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The Canterbury Tales: The Franklin’s Tale
by
The philosopher answer’d; “Leve* brother, *dear
Evereach of you did gently to the other;
Thou art a squier, and he is a knight,
But God forbidde, for his blissful might,
But if a clerk could do a gentle deed
As well as any of you, it is no drede* *doubt
Sir, I release thee thy thousand pound,
As thou right now were crept out of the ground,
Nor ever ere now haddest knowen me.
For, Sir, I will not take a penny of thee
For all my craft, nor naught for my travail;* *labour, pains
Thou hast y-payed well for my vitaille;
It is enough; and farewell, have good day.”
And took his horse, and forth he went his way.
Lordings, this question would I aske now,
Which was the moste free,* as thinketh you? *generous <32>
Now telle me, ere that ye farther wend.
I can* no more, my tale is at an end. *know, can tell
Notes to The Franklin’s Tale
1. Well unnethes durst this knight for dread: This knight hardly
dared, for fear (that she would not entertain his suit.)
2. “Ne woulde God never betwixt us twain,
As in my guilt, were either war or strife”
Would to God there may never be war or strife between us, through my fault.
3. Perhaps the true reading is “beteth” — prepares, makes ready, his wings for flight.
4. Penmark: On the west coast of Brittany, between Brest and L’Orient. The name is composed of two British words, “pen,” mountain, and “mark,” region; it therefore means the mountainous country
5. Cairrud: “The red city;” it is not known where it was situated.
6. Warished: cured; French, “guerir,” to heal, or recover from sickness.
7. Annoyeth: works mischief; from Latin, “nocco,” I hurt.
8. Virelays: ballads; the “virelai” was an ancient French poem of two rhymes.
9. Lucina the sheen: Diana the bright. See note 54 to the Knight’s Tale.
10. In a Latin poem, very popular in Chaucer’s time, Pamphilus relates his amour with Galatea, setting out with the idea adopted by our poet in the lines that follow.
11. Sursanure: A wound healed on the surface, but festering beneath.
12. Orleans: Where there was a celebrated and very famous university, afterwards eclipsed by that of Paris. It was founded by Philip le Bel in 1312.
13. Every halk and every hern: Every nook and corner, Anglo- Saxon, “healc,” a nook; “hyrn,” a corner.
14. Tregetoures: tricksters, jugglers. The word is probably derived — in “treget,” deceit or imposture — from the French “trebuchet,” a military machine; since it is evident that much and elaborate machinery must have been employed to produce the effects afterwards described. Another derivation is from the Low Latin, “tricator,” a deceiver.
15. Lissed of: eased of; released from; another form of “less” or “lessen.”
16. Gironde: The river, formed by the union of the Dordogne and Garonne, on which Bourdeaux stands.
17. Nor gladly for that sum he would not gon: And even for that sum he would not willingly go to work.
18. “Noel,” the French for Christmas — derived from “natalis,” and signifying that on that day Christ was born — came to be used as a festive cry by the people on solemn occasions.