Ye Clomberer

(A Character omitted by Chaucer.)

Claude E. Benson.

With us ther cam a CLOMBERER alsoe
Who eke to Canterberie wolden goe.
A thikke man he was and therto brerde;
Hys bodie was y-swathed with mony a yerde
Of hempe. He bare hys loggage on hys bak
Y-stocked within a bolkie rukkesak.
Hys bote was all y-clynked with stele and nale;
The semblaunce had itte of a knyghte’s male;
Hys legges were alle y-puttied to the knee,
As leeches swathe men in chirurgerie.
A lethern botel on a strappe had he
Wherein hys cordials straunge he wolde carye
From Scottisland, from Fraunce, or eke Almayne,
The wyche on montaynes was hys wone to drayne.
Between ye dorepostes was hys resting sete,
With one agaynst hys bak, and one hys fete;
To wrigl to ye lintel was hys wone;
And mervel was he did not tombel don.
Hys honde was like a monky’s in ye gripe;
He sought hys chambre by ye water-pipe.
Rite seldom was he on hys horse’s bak;
He code not ride ne more than can a sak.
Bot whan he found hymselfe y-domped in selle,
With hondes and spurres code he cling right well.
On fete he was a champion perfyt;
ln Clomberers` Clolobes took he gret delyte.
And certainlie he was a good fellawe;
He trolled a stave that alle men might knawe
A merrie lilt, ‘l’m not a climber now’;
Certes! he made a maist ungodlie row.
Hys talk was alle of gollies and of cracks,
And in hys honde he bare a sturdie ax.-