Bright Alisoun shall be my bride.”
PRIORESS
[Throwing herself into Alisoun’s arms.]
Mon frère!
Oh, keep me safe, mon frère!
[She hides her face.]
MILLER
[Laughing.]
By Corpus bones!
SUMMONER
Look!
SHIPMAN
Hold me up!
BOTTLEJOHN
[Whispers.]
Lady, beware!
MILLER
Mum!
PRIORESS
What
Are these?
ALISOUN
Begone, you varlets!
COOK
[Bowing.]
Yes, sweet lord.
SUMMONER
We know our betters.
[They withdraw a little.]
ALISOUN
Come, what cheer, my girl?
Hath that churl Geoffrey wronged thee?
PRIORESS
No, no, no!
ALISOUN
Nay, if the churl hath wronged thee, by this locket—
PRIORESS
Swear not by that.Heswore by that.
ALISOUN
O vile!
He swore by this—the brooch that holds my hair,
Thy brother’s hair?
PRIORESS
But, Roderigo—
ALISOUN
What!
Give’t here! Or maybe thou hast promised it
To him?
PRIORESS
No, no, mon frère. Here, take it—keep it.
ALISOUN
So! By this brooch—
[Aside.]
Now, lads, learn how to woo!
Now, by this golden brooch of Eglantine,
And by this little, slender wrist of pearl,
Where once it hung; and by the limpid eyes
Of Eglantine, and by her ripe, red mouth,
Yea, by the warm white doves which are her breasts
And flutter at the heart of Eglantine,
I swear I will be ever Eglantine’s
And lacerate the foes of Eglantine.
PRIORESS
Brother, such words—
ALISOUN
Call me not brother, sweet;
A brother’s blood is lukewarm in his limbs,
But mine for thee is lightning. Look at me!
Was Jove a finer figure of a man
Than me? Had Agamemnon such an arm,
Or Hector such a leg?
PRIORESS
Forbear! Forbear!
ALISOUN
Alack, she scorns me. Stay, Venus of virgins!
Why dost thou wimple all the lovely dawn
Of thy young body in this veil of night?
Why wilt thou cork thy sweetness up, and, like
A mummy, wrapped in rose and ivory,
Store all thy beauty till the judgment-day?
God did not paint thee on a window-glass.
Step down from thy cold chapel, rosy saint,
And take thy true-knight in thine arms.
PRIORESS
Help! help!
BOTTLEJOHN
Pray, lady, pray! It is Satanas! They
Be devils all!
ALISOUN
Love—Eglantine—I kneel.
PRIORESS
Joannes! Marcus!
[Seizing her crucifix.]
Tibi, Domine!
[Enter, right, Joannes, Marcus, and Paulus. They are immediately driven back by the Summoner, Shipman, and Cook.]
[Enter, right, Joannes, Marcus, and Paulus. They are immediately driven back by the Summoner, Shipman, and Cook.]
JOANNES
Madame.
SHIPMAN
Come on!
PRIORESS
Help! Save me!
[Enter Chaucer, left.]
ALISOUN
[To Prioress.]
Lovely nymph,
Come to my arms—
CHAUCER
[To Alisoun, with his sword drawn.]
Embrace me.
PRIORESS
[Goes to his protection.]
Cher monsieur!
ALISOUN
God save you, Master Geoffrey.
CHAUCER
Draw!
FRIAR
[Aside.]
Lord! Lord!
The pot boils. Now to add the salt and pepper.
[Exit down cellar.]
[Enter, left back, in quick succession, all the pilgrims, returning with their links from chapel.]
PRIORESS
[To Chaucer.]
Monsieur—
CHAUCER
[To Alisoun.]
Draw!
PRIORESS
Do not fight, Monsieur!
CHAUCER
Wilt draw, I say?
ALISOUN
Draw what? Drawyou? Merci,
I’m not a dray-horse.
CHAUCER
Is this man your brother?
PRIORESS
Oh, sir, I know not; but he hath insulted—
CHAUCER
Insulted you? Enough. By all the devils,
Defend yourself!
ALISOUN
[Drawing.]
To arms then, sweet Achilles.
[They fight. Re-enter right, Shipman, Summoner, and Cook.They rush to Alisoun’s aid.]
SHIPMAN
Boardside the fat churl.
PILGRIMS
Come! A fight!
FRANKLIN
[Entering.]
Who are they?
MERCHANT
A Lollard and Papist.
PRIORESS
Stay them! Stop them!
PILGRIMS
Down with the Papists!
PRIORESS
Oh, St. Loy!
CHAUCER
[To the crowd.]
Stand off!
PILGRIMS
Down with the Lollards!
[They close in and fight confusedly with staves.]
ALISOUN
[Holding up the locket.]
Hold! A brooch! A brooch!
CHAUCER
I’ll make thee yield it, ruffian.
[From the cellar enter the Friar and the Squire, the latter sword in hand, fragments of cut ropes still clinging to him.]
[From the cellar enter the Friar and the Squire, the latter sword in hand, fragments of cut ropes still clinging to him.]
SQUIRE
[To Chaucer—plunging at Alisoun.]
Sir, I’m with you.
[Enter, right, Johanna.]
ALISOUN
[To Squire.]
Unnatural son!
JOHANNA
Help!
[Throws herself between them.]
Brave Sir Roderick!
[To Squire.]
Shame! Shame! Your father’s blood?
SQUIRE
You, lady?
[Enter, left, Wycliffe.]
WYCLIFFE
[To the pilgrims.]
Peace!
CHAUCER
You, marchioness! What does this mean?
ALISOUN
[Stripping off her beard and wig—her own hair falling over her shoulders—snatches a warming-pan from the chimney, and confronts Chaucer.]
[Stripping off her beard and wig—her own hair falling over her shoulders—snatches a warming-pan from the chimney, and confronts Chaucer.]
Sweet Geoffrey,
It means this pan shall warm our wedding sheets.
MILLER
What devil!
CHAUCER
Alisoun!—My bet is lost.
FRANKLIN
The Wife of Bath!
[The pilgrims crowd round and laugh.]
JOHANNA
[Turning away.]
Impostors!
ALISOUN
[To Chaucer.]
Come, sweet chuck,
And kiss the brooch that hath betrothed our hearts.
PRIORESS
M’sieur, is this true?
[As Chaucer turns to the Prioress in a kind of blank dismay, enter, from the cellar, swathed in a long gown, the real Knight and the Friar.]
[As Chaucer turns to the Prioress in a kind of blank dismay, enter, from the cellar, swathed in a long gown, the real Knight and the Friar.]
KNIGHT
[To Friar.]
Where?
[Friar points to Prioress; he advances.]
Eglantine!
PRIORESS
[Aghast at this apparition, runs to the priedieu.]
No more!
CHAUCER
[Struck, at a flash, by this medley of incongruities, bursts intolaughter, and seizing an ale mug, lifts it high.]
Alis, I drink to thee and woman’s wit.
FRIAR
God save the vintner and the Wife of Bath!
PILGRIMS
[Shout.]
God save the vintner and the Wife of Bath!
ALISOUN
[Sharing the ale mug with Chaucer.]
Sweetheart!
Explicit pars tertia.