The Canterbury Tales; The Maunciples Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales; The Maunciples Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part	A
	-
	-
PROLOGUE TO THE MAUNCIPLES TALE	B
	-
Heere folweth the Prologe of the Maunciples tale	B
	-
Woot ye nat where ther stant a litel toun	C
Which that ycleped is Bobbe up and doun	C
Under the Blee in Caunterbury weye	D
Ther gan oure Hooste for to jape and pleye	D
And seyde 'Sires what Dun is in the Myre	E
	-
Is ther no man for preyere ne for hyre	E
That wole awake oure felawe al bihynde	A
A theef myghte hym ful lightly robbe and bynde	A
See how he nappeth see how for Cokkes bones	F
That he wol falle fro his hors atones	F
	-
Is that a Cook of London with meschaunce	F
Do hym com forth he knoweth his penaunce	F
For he shal telle a tale by my fey	G
Although it be nat worth a botel hey	G
Awake thou Cook ' quod he 'God yeve thee sorwe	H
	-
What eyleth thee to slepe by the morwe	H
Hastow had fleen al nyght or artow dronke	I
Or hastow with som quene al nyght yswonke	I
So that thow mayst nat holden up thyn heed '	-
This Cook that was ful pale and no thyng reed	A
	-
Seyde to oure Hoost 'So God my soule blesse	F
As ther is falle on me swich hevynesse	F
Noot I nat why that me were levere slepe	J
Than the beste galon wyn in Chepe '	-
'Wel ' quod the Maunciple 'if it may doon ese	F
	-
To thee Sire Cook and to no wight displese	F
Which that heere rideth in this compaignye	D
And that oure Hoost wole of his curteisye	D
I wol as now excuse thee of thy tale	B
For in good feith thy visage is ful pale	B
	-
Thyne eyen daswen eek as that me thynketh	K
And wel I woot thy breeth ful soure stynketh	K
That sheweth wel thou art nat wel disposed	A
Of me certeyn thou shalt nat been yglosed	A
See how he ganeth lo this dronken wight	A
	-
As though he wolde swolwe us anonright	A
Hoold cloos thy mouth man by thy fader kyn	C
The devel of helle sette his foot therin	C
Thy cursed breeth infecte wole us alle	B
Fy stynkyng swyn fy foule moothe thou falle	B
	-
A taketh heede sires of this lusty man	C
Now sweete sire wol ye justen atte fan	C
Therto me thynketh ye been wel yshape	J
I trowe that ye dronken han wyn ape	J
And that is whan men pleyen with a straw '	-
	-
And with this speche the Cook wax wrooth and wraw	E
And on the Manciple he gan nodde faste	A
For lakke of speche and doun the hors hym caste	A
Where as he lay til that men up hym took	I
This was a fair chyvachee of a Cook	I
	-
Allas he nadde holde hym by his ladel	B
And er that he agayn were in his sadel	B
Ther was greet showvyng bothe to and fro	E
To lifte hym up and muchel care and wo	E
So unweeldy was this sory palled goost	A
	-
And to the Manciple thanne spak oure hoost	A
'By cause drynke hath dominacioun	C
Upon this man by my savacioun	C
I trowe he lewedly wolde telle his tale	B
For were it wyn or oold or moysty ale	B
	-
That he hath dronke he speketh in his nose	F
And fneseth faste and eek he hath the pose	F
He hath also to do moore than ynough	G
To kepen hym and his capul out of slough	G
And if he falle from his capul eftsoone	C
	-
Thanne shal we alle have ynogh to doone	C
In liftyng up his hevy dronken cors	F
Telle on thy tale of hym make I no fors	F
But yet Manciple in feith thou art to nyce	F
Thus openly repreve hym of his vice	F
	-
Another day he wole peraventure	E
Reclayme thee and brynge thee to lure	E
I meene he speke wole of smale thynges	F
As for to pynchen at thy rekenynges	F
That were nat honeste if it cam to preef '	-
	-
'No ' quod the Manciple 'that were a greet mescheef	G
So myghte he lightly brynge me in the snare	E
Yet hadde I levere payen for the mare	E
Which that he rit on than he sholde with me stryve	G
I wol nat wratthen hym al so moot I thryve	G
	-
That that I speke I seyde it in my bourde	A
And wite ye what I have heer in a gourde	A
A draghte of wyn ye of a ripe grape	J
And right anon ye shul seen a good jape	J
This Cook shal drynke therof if that I may	G
	-
Up peyne of deeth he wol nat seye me nat '	-
And certeynly to tellen as it was	F
Of this vessel the Cook drank faste allas	F
What neded hym he drank ynough biforn	C
And whan he hadde pouped in this horn	C
	-
To the Manciple he took the gourde agayn	C
And of that drynke the Cook was wonder fayn	C
And thanked hym in swich wise as he koude	A
Thanne gan oure Hoost to laughen wonder loude	A
And seyde 'I se wel it is necessarie	E
	-
Where that we goon that drynke we with us carie	E
For that wol turne rancour and disese	F
Tacord and love and many a wrong apese	F
O thou Bacus yblessed be thy name	L
That so kanst turnen ernest into game	L
	-
Worship and thank be to thy deitee	A
Of that mateere ye gete namoore of me	E
Telle on thy tale Manciple I thee preye '	-
'Wel sire ' quod he 'now herkneth what I seye '	-
	-
THE MAUNCIPLES TALE	B
	-
Heere bigynneth the Maunciples tale of the Crowe	E
	-
Whan Phebus dwelled heere in this world adoun	C
As olde bookes maken mencioun	C
He was the mooste lusty bachiler	E
In al this world and eek the beste archer	E
He slow Phitoun the serpent as he lay	G
	-
Slepynge agayn the sonne upon a day	G
And many another noble worthy dede	A
He with his bowe wroghte as men may rede	A
Pleyen he koude on every mynstralcie	F
And syngen that it was a melodie	A
	-
To heeren of his cleere voys the soun	C
Certes the kyng of Thebes Amphioun	C
That with his syngyng walled that citee	A
Koude nevere syngen half so wel as hee	E
Therto he was the semelieste man	C
	-
That is or was sith that the world bigan	C
What nedeth it hise fetures to discryve	G
For in this world was noon so fair on lyve	G
He was therwith fulfild of gentillesse	F
Of honour and of parfit worthynesse	F
	-
This Phebus that was flour of bachilrie	E
As wel in fredom as in chivalrie	E
For his desport in signe eek of victorie	E
Of Phitoun so as telleth us the storie	E
Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe	E
	-
Now hadde this Phebus in his hous a crowe	E
Which in a cage he fostred many a day	A
And taughte it speken as men teche a jay	A
Whit was this crowe as is a snow whit swan	C
And countrefete the speche of every man	C
	-
He koude whan he sholde telle a tale	B
Therwith in al this world no nyghtngale	B
Ne koude by an hondred thousand deel	B
Syngen so wonder myrily and weel	B
Now hadde this Phebus in his hous a wyf	G
	-
Which that he lovede moore than his lyf	G
And nyght and day dide evere his diligence	F
Hir for to plese and doon hire reverence	F
Save oonly if the sothe that I shal sayn	C
Jalous he was and wolde have kept hire fayn	C
	-
For hym were looth byjaped for to be	E
And so is every wight in swich degree	E
But al in ydel for it availleth noght	A
A good wyf that is clene of werk and thoght	A
Sholde nat been kept in noon awayt certayn	C
	-
And trewely the labour is in vayn	C
To kepe a shrewe for it wol nat bee	E
This holde I for a verray nycetee	A
To spille labour for to kepe wyves	F
Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves	F
	-
But now to purpos as I first bigan	C
This worthy Phebus dooth al that he kan	C
To plesen hir wenynge that swich plesaunce	F
And for his manhede and his governaunce	F
That no man sholde han put hym from hire grace	F
	-
But God it woot ther may no man embrace	F
As to destreyne a thyng which that nature	E
Hath natureelly set in a creature	E
Taak any bryd and put it in a cage	M
And do al thyn entente and thy corage	M
	-
To fostre it tendrely with mete and drynke	I
Of alle deyntees that thou kanst bithynke	I
And keepe it al so clenly as thou may	A
Al though his cage of gold be nevere so gay	A
Yet hath this bryd by twenty thousand foold	A
	-
Levere in a forest that is rude and coold	A
Goon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse	F
For evere this bryd wol doon his bisynesse	F
To escape out of his cage whan he may	A
His libertee this bryd desireth ay	A
	-
Lat take a cat and fostre hym wel with milk	I
And tendre flessh and make his couche of silk	I
And lat hym seen a mous go by the wal	B
Anon he weyveth milk and flessh and al	B
And every deyntee that is in that hous	F
	-
Swich appetit he hath to ete a mous	F
Lo heere hath lust his dominacioun	C
And appetit fleemeth discrecioun	C
A she wolf hath also a vileyns kynde	A
The lewedeste wolf that she may fynde	A
	-
Or leest of reputacioun wol she take	I
In tyme whan hir lust to han a make	I
Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men	C
That been untrewe and no thyng by wommen	C
For men han evere a likerous appetit	A
	-
On lower thyng to parf	G