And curteis, as a man of your eftat, i rolled And eke of many another maner crime, Our Hofte answered, Pees, no more of this. THE FRERES TALE. WHILOM ther was dwelling in my contree An archedeken, a man of high degree, In punishing of fornication, Of witchecraft, and eke of bauderie, Of chirche-reves, and of teftaments, 6870 6875 6880 6885 Of contracts, and of lack of facraments, 6890 Of ufure, and of fimonie alfo, But certes lechours did he greteft wo; The Freres Tale] A Sompnour and the devil meeting on the way, after conference become fworn brethren, and to hell they go together. A covert invective against the bribery and corruption of the fpiritual courts in thofe days. Urry. They shulden fingen if that they were hent, If any perfone wold upon hem plaine 6895 He made the peple pitoufly to fing, For er the bishop hent hem with his crook 6900 They weren in the archedekens book; He had a Sompnour redy to his hond, A flier boy was non in Englelond; For fubtilly he had his espiaille, 6905 That taught him wel wher it might ought availle. He coude spare of lechours on or two To techen hem to foure-and-twenty mo: For though this Sompnour wood be as an hare, To tell his harlotrie I wol not fpare, 6910 Ne never fhul have, terme of all hir lives. 6915 Pees, with mischance and with misaventure, Our Hofte faid, and let him tell his Talc. Now telleth forth, and let the Sompnour gale, This falfe theef, this Sompnour, quod the Frere, Had alway baudes redy to his hond, As any hanke to lure in Englelond, 6991 That told him all the secree that they knewe, For hir acquaintance was not come of newe; 6925 He tooke himself a gret profit therby, His maister knew not alway what he wan. He coude fompne up peine of Cristes curse, 6930 And was a theef, right swiche a theef was he; His master hadde but half his duetee. He was (if I fhal yeven him his laud) 6935 A theef, and eke a Sompnour, and a baud. He had eke wenches at his retenue, That whether that Sire Robert or Sire Hue, 6940 Than wold he fay, Frend, I fhal for thy fake 6945 Do strike thee out of oure lettres blake; .6931. the nale] The alehouse, P. P. fol. 32, b.; And than fatten fome and fonge at the nale. Skinner fuppofes it to be a corruption of inn-ale, which is not impoffible. See Gloff. in v. Nale. Volume 111. F Thee thar no more as in this cas travaille; 6950 And for that was the fruit of all his rent, 6955 Therfore on it he fet all his entent. And fo befell that ones on a day This Sompnour, waiting ever on his pray, Rode forth to fompne a widewe, an olde ribibe, 6960 And happed that he faw beforn him ride A gay yeman under a forest side; A bow he bare, and arwes bright and kene, An hat 6965 upon his hed with frenges blake. Sire, quod the Sompnour, haile, and wel atake. . 6959. an olde ribibe] He calls her below, ver. 7155, an olde rebekke. They were both fames for the fame musical inftrument. See Menage, in v. Rebec. Ribeba, in The Decameron, ix. 5, is rendered by Macon, the old French translator, rebec and guiterne. Chaucer ufes alfo the diminutive ribible, ver. 3331, 4395. How this inftrument came to be put for an old woman I cannot guefs, unlefs perhaps from its ihrilinets. An old writer, quoted by Du Cange, in v. Baudeja, has the following lines in his description of a concert; Quidam rebeccam arcuabant Welcome, quod he, and every good felaw. Whider ridest thou under this grene shaw? (Saide this yeman) wolt thou fer to-day? 6975 This Sompnour him answerd, and faide Nay. 6970 Here fafte by (quod he) is min entent To riden, for.to reifen up a rent That longeth to my lordes duetee. A! art thou than a baillif? Ye, quod he. (He dorfte not for veray filth and flame Say that he was a Sompnour for the name.) De par dieux. quod this yeman, leve brother, Thou art a baillit, and I am another. I am unknowen as in this contree; Of thin acquaintance I wol prayen thee, And eke of brotherhed, if that thee lift. I have gold and filver lying in my chift; If that thee hap to come in to our shire Al fhal be thin, right as thou welt defire. 6980 Grand mercy, quod this Sompnour, by my faith. Everich in others hond his trouthe laith For to be fworne brethren til they dey. 6986 In daliaunce they riden forth and pley. This Sompnour, which that was as ful of jangles As ful of venime ben thise wariangles, 6990 ¥. 6990. wariangles] 【 have nothing to say either in refutation or support of Mr. Speght's explanation of this word— "A kind of birds full of noife, and very ravenous, preying up"on others, which when they have taken they ufe to hang 66 upon a thorne or pricke, and teare them in peeces, and de |