The Canterbury Tales

Fragment II

The Man of Law's Prologue

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The Prologe of the Mannes

Tale of Lawe.

O hateful harm, condicion of poverte!

100

With thurst, with coold, with hunger so confoundid!

To asken help thee shameth in thyn herte;

If thou noon aske, with nede artow so woundid

That verray nede unwrappeth al thy wounde hid!

Maugree thyn heed, thou most for indigence

105

Or stele, or begge, or borwe thy despence!

Thow blamest crist, and seist ful bitterly,

He mysdeparteth richesse temporal;

Thy neighebor thou wytest synfully,

And seist thou hast to lite, and he hath al.

110

0parfay, seistow, somtyme he rekene shal,

Whan that his tayl shal brennen in the gleede,

For he noght helpeth needfulle in hir neede.

Herkne what is the sentence of the wise:

Bet is to dyen than have indigence;

115

Thy selve neighebor wol thee despise.

If thou be povre, farwel thy reverence!

Yet of the wise man take this sentence:

Alle the dayes of povre men been wikke.

Be war, therfore, er thou come to that prikke!

120

If thou be povre, thy brother hateth thee,

And alle thy freendes fleen from thee, allas!

O riche marchauntz, ful of wele been yee,

O noble, o prudent folk, as in this cas!

Youre bagges been nat fild with ambes as,

125

But with sys cynk, that renneth for youre chaunce;

At cristemasse myrie may ye daunce!

Ye seken lond and see for yowre wynnynges;

As wise folk ye knowen al th' estaat

Of regnes; ye been fadres of tidynges

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And tales, bothe of pees and of debaat.

I were right now of tales desolaat,

Nere that a marchant, goon is many a yeere,

Me taughte a tale, which that ye shal heere.