{"id":106995,"date":"2024-09-18T11:39:13","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T17:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=106995"},"modified":"2024-09-18T11:39:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T17:39:13","slug":"a-frere-ther-was-a-wantowne-and-a-merye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2024\/09\/a-frere-ther-was-a-wantowne-and-a-merye.html","title":{"rendered":"“A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Chaucer,<\/a>
Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1340-1400), in an image from the early seventeenth century
(Wikimedia Commons public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve just undertaken a project to slog gradually through Geoffrey Chaucer\u2019s Canterbury Tales<\/em> in the original Middle English. \u00a0I\u2019ve always intended to do it and, finally, I\u2019ve made a start. \u00a0I was really struck by a passage in the Prologue describing a rather worldly frere<\/em> or friar that, I would guess, was modeled on actual fourteenth-century friars known to Chaucer, who was an acute observer of the social world around him. \u00a0I won\u2019t generalize, of course, to say that all of the friars of his day were similar, but the type must have been recognizable to Chaucer\u2019s audience.<\/p>\n

First, though, a small handful of notes that might help:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A frere<\/em> or \u201cfriar\u201d was a member of one of the four mendicant<\/span> orders of late medieval Catholicism (the Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans).<\/li>\n
  • A lymytour<\/em> or \u201climiter\u201d was an itinerant and begging friar employed by a convent to travel within certain geographical limits in order to collect its dues and promote its temporal interests.<\/li>\n
  • To shrive<\/em> was to hear the confession<\/span> of, to assign penance<\/span> to, and to absolve<\/span> (someone).<\/li>\n
  • A frankelyn<\/em> or \u201cfranklin\u201d was a prosperous but non-noble landowner.<\/li>\n
  • In the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, the opening words of the Gospel of John and of Genesis are in principio<\/em> (\u201cin the beginning\u201d).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    So here is Chaucer\u2019s original verse, lines 208-269 of the Prologue:<\/p>\n

    \n
    A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,<\/div>\n
    A lymytour, a ful sol\u00e9mpne man.<\/div>\n
    In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan<\/div>\n
    So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.<\/div>\n
    He hadde maad ful many a mariage<\/div>\n
    Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.<\/div>\n
    Unto his ordre he was a noble post.<\/div>\n
    Ful wel biloved and famulier was he<\/div>\n
    With frankeleyns over al in his contree,<\/div>\n
    And eek with worthy wommen of the toun;<\/div>\n
    For he hadde power of confessioun,<\/div>\n
    As seyde hym-self, moore than a cur\u00e1t,<\/div>\n
    For of his ordre he was licenciat.<\/div>\n
    Ful swetely herde he confessioun,<\/div>\n
    And plesaunt was his absolucioun.<\/div>\n
    He was an esy man to yeve penaunce<\/div>\n
    There as he wiste to have a good pitaunce;<\/div>\n
    For unto a povre ordre for to yive<\/div>\n
    Is signe that a man is wel y-shryve;<\/div>\n
    For, if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt<\/div>\n
    He wiste that a man was r\u00e9pentaunt;<\/div>\n
    For many a man so hard is of his herte<\/div>\n
    He may nat wepe al-thogh hym soore smerte.<\/div>\n
    Therfore in stede of wepynge and prey\u00e9res<\/div>\n
    Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.<\/div>\n
    His typet was ay farsed full of knyves<\/div>\n
    And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.<\/div>\n
    And certeinly he hadde a murye note:<\/div>\n
    Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;<\/div>\n
    Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.<\/div>\n
    His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys;<\/div>\n
    Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.<\/div>\n
    He knew the tavernes wel in every toun,<\/div>\n
    And everich hostiler and tappestere<\/div>\n
    Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;<\/div>\n
    For unto swich a worthy man as he<\/div>\n
    Acorded nat, as by his facultee,<\/div>\n
    To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce;<\/div>\n
    It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce<\/div>\n
    F\u00f3r to deelen with no swich poraille,<\/div>\n
    But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.<\/div>\n
    And over-al, ther as profit sholde arise,<\/div>\n
    Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.<\/div>\n
    Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.<\/div>\n
    He was the beste beggere in his hous;<\/div>\n
    [And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt,<\/div>\n
    Noon of his brethren cam ther in his haunt;]<\/div>\n
    For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,<\/div>\n
    So plesaunt was his In principio<\/em>,<\/div>\n
    Yet wolde he have a ferthyng er he wente:<\/div>\n
    His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.<\/div>\n
    And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.<\/div>\n
    In love-dayes ther koude he muchel helpe,<\/div>\n
    For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer<\/div>\n
    With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scol\u00e9r,<\/div>\n
    But he was lyk a maister, or a pope;<\/div>\n
    Of double worstede was his semycope,<\/div>\n
    That rounded as a belle, out of the presse.<\/div>\n
    Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse,<\/div>\n
    To make his Englissh sweete upon his tonge;<\/div>\n
    And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,<\/div>\n
    His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght<\/div>\n
    As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.<\/div>\n
    This worthy lymytour was cleped Hub\u00e9rd.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
    \n

    And here is a translation into modern English of those same verses, published by A. S. Kline in 2007:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    A FRIAR there was, a wanton one and merry,<\/div>\n
    A Limiter, a very jovial man.<\/div>\n
    In all the friars\u2019 four orders none that can<\/div>\n
    Lead a discussion in fairer language.<\/div>\n
    And he had arranged many a marriage<\/div>\n
    Of young women, granting each a dower.<\/div>\n
    He was a noble pillar of his Order.<\/div>\n
    Well-beloved and intimate was he<\/div>\n
    With Franklins within his boundary,<\/div>\n
    And also worthy women of the town;<\/div>\n
    Had power to confess coat and gown \u2013<\/div>\n
    As he said himself \u2013 more than a curate,<\/div>\n
    Having licence from his bishop to do it.<\/div>\n
    Full sweetly he would hear confessions,<\/div>\n
    And very pleasant were his absolutions.<\/div>\n
    He was an easy man at granting penance<\/div>\n
    From which he made more than a pittance.<\/div>\n
    When to a poor Order alms are given<\/div>\n
    It is a token that a man\u2019s well-shriven;<\/div>\n
    Since he dared claim that from the intent,<\/div>\n
    Of giving, then the man was penitent.<\/div>\n
    For many a man is so hard of heart<\/div>\n
    He cannot weep, though he feels the smart.<\/div>\n
    Therefore instead of weeping and prayer,<\/div>\n
    Better to give the poor friars silverware.<\/div>\n
    His sleeve\u2019s end was stuffed with pocket-knives<\/div>\n
    And gilded pins, to give to pretty wives.<\/div>\n
    He could hold a note for sure; could sing<\/div>\n
    And play quite sweetly on the tuneful string.<\/div>\n
    Such competitions he won easily.<\/div>\n
    His neck was white as the fleur-de-lis;<\/div>\n
    And he was as strong as any champion.<\/div>\n
    He knew the taverns well in every town,<\/div>\n
    And all the barmaids and innkeepers,<\/div>\n
    Rather than the lepers and the beggars<\/div>\n
    Since such a worthy man as he<\/div>\n
    It suited not his calling or degree,<\/div>\n
    With such lepers to maintain acquaintance.<\/div>\n
    It is not seemly \u2013 helps no man advance \u2013<\/div>\n
    To have dealings with such poor people,<\/div>\n
    Only with the rich, sellers of victuals.<\/div>\n
    And everywhere a profit might arise,<\/div>\n
    He wore a courteous and humble guise;<\/div>\n
    There was no man half so virtuous.<\/div>\n
    He was the finest beggar of his house<\/div>\n
    \u2013 and paid a fixed fee for the right;<\/div>\n
    None of his brethren poached in his sight.<\/div>\n
    For though a widow lacked a shoe<\/div>\n
    So pleasant was his \u2018In principio\u2019,<\/div>\n
    He yet would gain a farthing as he went.<\/div>\n
    His income was far greater than his rent,<\/div>\n
    And he romped around, like any whelp.<\/div>\n
    In settling disputes he could help,<\/div>\n
    Not like a friar from a cloister,<\/div>\n
    With threadbare cloak, like needy scholar,<\/div>\n
    But he was like a doctor or a pope;<\/div>\n
    Of double worsted was his demi-cloak,<\/div>\n
    A bell shaped from the mould, its fashion.<\/div>\n
    He lisped a little out of affectation,<\/div>\n
    To sound his English sweet upon the tongue;<\/div>\n
    And in his harping, whenever he had sung,<\/div>\n
    His eyes would twinkle in his head aright<\/div>\n
    As do the stars on high in frosty night.<\/div>\n
    Hubert his name, this worthy Limiter.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    And it seems that Friar Hubert was prospering by means of his ecclesiastical functions. \u00a0Chaucer\u2019s description of him, which is plainly more amused than indignant, is a contemporary snapshot of at least one facet of fourteenth-century Christendom.<\/p>\n

    I can\u2019t help but think of a passage in the Book of Mormon: \u00a0\u201cPriestcrafts,\u201d says 2 Nephi 26:29, \u201care that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u00a0 I\u2019ve just undertaken a project to slog gradually through Geoffrey Chaucer\u2019s Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English. \u00a0I\u2019ve always intended to do it and, finally, I\u2019ve made a start. \u00a0I was really struck by a passage in the Prologue describing a rather worldly frere or friar that, I would guess, was modeled on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":30308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[56,30997,30994,38007,38010,4576],"class_list":["post-106995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-book-of-mormon","tag-canterbury-tales","tag-chaucer","tag-friar","tag-limiter","tag-priestcraft"],"yoast_head":"\n"A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"  I've just undertaken a project to slog 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