麒麟小说

THE FRANKLINS TALE（第2页）

"tellonthytale，withoutewordes。"

"gladly，sirhost，"quothhe，"iwillobey

untoyourwill;nowhearkenwhatisay;

iwillyounotcontrary*innowise，*disobey

asfarasthatmywittesmaysuffice

ipraytogodthatitmaypleaseyou，

thenwotiwellthatitisgoodenow。

"theseoldegentlebretons，intheirdays，

ofdiversaventuresmadelays，

rhymedenintheirfirstebretontongue

whichlayeswiththeirinstrumentstheysung，

orellesreadethemfortheirpleasance;

andoneofthemhaveiinremembrance，

whichishallsaywithgoodwillasican。

but，sirs，becauseiamaborel*man，*rude，unlearned

atmybeginningfirstiyoubeseec

havemeexcusedofmyrudespeech。

ilearnedneverrhetoric，certain;

thingthatispeak，itmustbebareandplain。

isleptneverontheuntofparnasso，

norlearnedmarcustulliuscicero。

colouresknowinone，withoutedread，**doubt

butsuchcoloursasgroweninthemead，

orellessuchasmendyewithorpaint;

coloursofrhetoricbetomequaint;**strange

myspiritfeelethnotofsuchmattere。

but，ifyoulist，mytaleshallyehear。"

intheoldereditions，theversesheregivenastheprologuewereprefixedtothemerchantstale，andputintohisuth。tyrwhittwasabundantlyjustified，bytheinternalevidenceaffordedbythelinesthemselves，intransferringthemtotheirpresentplace。

the"bretonlays"wereanimportantandcuriouselementintheliteratureofthemiddleages;theywereoriginallyposedinthearricanlanguage，andthechiefcollectionofthemextantwastranslatedintofrenchversebyapoetesscallingherself"marie，"aboutthemiddleofthethirteenthcentury。butthoughthiscollectionwasthestfaus，andhaddoubtlessbeenreadbychaucer，therewereotherbritishorbretonlays，andfroneofthosethefranklinstaleistaken。iohasdealtwiththesamestoryinthe"decameron"andthe"philocopo，"alteringthecircumstancestosuittherevalofitssceoasouthernclime。