Of this teinë, withouten any drede,4823
So slily, that the priest it not espied;
And in his sleeve again he gan it hide;
And from the fire he took up his mattére,
And in th’ ingot put it with merry cheer;4824
And in the water-vessel he it cast,
When that him list, and bade the priest as fast
Look what there is; “Put in thine hand and grope;4825
There shalt thou findë silver, as I hope.”
What, devil of hellë! should it ellës be?
Shaving of silver, silver is, pardie.
He put his hand in, and took up a teine4826
Of silver fine; and glad in every vein
Was this priest, when he saw that it was so.
“Goddë’s blessing, and his mother’s also,
And allë hallows’,4827 have ye, Sir Canón!”
Saidë this priest, “and I their malison4828
But, an’4829 ye vouchësafe to teachë me
This noble craft and this subtilitý,
I will be yours in all that ever I may.”
Quoth the canón, “Yet will I make assay4830
The second time, that ye may takë heed,
And be expert of this, and, in your need,
Another day assay in mine absénce
This discipline, and this crafty sciénce.
Let take another ouncë,” quoth he tho,4831
“Of quicksilver, withoutë wordës mo’,
And do therewith as ye have done ere this
With that other, which that now silver is.”
The priest him busied, all that e’er he can,
To do as this canón, this cursed man,
Commanded him, and fast he blew the fire
For to come to th’ effect of his desire.
And this canón right in the meanëwhile
All ready was this priest eft4832 to beguile,
and, for a countenance,4833 in his handë bare
An hollow stickë (take keep4834 and beware);
In th’ end of which an ouncë and no more
Of silver limaile put was, as before
Was in his coal, and stopped with wax well
For to keep in his limaile every deal.4835
And while this priest was in his business,
This canon with his stickë gan him dress4836
To him anon, and his powder cast in,
As he did erst4837 (the devil out of his skin
Him turn, I pray to God, for his falsehéad,
For he was ever false in thought and deed),
And with his stick, above the crossëlet,
That was ordained with that falsë get,4838
He stirr’d the coalës, till relentë gan
The wax against the fire, as every man,
But he a fool be, knows well it must need.
And all that in the stickë was out yede,4839
And in the croslet hastily4840 it fell.
Now, goodë Sirs, what will ye bet4841 than well?
When that this priest was thus beguil’d again,
Supposing naught but truthë, sooth to sayn,
He was so glad, that I can not express
In no mannére his mirth and his gladnéss;
And to the canon he proffér’d eftsoon4842
Body and good. “Yea,” quoth the canon soon,
“Though poor I be, crafty4843 thou shalt me find;
I warn thee well, yet is there more behind.
Is any copper here within?” said he.
“Yea, Sir,” the priestë said, “I trow there be.”
“Ellës go buy us some, and that as swithë.4844
Now, goodë Sir, go forth thy way and hie4845 thee.”
He went his way, and with the copper came,
And this canón it in his handës name,4846
And of that copper weighed out an ounce.
Too simple is my tonguë to pronounce,
As minister of my wit, the doubleness
Of this canon, root of all cursedness.
He friendly seem’d to them that knew him not;
But he was fiendly, both in work and thought.
It wearieth me to tell of his falsenéss;
And natheless yet will I it express,
To that intent men may beware thereby,
And for none other causë truëly.
He put this copper in the crossëlet,
And on the fire as swithe4847 he hath it set,
And cast in powder, and made the priest to blow,
And in his working for to stoopë low,
As he did erst,4848 and all was but a jape;4849
Right as him list the priest he made his ape.4850
And afterward in the ingot he it cast,
And in the pan he put it at the last
Of water, and in he put his own hand;
And in his sleeve, as ye beforëhand
Heardë me tell, he had a silver teine;4851
He silly took it out, this cursed heine4852
(Unweeting4853 this priest of his falsë craft),
And in the pannë’s bottom he it laft.4854
And in the water rumbleth to and fro,
And wondrous privily took up alsó
The copper teine (not knowing thilkë priest),
And hid it, and him hentë4855 by the breast,
And to him spake, and thus said in his game;
“Stoop now adown; by God, ye be to blame;
Helpë me now, as I did you whilére;4856
Put in your hand, and lookë what is there.”
This priest took up this silver teine anon;
And thennë said the canon, “Let us gon,
With these three teinës which that we have wrought,
To some goldsmith, and weet if they be aught:4857
For, by my faith, I would not for my hood
But if4858 they werë silver fine and good,
And that as swithe4859 well proved shall it be.”
Unto the goldsmith with these teinës three
They went anon, and put them in assay4860
To fire and hammer; might no man say nay,
But that they weren as they ought to be.
This sotted4861 priest, who gladder was than he?
Was never bird gladder against the day;
Nor nightingale in the season of May
Was never none, that better list to sing;
Nor lady lustier in carolling,
Or for to speak of love and womanhead;
Nor knight in arms to do a hardy deed,
To standen in grace of his lady dear,
Than had this priest this craftë for to lear;
And to the canon thus he spake and said;
“For love of God, that
