Chaucer’s Tale of Sir Thopas
The Prologue3848
When said was this mirácle, every man
As sober3849 was, that wonder was to see,
Till that our Host to japen3850 he began,
And then at erst3851 he looked upon me,
And saidë thus; “What man art thou?” quoth he;
“Thou lookest as thou wouldest find an hare,
For ever on the ground I see thee stare.
“Approachë near, and look up merrily.
Now ware you, Sirs, and let this man have place.
He in the waist is shapen as well as I;3852
This were a puppet in an arm t’ embrace
For any woman small and fair of face.
He seemeth elvish3853 by his countenánce,
For unto no wight doth he dalliánce.
“Say now somewhat, since other folk have said;
Tell us a tale of mirth, and that anon.”
“Hostë,” quoth I, “be not evil apaid,3854
For other talë certes can3855 I none,
But of a rhyme I learned yore3856 agone.”
“Yea, that is good,” quoth he; “now shall we hear
Some dainty thing, me thinketh by thy cheer.”3857
The Tale3858
Listen, lordings, in good intent,
And I will tell you verament3859
Of mirth and of solas,3860
All of a knight was fair and gent,3861
In battle and in tournament,
His name was Sir Thopas.
Y-born he was in far countrý,
In Flanders, all beyond the sea,
At Popering3862 in the place;
His father was a man full free,
And lord he was of that countrý,
As it was Goddë’s grace.
Sir Thopas was a doughty swain,
White was his face as paindemain,3863
His lippës red as rose.
His rode3864 is like scarlét in grain,
And I you tell in good certáin
He had a seemly nose.
His hair, his beard, was like saffroún,
That to his girdle reach’d adown,
His shoes of cordëwane:3865
Of Bruges were his hosen brown;
His robë was of ciclatoún,3866
That costë many a jane.3867
He couldë hunt at the wild deer,
And ride on hawking for rivére3868
With gray goshawk on hand:
Thereto he was a good archére,
Of wrestling was there none his peer,
Where any ram3869 should stand.
Full many a maiden bright in bow’r
They mourned for him par amour,
When them were better sleep;
But he was chaste, and no lechoúr,
And sweet as is the bramble flow’r
That beareth the red heep.3870
And so it fell upon a day,
For sooth as I you tellë may,
Sir Thopas would out ride;
He worth3871 upon his steedë gray,
And in his hand a launcëgay,3872
A long sword by his side.
He pricked through a fair forést,
Wherein is many a wildë beast,
Yea, bothë buck and hare;
And as he pricked north and east,
I tell it you, him had almest
Betid3873 a sorry care.
There sprangë herbës great and small,
The liquorice and the setëwall,3874
And many a clove-gilofre,3875
And nutëmeg to put in ale,
Whether it be moist3876 or stale,
Or for to lay in coffer.
The birdës sang, it is no nay,
The sperhawk3877 and the popinjay,
That joy it was to hear;
The throstle-cock made eke his lay,
The woodë-dove upon the spray
She sang full loud and clear.
Sir Thopas fell in love-longíng
All when he heard the throstle sing,
And prick’d as he were wood;3878
His fairë steed in his pricking
So sweated, that men might him wring,
His sidës were all blood.
Sir Thopas eke so weary was
For pricking on the softë grass,
So fierce was his coráge,3879
That down he laid him in that place,
To makë his steed some solace,
And gave him good foráge.
“Ah, Saint Marý, ben’dicite,
What aileth thilkë3880 love at me
To bindë me so sore?
Me dreamed all this night, pardie,
An elf-queen shall my leman3881 be,
And sleep under my gore.3882
An elf-queen will I love, y-wis,3883
For in this world no woman is
Worthy to be my make
In town;
All other women I forsake,
And to an elf-queen I me take
By dale and eke by down.”
Into his saddle he clomb anon,
And pricked over stile and stone
An elf-queen for to spy,
Till he so long had ridden and gone,
That he found in a privy wonne3884
The country of Faerý,
So wild;
For in that country was there none
That to him durstë ride or gon,
Neither wife nor child.
Till that there came a great giaunt,
His namë was Sir Oliphaunt,3885
A perilous man of deed;
He saidë, “Child,3886 by Termagaunt,3887
But if3888 thou prick out of mine haunt,
Anon I slay thy steed
With mace.
Here is the Queen of Faëry,
With harp, and pipe, and symphony,
Dwelling in this place.”
The Child said, “All so may I thé,3889
To-morrow will I meetë thee,
When I have mine armór;
And yet I hope, par ma fay,
That thou shalt with this launcëgay
Abyen3890 it full sore;
Thy maw3891
Shall I pierce, if I may,
Ere it be fully prime of day,
For here thou shalt be slaw.”3892
Sir Thopas drew aback full fast;
This giant at him stonës cast
Out of a fell staff sling:
But fair escaped Child Thopas,
And all it was through Goddë’s grace,
And through his fair bearíng.
Yet listen, lordings, to my tale,
Merrier than the nightingale,
For now I will you rown,3893
How Sir Thopas, with sidës smale,
Pricking over hill and dale,
Is come again to town.
His merry men commanded he
To makë him both game and glee;
For needës must he fight
With a giánt with headës three,
For paramour and jollity
Of one that shone full bright.
“Do3894 come,” he saidë, “my minstráles
And gestours3895 for to tellë tales.
Anon in mine armíng,
Of rómances that be royáls,3896
Of popës and of cardinals,
And eke of love-longíng.”
They fetch’d him first the sweetë wine,
And mead eke in a maseline,3897
And royal spicery;
Of ginger-bread that was full fine,
And liquorice and eke cumin,
With sugar that is trie.3898
He diddë,3899 next his whitë lere,3900
Of cloth of lakë3901 fine and clear,
A breech and eke a shirt;
And next his shirt an haketon,3902
And over that an habergeon,3903
For piercing of his heart;
And over that a fine hauberk,3904
Was all y-wrought of Jewës’3905 werk,
Full strong it was of plate;
And over that his coat-armoúr,3906
As white as is the lily flow’r,
In which he would debate.3907
His shield was all of gold so red,
And therein was a boarë’s head,
A charboucle3908 beside;
And there he swore on ale and bread,
How that the giant should be dead,
Betide whatso betide.
His jambeaux3909 were of cuirbouly,3910
His swordë’s sheath of ivory,
His helm of latoun3911 bright,
His saddle was of rewel3912 bone,
His bridle as the sunnë shone,
Or as the moonëlight.
His spearë was of fine cypress,
That bodeth war, and nothing peace;
The head full sharp y-ground.
His steedë was all dapple gray,
It went an amble in the way
Full softëly and round
In land.
Lo, Lordës mine, here is a fytt;3913
If ye will any more of it,
To tell it will I fand.3914
Now hold your mouth for charity,
Bothë knight and lady free,
And hearken to my spell;3915
Of battle and of chivalry,
Of ladies’ love and druerie,3916
Anon I will you tell.
Men speak of rómances of price3917
Of Horn Child, and of Ipotis,
Of Bevis, and Sir Guy,3918
Of Sir Libeux,3919 and Pleindamour,
But Sir Thopas, he bears the flow’r
Of royal chivalry.
His goodë steed he all bestrode,
And forth upon his way he glode,3920
As sparkle out of brand;3921
Upon his crest he bare a tow’r,
And therein stick’d a lily flow’r;
God shield his corse from shand!3922
And, for he was a knight auntroús,3923
He wouldë sleepen in none house,
But liggen3924 in his hood,
His brightë helm was his wangér,3925
And by him baited his destrér3926
Of herbës fine and good.
Himself drank water of the well,
As did the knight Sir Percivel,3927
So worthy under weed;
Till on a day—
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