The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer modernis'd by several hands. Publsh'd by Mr. Oggle |
 | I. |
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PROLOGUE TO THE MILLER's TALE. |
| II. |
| III. |
 | The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer |  |
184
PROLOGUE TO THE MILLER's TALE.
By Mr. OGLE.
A Tale so nobly plan'd, and sweetly told!
Pleas'd All of either Sex, both Young and Old;
But most the Men of Sense, and Men of Taste:
Stor'd with such Virtue! With such Beauty grac'd.
They judg'd it, for the Stile, and for the Frame,
Worthy to stand in the Records of Fame!
Pleas'd All of either Sex, both Young and Old;
But most the Men of Sense, and Men of Taste:
Stor'd with such Virtue! With such Beauty grac'd.
They judg'd it, for the Stile, and for the Frame,
Worthy to stand in the Records of Fame!
Our Host all Rapture, “May my Mortal Sins
“Be so forgiv'n, as well the Game begins;
“By You, Sir Monk, be the next Party play'd;
“For You're a Man of Learning by your Trade.
“To match the Knight, unbuckle wide the Male,
“And to the Full repay him, Tale for Tale.”
“Be so forgiv'n, as well the Game begins;
“By You, Sir Monk, be the next Party play'd;
“For You're a Man of Learning by your Trade.
“To match the Knight, unbuckle wide the Male,
“And to the Full repay him, Tale for Tale.”
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The Miller, who till then rode void of Thought,
All Pale, and Drunken with his Morning Draught,
Rose from his Horse, where balancing He sat,
And little Rev'rence pay'd to Hood, or Hat;
But, lev'ling both the Gentry and the Croud,
Exclaim'd, not Pilate half so harsh or loud,
And look'd like Ananias on Saint Paul,
The very Semblance of a Whited Wall!
All Pale, and Drunken with his Morning Draught,
Rose from his Horse, where balancing He sat,
And little Rev'rence pay'd to Hood, or Hat;
But, lev'ling both the Gentry and the Croud,
Exclaim'd, not Pilate half so harsh or loud,
And look'd like Ananias on Saint Paul,
The very Semblance of a Whited Wall!
“A glorious Tale, now comes into my Head;
“Then take it, just as I have heard or read.
“(The Miller roar'd) Room to the Left and Right,
“Nor better cou'd the Monk repay the Knight.”
“Then take it, just as I have heard or read.
“(The Miller roar'd) Room to the Left and Right,
“Nor better cou'd the Monk repay the Knight.”
Our Host, the Miller, heard, and judg'd his Case;
“Hold, Robin, hold (He cry'd) and know thy Place.
“Our Turns come last; then first Our Betters hear!
“What, are thy Wits quite overcome with Beer?
“Forbear! And go more orderly to Work,
“The Christian shou'd not stand behind the Turk.”
“Hold, Robin, hold (He cry'd) and know thy Place.
“Our Turns come last; then first Our Betters hear!
“What, are thy Wits quite overcome with Beer?
“Forbear! And go more orderly to Work,
“The Christian shou'd not stand behind the Turk.”
‘Christian or Turk, the Miller made Reply,
‘Be silent He that will, that will not I.
‘Bar my Discourse, and I renounce the Play,
‘Hail-Fellow and well met! as Neighbors say;
‘Equal in Company are High and Low:
‘On these Conditions shall I stay, or go?’
‘Be silent He that will, that will not I.
186
‘Hail-Fellow and well met! as Neighbors say;
‘Equal in Company are High and Low:
‘On these Conditions shall I stay, or go?’
“Stay, in the Dev'l's Name, stay, and take thy Will,
(Answer'd our Host, who chose the lighter Ill)
“What wou'd You more? Begin without Delay:
“A Fool Thou art, and Fools must have their Way.”
(Answer'd our Host, who chose the lighter Ill)
“What wou'd You more? Begin without Delay:
“A Fool Thou art, and Fools must have their Way.”
The Miller then; ‘Half Tipsey, by my Soul!
‘Fast as a Mill I feel my Senses rowl!
‘If then in Manners, or in Words I fail,
‘Impute it to the Strength of Southwark Ale.
‘While first I paint in Colours to the Life,
‘A jealous Husband, and a flaunting Wife;
‘He Rich and Old, a Carpenter by Trade!
‘She Young and Handsome, but an errant Jade!
‘And last a Student's Stratagem reveal,
‘Who put a Spoke into the Cuckold's Wheel’.
‘Fast as a Mill I feel my Senses rowl!
‘If then in Manners, or in Words I fail,
‘Impute it to the Strength of Southwark Ale.
‘While first I paint in Colours to the Life,
‘A jealous Husband, and a flaunting Wife;
‘He Rich and Old, a Carpenter by Trade!
‘She Young and Handsome, but an errant Jade!
‘And last a Student's Stratagem reveal,
‘Who put a Spoke into the Cuckold's Wheel’.
Him interrupts the Reve. ‘Forbear thy Prate;
‘All lewd and drunken Ribaldry I hate;
‘And hold it equally a Sin and Shame,
‘To God, and Man, our Neighbor to defame:
‘Much more the Virtue of his Bosom Spouse,
‘To bring in Question. Spare the Wedded House.
‘Another Subject chuse, the Coast is clear,
‘One fit for You to tell, and Us to hear.’
Not, so reprov'd, the Miller spar'd his Joke,
But spoke, and laugh'd full hearty as He spoke.
‘Good Brother Oswalde, I wou'd stake my Life,
‘No Cuckold is the Man who has no Wife;
‘Not that it therefore follows as imply'd,
‘That Thou art one, because in Wedlock ty'd.
‘Yet 'tis a Hazard, rightly understood,
‘Wives there are many bad, and many good.
‘And I as well as Thou, am duly bound,
‘Be Marriage what it will, a Park, or Pound!
‘Yet wou'd not I presume, in Word or Thought,
‘To Sentence Wives more strictly than I ought,
‘Or deem that Mine had slyly branch'd my Brow,
‘No, not for all the Oxen in my Plow;
‘Content, to hope the Best, good Master Reve,
‘For I'm a perfect Christian, and believe;
‘Nay more, to lay Partiality aside,
‘All Jealousy, is Av'rice mixt with Pride;
‘A Wish, to lay in Hoard, or keep for Show
‘More than we want; as Wives and Husbands know.
‘Then rate not by the lost, but by the giv'n,
‘The Goods of Wisehood, as the Goods of Heav'n.
‘Tho' some by Blasts of Wind are borne away,
‘And some to thievish Birds may fall a Prey;
‘If still Enough for Dayly Use remains,
‘Why wail the supernumerary Grains?’
‘All lewd and drunken Ribaldry I hate;
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‘To God, and Man, our Neighbor to defame:
‘Much more the Virtue of his Bosom Spouse,
‘To bring in Question. Spare the Wedded House.
‘Another Subject chuse, the Coast is clear,
‘One fit for You to tell, and Us to hear.’
Not, so reprov'd, the Miller spar'd his Joke,
But spoke, and laugh'd full hearty as He spoke.
‘Good Brother Oswalde, I wou'd stake my Life,
‘No Cuckold is the Man who has no Wife;
‘Not that it therefore follows as imply'd,
‘That Thou art one, because in Wedlock ty'd.
‘Yet 'tis a Hazard, rightly understood,
‘Wives there are many bad, and many good.
‘And I as well as Thou, am duly bound,
‘Be Marriage what it will, a Park, or Pound!
‘Yet wou'd not I presume, in Word or Thought,
‘To Sentence Wives more strictly than I ought,
‘Or deem that Mine had slyly branch'd my Brow,
‘No, not for all the Oxen in my Plow;
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‘For I'm a perfect Christian, and believe;
‘Nay more, to lay Partiality aside,
‘All Jealousy, is Av'rice mixt with Pride;
‘A Wish, to lay in Hoard, or keep for Show
‘More than we want; as Wives and Husbands know.
‘Then rate not by the lost, but by the giv'n,
‘The Goods of Wisehood, as the Goods of Heav'n.
‘Tho' some by Blasts of Wind are borne away,
‘And some to thievish Birds may fall a Prey;
‘If still Enough for Dayly Use remains,
‘Why wail the supernumerary Grains?’
What need of Words, the Prelude to prolong?
Nought cou'd restrain the Torrent of his Tongue;
For down He bore Us, with impetuous Sway,
And told his Tale in his own Churlish Way.
But not, to our Account, his Licence state,
If what he spoke, we faithfully relate.
Bound to the Truth, by Duty and by Force,
As Man to Wife, for Better and for Worse;
The Tale we must recount without Disguise,
Such as it was; in This no Medium lies.
Nought cou'd restrain the Torrent of his Tongue;
For down He bore Us, with impetuous Sway,
And told his Tale in his own Churlish Way.
But not, to our Account, his Licence state,
If what he spoke, we faithfully relate.
Bound to the Truth, by Duty and by Force,
As Man to Wife, for Better and for Worse;
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Such as it was; in This no Medium lies.
Then timely warn'd, ye modest Virgins fly,
Nor curious lend an Ear, nor cast an Eye.
Here stop, and cautious further to ingage,
Turn the loose Leaf, and chuse a chaster Page.
Others, and many such, remain behind,
Unspotted Stories suited to your Mind;
Some fitted to instruct and to delight,
The Subject moral, and the Turn polite;
To Hist'ry, some that raise a bolder Wing,
And some that ev'n of Sacred Myst'ries sing.
Then blame not us, nor on our Labors frown;
We tell you plain, the Miller is a Clown!
A Clown the Reve! the Journey to beguile,
Who talk'd of Love, in Nature's naked Stile.
Nor take in Serious what is meant in Sport,
We scorn to trap you with unfair Report.
The Good and Bad to your Election leave,
Condemn not us, if you yourselves deceive.
But if the Prohibition more intice,
For Curiosity may want Advice,
Convey the Ribaldry from Vulgar Sight,
Peruse it in the Closet, and by Night;
Or with a female Friend in private read,
So may the Miller, if you chuse, proceed.
Nor curious lend an Ear, nor cast an Eye.
Here stop, and cautious further to ingage,
Turn the loose Leaf, and chuse a chaster Page.
Others, and many such, remain behind,
Unspotted Stories suited to your Mind;
Some fitted to instruct and to delight,
The Subject moral, and the Turn polite;
To Hist'ry, some that raise a bolder Wing,
And some that ev'n of Sacred Myst'ries sing.
Then blame not us, nor on our Labors frown;
We tell you plain, the Miller is a Clown!
A Clown the Reve! the Journey to beguile,
Who talk'd of Love, in Nature's naked Stile.
Nor take in Serious what is meant in Sport,
We scorn to trap you with unfair Report.
The Good and Bad to your Election leave,
Condemn not us, if you yourselves deceive.
190
For Curiosity may want Advice,
Convey the Ribaldry from Vulgar Sight,
Peruse it in the Closet, and by Night;
Or with a female Friend in private read,
So may the Miller, if you chuse, proceed.
End of the Prologue.
| The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer | |