Cx2 · London, British Library G.11586, IB. 55094 (the Grenville Copy)

GRete thankes lawde and honour / ought to be gy-
uen vnto the clerkes / poetes / and historiographs
that haue wreton many noble bokes of wysedom
of the lyues / passiōms / ⁊and myracles of holy sayntes
of hystoryes / of noble and famous Actes / and
faittes / And of the cronycles sith the begynnyng
of the creacion of the world / vnto thys present tyme / by whyche
we ben dayly enformed / and haue knowleche of many thynges /
of whom we shold not haue knowen / yf they had not left to vs
theyr monumentis wreton / Emong whom and inespecial to fore
alle other we ought to gyue a synguler laude vnto that noble ⁊and
grete philosopher Gefferey chaucer the whiche for his ornate wry-
tyng in our tongue maye wel haue the name of a laureate poe-
te / For to fore that he by hys labour enbelysshyd / ornated / and
made faire our englisshe / in thys Royame was had rude speche ⁊and
incongrue / as yet it appiereth by olde bookes / whyche at thys day
ought not to haue place ne be compred emōmg ne to hys beaute-
uous volumes / and aournate writynges / of whom he made ma-
ny bokes and treatyces of many a noble historye as wel in me-
tre as in ryme and prose / and them so craftyly made / that he cōm-
prehended hys maters in short / quyck and hye sentences / es-
chewyng prolyxyte / castyng away the chaf of superfluyte / and
shewyng the pyked grayn of sentence / vtteryd by crafty and su-
gred eloquence / of whom emong all other of hys bokes / I pur-
pose temprynte by the grace of god the book of the tales of caun
tyrburye / in whiche I fynde many a noble hystorye / of euery asta
te and degre / fyrst rehercyng the condictiōms / and tharraye of eche
of them as properly as possyble is to be sayd / And after theyr
tales whyche ben of noblesse / wysedom / gentylesse / Myrthe / and
also of veray holynesse and vertue / wherin he fynysshyth thys
sayd booke / whyche book I haue dylygently ouersen and duly
examyned to thende that it be made acordyng vnto his owen ma
kyng / for I fynde many of the sayd bookes / whyche wry -
ters haue abrydgyd it and many thynges left out / And in
som̄e place haue sette certayn versys / that he neuer made ne sette
in hys booke / of whyche bookes so incorrecte was one brought to
me vj yere passyd / whyche I supposed had ben veray true ⁊and cor-
recte / And accordyng to the same I dyde do enprynte a certayn
a ij

[a2v]
Prohemye
nombre of them / whyche anon were sold to many and dyuerse
gentyl men / of whome one gentylman cam to me / and said that
this book was not accordyng in many places vnto the book that
Gefferey chaucer had made / To whom I answerd that I had ma-
de it accordyng to my copye / and by me was nothyng added ne
mynusshyd / Thenne he sayd he knewe a book whyche hys fader
had and moche louyd / that was very trewe / and accordyng vn-
to hys owen first book by hym made / and sayd more yf I wold
enprynte it agayn he wold gete me the same book for a copye /
how be it he wyst wel / that hys fader wold not gladly departe
fro it / To whom I said / in caas that he coude gete me suche a book
trewe and correcte / yet I wold ones endeuoyre me to enprynte it
agayn / for to saysfye thauctour / where as to fore by ygnouraūnce
I erryd in hurtyng and dyffamyng his book in dyuerce places
in settyng in some thynges that he neuer sayd ne made / and le -
utyng out many thynges that he made whyche ben requysite to be
sette in it / And thys we fyll at accord / And he ful gentylly
gate of hys fader the said book / and delyuerd it to me / by whiche
I haue corrected my book / as here after alle alonge by thayde of
almyghty god shal folowe / whom I humbly beseche to gyue me
grace and ayde to achyeue / and accomplysshe / to hys lawde ho -
nour and glorye / and that alle ye that shal in thys book rede or
heere / wyll of your charyte emong your dedes of mercy / remem-
bre the sowle of the sayd Gefferey chaucer first auctour / and ma
ker of thys book / And also that alle we that shal see and rede
therin / may so take and vnderstōmde the good and vertuous ta-
les / that it may so prouffyte / vnto the helthe of our sowles / that
after thys short and transitorye lyf we may come to euerlastyng
lyf in heuen / Amen

WHan that Apryll wyth hys shouris sote

The droughte of marche hath percyd the rote

And bathyd euery veyne in suche lycour

Of whyche vertue engendryd is the flour

Enspyrid hath in euery holte and heth

The tendyr croppis / and the yong sonne

Hath in the ram half hys cours y ronne

And smale foulies make melodye

So prykyth hem nature in her corages

Than longyn folk to gon on pylgremages

And palmers to seche straunge strondis

To serue halowys couthe in sondry londis

Of engelond to Cauntirbury thy wende

The holy blysful martir for to seke

That them hath holpyn when they were seke

BYfyl in that seson on a day

Redy to wenden on my pylgremage

To Cauntirbury wyth deuout corage

That nyght was come in to that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a companye

In feleshyp and pylgrymys were they alle

That toward Cauntirbury wolden ryde

The chambrys and the stablys were wyde

And wel were we esid atte beste

So had I spokyn wyth hem euerychon

That I was of her feleshyp anon

And made forward erly for to ryse

To take our wey there as I you deuyse

Or that I ferthyr in thys tale pace

Me thynketh it accordaunt to reson

To telle you al the condicion

Of eche of hem so as it semed me

And in what aray eke they weren ynne

And at a knyght thenne I wyl begynne

A Knyght ther was a worthy man

That fro the tyme that he first began

Trouthe ⁊and honour fredom and curtesye

Ful worthy he was in hys lordis werre

And therto hadde he ryden noman ferre

And as wel in crystendom as in hethenesse

At alisaundre he was whan it was wonne

Ful ofte tyme he hadde the boord begonne

Abouen alle nacions in pruce

In lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruse

Ingarnade at the sege eke hadde he be

At Algezir / and ryden in Belmarye

At leyeys was he and eke at Satalye

Whan they were wonne and in the grete see

At mortal batayllis had he be fyftene

And foughte for our feyth at Tramyssene

In listys thryes and ay sleyn hys foo

Thys ylke worthy knyght hadde be also

Agayn another hethen man in Turkye

And euermore he hadde a souerayn prys

And though he was worthy he was wys

And of hys port as meke as a mayde

In al hys lyf vnto no maner wyght

He was a very gentyl parfyght knyght

Forto telle you of hys aray

Hys hors were good but he was not gay

Al be smered wyth hys habergeon

For he was late come fro hys vyage

And sente for to do hys pylgremage

WYth hym ther was hys sone a yong squyer

Wyth lockys crulle as they were leyd in presse

Of twenty yer of age he was I gesse

Of hys stature he was of euene lengthe

And wonderly delyuer and of greet strengthe

In Flaundryz In Artoyse and in Pycardye

And born hym wel as of a lytyl space

In hope to stonden in hys ladyes grace

Enbrowded was he as it were a mede

Syngynge he was or floytynge al the day

He was as fresshe as is the moneth of may

Short was hys gowne wyth sleuys longe ⁊and wyde

Wel couthe he sitte on hors ⁊and therto fayr ryde

Iouste and daunce portraye and eke wryte

So hote he loued that by nyghter tale

He slepte nomore than a nyghtyngale

Curteys he was lowly and seruysabyl

A Yeman hadde he and seruauntis nomo

At that tyme for he lyst to ryde so

And he was clad in cote ⁊and hood of grene

A sheef of pecok arowes bryght and shene

Wel coude he dresse hys takyl yomanly

Hys arowys drouped not wyth fetherys lowe

And in hys hond he baar a myghty bowe

A not hed he had wth a broun vysage

Vp on hys arme he bare a gay bracer

And by hys syde a swerd and a bokeler

And on that other syde a gay daggare

Harneysed wel and sharpe as poynt of spere

An horn he baar the bawdryk was of grene

A forster was he sothly as I gesse

THer was also a nonne a pryoresse

That of hymr sylynge was sympyl ⁊and koy

And she was clepyd dame Eglentyn

Ful wel she songe the seruyse dyuyne

Entoyued in hyr voys ful semely

And frensh she spak ful fetously

For frensh of paris was to hyr vnknowe

At mete wel taught was she wyth al

She lete no morsel fro hyr lyppys fal

Ne wette hyre fyngres in hyr sauce depe

That no drope fyl vpon hyr brest

In curtesye was set ful mykyl hyr lest

Her ouerlyppe wyped she so clene

That in her cup ther was no ferthyng sene

Ful semely after hyr mete she raught

And sekerly she was of grete dysport

Of plesaunce and amyable of port

And peyned her to countrefete chyere

And to be holde dygne of reuerence

But for to speke of hyr conscience

She was so charytable and so pyetous

She wold wepe yf that she sawe a mous

Of smale houndys hadde she that she fedde

Wyth rost flessh or mylke or wastel bred

But sore wepte she yf ony of them were ded

Or yf men smoot hem wyth yerd smert

Ful semely hyr wympyl pynched was

Her nose tretise here eyen grey as glas

Her mouth smal and therto softe and reed

But sykyrly she had a fayr forheed

For hardly she was not vnder growe

Ful fetyce was her cloke as I was waar

Of smal coral aboute her harm she baar

A peyre of bedis / gauded al wyth grene

On whyche first was wryte a crouned A

And aftyr that Amor vincit omnia

Another Nonne wyth her hath she

That was her chapelayn and prestis thre

An out ryder that loued wel venorye

A manly man to be an abbote able

Ful many a deynte hors hadde he in stable

And when he rood men myghte hys brydyl here

And eke as lowde as doth the chapel belle

There as thys lord was keper of the celle

The rewle of saynt Maure and of saynt Benet

Be cause he held it somwhat old and streyt

And held after the newe world the space

He yaf not of the text a pulled henne

That seyth that hunters be not holy men

Ne that a monk whenne he is rechelees

Thys is to saye a monke out of a cloystre

But that texte helde he not worth an oystre

And I say that hys opynyon was good

What shold he studye and make hym wood

Or swynke wyth hys hondis and laboure

As Austyn byddeth how shold the world be serued

Let Austyn haue hys swynk to hym reserued

Therfore he was a prycasour a ryght

Of prykynge and of huntynge for the hare

Was al hys luste for no coste wolde he spare

I sawe hys sleuys purfyled at the hond

Wyth grice and that the fynest of a lond

He hadde of gold wrought a curyous pynne

A loue knot in the gretter ende ther was

Hys heed was balled whyche shoon as glas

And eke hys face as he had ben anoynte

Hys eyen steep and rollynge in hys heed

That stemyd as a furneys of a leed

Hys bootis sowpyl hys hors in grete astate

Now certenly he was a fayr prelate

A fat swan loued he best of ony roost

Hys palfrey was as broun as a bery

A Frere ther was awanton and a mery

A lymytour and a ful solemne man

So moche of daliaunce and fair langage

He hadde made ful many a fair mariage

Of yong wymmen at hys owen cost

Vntil hys ordre he was a nobil post

Wyth frankeleyns ouer al in hys contre

And eke wyth worthy yemen of the toun

For he had power of confession

As sayd hym self more than a curat

Ful swetly herd he confession

And plesaunt was hys absolucion

And an esy man to gyue penaunce

There he wyste to haue good pitaunce

Is signe that a man is wel I shryue

For yf he yaf / he durste make a vaunt

He wyst that a man was repentaunt

Many a man so hard is of herte

Therfore in stede of wepynge and prayers

Men moste yeue siluer to the poure freris

Hys tipet was I farsed ful of knyuys

And wyth pynnys to gyue fayre wyuys

Meryly coude he synge and pleye at the rote

Of yeddyngis he baar utterly the prys

Hys necke was whyt as the flour delys

Therto stronge he was as a champioun

And euery osteler and tapstere

Better than a lazer or a beggestere

Forto vnto suche a worthy man as he

Accordyth not as by hys faculte

It is not honest it may not auaunce

Forto dele wyth suche poraylle

But wyth riche and sellers of vytaylle

And ouer al there as richesse shold aryse

Ther was no man nowhere so vertuous

He was the beste beggere in hys hous

And yaf a certayn ferme for the graunt

Noon of hys brethern cam in hys haunt

So plesaunt was hys in principio

Yet wold he haue a ferthyng or he went

Hys purchace was bettir than hys rent

And barke he couthe as it were a whelpe

For there he nas lyke a cloysterer

Wyth a threedbare cope as a poure frere

But he was lyke a mayster or a pope

Of dubbyl worstede was hys semy cope

Somwhat he lispyd for hys wantownesse

To make hys englysshe swete vpon hys tonge

And in hys harpyng whan he hadde I sunge

Hys eyen twynklyd in hys hed a ryght

Thys worthy frere was callyd hubberd

A Marchaunt ther was wyth a forkyd berd

In motley on hygh on hys hors he sat

Vp on his hed a flaundres beuer hat

Hys resons he spack ful solempnely

Shewynge alway the encresse of hys wynnynge

He wolde the see were kept for ony thynge

Betwyx Myddelburgh and orewelle

Thys worthy man hys wytte ful wel besette

Ther wyst no wyght that he was in dette

So estatly he was of gouernaunce

Wyth hys bargayns and wyth gys cheuesaunce

But soth to say I not how men hym calle

A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also

That vnto logik hadde longe I go

As lene was hys hors as a rake

But lokyd holow and therto sobyrly

Ful threedbare was hys ouerest courtby

For he hadde gote hym yet no benefyce

Ne was not worldly to haue an offyce

Twenty bokys I clad in whyt and reed

Of Aristotle and of hys phylosophye

Than Robys riche or fydyl or sawtrye

But al be that he was a phylosophre

But al that he myghte of hys frendys hent

On bokys and on lernynge he it spent

And besely gan for the soulis praye

Of hem that yaf hym wherwyth to scolaye

Not a worde spak he more than nede

And that was sayd in fourme and reuerence

Short and quyk and ful of hygh sentence

Sownyng moral vertu was hys speche

A Sergeante of lawe waar and wyse

Was there that ofte hadde be at the peruyse

Tat was also ful riche of excellence

Discrete he was and of grete reuerence

Iustyce he was ful ofte in assyse

By patent and be playn commyssion

For hys science and hys hygh renoun

Of fees and Robys hadde he many on

Al was fee symple to hym in effecte

Hys purchace myghte not be to hym suspecte

Nowhere so besy aman as he ther nas

And yet he semyd besyer than he was

That fro the tyme of kyng wylliam were falle

Therto he coude endyte and make a thyng

Ther coude no wyght pynche at hys wrytyng

And euery statute coude he pleyn by rote

A gyrt wyth a seynt of silk wyth barris smale

Of hys aray telle I no lenger tale

A Frankeleyn was in hys companye

Whyte was hys berd as is the deysie

Wel loued he by the morow a cup wyn

To lyue in delyte was euer hys wone

For he was epycuryes owen sone

That held opynyon that pleyn delyte

An housholder and that a grete was he

Saynt Iulian he was in hys contre

Hys brede hys ale was allewey aftyr one

A bettyr vyned man was nowher none

Hys fissh hys flessh and that so plentuous

It snewed in hys hows of mete and drynke

Of alle deyntees that men couthe thynke

Aftyr the sondry seson of the yeer

Ful many a fat partrych hadde he in mewe

And many a breme and luce in stewe

Wo was hys cook but hys sawce were

Poynant and sharp and redy al hys gere

Was redy couered al the longe day

At sessions ther was he lord and sire

Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shyre

A anlace and a gypser al of silk

A shereue hadde he ben and a coronour

Was nowhere suche a worthy vauesour

AN habyrdassher ther was and a carpenter

A webbe a dyer and a tapyser

Of a solempne and grete fraternyte

Ful fressh and newe her geer pyked was

Here knyuys chapyd were not wyth bras

But al wyth siluer wrought ful clene and wel

Wel semed eche of hem a fayr burgeys

To sitten in the yeld halle at the deys

Euerych for the wysdom that he can

Was happely forto be an aldyrman

And here wyuys wold it wel assent

And ellis certayn they were to blame

Hyt is ful fayr to be callyd madame

And go to the vygyllis al before

A Cook they hadde wyth hem for the nonys

To boylle the chykens ⁊and the mary bonys

And powder marchaunt tart and galyngale

Wel knew he a draughte of london ale

Make mortrewys and wel bake a pye

But grete harm was it as it thoughte me

For on hys shynne a mormal hod he

And blank manger made he wyth the best

For ought I wot he was of derthemouthe

He rood vp a rowncy as he couth

In a gowne foldynge to the kne

A daggar on a lace hangynge had he

The hote somer hadde made hys hewe al broun

And certaynly he was a good felawe

Ful many a draughte wyn he hadde drawe

Fro burdeux ward whyle the chapman sleep

Yf that he faught and had the hygher hond

By water he sent hem hom to euery lond

But of hys craft to reken wel hys tydes

Hys stremys and hys daungers hym besides

Ther was none suche from hulle to Cartage

Hardy he was and waar to vndertake

Wyth many a tempest hys berd hath be shake

He knewe all the hauenes that there were

And euery cryke in brytayne and in spayne

Hys barge was called the Maudeleyne

WYth vs ther was a doctour in physik

In the world was ther none hym lyk

For he was groundyd in Astronomye

He kepte hys paciente a greet deel

In houres by magyk natureel

Wel couthe he of fortune the assendent

He knewe the cause of euery maladye

Were it of cold hete moyst or drye

And were engendred of what humour

He was a very parfight practesour

Anon he yaf to the sik man hys bote

For redy alway be hys apotecaryes

To sende hym drugges ⁊and hys lectewaryes

For eche of them made other for to wynne

Ful wel knewe he the olde Esculapius

And dyscorydes and eke Rusus

Olde ypocras / haly and Galiene

Serapion Rasis and eke Auicene

Bernard Gatisden and Gylbertyn

Of hys dyete mesurable was he

For it was of no superfluyte

But of grete nourisshynge and dygestyble

In sangweyn and in perce I clad wyth all

Lyned wyth taffata and wyth sandall

And lytyl he was of hys dyspence

He kepte that he whan in the pestelence

Therfor he loued gold in especyal

A Good wyf ther was of beside bathe

And she was somdeel deef ⁊and that was scathe

Of cloth makynge had she suche an haunt

In al the parisshe wyf was ther non

That to the offrynge before hyr sholde goon

And yf ther dyd certayn wroth was she

Than was she oute of al charyte

I durste swere they weyed thre pound

That on a sonday were on hyr hed

Hyr hosyn were of fyne scarlet reed

Ful streyte I teyd and shoos ful moyst and newe

She was a worthy womman al hyr lyue

Husbondys at the chyrche dore hadde she fyue

Wythoute other companye in youthe

But her of nedyth not to speke as nowthe

She had passyd thourgh many a strange reme

At Rome she had be and at boloyne

At saynt Iames in Galis and at Coloyne

She coude moche of wandryng in the weye

Vp on an ambuler ful esely she sat

I wymplyd wel ⁊and on hyr hed an hat

As brood at it were a bokeler or a targe

A foot mantyl aboute her hyppis large

In felesshyp coude she lawhe and carpe

Of remedyes of loue she coude per chaunce

For of that arte she coude the olde daunce

A Good man ther was of religyon

But riche he was of holy thought ⁊and werk

He was also a lerned man and a clerk

That crystis gospellis trewly wold preche

Hys parishons deuoutyly wolde he teche

And in aduersite ful pacient

And suche he was proued ofte sithes

Ful loth were he to curse for hys tithys

But Rathyr wold he yeue out of doute

Of hys offryng and eke of hys substaunce

He ceude in lityl thyng haue suffysaunce

Wyde was his parysshe ⁊and housis fer a sondir

But he let not for rayn ne for thundyr

The ferrest in hys parish more and lite

Vp on hys feet and in hys hond a staf

Thys nobyl ensample vnto hys sheep he yaf

That first he wroughte ⁊and aftirward taught

And thys figure he ekyd therto

That yf gold ruste what shold Iren do

For a preest to be foul in whom we truste

No wonder is a lewd man to ruste

A slotty shepherde and a clene shepe

Wel oughte a preest ensample to gyue

Be hys clennesse how hys sheep shold lyue

Be sette not hys benefyce to hyre

And renne to London to saynt Poulis

And seke hym a chauntrye for soulis

Othyr wyth a bretherhede to be wythholde

But duelle at hoom and kepe hys folde

He was a sheepherde and not a mercenarye

And though he holy were and vertuous

He was nat to synfulmen to despytous

Ne of hys techyng daungerous ne dygne

To drawe folk to heuen wyth fayrnesse

Be good ensampyl thys was hys besinesse

But it were ony persone obstynat

Whether he were of hygh or lowe astat

A better preest I trow nowhere non is

He wayted aftyr no pompe ne reuerence

Ne made to hym a spyced conscyence

But crystys lore and hys apostelis twelue

WYth hym ther was a polowman hys broder

That hadde led of dung many a fother

A trewe swynker and a good was he

Leuynge in pees and parfit charyte

At alle tymes though he gamed or smerte

And than hys neyghebour ryght as hym selue

He wolde thresshe and therto dygge and delue

For crystis sake for euery poure wyght

Hys tythes payde he bothe fayre and wel

Of hys propyr swynk and hys catel

In a tabard he rood vp on a mere

There was also a reue and eek a Myllere

A Mancipill and my self ther was no mo

TThe myllere was a stout carle for the nonys

Ful byge he was of braun and bonys

That proued wel for oueral there he cam

He was short shuldred brood a thycke quarre

Ther was no dore that he nolde heue of the barre

Or breke it at rennynge wyth hys hed

Hys berd as ony sowe or fox was reed

Vp on the cop right of hys nose he hade

A werte and ther on stood a tufte of heris

Rede as the brustelis of a sowes eris

Hys nostrellis blak were and wyde

Hys mouth as greet was as a furneys

He was a Iangeler and a goliardeys

And that was most of synne and harlotryes

Wel coude he stele corn and tolle thryes

A whyt cote and a blew hood weryd he

A bagge pype coude he blowe and sowne

And therwyth he brouhte vs out of towne

A Gentyl Mancypyl was ther of the temple

Forto be wyse in byynge of vytayl

For whethyr he payde or took by tayl

Algate he waytyd so on hys achate

That he was ay before and in good state

That suche a lewd mannys wytte shal pace

The wysedom of an heep of lerned men

Of maystris hadde he moo than thryes ten

That were of lawe expert and corious

Worthy to be stuardys of rente and londe

Of ony lord that is in Englond

To make hym lyue be hys owen good

In honour detles but he were wood

And able for to helpe al the shyre

In ony cause that myghte falle or happe

And yet thys mancipyl set al her cappe

A Reue ther was a slēmdir colerik man

His heris were be his eris ful roūnd y shore

His top was dockid lik a prest before

Ful longe were hys leggis and ful lene

Lyk a staf ther nys no calf y sene

Ther was non auditour coude of hym wynne

Wel wyst he by the droughte and by the rayn

The yeldynge of hys seed and of hys greyn

Hys lordis sheep hys neet and hys deyrie

Was holly in thys reuys gouernyng

And by hys couenaunt yaf the rekenynge

Syth hys lord was twenty yere of age

Ther coude noman brynge hym in arerage

That he ne knewe his sleyghte or hys couyne

They were of hym a drad as of the deth

Hys wonynge was ful fayr vp on a heth

Wyth grene treys shadowed was hys place

Ful riche he was astored pryuely

Hys lord wel he coude please subtylly

To yeue ⁊and lene to hym of hys owen good

And haue thank ⁊and yet a cote and an hood

He was a wel good wryght a Carpentere

Thys reue sat vpon a wel good stot

That was al pomel gray and hyghte scot

A long surcote of Perce vp on hym he hadde

Of norfolk was thys reue of whyche I telle

Beside a toun men calle Baldyswelle

Tuckyd he was as is a frere aboute

And euer he rood the hynderest of the rowte

That hadde a fyre reed cherubyns face

For sausfleme he was wyth eyen narow

Hoot he was and likerous as a sparow

Wyth blake browes skallid and pilled berd

Ther nas quyksiluer litarge ne brymstone

Borace ceruse ne oyle of tartre none

Ne oynement that wold clense and byte

That hym myghte helpe of hys welkys whyte

Wel loued he oynons garleek and lekys

And for to drynke strong wyn as red as blood

Than wold he speke ⁊and crye as he wer wood

And whan he hadde wel dronke the wyn

Than wolde he speke no word but latyn

A fewe termes hadde he two or thre

No wondyr is he herd it al the day

And eke ye knowe wel that a Iay

Can clepe watte as wel as can the pope

But who coude hym in other thyngys grope

Ay questio quid queris wolde he crye

He was a gentyl harlot and a kynde

A better felow shold men not fynde

He wold suffre for a quart of wyn

A twelf monthe ⁊and excuse hym at the fulle

Ful pryuely a fynche eke coude he pulle

And yf he fond owher a good felawe

He wold teche hym anon to haue awe

But yf mannys soule were in hys purs

For in hys purs he shold punysshyd be

Purs is the archedekenes helle sayd he

But wel I woot he lied right in dede

For cursynge wyl sle right as soylyng saueth

And also ware hym of a significauit

In daunger hadde he at hys owen gyse

Alle the yong gyrlis of the dyocyse

A garlond he hadde set vp on hys hede

As greet as it were an alestake

A bokeler hadde he made hym of a Cake

WYth hym ther rood a gentil pardoner

That streyght was come fro the court of Rome

Ful lowde he song come hyther loue to me

Thys sompnour baar to hym a styf burdoun

Was neuer trompe of half so greet a soun

And smothe it hyng as doth a stryke of flex

By hounses hyng hys lockis that he hadde

And there wyth hys sholdris ouer spradde

But than it lay by Culpous one and one

For it was trussed vp in hys walet

Hym thoughte he rood vp on the newe get

Dyssheuyld saue hys cappe he rood al bare

Suche glarynge eyen hadde he as hath an hare

Hys walet beforn hym had he in hys lappe

Brette ful of pardon come fro Rome al hoot

A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot

No berd hadde he ne neuer sholde haue

I trowe he were a gheldyng or a mare

But of hys craft from Berwyk vnto ware

Ne was ther nowher suche a pardoner

For in hys male he hadde a pylow beer

He sayd he hadde a gobet of the seyl

That saynt peter hadde whan that he went

Vp on the see tyl Ihesus cryst hym hent

He hade a crosse of laton ful of stones

But wyth thyse reliques whan that he fond

A poure person dwellyng vp on lond

Vp on a day he gat hym more moneye

Than the person gat in monethis tweye

He made the parson and the pepyl hys apis

But trewly to telle at the last

He was in chyrche an noble ecclesiast

Wel coude he rede a lesson or a story

For wel he wyste whan that song was sunge

He moste preche and file a whyle hys tunge

To wynne siluer as he ful wel coude

Therfore he songe the merierly and loude

The state the aray the nōmbre ⁊and the cause

Why that assembled was this cōmpanye

In Southwerk at thys gentyl hostelrye

That hyghte the Taberd faste by the belle

How that we bare vs that ilke nyght

Whan that we were in the hostry a light

And aftir wyl I telle of our viage

And al the remenaunt of our pylgremage

That ye ne arette it not my vylonye

Though that I playnly speke in thys matere

To telle you here wordys and hyr chere

And though I speke here wordys propyrly

Who shal a tale telle after a man

He moste reherse as nere as he can

Euery word yf it be in hys charge

Al speke he neuer so rudely and so large

Or see thyngis or feyne wordis newe

He may not spare al thouh he were his broder

He moot as wel say o word as another

Cryst spak hym self ful brode in holy wryt

Eke plato sayth who so can it rede

The word muste be cosyn to the dede

Also I pray you foryeue it me

Al though I sette not folk in her degre

My wyt is short ye may wel vnderstonde

GRet chere made our ost to vs euerychon

And to soupere sette he vs anon

He serued vs wyth vytayll at the beste

A semely man our oste was wyth alle

Forto be a marchal in a lordes halle

A large man he was wyth eyen stepe

A feyrer burgeys is ther non in chepe

And of manhood lacked he right nought

Eke therto was he right a mery man

And aftir soupper to pleyen he began

And spak of myrthe among other thynges

He sayd thus now lordynges treuly

Ye be to me right welcome hertly

For by my trowthe yf I shal not lye

I saw not thys yeer so mery a companye

Feyne wolde I do you myrthe yf I wyste how

And of a myrthe I am right now be thought

To do you ese and it shal coste you nought

Ye go to Caunterbury ward god you spede

And wel ye woot as ye go be the weye

Ye shappyn you to talke and to pleye

For trewly comfort ne myrthe is non

To ryde by the wey dombe as a stoon

As I sayde erst and do you comfort

And yf it liketh you alle by one assent

Forto stonde at my Iugement

And forto werke as I shal you say

Now by my fader soule that is ded

But ye be mery I shal yeue you my hed

Hold vp your hond wythoute more speche

Our counsel shal not longe be to seche

And graunted hym wythoute more a vys

And bad hym saye hys verdyt as hym lyst

Lordynges quod he now herkeneth for the best

But take it not I pray you in dysdeyne

That eche of you to shorte wyth your weye

In thys vyage shal telle talis tweye

To Cauntirburyward I mene it soo

And homward he shal telle other talis two

And whyche of you beryth hym best of alle

That is to saye that tellyth in thys caas

Tales of best sentence and most solaas

Shal haue a souper of oure alther cost

Whan that we come ayen from Caunterbury

And forto make you the more mery

I wyl my self goodly wyth you ryde

Ryght at myn owen cost and be your gyde

Shortly shal paye al that is spent by the way

And yf ye vouchesauf that it be soo

Tel me anone wythoute wordys moo

And I wyl erly shape me therfore

Wyth ful glad herte ⁊and preyen hym also

That he wold vouchesauf that it be so

And that he wolde be our gouernour

And of oure talis Iuge and reportour

And wold be rewlid at hys deuyce

Hygh and lowe and alle by on assent

We be accorded to hys Iugement

And there vp on the wyne was fet anone

Wyth oute eny lenger taryynge

Amorow whan the day gan sprynge

Vp roos our host and was al onr cok

And gadred vs to gydre alle in a flok

Vnto the waterynge of saynt Thomas

And there our oste gan hys hors areste

And sayde harkeneth lordyngz yf ye lyste

Ye woot our forward and I you recorde

Let se now who shal telle the fyrste tale

As euyr moot I drynke wyne or ale

Who so wyl be rebel to my Iugement

Shal paye for al that is by the way spent

Whyche shal the fyrst tale begynne

Syre knyght quod he my mayster ⁊and my lord

Now drawyth cut for that is myn accord

Cometh hythyr quod he my lady Pryoresse

Ne study not / lay on hond euery man

Anon to drawen euery wyght began

And shortly to telle as it was

Were it be auenture fortune or caas

Of whyche ful blythe and glad is euery wyght

And telle he muste as it was reson

By forward and by composicion

As ye haue herd what nedyth wordys moo

As he that was wyse and obedyent

To kepe hys forward by hys fre assent

He sayde sithnes I shal begynne the game

What welcom be cut a goddys name

And wyth that word we riden forth our way

And he began wyth right a mery chere

And sayde anone hys tale as ye shul here

Here begynneth the knyghtis tale