Shipman’s Tale Quotes

A marchant whilom dwelled at Seint-Denys,
That riche was, for which men helde hym wys.
A wyf he hadde of excellent beautee;
And compaignable and revelous was she,
Which is a thyng that causeth more dispence
Than worth is al the chiere and reverence
That men hem doon at festes and at daunces.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. We are introduced to a rich merchant in Saint-Denis, near Paris, whose high-maintenance wife is beautiful, sociable and fond of revelry. But her lifestyle is a matter of concern for the merchant because she incurs him a lot of expense.

The sely housbonde, algate he moot paye,
He moot us clothe, and he moot us arraye,
Al for his owene worshipe richely,
In which array we daunce jolily.
And if that he noght may, par aventure,
Or ellis list no swich dispence endure,
But thynketh it is wasted and ylost,
Thanne moot another payen for oure cost,
Or lene us gold, and that is perilous.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. Was the wealthy merchant foolish for taking on a beautiful wife who likes a good time? For he is finding that she is spends a lot of his money on clothes, entertaining and throwing and attending lavish balls, which is draining his income. Money is the merchant’s top priority and he views everthing as a transaction, including his marriage relationship.

And wel ye woot that wommen naturelly
Desiren thynges sixe as wel as I:
They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be
Hardy and wise, and riche, and therto free,
And buxom unto his wyf and fressh abedde.
Modern English:
Women desire six things: They want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous, obedient to wife, and lively in bed.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. What do women desire in a husband? The merchant’s wife spells it out to the monk, and it is a pretty high bar for any man to reach. Unfortunately the merchant falls short of the requirements, but what upsets the wife most is his miserliness.

But by that ilke Lord that for us bledde,
For his honour, myself for to arraye,
A Sonday next I moste nedes paye
An hundred frankes, or ellis I am lorn.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. The merchant’s wife reveals to the monk that she owes a debt of one hundred francs for clothes that she bought which her miserly husband denies her. The debt is due and if she does not pay and her husband finds out, she is lost, she tells him. The wife admits that she is a lover of fine clothes that do honor to her husband.

Lene me this somme, or ellis moot I deye.
Daun John, I seye, lene me thise hundred frankes.
Pardee, I wol nat faille yow my thankes,
If that yow list to doon that I yow praye.
For at a certeyn day I wol yow paye,
And doon to yow what plesance and service
That I may doon, right as yow list devise.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. The merchant’s wife pleads with the monk to lend her one hundred francs to pay a debt. With heavy sexual overtones, she promises in return to do to him whatever pleasure and services that he commands.

This faire wyf acorded with daun John
That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al nyght
Have hire in his armes bolt upright;
And this acord parfourned was in dede.
In myrthe al nyght a bisy lyf they lede
Til it was day, that daun John wente his way.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. The monk returns with head and beard all fresh and newly shaved to receive payment from the merchant’s wife for their sexualized business transaction. For the hundred francs loan, the monk demands sex with her all night. Both of them eagerly fulfil the agreement. The corrupt monk is breaking his vows here – having forbidden sex, giving money for sexual favors, and engaging in the sin of adultery with his best friend’s wife.

Ye han mo slakkere dettours than am I!
For I wol paye yow wel and redily
Fro day to day, and if so be I faille,
I am youre wyf; score it upon my taille,
And I shal paye as soone as ever I may…
Ye shal my joly body have to wedde;
By God, I wol nat paye yow but abedde!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Shipman’s Tale. The merchant chides his wife for not telling him that the hundred francs loan he had given to the monk had been repaid to her. Offering a sexual solution, she suggests that she be allowed to keep the money and she will repay him in bed! And she promises to pay him well and readily every day, not like his more slow-paying creditors.
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