A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,[55]mastery
An out-rydere, that lovede venerye;hunting
A manly man, to ben an abbot able.be
Ful many a deynte hors hadde he in stable:dainty horse
And whan he rood, men might his bridel heere[56]when, hear
Gyngle in a whistlyng wynd as cleere,jingling, clear
And eek as lowde as doth the chapel belle,
Ther as this lord was keper of the selle.where, religious house
A monk there was—one sure to rise no doubt,
A hunter, and devoted rider out;
Manly—to be an abbot fit and able,
For many a dainty horse had he in stable;
And when he rode, his bridle you could hear
Jingle along a whistling wind as clear
And quite as loud, as doth the chapel bell,
Where this good monk is keeper of the cell.
This jolly monk cared for little else but hunting, though this has never been considered a proper pursuit for the clergy. He was indifferent to what was said of him, and spared no cost to keep the most splendid greyhounds and horses for hard riding and hare-hunting. I saw his sleeves edged with the rare fur gris at the wrist, and that the finest in the land; his hood was fastened under his chin with a curious gold pin, which had a love-knot in the largest end. His pate was bald and shiny, his eyes rolled in his head; his favourite roast dish was a fat swan.[57]
The Friar.
A Frere ther was, a wantoun and a merye,friar
A lymytour,[58] a ful solempne man.solemn
In alle the ordres foure[59] is noon that canIs able to do
So moche of daliaunce and fair langage.dalliance
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Ful wel biloved and famulier was hefamiliar
With frankeleyns[60] overal in his cuntre,country
And eek with worthi wommen of the toun:also, rich
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Ful sweetly herde he confessioun,
And plesaunt was his absolucioun;[61]
He was an esy man to yeve penanceeasy
Ther as he wiste to han a good pitance;when, knew
For unto a poure ordre for to gevepoor
Is signe that a man is wel i-schreve.shriven
For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,boast
He wiste that a man was repentaunt.knew
For many a man so hard is of his herte,heart
He may not wepe though him sore smerte;he may smart
Therfore in-stede of wepyng and prayeres,
Men moot yive silver to the poure freres.may
A friar there was, so frisky and so merry—
A limitour, a most important man,
In the four orders there is none that can
Outdo him in sweet talk and playfulness.
········
He was most intimate and popular
With all the franklins dwelling near and far,
And with the wealthy women of the town.
········
So sweetly did he hear confession ay;
In absolution pleasant was his way.
In giving penance, very kind was he
When people made it worth his while to be;
For giving largely to some order poor
Shows that a man is free from sin, be sure,
And if a man begrudged him not his dole,
He knew he was repentant in his soul.
For many a man so hard of heart we see,
He cannot weep, however sad he be;
Therefore, instead of weeping and long prayers,
Men can give money unto the poor friars.
He carried a number of pretty pins and knives about him that he made presents of to people; and he could sing well, and play on the rotta.[62] He never mingled with poor, ragged, sick people—it is not respectable to have anything to do with such, but only with rich people who could give good dinners.
Somwhat he lipsede for his wantownesse,
To make his Englissch swete upon his tunge;tongue
Somewhat he lispéd for his wantonness,
To make his English sweet upon his tongue;
and when he played and sang, his eyes twinkled like the stars on a frosty night.