En1 · London, British Library Egerton MS 2726
Canterbury Tales Project.
talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/En1/
[1r]
WHan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The drought of Marche hath ꝑpershed þe roote
And bathed eủery veyn in swiche licour
Of soche v̉ertue engendred is þe floure
And zepherus eke with his swete breth
Enspired hath in eủery holt and heth
The tendre croppes and the yonge son̄
Hath in the Ram half his cours [r]on̄
And smale foules make melody
That slepe all nigh[t] wᵗith open Ie
So prekketh hem na[tu]re in h[er corage]
Than longeth yt fo[lk t]o go on pi[lgre]mage
And Palmers for to [s]eche str[a]unge strondes
To ferne halowes couthe in [s]ondry londes
And specially from eủery shir[e]s ende
Of Engelond to Caun[ter]b[ur]y þei wende
The holy blisful martir for [t]o seke
That hem hath holp when [t]hey w[ere] seke
So byfyll yt þat seson on̄ a day
In southwerk at þ[e Taba]rd as I lay
Redy to wende on̄ [my] pilgremage
To Caunterbury wᵗith full d[euoute] corage
That night was come in t[o o]ure ostry
Wele xxix in a cumpany
Of diủers folk by auenture [y]fall
In felyship̄ and pilgrymes [were] they all
And toward Caunterbury wold þei ryde
The chambres and stables weren wyde
And wele were we esed at the best
And shortly when þe son̄ went to rest
So hade I spoke with hem e[i]lychone
That I was of her felyshipp̄ [a]none
And made foreward erly to ryse
To take our wey as I shall [y]oᵘ deuise
But neủertheles while I ha[u]e tyme and space
Er þat I in þis tale ferther [p]ace
Me thinketh yt accordyng were to resoıı̄un
To telle yoᵘ all the condicoıı̄un
Of ecch of hem so as it sem[e]th me
And whiche they were and of what degre
And eke of what array þei were in
And at a knight þan woll I ferst begynne
A knight þere was and þat a worthyman
Þat fro þe tyme þat he first began
To ryde out he loued chiualrye
Trewth honour fredome and curtesye
And ther to hade he ryden no man so ferre
Full worthy was he in his lordes werre
As wele in cristendome as in hethnesse
And eủer honour for his worthynesse
At alisaundre he was / whan it was won̄
Full often tymes hade he / the boorde bygon̄
Aboue all nacions / in spruce
In lettow hade he be and in Ruce
No cristen man so oft in his degre
In Garnard eke at the sege hade he be
In Algaryse and rydyn̄ in Belmary
At lyaies hade he be and at Sataly
When they were wonne and in þe grete se
At many a noble aryve hade he bee
At mortaill batailles hade he be xv
And fought for our feith at Tramyssene
Wᵗith in þe lyestes iij. and ay sleyn̄ his fo
This ilk worthy knight hade be also
Somtyme with the lord of Palacye
Ageyns an other hethen in Turkye
And eủermore he hade a soủeraigne pryse
And though he were worthy he was wyse
And of his port as meke as a meide
He neủer yit no velany seide
In all his lyf vn to no ma[ner] wyght
He was a verrey ꝑperfite gentell knight
And for to telle yoᵘ of his array
His hors was gode but hīm self was nat gay
Of fustyan he wered a gepon
All besmotered wᵗith his habergeon
For he was late come fro his viage
And went to do his pilgremage
With hym þere was his son̄ a yong squyer
A lovier and a lusty bacheler
Wᵗith lokkes crull as they were leyde in presse
Of xx. yere of age he was as I gesse
Of his stature he was of even lengthe
And wonderly deliủere and grete of strengthe
And he hade be somtyme in chiuache
In flaundres Artoys and in pycarde
And born hym wele as of his litell space
In hope to stonde in his lady grace
Embrouded was he as yt were a mede
All full of fressh floures white and rede
Syngyng he was or floytyng all the day
He was as fressh as ys the monthe of May
Short was his goun wᵗith sleves longe and wyde
Wele coude he sit an hors and feire ride
He coude eke songes make and wele endite
Iuste and daunce portray and eke write
And so hote he loued þat by nyghtertale
He slepe nomore þan doth the nyghtyngale
Curteys he was lowly and s̉eruisable
He carf byfore his fadre at the table
Ayoman hade he and s̉eruauntes nomo
At þat tyme for hym lyst to ryde so
And was all cladde in cote and hode of grene
A sheef of pecok arowes bryght and shene
Vndre his belt he bare full thriftyly
Wele coude he dresse his takle and yomanly
His arowes drouped nat wᵗith fedres lowe
And in his hande he bare a myghty bowe
A not hede he hade wᵗith a broun visage
Of wode craft wele koude he all þe vsage
Vp on his arme he bare a gay bracere
And by his syde a swerde and a bokelere
And oủer þat other syde a gay daggere
Harnest wele as sharpe as pointe of spere
A xp̄christofre oủer his brest of silver shene
An horn he bare þe baudryk was of grene
A foster he was sothly as I gesse
There was also a nonne a prioresse
That of hir smylyng was full symple and coy
Hir grettest othe was but by seint loy
And she was cleped madame Eglentyne
Full wele she song the s̉eruice devyne
En tuned in hir voyse full semely
And frensh she spake feire and fetysly
After þe scole of Stratford at þe bowe
For frensh of Parys was to hir vnknowe
At þe mete wele taught was she wᵗith all
She lete no morsell fro hir lyppes falle
Ne wet hir fyngers in hir sauce depe
Wele koude she cary a morsell and wele kepe
That no droppe ne fell vp on hir brest
In curtesye was set full moche hir lest
Hir oủerlyppe wyped she so clene
That in hir cuppe þere was no ferthing sene
Of grece and whan she hade dronke hir draught
Full semly after hir mete she raught
And sekerly she was of grete disport
And full plesaunt and amiable of port
And peined hir to countrefeit chere
Of court for to be statelyche of manere
And for to be holde digne of reủerence
And for to speke of hir conscience
She was so charitable and pitous
She wold wepe yf þat she saw a mous
Caught in a trap yf þat it were dede or bled
Of smale houndes hade she þat she fedde
Wᵗith rosted flessh or mylk and wastell brede
But sore wepte she yf ony of hem were dede
Or yf men smote it wᵗith yerde smerte
And all was conscience and tendre herte
Full semely hir wymple pynched was
Hir nose tretise hir yen grey as glas
Hir mouthe full small and þer to softe and rede
But sekerly she hade a feire forehede
For hardely she was nat vndregrowe
It was almost a span brode I trowe
Full fetyse was hir cloke as I was ware
Of small corall about hir arme she bare
A peire of bedes gauded all wᵗith grene
And þere on hyng a broche of gold full shene
On which was first write a crowned A
And after amor vincit omnia
An other nonne wᵗith hir hade she
That was hir Chapeleyn and prestes iij
A monke þere was a feire for þe maistry
An outryder þat loued venery
A manly man to be an Abbot able
For many a deinty hors hade he in his stable
And whan he rode men myght his bridell here
Gyngelyng in a whistelyng wynde as clere
And eke as loude as doth þe Chapell bell
There as the lord was keper of þe sell
The rewle of seint Maure or of seint Benet
By cause it was olde and somdele streyt
This ilk monke lete olde thinges passe
And helde after the newe world his space
He gaue nat at þat tixt a pulled hen
That seith þat honnters be nat holy men
Ne þat a monke whan he is recheles
Ys lykned to a fyssh þat is waterles
This is to seyn a Monke out of his cloystre
But þat tixt helde I nought worth an oystre
And I seide his oppenyou was gode
What shold he stody and make hym self wode
Vp on a boke in Cloystre all wey to pore
Or swynke wᵗith his hondes and labore
As Austyn bit ya how shall þe world be s̉erued
Lete Austyn haue his swynk to hym reʆserued
Þerfore he was a prykasour a ryght
Greyhoundes he hade as swyft as foule of flyght
On prekyng and huntyng for the hare
Was all his lust for no thing wold he spare
I sawe his sleves purfyled at the hande
Wᵗith gryse and þat þe fynest of a londe
And for to festyn his hode vndre his chyn
He hade of gold wrought a full coryous pyn
A loue knot in þe gretter ende þere was
His hede was balled þat shone as ony glas
And eke his face as he hade ben anoynte
He was a lord full fat and in gode poynte
His yen stepe were and rollyng in his hede
That stemed as a fourneys of a lede
His botes souple his hors in grete state
Now certeinly he was a feire p̉erlate
He was nought pale as a forpyned gost
A fat swan loved he best of any roste
His palfray was as broun as a bery
A frere þere was a Wanton and a mery
A lymytour and a full solempne man
In þe orders iiij ys non so wele þat can
So moche of daliaunce and feire langage
He hade made full many a feire mariage
Of yong wommen at his owen coste
Vn to his ordre he was a noble poste
Full wele beloved and famuler was he
Wᵗith fraunkleyns oủer all in his contre
And wᵗith worthy wommen of þe toun
For he hade power of confessioıı̄un
And plesaunt was his absolucoıı̄un
For swetely herde he confessioıı̄un
He was an esy man to yeve penaunce
There as he wist to haue a gode petaunce
For vn to a poure ordre for to geve
Ys syngne þat a man ys wele shreve
For yf he gaf he durst make auᵃnt
He wist þat a man was repentaunt
For many a man so herde ys of his hert
He may nought wepe all þough hym sore smert
Therfore in stede of penaunce and prayers
Men most yeve silver to þe poure freres
His typpet was ay farsed full of knyves
And pynnes for to yeve feire wyves
And certeinly he hade a mery note
Wele coude he syng and pley on̄ a rote
Of yeddynges he bare outerly þe prys
His nek was white as a floure delys
Therto he was stronge as a champyoıı̄un
He knewe the taủernes wele in eủery toun̄
And eủery hostiller and tapstere
Better þan a laser or a beggere
For vn to soch a worthy man as he
Accordeth noght as by his faculte
To haue wᵗith seke lasers acqueyntaunce
It is nought honest yt may nought auaunce
For to dele wᵗith soch poraylle
But all wᵗith ryche and sellers of vitaylle
And oủer all þere ꝓprofit shold aryse
Curteys he was and lowely of s̉eruyce
There was no man nowhere so v̉ertuous
He was þe best begger in his hous
For thogh a wydowe hade nought a sho
So plesaunt was his in principio
Yit wold he haue a ferthing ar he went
His purchas was wele bett̉er þan his rent
And rage he koude as it hade be a whelpe
In lovedayes þere koude he moch helpe
For þere he was nat like a cloysterer
Wᵗith a thredebare cope as is a poure scoler
But he was like a meister or a pope
Of double worstede was his semy cope
Rounde as ony belle out of þe presse
Somwhat he lysped for his wantonesse
To make his englissh swete on his tonge
And in his herpynge whan þat he hade songe .
His yen̄ twynkeld in his hede a ryght
As doth the steres in a frosty nyght
This worthy lymytour was cleped huberd
A marchaunt þere was wᵗith a forked berd
In motley and hye on hors he sat
And on his hede a flaundryssh beủer hat
His botes clasped feire and fetisly
His resons he spake full solempnely
Sownyng all wey þe encres of his wynnyng
He wold þe see were kept for ony thyng
Bitwene Mydelburgh and Orewell
Wele koude he in eschaunges sheldes sell
This worthy man full wele his wyt set
There wist no wight þat he was in det
So stedefastly did he of his goủernaunce
Wᵗith his b̄argeyns and wᵗith his cheuesaunce
For soth he was a worthy man wᵗith all
But soth to seyn I ne wote how men hym call
A clerk þere was of Oxenford / also
That vn to logyk hade long ygo
And lene was his hors as yt were a rake
And he was nat right fat I vndretake
But loked holow and þere to soberly
Full thredebare was his oủerest courtby
For he hade yit gete hym no benefice
Ne was nat worldly to haue an office
For hym were leủer to haue at his beddes hede
xxᵗⁱ bokes clad in blak and rede
Of Aristotle and his philosophie
Than riche robes or fethell or sautrye
But all be it þogh he were a philosophre
Yit hade he but litell gold in his cofre
But all þat he from his frendes hent
On bokes and on lernyng he it spent
And besy gan for the soules pray
Of hem þat yaf hym wherwᵗith to scoley
And stody toke he most cure and hede
Noght a worde spake he more þan nede
And þat was seide in fourme and reủerence
And short and quyk and full of hiegh sentence
Sownyng in morall v̉ertue was his speche
And gladly wold he lerne and gladly wold he tche
A sergeant of lawe þere was ware and wys
That full oft hade be at pavys
That was ryche of excellence
Discrete he was and of grete reủerence
He semed swych his wordes were so wys
Iustice hade he be full oft in assise
Both by patent and plein cōmmissiou
For his science and his hiegh renou
Of fees and robes hade he many on
So grete a purchasour was nowhere non
Al was fee simple to him in effect
His p̉erchasyng might nat ben in suspect
Nowhere so besy a man as he þere nas
And yitt / he semed besyer þan he was
In t̉ermes hade he cas and domes all
That fro þe tyme of kyng william were fall
Ther to he koude endite and make a thing
There koude no man pynche at his writyng
And eủer statut koude he plein by rote
He rode but homely in a medle Cote
Girt wᵗith a seint of silke wᵗith barres smale
Of array telle I no lenger tale
A Fraunkelyn was in þis cumpaigne
White was his berde as ys the dayse
Of his complexcou he was sangwyn
Wele loued he by þe morow a sop in wyn
To lyf in delit was eủer his wonne
For he was Epiours owen sonne
That helde opyneou þat plein delite
Was verray felicitee ꝑperfite
An housholder and þat a grete was he
The grettest of all his cuntre
His brede his ale was alwey after one
A better wyned man was nowher none
Wᵗith out bake mete was neủer his hous
Of fissh and flessh and þᵗat so plenteuous
It sewed in his hous of mete and drynk
Of all deintes þat ony man koude thynk
After þe sondry sesons of þe yere
So chaunged he his mete and his sopere
Full many a fat partryk hade he in mue
And many a breme and many a luce in stue
Wo was his coke but yf his sauce were
Poynaunt and sharp and redy all his gere
His table . dormant in his hall all wey
Stode redy coủerde all þe longe day
At þe sessiones þere was he lord and sire
Full often tyme he was knight of þᵉ shire
And an Anlaas and a Gipcere of silk
Hing at his gurdell as white as morow milk
A sheref hade he be of a Countour
Was nowher swich a worthy vauasour
An habdassher and a Carpenter
A webber a dyer and a tapicer
And þei were clothed al in oo liủeree
Of a solempne and a grete frat̉er nite
Full fressh and newe her gere pyked was
Her knyves were nought chaped with bras
But all wᵗith silủer wrought full clene and wele
Her gurdels and her pouches eủerydele
Wele semed ech of hem a feire burgeys
To sit in þe yeldehalle vp on þe hie deys
Eủerych for the wysdome that he kan
Was shaply to be an Aldreman
For catell hade they ynough and rent
And eke her wyues wold yt wele assent
And elles certein þei were to blame
Yt is full faire to be clept ma dame
And go to vigiles all byfore
And haue a mantell rially bore
A coke they hade wᵗith hem for the nones
To boyle the chekyns wᵗith the marybones
And poudre marchant tart and galyngale
Wele koude he know a draght of londou ale
He coude rost seeth boyll and frye
Make mortrewes and wele bake a pye
But grete harme was yt as thought me
That on his shene a mormaile . hade he
And blanchemanger made he wᵗith þe best
A shipman þere was þat woned fer by west
For oght þat I wote he was of Dertemouth
He rode on a rouncy as wele as he couth
In a gowne of faldyng vn to the kne
A dagger hangyng on a lace hade . he
Aboute his nek vndre his arme adoun
The hote som̉er hade made his hew all broun
And certeinly he was a gode felawe
Full many a draught of wyne hade he drawe
Fro Burdeux warde while þe Chapman slepe
Of nyce conscience toke he no kepe
Yf þat he faught and hade þe hier honde
By wat̉er he sent yt home fro eủery londe
But to reken wele of his craft the tydes
Þe stremes and the strandes hīm besyd ys
His herberowe his mone and his lodes manage
There was no soch from hulle in to Cartage
Hardy he was and wyse I vndretake
With many a tempest he hade his berde shake
He knewe all the havens as they were
Fro Gutlond to the Cape de fenistre
And eủery cryke fro bretaigne in to speyn
His barge was called the Maudeleyn
Wyth vs þere was a doctour of phisyke
In all this world was none hīn lyke
To speke of phesyk and of surgery
For he was grounded in Astronomy
He kept his pacience a full grete dele
In houres by his magyk naturele
Wele koude he fortunen the accident
Of his ymages for by his pacient
He knewe the cause of eủery maladye
Whether it were colde hote moist or drye
And whereof it engendred and of what humour
He was a verray ꝑperfit practysour
The cause / he knew and of his harme þe rote
Anone he yaf þe sekeman his bote
Full redy hade he all his appoticaryes
To sende hīm dragges and his lectuaries
For ech of hem made other for to wynne
Her frenship was nat newe for to begynne
Wele knew he the olde esculapius
And deiscorydes and eke rusus
Olde ypocras and galyen
Serapyou razis and auyzen
Auuerroys dasmacien and costantyn
Bernard gatisden and gilbertyn
Of his diete mesurable was he
For he was of no suꝑperfluite
But of grete norishyng and digestible
His stody was but litle in the bible
In sangwyn and in pers clad wᵗith all
Lyned wᵗith taffata and sendall
And yit he was but esy of dispence
For he kept þat he wan in þe pestilence
For gold in phesyk is accordyall
Therfore he loued gold in speciall
A gode wyf þere was of besyde bath
But she was somdele defe and that was skath
Of cloth makyng she hade swich an haunt
That she passed hem of ypres and of gaunt
In all the ꝑperissh wyf was there none
That to offryng afore hir shold gone
And yf there did certein so wrothe was she
That she was out of all charite
Hir coủerchiefs were of fyn grounde
I dorst swere they weyde doun a pounde
That on the sonday were vp on hir hede
Hir hosen were of fyn scarlet rede
Full streyte tyed and shoes moist and newe
Bold was hir face and feire and rede of hewe
She was a worthy wōmman all hir lyve
Housbondes at the chirchedore hade she hade v
Wᵗith out other cumpany in hir youth
But there of nedeth not to speke of nouth
And iij . hade she be at Ierm
She hade passed many a straunge streme
At Rome hade she ben and at boloyne
In Galice at Seint Iames and at coloyne
She coude moch of wandryng by the wey
Gattothed was she sothly to sey
Vp on an Aumbler esely she sat
Wele wympled and on hir hede an hat
As brode as is a bokeler or a targe
A fote mantell aboute hir hippes large
And on hir fete a peire of spores sharpe
In felyship koude she laugh and carpe
The remedies of loue she koude ꝑperchaunce
For of þat art she knewe the olde daunce
A gode man þere was of religioıı̄un
That was a person of a poure toıı̄un
But riche he was of holy thought and werke
He was also a lerned man a clerke
That cristes gospell trewly wold preche
His ꝑperysshyns deuoutely wold he teche
Benigne he was and wonder diligent
And in adủersitee full abidyng and pacient
For whiche he was p̉erued often sithes
Full loth were hym to curs for his tithes
But rather wold he geven out of doute
Vn to his poure ꝑperisshyns aboute
Of his offryng and eke of his substance
He koude in litell thing haue suffisance
Wyde was his ꝑperissh and houses fer a sondre
But he left nought for reyne ne for thondre
In sekenes and in myschief to visite
The ferthest in his ꝑperissh moch and lite
Vp on his fete and in his hande a staffe
This noble ensaumple to his shepe he yaffe
That first he wrought and afterwarde taught
Out of þe gospell he tho wordes caught
And þis figure he added eke there to
That yf gold rust what shold Iren do
For yf a preste be foule on wham we truste
No wondre ys a lewde man to rust
And shame it is yf a prest take kepe
A sheten sheperd and a clene shepe
Wele aught a prest ensaumple for to yeve
By his clennes how þat his shepe shold leve
He set nought his benefice to hire
And lete his shepe accombred in the mire
Ne renne to londou to Seint Poules
To seche hym a chauntry for soules
Or be wᵗith a bretherhede wᵗithhold
But dwelled at home and kept wele his fold
So þat þe wolf made þ̉ere no maistrye
He was a shepard and not a m̉ersonarye
And though he holy were and v̉ertuous
He was nat wᵗith synfull men despitous
Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne
But in his speche discrete and benigne
To drawen folk to heven by feirenesse
By gode ensaumple þis was his besynesse
But and he knewe ony ꝑperson obsternate
Whether he were hiegh or lowe astate
Hym wold he snebbe for þe nones
A better prest I trowe nowhere none ys
He awayted after no pompe ne reủerence
Ne made hym a spiced conscience
But cristes lore and his Appostels xij
He caught but furst he folowed it hīm selve
Wyth hym þere was a plowman was his brothere
That hade lad of dong many a fothere
A trewe swynker and a gode was he
Levyng in pees and ꝑperfite charite
God loued he best with all his hole hert
At all tymes þough he gamed or smert
And þan his neighbour right as hym selue
He wold thressh and þere to dyke and delue
For cristes sake for eủery poure wight
Wᵗithout hire yf it lay in his might
His tithes payde he full faire and wele
Both of his ꝓpropre swynk and of his catele
In a tabard he rode vp on a mere
There was also a Reve and a millere
A sompnour and a pardoner also
A maunciple and my self þere was nomo
The miller was a stout carle for þe nones
Full bigge he was of brawne and of bones
That preueth wele for eủer where he cam
At the wrestellyng he wold haue þe ram
He was short sholdred brode and a thik gnarre
There was no dore but he yt wold lyft of barre
Or breke it wᵗith rennyng wᵗith his hede
His berde as ony fox was rede
And there to brode as it were a spade
Vp on þe cop of his nose he hade
A wert and þere on stode a tuft of heirs
Rede as the bristels of sow erys
His nosethrilles blak were and wyde
A swerde and a bokeler bare he by his syde
His mouthe was as grete as a fournesse
He was a Iangeler and golyardes
And þat was most synne and harlottyres
Wele coude he stele corne and tolle iij
And yit he hade a thom of golde ꝑperde
A white cote and a blewe hode wered he
A bagpipe wele koude he blawe and sowne
And therewᵗith all he brought vs out of towne
A gentyll Mansiple was there of a temple
Of which al catours mighten take exemple
For to be wyse in bying of vitaill
For whether he paide or toke by taill
Alwey he wayted so in his acate
That he was ay byforn and in gode state
Now is nat that of god a full feire grace
That soch a lewde mans witte shall passe
The wysdom of an hepe of lerned men
Of maistres haue hade mo than iij . ten
That of lawe were expert and curious
Of which there were a dosein in þᵗat hous
Worthy to be stewardes of rent and londe
Of ony lorde that is in Ingelonde
To make hym leve by his ꝓpropre gode
In honour douteles but yf he were wode
Or lyue as skarsly as hym lyst desire
And able to helpen all a shire
In ony cas þat myght falle or happe
And yit this manciple set her aller cappe
The reve was a sklendre coloryk man
His berde was shave as nygh as eủer he can
His here was by his eres full rounde shorn
His top was dokked like a prest byforn
Full longe were his legges and full lene
Like a staf there was no calf a sene
Wele koude he kepe a gerner and a byn
There was none auditour coude on hīm wyn
Wele wist he by the drought and by þe reyn
The yeldyng of his corn and of his greyn
His lordes shepe his nete his dayre
His swyne his hors his stok and his pultrye
Was holy in this reves goủer nyng
And by his couenᵃnt he yaf þe rekenyng
Sen þat his lord was xx. yere of age
There koude no man bryng hīm in arrerage
There was no baillyf herde ne other hyne
That he ne knewe her sleight and her couyne
They were adradde of hym as of the dethe
His wonyng was feire vp on an hethe
Wᵗith grene trees shadewed was his place
He koude better þan his lord purchace
Full riche he was astored priuely
His lord he koude plese full subtelly
To yeue and lene hym of his owen gode
And haue a thank and yit a gowne and hode
This Reve satte vp on a well gode stot
All pomely grey and he hight scot
Lerned he hade in youth a gode meistere
He was a gode wright a Carpentere
A long surcote of Pers vp on he hade
And by his syde he bare a lusty blade
Of Norfolk was this Reve of which I telle
Beside a toun men clepe Baldeswell
Tukked he was as ys a frere aboute
And eủer he rode þe hyndrest of þe route
A sompnour was þere wᵗith vs in þat place
That hade a feire rede cherubyns face
Full sausfleem he was wᵗith yen narow
As hote he was and licherous as a sparow
Wᵗith skalled browes blake and pyled berde
Of his visage children were a ferde
There was neyther lytarge quiksilủer ne bremstone
Borage ceruce ne oyle of tartre none
Ne oynement þat wolde clense and byte
That hym might help of his whelkes white
Ne of þe knobbes sittyng in his chekes
Wele loued he garlyk oynons and lekes
And for to dʳynke stronge wyne as rede as blode
Than wold he speke and crye as he were wode
And whan þat he wele dronken hade the wyne
Than wold he speke no worde but latyn
A fewe termes hade he ij . or iij .
That he hade lerned out of som decre
No wonder ys he herde yt all the day
And eke he knewe wele how þat a Iay
Kan clepe wat as wele as kan þe pope
But who so koude in other thinges hym grope
Than hade he spent all his felosophie
Ay questio quid Iuris wold he crye
He was a gentill harlot and a kynde
A better felaw shold men nowhere fynde
He wold suffre for a quart of wyne
A gode felawe to haue his concubyne
A twelmonth and excuse hym atte full /
Full priuely eke a fynche koude he pulle
And yf he fonde owhere a gode felawe
He wold tech hym to haue none awe
In swich cas of þe Archedekenes curs
But yf a mans soule heng in his purs
For his purs he shold pyned be
Purs is the Erchedekenes hell qduod he
But wele I wote he lyeth right in dede
Of cursyng ought eủery gilty man to drede
For curs will slee right as assoylyng saueth
And also ware hym of a significaueth
In daungere hade he at his owen gyse
All the yong gerles of the diocyse
And knewe her counseill and was all her rede
A gerlonde he hade set vp on his hede
As grete as yt were for an ale stake
A bokeler hade he made hym of a cake
Wyth hym there rode a gentyll ꝑperdonere
Of rouncyvale his felawe and his compere
That streight was come fro the court of Rome
Full loude he song come hyder loue come
This sumpnour bare to hym a styf burdoıı̄un
Was neủer trompe of half so grete a soun̄
This ꝑperdoner hade here as yelowe as ony wex
But smoth hang it as doth a stryke of flex
By ounces hyng his lokkes that he hade
And therwᵗith his sholdres it oủersprade
But thynne yt lay by culpons one and one
And hodem̄ for iolyte wered he none
For it was trussed vp in his walet
Hym thought he rode all of þe newe get
Dyscheuele saue his cap he rode all bare
Wᵗith glaryng yen as hath an hare
A vernicle hade he sewed on his cappe
Hys walet ley byforn hym in his lappe
Fret full of ꝑperdon come fro Rome all hote
A voys he hade as small as hath a gote
No berde hade he ne neủer shold haue
Als smoth yt was as yt were newe shaue
I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare
But of his craft fro Berewyᵏ vn to ware
Ne was there soch a nother pardonere
For in his male he hade a pelough bere
Which that he seid was our lady veill
He seid he hade a gobet of the saill
That seint Petir hade whan he went
Vp on þe see tyll IħuIhesu crist hym hent
He hade a croos of laton full of stones
And in a glas he hade pyggesbones
But whith thise relikkes whan þat he fonde
A poure ꝑperson dwellyng vp on londe
Vp on a day he gate hym more money
Than þe ꝑperson gate in monethes twey
And thus with his feyned flat̉erye and Iapes
He made þe ꝑperson and the peple his Apes
But trewely to telle at the last
He was in chirche a noble eccliast
Wele koude he rede a lesson or a story
But altherbest he song an affertory
For wele he wist whan þat song was song
He most p̉reche and wele afile his tong
To wyn silủer as he wele koude
Therfore he song so mery and so loude
Now haue I tolde yoᵘ sothely in a clause
The state the array the nombre and the cause
Why þat assembled was this company
In Suthwerk at this gentill Ostry
That hight þe Tabard fast by the belle
But now yt ys tyme to yow for to telle
How þat we bare vs þat ilk nyght
When we were in þe ostry alight
And aft̉er will I telle of our viage
And all the remenaunt of our pilgrymage
But first I pray yow of yourᵉ curtesy
That ye ne arrete nat my velany
Though þat I pleinly speke in this mat̉ere
To telle yoᵘ her wordes and her chere
Ne though I speke her wordes ꝓproprely
For this ye knowe as wele as I
Who so shall telle a tale aft̉er a man
He most reherce as nygh as eủer he can
Eủery word / yf yt be in his charge
Speke he neủer so rewdely ne so large
Or elles he mot telle his tale vntrewe
Or feyn thing or fynde wordes newe
He may nought spare all thogh yt were his brother
He mote as wele sey o. worde as an other
Crist spake hym self full brode in holy wryt
And wele ye wote no velany ys yt
Eke plato seith who so can hym rede
The wordes most be cosyn to the dede
Also I pray yoᵘ to forgeve it me
Thogh I haue nat set folk in her degre
Here in this tale as that they shold stond
My wit is short ye may wele vndrestond
Grete chere made our host vs eủerychone
And to soper set we vs anone
He s̉erued vs wᵗith vitailles at þe best
Strong was the wyne and wele drynke vs lest
A semely man our host was wᵗith all
For to ben a Marchall in an hall
A large man he was wᵗith yen stepe
A feirer burgeys was there nought in chepe
Bold of his speche and wyse and wele taght
And of manhode lakked hym right naght
Eke he was therto a mery man
And after soper pley he began
And spake of myrth amonge other thinges
Whan that we hade made our rekenynges
And seide lo lordyngᵉs trewely
Ye be to me right welcome hertly
For by my trewth yf þat I shall nat lye
I sey nat this yere so mery a cumpanye
At ones in this herber as ys now
Feyn wold I do yow myrthe and I wist how
And of a myrthe I am right now bethoght
To done yow ease and yt shall cost noght
Ye gone to Caunterbury god yow spede
That blisfull martir quite yoᵘ your mede
And wele I wote as ye gone by the wey
Ye shapen yow to talken and to pley
For trewly comforte ne mirthe is none
To ride by the wey as dom as it were a stone
And therfore will I make yow disport
As I seid erst and do yoᵘ som comfort
And yf yow like all by one assent
To stonde at my Iuggement
And for to werken as I shall yoᵘ sey
To morow whan ye ride by the wey
Now by my faders soule þat is dede
But ye be mery I will yeve yoᵘ my hede
Hold vp your hondes wᵗith out more speche
Our counseill was nat lang for to seche
Vs thought it was nat worthy to make yt wyse
And graunted hym wᵗithouten more avyse
And bade hym sey his veredit as him̄ lest
Lordyngᵉs qduod he now herkeneth for þe best
But take it nought I pray yow in disdeyn
This is the point to speke it short and pleyn
That ecch of yoᵘ to short with your wey
In this viage shall telle tales twey
To Caunterburyward I mene yt so
And homward he shall telle other two
Of auentures that whilom haue befalle
And which of yow that bereth hīm best of alle
That is to seyn that telleth in þis cas
Tales of most sentence and solas
Shall haue a soper at our alder cost
Here in this place sittyng by this post
Whan þat we com agein from Caunterbury
And for to make yow þe more mury
I will my self godely wᵗith yow ride
Right at myn owen cost and be your gyde
And who so will my Iuggement wᵗithsey
Shall pay all that we spend by the wey
And yf ye vouchesauf that yt be so
Telle me anone with out wordes mo
And I will erly shape me therfore
This thing was graunted and our othes swore
Wᵗith full glad hert and prayde hym also
That he wold vouchesauf so to do
And þat he wold be our goủernour
And of our tales Iugge and reportour
And set a soper at a certein pryse
And we will reuled be at his devyse
In hiegh and lowe and þus by one assent
We be accorded to his Iuggement
And there vp on the wyne was fet anone
We dronke and to rest went ecchone
Wᵗith out ony lenger tarying
A morow when the day gan spryng
Vp roos our hoste and was our aller cok
And gadred vs to gider on a flok
And forth we ryden a litell pace
Vn to the wat̉eryng of seint Thomas
And there our host bygan his hors arest
And seide lordes herkeneth yf yow lest
Ye wote our foreward yf ye it recorde
Yf evesong and morow song accorde /
Late se now who shall telle the first tale
As eủer mote I drynke wyne or ale
Who so be rebell to my iuggement
Shall pay for all þᵗat is by the wey yspent
Now draweth cut or we ferther twynne
For he yᵘ h[…]h shortest shall begynne
Sire knight qduod he my meister and my lord
Now draweth cut for this is myn accord
Comthe nere qduod he my lady Prioresse
And ye sire clerk late be your shamefastnesse
Ne studieth nought lay hand to eủery man
Anone to drawe eủery wight began
And shortly to telle as it was
Were it by auenture or sort or cas
The feyth is this the kut fell on the knight
Of which full glad was eủery wight
And telle he most his tale as it was resoıı̄un
By foreward and by composicoıı̄un
As ye haue herde what nedeth wordes mo
And whan this gode man saw þat it was so
As he þat wyse was and obedient
To kepe his foreward by his free assent
And seide setth I shall begynne the game
Wele come be þe cut in goddes name
Now late vs ryde and herkeneth what I sey
And wᵗith þᵗat worde we ryden̄ forth our wey
And he began wᵗith right a mery chere
This tale anone and seide on þis man̉ere
Iamqꝫue domos patrias scithice post asꝑpera gentis prelia laurigero
Here begynneth the knightes tale
Whilom þere was as old stories tellen vs
A duke a worthy man þat hight Theseus
Of Athenes he was lord and goủernour
And in his tyme swich a conquerour
That gretter Was there none vndre þe sonne
Full many a riches contre hade he Wonne
What with his Wysdome and chiualrye
He conquered aƚƚ the reigne of Femenye
That whilom̄ cleped was Scitha
And wedded þe fressh quene ypolita
And brought hir home wᵗith hym to his contre
Wᵗith moch glorie and grete solempnite
And eke hir yonge suster Emelye
And þus with blis and wᵗith victorye
Lete I this noble duk to Attene ryde
And all his oft in armes by his syde
And certes yf it ne Were to long to here
I wold haue told fully the manere
How wonne Was þe reigne of Femenye
By Theseus and by his chiualrye
And of þe grete bataill for the nones
Bitwene the Atthenes and Amasones