ページの画像
PDF
ePub

Henne1 over a myle, with-in a greet village, Both man and womman, child and hyne,2

and page.

360

I trowe his habitacioun be there;
To been avysed3 greet wisdom it were,
Er that he dide a man a dishonour."
"Ye, goddes armes," quod this ryotour,
"Is it swich peril with him for to mete? 365
I shal him seke by wey and eek by strete,
I make avow to goddes digne1 bones!
Herkneth, felawes, we three been al ones;5
Lat ech of us holde up his hond til other,
And ech of us bicomen otheres brother, 370
And we wol sleen this false traytour Deeth;
He shal be slayn, which that so many
sleeth,

By goddes dignitee, er it be night.'

Togidres han thise three her trouthes plight,

To live and dyen ech of hem for other, 375 As though he were his owene yboren brother.

And up they sterte al dronken, in this rage, And forth they goon towardes that village, Of which the taverner had spoke biforn, And many a grisly ooth than han they 380 And Cristes blessed body they to-rente"Deeth shal be deed, if that they may him hente."

sworn,

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

I moot go thider as I have to go." "Nay, olde cherl, by god, thou shalt nat so,"

Seyde this other hasardour anon,

"Thou partest nat so lightly, by seint

Iohn!

Thou spak right now of thilke traitour Deeth,

425 That in this contree alle our frendes sleeth. Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his aspye,

23

Tel wher he is, or thou shalt it abye,24 By god, and by the holy sacrament! For soothly thou art oon of his assent,25 430 To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!" "Now, sirs," quod he, "if that yow be so leef26

To finde Deeth, turne up this croked wey, For in that grove I lafte him, by my fey, Under a tree, and ther he wol abyde; 435 Nat for your boost28 he wol him no-thing hyde.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

And everich of thise ryotoures ran,

440

Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde

Of florins fyne of golde ycoyned rounde Wel ny an eighte1 busshels, as hem thoughte.

No lenger thanne after Deeth they soughte, But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte, For that the florins been so faire and brighte, 446

That doun they sette hem by this precious hord.

The worste of hem he spak the firste word. "Brethren," quod he, "tak kepe2 what I seye;

My wit is greet, though that I bourde3 and pleye.

450

This tresor hath fortune un-to us yiven,
In mirthe and Iolitee our lyf to liven,
And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende.
Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende1
To-day, that we sholde han so faire a
grace?

455

23

And bad hem drawe, and loke wher it wol falle;

475

And it fil on the youngest of hem alle; And forth toward the toun he wente anon. And al-so sone as that he was gon,

That oon of hem spak thus un-to that other:

"Thou knowest wel thou art my sworne brother,

480

Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.
Thou woost wel that our felawe is agon;
And heer is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
That shal departed been among us three.
But natheles, if I can shape it so 485
That it departed were among us two,
Hadde I nat doon a frendes torn to thee?"
That other answerde, "I noot9 how that
may be;

He woot10 how that the gold is with us tweye;

What shal we doon, what shal we to him seye?"

490

"Shal it be conseil?" seyde the firste shrewe, 12

"And I shal tellen thee, in wordes fewe, What we shal doon, and bringe it wel aboute."

"I graunte," quod that other, "out of doute,

But mighte this gold be caried fro this That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat

[blocks in formation]

13

495

"Now," quod the firste, "thou woost

wel we be tweye,

And two of us shul strenger be than oon. Look whan that he is set, and right anoon Arys, as though thou woldest with him pleye;

And I shal ryve him thurgh the sydes tweye

500

Whyl that thou strogelest with him as in game,

And with thy dagger look thou do the

[ocr errors]

same; And than shal al this gold departed be, My dere freend, bitwixen me and thee; Than may we bothe our lustes al fulfille,505 And pleye at dees right at our owene wille."

And thus acorded14 been thise shrewes tweye

To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye.

[blocks in formation]

This yongest, which that wente un-to the toun,

Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun 510 The beautee of thise florins newe and brighte.

"O lord!" quod he, "if so were that I mighte

Have al this tresor to my-self allone, Ther is no man that liveth under the trone1

Of god, that sholde live so mery as I!" 515 And atte laste the feend, our enemy, Putte in his thought that he shold poyson beye,2

With which he mighte sleen his felawes

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

5 entirely.

10 amount.

15 planned. 19 died.

14 seized.

23 habit.

16 labor. 17 speak. 20 See notes. 21 more. 24 keep you. 25 cure.

18 by chance. 22 wonderful. 26 wool.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« 前へ次へ »