The Canterbury Tales [217]
A great importation of them took place during the reigns of the earlier Edwards, and they caused much annoyance and complaint, till in 1351 it was declared treason to bring them into the country.
THE TALE. <1>
I will bewail, in manner of tragedy, The harm of them that stood in high degree, And felle so, that there was no remedy To bring them out of their adversity. For, certain, when that Fortune list to flee, There may no man the course of her wheel hold: Let no man trust in blind prosperity; Beware by these examples true and old.
At LUCIFER, though he an angel were, And not a man, at him I will begin. For though Fortune may no angel dere,* *hurt From high degree yet fell he for his sin Down into hell, where as he yet is in. O Lucifer! brightest of angels all, Now art thou Satanas, that may'st not twin* *depart Out of the misery in which thou art fall.
Lo ADAM, in the field of Damascene <2> With Godde's owen finger wrought was he, And not begotten of man's sperm unclean; And welt* all Paradise saving one tree: *commanded Had never worldly man so high degree As Adam, till he for misgovernance* *misbehaviour Was driven out of his prosperity To labour, and to hell, and to mischance.
Lo SAMPSON, which that was annunciate By the angel, long ere his nativity; <3> And was to God Almighty consecrate, And stood in nobless while that he might see; Was never such another as was he, To speak of strength, and thereto hardiness;* *courage But to his wives told he his secre, Through which he slew himself for wretchedness.
Sampson, this noble and mighty champion, Withoute weapon, save his handes tway, He slew and all to-rente* the lion, *tore to pieces Toward his wedding walking by the way. His false wife could him so please, and pray, Till she his counsel knew; and she, untrue, Unto his foes his counsel gan bewray, And him forsook, and took another new.
Three hundred foxes Sampson took for ire, And all their tailes he together band, And set the foxes' tailes all on fire, For he in every tail had knit a brand, And they burnt all the combs of that lend, And all their oliveres* and vines eke. *olive trees <4> A thousand men he slew eke with his hand, And had no weapon but an ass's cheek.
When they were slain, so thirsted him, that he Was *well-nigh lorn,* for which he gan to pray *near to perishing* That God would on his pain have some pity, And send him drink, or elles must he die; And of this ass's check, that was so dry, Out of a wang-tooth* sprang anon a well, *cheek-tooth Of which, he drank enough, shortly to say. Thus help'd him God, as Judicum <5> can tell.
By very force, at Gaza, on a night, Maugre* the Philistines of that city, *in spite of The gates of the town he hath up plight,* *plucked, wrenched And on his back y-carried them hath he High on an hill, where as men might them see. O noble mighty Sampson, lefe* and dear, *loved Hadst thou not told to women thy secre, In all this world there had not been thy peer.
This Sampson never cider drank nor wine, Nor on his head came razor none nor shear, By precept of the messenger divine; For all his strengthes in his haires were; And fully twenty winters, year by year, He had of Israel the governance; But soone shall he weepe many a tear, For women shall him bringe to mischance.
Unto his leman* Dalila he told, *mistress That in his haires all his strengthe lay; And falsely to his foemen she him sold, And sleeping in her barme* upon a day *lap She made to clip or shear his hair away, And made his foemen all his craft espien. And when they founde him in this array, They bound him fast, and put out both his eyen.
But, ere his hair was clipped or y-shave, There was no bond with which men might him bind; But now is he in prison in a cave, Where as they
THE TALE. <1>
I will bewail, in manner of tragedy, The harm of them that stood in high degree, And felle so, that there was no remedy To bring them out of their adversity. For, certain, when that Fortune list to flee, There may no man the course of her wheel hold: Let no man trust in blind prosperity; Beware by these examples true and old.
At LUCIFER, though he an angel were, And not a man, at him I will begin. For though Fortune may no angel dere,* *hurt From high degree yet fell he for his sin Down into hell, where as he yet is in. O Lucifer! brightest of angels all, Now art thou Satanas, that may'st not twin* *depart Out of the misery in which thou art fall.
Lo ADAM, in the field of Damascene <2> With Godde's owen finger wrought was he, And not begotten of man's sperm unclean; And welt* all Paradise saving one tree: *commanded Had never worldly man so high degree As Adam, till he for misgovernance* *misbehaviour Was driven out of his prosperity To labour, and to hell, and to mischance.
Lo SAMPSON, which that was annunciate By the angel, long ere his nativity; <3> And was to God Almighty consecrate, And stood in nobless while that he might see; Was never such another as was he, To speak of strength, and thereto hardiness;* *courage But to his wives told he his secre, Through which he slew himself for wretchedness.
Sampson, this noble and mighty champion, Withoute weapon, save his handes tway, He slew and all to-rente* the lion, *tore to pieces Toward his wedding walking by the way. His false wife could him so please, and pray, Till she his counsel knew; and she, untrue, Unto his foes his counsel gan bewray, And him forsook, and took another new.
Three hundred foxes Sampson took for ire, And all their tailes he together band, And set the foxes' tailes all on fire, For he in every tail had knit a brand, And they burnt all the combs of that lend, And all their oliveres* and vines eke. *olive trees <4> A thousand men he slew eke with his hand, And had no weapon but an ass's cheek.
When they were slain, so thirsted him, that he Was *well-nigh lorn,* for which he gan to pray *near to perishing* That God would on his pain have some pity, And send him drink, or elles must he die; And of this ass's check, that was so dry, Out of a wang-tooth* sprang anon a well, *cheek-tooth Of which, he drank enough, shortly to say. Thus help'd him God, as Judicum <5> can tell.
By very force, at Gaza, on a night, Maugre* the Philistines of that city, *in spite of The gates of the town he hath up plight,* *plucked, wrenched And on his back y-carried them hath he High on an hill, where as men might them see. O noble mighty Sampson, lefe* and dear, *loved Hadst thou not told to women thy secre, In all this world there had not been thy peer.
This Sampson never cider drank nor wine, Nor on his head came razor none nor shear, By precept of the messenger divine; For all his strengthes in his haires were; And fully twenty winters, year by year, He had of Israel the governance; But soone shall he weepe many a tear, For women shall him bringe to mischance.
Unto his leman* Dalila he told, *mistress That in his haires all his strengthe lay; And falsely to his foemen she him sold, And sleeping in her barme* upon a day *lap She made to clip or shear his hair away, And made his foemen all his craft espien. And when they founde him in this array, They bound him fast, and put out both his eyen.
But, ere his hair was clipped or y-shave, There was no bond with which men might him bind; But now is he in prison in a cave, Where as they