HKB
so sluttish, I thee pray, And is of power better clothes to bey,* *buy If that his deed accordeth with thy speech? Telle me that, and that I thee beseech.”
“Why?” quoth this Yeoman, “whereto ask ye me? God help me so, for he shall never the* thrive (But I will not avowe that I say, admit And therefore keep it secret, I you pray); He is too wise, in faith, as I believe. Thing that is overdone, it will not preve *stand the test Aright, as clerkes say; it is a vice; Wherefore in that I hold him lewd and nice.” ignorant and foolish For when a man hath over great a wit, Full oft him happens to misusen it; So doth my lord, and that me grieveth sore. God it amend; I can say now no more.”
“Thereof no force, good Yeoman, “quoth our Host; no matter “Since of the conning* of thy lord, thou know’st, knowledge Tell how he doth, I pray thee heartily, Since that be is so crafty and so sly. wise Where dwelle ye, if it to telle be?” “In the suburbes of a town,” quoth he, “Lurking in hernes and in lanes blind, corners Where as these robbers and these thieves by kind nature Holde their privy fearful residence, As they that dare not show their presence, So fare we, if I shall say the soothe.” truth “Yet,” quoth our Hoste, “let me talke to thee; Why art thou so discolour’d of thy face?” “Peter!” quoth he, “God give it harde grace, I am so us’d the hote fire to blow, That it hath changed my colour, I trow; I am not wont in no mirror to pry, But swinke sore, and learn to multiply. <5> labour We blunder ever, and poren** in the fire, *toil *peer And, for all that, we fail of our desire For ever we lack our conclusion To muche folk we do illusion, And borrow gold, be it a pound or two, Or ten or twelve, or many summes mo’, And make them weenen, at the leaste way, fancy That of a pounde we can make tway. Yet is it false; and aye we have good hope It for to do, and after it we grope: search, strive But that science is so far us beforn, That we may not, although we had it sworn, It overtake, it slides away so fast; It will us make beggars at the last.” While this Yeoman was thus in his talking, This Canon drew him near, and heard all thing Which this Yeoman spake, for suspicion Of menne’s speech ever had this Canon: For Cato saith, that he that guilty is, <6> Deemeth all things be spoken of him y-wis; surely Because of that he gan so nigh to draw To his Yeoman, that he heard all his saw; And thus he said unto his Yeoman tho then “Hold thou thy peace,and speak no wordes mo’: For if thou do, thou shalt it dear abie. pay dearly for it Thou slanderest me here in this company And eke discoverest that thou shouldest hide.” “Yea,” quoth our Host, “tell on, whatso betide; Of all his threatening reck not a mite.” “In faith,” quoth he, “no more do I but lite.” little And when this Canon saw it would not be But his Yeoman would tell his privity, *secrets He fled away for very sorrow and shame.