Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookss to pursue the subject. § 51. EPILOGUE TO THE NONNE PREESTES TALE. These characteristic lines are obviously genuine, but are only extant in three MSS. (footnote to vol. iv. p. 289). The use of the word 'another' in the last line shews that they were composed with the view of being used as a Prologue to some Tale, but that the author had not, at the moment, decided what Tale was to come next. This point was, after all, never settled; and hence there is nothing to shew what was to follow. This brings us, of necessity, to the conclusion of Group B. In the old black-letter editions, which _retain_ this Epilogue, it is followed by the Manciple's Prologue. But this cannot be right, for there (H 5) the Host does not address 'another,' but the whole company. One of the three MSS. which retain this Epilogue (Addit. 5140) reads 'the Nunne' instead of 'another,' because the next Tale in the MS. is that of the Second Nun. This also is unsuitable, for the Host does not introduce that Tale at all. Tyrwhitt introduces a row of asterisks after this Epilogue, to shew that there is no connexion with the following Tale. GROUP C. § 52. THE SPURIOUS PROLOGUE TO THE PHISICIENS TALE. This Tale has _no_ genuine Prologue, and some MSS., including E., do not contain one. In MS. Dd. is the rubric: 'Here endeth the Frankeleins Tale, and biginneth the Phisiciens Tale _without a Prologe_.' In the best MSS., it follows the Frankeleins Tale; and such is, in my belief, its proper position. This arrangement was arbitrarily altered by Dr. Furnivall, in order, I suppose, to emphasize the fact that the relative order of the Groups may be altered at pleasure; but this might have been understood without forcible dislocation; and I think that no good has been effected by it. I have been obliged to follow suit, but I wish to make a note that the right order of the Groups is A, B, D, E, F, C, G, H, I. On the supposition that the Phisicien follows the Frankeleyn, Tyrwhitt inserted here a short Prologue of six lines, merely to fill up the gap, without accepting it as genuine. These six lines he found in _one_ MS. only, viz. in MS. Harl. 7735; and I have reprinted them from his edition in the foot-note to vol. iv. p. 289. In most MSS. the original position of the Tales has been altered, so as to make the Phisicien follow the Chanouns Yeman; and this is the arrangement in the black-letter editions. Two spurious Prologues have been written to connect these Tales; both being very bad. One of these appears in the black letter editions; and I here give it, from the edition of 1532. Whan this yeman his tale ended had Of this false chanon, which was so bad, Our Hoste gan say, 'truely and certayne, This preest was begyled, sothe for to sayne, He wenyng for to be a phylosopher, 5 Tyl he right no golde lefte in his cofer. And sothly, this preest had a lither[120] iape; This cursed chanon put in his hoode an ape. But al this passe I ouer as now. Sir Doctour of Phisyke, yet I pray you, 10 Tel vs a tale of some honest matere.' 'It shal be done, if that ye wol it here,' Sayd this Doctour, and his tale bygan anon: 'Now good men (quod he) herkeneth euerychon.' It will be seen that lines 7-9 are imitated from B 1629, 1630, and 1633; and lines 9-14 coincide, very nearly, with the spurious Prologue of six lines which I have already discussed. The other Prologue is still worse; Mr. Wright has printed it, in a note, from the Lansdowne MS., and I here reproduce it. 'Now trewly,' quod oure Oste, 'this is a prati tale; For litel merveile it is that thou lokest so pale, Sethen thou hast medeled with so mony thinges; With bloweinge att the cole to melte bothe brochez and ringes, And other many Iewels, dar I undertake, 5 And that thi lorde couthe us tel, if we might him overtake. But lat him go a devel waye, the compaigny is never the wers; And al suche fals harlotes, I sette not be hem a kers. But latt pas overe nowe al thes subtilitees, And sume worthi man tel us summe veritees; 10 As ye, worschipful Maister of Phisike, Tellith us somme tale that is a cronyke, That we may of yowe leren sum witte.' Quod the Maister of Phisik, 'a tale that I finde writte In [a] cronyke passed of olde tyme; 15 Herkeneth, for I wil tel it yow in rime.' These lines are instructive, as shewing that we must not accept lines as genuine merely because they occur in a MS. of some authority. And this circumstance should warn us against the folly of accepting the genuineness of such a poem as the 'Court of Love,' merely on the authority of the edition of 1561, which is a third reprint of the edition by Thynne, with arbitrary additions. § 53. THE PHISICIENS TALE. This is the well-known story of Virginia, which Chaucer tells, as usual, in his own way. Although he appeals to Livy as his author, he really follows the account in Le Roman de la Rose, ll. 5613-82; which contains all the particulars which he introduces, except such as are of his own invention. It is interesting to compare ll. 3-120 of this Tale, which are practically Chaucer's own, with ll. 255-76, where he follows Jean de Meun rather closely. In order to illustrate this, I give the whole passage of the French text, from Méon's edition, lines 5613-82; t. ii. p. 74:-- Comment Virginius plaida Devant Apius, qui jugea Que sa fille, à tout bien taillée, Fust tost à Claudius baillée. Ne fist bien Apius à pendre, Qui fist à son serjant emprendre Par faus tesmoings, fauce querele 5615 Contre Virgine la pucele, Qui fu fille Virginius, Si cum dist Titus Livius[121] Qui bien set le cas raconter, Por ce qu'il ne pooit donter 5620 La pucele, qui n'avoit cure Ne di li, ne de sa luxure. Li ribaus[122] dist en audience: 'Sire juges[123], donnes sentence Por moi, car la pucele est moie; 5625 Por ma serve la proveroie Contre tous ceus qui sunt en vie: Car où qu'ele ait été norrie, De mon ostel me fu emblée Dès-lors par poi qu'ele fu née, 5630 Et baillie à Virginius. Si vous requier, sire Apius, Que vous me délivrés ma serve, Car il est drois qu'ele me serve, Non pas celi qui l'a norrie: 5635 Et se Virginius le nie, Tout ce sui-ge prest de prover, Car bons tesmoings en puis trover.' Ainsinc parloit li faus traïstre Qui du faus juge[124] estoit menistre[125]; 5640 Et cum li plais ainsinc alast, Ains[126] que Virginius parlast, Qui tout estoit prest de respondre Por ses aversaires confondre, Juga par hastive sentence 5645 Apius que, sans atendence, Fust la pucele au serf renduë. Et[127] quant la chose a entenduë, Li bons prodons devant nommés, Bons chevaliers, bien renommés, 5650 C'est assavoir Virginius, Qui bien voit que vers Apius Ne puet pas sa fille deffendre, Ains li convient par force rendre, Et son cors livrer à hontage, 5655 Si change honte por damage Par merveilleus apensement, Se Titus-Livius ne ment. Comment après la jugement Virginius hastivement A sa fille le chief couppa, Dont de la mort |