The Man of Law's Prologue
The Prologe of the Mannes Tale of Lawe.
O hateful harm! condicion of poverte!
With thurst, with cold, with hunger so confounded!
To asken help thee shameth in thyn herte;
If thou noon aske, with nede artow so wounded,
That verray nede unwrappeth al thy wounde hid!
Maugree thyn heed, thou most for indigence
Or stele, or begge, or borwe thy despence!
Thou blamest Crist, and seyst ful bitterly,
He misdeparteth richesse temporal;
Thy neighebour thou wytest sinfully,
And seyst thou hast to lyte, and he hath al.
‘Parfay,’ seistow, ‘somtyme he rekne shal,
Whan that his tayl shal brennen in the glede,
For he noght helpeth needfulle in hir nede.’
Herkne what is the sentence of the wyse:—
‘Bet is to dyën than have indigence;’
‘Thy selve neighebour wol thee despyse;’
If thou be povre, farwel thy reverence!
Yet of the wyse man tak this sentence:—
‘Alle the dayes of povre men ben wikke;’
Be war therfor, er thou come in that prikke!
‘If thou be povre, thy brother hateth thee,
And alle thy freendes fleen fro thee, alas!’
O riche marchaunts, ful of wele ben ye,
O noble, o prudent folk, as in this cas!
Your bagges been nat filled with ambes as,
But with sis cink, than renneth for your chaunce;
At Cristemasse merie may ye daunce!
Ye seken lond and see for your winninges,
As wyse folk ye knowen al thestaat
Of regnes; ye ben fadres of tydinges
And tales, bothe of pees and of debat.
I were right now of tales desolat,
Nere that a marchaunt, goon is many a yere,
Me taughte a tale, which that ye shal here.
The Prologue of the Man’s Tale of Law
O hateful harm! condition of povert!
With thirst, with cold, with hunger so confounded!
To asken help thee shameth in thine heart;
If thou none ask, with need art thou so wounded,
That very need unwrappeth all thy wound hid!
Maugre thine head, thou must for indigence
Or steal, or beg, or borrow thy dispense!
Thou blamest Christ and sayest full bitterly
He misdeparteth richesse temporal;
Thy neighbour thou wytest sinfully,
And sayest thou hast too lite, and he hath all.
“Parfay,” sayest thou, “sometime he reckon shall,
When that his tail shall burnen in the gleed,
For he nought helpeth needful in their need.”
Harken what is the sentence of the wise:—
“Bet is to dien than have indigence;”
“Thy self neighbour will thee despise.”
If thou be povre, farewell thy reverence!
Yet of all the wise man take this sentence:—
“All the days of povre men been wick.”
Beware, therefore, ere thou come to that prick!
“If thou be povre, thy brother hateth thee,
And all thy friends fleen from thee, alas!”
O rich merchants, full of weal been ye,
O noble, o prudent folk, as in this case!
Your bags been not filled with ames-ace,
But with six cinq, then runneth for your chance;
At Christmas merry may ye dance!
Ye seeken land and sea for your winnings,
As wise folk ye knowen all th’estate
Of reigns, ye been fathers of tidings
And tales, both of peace and of debate.
I were right now of tales desolate,
Nere that a merchant, gone is many a year,
Me taught a tale, which that ye shall hear.
