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.