From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Canon's Yeoman's Tale, lines 730-783

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
lines 730-783: The canon turns copper into silver

730	Now, good sires, what wol ye bet than wel?
	Whan that this preest thus was bigiled ageyn,
	Supposynge noght but treuthe, sooth to seyn,
	He was so glad that I kan nat expresse
	In no manere his myrthe and his gladnesse;
735	And to the chanoun he profred eftsoone
	Body and good. "Ye," quod the chanoun soone,
	"Though poure I be, crafty thou shalt me fynde.
	I warne thee, yet is ther moore bihynde.
	Is ther any coper herinne?" seyde he.

730	Good sirs, what better do you wish than well?
	When now the priest was thus beguiled again,
	Supposing naught but truth, I should explain,
	He was so glad that I cannot express,
	In any way, his mirth and his gladness;
735	And to the canon he did proffer soon
	Body and goods. "Yea," was the canon's tune,
	"Though I am poor, I'm artful as you'll find;
	I warn you plainly, there's yet more behind.
	Is there some copper in your place?" asked he.

740	"Ye," quod the preest, "sire, I trowe wel ther be."
	"Elles go bye us som, and that as swithe;
	Now, goode sire, go forth thy wey and hy the."
	He wente his wey, and with the coper cam,
	And this chanon it in his handes nam,
745	And of that coper weyed out but an ounce.
	Al to symple is my tonge to pronounce,
	As ministre of my wit, the doublenesse
	Of this chanoun, roote of alle cursednesse!
	He semed freendly to hem that knewe hym noght,
750	But he was feendly bothe in werk and thoght.
	It weerieth me to telle of his falsnesse,
	And nathelees yet wol I it expresse,
	To th' entente that men may be war therby,
	And for noon oother cause, trewely.

740	"Yea," said the priest, "I think there may well be."
	"If not, go buy us some, and quickly too,
	Good sir, make haste and fetch us it, pray do."
	He went his way, and with the copper came,
	And in his hands this canon took the same,
745	And of the copper weighed out but an ounce.
	My tongue is far too simple to pronounce,
	As servant to my wit, the doubleness
	Within this canon, root of wickedness.
	Friendly he seemed to those that knew him not
750	But he was fiendly both in heart and thought.
	It wearies me to tell of his falseness,
	Nevertheless yet will I it express
	To end that all men may be warned thereby,
	And for no other reason, truthfully.

755	He putte this ounce of coper in the crosselet,
	And on the fir as swithe he hath it set,
	And caste in poudre, and made the preest to blowe,
	And in his werkyng for to stoupe lowe,
	As he dide er, - and al nas but a jape;
760	Right as hym liste, the preest he made his ape!
	And afterward in the ingot he it caste,
	And in the panne putte it at the laste
	Of water, and in he putte his owene hand,
	And in his sleve (as ye biforen-hand
765	Herde me telle) he hadde a silver teyne.
	He slyly took it out, this cursed heyne,
	Unwityng this preest of his false craft,
	And in the pannes botme he hath it laft;
	And in the water rombled to and fro,
770	And wonder pryvely took up also
	The coper teyne, noght knowynge this preest,
	And hidde it, and hym hente by the breest,
	And to hym spak, and thus seyde in his game:
	"Stoupeth adoun. By God, ye be to balme!
775	Helpeth me now, as I dide yow whileer;
	Putte in youre hand, and looketh what is theer."
	This preest took up this silver teyne anon,
	And thanne seyde the chanoun, "Lat us gon
	With thise thre teynes, whiche that we han wroght,
780	To som goldsmyth, and wite if they been oght.
	For, by my feith, I nolde, for myn hood,
	But if that they were silver fyn and good,
	And that as swithe preeved it shal bee."

755	Within the crucible he puts the ounce
	Of copper which upon the fire he mounts,
	And casts in powder, making the priest blow,
	And at his labouring to stoop down low,
	All as before, and all was but a jape;
760	Just as he pleased, he made the priest his ape.
	And afterward into the mould he cast
	The copper; into the water pan at last
	Plunging the whole, and thrust therein his hand.
	And in his sleeve (as you did understand
765	Before) he had a certain silver tain.
	He slyly took it out, this damned villain,
	While still the priest saw nothing of the plan,
	And left it in the bottom of the pan;
	And in the water groped he to and fro
770	And very stealthily took up also
	The copper tain, of which the priest knew naught,
	And hiding it, he by the breast him caught,
	And spoke to him, thus carrying on his game:
	"Stoop lower down, by God, you are to blame!
775	Come, help me now, as I did you whilere,
	Put in your hand and search and learn what's there."
	This priest took up the silver tain anon,
	And then the canon said: "Let us be gone
	With these three plates, the which we have so wrought,
780	To some goldsmith, to learn if they're worth aught.
	For by my faith, I wouldn't, for my hood,
	Have them, except if they are silver fine and good,
	And that immediately proved shall be."