And for al that we faille of oure desir	I
For evere we lakke of oure conclusioun	H
To muchel folk we doon illusioun	H
	-
And borwe gold be it a pound or two	E
Or ten or twelve or manye sommes mo	E
And make hem wenen at the leeste weye	I
That of a pound we koude make tweye	I
Yet is it fals but ay we han good hope	P
	-
It for to doon and after it we grope	P
But that science is so fer us biforn	H
We mowen nat although we hadden sworn	H
It over take it slit awey so faste	K
It wole us maken beggars atte laste '	-
	-
Whil this yeman was thus in his talkyng	E
This Chanoun drough hym neer and herde al thyng	E
Which this Yeman spak for suspecioun	H
Of mennes speche evere hadde this Chanoun	H
For Catoun seith that he that gilty is	F
	-
Demeth alle thyng be spoke of hym ywis	F
That was the cause he gan so ny hym drawe	E
To his yeman to herknen al his sawe	E
And thus he seyde unto his yeman tho	E
'Hoold thou thy pees and spek no wordes mo	E
	-
For it thou do thou shalt it deere abye	I
Thou sclaundrest me heere in this compaignye	I
And eek discoverest that thou sholdest hyde '	-
'Ye ' quod oure Hoost 'telle on what so bityde	K
Of al his thretyng rekke nat a myte '	-
	-
'In feith ' quod he 'namoore I do but lyte '	-
And whan this Chanoun saugh it wolde nat bee	F
But his Yeman wolde telle his pryvetee	K
He fledde awey for verray sorwe and shame	F
'A ' quod the Yeman 'heere shal arise game	F
	-
Al that I kan anon now wol I telle	J
Syn he is goon the foule feend hym quelle	J
For nevere heer after wol I with hym meete	K
For peny ne for pound I yow biheete	K
He that me broghte first unto that game	F
	-
Er that he dye sorwe have he and shame	F
For it is ernest to me by my feith	Q
That feele I wel what so any man seith	R
And yet for al my smert and al my grief	N
For al my sorwe labour and meschief	N
	-
I koude never leve it in no wise	F
Now wolde God my wit myghte suffise	F
To tellen al that longeth to that art	K
And nathelees yow wol I tellen part	K
Syn that my lord is goon I wol nat spare	I
Swich thyng as that I knowe I wol declare	I
	-
Heere endeth the prologe of the Chanouns yemannes tale	J
	-
After a lengthy account of the practice of alchemy by	J
his master the yeoman tells how a priest is beguiled of	N
his money by a certain canon through trickery of a hollow	J
rod	K