Gg · Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.4.27

The Book of the Tales of Canterbury: the General Prologue

Gg · Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.4.27

Canterbury Tales Project.

talesofcanterbury.org/GP/xml/transcripts/Gg/

[132r]

Me thynketh it a cordaunt to resoun

To telle ȝow / al the conchusyoun condition

Of eche of hem as it semyth me

And whiche þey were ⁊and of what degre

And ek in what aray þᵗat they were inne

And at a knyȝt þānne wele I ferst begynne

Miles
¶ A knyght þere was ⁊and that a worthy man
Knyth

That from the tyme that he ferst began

To rydyn out he louede Chyualrye

Trouthe honour fredom ⁊and curteysie

Ful worthi was he in hese lordis werre

And therto hadde he / redyn noman ferre

As wel in cristyndōm as in hethnesse

And euere honoured for hese worthynesse

¶ At Alisandir he was whan it was wonne

And ofte tyme / he hadde þe bord begunne

Abouyn alle nacyoūnmys in Pruce

In lectowe hadde he reysed ⁊and in reuce

Nōn cristene man so ofte / of his degre

In gernage at þe sege ek hadde he be

Of Algazer / ⁊and redyn in balmarye

At leyeys was he ⁊and at satalye

Whan they were wonne ⁊and in þe grete see

At manye anobil aryue hadde he be

At mortal bataylis hadde he be fiftene

And for oure feith at tramessene

In lystis thryis / ⁊and ay slayen his fo

This ilke worthi knyth hadde ben also

Sūmtyme with þe lord of Palatye

Ageyn anothir hethen / in Turkye

And eủeremor he hadde a soủereyn prys

And thow that he were worthy he was wys

And of hese port as meke as is a mayde

He neủere ȝit nōn velany ne sayde

In al his lyȝf vn to no maner wight

He was a weray ꝑperfit gentil knyȝt
[132v]
But for to telle ȝow of his aray

Hese hors were goode / but he was not gay

Of fustien he werede a iopoıı̄un

Al besloteryd with hese habirioıı̄un

For he was late come frōm hese vyage

And wente for to don here pilgrȳmage

¶ With hȳm þere was / hese sone aȝong squyer
Squyer

A louere / ⁊and a lusty bacheleer

With lokkis crulle as þey were leyd in presse

Of twenty ȝer / of age he was I gesse

Of hese stature / he was of euene lenthe

And wonderly delyủere / ⁊and of gret strenthe

And he hadde ben sūmtyme In chyuachie

In Flaıı̄underis in artoys / ⁊and in pikardye

And borȳn wel as of so litil spase

In hope to stondyn / in hese ladygrace

Enbroudit was he / as it were a mede

Al ful of frossche flourys white ⁊and rede

Syngȳnge he was or floutȳnge al the day

He was as frosch as is the monyth of may

Schort was his goūnne / with sleuys longe ⁊and wide

Wel coude he sitte on hors / ⁊and fayre ryde

He coude songis make / ⁊and fayre endite

Iuste ⁊and ek daıı̄unse / ⁊and wel portreye ⁊and wryte

So hote he louede þᵗat be nyghter tale

He slepte no more than doth a nyghtyngale

Curteis he was loueli ⁊and seruysable

And karf be forn hese fadir at the table

¶ A ȝeman hadde he ⁊and seruaıı̄untys no moo
Ȝeman

At that tyme / for he leste ryde soo

And he was clad in cote ⁊and hod of grene

A schef of pekok / arwys bryȝte ⁊and schene

Vndir his belte he bar ful thryftyly

Wel coude he dresse hese takil ȝemanly

Hese arwis droupede nought with federys lowe

And in his hand he bare a myghty bowe
[133r]
A not hed hadde he / with a broun vesage

Of wode craft wel coude he al þe usage

Vp on his arm he bar a gay braser

And by his side / a swerd ⁊and a bokeler
A notation on the right of the line with two dots and a strike

And on on that oþ̉er side a gay daggere

Harneysed wel / ⁊and schʳap as poynt of spere

A Cristofere / on his brest of siluyr schene

An horn he bar þe baudryk was of grene

A foster was he sothli as I gesse

Ther was also a nūne a prieresse
Prieresse

¶ That of here smylyng was ful simple ⁊and coy

Here gretteste oth was but be seynt loy

And sche was clepid Madame Eglentyne

Ful wel sche song / þe seruyse of deuyne

Entuned in here nose so semely

And french sche spak ful fayre ⁊and fetysely

As aftyr þe scholescole of stratforthe at the bowe

For french of parys was to here onknowe

¶ At mete wel I tauȝt / was sche wᵗith alle

Sche let no morsel / frōm here lyppis falle

Ne wette here fyngyr / in here sause depe

Wel couthe sche carye a morsel / ⁊and wel kepe

That no drope ne fel vp on here brest

In curteysie was set ful meche here lyst

Hire ouere lippe wipede sche so klene

That in hire coppe þ̉er was / no ferthyng sene

Of gres / whan sche dronkyn / hadde her draught

Ful semely aftyr here mete sche raught

And sekyrly sche was of gret disport

And ful plesynge ⁊and amyable of port

And peynede here to contyrfete chere

Of court ⁊and to been / estatly of manere

And to ben holde dygne of reuerence

But for to spekyn of here concience

Sche was so charytable ⁊and so pitous

Sche wolde wepe ȝif that sche seye a mous
[133v]
Kauȝt in a trappe ȝif it were ded or bledde

Of smale hoıı̄undis hadde sche þᵗat sche fedde

With rostid flesch or mylk or wastelbred

But sore wepte sche ȝif on of hēm were ded

Or ȝif men smot it with a ȝerde smerte

And al was concience ⁊and tendere herte

¶ Ful semely here wīmpil pȳnched was

Here nose tretis here eyen greye as glas

Here mouth ful smal ⁊and þ̉erto softe ⁊and red

But sekyrly / sche hadde a fayr forhed

It was almost a spanne brod I trowe

For hardily sche was not vndir growe

Ful fetys was here cloke as I was war

Of smale corl aboute here arm sche bar

A peyre of bedis I gaudeit al wᵗith grene

And þ̉eron heng a broche of gold so kene

On wich þ̉ere was wretyn a croıı̄und A

And aftyr Amor vincit omnia

¶ A nothir nonne with here hadde sche

¶ That was here chapelen ⁊and prestis thre
chapeleynprestis thre
Nōnne prest
Monk

¶ A monk þ̉ere was a fayr for the maystrye

An out ridere þᵗat louede uenerye

A manly man to ben an abbot able

Ful manye a deynte hors hadde he in stable

And whan herod men myȝte his brydil here

Gyngelyn in a whistelyng wynd als clere

And ek as loude as doth the chapel belle

There as this lord was kepere of the selle

The reule of seynt Maur / ⁊and of seynt benyght

Be cause that it was old ⁊and sūmdel streyt

This ilke monk let olde thȳnge pace

And held aftyr the newe world the space

He ȝaf not of thattixt a pulled henne

That seith þᵗat hunterys ben not holye menne

Ne that a monk whan he is rekeles

Is lykened to a fysch that is watyrles
[134r]
This is to seyne a monk out of hese cloystre

But tilke tixt held he not worth an oystere

And I seyde his opynyoıı̄un was good

What schulde he stodie ⁊and make hȳmseluyn wood

Vp on a bok in cloystere alwey to poure

Of swȳnkyn with hese hondis ⁊and laboure

As Austyn bit how schal þᵉ world be servid

Let Austyn han his swynk to hym reservid

Therfore he was a prekasoʳur aryȝt

Grehondis he hadde as swift as foul īn flyȝt

Of prekyng ⁊and huntȳnge for the hare

Was al hese lust for no cost wolde he spare

I sey hese sleuys / purfilid at the hand

With grys / ⁊and that the feyneste of aland

And for to festene his hod vndir his schyn

He hadde of gold I wrouȝt a ful coryous pyn

A loue knot in the grettere ende þ̉ere was

His hed was ballyd that schon as ony glas

And ek hese face as he hadde ben enoynt

He was a lord ful fat ⁊and in good poynt

Hese eyen stepe ⁊and rollȳnge in hese hed

That stemyd as a furneys of a led

Hese botis souple / his hors in gret estat

Now serteynly he was a fayr prelat

He nas not pale as a forpynnede gost

A fat swan louede he best of ony rost

His palfray was as broıı̄un as is a berye

A frere þ̉ere was a wantoun ⁊and a merye

¶ A lymytoʳur a ful solēmpne man
Frere

In alle the orderys foure is non that can

So mekil of daliauns ⁊and fayr langage

He hadde mad ful manye a maryage

Of ȝonge wemen at hese owene cost

On to his ordere he was a noble post

Ful wel he louyd / ⁊and famyliar was he

With frankeleynys / oủeral īn his cuntre
[134v]
And with wᵒrthi wemen of the toun

For he hadde power of confessioun

As seide hȳm self more than a curat

For of hese ordere he was licencyat

Ful swetli herde he confessioun

And plesaunt was hese absolucyoun

He was an esi man to ȝeue penaıı̄unce

There as he wiste to han a good petauns

Vnto pore orderis for to ȝeue

Is ygne that a man Iˢ wel I schreue

For ȝif he ȝaf he durste make auaunt

He wiste that a man was repentaunt

For manye a man so hard is of hese herte

He may not wepe though hȳm sore smerte

Therfore in stede of wepyng ⁊and preyeres

Men mote ȝeue silủer to the pore freres

¶ Hise tipet was ay farsed ful of knyuys

And pynnys for to ȝeuyn fayre wywes

And serteynli he hadde a merye throte

Wel couthe he synge ⁊and pleyen on a rote

Of ȝeddyngis he bar vttyrli the prys

His nekke whit was as the flour delis

Therto he strong was as a chaumpioıı̄un

He knew the tauernys wel in euery toun

And eueryche osteler ⁊and tapstere

Bet than a laser or a bakystere

For vn to swich a worthi man as he

Acordith not as by his faculte

To haue with swiche sike men a queyntaıı̄unce

It is not honest it may not auauce

For to dele with non swich parayle

But al with riche ⁊and selleris of vitayle

And oủeral there profit schulde aryse

Curteys he was ⁊and louly of seruyse

Ther was no man now so v̉ertywous

Ne was the beste beᵍgere in hese hous
[135r]
For thow a wedewe hadde not a scho

So plesaunt was his inprincipio

Ȝit wolde he haue a ferthyng er he wente

His purchas was wel betyr than hese rente

And rage he couthe as it were ryȝt a whelp

In louedayis there couthe he mekil help

For there he was not lik a cloysterer

With a thredbare kope as is a scholerscoler

But he was lik a m ay stir or a pope

Of double worstede was hese semeli kope

Thaᵗ roıı̄unded as a belle / out of the presse

Sūmwhat he lipsede for hese wantoūnesse

To make hese engelisch swete vp on his tunge

And in hese harpȳnge whan that he hadde sūnge

Hese eyȝyyn twȳnkeledyn in hese hed aryȝt

As don the sterrys / in the frosty nyght

This worthi limytoᵘur / was clepid hobert

A marchaıı̄unt was there with a forkede berd
Marchaıı̄unt

In motle an heigh on horse he sat

Vp on his hed a flaıı̄underich bemysch hat

Hese botis clospede ful fetusely

Hese resoun he spak ful plesauntly

Sounynge alwey the cres of hese wȳnnyng

He wolde the se / were kept for ony thyng

Be twixe myddil bourgh ⁊and orewelle

Wel couthe en eschaıı̄ung schildis selle

This worthi man ful wel his wit be sette

There wiste no man that he was in dette

So estatli was he of hese goủernaıı̄unce

With hese bargaynys ⁊and hese cheuysance

Forsothe he was a worthy man withal

But sothe to seyn I not how men hȳm cal

A clerk there was of oxsenforthe also
Clek of Oxenforthe

That vnto logyk hadde longe I go

As lene was hese hors as is a rake

And he nas not / rygh fat / I vundyrtake
[135v]

For he hadde getȳn hȳm ȝit no bn̄benefys

Ne was so wordely for to hauyn offys

For hym was lefere to haue at hese bedis hed

Twenty bokꝭis I clad in blak or red

Of Aristotle ⁊and his philoso phie

Þan robis ryche or fedele or gay sautrie

But al be þᵗat he was a philisofre

Þᵗat hadde but lityl gold in cofre

But al þᵗat he myȝte of hese frendis hente

On bokis ⁊and on lernȳnge he it spente

And besily gan for þe soulys preye

Of hēm þᵗat ȝaf hȳm wherwith to schole heye

Of stodie tok he most kep ⁊and most hede

Not a word spak he more þān was nede

And þᵗat was seyd in forme ⁊and reuerence

And schort ⁊and quik ⁊and ful of hey sentence

Sounynge in moral uertu was hese speche

And gladly wolde he lerne ⁊and gladli te che
Seregeaūn

A seriaunt of the lawe bothe war ⁊and wys

That oftyn hadde ben at þᵉ paruys

He was also ryche of excellence

Discret he was ⁊and of gret reuerence

He semede swich hese wordis were so wyse

Iustyse he was ful oftyn in asyse

Be patent ⁊and be pleyn cōmmyssioūn

For hese sience ⁊and for hese heye renoūn

Of feis ⁊and robis hadde he manyon

So gret a purchasour was neủere non

Al was fesymple to hȳm in effect

His purchase myȝte not ben enfect

Neủere so besy aman as he þere nas

And þᵗat he semede besiere þan he was

In termys hadde he cas ⁊and domys alle

Þᵗat frōm the tyme of kyng welyam were falle
[136r]
Therto he coude endite ⁊and make a thyng

Ther coude no man pynche at hese writyng

And eủery statut coude he pleyn be rote

He rod but homely in a medely cote

Gyrt with a seynt of silk wᵗith barrys smale

Of hese aray telle I no lengere tale

¶ A fran̄keleyn was in hese cūmpanye
Frankeleyn

Whit was hese berd as is þe daysie

Of cōmplexioıı̄un he was sanguyn

Wel louede be þᵉ morwe a soppe in wyn

To leuyn in delit was euere hese wone

For he was epicurꝰus owene sone

Thaᵗ held opynyoıı̄un þᵗat pleyn delyt

Was uery felicite parfyt

An housholdere ⁊and þᵗat a gret was he

Seynt Ielion he was in that cuntre

Hese bred hese ale was alwey aftyr on

A betere enuynede man was nower non

Wᵗith oute bake mete was neủere his hous

Of fysch ⁊and flesch ⁊and þᵗat so plentyuoꝰus

It snowede in his mouth of meᵗᵉ ⁊and drynk

Of alle deynteis that men coude þynk

Aftyr þᵉ sundery sesenys of the ȝer

So chaıı̄ungede he hese mete ⁊and hese soper

Ful manye a fat perterych hadde he īn mewe

And many a brēm / ⁊and manye a luce īn stewe

Wo was hese cook / but ȝif hese sauce were

Poynaunt ⁊and redy al hese geere

His table dormaıı̄unt in hese halle alwey

Stod redy keủered / al the longe day

At sessioūnys þ̉ere was he lord ⁊and syre

Ful ofte tyme he was knght of the schyre

An Anlas ⁊and a gipser al of sylk

Heng at hese gyrdil whit as morwȳn mylk

A schirreue hadde he ben ⁊and countour

Was nowʰer swich a vanasour
[136v]
Haberdasher
An habirdaschere ⁊and a carpenter

A webber a dyere ⁊and a taphiser

And þey were clothid alle in on lyuere

Of a ful solēmpne ⁊and a gret fraternyte

Frorsch ⁊and newe here ger apikede was

Here knyues were chapid not with bras

But al wᵗith sylvir wrouȝt ful clene ⁊and wel

Here grerdelys ⁊and here pouchis euerydel

Wel semede eche of hēm a fayr burgeys

To sittyn In a ȝilde halle on a deys

Eủerych for the wisdam that he can

Was schaply for to ben an aldirman

For catel hade þey I now ⁊and rente

And ek here wyuys wolde it wel assente

And ellis serteyn weryn þey to blame

It is ful fayr to be clepid madame

And gon to vigilis al be fore

And han a mental ryalliche I bore

A Cook
A cok hadde þey wᵗith hēm for þe nonys

To boile the chekenys ⁊and the marye bonys

And poudir Marchaunt tard ⁊and galyngale

Wel coude he knowe a drauȝt of londen ale

He couth roste ⁊and sethe ⁊and boyle ⁊and frye

Makyn mortereus ⁊and wel bake a pye

But gret harm was it as it semede me

That on hese schene a mormal hadde he

For blankmanger þᵗat made he at the beste

a Shipman
A schipman was þ̉er wonȳnge fer be weste

For ouȝt I wot he was of dertemouthe

He rod up on a roūncy as he couthe

In a goıı̄unne of faldynge to the kne

A daggere hangȳnge on a lace hadde he

Aboute his nekke vndir his arm adoıı̄un

The hote somyr hadde mad his hew al broun

And serteynli he was a good felawe

Ful manye a drauȝt of weyn hadde he I drawe
[137r]
From burdeux ward whil that the chapman slep

Of nyce consience tok he none kep

Ȝif that he fauȝt ⁊and hadde the heyere hand

Be watyr he sente hēm hom by eủery land

But of hese craft to rekene wel hese tydis

Hese stremys ⁊and hese daıı̄ungerys hȳm besyde

His herberwe ⁊and hese mone hiˢ lodmȳngage

There nas non swich frōm hul to cartage

Hardy he was ⁊and wys to vndirtake

With manye a tēmpest hadde his berd ben schake

He knew alle þe hauenys as þey were

Fro gotlond to the kape of fenystere

And eủery Cryk in bretayne ⁊and in spayne

His barge clepid was demaudelayne

With vs þ̉ere was a doctoᵘur of phisik
Doctor de physik

In al þis world was ther non hȳm lik

To speke of phisik ⁊and of surgerye

For he was groıı̄undit in astronomye

Hepte hese pacient a ful gret del

In houres by his Magik naturel

Wel couthe he fortwnēn the ascendent

Of hese ymagis / for hese pacient

He knew the cause of eủery maladye

Were it hot or cold or moyst or dreye

And where þey engendere ⁊and of what humoʳur

He was averay parfyt praktysour

The cause I knowe ⁊and of hese harm the rote

Anon he ȝaf the seke man hese bote

Ful redy hadde he sese apotecaryis

To syndyn hȳm hese droggis ⁊and hese letewaryis

For eche of hēm made oþ̉ere for to wynne

Here frenschepe was not newe to begȳnne

Wel knew he the olde exculapijs

And diascorides ⁊and ek Rufijs

Olde ypocras lylye ⁊and galien

Serapion Raȝis ⁊and Auycen
[137v]
Auerois damascyen ⁊and constantyn

Bernard ⁊and Gadefleun ⁊and gilbertyn

Of hese diete mesurable was he

For it was of non superfluyte

But of gret nuryschynge ⁊and digestible

His stody was wol lytyl in the bible

In sanguyn ⁊and in pers he clad was al

lynede with taffata ⁊and sendal

And ȝit he was but esy of dispence

He kepte that he wan in pestelence

For gold in phisik is a cardial

Therfore he louede gold in special

A good wif was there of beside bathe
A wyf of bathe

But sche was sumdel def ⁊and þat was skathe

Of cloth makyng sche hade swich an hand

Sche passed hem of ypres ⁊and of gaunt

In al the parich wif was there non

That to the offerynge to fore her schulde gon

And ȝif þere dede serteyn so wroth was sche

That sche was out of alle charite

Here couercheis ful fyne were of ground

I durste swere þey weyedyn a pound

That on a sunday weryn vp on here hed

Here hosyn weryn of fyn skarlet red

Ful streyte I teyede ⁊and schois ful moyste ⁊and newe

Bold was here face ⁊and fayr ⁊and red of hewe

Sche was a worthi woman al here lyue

Husbondis at cherche dore sche hadde fyue

With-outyn oþere compayne in ȝouthe

But þerof nedith not to speke as nouthe

And thryes hadde sche ben at Ierusalem

Sche hadde passed manye a strong strem

At rome she hadde ben ⁊and at boloyne

In galis at seynt Iame ⁊and at coloyne

Sche couthe meche of wonderyng be þe weye

Gat toþed was sche sothly for to seye
[138r]
Vp on an aūmbelere ful esily sche sat

I wympeled wel ⁊and on here hed an hat

As brod as is abokeler or a targe

A fot mental a boute here hepis large

And on here fet a peyre of sporys scharpe

In felauschepe wel coude sche lawe ⁊and carpe

Of remedijs of loue / sche knew per schaūnce

For sche coude of that art the olde daūnse

A good man was there of religioūn
a Persoun

And was a pore persoūn of a toūn

But riche he was of holy thouȝt ⁊and werk

He was also a lerned man a clerk

That cristis gospel trewely wolde teche

Hese parischiens deuoutly wolde he teche

Benyngne he was ⁊and wondyr delygent

And in adủersite ful pacient

And swich he was p̉reeuyd ofte sythis

Ful loth were hȳm to cursyn for hese tythis

But rathere wolde he ȝeuȳn out of doute

Vnto hese pore parschens aboute

Of hese offeryng ⁊and hese substaūnce

He couthe in lityl thyng han suffisiaūnce

Wyd was hese parysch ⁊and housys fer asundir

But he ne lyfte not for reyn ne thondir

In seknesse nor in myschif to visite

The fertheste in hese parich meche ⁊and lite

Vp on hese fet ⁊and in hese hond a staf

This noble ensaūnple to hese schep he ȝaf

That fyrst he wrouȝte ⁊and aftyrward he tauȝte

Out of the gospel he to wordis cauȝte

And this figure he addede þ̉erto

That ȝif gold rustede what schal yryn do

That ȝif a pryst be foul on whōm we truste

No wondyr iff lewede me men to ruste

And schame it is ȝif a pryst take kep

A schetyn schepperde ⁊and a clene schep
[138v]
Wel outhe a prest ensaumple for to ȝeue

By hese clennesse how hese schep schulde leue

He sette not hese benefys to hyre

An let hese schep acumbrit in the myre

And ran to lundene vn to seynt poulys

To seke hym a chauntriye for soulys

Or with a broþerhed to be with holde

But dwelte at hom ⁊and kepte wel hese folde

So that þe wolf ne made it not myscarie

He was a schepherde ⁊and not a mersenarye

And þow he holy were ⁊and vertyuous

He was not to synful men dispitous

Ne of hese speche daungerous ne digne

But in hese techynge discreet ⁊and benygne

To drawyn folk to heuyn be clennesse

Be good ensaumple this was hese besynesse

But ȝif it were ony persone obstynat

What so he were of hey or low estat

Hym wolde he snybbyn scharpli for the nonys

A bettyr pryst I trowe neuere non is

He waytid aftyr no pompe ne reuerence

Ne makid him a spisede concience

But cristis lore ⁊and hese apostill twelue

He taughte but fyrst he folwede it hym selue

With hym þere was a plowman that was hese broþer
A Plouman

That hadde led of donge manye a fodir

A trewe swynkere ⁊and a good was he

leuynge in pes ⁊and parfit charite

God louede he best with al hese hole herte

At alle tymys thow hym gamenede or smerte

And thanne his nyȝhe-bour riȝt as hym selue

He wolde throsche ⁊and þerto dyke ⁊ delue

For cristis sake for / euery pore wyght

With-outyn hyre / ȝif it leye in his myȝt

Hese tythis payede he ful fayre ⁊and wel

Bothe of propre swynk ⁊and his catel
[139r]
In a tabbard he rod vp on a mere

There was also a reue ⁊and a mellere
¶ a Reve. a. Mellere. a Sunour. a Pardonnere.

A somnour ⁊and a pardounner also
¶ a Maunciple Chaucer

A maunsiple ⁊and myn self there were no mo

The meller was a strong carl for the nonys

ful big he was of braun ⁊andek of bonys

That preuyd he wel for ouyr al þere he cam

At wrastelynge he wolde haue alwey the ram

He was schort schulderid brod ⁊and thikke knarre

Ther nas no dore that he wolde heue of harre

Oor breke it at a rennyng with hese hed

His berd as ony sowe or fox was red

And þerto brod as þow it were a spade

Vp on the cop ryȝt of hese nose he hade

A wrete ⁊and theron stod a tuft of herys

Red as the brostelis of a sowys erys

Hese nosetherlis blake were ⁊ wide

A swerd ⁊and a bokeler bar he bi hese syde

His mouth as a
in a later hand
gret furneys

He was a ganglere ⁊and a galiardeys

And that was most of synne ⁊ harlotrye

Wel coude he stele corn ⁊and tolle twye

And that he hadde a tabbard of good ꝑparte

A whit cote ⁊and a blew hod werede he

A bagge pipe wel couthe he blowe ⁊and sounne

And þerwithal he brouȝte / vs out of tounne

A gentyl maunciple was þere of a temple
A Maunciple

Of whiche acatouris myȝte take exsaumple

For to ben wys in beyinge of uytayle

For where that he payede or tok be tayle

Algate he waytide so in hese acate

That he was ay be forin ⁊and in good state

Now is not that of god / a ful fayr grace

That swich a lewede manys wit schal pace

The wisdam of an hep / of lernede men

Of maystrys hadde he mo þan thryis ten
[139v]
That were of lawe exꝑperrt ⁊and corious

Of whiche þere were a doseyn īn that hous

Worthi to ben styward of rente ⁊and lond

Of ony lord that is in yngelond

To make hȳm lyue / by his owene good

In honour detteles but he werere wod

Or leue as skarsely as hȳm liste desire

And able for to helpȳn al a schyre

In ony cas that myȝte falle or happe

And ȝit this maūnsiple / sette and here allerys cappe

The reue was a sclendere colerik man
A Reve

Hese berd was schaue as nygh as eủere he can

His her was by hese erys ful roude I schorn

His top was dokkyd as a pryst be forn

Ful longe were hese leggis ⁊and ful lene

Y lik a staf ther was no calf I sene

Wel couthe he kepe a gerner ⁊and a bȳnne

There non auditour couthe on hȳm wȳnne

Wel wiste he be þe droute ⁊and be the reyn

The ȝildynge of hese sed ⁊and of hese greyn

His lordis schep hese net hese deyerye

Hese swyn hese hors hese stoor ⁊and his pultrie

Was holly in þis revis gouernȳnge

And be þe couenaūnt ȝaf the rekenȳnge

Sȳn þat his lord was twenty ȝer of age

The coude no man brȳngȳn hȳn in a rerage

Ther nas bayle herde ne oþ̉er hyne

That he knew his sleythe ⁊and conynge

The were adred of hym as of the deþ

Hese wonyng was ful fayre / vp on an heth

With grene treis I schadewid was hese place

He couthe betere þan hese lord purchase

Ful riche he was a storid preuyly

Hese lord. wel couthe he plese subtily

To ȝeue ⁊and lene hȳm of hese owene good

And haue a thank ⁊and ȝit a cote and hood.
[140r]
In ȝouthe he hadde lernyd a good mystir

He was a wol good wryȝte a carpenter

This reue sat vp on a ful good stot

That was a pomeli grey ⁊and hyȝte skot

A long surcote of pers vp on he hadde

And bi hese syde he bar a rusty blade

Of norfolke was þis reue of whiche I telle

Be syde a toun men clepe baldiswelle

Tukkede he was as is a frere aboute

And euere he rod þᵉ hemereste of oure route

A somnour was þere with vs in that plase
A Somenour

That hadde a fer red cherubynys face

For sausefleme he was with eyen narwe

As hot he was ⁊and lecherous as a sparwe

With skalede browys blake ⁊and pilid berd

Of hese vesage chylderyn weryn a ferid

Ther nas quyk siluyr litarge ne bronston

Boras seruse ne oyle of tartre non

Ne oynement þat wolde clense ⁊and byte

That hym myȝte helpyn of hese whelkys white

Ne of the knobbis sittynge on hese schekes

Wel louede he garlek onyounnys ⁊and ek lekys

And for to drynkyn strong wyn red as blod

Thanne wolde he speke ⁊and crye as he were wod

And whan he wel dronkyn hadde þe wyn

Thanne wolde he speke no word but latyn

A fewe termys hadde he to or thre

That he hadde lernyd out of sum decre

No wondir he herde it al the day

And ek ȝe knowe wel that a Iay

Kan clepe watte as wel as can the pope

But who so couthe in oþere þyngis hym grope

Thanne hadde he spent al hese philosophie

Ay questio quod Iurys wolde he crye

He was a gentil harlot ⁊and a kynde

A betere felawe schulde men not fynnde
[140v]
He wolde suffere for a quart of wyn

A good felawe to haue hese concubyn

A twelmonyth ⁊and excusyn hym at the fulle

Ful pryuyly a fync ek couthe he pulle

And ȝif he fond ower a good felawe

He wolde techyn hym to haue non awe

In swich cas of the erchedekenys curs

But ȝif a manys soule were in hese pors

For in hese purs he schulde ponyschid be

Purs is the erchedekynys helle seyde he

But wel I wot he lyeþ ryȝt in dede

Of cursyng owyth eche gilty man drede

For curs wele sle ryȝt as asoylyng sauyth

And also war hym of a sygnyficauyth

In daunger hadde he at hese owene gyse

The ȝonge gerlys of the diosyse

And knew here conseyl ⁊and was al here red

A garlond hade he set vp on hese hed

As gret as it were for an ale stake

A bokeler hadde he mad hym of a cake

With hym there rod a Ioly pardounner
A Pardounner

Of rouncyuale his frend ⁊and his cumper

That streyt was comyn from the court of rome

Ful loude he song loue come hedir come

This somnour bar to hym a stif bordoun

Was neuere triompe half of so gret a soun

This pardounner hade her as ȝelw as ony wax

But smothe it heng as doþ a strik of flex

Be ouncis heng hese lokkys þat he hadde

And þerwith he hese schulderys ouerspradde

But thenne it lay be culpounnys on ⁊and on

And hod for Iolite werede he non

For it was trussed vp in hese walet

Hym thouȝte he rod al of the newe iet

Discheuele saf his cappe he rod al bare

Sweche glarynge. eyen. hadde. he as an hare
[141r]
A vernykele hadde he sowyd vp on hese cappe

Hese walet be foryn hȳm in hese lappe

Bret ful of pardoūn come frōm rome hot

A uoys he hath as smal as haþ a got

No berd hadde he ne neủere schulde haue

As smothe it was / as it were late schaue

I trowe he were a geldyns or a mare

But of hese craft frōm berewik in to ware

Ne was swich a noþ̉er pardoūnnere

For in his male he hadde a pilwe bere

Wich þᵗat he seyde was oure lady ueyl

He seyde he hadde a gobet of þe seyl

That seynt petyr hadde whan þᵗat he wente

Vp on þe se tyl […]in god hȳm hente

He hadde a cros / of latoun . ful of stonys

And in a glas he hadde piggis bonys

But wᵗith þese relikys whan þᵗat he fond.

A poủere persoūn vp on lond

Vp on a day he gat hȳm more moneye

Than þe persoūn gat in moneþis tweye

And þus wᵗith feynede flaterye ⁊and Iapis

He made the persoūn ⁊and the puple hese apys

But trewely to tellyn at the laste

He was in cherche a noble ecclesiaste

Wel couthe he rede a story lessoūn or a story

But aldirbest he song an offratory

For wel he wiste whan that song was sunge

He muste preche ⁊and wel affile hyse tunge

To wȳnne sylủer as he wel couthe

Therfore he song the meryerely ⁊and loude

Now haue I told ȝow sothly in a clause

The estat tharay the noūmbre ⁊and ek the cause

Whi assemblid was this cūmpayny

In southwerk at this ientil ostelry

That hyȝte the tabbard faste by þe belle

But now is tyme to ȝow for to telle
[141v]
How that we beryn vs that ilke nyȝt

Whan that we were in that ostelrye alyȝt

And aftyr wole I telle of oure viage

And al the remenaūnt of oᵘre pilgrymage

But fyrst I prey ȝow of ȝoᵘre curteysye

That ȝe narette not myn velanye

Thow that I pleȳnly speke in þis matere

To telle ȝow here wordys ⁊and here cher

Ne thow I speke here wordis properly

For this ȝe knowȳn als so wel as i

Who so schal telle a tale aftyr a man

He mote reherse as nyh as eủere he can

Eủeryche a word ȝif it be in his charge

Al speke he neủere so rewedely ⁊and large

Or elle he mote telle his tale ontrewe

Or feyne þyng or fȳndȳn wordis newe

He may not spare al they he wer̉er his broþ̉er

He mote as wel seyn on word as a noþ̉er

Crist spak hȳm self ful brode in holy wryt

And wel ȝe wote no velany is it

Ek plato seyth ho so can hȳm rede

The wordyˢ mote be chose to the dede

Also I preye ȝow to forȝeue it me

Al haue I not set folk in here degre

Here in this tale al as þey schulde stonde

Myn wit is schort ȝe may wel vndyrstonde

Gret chere mad oure ost vs eủerychon

And to the soper sette he vs a non

He seruede vs wᵗith vitayle at the beste

Strong was the wyn ⁊and wel to drȳnke vs liste

A semely man oure ost was wᵗith al

For to ben a marchal of an hal

A large man he was with eyne stepe

A fayrere burgeys is þ̉ere non in chepe.

Bold of hese speche ⁊and wis ⁊and wel I tauȝt

And of manhod hȳm lakkede ryȝt natnoȝtnoȝt