construe

truce

hitherward

The false fellows were afeared · and feigned themselves blind; Some laid their legs awry · in the way such louts know,

assent

croft

’

Dame Work-while-time-is · Pier’s wife was called; His daughter, Do-right-so- · or-thy-dame-shall-thee-beat; His son, Suffer-thy-sovereigns- · to-have-their-will- Judge-them-not-for-if-thou-dost- · thou-shalt-it-dearly-rue.

requite

anhungered

maw

contemplative

chaffer

engenderer

wilt

starveling

proffered

louts

coulter

remnant

memento

sendal

`Then shalt thou come to a court · as clear as the sun; The moat is of Mercy · the manor about, And its walls are of Wit · to hold the Will out, Crenellated with Christendom · mankind to save, Buttressed with Believe-so- · or-thou-beest-not-saved.

moat

Meekness

thresh

blundered

PIERS PLOWMAN

paltry

The woman who found the piece of silver

The kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hidden in a field.

laudable

Buttressed

Christendom

For Truth telleth that Love · is the remedy of Heaven; No sin may be seen in him · that useth that sort, And all his works he wrought · with Love as he listed; And taught it Moses for the best thing · and most like to Heaven With the plant of peace · most precious of virtues.`For Heaven might not hold it · so heavy of itself, Till it had of the earth · eaten its fill. `And when it had of this fold · flesh and blood taken,

When al I trasures are tried,’ quoth she · ‘truth is the best; I appeal to Deus caritas · to tell thee truth; It is as dear a darling · as dear God himself.

Passus

Tramps and beggars · went quickly about, Their bellies and their bags · with bread well crammed; Cadging for their food · fighting at ale; In gluttony, God knows · going to bed, And getting up with ribaldry · the thieving knaves! Sleep and sorry sloth · ever pursue them.

Some put them to pride · and apparelled themselves so In a display of clothing · they came disguised. To prayer and penance · put themselves many, All for love of our Lord · living hard lives, In hope for to have · heavenly bliss. Such as anchorites and hermits · that kept them in their cells, And desired not the country · around to roam; Nor with luxurious living · their body to please.

fair field full of folk

sloth

wenches

ribaldry

lechery

requiems

methought

Malvern hills

Once on a time was dwelling in Oxford 80 A wealthy man who took in guests to board, And of his craft he was a carpenter. A poor scholar was lodging with him there,

!

For this was his desire, and hers also.

From day to day this pretty Absalom So wooed her he was woebegone therefrom.

But, truth to tell, he was a bit squeamish 230 Of farting and of arrogant language.

squeamish

barmaids

quitclaim

In twenty manners could he trip and dance, After the school that reigned in Oxford, though, And with his two legs swinging to and fro; And he could play upon a violin; Thereto he sang in treble voice and thin; 225 And as well could he play on his guitar.

Curled was his hair, shining like gold, and from His head spread fanwise in a thick bright mop; ‘Twas parted straight and even on the top;

Her mouth was sweet as bragget or as mead Or hoard of apples laid in hay or weed. 155 Skittish she was as is a pretty colt, Tall as a staff and straight as cross-bow bolt. A brooch she wore upon her collar low, As broad as boss of buckler did it show; Her shoes laced up to where a girl’s legs thicken. 160 She was a primrose, and a tender chicken

And unperceived he caught her by the puss, Saying: “Indeed, unless I have my will, 170 For secret love of you, sweetheart, I’ll spill.”

while her husband was down Osney way

He knew not Cato, for his lore was rude: 120 That vulgar man should wed similitude. A man should wed according to estate, For youth and age are often in debate. But now, since he had fallen in the snare, He must endure, like other folk, his care.

Cato

For she was wild and young, and he was old, And deemed himself as like to be cuckold.

Often in good voice was his merry throat

And he himself sweet-smelling as the root Of licorice, valerian, or setwall.

Of secret loves he knew and their solace; And he kept counsel, too, for he was sly And meek as any virgin passing by. 95 He had a chamber in that hostelry, And lived alone there, without company, All garnished with sweet herbs of good repute; And he himself sweet-smelling as the root Of licorice, valerian, or setwall.

Men should not be too serious at a game.

amiss

gentility

The man who has no wife is no cuckold.

!

Sittingbourne

beshrew

from Denmark unto Ind

therewithal

philtre

Ere the thunder ceases comes the rain

shears

leman

Deianira

hapless

Xantippe

But now to tell you, as I started to, Why I was beaten for a book, pardieu.

Ovid’s Art

diocese

abbess

Jovinian

uproarious

Sulpicius Gallus

dalliance

Now will I tell you what befell to me.

in our bed he was so fresh and gay

Gap-toothed I was, and that became me well

lickerishness

constellation

When I do remember me Upon my youth and on my jollity, It tickles me about my heart’s deep root.

jollity

purgatory

I say that in my heart I’d great despite When he of any other had delight. But he was quit by God and by Saint Joce! 490 I made, of the same wood, a staff most gross; Not with my body and in manner foul, But certainly I showed so gay a soul That in his own thick grease I made him fry For anger and for utter jealousy.

hearkens

gander

And if that she be foul, you say that she Hankers for every man that she may see

And if she be right fair, you utter knave, 260 You say that every lecher will her have;

Not easily could they the promise hold 205 Whereby they had been bound to cherish me.

by night I made them swink

You are a noble preacher in this case! I was about to wed a wife, alas! Why should I buy this on my flesh so dear? No, I would rather wed no wife this year.”

When he’s pleased to come forth and pay his debt. 160 I’ll not delay, a husband I will get Who shall be both my debtor and my thrall And have his tribulations therewithal Upon his flesh, the while I am his wife. I have the power during all my life 165 Over his own good body, and not he.

Maker

instrument

I’m not fastidious.

My husband he shall have it, eve and morrow, When he’s pleased to come forth and pay his debt.

harvests of marriage.

flower of all my age

ghost

And so to be a wife he gave me leave 90 Out of permission; there’s no shame should grieve In marrying me, if that my mate should die, Without exception, too, of bigamy.

God bade us to increase and multiply; That worthy text can I well understand. 30 And well I know he said, too, my husband Should father leave, and mother, and cleave to me; But no specific number mentioned He, Whether of bigamy or octogamy; Why should men speak of it reproachfully?

octogamy

But someone told me not so long ago 10 That since Our Lord, save once, would never go To wedding that at Cana in Galilee, Thus, by this same example, showed he me I never should have married more than once.

The dart is set up for virginity; Catch it who can; who runs best let us see.

And certainly, if there were no seed sown, Virginity, where then should it be grown?

Some Christian man shall marry me anon;

Which gift of God he had for all his wives! 40 No man has such that in this world now lives.

.

privity

smock

aught

Dispose your hearts in grace, that you withstand The devil, who’d make you a slave among his band. He cannot tempt more than beyond your might; For Christ will be your champion and knight.

Never was I, till now, widow or wife, Summoned unto your court in all my life; Nor ever of my body was I untrue!

here take note of me

true brothers

the witch at En-dor Samuel

Yet tell me,” said the summoner, “faithfully, Make you yourselves new bodies thus alway Of elements?”

And when one does withstand all our temptation, It is the thing that gives his soul salvation

“Because,” said he, “we will such figures make As render likely that our prey we’ll take.”

By any means, by trick or violence, From year to year I win me my expense. I can no better tell you faithfully.”

Even so do I, for I would ride, right now, Unto the world’s end, all to get my prey.”

japes

I never spare to take a thing, knows God, Unless it be too heavy or too hot.

Saint Dunstan

archbishop

your wits are all too bare To understand

  “Ah,” cried he, “ben’cite! What do you say? I took you for a yeoman certainly. You have a human shape as well as I; 195 Have you a figure then determinate In hell, where you are in your proper state?”

a short coat of the Lincoln green,

To be sworn brothers till their dying day. Gossiping then they rode upon their way.

bailiff

Whither

mischance

espionage

infliction

tithes

fornication

witchcraft

defamation

The Prologue of the Freres Tale

.

.

“Hold! No more! For it is done! Now will I prove true judge, of no party. 1800 Theban Arcita shall have Emily, Who, by his fortune, has her fairly won.”

Has power more than any man may know

But thereupon such quarrelling was begun, From this same granting, in the heaven above

Give me the victory. I ask no more.”

pious

My daughter, leave this heaviness. Among the high gods it has been affirmed, And by eternal written word confirmed, That you shall be the wife of one of those Who bear for you so many cares and woes; 1495 But unto which of them may not tell. I can no longer tarry, so farewell.

For I do not care, when I have lost my life 1400 That Arcita may win her for his wife. This the effect and end of all my prayer, Give me my love, thou blissful lady fair.”

fane

chastity

oratory

I speak now of my sister Emily

repentant

ire

assuaged

ado

And to the grove of trees that grew hard by, In which there was a hart, as men had told, Duke Theseus the shortest way did hold.

A battle in the field between the twain

in May

There was no man that Theseus loved more

visage

Wailing the whole night long, making his moan. And if he heard a song or instrument, 510 Then he would weep ungoverned and lament; So feeble were his spirits, and so low, And so changed was he, that no man could know Him by his words or voice, whoever heard. And in this change, for all the world he fared 515 As if not troubled by malady of love, But by that humor dark and grim, whereof Springs melancholy madness in the brain

shaft

Bereft he was of sleep and meat and drink

languished

anguish

desolated

by gad

I’m in worse prison, now, and more forlorn; Now am I doomed eternally to dwell

You shall yet have that lady to your wife

The very fetters on his legs were yet Again with all his bitter salt tears wet.

In prison? Never, but in Paradise!

 The agreement was, to set it plainly down, As made between those two of great renown: That if Arcita, any time, were found, Ever in life, by day or night, on ground 355 Of any country of this Theseus, And he were caught, it was concerted thus, That by the sword he straight should lose his head.

Pirithous

‘Who shall give a lover any law?’ Love is a greater law, aye by my pan, Than man has ever given to earthly man.

Nay, false Arcita, it shall not be so. I loved her first, and told you all my woe,

transfigured

ails

He cast his eyes upon Emilia, 220 And thereupon he blenched and cried out “Ah!” As if he had been beaten to the heart.

sauntered

Emily

sluggards

passed by year by year and day by day,

That Theseus, the noble conqueror, Paid to the ladies when from him they went;

And of those two Arcita was the one, The other knight was known as Palamon