En3 · London, British Library Egerton MS 2864
Canterbury Tales Project.
talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/En3/
[1r]prolog
Incipit liber Galfrid Chaucer de gestis peregrinoꝝorum versus Cantuariam
WHan that Aprille with his showres soote
The drowhte of marche hath ꝑperced to the roote
And bathed eủery veyne in such licour
Of which v̉ertu gendred is the flour
Whan Zepherus eek wᵗith his swete breth
Inspired hath eủery holt ⁊and heth
The tendre croppis and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram half cours I ronne
And smale fowles maketh melodie
That slepyn al the nyght with opyn eye
So prikketh hem nature in here corages
That longen folk to gon in pilgrimages
And palmeris for to seken straıı̄unge strondes
To fern halwes couthe in many londys
And specially fro euery sherys ende
Of engelond to to Cantirbury they wende
The holy blysfull martir for to sieke
That hem hath holpen whan they were sieke
Be fel that in that seson on a day
In southwerk at the tabbard as I lay
Redy to wende in my pilgrimage
To Cantirbury with ful devout corage
That nyht vere come in to that hostelery
Wel nyne ⁊and twenty in on company
Of sondry folk by aventure Falle
In felawshepe and pilgrymes were they alle
That toward Cantibury wolde they ride
The Chambres and the stables were wyde
And wel we weren esed at the beste
And schortly whan the sonne was gon to Reste
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
That I was of here felashepe a noon
And maad forward erly for taryse
To take owr͗ way ther as I yow devyse
But natheles while I haue tyme and spase
Er that I ferther in this tale pace
Me thynketh it accordith on to raysoun
To telle yow of alle here condysyoun
Of eche of hem as it semed me
And which they were and of what degre
And eke what aray they were Inne
And at a knyht than wol I first bigynne
A Knyht ther was and that a wurthy man
That fro the tyme · that he first bigan
To rydyn out / he loved cheualrye
Trewthe and honour / fredom and courteysye
Wel worthy was he in his lordys werre
And ther hadde ryden / no man so ferre
As wel in crystendom as in hethnesse
And euyr honoured / for his worthynesse
At alisaundre he was / whan it was wonne
Wol ofte he hadde / the boord bigonne
A bouen alle naciōmns / in pruce
In lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruce
No cristene man / so ofte of his degre
In gernade at the sege eek hadde he be
Of Algizir / and riden in belmarie
At lyeyes was he / and at Satalye
Whan they were wonne / and in the grete se
At many a noble / arme hadde he be
At mortel batayllys / hadde he befyftene
And fowhten / for owre feyth at Tramissene
In lyhstys thryes / and ay slayn his foo
This ilke wurthi knyht / hadde ben aso
Som tyme / with the lord of palatye
Ayen a nother / hethene in Turkye
And evirmore / he hadde a souereyne prys
And ther to eek / he worthy was and wys
And of his port / as meke as any mayde
He neuer͗ yit / no velanye ne sayde
In alle his lyue / vn to no maner wyht
He was a verray ꝑperfith / gentil knyht
But for to telle yow / of his array
His hors was good / but he ne was nat gay
Of Fustian / he weryd a gypoun
Al besmotered / with his haberyoun
For he was late / come from his viage
And wente for to don / his pilgrimage
WYth hym ther was / his sonne a yong sqwyer
A louere / and a lusty bacheleer
With lockes crul / as they wer leyd in presse
He twenty yer of age / was as I gesse
Off his stature / he was of evene lengthe
And wondirly delyuer / and grete of strenghe
And he hadde be / somtyme in chyvalrye
In flaıı̄undres Artoys / and in pikardye
And born hym wel / as of so lytyl space
In hope / to stondyn in his lady grace
Embroyded was he / as it were a mede
Al full of froysh flowres / white and reede
Syngyng he was / and floytyng al the day
He was as froysh as the moneth of may
Short was his gowne / with sleves longe ⁊and wyde
Weel cowde he sytte on hors / and fayre ryde
He cowde songes make / and wel endyte
Iuste and daıı̄unce / and wel portreye and wryte
So hote he loved / that be nyhterdale
He sleep no more / than doth the nyhtyngale
Curteys he was / lovely and seruysable
And carf bi forn / his fader at the table
A Yeman̄ he hadde / and ʆservaıı̄untys no mo
At that tyme / for hym lyst· ryde so
And he was clad / in cote and hood grene ·
A sheff of pekoc arwes / bryht and shene
Vndyr his belte / he bar wel thryftyly
Wel cowde he dresse / his takel yemanly
His arwes drouped nowht / with fetheres lowe
And in his honde he bar / a myhty bowe
A not hed he hadde / with a brown visage
Of wode craft / wel cowde he al the vsage
Vp on his arme / he bar a gay braceer
And bi his syde / a swerd and a bokeleer
And on that other syde / a gay dagger
Harneysed wel / and sharpe as poynt of spere
A cristofre on his brest / of syluer shene
An horn he bare / the bawdryk was of grene
A foster was he / sothly as I gesse
THere was also / a Nonne a Prioresse
That of here smylyng / was wel symple and coy
Hir grettest oth was but bi seynt loy
And she was cleped / madame Eglentyne
Ful wel she song / the ʆseruice diuine
Entewned in here / nose ful swetely
And frensh she spak / wel fayr and fetisly
Aftyr the scole / of stratforde atte bowe
For frensh of parys / was to here vnknowe
At mete wel I tawht / was she with alle
She lete no mussel / from hir lippes falle
Ne wete hir fyngres / in hir sauce depe
Wele cowde she carye / a morsel and wel kepe
That no drope / falle on here brest
In curteysye was set / wol moche here lyste
Here over lippe / wyped she so clene
That in here cuppe / ther was no ferthyng sene
Of grece / whan she hadde dronke here drawht
Vol semely / aftyr here mete she rawht
And sekerly / she was of gret disport
And wel plesawnt / and amyable of port
And peyned here / to conterfete chere
Of coort / and to be estatlich of manere
And to be holden / digne of reuerence
But for to speke / of here conscience
She was so charitable / and pytous
She wolde wepe / and she sey a movs
Cawht in a trappe / if it were dede or bledde
Of smale hoıı̄undes / had she that she fedde
With rosted flesh / or mylk or wastilbrede
But sore wepte she / if any of hem were dede
Or if mēn smyte it / with a yerde smerte
And al was conscience / and tendre herte
Wel semely / here wympyl pynched was
Here nose streyht / here eyen grey as glas
Here mouth smale / and therto softe and reed
But sekirly / she had a fayre forhed
It was Almost / a spanne brod / I trowe
For hardely / she was nat vndir growe
Wel fetys was here cloke / as I was war
Of smal coral / a bowte here arm she bar
A peyre of bedys / gavded al with grene
And ther on heng / a broch of gold ful shene
On which ther was / firste writen a crowned A
And After / Amor Vincit Omnia
Another nonne Also / with here hadde she
That was here chapeleyn / and prestis thre
A Monke ther was / a fayr for the maistrie
And owt rydere / that loved venerye
A manly man / to ben an Abot Able
Full many a deynte hors / had he in his stable
And whan he rood / men myghte his brydel here
Gyngelyng in A whisteling wynde / as clere
And eke as lowde / as dothe the chapel belle
There as this lord / was kepere of the selle
The reule of seynt Mavr / othir of seynt Benyt
Be cause it was old / and somdel streyht
This ilke monk / leet olde thynges pace
And helde After / the newe world the trace
He yaf nat of the tixt / a pulled henne
That sayth that hunterys / beth nat holy menne
Ne that a monke / whan he is recheles
Is likned to a fissh / that is waterles
This is to seyne / a monk out of his cloistre
But thilke tixt / helde he nat worth an oystre
And I seyde / his opynyoıı̄un was good
What shulde he studie / and make hym self wood .
Vp on a boke in cloistre / al day to povre
And swynke / with his handes and laboure
As Austyn̄ bit / how shuld the world be ʆser ved ·
Lat Austyn̄ have his swink / to hym reʆserved ·
Therfor· he was / a pⁱrikasowr a ryht
Grehoıı̄undes he hadde / as swyft as fowle in flight
Of pⁱrikyng and of huntyng / for the hare
Was al his lust / for no cost wolde he spare
I saw his sleves purfylyd at the honde
With grys / and that the fynest in a londe
And forto fastene / his hood vndyr the chyn ·
He had of gold / wrowht a wol coryows pyn
A lowe knotte in the grettere / ther was
His hed was balled / that shon as any glas ·
And eke his face / as he hadde be a noynt
He was a lorde wel fat / and in good poynt
His eyen stepe / and rollyng / in his hed
That stemed / as a forneys of a leed ·
His botis souple / his hors in greet astat
Now certeynly / he was a Fayr prelat
He was nat pale / as a for pyned gost
A fat swan lovede he best / of any rost
His palfray was as browen / as any bery
Afreere
A Frere ther was / a wantoıı̄un and a mery A lymytour / a wol solempne man
In alle thordres foure / is non that kan
So mechil of dalyaıı̄uns / and fayre language
He hadde made wol many a mariage
Of yonge voomēn at his owne cost
Vn to his ordre / he was A noble post
And wel I loved / and famyliarye was he
With frankeleyns / overal in his contre
And with worthy womēn of the towıı̄un
For he hadde power / of confessyoıı̄un
As he seyde hym self / more than a curat
For of his ordre / he was lycencyat
Wel swetely / herde he confessyoıı̄un
And plesaūnt was / his absolucyoıı̄un
He was an esy mān / to yeue penaıı̄unce
Ther he wiste / to have a good pytaıı̄unce
For vnto a pore ordre for / to yeue
Is signe that a man / is wel I shreve
For if he yeve / he durst make avaunt
He wiste that a man / so hard was repentaıı̄unt
For many a man / so hard is of herte
He may nat wepe / thow he sore smerte
And therfore / in stede of wepyng and pᵃrayerys
Men mote yeve sylver / to the pore Freres
His typett was ay farsed / ful of knyves
And pynes for to yeue / fayre wyves
And certeynly / he hadde a mery noote
Wel kowde he synge / and pleye at the roote
Of yeddynges / he bare vttyrly the prys
His necke white was / as the flour delys
Ther to he strong was / as a champioıı̄un
He knewe the ta verys / vel in euery touıı̄un
And eủery hosteler / and tapstere
Bet than a lazeer / or a begstere
For vn to such a worthi man as he
Accordith nat / as bi his faculte
To have with syk Lazerys acqueyntaıı̄unce
It is nat honest / it may nat avaıı̄unce
For to delyn / with such porayle
But al with riche / and selleres of vitayle
And overal ther / as profyt shulde a ryse
Curteyse he was / and lowlych of ʆseruyce
Ther was no man̄ / nowher so vertuous
He was the beste beggere of his hows
For thow a wydowe / hadde but a sho
So plesaunt / was his Inpⁱrincipio
Yeet wolde he have / a ferthyng er / than he wente
His purchas was wel better / than his rente
And rage he cowde / right as it were a whelp ·
In love dayes / ther / kowde he mechel help ·
For ther he was / nat lyk a cloystrere
With thredbare coope / as is a pore scolere
But he was lyke a mayster or a pope
Of dowble worstede / was his semy cope
That was rownde / as a belle out of the presse
Somwhat he lypsed / for his wantoıı̄unnesse
To maken his englyssh swete vp on his tonge
And in his harpyng /whan he had songe
His eyen twynkeled in his hede a ryht
As doth the sterres / in the frosty nyht
This worthi lymytour / was cleped hoberd
A Marchant
A Marchaunt was ther / with a forked berd In motle / and hye on hors he sat
Vp on his hede a flaıı̄undryssh beuer hat
His botys clapsed / fayre and fetysly
His resoıı̄uns he spak / ful solempnely
Sownyng alway / thencrees of his wynnyng
He wolde the see / were kept for any thing
By twixt Middyl borowhe / and Orewelle
Weel cowde he in eschaunge / sheedys selle
This worthy man̄ ful wel / his wit beset
Ther woste no wyhgt / that he was in det
So estatlych was he / of his gouernaıı̄unce
With his bargayns / and with his chevysaıı̄unce
For sothe he was / a worthi man̄ with alle
But soth to telle / I not how mēn hym calle
A Clerk of Oxenford
A Clerke ther was / of Oxynforde also That vnto logyk / hadde longe I go
As leene was his hors / as is a rake
And he was nat ryht fate I vndertake
But loked holowe / and therto sobirly
Wol thredbare was / his ovirmest courtepy
For he ne hadde get hym / yet no benefys
Ne was so wordlich for to haue offys
For hym was lever / to have / at his beddys hed
Twenty bokes / clad in blak and reed
Of Aristotele / and his philosophie
Than̄ robys riche / other fethele or Sawterye
But al bi that / he was a philozophre
Yet hadde he but litel / gold in cofre
But alle that he myhte / of his frendys hente
On bokes and on lernyng / he it spente
And besyly gan / for the sowles preye
Of hem that yaf / wherwith to scoleye
Of studye toke he / most cure and heed
Nowt on word spak he / more than was need
And that was seyde in forme / and reuerence
And short and quyk / and ful of high sentence
Sownyng in mortal v̉ertu / was his speche
And gladly wold he lerne / a gladly teche
A Sergant of Lawe
ASeriaıı̄unt of the lawe / war and wys That ofte hadde I be / at the parvis
He was also / wol ryche of excellence
Discret he was / and of gret reverence
He seemed such / his wordis were so wyse
Iustice he was offten / in assyce
By patent / and bi pleyn commyssyoıı̄un
For his science / and his hih renoıı̄un
Of feeis and robis / had he many ooıı̄un
So gret a purchasour / was nowher nooıı̄un
Al was fee symple / to hym in effecte
Nowher so besy a man · as he / ther nas ·
His purchasyng / myht nat be infect
And yit he seemed bysiere / than he was
In termes had he cas / and domys alle
That fro the tyme / of king Wyllyam wer falle ·
Therto he cowde endyte / and make a thyng
Ther cowde no wight / pynche at his wrytyng
And eủery statute / cowde he pleyne be roote
He rood but homly / in a medly coote
Girt with a seynt of silk / with barres smale
Of his array / telle I no lengere tale
A Frankeleyn̄
A Frankeleyn̄ was / in his companye White was his berd / as it the dayeseye
Of his complexion̄ / he was sangveyn
Weel loved he bi the morowe / a soppe in wyn
To leven in delit / was euer his wone
For he was Epicurus / owne sone
That held oppynyon̄ / that pleyn̄ delit
Was verray felycyte / ꝑperfyt
An housholdere / and that agret was he
Seynt Iulyan / he was cleped in his contre
His breed his ale was alway after on
A better envyned man / was the nowher noon
Vith oute bake mete / was neuyr his hous
Of Fyssh of flessh / and that so plentevous
It sewed in his hows / of mete and drynk
Of alle deyntees / that men cowde thynke
After the sondry sesoıı̄uns / of the yere
So changed he his mete / and his sopere
Wel many a fat ꝑpertrych / had he in mewe
And many a breme / and many a luce in stewe
Woo was his cook / but yif his sauce were
Poynaıı̄unt and redy / al his other gere
His table dormānt / in his halle alway
Stod redy keueryd / al the longe day
At sessioıı̄uns / ther was he lorde and syre
Wel oftyn tyme / he was knyht of the shyre
An Anlas and a gysper / al of sylk
Heng at his gerdel / white as morwe mylk
A shereve had he be / and a comptour
Was nowher such / a worthy vavasoure
An Habirdasshere
A Carpenter
A Wever
A Dyer
A Tapistere
AN habirdasshere / and a Carpenteer A Carpenter
A Wever
A Dyer
A Tapistere
A Webber a dyere / and a Tapistere
And they were clothed / Alle in oon lyvere
Of a solempne / and a greet fraternyte
Ful froyssh and newe / here gere piked was
Here knyves were nat / chaped with bras
But Al with sylver / wrowt ful clene and wel
Here girdelys / and here powches everydel
Wel seemed eche of hem / A fayr burgeys
To sytten in a yelde halle / or at the deys
Euerich of the wysdam / that he can
Was shaply for to be / a Aldyrman
For catel hadde they I now / and rente
And eek here wyves / wolde it wel assente
Or ellis certeyn / they were moche to blame
It wel fayre / to be clepyd madame
And for to gon / to vigilijs al bi fore
And have a mantyl / ryally I bore
A Cook
A Cook they hadde with hem / for the nonys To boyle the chekenys / with the mary bonys
And poudre marchaıı̄unt / tart and galanty galyngale
Wel cowde he knowe / a draught of londone ale
He cowde roste / and sethe boyle and frye
Make mortrewes / and wel bake a pye
But gret harm · was / it / as thouht me
That on his shene / a mormale had hee
For blanmager maad / he with the beste
A Shipman̄
A Shipman̄ was ther / wonnyng ferre bi weste For owȝt I wot / he was of dertemouthe
He rood vp on a roncyn / as he couthe
In a gowne of faldyng / to the kne
A dagger hangyng / by a lace had he
A bowten his necke / vnder hys arm doıı̄un
The hote somer had made / his hewe ful broıı̄un
And Certeynly / he was a good felawe
Wel many a drawht of wyn / hadde he drawe
Fro Burdeus ward / whil the shipman̄ sleep
Of nyce conscience / tok he no kepe
Yif that he fauht / and hadde the hyeere hond
Be water he sente hem home / by every londe
But of his carftis / to reknen wel his tydes ·
His stremes / and his Daıı̄unngeres ther besydes
His herborgh and his mone / and his loodmanage
Ther was noon such / fro hull to Cartage
Hardy he was / and wys to vndirtake
With many a tempest / had his berd be shake
He knewe all the havenys / as they were
Fro scotlond / to the cape / of fynestere
And eủery creek / in bretayne and in Spayne
His barge was cleped / the Magdeleyne
A Doctour of Phisyk
WIth vs ther was also / a Doctour of Phisyk In al this world / was ther noon hym lyk
To speke of phisik / and surgerye
For he was grownded / in astronomye
He kepte his pacient / a wel gret del
In houris bi his magik / naturel
Wel cowde he / the Fortune accident
Of his ymages / for his pacient
He knew the cause / of euery maladye
Were it of hoot cold / moyst or drye
And were engendred / of what humour
He was a verray / parfit practisour
The cause he knew / and of his harm the roote
A noon he yaf the syke mān / his boote
Wel reedy had he / his appotecarijs
For eche of hem / maketh other for to wynne
To sende hym dragmys / of his letuarijs
Here frendshepe / was nat new to bigynne
Wel knew he tholde Esculapius
And diascorides / and eke Rufus
Olde ypocras / haly / and Galien
Serapion Razis / and auyzen
Auerois / Damascien / and Constantyn
Bernard / and Gatisden / and Gelbertyn
Of his diet / mesurable / was he
For it was / of noon suꝑperfluite
But of gret norishyng and digestible
His study was but lytyl / on the bible
In sangveyne and in perce / he clad was al
Lyned with taffata / and with sendal
And yet he was but esy / of dispense
He kepte that he wan / in the pestelence
For gold in phisik / is a cordial
Ther he lovede gold / in special
A Wyf of Bathe
A Good wyf was ther / of besyde bathe But she was somdel def / and that was skathe
Of clothe makyng / sche hadd such an haunt
She passed hem of yprys / and of gaunt
In all the paryssh / ne was ther wyff noon
That to thoffryng / bi fore here shulde goon
And yif ther dede / certeyn so wroth was she
That she was out / of all charyte
Here kevercheyuys / vel fyne were of groıı̄unde
I durste seyn they weyed / ten poıı̄unde
That on a sonday / were on here heed
Here hosyn were of fyn / skarlet reed
Wel streyht I tyed / and shoes goode and newe
Bolde was here face / and fayr / and reed was here hewe
She was a worthy woman / al here lyve
Housbondes at the chirche dore / she hadde had fyve
With oute other companye / in youthe
But therof nedeth nowht / to speke as nouthe
And thries had she ben / at Ierusalem
She hadde passed many / a strānge strem
At Rome she hadde be / and at Boleyne
In Galis at seint Iamys / and at Coleyne
She covde moche of / wandryng bi the weye
Cat tothed was she / sothly for to seye
Vp on an Ambler / esyly she sat
Wel I wympelid / and on here hed an hat
As brod as is a bokeler / or a targe
A foot mantil / a boute here hepes large
And on here feet / a peyre spores sharpe
In felawshepe / vel cowde she lawhe and carpe
Of remedyes of love / she knew ꝑperchaıı̄unce
For she cowde of that art / tholde daıı̄unce
A Person̄
A Good man vas ther / of Religion̄ And was a pore ꝑperson / of a toun
But Riche he was / of holy thought and werk
He was also a lernyd man / a clerk ·
That cristes gospel / treuly wold preche
His parisshenys / deuoutly wold he teche
Benygne he was / and wondyr dyligent
And in adủersyte / wol pacyent
And such he was p̉erued / ofte sythes
For loth he was / to cursen for his tythes
But rather wold he yeven / out of doute
Vn to his pore parisshenys / a boute
Of his offryng / and of his sustynaıı̄unce
He covde in lytel thynges / have suffisaunce
Wyde was his parissh and houses fer asondyr
But he laft nat / for reyn ne for thondyr
In seknesse ne in myscheff / to vysyte
The ferthest in his parysh mochil and lyte
Vpon his feet / and in his hand a staf
This noble ensample / to his sheep he yaf
And ferst he wrought / and aftyrward he tawghte
Oute of the gospel / he tho wordys cawghte
And this figure / he Addyd eke ther to
Yf gold rust / what shal Iren do
For yf a prest be foul . / on whom we truste
No wondyr is / a lewde man to ruste
And shame it is / if a prest take keep
A shetene shepperde / and a clene shep
Wel awthe a prest / ensample for to yeven
By his clennesse / how his sheep shuld leven
He set nat his benefys / to hire
And leet his sheep / accombre in the myre
And ran vn to londone / vn to seynt Poulis
To seeken hym a chantery / for sowlis
Or with a brethirhed / to ben witholde
But dwellyd at home / and keepte vel his folde
So that the wolf / maade it nat myskarye
He was a shepherd / and nat a mecennarye
And thouh he holy were / and v ̉ertuous
He was nat to synfull men / dispytous
Ne of his speche / dangerous ne digne
But in his speche / discret and benigne
To drawen folk / to hevene bi fayrnesse
By good ensample / this was his bisynesse
But it were any ꝑpersone / obstynat
What so he were / of hye or lowe estat
Hym wold he snybbyn / sharply for the nones
A bettyr prest I trowe / nowher noon is
He wayted after / no pompe ne reverence
Ne maked hym / a spysed conscience
But cristes lore / and his a postelis twelwe
He tawhte / but first he folwed it hym selve
A Plowman̄
VIth hym ther vas a plowmān / was his brothir That hadde lad of donge / wel many a rother
A trewe swynker / and a good was he
Lyvyng in pes / and in ꝑperfyt charite
God loved he best / with all his hool herte
At alle tymes / thowh he gamed or smerte
And than his neihbore / ryht as hym selve
He wolde throisshe / and ther to dyke and delve
For cristes sake / with every pore wyht
Withouten here / if it lay in his myht
His tithis paide he ful faire and wel
Bothe of his propir swynk / and of his catel
In a tabbard he rood / vpon a mere
Ther was also a reve / and a mellere
A sompnovr / and a pardoner also
A mancipe and my self / ther was no moo
A Miller
THe millere was / a stowt cherl for the nonys Wel big he was / of brawn and eek of bonys
That p̉reved wel / for over wher he cam ·
At wrastelyng he wolde / Alwey have the Ram
He was short shuldred / brood and a thikke knare
Ther was no dore / the he ne wolde heve of harre
Or breke it at a rennyng / with his heed
His berd as any sowe / or fox was reed
And therto brood / as thowh it were a spade
Vp on the cop ryht / on his nose he hade
A werte / theron stood a toft of heris
Reed as a brestil . / of a sowis erys ·
His nose therll / blak were and wyde
A swerd and a bokeler / bar he bi his syde
His mouth as gret / as was a gret furnays
He was a gret Iangelere / and a goliardeys
And that was most / of synne and harlatrye
Wel cowde he stele corn · / and tolle thrie
And yet he hadde / a thombe of gold parde
A white coote / and a blew hood wered he
A baggepipe wel cowde he / blowe and sowne
And therwith al / he brought vs out of towne
A Ientyl manciple / was ther of a temple
Of which catowrs / myht take ensample
For to be wys in biggyng / of vitayle
For whethir he payde or took be tayle
Algate he wayted so / in a caat
That he was ay before / and in good astat
Now is that nowht / of god a wol fayr grace
That such a lewde mānys wyt / shal pace
The wisdam · of an heep / of leryd men
Of maystres / had he / moo than thries ten
That were of lawe / expert and curious
Of which ther were / a doseyn in that house
Worthy to have stywardys / of reente and londe
Of any lord / that is in Ingelonde
To make hym lyve / bi his propre good
In honour detteles / but if he were wood
Or lyve as scarsly / as hym lyste desyre
And able for to helpyn / al a shyre
In any caas / that myhte falle or happe
And yet this manciple / set here alder cappe
A Reve
THe reve was slender / a coleryk man His beerd was shave / as nyh as ever he can
His heris were bi his eris / rownde and shorn
His top was docked / lyk a prest biforn
Wel longe were his leggis / and wel leene
Like a staff / ther was no calf seene
Wel covde he kepe / a gerner and a bynne
Ther was noon auditovr / that covde of hym wynne
Wel woste he bi the drouhte / and bi the reyne
The yeldyng of his seed / and of his greyne
His lordys shepp / his neet his deyrye
His swyn his hors / his stoor and his pultrye
Was holy in this revys governynge
And bi covenaunt / yaf he reknynge
Syn that his lord was twenti wynter of age
Ther covde no man / castyn hym in a rerage
Ther nas baylyff / ne herde / ne other hyne
That he ne knewe his sleyht and his covyne ·
They were a drad of hym / as of the deth
His wonnyng was wol fayre vp on an heth
With grene trees shadwed / was his place
He covde betyr than his lord / purchase
Wel ryche he was astored / prevely
His lord he cowde wel plese / and sotelly
To yeve and lene hym / of his owne / good
And have a thank / and yeet a coot and a hood
In youthe he had lerned / a good mister
He was a wol wryhte / and a carpenter
This reve sat vpon a wol good stot
That was pomly grey / and hihte scot
A surcote long / of pers vp on he hadde
And bi his syde / he bare a rusty bladde
Of northfold was this reve / of which I telle
Biside a toıı̄un/ men clepyn baldyswelle
Tucked he was / as is a frere a boute
And evyr he rood / the hyndyrest of the route
A Sompnour
A Sompnour was ther / with vs in that place That had a feer reed / cherubyn is face
For sausflem he was / with eyen narwe
As hoot he was and lecherous / as any sparwe
With scalled browes blak and pyled berd
Of his vysage / children were a ferd
Ther nas quyk syluer / lytarge ne bronston̄
Boras Ceruce ne oyle / of tartre noon̄
Ne onyment that wolde / clense or byte
That hym myhte helpyn ·/ of the whelkys white
Ne of the knobbis / syttyng on his his chekys
Wel loved he garlek oynoıı̄uns / and lekys
And for to drynke strong wyn / reed as blood
Than wolde he spek / and cry as he were wood
And whan that he wel dronken / hadde the wyn
Than wolde he spekyn / nor word but latyn
Afewe termes / hadde he to or thre
That he had lerned / out of som decre
No wondyr is he herd it alday
And ek ye knowen wel / that a Iay
Can clepe watte / as wel as the pope
But who so covde / in other thing hym grope
Than hadde he spent / al his philosophye
Ay questio que iuris / wold he crye
He was a Ientyl harlad / and a kynde
A bettyr felawe / shuld men nat fynde
He wolde suffre / for a quart of vyn ·
A good felawe / to have his concubyn
A twelve moneth / and excuse hym at the Fulle
Wel preuylych a fynch / cowde he pulle
And yif he fond owher / any good felawe
He wolde techen hym / to have noon awe
In such caas / of tharchedekenys curs
But of manys sowle / were in his purs
For in his purs / he shulde punched be
Purs is tharchedekenys helle seyde he
Of cursyng awhte / every man drede
And ther of tok the Sompnour / lytil hede
For curs wol sle / right as soylyng saveth
And also war hym / of a signyficauit
In daunger hadde he / at his owne gyse
The yonge gerlys / of the dyocyse
And knewe here conseil and was all here reed
A garland had he / set vp on his heed
As gret as it were / for an ale stake
A bokeler had he / made hym of a cake
WIth hym rood / a Ientil pardoner
Of Rouncivale / his frend and his comper
That streyht was come / from the court of Rome
Wel loved he song / come hedyr love to me .
This pardoner bar with hym / a styff bordoıı̄un
Was neuer trompe of halff so gret a sowoıı̄un
A pardoner
This pardoner hadde heer / as yelwe as wex
But smothe it heng / as doth a stryk of flex
By vnas huge / his lockis that he hadde
And thervith / he his shuldris over spradde
But thynne it lay / by culpownys on and on
But hood for Iolyte / wered he noon
For it was trussed vp / in his walet ·
Hym thouhte he rood / all of the newe get
Dischevel save his cappe / he rood al bare
Such glaryng eyen hadde he / as an hare
A vernycle had he / sewed vpon his cappe
His walet bi forn̄ hym / in his lappe
Breed ful of pardoū / come fro Rome al hoot
A voys hadde / as smal as had a goot
No bred hadde he / ne nevyr shuld have
As smothe it was / as it were late shave
I trowe he were / a geldyng or a mare
But of his craft / fro Berwyk on to ware
Ne was ther such / an other pardonere
For in his male he hadde / a pelwe bere
Which he seyde / was our lady veyl
He seide that he hadde / a gobet of the seil
That seynt petir hadde / whan that he wente
Vp on the se / til IħuIhesu crist hym hente
He hadde a croys of latonıı̄un / ful of stonys
And in a glas he hadde / pigges bonys
But with these relykes / whan that he fond
A pore ꝑpersoıı̄un dwellyng / vp on lond
Vp on day / he get moor moor moneye
Than that ꝑpersoıı̄un / gat in monethis tweye ·
And thus with feyned flaterye / and Iapes
He made the ꝑpersoıı̄un/ and the peple his apys
But trewly to tellen / at laste
He was in chirche / a noble ecclesiastre
Wel covde he reden· / a lesson̄ or a story
For wel he wiste / whan that song was songe
But altherbest / he song an offertory
He muste p ̉reche / and weel a fyle his tonge
To wynne sylver· / as he wel covde
Therfor he song / the meryere and lowde
NOw have I tolde yow sothly / in a clause
Thastat tharray the noıı̄unber / and eek the cause
Why that assembled / was this companye
In southwerk / at this Ientil hostlerye
That hihte the Tabbard / faste bi the belle
But now is tyme / to yow for to telle
How that we bar vs / that Ilche nyht
Whan that we were / in that hosterye a lyht
And after wol I telle / of owr wiage
And al the remenānt / of owr pilgrymage
But first I pray yow / of yowr curtesye
That ye ne rette it nouht / my vylaynye
Though that I plenery / speke in this maateere
To telle yow here mater / and here cheere
Ne thouh I speke / here wordys ꝓpropirly
For this ye knowen / as wel as I ·
Who so shal tellen / a tale after a man
He mote reherse / as nyh as he can̄
Euerych worde yf it be in his charge
Al speke he neueyr / so rudly ne large
Or ell he mot tellyn his tale / vntrewe
Or feynyn thynges / or fyndyn wordys newe
He may nat sparee / al though he were his brothyr
He mote as wel seyn / o word as a nother
Cryst spak hym self / right brood in holy wryt
And wel ye wetyn / no velanye is it
Eek plato seyth / who so can hym rede
The wordys mot be s cosyn / to the dede
And also I pray yow / for yeve it me
Al have I set folk / nat in here degre
Here in this tale / as they sholde stonde
My wit is short / ye may wel vndyrstande
GReet cheer maade / our host vs euerichoıı̄un
And to the souper / set he vs a nooıı̄un
He serued vs with · vitayle / at the beste
Strong was the wyn / and weel to drynke vs liste
A semely man / our host / was withall
For to have ben / a marchall in an hall
A large man he was / with eyen stepe
A fayrere burgeys / is ther noon in chepe
Boold of his speche / wys and wel I tawht
And of manhod / hym lacked ryht nowht
Eek ther to he was / right a mery man ·
And after souper / pleyen he bi gan ·
And spak of myrthe / a moong other thynges
Whan that we hadde maade / our reknynges
And said thus / now lordynges trewly
Ye ben to me wolcom̄e / right herttyly
For bi my trouthe / if that I shal nat lye
I saw nat this yeer / such a companye
Attones in this herberwe / as is nowe
Fayn wolde I doon you myrthe / wiste I how
And of a myrthe / I am right now bi thouht
To doon yow ese / and it shal · coste yow nought
Ye gon to Cauntirbury / god yow spede
The blisful martyr / qwyte yow yowr mede
And wel I wot / as ye gon · bi the weye
Ye shapen yow / to Iapen and to pleye
For treuly comfort ne merthe / is it noon ·
To ryden by the weye / doomb as the stoon ·
And therfor wol I make / yow disport
As I seyde erst and doo yow som comfort
And if yow liketh all / bi on assent
For to stondyn / at my Iugement
And for to werkyn · / as I shal . yow seye
To morwyn̄ whan · / ye rydyn bi the weye
Now bi my fadrys soule / that is dede
But ye be mery / I yeve yew myn heed
Holdeth vp your handys / with outēn more speche
Owr coıı̄unsel was / nat longe for to seche
Vs thouhte it was nat worth / to make it wis
And graıı̄untyd hym · / withoute more avis
And bad hym · seye / hys wordys as hym leste
Lordynges qdquod he / now now herkeneth for the beste
But taketh it nat / I pray yow in disdayne
This is the poynt / to speke shoort and pleyne
That eche of yow / to short with youre weye
In this viage / shal tellen talys tweye
To Cantirbury ward / I mene It soo
And homward / he shal tellyn othir too
Of aventures / that somtyme have bi falle
And which of yow / bereth hym best of alle
That is to seye / that telleth in this caas
Talis of sentence / and most solas
Shal have a souper / at our althyr cost
Heer in this place / syttyng bi this post
Whan that ye comyn · / a gayne fro Cantirbury
And for to make yow / the more mery
I wol my self goodly / with yow ryde
Vp on myn owne cost / and be yowr guyde
And who so wol / my Iugemēnt withseye
Shal paye al that we spendyn / bi the weye
And if that ye vouche saaf / that it be so
Telle me a noone / withouten · wordys moo
And I wol erly / shape me therfore
This thyng was graıı̄untyd / and our othis swore
With wel glad herte / and preyden hym also
That he wolde vouche safe / it for to doo
And that he wolde / be / our gouernoure
And of our talis / Iugis and reportoure
And set a sopeer / at a certeyn prys
And we wol rewlyd be / at his devys
In hie and lowe / and thus bi oon assent
We beth accorded / to the Iugement
And thervpon · / the wyn· was fet anoon ·
We dronkyn / and to reste wenten eủerychoon ·
With oute any / lengere taryinge
A morwe whan the day / gan to sprynge
Vp roos our host / and was our alderys cok
And gadered vs to gidre / in a flok
And forth we redyn · / lytil more than apaas
Vn to the watteryng / of seynt Thomas
And ther our host / bi gan his arreste
And seyde lordys / herkenyth if ye leste
Ye wetyn yowr forward / and your record
Yif evensong / and morwe song accord
Lat se who shal telle / the ferste tale
As euer mot I drynke / wyn or ale
Who so is rebell / to my Iugement
Shal paye for all that / bi the wey is spent
Now draweth cutt / er we ferther twynne
He that hath the shortest / shal begynne
Syr knyht qd he / my mayster and my lord
Now draweth cut / for that is myn accord
Cometh neer qdquod he / my lady prioresse
And ye sire clerk / and lat be yowr shamfastnesse
Ne studyeth nat / leyth hond to everi man ·
A noon to drawe / every wiht bi gan ·
And shortly for to tellyn / as it was
Wer it bi aventure / or soort or caas
The soth is this / the cut fel to the knyht
Of which wel blyth / and glad / was every wyht
And tellyn he moste his tale / bi resoıı̄un
By forward / and bi composicioıı̄un
As ye han herd / what nedeth wordys moo
And whan this good mān / saw that it was soo
As he that wys was / and obedyent
To kepe his forward / bi his free assent
He seyde syn · I shal / bigynne this game
What wolcom̄e be / the cutt / a godys name
Now late vs ryde / and herkeneth what I say
And with that word / we redyn · forth our way
And bi gan · / with ryht a mery chere
His tale a noon · / and seyde as ye may heere
Explicit prologus