Bw · Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Barlow 20

Canterbury Tales Project.

talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/Bw/

[9r]

ꝓprologꝰus

That swiche a lewed mannes witte shal · pace

The wisdom of an hepe of lerned men

Of maystres hadde he no þen þries ten

Þat were of law exꝑperte and Curious

Of whiche þer was a · doseyn in þat hous

Worthi to ben Stywardes of Rente and londe

Of my lord þat is in Ingelond

To make hym lyue by his ꝓproper goode

In honour detteles but þat he were woode

Or lyue als scarsly as hym list desire

And able for to helpen al · a · Shire

In any cas þat myȝt falle or happe

And yet þis manciple sette here alle cappe

¶ The Reue was a sclender colerik man

His berd was Shaue as nygh as euer he can

Hys here was by his eres ful rounde y shorne

His toppe was dokked like a preest by forne

Ful long were his legges and ful lene

Y like a · staf þer was no calf y sene

Wel couthe kepe · a · garner or a bynne

Þer was non Auditour couth on hym wynne

Wel wiste he by the droghte ⁊and by þᵉ reyne

The ȝelding of his seede ⁊and of his greyne

His lordes shepe his nete his dayerie

His swyn his hors his stoor ⁊and his pullettrie

Was hoolly in þis Reues gouernyng

And bi his couenant ȝaf þe rekenyng

Syn þat his lord was twenty ȝere of age

Þer couthe no man bringe hym in arrerage

Þer nas baillif ne herd nor other hyne

Þat he knew his sleght and his covyne

Thei were a · drad of hym as of þᵉ dethe

His wonnyng was ful faire vppon an hethe

With grene trees shadewed was his place

He couth better þan his lord purchace

Ful riche was he a stored pⁱriuyly

His lord he couthe wel plesen Subtily

To ȝeue and lene hym of his owne gode

[9v]ꝓprologꝰus

And haue a þanke and ȝet a cote ⁊and and a · hode

In ȝouthe he hadde lerned a gode mestere

He was a · wel god wriȝt a · Carpentere

This Reue satte vp on a ful good stot

Þat was al pomely gray and highte scot

A · long surcote of peers vppon he hade

And by his side he bare a rusti blade

Of Northfolk was þis Reue of whiche I telle

By side a · toun men clepen it baldeswelle

Tukked he was as is a frere a bowte

And · euer he roode þe hyndrest of on Route

¶ A · Somynour was þer wᵗith vs in · þat place

Þat hadde a · fyri cherubynnes face

For sausefleme he was with eyghen narwe

Als hoote he was and lecherous as a sparwe

Wit scalled browes blak ⁊and pilid berde

Of his visage children weren a ferde

Ther nas quyke siluer litarge or bremston

Boras orsure ne oyle of tartre noon

Ne oynement þat wold clense ⁊and bite

Þat hym myghte helpe of his whelkes white

For of þe knobbes sittyng in his chekes

Wel loued he garlik oynons ⁊and eke lekes

And for to drink strong wyn rede as blode

Than wold he spek and crie as he were wode

And whan þat he wel dronken hade the wyn

Þan wold he speke no word but latyn

A · few t̉ermes hade he two or thre

Þat he hade lerned out of som de cre

No wonder is he herd it al the day

And eke ȝe knowen wel how þat a · Iay

Kan clepe watte as wel as con the pope

But ho so couthe in other þing him grope

Þan hade he spent al his philosophie

Ay questio quid Iurꝭes wold he crye

He was a gentel harlot and a · kynd

A · better felowe Shul men not fynde

[10r]ꝓprologꝰus

He wold suffre for a quart of wyne

A good felow to haue his concubyne

A twelf monethes and excuse hym atte Fulle

Ful pⁱriuyli eke a fynche couthe he pulle

And if he fonde owher a gode felowe

He wold techen hym to haue noon Awe

In swiche caas of the Erchedeknes curs

But if mannes soule were in his purse

For in his purs he shuld punysshed be

Purs is þe Erchedeknes helle seide he

But wel I wotte he lyhed riȝt in dede

Of cursyng owȝt eche gilty man hym drede

For curs wille sle riȝt as a · soilyng Sauithe

And also war hym of a significauith

In · daunger hadde he at his owne gise

The ȝonge girles of þᵉ diocise

And knew hir consail ⁊and what was al her rede

A · garlond hade he sette vppon his heuede

As grete as it were for an Ale stake

A bokkler hade he made hym of a cake

With hym þer rode a gentel ꝑpardoner

Of Rouncyuaƚƚ his frend ⁊and his comper

Þat streght was comen frōm þe court of Rome

Ful lowde songe he come hider loue to me

This Somynour bar to hym a stif burdoıı̄un

Was neủer trompe of half so grete a · Sown

Þis ꝑpardoner hade her as ȝelow as wax

But smothe it heng as doth a strike of flax

By ounces heng his lokkes that he hadde

And ther with he his shuldernes ouersprade

But thynne it lay by culpons on ⁊and oon

But hode for Iolite wered he noon

For it was trusset vp in his walet

Hym þoughte he roode al of þe newe gette

Discheuele saf his cappe he rode al bare

[10v]ꝓprologꝰus

Swiche glarynge eighen hadde he as an hare

A · vernycle hadde he sewed vppon his cappe

His walet by forn hym in his lappe

Bret ful · of ꝑperdoıı̄un comen fro Rome al · hote

A · vois he hade as smale as · a · goote

No berd ne hade he ne neủer shulde haue

As smothe it was as it ware late shaue

I trowe he were a · geldyng or a mare

But of his craft fro Berwik in to ware

Ne was þer swiche an other ꝑpardoner

For in his male he hade a pylewbere

Whiche þat he saide was oure lady veile

He saide ho hadde a · gobet of the seile

Þat seint pet̉er hadde whan þᵗat he went

Vppon the see tille iħuihesu crist hym hent

He hadde a · crois of latoıı̄un ful · of stones

And in a glas he hadde pigges bones

But with these relikes whan þᵗat he fonde

A · poure ꝑperson duellyng vppon lond

Vppon a day he gate hym more money

Þan þat þᵉ ꝑperson gate in monethes twey

And þus wᵗith feynyd flat̉eryng ⁊and Iapes

He made the ꝑperson and the peple his Apes

But trewli to tellen at the last

He was in chirche A noble eccliāsteecclesiaste

Wel couthe rede a lesson or a story

But alderbest he song an Offertory

For wel he wist whan þat song was song

He moste preche and wil a file his tong

To wynne siluir as he wel coude

Þer fore he song so merily ⁊and loude

Now haue I told ȝow sothely in a clause

The state the Array þe nombre ⁊and eke þᵉ cause

Whi þat assembled was þis cumpanye

In Suthwerk at þis gentel hosterye

That hight þᵉ Tabbard fast by the belle

[11r]ꝓprologꝰus

But now is tyme to ȝow for to telle

How þat we beren vs þat ilke nyght

Whan we were in þat Osterye a light

And aft̉er wil I telle of oure viage

And alle þᵉ remnant of oure pylgrymage

But fyrst I pray ȝow of ȝore curtesie

That ȝe ne ret it nought my vylenye

Thow þat I plenly speke in þis mater

To tellen ȝow here wordes ⁊and here chere

Ne thoughe I speke her wordes ꝓproperly

For þis ȝe knowen as welle as I

Who so shal tellen a tale aft̉er a man

He moote reherce as neyghe as eủere he kan

Eủeriche a · werd if it be in his charge

Al speke he neủere so rudele and large

Or elles he moote telle his tale vntrewe

Or feyne þinges of fynde wordes newe

He may not spare al þoughe he were his brother

He mote also welle seiȝe o word as an other

Crist spake hym · self ful brode in holy writte

And welle ȝe wote no vileynye is it

Eke plato seithe ho so kan hym rede

The wordes mote be Cosyne to þᵉ dede

Also I pray ȝow for ȝeue it me

Alle haue I not sette foelke in her degre

Here in þis tale as þᵗat þei shold stonde

My wytte is short ȝe may wel vnderstonde

Greete chere made oure ost vs eủerychon

And to þe Soper sette he vs a noon

He serued vs with vitailles atte þᵉ beste

Strong was þᵉ wyn and welle drink vs leste

A · semely man oure ooste was withe alle

For to ben an Marchall in an halle

A · large man he was with eyen stepe

A · fairer burges is noon in chepe

Bold of his speche and wis ⁊and welle I taught

And of manhode hym lakkid riȝt nouȝt

Eke þerto he was riȝt a mery man

[11v]ꝓprologꝰus

And after soper pleien he by gan

And spake of myrþe a mong oþer þinges

Whan þat we hade made oure rekenynges

And seide þus now lordynges trewli

Ȝe be to me welcom riȝt hertely

For by my trouthen if þat I shal not lye

I seie nought þis ȝere so mery a cumpanye

At oones in þis herberewe as is nowe

Fayn wole I doon ȝow myrth wist I how

And of a myrthe I am right now by þought

To don ȝow ese ⁊and it shal cost nought

Ȝee goon to Canturbury godde ȝo spede

Þe blesseful martir quyte ȝow ȝore mede

And welle I woote as ȝe goon by the way

Ȝe shapen ȝow to tale and to playe

For treweli conford ne myrth nys noon

To ridene by the waie domb as a ston

And therfore wil I maken ȝow disport

As I seid erst and do ȝow som comford

And if ȝow liketh alle by oon assent

For to stonden at my Iugement

And for to wirken as I shal yow seie

To morowen whan we riden by the weie

Now by fader soule þat is dede

But ȝe be merye I wille ȝeue ȝow my hede

Hold vp ȝour hondes with out more speche

¶ Oure conseil was long for to seche

Vs þought it was not worth to make it wise

And granted hym wᵗith out more avys

And bade hym seie his veordit as hym liste

Lordynges ꝙquod he now herkeneþ for the beste

But take it nought I ȝow preie in disdeigne

Þis is þᵉ poynt to speke short ⁊and pleyne

That eche of ȝow to short wᵗith our weie

To Canturbury ward I mene it so

To Cantᵘurbury ward I mene it so

And homward he shal tellen oþ̉er two

Of a ventures whilom þat haue by falle

[12r]ꝓprologꝰus

And whiche of ȝow berithe hym best of alle

Þat is to seien þat telleþ in þis caas

Tales of best sentence and moost solas

Shal haue a · Soper at oure alder coste

Here in this place sittyng bi the poste

Whan þat we comen a gayn fro Cantᵘurbury

And for to make ȝow the more merie

I wille my self godly wᵗith ȝow ride

Right at myn owne cost ⁊and be ȝore gyde

And who so wille my Iugement wᵗith seie

Shal paie alle þat we spende by the weie

And if ȝe vouchesafe þat it be so

Tel me a · noon wᵗith out wordes mooe

And I wille erly shape me therfore

This þing was granted ⁊and oure othes swore

With ful glad hert ⁊and preien hym also

Þat he wold vouche sauf for to do so

And þat he wold be oure gouernoure

And of oure tales Iuge and reportour

And sette a · Soper at a c̉ertein prys

And we weln rewled ben at his deuys

In hyegh and low þus by oon assent

We ben a corded to the Iuggement

And þer vppon þe wyn was fet a noon

We dronken and to rest wenten echon

Wᵗith outen any lenger tarying

A morwe whan þᵉ day con spring

Vp roos oure oost ⁊and was oure alder Coke

And gadered vs to gedre in a · floke

And forth we riden a litul more þan pase

Vn to the wateryng of Seynt Thomas

And ther oure oost gan his hors to a reste

And seide lordynges herkenyth if ȝow liste

Ȝe wote ȝoure forword ⁊and I it ȝow record

If euynsong and morwe song a corde

Lat se now ho shal telle þe firste tale

As eủer more I drink wyn or ale

Who so be rebelle to my Iuggement

Shal paie for alle þat by the wei is spent

Now draweth Cut er þᵗat we ferther twyne

[12v]The knyght

Whiche þat hath þᵉ shorteste shal by gynne

¶ Sir knyght qduod he my maist̉er and my lord

Now draweth cut for þat is myn acord

Comethe nere qduod he my lady prioresse

And ȝe Sir Clerk lat be ȝoure Shamfastnes

Ne studieth nought lay hond to eủery man

A · noon to draw eủery wight by gane

And Shortli for to tellen as it was

Were it by auenture or Sort or cas

Þᵉ Sothe is þis þᵉ Cut fel to the knyght

Of whiche ful blith ⁊and glad was eủery wight

And tellen he moste his tale as it was reson

By forward and by composicion

As ȝe haue herd what nedith wordes moo

And whan þis godman Saugh þat is was so

As he þat wys was and obedient

To kepen his forward bi his fre assent

He seide sithen · I shal by gynne þe game

What welcome be the Cut a goddes name

Now let vs Ride and herketh what I seie

And with þat word we riden forth oure weie

And he by gan wᵗith riȝt a merie chere

His tale a noon and seide as ȝe maye here

Iamqꝫue domos patⁱrias scithice post asꝑpera gentis
prelia laurig̉ero ⁊et c̉etera

Here endith þe prologꝰue

This line and the next are written less formally than the rest of the page and may have been added later.

Here bygynnyth þᵉ ꝓprologꝰue of of þᵉ knyȝtes tale

This line and the previous one are written less formally than the rest of the page and may have been added later.

Whilom was as old stories tellen vs

Ther was a · duk þat hight theseus

Of Athenes he was lord and goủernour

And in his tyme swiche a Conquerour

Þat gretter was noon vnder the sonne

Ful monye a riche contre hade he wone

What with his wisdom and his Chiualrye

He conquered al the […]regne of femynye

And whilom was I clepid scithia

And weddet þe quene ypolita

And brought hir home wᵗith hym in his contre

Wᵗith moche glorie and grete solempnite