Right so, lo, fareth it amongës us.
He that the wisest seemeth, by Jesús,
Is most fool, when it cometh to the prefe;4754
And he that seemeth truest, is a thief.
That shall ye know, ere that I from you wend;
By that I of my tale have made an end.
There was a canon of religioún
Amongës us, would ínfect all a town,
Though it as great were as was Ninevéh,
Rome, Alisandre,4755 Troy, or other three.
His sleightës4756 and his infinite falsenéss
There couldë no man writen, as I guess,
Though that he mightë live a thousand year;
In all this world of falseness n’is4757 his peer.
For in his termës he will him so wind,
And speak his wordës in so sly a kind,
When he commúnë shall with any wight,
That he will make him doat4758 anon aright,
But4759 it a fiendë be, as himself is.
Full many a man hath he beguil’d ere this,
And will, if that he may live any while;
And yet men go and ride many a mile
Him for to seek, and have his ácquaintánce,
Not knowing of his falsë governánce.4760
And if you list to give me audiénce,
I will it tellë here in your presénce.
But, worshipful canóns religioús,
Ne deemë not that I slander your house,
Although that my tale of a canon be.
Of every order some shrew is,4761 pardie;
And God forbid that all a company
Should rue a singular4762 mannë’s folly.
To slander you is no thing mine intent;
But to correct that is amiss I meant.
This talë was not only told for you,
But eke for other more; ye wot well how
That amongës Christë’s apostlës twelve
There was no traitor but Judas himselve;
Then why should all the remenant have blame,
That guiltless were? By you I say the same.
Save only this, if ye will hearken me,
If any Judas in your convent be,
Removë him betimës, I you rede,4763
If shame or loss may causen any dread.
And be no thing displeased, I you pray;
But in this casë hearken what I say.
In London was a priest, an annualére,4764
That therein dwelled haddë many a year,
Which was so pleasant and so serviceáble
Unto the wife, where as he was at table,
That she would suffer him no thing to pay
For board nor clothing, went he ne’er so gay;
And spending silver had he right enow;
Thereof no force;4765 will proceed as now,
And tellë forth my tale of the canón,
That brought this priestë to confusión.
This falsë canon came upon a day
Unto the priestë’s chamber, where he lay,
Beseeching him to lend him a certáin
Of gold, and he would quit it him again.
“Lend me a mark,” quoth he, “but dayës three,
And at my day I will it quitë thee.
And if it so be that thou find me false,
Another day hang me up by the halse.”4766
This priest him took a mark, and that as swithe,4767
And this canón him thanked often sithe,4768
And took his leave, and wentë forth his way;
And at the thirdë day brought his monéy;
And to the priest he took his gold again,
Whereof this priest was wondrous glad and fain.4769
“Certes,” quoth he, “nothing annoyeth me4770
To lend a man a noble, or two, or three,
Or what thing were in my possessión,
When he so true is of conditión,
That in no wise he breakë will his day;
To such a man I never can say nay.”
“What,” quoth this canon, “should I be untrue?
Nay, that were thing y-fallen all of new.4771
Truth is a thing that I will ever keep,
Unto the day in which that I shall creep
Into my grave; and ellës God forbid;
Believë this as sicker4772 as your creed.
God thank I, and in good time be it said,
That there was never man yet evil apaid4773
For gold nor silver that he to me lent,
Nor ever falsehood in mine heart I meant.
And Sir,” quoth he, “now of my privity,
Since ye so goodly have been unto me,
And kithed4774 to me so great gentleness,
Somewhat, to quitë with your kindëness,
I will you shew, and if you list to lear,4775
I will you teachë plainly the mannére
How I can worken in philosophý.
Takë good heed, ye shall well see at eye4776
That I will do a mas’try ere I go.”
“Yea,” quoth the priest; “yea, Sir, and will ye so?
Mary! thereof I pray you heartily.”
“At your commandëment, Sir, truëly,”
Quoth the canón, “and ellës God forbid.”
Lo, how this thiefë could his service bede!4777
Full sooth it is that such proffér’d servíce
Stinketh, as witnessë these oldë wise;4778
And that full soon I will it verify
In this canón, root of all treacherý,
That evermore delight had and gladnéss
(Such fiendly thoughtës in his heart impress4779)
How Christë’s people he may to mischief bring.
God keep us from his false dissimulíng!
What wistë this priest with whom that he dealt?
Nor of his harm comíng he nothing felt.
O sely4780 priest, O sely innocent!
With covetíse anon thou shalt be blent;4781
O gracëless, full blind is thy conceit!
For nothing art thou ware of the deceit
Which that this fox y-shapen4782 hath to thee;
His wily wrenches4783 thou not mayest flee.
Wherefore, to go to the conclusión
That referreth to thy confusión,
Unhappy man, anon I will me hie4784
To tellë thine unwit4785 and thy follý,
And eke the falseness of that other wretch,
As farforth as that my conníng4786 will stretch.
This canon was my lord, ye wouldë ween;4787
Sir Host, in faith, and by the heaven’s queen,
It was another canon, and not he,
That can4788 an hundred fold more subtletý.
He hath betrayed folkës many a time;
Of his falsenéss it doleth4789 me to rhyme.
And ever, when I speak of his falsehéad,
For shame of him my cheekës waxë red;
Algatës4790 they beginnë for to glow,
For redness have I none, right well I
