El · San Marino, Huntington Library El 26 C 9

Canterbury Tales Project.

talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/El/

[1r]

WHan that Aprill with hise shoures soote

The droghte of March / hath perced to the roote

And bathed euery veyne / in swich licour

Of which v̉ertu / engendred is the flour

Whan Zephirus eek / wᵗith his sweete breeth

Inspired hath / in euery holt and heeth

The tendre croppes / and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram / his half cours yronne

¶ .i. sol in Ariete

And smale foweles / maken melodye

That slepen al the nyght / with open eye

So priketh hem nature in hir corages

Thanne longen folk / to goon on pilgⁱrimages

And Palm̉eres / for to seken straunge strondes

To ferne halwes / kowthe in sondry londes

And specially / from euery shires ende

Of Engelond / to Caunterbury they wende

The hooly blisful martir for to seke

That hem hath holpen / whan þᵗat they were seeke

Bifil that in that seson on a day

In Southwerk / at the Tabard as I lay

Redy / to wenden on my pilgrymage

To Caunt̉erbury / with ful deuout corage

At nyght / were come / in to that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye

Of sondry folk / by aventure yfalle

In felaweship̄ / and pilgⁱrimes were they alle

That toward Caunt̉erbury wolden ryde

The chambres and the stables weren wyde

And wel we weren esed atte beste

And shortly whan the sonne was to reste

So hadde I spoken / wᵗith hem euerichon

That I was / of hir felaweship̄ anon

And made forward / erly for to ryse

To take oure wey / ther as I yow deuyse

But nathelees / whil I haue tyme ⁊and space

Er that I ferther in this tale pace

Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoıı̄un

To telle yow al the condicioıı̄un

Of ech of hem / so as it semed me

And whiche they were / and of what degree

And eek in what array / that they were Inne

And at a knyght / than wol I first bigynne

A knyght ther was / and that a worthy man

¶ Knyght

That fro the tyme / that he first bigan

To riden out / he loued chiualrie

Trouthe and honour / fredom and curteisie

Ful worthy was he / in his lordes werre

And therto / hadde he riden no man ferre

[1v]

As wel in cristendom / as in Hethenesse

And euere / honoured for his worthynesse

¶ At Alisaundre he was / whan it was wonne

Ful ofte tyme / he hadde the bord bigonne

Abouen alle nacions in Pruce

In Lettow / hadde he reysed and in Ruce

No cristen man so ofte of his degree

In Gernade / at the seege eek hadde he be

Of Algezir /· and riden in Belmarye

At Lyeys was he / and at Satalye

Whan they were wonne ⁊and in the grete See

At many a noble Armee / hadde he be

At mortal batailles / hadde he been fiftene

And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene

In lystes thries / and ay slayn his foo

This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also

Somtyme / with the lord of Palatye

Agayn / another hethen in Turkye

And eủeremoore / he hadde a souereyn prys

And though þᵗat he were worthy he was wys

And of his port as meeke as is a mayde

He neuere yet no vileynye ne sayde

In al his lyf / vn to no maner wight

He was a verray parfit gentil knyght

¶ But for to tellen yow / of his array

His hors weren goode / but he was nat gay

Of Fustian / he wered a gypoıı̄un

Al bismotered with his habergeoıı̄un

For he was late / ycome from his viage

And wente / for to doon his pilgrymage

With hym ther was his sone a yong Squier

¶ Squier

A louyer͗e / and a lusty Bacheler

Wᵗith lokkes crulle / as they were leyd in presse

Of twenty yeer of Age / he was I gesse

Of his stature / he was of euene lengthe

And wonderly delyuere / and of greet strengthe

And he hadde been somtyme in chyuachie

In Flaundres / in Artoys and Pycardie

And born hym weel / as of so litel space

In hope / to stonden in his lady grace

Embrouded was he / as it were a meede

Al ful of fresshe floures / whyte and reede

Syngynge he was / or floytynge al the day

He was as fressh / as is the Monthe of May

Short was his gowne / wᵗith sleues longe ⁊and wyde

Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde

He koude songes make / and wel endite

Iuste ⁊and eek daunce and weel purtreye ⁊and write

[2r]

So hoote he louede / that by nyghtertale

He slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale

Curteis he was / lowely / and seruysable

And carf / biforn his fader at the table

A Yeman hadde he / and seruantz namo

¶ Yeman

At that tyme / for hym liste ride so

And he was clad / in cote ⁊and hood of grene

A sheef of pecok arwes / bright and kene

Vnder his belt he bar ful thriftily

Wel koude he / dresse his takel yemanly

Hise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe

And in his hand / he baar a myghty bowe

A not heed hadde he / with a broun visage

Of wodecraft wel koude he al the vsage

Vpon his arm / he baar a gay bracer

And by his syde / a swerd / and a bokeler

And on that oother syde / a gay daggere

Harneised wel / and sharp̄ as point of spere

A Cristophere on his brest of siluer sheene

An horn he bar / the bawdryk was of grene

A Forster was he / soothly as I gesse

Ther was also / a Nonne a Prioresse

¶ Prioresse

That of hir smylyng / was ful symple ⁊and coy

Hir͗e gretteste ooth / was but by seint loy

And she was cleped / madame Eglentyne

Ful weel she soong the seruice dyuyne

Entuned in hir nose / ful semeely

And frenssh / she spak / ful faire and fetisly

After the scole / of Stratford atte Bowe

For frenssh of Parys / was to hir͗e vnknowe

At mete / wel ytaught was she with alle

She leet no morsel / from hir lippes falle

Ne wette hir fyngres / in hir sauce depe

Wel koude she carie a morsel / and wel kepe

That no drope / ne fille vpon hir͗e brist

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir list

Hire ouer lippe / wyped she so clene

That in hir coppe / ther was no ferthyng sene

Of grece / whan she dronken hadde hir draughte

Ful semely / after hir mete she raughte

And sikerly / she was of greet desport

And ful plesaunt / and amyable of port

And peyned hir͗e to countrefete cheere

Of Court and to been estatlich of manere

And to ben holden digne of reuerence

But for to speken of hir͗e conscience

She was so charitable and so pitous

She wolde wepe / if that she saugh a Mous

[2v]

Kaught in a trappe / if it were deed or bledde

Of smale houndes / hadde she þᵗat she fedde

With rosted flessh / or Milk / and wastel breed

But soore wepte she / if any of hem were deed

Or if men smoot it / with a yerde smerte

And al was conscience and tendre herte

Ful semyly / hir wympul pynched was

Hir nose tretys / hir eyen greye as glas

Hir mouth ful smal / and ther to softe ⁊and reed

But sikerly / she hadde a fair forheed

It was almoost · a spanne brood I trowe

For hardily / she was nat vndergrowe

Ful fetys was hir cloke / as I was war

Of smal coral / aboute hir͗e Arm she bar

A peire of bedes / gauded al with grene

And ther on / heng a brooch of gold ful sheene

On which / ther was first write a crowned .A.

And after / Amor vincit omnia.

Another Nonne / wᵗith hir͗e hadde she

Nonne ⁊and ·iij· preestes·

That was hir Chapeleyne and preestes thre

A monk ther was / a fair for the maistrie

Monk.

An outrider͗e / that louede venerie

A manly man / to been an Abbot able

Ful many a deyntee hors / hadde he in stable

And whan he rood / men myghte his brydel heere

Gynglen / in a whistlynge wynd als cleere

And eek as loude / as dooth þe Chapel belle

Ther as this lord / was keper͗e of the Celle

The reule of seint Maure / or of seint Beneit

By cause that it was old / and som del streit

This ilke Monk / leet olde thynges pace

And heeld / after the newe world the space

He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen

That seith / that hunters beth nat hooly men

Ne that a Monk / whan he is recchelees

Is likned / til a fissh / þᵗat is waterlees

This is to seyn / a Monk out of his Cloystre

But thilke text / heeld he nat worth an Oystre

And I seyde his opinion was good

What sholde he studie / ⁊and make hym seluen wood

Vpon a book / in Cloystre alwey to poure

Or swynken wᵗith his handes and laboure

As Austyn bit / how shal the world be serued

Lat Austyn / haue his owene swynk / to him reʆserued

Therfore / he was a prikasour aright

Grehoundes he hadde / as swift as fowel in flight

Of pⁱrikyng and of huntyng for the hare

Was al his lust · for no cost wolde he spare

[3r]

I seigh his sleues / ypurfiled at the hond

With grys / and that the fyneste of a lond

And for to festne his hood vnder his chyn

He hadde of gold / ywroght a ful curious pyn

A loue knotte / in the gretter ende ther was

His heed was balled / þᵗat shoon as any glas

And eek his face / as it hadde been enoynt

He was a lord ful fat / and in good poynt

Hise eyen stepe / and rollynge in his heed

That stemed / as a forneys of a leed

His bootes souple / his hors in greet estaat

Now c̉erteinly / he was a fair prelaat

He nas nat pale / as a forpyned goost

A fat swan loued he best of any roost

His palfrey / was as broun as is a berye

A Frere ther was / a wantowne ⁊and a merye

¶ Frere ·

A lymytour / a ful solempne man

In alle the ordres foure / is noon þᵗat kan

So muchel of daliaunce / and fair langage

He hadde maad / ful many a mariage

Of yonge women / at his owene cost

Vn to his ordre / he was a noble post

And wel biloued / and famulier was he

With frankeleyns / ouer al in his contree

And with worthy women of the toun

For he hadde power of confessioun

As seyde hym self / moore than a Curat

For of his ordre / he was licenciat

Ful swetely / herde he confessioıı̄un

And plesaunt was his absolucioıı̄un

He was an esy man / to yeue penaunce

Ther as he wiste / to haue a good pitaunce

For vnto a poure ordre / for to yiue

Is signe / þᵗat a man is wel yshryue

For if he yaf / he dorste make avaunt

He wiste / that a man was repentaunt

For many a man / so hard is of his herte

He may nat wepe / al thogh hym soore smerte

Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres

Men moote yeue siluer / to the poure freres

His typet was ay farsed ful of knyues

And pynnes / for to yeuen yonge wyues

And certeinly / he hadde a murye note

Wel koude he synge / and pleyen on a rote

Of yeddynges / he baar outrely the pris

His nekke / whit was / as the flour delys

Ther to / he strong was as a Champioıı̄un

He knew the Tauernes wel in al the toun

[3v]

And euerich Hostiler / and Tappestere

Bet than a lazar / or a beggestere

For vn to swich a worthy man as he

Acorded nat as by his facultee

To haue with sike lazars Aqueyntaıı̄unce

It is nat honeste / it may nat auaıı̄unce

For to deelen / with no swich poraille

But al wᵗith riche / and selleres of vitaille

And ouer al / ther as ꝓprofit sholde arise

Curteis he was / and lowely of seruyse

Ther nas no man / nowher so v̉ertuous

He was / the beste begger͗e in his hous

For thogh a wydwe / hadde noght a sho

So plesaunt was his In pⁱrincipio

Yet wolde he haue / a ferthyng er he wente

His purchas / was wel bettre than his rente

And rage he koude / as it were right a whelp̄

In loue dayes / ther koude he muchel help̄

For ther he was nat lyk a Cloystrer

With a thredbare cope / as is a poure scoler

But he was lyk / a maister / or a pope

Of double worstede / was his semycope

That rounded as a belle / out of the presse

Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse

To make his englissh / sweete vp on his tonge

And in his harpyng · whan þᵗat he hadde songe

Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght

As doon the sterres / in the frosty nyght

This worthy lymytour was cleped Huberd

A Marchant was ther wᵗith a forked berd

¶ Marchant

In Motlee / and hye on horse he sat

Vpon his heed a Flaundryssh Beủere hat

His bootes clasped / faire and fetisly

Hise resons he spak / ful solempnely

Sownynge alwey thencrees of his wynnyng

He wolde the see were kept for any thyng

Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle

Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle

This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette

Ther wiste no wight þᵗat he was in dette

So estatly / was he of his gouernaunce

With his bargaynes / and wᵗith his cheuyssaunce

For sothe / he was a worthy man with alle

But sooth to seyn / I noot how men hym calle

A Clerk ther was / of Oxenford also

¶ Clerk of Oxenford

That vn to logyk / hadde longe ygo

And leene was his hors as is a rake

And he nas nat right fat I vndertake

[4r]

But looked holwe / and ther to sobrely

Ful thredbare / was his ouereste courtepy

For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice

Ne was so worldly / for to haue office

For hym was leuere / haue at his beddes heed

Twenty bookes / clad in blak or reed

Of Aristotle / and his Philosophie

Than robes riche / or fithele / or gay sautrie

But al be / that he was a Philosophre

Yet hadde he / but litel gold in cofre

But al þᵗat he myghte / of his freendes hente

On bookes / and his lernynge he it spente

And bisily / gan for the soules preye

Of hem / þᵗat yaf hym wher wᵗith to scoleye

Of studie took he moost cure ⁊and moost heede

Noght o word / spak he moore than was neede

And that was seyd / in forme and reuerence

And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence

Sownynge in moral v̉ertu / was his speche

And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche

A Sergeant of the lawe / war and wys

¶ Sergeant of Lawe

That often hadde been at the Parvys

Ther was also / ful riche of excellence

Discreet he was / and of greet reuerence

He semed swich / hise wordes weren so wise

Iustice he was / ful often in Assise

By patente / and by pleyn cōmmissioıı̄un

For his science / and for his heigh renoıı̄un

Of fees and robes / hadde he many oon

So greet a purchasour / was nowher noon

Al was fee symple to hym in effect

His purchasyng / myghte nat been infect

Nowher / so bisy a man as he ther nas

And yet he semed / bisier than he was

In t̉ermes hadde he caas and doomes alle

That from the tyme / of kyng william were yfalle

Ther to / he koude endite and make a thyng

Ther koude no wight / pynchen at his writyng

And euery statut / koude he pleyn by rote

He rood but hoomly / in a medlee cote

Girt wᵗith a ceint of silk wᵗith barres smale

Of his array telle I no lenger tale

A Frankeleyn / was in his compaignye

¶ Frankeleyn

Whit was his heed / as is a dayesye

Of his complexioıı̄un / he was sangwyn

Wel loued he by the morwe a sop̄ in wyn

To lyuen in delit was euere his wone

For he was / Epicurus owene sone

[4v]

That heeld opinioıı̄un / that pleyn delit

Was verray felicitee parfit

An housholder͗e / and that a greet was he

Seint Iulian was he in his contree

His breed / his Ale / was alweys after oon

MR V 30 suggest that the last five words are written over an erasure.

A bettre envyned man / was neủere noon

With oute bake mete / was neủere his hous

Of fissh and flessh / and that so plenteuous

It snewed in his hous / of mete and drynke

Of alle deyntees / that men koude thynke

After the sondry sesons / of the yeer

So chaunged he / his mete and his soper

Ful many a fat partrich / hadde he in Muwe

And many a Breem / and many a luce in Stuwe

Wo was his Cook but if his sauce were

Poynaunt / and sharp̄ / and redy al his geere

His table dormant in his halle alway

Stood redy couered / al the longe day

At sessioıı̄uns / ther was he lord and sire

Ful ofte tyme / he was knyght of the shire

An Anlaas / and a gipser al of silk

Heeng at his girdel / whit as morne Milk

A shirreue hadde he been and Countour

Was nowher / swch a worthy Vauasour

AN haberdassher͗e and a Carpenter

¶ Haberdassher͗e .
¶ Carpenter .

A Webbe / a Dyere / and a Tapycer

¶ Webbe .
¶ Dyere .
¶ Tapicer .

And they were clothed alle in o lyủeree

Of a solempne / and a greet fraternitee

Ful fressh and newe / hir geere apiked was

Hir knyues / were chaped noght with bras

But al wᵗith siluer wroght ful clene and weel

Hir͗e girdles and hir pouches euerydeel

Wel semed ech of hem / a fair burgeys

To sitten in a yeldehalle / on a deys

Euerich / for the wisdom þᵗat he kan

Was shaply for to been an Alderman

For catel hadde they ynogh and rente

And eek hir wyues wolde it wel assente

And elles certeyn / were they to blame

It is ful fair / to been ycleped ma Dame

And goon to vigilies / al bifore

And haue a Mantel roialliche ybore

A Cook they hadde wᵗith hem for the nones

¶ Cook .

To boille the chiknes wᵗith the Marybones

And poudre Marchant tart and galyngale

Wel koude he knowe / a draughte of London̄ ale

He koude rooste and sethe / and boille and frye

Maken Mortreux / and wel bake a pye

[5r]

But greet harm was it as it thoughte me

That on his shyne / a mormal hadde he

For blankmanger / that made he with the beste

A Shipman was ther / wonynge fer by weste

¶ Shipman .

For aught I woot / he was of Dertemouthe

He rood vp on a Rouncy / as he kouthe

In a gowne of faldyng to the knee

A dagger͗e / hangynge on a laas hadde he

Aboute his nekke / vnder his Arm adoun

The hoote somer / hadde maad his hewe al broun

And certeinly / he was a good felawe

Ful many a draughte of wyn / had he drawe

Fro Burdeuxward / whil that the Chapman sleep̄

Of nyce conscience / took he no keep̄

If þᵗat he faught and hadde the hyer hond

By water / he sente hem hoom to euery lond

But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes

His stremes / and his daungers hym bisides

His herberwe / and his moone / his lodemenage

Ther nas noon swich / from Hull to Cartage

Hardy he was and wys / to vndertake

With many a tempest / hadde his berd been shake

He knew alle the hauenes / as they were

Fro Gootlond / to the Cape of Fynystere

And euery cryke / in Britaigne and in Spayne

His Barge / ycleped was the Maudelayne

With vs ther was / a Doctour of Phisik

¶ Doctour of Phisik .

In al this world / ne was ther noon hym lik

To speke of phisik / and of Surgerye

For he was grounded in Astronomye

He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel

In houres / by his magyk natureel

Wel koude he fortunen the Ascendent

Of hise ymages / for his pacient

He knew the cause / of euerich maladye

Were it of hoot or cold / or moyste / or drye

And where they engendred / and of what humour

He was a verray parfit praktisour

The cause yknowe / and of his harm the roote

Anon he yaf / the sike man his boote

Ful redy hadde he / hise Apothecaries

To sende him drogges and his letuaries

For ech of hem / made oother for to wynne

Hir frendshipe / nas nat newe to bigynne

Wel knew he / the olde Esculapius

And Deyscorides / and eek Risus

Olde ypocras / haly / and Galyen

Serapioıı̄un Razis / and Auycen

[5v]

Auerrois / Damascien / and Constantyn

Bernard / and Gatesden / and Gilbertyn

Of his diete / mesurable was he

For it was / of no suꝑperfluitee

But of greet norissyng and digestible

His studie / was but litel on the Bible

In sangwyn and in pers / he clad was al

Lyned with Taffata / and with Sendal

And yet he was / but esy of dispence

He kepte / that he wan in pestilence

For gold in Phisik is a cordial

Therfore he louede gold in special

A good wif was ther of biside Bathe

¶ The goode Wif of .
¶ Bathe .

But she was somdel deef ⁊and þᵗat was scathe

Of clooth makyng she hadde swich an haunt

She passed hem of ypres and of Gaunt

In al the parisshe / wif ne was ther noon

That to the offrynge / bifore hir͗e sholde goon

And if ther dide / certeyn so wrooth was she

That she was / out of alle charitee

Hir coủerchiefs / ful fyne were of ground

I dorste swere / they weyeden ten pound

That on a sonday / weren vpon hir heed

Hir hosen weren / of fyn scarlet reed

Ful streite yteyd / and shoes ful moyste ⁊and newe

Boold was hir face / and fair and reed of hewe

She was a worthy wōmman al hir lyue

Housbondes at chirche dore / she hadde fyue

Withouten oother compaignye in youthe

But ther of / nedeth nat to speke as nowthe

And thries / hadde she been at Ierusalem

She hadde passed / many a straunge strem

At Rome she hadde been and at Boloigne

In Galice at Seint Iame / and at Coloigne

She koude muchel / of wandrynge by the weye

Gat tothed was she / soothly for to seye

Vp on an Ambler͗e / esily she sat

Ywympled wel / and on hir heed an hat

As brood / as is a bokeler / or a targe

A foot mantel / aboute hir hipes large

And on hire feet a paire of spores sharpe

In felaweship̄ wel koude she laughe ⁊and carpe

Of remedies of loue / she knew ꝑper chaunce

For she koude of that Art the olde daunce

A good man was ther of Religioun

And was / a poure ꝑperson̄ of a toun

¶ Person of a toun.

But riche he was / of hooly thoght ⁊and werk

He was also / a lerned man a clerk

[6r]

That cristes gospel / trewely wolde preche

Hise parisshens / deuoutly wolde he teche

Benygne he was / and wonder diligent

And in Adủersitee ful pacient

And swich / he was preued ofte sithes

Ful looth were hym / to cursen for hise tithes

But rather wolde he yeuen out of doute

Vn to his poure parisshens aboute

Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce

He koude / in litel thyng haue suffisaunce

Wyd was his parisshe / and houses fer a sonder

But he ne lefte nat for reyn ne thonder

In siknesse nor in meschief / to visite

The ferreste in his parisshe muche and lite

Vp on his feet and in his hand a staf

This noble ensample / to his sheep̄ he yaf

That firste he wroghte / and afterward that he taughte

Out of the gospel / he tho wordes caughte

And this figure / he added eek ther to

That if gold ruste / what shal Iren doo

For if a preest be foul / on whom we truste

No wonder is / a lewed man to ruste

And shame it is / if a prest take keep̄

A shiten shepherde / and a clene sheep̄

Wel oghte a preest / ensample for to yeue

By his clennesse / how þᵗat his sheep̄ sholde lyue

He sette nat his benefice to hyre

And leet his sheep̄ / encombred in the Myre

And ran to Londoıı̄un / vn to seint Poules

To seken hym a chauntrie for soules

Or with a bretherhed / to been withholde

But dwelleth at hoom and kepeth wel his folde

So that the wolf / ne made it nat myscarie

He was a shepherde / and noght a Mercenarie

And though he hooly were / and v̉ertuous

He was nat to synful men despitous

Ne of his speche / daungerous ne digne

But in his techyng discreet and benygne

To drawen folk to heuene by fairnesse

By good ensample / this was his bisynesse

But it were / any persone obstinat

What so he were / of heigh or lough estat

Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys

A bettre preest I trowe / þᵗat nowher noon ys

He waiteth / after no pompe and reuerence

Ne maked him a spiced conscience

But cristes loore / and hise Apostles twelue

He taughte / but first he folwed it hym selue

[6v]

With hym ther was a Plowman was his brother

¶ Plowman ~

That hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother

A trewe swynker͗e / and a good was he

Lyuynge in pees / and parfit charitee

God loued he best with al his hoole herte

At alle tymes / thogh he gamed or smerte

And thanne his neighebore / right as hym selue

He wolde thresshe / and ther to dyke and delue

For cristes sake / for euery poure wight

Wᵗithouten hire / if it lay in his myght

Hise tithes / payde he ful faire and wel

Bothe of his ꝓpropre swynk and his catel

In a Tabard he rood / vpon a Mere

Ther was also / a Reue and a Millere

¶ Millere ~

A Somnour / and a Pardoner also

A Maunciple / and my self ther were namo

¶ The Miller͗e was a stout carl for the nones

Ful byg he was / of brawn / and eek of bones

That proued wel / for oủer al ther he cam

At wrastlynge / he wolde haue alwey the Ram

He was short sholdred / brood / a thikke knarre

Ther nas no dore / þᵗat he ne wolde heue of harre

Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed

His berd / as any sowe / or fox was reed

And ther to brood / as though it were a spade

Vp on the cop̄ / right of his nose he hade

A werte / and ther on stood a toft of herys

Reed / as the brustles / of a sowes erys

Hise nosethirles / blake were and wyde

A swerd and a bokeler / bar he by his syde

His mouth as greet was / as a greet forneys

He was a Iangler͗e / and a goliardeys

And that was moost of synne and harlotries

Wel koude he stelen corn / and tollen thries

And yet he hadde / a thombe of gold ꝑpardee

A whit cote / and a blew hood wered he

A baggepipe / wel koude he blowe and sowne

And ther with al / he broghte vs out of towne

A gentil Maunciple / was ther of a temple

¶ Maunciple ~

Of which Achatours / myghte take exemple

For to be wise / in byynge of vitaille

For wheither that he payde / or took by taille

Algate / he wayted so / in his Achaat

That he was ay biforn / and in good staat

Now is nat that of god a ful fair grace

That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace

The wisdom / of an heep̄ of lerned men

Of maistres hadde he / mo than thries ten

[7r]

That weren of lawe / expert and curious

Of whiche / þer weren a duszeyne in that hous

Worthy to been stywardes / of rente and lond

Of any lord / that is in Engelond

To maken hym lyue / by his ꝓpropre good

In honour dettelees / but if he were wood

Or lyue as scarsly / as hym list desire

And able / for to helpen al a shire

In any caas / þᵗat myghte falle or happe

And yet this manciple / sette hir aller cappe

The Reue was / a sclendre colerik man

¶ Reue ~

His berd was shaue / as ny as eủer he kan

His heer was by his erys / ful round yshorn

His top̄ was dokked / lyk a preest biforn

Ful longe were his legges / and ful lene

Ylyk a staf / ther was no calf ysene

Wel koude he kepe a gerner / and a bynne

Ther was noon Auditour / koude of him wynne

Wel wiste he / by the droghte / and by the reyn

The yeldynge / of his seed / and of his greyn

His lordes sheep̄ / his neet his dayerye

His swyn / his hors / his stoor / and his pultrye

Was hoolly / in this Reues gouernyng

And by his couenant yaf the rekenyng

Syn that his lord / was twenty yeer of age

Ther koude no man / brynge hym in Arrerage

Ther nas baillif ne hierde / nor oother hyne

That he knew his sleighte and his couyne

They were adrad of hym / as of the deeth

His wonyng was ful faire vp on an heeth

With grene trees / shadwed was his place

He koude bettre than his lord purchace

Ful riche he was astored pryuely

His lord / wel koude he plesen subtilly

To yeue and lene hym / of his owene good

And haue a thank / and yet a gowne and hood

In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster

He was a wel good wrighte a Carpenter

This Reue sat vp on a ful good stot

That was al pomely grey / and highte Scot

A long surcote of pers / vp on he hade

And by his syde / he baar a rusty blade

Of Northfolk was this Reue / of which I telle

Biside a toun / men clepen Baldeswelle

Tukked he was / as is a frere aboute

And eủere he rood / the hyndreste of oure route

A Somonour was ther wᵗith vs in that place

¶ Somonour ~

That hadde / a fyr reed Cherubynnes face

[7v]

For sawcefleem he was with eyen narwe

As hoot he was / and lecherous as a sparwe

With scaled browes blake and piled berd

Of his visage / children were aferd

Ther nas quyk siluer / lytarge ne brymstoon

Boras / Ceruce / ne oille of Tartre noon

Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte

That hym myghte helpen / of the whelkes white

Nor of the knobbes / sittynge on his chekes

Wel loued he garleek oynons / and eek lekes

And for to drynken strong wyn / reed as blood

Thanne wolde he speke / and crie as he were wood

And whan þᵗat he / wel dronken hadde the wyn

Than wolde he speke no word but latyn

A fewe t̉ermes hadde he / two or thre

That he had lerned / out of som decree

No wonder is / he herde it al the day

And eek ye knowen wel / how þᵗat a Iay

Kan clepen watte / as wel as kan the pope

But who so koude in oother thyng hym grope

Thanne hadde he spent al his Philosophie

Ay questio quid iuris / wolde he crie

He was / a gentil harlot and a kynde

A bettre felawe / sholde men noght fynde

He wolde suffre / for a quart of wyn

A good felawe / to haue his concubyn

A twelf monthe / and excuse hym atte fulle

Ful pⁱriuely / a fynch eek koude he pulle

And if he foond owher / a good felawe

He wolde techen him / to have noon Awe

In swich caas / of the Ercedekenes curs

But if a mannes soule / were in his purs

For in his purs / he sholde ypunysshed be

Purs / is the Ercedekenes helle seyde he

But wel I woot / he lyed right in dede

Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man drede

For curs wol slee / right as assoillyng sauith

And also / war him of a Significauit

In daunger hadde he / at his owene gise

The yonge girles / of the diocise

And knew hir conseil / and was al hir reed

A gerland / hadde he set vpon his heed

As greet as it were for an Ale stake

A bokeleer / hadde he maad him of a Cake

With hym ther was / a gentil Pardoner

¶ Pardoner ~

Of Rounciuale / his freend and his compeer

That streight was comen / fro the coᵘurt of Rome

Ful loude he soong com hider loue to me

[8r]

This Somonoᵘur / bar to hym a stif burdoun

Was neuere trompe / of half so greet a soun

This Pardoner hadde heer / as yelow as wex

But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex

By ounces / henge hise lokkes þᵗat he hadde

And ther with / he hise shuldres oủerspradde

But thynne it lay / by colpons oon and oon

But hood for Iolitee / wered he noon

For it was trussed / vp in his walet

Hym thoughte / he rood / al of the newe Iet

Discheuelee saue his cappe / he rood al bare

Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare

A vernycle hadde he sowed / vpon his cappe

His walet biforn hym / in his lappe

Bret ful of pardon̄ / comen from Rome al hoot

A voys he hadde / as smal as hath a goot

No berd hadde he / ne neủere sholde haue

As smothe it was / as it were late shaue

I trowe / he were a geldyng or a mare

But of his craft fro Berwyk in to Ware

Ne was ther / swich another Pardoner

For in his male / he hadde a pilwe beer

Which þᵗat he seyde / was oure lady veyl

He seyde he hadde / a gobet of the seyl

That seint Peter hadde / whan þᵗat he wente

Vp on the see / til IhūIhesu crist hym hente

He hadde a croys of laton̄ / ful of stones

And in a glas / he hadde pigges bones

But wᵗith thise relikes / whan þᵗat he fond

A poure ꝑperson̄ / dwellynge vp on lond

Vp on a day / he gat hym moore moneye

Than þᵗat the ꝑperson gat / in Monthes tweye

And thus / with feyned flaterye and Iapes

He made the ꝑperson̄ and the peple his Apes

But trewely / to tellen atte laste

He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste

Wel koude he rede / a lesson̄ or a storie

But alderbest / he song an Offertorie

For wel he wiste / whan þᵗat song was songe

He moste p̉reche / and wel affile his tonge

To wynne siluer / as he ful wel koude

Therfore he song the murierly and loude

NOw haue I toold you shortly in a clause

The staat tharray / the nombre ⁊and eek the cause

Why þᵗat assembled was this compaignye

In Southwerk / at this gentil hostelrye

That highte the Tabard / faste by the Belle

But now is tyme / to yow for to telle

[8v]

How that we baren vs that ilke nyght

Whan we were / in that hostelrie alyght

And after wol I telle / of our viage

And al the remenaunt of oure pilgⁱrimage

But first I pray yow / of youre curteisye

That ye narette it nat my vileynye

Thogh þᵗat I pleynly speke in this mateere

To telle yow / hir wordes and hir cheere

Ne thogh I speke hir wordes ꝓproprely

For this ye knowen / al so wel as I

Who so shal telle a tale / after a man

He moot reherce / as ny as eủere he kan

Euerich a word / if it be in his charge

Al speke he / neuer so rudeliche or large

Or ellis / he moot telle his tale vntrewe

Or feyne thyng . or fynde wordes newe

He may nat spare / al thogh he were his brother

He moot as wel / seye o word as another

Crist spak hym self / ful brode in hooly writ

And wel ye woot no vileynye is it

Eek Plato seith / who so kan hym rede

The wordes / moote be cosyn to the dede

Also I prey yow / to foryeue it me

Al haue I nat set folk in hir degree

Heere in this tale / as þᵗat they sholde stonde

My wit is short ye may wel vnderstonde

¶ Greet chiere made oure hoost vs euerichon

And to the soper / sette he vs anon

And serued vs / with vitaille at the beste

Strong was the wyn / and wel to drynke vs leste

A semely man / oure hoost was with alle

For to been / a Marchal in an halle

A large man he was / with eyen stepe

A fairer Burgeys / was ther noon in Chepe

Boold of his speche / and wys and wel ytaught

And of manhod / hym lakked right naught

Eek therto / he was right a myrie man

And after soper / pleyen he bigan

And spak of myrthe / amonges othere thynges

Whan that we / hadde maad our rekenynges

And seyde thus / now lordynges trewely

Ye been to me / right welcome hertely

For by my trouthe / if that I shal nat lye

I saugh nat this yeer / so myrie a cōmpaignye

Atones in this herberwe as is now

Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe / wiste I how

And of a myrthe / I am right now bythoght

To doon yow ese / and it shal coste noght

[9r]

¶ Ye goon to Caunterbury / god yow speede

The blisful martir / quite yow youre meede

And wel I woot as ye goon by the weye

Ye shapen yow / to talen and to pleye

For trewely / confort ne myrthe is noon

To ride by the weye doumb as the stoon

And therfore / wol I maken yow disport

As I seyde erst and doon yow som confort

And if yow liketh alle / by oon assent

For to stonden / at my Iuggement

And for to werken / as I shal yow seye

Tomorwe / whan ye riden by the weye

Now by my fader soule that is deed

But if ye be myrie / I wol yeue yow myn heed

¶ Hoold vp youre hond wᵗithouten moore speche

Oure conseil / was nat longe for to seche

Vs thoughte / it was noght worth / to make it wys

And graunted hym / wit outen moore auys

And bad him seye his voirdit as hym leste

¶ Lordynges quod he / now herkneth for the beste

But taak it nought / I prey yow in desdeyn

This is the poynt to speken short and pleyn

That ech of yow / to shorte with oure weye

In this viage / shal telle tales tweye

To Caunterburyward / I mene it so

And homward / he shal tellen othere two

Of auentures / that whilom han bifalle

And which of yow / that bereth hym best of alle

That is to seyn / that telleth in this caas

Tales of best sentence / and moost solaas

Shal haue a soper / at oure aller cost

Heere in this place / sittynge by this post

Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury

And for to make yow / the moore mury

I wol my self / goodly with yow ryde

Right at myn owene cost and be youre gyde

And who so wole / my Iuggement withseye

Shal paye / al that we spenden by the weye

And if ye vouche sauf / that it be so

Tel me anon / with outen wordes mo

And I wol erly / shape me therfore

¶ This thyng was graunted and oure othes swore

With ful glad herte / and preyden hym also

That he wolde vouche sauf / for to do so

And that he / wolde been oure gouernour

And of our tales / Iuge and Reportour

And sette a soper / at a certeyn pris

And we / wol reuled been at his deuys

[9v]

¶ In heigh and lough / and thus by oon assent

We been acorded / to his Iuggement

And ther vpon / the wyn was fet anon

We dronken / and to reste wente echon

With outen / any lenger taryynge

Amorwe / whan þᵗat day / gan for to sprynge

Vp roos oure hoost and was oure aller cok

And gadrede vs togidre / alle in a flok

And forth we riden / a litel moore than paas

Vn to the wateryng of Seint Thomas

And there oure hoost bigan his hors areste

And seyde lordynges / herkneth if yow leste

¶ Ye woot youre foreward / and it yow recorde

If euensong / and morwe song accorde

Lat se now / who shal telle the firste tale

As euere mote I drynke / wyn or ale

Who so be / rebel to my Iuggement

Shal paye / for al þᵗat by the wey is spent

Now draweth cut er þᵗat we ferrer twynne

He / which þᵗat hath the shorteste shal bigynne

Sire knyght quod he / my mayster and my lord

Now draweth cut / for that is myn accord

Cometh neer quod he / my lady Prioresse

And ye sir͗e clerk / lat be your shamefastnesse

Ne studieth noght / ley hond to euery man

Anon to drawen / euery wight bigan

And shortly / for to tellen as it was

Were it by auenture / or sort or cas

The sothe is this / the cut fil to the knyght

Of which / ful blithe and glad was every wyght

A telle he moste his tale / as was resoıı̄un

By foreward / and by composicioıı̄un

As ye han herd / what nedeth wordes mo

An whan this goode man / saugh þᵗat it was so

As he / that wys was and obedient

To kepe his foreward / by his free assent

He seyde / syn I shal bigynne the game

What welcome be the cut / a goddes name

Now lat us ryde / and herkneth what I seye

And wᵗith that word / we ryden forth oure weye

And he bigan / with right a myrie cheere

His tale anon / and seyde in this manere