THE PROLOGUE.
“No more of this, for Godde’s dignity!”Quoth oure Hoste; “for thou makest meSo weary of thy very lewedness,* *stupidity, ignorance <1>That, all so wisly* God my soule bless, *surelyMine eares ache for thy drafty* speech. *worthless <2>Now such a rhyme the devil I beteche:* *commend toThis may well be rhyme doggerel,” quoth he.“Why so?” quoth I; “why wilt thou lette* me *preventMore of my tale than any other man,Since that it is the best rhyme that I can?”* *know“By God!” quoth he, “for, plainly at one word,Thy drafty rhyming is not worth a tord:Thou dost naught elles but dispendest* time. *wastestSir, at one word, thou shalt no longer rhyme.Let see whether thou canst tellen aught *in gest,* *by way ofOr tell in prose somewhat, at the least, narrative*In which there be some mirth or some doctrine.”“Gladly,” quoth I, “by Godde’s sweete pine,* *sufferingI will you tell a little thing in prose,That oughte like* you, as I suppose, *pleaseOr else certes ye be too dangerous.* *fastidiousIt is a moral tale virtuous,*All be it* told sometimes in sundry wise *although it be*By sundry folk, as I shall you devise.As thus, ye wot that ev’ry Evangelist,That telleth us the pain* of Jesus Christ, *passionHe saith not all thing as his fellow doth;But natheless their sentence is all soth,* *trueAnd all accorden as in their sentence,* *meaningAll be there in their telling difference;For some of them say more, and some say less,When they his piteous passion express;I mean of Mark and Matthew, Luke and John;But doubteless their sentence is all one.Therefore, lordinges all, I you beseech,If that ye think I vary in my speech,As thus, though that I telle somedeal moreOf proverbes, than ye have heard beforeComprehended in this little treatise here,*T’enforce with* the effect of my mattere, *with which toAnd though I not the same wordes say enforce*As ye have heard, yet to you all I prayBlame me not; for as in my sentenceShall ye nowhere finde no differenceFrom the sentence of thilke* treatise lite,** *this **littleAfter the which this merry tale I write.And therefore hearken to what I shall say,And let me tellen all my tale, I pray.”
Notes to the Prologue to Chaucer’s Tale of Melibœus.
1. Chaucer crowns the satire on the romanticists by making thevery landlord of the Tabard cry out in indignant disgust againstthe stuff which he had heard recited — the good Host ascribingto sheer ignorance the string of pompous platitudes and prosaicdetails which Chaucer had uttered.
2. Drafty: worthless, vile; no better than draff or dregs; fromthe Anglo-Saxon, “drifan” to drive away, expel.
THE TALE.<1>
A young man called Melibœus, mighty and rich, begat upon hiswife, that called was Prudence, a daughter which that called wasSophia. Upon a day befell, that he for his disport went into thefields him to play. His wife and eke his daughter hath he leftwithin his house, of which the doors were fast shut. Three of hisold foes have it espied, and set ladders to the walls of his house,and by the windows be entered, and beaten his wife, andwounded his daughter with five mortal wounds, in five sundryplaces; that is to say, in her feet, in her hands, in her ears, in hernose, and in her mouth; and left her for dead, and went away.When Melibœus returned was into his house, and saw all thismischief, he, like a man mad, rending his clothes, gan weep andcry. Prudence his wife, as farforth as she durst, besought him ofhis weeping for to stint: but not forthy [notwithstanding] he ganto weep and cry ever longer the more.
This noble wife Prudence remembered her upon the sentence ofOvid, in his book that called is the “Remedy of Love,” <2>where he saith: He is a fool that disturbeth the mother to weepin the death of her child, till she have wept her fill, as for acertain time; and then shall a man do his diligence with amiablewords her to recomfort and pray her of her weeping for to stint[cease]. For which reason this noble wife Prudence suffered herhusband for to weep and cry, as for a certain space; and whenshe saw her time, she said to him in this wise: “Alas! my lord,”quoth she, “why make ye yourself for to be like a fool? Forsooth it appertaineth not to a wise man to make such a sorrow.Your daughter, with the grace of God, shall warish [be cured]and escape. And all [although] were it so that she right nowwere dead, ye ought not for her death yourself to destroy.Seneca saith, ‘The wise man shall not take too great discomfortfor the death of his children, but certes he should suffer it inpatience, as well as he abideth the death of his own properperson.’”
Melibœus answered anon and said: “What man,” quoth he,“should of his weeping stint, that hath so great a cause to weep?Jesus Christ, our Lord, himself wept for the death of Lazarushis friend.” Prudence answered, “Certes, well I wot,attempered [moderate] weeping is nothing defended [forbidden]to him that sorrowful is, among folk in sorrow but it is rathergranted him to weep. The Apostle Paul unto the Romanswriteth, ‘Man shall rejoice with them that make joy, and weepwith such folk as weep.’ But though temperate weeping begranted, outrageous weeping certes is defended. Measure ofweeping should be conserved, after the lore [doctrine] thatteacheth us Seneca. ‘When that thy friend is dead,’ quoth he, ‘letnot thine eyes too moist be of tears, nor too much dry: althoughthe tears come to thine eyes, let them not fall. And when thouhast forgone [lost] thy friend, do diligence to get again anotherfriend: and this is more wisdom than to weep for thy friendwhich that thou hast lorn [lost] for therein is no boot[advantage]. And therefore if ye govern you by sapience, putaway sorrow out of your heart. Remember you that JesusSirach saith, ‘A man that is joyous and glad in heart, it himconserveth flourishing in his age: but soothly a sorrowful heartmaketh his bones dry.’ He said eke thus, ‘that sorrow in heartslayth full many a man.’ Solomon saith ‘that right as moths inthe sheep’s fleece annoy [do injury] to the clothes, and the smallworms to the tree, right so annoyeth sorrow to the heart ofman.’ Wherefore us ought as well in the death of our children,as in the loss of our goods temporal, have patience. Rememberyou upon the patient Job, when he had lost his children and histemporal substance, and in his body endured and received fullmany a grievous tribulation, yet said he thus: ‘Our Lord hathgiven it to me, our Lord hath bereft it me; right as our Lordwould, right so be it done; blessed be the name of our Lord.”’
To these foresaid things answered Melibœus unto his wifePrudence: “All thy words,” quoth he, “be true, and thereto[also] profitable, but truly mine heart is troubled with thissorrow so grievously, that I know not what to do.” “Let call,”quoth Prudence, “thy true friends all, and thy lineage, which bewise, and tell to them your case, and hearken what they say incounselling, and govern you after their sentence [opinion].Solomon saith, ‘Work all things by counsel, and thou shall neverrepent.’” Then, by counsel of his wife Prudence, this Melibœuslet call [sent for] a great congregation of folk, as surgeons,physicians, old folk and young, and some of his old enemiesreconciled (as by their semblance) to his love and to his grace;and therewithal there come some of his neighbours, that did himreverence more for dread than for love, as happeneth oft. Therecome also full many subtle flatterers, and wise advocateslearned in the law. And when these folk together assembledwere, this Melibœus in sorrowful wise showed them his case,and by the manner of his speech it seemed that in heart he barea cruel ire, ready to do vengeance upon his foes, and suddenlydesired that the war should begin, but nevertheless yet asked hetheir counsel in this matter. A surgeon, by licence and assent ofsuch as were wise, up rose, and to Melibœus said as ye mayhear. “Sir,” quoth he, “as to us surgeons appertaineth, that wedo to every wight the best that we can, where as we bewithholden, [employed] and to our patient that we do nodamage; wherefore it happeneth many a time and oft, that whentwo men have wounded each other, one same surgeon healeththem both; wherefore unto our art it is not pertinent to nursewar, nor parties to support [take sides]. But certes, as to thewarishing [healing] of your daughter, albeit so that perilouslyshe be wounded, we shall do so attentive business from day tonight, that, with the grace of God, she shall be whole andsound, as soon as is possible.” Almost right in the same wise thephysicians answered, save that they said a few words more: thatright as maladies be cured by their contraries, right so shall manwarish war (by peace). His neighbours full of envy, his feignedfriends that seemed reconciled, and his flatterers, madesemblance of weeping, and impaired and agregged [aggravated]much of this matter, in praising greatly Melibœus of might, ofpower, of riches, and of friends, despising the power of hisadversaries: and said utterly, that he anon should wreak him onhis foes, and begin war.
Up rose then an advocate that was wise, by leave and bycounsel of other that were wise, and said, “Lordings, the need[business] for which we be assembled in this place, is a fullheavy thing, and an high matter, because of the wrong and ofthe wickedness that hath been done, and eke by reason of thegreat damages that in time coming be possible to fall for thesame cause, and eke by reason of the great riches and power ofthe parties both; for which reasons, it were a full great peril toerr in this matter. Wherefore, Melibœus, this is our sentence[opinion]; we counsel you, above all things, that right anon thoudo thy diligence in keeping of thy body, in such a wise that thouwant no espy nor watch thy body to save. And after that, wecounsel that in thine house thou set sufficient garrison, so thatthey may as well thy body as thy house defend. But, certes, tomove war or suddenly to do vengeance, we may not deem[judge] in so little time that it were profitable. Wherefore weask leisure and space to have deliberation in this case to deem;for the common proverb saith thus; ‘He that soon deemeth soonshall repent.’ And eke men say, that that judge is wise, that soonunderstandeth a matter, and judgeth by leisure. For albeit sothat all tarrying be annoying, algates [nevertheless] it is noreproof [subject for reproach] in giving of judgement, nor invengeance taking, when it is sufficient and, reasonable. Andthat shewed our Lord Jesus Christ by example; for when thatthe woman that was taken in adultery was brought in hispresence to know what should be done with her person, albeitthat he wist well himself what he would answer, yet would henot answer suddenly, but he would have deliberation, and in theground he wrote twice. And by these causes we ask deliberationand we shall then by the grace of God counsel the thing thatshall be profitable.”
Up started then the young folk anon at once, and the most partof that company have scorned these old wise men and begun tomake noise and said, “Right as while that iron is hot men shouldsmite, right so men should wreak their wrongs while that theybe fresh and new:” and with loud voice they cried. “War! War!”Up rose then one of these old wise, and with his hand madecountenance [a sign, gesture] that men should hold them still,and give him audience. “Lordings,” quoth he, “there is full manya man that crieth, ‘War! war!’ that wot full little what waramounteth. War at his beginning hath so great an entering andso large, that every wight may enter when him liketh, and lightly[easily] find war: but certes what end shall fall thereof it is notlight to know. For soothly when war is once begun, there is fullmany a child unborn of his mother, that shall sterve [die] youngby cause of that war, or else live in sorrow and die inwretchedness; and therefore, ere that any war be begun, menmust have great counsel and great deliberation.” And when thisold man weened [thought, intended] to enforce his tale byreasons, well-nigh all at once began they to rise for to break histale, and bid him full oft his words abridge. For soothly he thatpreacheth to them that list not hear his words, his sermon themannoyeth. For Jesus Sirach saith, that music in weeping is anoyous [troublesome] thing. This is to say, as much availeth tospeak before folk to whom his speech annoyeth, as to singbefore him that weepeth. And when this wise man saw that himwanted audience, all shamefast he sat him down again. ForSolomon saith, ‘Where as thou mayest have no audience,enforce thee not to speak.’ “I see well,” quoth this wise man,“that the common proverb is sooth, that good counsel wanteth,when it is most need.” Yet [besides, further] had this Melibœusin his council many folk, that privily in his ear counselled himcertain thing, and counselled him the contrary in generalaudience. When Melibœus had heard that the greatest part ofhis council were accorded [in agreement] that he should makewar, anon he consented to their counselling, and fully affirmedtheir sentence [opinion, judgement].
(Dame Prudence, seeing her husband’s resolution thus taken, infull humble wise, when she saw her time, begins to counsel himagainst war, by a warning against haste in requital of eithergood or evil. Melibœus tells her that he will not work by hercounsel, because he should be held a fool if he rejected for heradvice the opinion of so many wise men; because all women arebad; because it would seem that he had given her the masteryover him; and because she could not keep his secret, if heresolved to follow her advice. To these reasons Prudenceanswers that it is no folly to change counsel when things, ormen’s judgements of them, change — especially to alter aresolution taken on the impulse of a great multitude of folk,where every man crieth and clattereth what him liketh; that if allwomen had been wicked, Jesus Christ would never havedescended to be born of a woman, nor have showed himselffirst to a woman after his resurrection and that when Solomonsaid he had found no good woman, he meant that God alonewas supremely good; <3> that her husband would not seem togive her the mastery by following her counsel, for he had hisown free choice in following or rejecting it; and that he knewwell and had often tested her great silence, patience, andsecrecy. And whereas he had quoted a saying, that in wickedcounsel women vanquish men, she reminds him that she wouldcounsel him against doing a wickedness on which he had set hismind, and cites instances to show that many women have beenand yet are full good, and their counsel wholesome andprofitable. Lastly, she quotes the words of God himself, whenhe was about to make woman as an help meet for man; andpromises that, if her husband will trust her counsel, she willrestore to him his daughter whole and sound, and make himhave honour in this case. Melibœus answers that because of hiswife’s sweet words, and also because he has proved and assayedher great wisdom and her great truth, he will govern him by hercounsel in all things. Thus encouraged, Prudence enters on along discourse, full of learned citations, regarding the manner inwhich counsellors should be chosen and consulted, and thetimes and reasons for changing a counsel. First, God must bebesought for guidance. Then a man must well examine his ownthoughts, of such things as he holds to be best for his ownprofit; driving out of his heart anger, covetousness, andhastiness, which perturb and pervert the judgement. Then hemust keep his counsel secret, unless confiding it to another shallbe more profitable; but, in so confiding it, he shall say nothingto bias the mind of the counsellor toward flattery orsubserviency. After that he should consider his friends and hisenemies, choosing of the former such as be most faithful andwise, and eldest and most approved in counselling; and even ofthese only a few. Then he must eschew the counselling of fools,of flatterers, of his old enemies that be reconciled, of servantswho bear him great reverence and fear, of folk that be drunkenand can hide no counsel, of such as counsel one thing privilyand the contrary openly; and of young folk, for their counsellingis not ripe. Then, in examining his counsel, he must truly tell histale; he must consider whether the thing he proposes to do bereasonable, within his power, and acceptable to the more partand the better part of his counsellors; he must look at the thingsthat may follow from that counselling, choosing the best andwaiving all besides; he must consider the root whence thematter of his counsel is engendered, what fruits it may bear,and from what causes they be sprung. And having thusexamined his counsel and approved it by many wise folk andold, he shall consider if he may perform it and make of it a goodend; if he be in doubt, he shall choose rather to suffer than tobegin; but otherwise he shall prosecute his resolution steadfastlytill the enterprise be at an end. As to changing his counsel, aman may do so without reproach, if the cause cease, or when anew case betides, or if he find that by error or otherwise harmor damage may result, or if his counsel be dishonest or come ofdishonest cause, or if it be impossible or may not properly bekept; and he must take it for a general rule, that every counselwhich is affirmed so strongly, that it may not be changed forany condition that may betide, that counsel is wicked.Melibœus, admitting that his wife had spoken well and suitablyas to counsellors and counsel in general, prays her to tell him inespecial what she thinks of the counsellors whom they havechosen in their present need. Prudence replies that his counsel inthis case could not properly be called a counselling, but amovement of folly; and points out that he has erred in sundrywise against the rules which he had just laid down. Grantingthat he has erred, Melibœus says that he is all ready to changehis counsel right as she will devise; for, as the proverb runs, todo sin is human, but to persevere long in sin is work of theDevil. Prudence then minutely recites, analyses, and criticisesthe counsel given to her husband in the assembly of his friends.She commends the advice of the physicians and surgeons, andurges that they should be well rewarded for their noble speechand their services in healing Sophia; and she asks Melibœushow he understands their proposition that one contrary must becured by another contrary. Melibœus answers, that he shoulddo vengeance on his enemies, who had done him wrong.Prudence, however, insists that vengeance is not the contrary ofvengeance, nor wrong of wrong, but the like; and thatwickedness should be healed by goodness, discord by accord,war by peace. She proceeds to deal with the counsel of thelawyers and wise folk that advised Melibœus to take prudentmeasures for the security of his body and of his house. First, shewould have her husband pray for the protection and aid ofChrist; then commit the keeping of his person to his truefriends; then suspect and avoid all strange folk, and liars, andsuch people as she had already warned him against; then bewareof presuming on his strength, or the weakness of his adversary,and neglecting to guard his person — for every wise mandreadeth his enemy; then he should evermore be on the watchagainst ambush and all espial, even in what seems a place ofsafety; though he should not be so cowardly, as to fear where isno cause for dread; yet he should dread to be poisoned, andtherefore shun scorners, and fly their words as venom. As tothe fortification of his house, she points out that towers andgreat edifices are costly and laborious, yet useless unlessdefended by true friends that be old and wise; and the greatestand strongest garrison that a rich man may have, as well to keephis person as his goods, is, that he be beloved by his subjectsand by his neighbours. Warmly approving the counsel that in allthis business Melibœus should proceed with great diligence anddeliberation, Prudence goes on to examine the advice given byhis neighbours that do him reverence without love, his oldenemies reconciled, his flatterers that counselled him certainthings privily and openly counselled him the contrary, and theyoung folk that counselled him to avenge himself and make warat once. She reminds him that he stands alone against threepowerful enemies, whose kindred are numerous and close,while his are fewer and remote in relationship; that only thejudge who has jurisdiction in a case may take sudden vengeanceon any man; that her husband’s power does not accord with hisdesire; and that, if he did take vengeance, it would only breedfresh wrongs and contests. As to the causes of the wrong doneto him, she holds that God, the causer of all things, haspermitted him to suffer because he has drunk so much honey<4> of sweet temporal riches, and delights, and honours of thisworld, that he is drunken, and has forgotten Jesus Christ hisSaviour; the three enemies of mankind, the flesh, the fiend, andthe world, have entered his heart by the windows of his body,and wounded his soul in five places — that is to say, the deadlysins that have entered into his heart by the five senses; and inthe same manner Christ has suffered his three enemies to enterhis house by the windows, and wound his daughter in the fiveplaces before specified. Melibœus demurs, that if his wife’sobjections prevailed, vengeance would never be taken, andthence great mischiefs would arise; but Prudence replies that thetaking of vengeance lies with the judges, to whom the privateindividual must have recourse. Melibœus declares that suchvengeance does not please him, and that, as Fortune hasnourished and helped him from his childhood, he will now assayher, trusting, with God’s help, that she will aid him to avenge hisshame. Prudence warns him against trusting to Fortune, all theless because she has hitherto favoured him, for just on thataccount she is the more likely to fail him; and she calls on himto leave his vengeance with the Sovereign Judge, that avengethall villainies and wrongs. Melibœus argues that if he refrainsfrom taking vengeance he will invite his enemies to do himfurther wrong, and he will be put and held over low; butPrudence contends that such a result can be brought about onlyby the neglect of the judges, not by the patience of theindividual. Supposing that he had leave to avenge himself, sherepeats that he is not strong enough, and quotes the commonsaw, that it is madness for a man to strive with a stronger thanhimself, peril to strive with one of equal strength, and folly tostrive with a weaker. But, considering his own defaults anddemerits, — remembering the patience of Christ and theundeserved tribulations of the saints, the brevity of this life withall its trouble and sorrow, the discredit thrown on the wisdomand training of a man who cannot bear wrong with patience —he should refrain wholly from taking vengeance. Melibœussubmits that he is not at all a perfect man, and his heart willnever be at peace until he is avenged; and that as his enemiesdisregarded the peril when they attacked him, so he might,without reproach, incur some peril in attacking them in return,even though he did a great excess in avenging one wrong byanother. Prudence strongly deprecates all outrage or excess; butMelibœus insists that he cannot see that it might greatly harmhim though he took a vengeance, for he is richer and mightierthan his enemies, and all things obey money. Prudencethereupon launches into a long dissertation on the advantages ofriches, the evils of poverty, the means by which wealth shouldbe gathered, and the manner in which it should be used; andconcludes by counselling her husband not to move war andbattle through trust in his riches, for they suffice not to maintainwar, the battle is not always to the strong or the numerous, andthe perils of conflict are many. Melibœus then curtly asks herfor her counsel how he shall do in this need; and she answersthat certainly she counsels him to agree with his adversaries andhave peace with them. Melibœus on this cries out that plainlyshe loves not his honour or his worship, in counselling him togo and humble himself before his enemies, crying mercy to themthat, having done him so grievous wrong, ask him not to bereconciled. Then Prudence, making semblance of wrath, retortsthat she loves his honour and profit as she loves her own, andever has done; she cites the Scriptures in support of her counselto seek peace; and says she will leave him to his own courses,for she knows well he is so stubborn, that he will do nothing forher. Melibœus then relents; admits that he is angry and cannotjudge aright; and puts himself wholly in her hands, promising todo just as she desires, and admitting that he is the more held tolove and praise her, if she reproves him of his folly)
Then Dame Prudence discovered all her counsel and her willunto him, and said: “I counsel you,” quoth she, “above allthings, that ye make peace between God and you, and bereconciled unto Him and to his grace; for, as I have said to youherebefore, God hath suffered you to have this tribulation anddisease [distress, trouble] for your sins; and if ye do as I sayyou, God will send your adversaries unto you, and make themfall at your feet, ready to do your will and your commandment.For Solomon saith, ‘When the condition of man is pleasant andliking to God, he changeth the hearts of the man’s adversaries,and constraineth them to beseech him of peace of grace.’ And Ipray you let me speak with your adversaries in privy place, forthey shall not know it is by your will or your assent; and then,when I know their will and their intent, I may counsel you themore surely.” ‘“Dame,” quoth Melibœus, ‘“do your will andyour liking, for I put me wholly in your disposition andordinance.”
Then Dame Prudence, when she saw the goodwill of herhusband, deliberated and took advice in herself, thinking howshe might bring this need [affair, emergency] unto a good end.And when she saw her time, she sent for these adversaries tocome into her into a privy place, and showed wisely into themthe great goods that come of peace, and the great harms andperils that be in war; and said to them, in goodly manner, howthat they ought have great repentance of the injuries andwrongs that they had done to Melibœus her Lord, and unto herand her daughter. And when they heard the goodly words ofDame Prudence, then they were surprised and ravished, and hadso great joy of her, that wonder was to tell. “Ah lady!” quoththey, “ye have showed unto us the blessing of sweetness, afterthe saying of David the prophet; for the reconciling which webe not worthy to have in no manner, but we ought require itwith great contrition and humility, ye of your great goodnesshave presented unto us. Now see we well, that the science andconning [knowledge] of Solomon is full true; for he saith, thatsweet words multiply and increase friends, and make shrews[the ill-natured or angry] to be debonair [gentle, courteous] andmeek. Certes we put our deed, and all our matter and cause, allwholly in your goodwill, and be ready to obey unto the speechand commandment of my lord Melibœus. And therefore, dearand benign lady, we pray you and beseech you as meekly as wecan and may, that it like unto your great goodness to fulfil indeed your goodly words. For we consider and acknowledgethat we have offended and grieved my lord Melibœus out ofmeasure, so far forth that we be not of power to make himamends; and therefore we oblige and bind us and our friends todo all his will and his commandment. But peradventure he hathsuch heaviness and such wrath to usward, [towards us] becauseof our offence, that he will enjoin us such a pain [penalty] as wemay not bear nor sustain; and therefore, noble lady, we beseechto your womanly pity to take such advisement [consideration]in this need, that we, nor our friends, be not disinherited anddestroyed through our folly.”
“Certes,” quoth Prudence, “it is an hard thing, and rightperilous, that a man put him all utterly in the arbitration andjudgement and in the might and power of his enemy. ForSolomon saith, ‘Believe me, and give credence to that that Ishall say: to thy son, to thy wife, to thy friend, nor to thybrother, give thou never might nor mastery over thy body, whilethou livest.’ Now, since he defendeth [forbiddeth] that a manshould not give to his brother, nor to his friend, the might of hisbody, by a stronger reason he defendeth and forbiddeth a manto give himself to his enemy. And nevertheless, I counsel youthat ye mistrust not my lord: for I wot well and know verily,that he is debonair and meek, large, courteous and nothingdesirous nor envious of good nor riches: for there is nothing inthis world that he desireth save only worship and honour.Furthermore I know well, and am right sure, that he shallnothing do in this need without counsel of me; and I shall sowork in this case, that by the grace of our Lord God ye shall bereconciled unto us.”
Then said they with one voice, “Worshipful lady, we put usand our goods all fully in your will and disposition, and be readyto come, what day that it like unto your nobleness to limit us orassign us, for to make our obligation and bond, as strong as itliketh unto your goodness, that we may fulfil the will of you andof my lord Melibœus.”
When Dame Prudence had heard the answer of these men, shebade them go again privily, and she returned to her lordMelibœus, and told him how she found his adversaries fullrepentant, acknowledging full lowly their sins and trespasses,and how they were ready to suffer all pain, requiring andpraying him of mercy and pity. Then said Melibœus, “He is wellworthy to have pardon and forgiveness of his sin, that excusethnot his sin, but acknowledgeth, and repenteth him, askingindulgence. For Seneca saith, ‘There is the remission andforgiveness, where the confession is; for confession is neighbourto innocence.’ And therefore I assent and confirm me to havepeace, but it is good that we do naught without the assent andwill of our friends.” Then was Prudence right glad and joyful,and said, “Certes, Sir, ye be well and goodly advised; for rightas by the counsel, assent, and help of your friends ye have beenstirred to avenge you and make war, right so without theircounsel shall ye not accord you, nor have peace with youradversaries. For the law saith, ‘There is nothing so good by wayof kind, [nature] as a thing to be unbound by him that it wasbound.’”
And then Dame Prudence, without delay or tarrying, sent anonher messengers for their kin and for their old friends, whichwere true and wise; and told them by order, in the presence ofMelibœus, all this matter, as it is above expressed and declared;and prayed them that they would give their advice and counselwhat were best to do in this need. And when Melibœus’ friendshad taken their advice and deliberation of the foresaid matter,and had examined it by great business and great diligence, theygave full counsel for to have peace and rest, and that Melibœusshould with good heart receive his adversaries to forgivenessand mercy. And when Dame Prudence had heard the assent ofher lord Melibœus, and the counsel of his friends, accord withher will and her intention, she was wondrous glad in her heart,and said: “There is an old proverb that saith, ‘The goodness thatthou mayest do this day, do it, and abide not nor delay it not tillto-morrow:’ and therefore I counsel you that ye send yourmessengers, such as be discreet and wise, unto your adversaries,telling them on your behalf, that if they will treat of peace andof accord, that they shape [prepare] them, without delay ortarrying, to come unto us.” Which thing performed was indeed.And when these trespassers and repenting folk of their follies,that is to say, the adversaries of Melibœus, had heard whatthese messengers said unto them, they were right glad andjoyful, and answered full meekly and benignly, yielding gracesand thanks to their lord Melibœus, and to all his company; andshaped them without delay to go with the messengers, and obeyto the commandment of their lord Melibœus. And right anonthey took their way to the court of Melibœus, and took withthem some of their true friends, to make faith for them, and forto be their borrows [sureties].
And when they were come to the presence of Melibœus, hesaid to them these words; “It stands thus,” quoth Melibœus,“and sooth it is, that ye causeless, and without skill and reason,have done great injuries and wrongs to me, and to my wifePrudence, and to my daughter also; for ye have entered into myhouse by violence, and have done such outrage, that all menknow well that ye have deserved the death: and therefore will Iknow and weet of you, whether ye will put the punishing andchastising, and the vengeance of this outrage, in the will of meand of my wife, or ye will not?” Then the wisest of them threeanswered for them all, and said; “Sir,” quoth he, “we know well,that we be I unworthy to come to the court of so great a lordand so worthy as ye be, for we have so greatly mistaken us, andhave offended and aguilt [incurred guilt] in such wise againstyour high lordship, that truly we have deserved the death. Butyet for the great goodness and debonairte [courtesy, gentleness]that all the world witnesseth of your person, we submit us tothe excellence and benignity of your gracious lordship, and beready to obey to all your commandments, beseeching you, thatof your merciable [merciful] pity ye will consider our greatrepentance and low submission, and grant us forgiveness of ouroutrageous trespass and offence; for well we know, that yourliberal grace and mercy stretch them farther into goodness, thando our outrageous guilt and trespass into wickedness; albeit thatcursedly [wickedly] and damnably we have aguilt [incurredguilt] against your high lordship.” Then Melibœus took themup from the ground full benignly, and received their obligationsand their bonds, by their oaths upon their pledges and borrows,[sureties] and assigned them a certain day to return unto hiscourt for to receive and accept sentence and judgement, thatMelibœus would command to be done on them, by the causesaforesaid; which things ordained, every man returned home tohis house.
And when that Dame Prudence saw her time she freined[inquired] and asked her lord Melibœus, what vengeance hethought to take of his adversaries. To which Melibœusanswered, and said; “Certes,” quoth he, “I think and purpose mefully to disinherit them of all that ever they have, and for to putthem in exile for evermore.” “Certes,” quoth Dame Prudence,“this were a cruel sentence, and much against reason. For ye berich enough, and have no need of other men’s goods; and yemight lightly [easily] in this wise get you a covetous name,which is a vicious thing, and ought to be eschewed of everygood man: for, after the saying of the Apostle, covetousness isroot of all harms. And therefore it were better for you to losemuch good of your own, than for to take of their good in thismanner. For better it is to lose good with worship [honour],than to win good with villainy and shame. And every man oughtto do his diligence and his business to get him a good name.And yet [further] shall he not only busy him in keeping his goodname, but he shall also enforce him alway to do some thing bywhich he may renew his good name; for it is written, that theold good los [reputation <5>] of a man is soon gone andpassed, when it is not renewed. And as touching that ye say,that ye will exile your adversaries, that thinketh ye much againstreason, and out of measure, [moderation] considered the powerthat they have given you upon themselves. And it is written,that he is worthy to lose his privilege, that misuseth the mightand the power that is given him. And I set case [if I assume] yemight enjoin them that pain by right and by law (which I trowye may not do), I say, ye might not put it to executionperadventure, and then it were like to return to the war, as itwas before. And therefore if ye will that men do you obeisance,ye must deem [decide] more courteously, that is to say, ye mustgive more easy sentences and judgements. For it is written, ‘Hethat most courteously commandeth, to him men most obey.’And therefore I pray you, that in this necessity and in this needye cast you [endeavour, devise a way] to overcome your heart.For Seneca saith, that he that overcometh his heart, overcomethtwice. And Tullius saith, ‘There is nothing so commendable in agreat lord, as when he is debonair and meek, and appeaseth himlightly [easily].’ And I pray you, that ye will now forbear to dovengeance, in such a manner, that your good name may be keptand conserved, and that men may have cause and matter topraise you of pity and of mercy; and that ye have no cause torepent you of thing that ye do. For Seneca saith, ‘Heovercometh in an evil manner, that repenteth him of his victory.’Wherefore I pray you let mercy be in your heart, to the effectand intent that God Almighty have mercy upon you in his lastjudgement; for Saint James saith in his Epistle, ‘Judgementwithout mercy shall be done to him, that hath no mercy ofanother wight.’”
When Melibœus had heard the great skills [arguments, reasons]and reasons of Dame Prudence, and her wise information andteaching, his heart gan incline to the will of his wife, consideringher true intent, he conformed him anon and assented fully towork after her counsel, and thanked God, of whom proceedethall goodness and all virtue, that him sent a wife of so greatdiscretion. And when the day came that his adversaries shouldappear in his presence, he spake to them full goodly, and said inthis wise; “Albeit so, that of your pride and high presumptionand folly, an of your negligence and unconning, [ignorance] yehave misborne [misbehaved] you, and trespassed [done injury]unto me, yet forasmuch as I see and behold your great humility,and that ye be sorry and repentant of your guilts, it constrainethme to do you grace and mercy. Wherefore I receive you into mygrace, and forgive you utterly all the offences, injuries, andwrongs, that ye have done against me and mine, to this effectand to this end, that God of his endless mercy will at the time ofour dying forgive us our guilts, that we have trespassed to himin this wretched world; for doubtless, if we be sorry andrepentant of the sins and guilts which we have trespassed in thesight of our Lord God, he is so free and so merciable [merciful],that he will forgive us our guilts, and bring us to the bliss thatnever hath end.” Amen.
Notes to Chaucer’s Tale of Melibœus.
1. The Tale of Melibœus is literally translated from a Frenchstory, or rather “treatise,” in prose, entitled “Le Livre deMelibee et de Dame Prudence,” of which two manuscripts, bothdating from the fifteenth century, are preserved in the BritishMuseum. Tyrwhitt, justly enough, says of it that it is indeed, asChaucer called it in the prologue, “‘a moral tale virtuous,’ andwas probably much esteemed in its time; but, in this age oflevity, I doubt some readers will be apt to regret that he did notrather give us the remainder of Sir Thopas.” It has beenremarked that in the earlier portion of the Tale, as it left thehand of the poet, a number of blank verses were intermixed;though this peculiarity of style, noticeable in any case only inthe first 150 or 200 lines, has necessarily all but disappeared bythe changes of spelling made in the modern editions. TheEditor’s purpose being to present to the public not “TheCanterbury Tales” merely, but “The Poems of Chaucer,” so faras may be consistent with the limits of this volume, he hascondensed the long reasonings and learned quotations of DamePrudence into a mere outline, connecting those portions of theTale wherein lies so much of story as it actually possesses, andthe general reader will probably not regret the sacrifice, made inthe view of retaining so far as possible the completeness of theTales, while lessening the intrusion of prose into a volume orpoems. The good wife of Melibœus literally overflows withquotations from David, Solomon, Jesus the Son of Sirach, theApostles, Ovid, Cicero, Seneca, Cassiodorus, Cato, PetrusAlphonsus — the converted Spanish Jew, of the twelfth century,who wrote the “Disciplina Clericalis” — and other authorities;and in some passages, especially where husband and wife debatethe merits or demerits of women, and where Prudence dilateson the evils of poverty, Chaucer only reproduces much that hadbeen said already in the Tales that preceded — such as theMerchant’s and the Man of Law’s.
2. The lines which follow are a close translation of the originalLatin, which reads: “Quis matrem, nisi mentis inops, in funere nati Flere vetet? non hoc illa monenda loco. Cum dederit lacrymas, animumque expleverit aegrum, Ille dolor verbis emoderandus erit.”Ovid, “Remedia Amoris,” 127-131.
3. See the conversation between Pluto and Proserpine, in theMerchant’s Tale.
4. “Thy name,” she says, “is Melibœus; that is to say, a manthat drinketh honey.”
5. Los: reputation; from the past participle of the Anglo-Saxon,“hlisan” to celebrate. Compare Latin, “laus.”