Do · Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Douce d.4
Canterbury Tales Project.
talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/Do/
[1r]
Þtat had bot lytell golde in coffre
Bot all þtat he myght of his frendys hente
On bokys and on lernynge he it spente
And bysely kan for the soulys prey
Þtat gaff hym ought for his scole to peye
Off studye toke he most kepe and most hede
Not a worde spake he more than̄ was nede
And that was seid in fourme and reủerence
And short and quyk / and full of sentence
Sounyng in morall Vertue was his speche
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche
A Sergeaunt of the lawe bothe war and wyse
Þtat oftyn̄ had been at the paruyce
He was also riche of excellence
Discrete he was and of grete reủerence
He semed suche / his wordes were so wyse
Iustice he was full oftyn in Assise
By patent and by playne commissioun̄
For his science / and for his high renoun̄
Off Feis and robys / had he many oon̄
So grete a purchasoure was neủere noon̄
All was fe simple to hym in effecte
His purchace myght not been enfecte
Neủer so bysy a man as he ther nas
And yet he semed bysyer than he was
In termys had he cases and domys alle
Þtat from the tyme of kynge William were falle
Therto he coude endite and make a thynge
Ther couthe no man pynche at his wrytynge
And eủery statute couthe he pleyne by roote
He rode bot homely in a medly cote
Girt with a seint of silk with barrys smale
Of his aray tell y no lenger tale
[…] Frankeleyn̄ was in his companye
[…]ite was his berde as is the daysye
[…] complexcioıı̄un he was sangwyne
Well loued by the morowe a soppe in wyne
To lyven in delite was eủer> his wone
For he was Epicures owne sone
Þtat hild opimyon / þtat pleyne delite
Was verrey felicite ꝑperfite
An housholder and þtat a grete was he
Seint Iulyan he was in that Cuntre
His brede his ale was alway after oon̄
A better enuyned man was nowher noon̄
Without bake mete was neủer his hous
Of fyssh and flessh and that so plentevous
It snowed in his mouthe of mete and drynke
Of alle deynteis þtat men couthe thynke
After the sundery sesons of the yere
So chaunged he his mete and his sopere
Full many a fat ꝑpertrich had he in mwe
And many a breme / and many a luce in stewe
Wo was his cooke / bot if his sawse were
Poynanaunt and redy all his geere
His table dormount in his halle alway
Stode redy keủered alle the longe day
At Sessions there was he lorde and sire
Full ofte tyme he was knyght of þe shire
An anlase and a gipser all of silk
Heng at his girdell white as morowen mylke
A Shirefe had he been and countour
Was nowher such a vauasoure
An haberdassher and a Carpenter
A webster / a dyer and a Tapicere
And they were clothed alle in oon lyủerere
Of a full solempne and a grete frat̉ernyte
Fressh and newe theire gere a piked was
Theire knyves were chapid not with brasse
But alle with siluer wrought full clene and well
Theire girdelis / and theire pouchis eủerydeell