Geoffrey Chaucer[i34o(?)-i4oo]The PrologueTo the Canterbury Tales
¶WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote 1The droghte 2 of Marche hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich 3 licour,Of which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breethInspired hath in every holt 4 and heethThe tendre croppes, 5 and the yonge sonneHath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne, 6And smale fowles make n melodye,That slepen al the night with open ye,(So priketh hem nature in hir corages: 7Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,And palmers for to seken straunge strondes, 8To feme halwes, 9 couthe 1 0 in sondry londes;And specially, from every shires endeOf Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende ,The holy blisful martir for to seke,That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke. 1 1Bifel that, in that sesoun on a day,In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay 1 2Redy to wenden on my pilgrimageTo Caunterbury with ful devout corage,At night was come in-to that hostelryeWe i 1 3 nyne and twenty in a compaignye,Of sondry folk, by aventure 1 4 y-falle 1 5In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle,Its sweet showers. 2 Drought. 3 Such. 4 Wood. 5 Young shoots.The sun left the sign of the Ram about the middle of April.Hearts. 8 Foreign strands. 9 Distant saints. 1 0 Known. 1 1 Sick. 1 2 Lodged.1 3 Full. 1 4 Chance. 1 5 Fallen.[12]That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde;The chambres and the stables weren w y de ,And wel we weren esed atte beste. 1 6And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,So hadde I spoken with he m everichon, 1 7That I was of hir felawshipe anon,And made forward 1 8 erly for to ryse,To take our we y , ther as I yow devyse. 1 9But natheles, 2 0 why l I have tyme and space,E r that I ferther in this tale pace, 2 1Me thinketh it acordaunt to resoun,To telle ye wal the condicioun 2 2Of ech of hem, so as it semed me ,And which e 2 3 they weren, and of what degree;And eek in what array that they were inne:And at a knight than wol I first biginne.A KNIGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,That fro the tyme that he first biganTo ryden out, he loved chivalrye,Trouthe and honour, fred o m 2 4 and curteisye.Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre, 2 5And thereto 2 6 hadde he riden ( no man ferre 2 7)As wel in cristendom as hethenesse,And evere honoured for his worthinesse.At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne 2 8Above n alle naciouns in Pruce. 2 9In Let to w 3 0 hadde he reysed 3 1 and in R u c e , 3 2No cristen man so ofte of his degree.In Ger n a de 3 3 at the sege eek hadde he beOf A l g e zir , and riden in Belmarye. 3 4At Lye y s 3 5 was he, and at Satalye, 3 5Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See 3 6At many a noble aryve 3 7 hadde he be,At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,And foughten for our feith at Tramissene 3 4
¶1 6 Made comfortable in the best style. 1 7 Every one. 1 8 Compact. 1 9 Tell.2 0 Nevertheless. 2 1 Go. 2 2 Character. 2 3 What sort. 2 4 Liberality. "War.2 6 Besides. 2 7 Farther. 2 8 Sat at the head of the table. 2 9 Prussia. 3 0 Lithuania.3 1 Made expeditions. 3 2 Russia. 3 3 Granada. 3 4 In Africa. 3 5 In Asia Minor.3 6 Mediterranean. 3 7 Naval expedition.[13]In listes thryes, and ay slayn his foo.This ilke 3 8 worthy knight hadde been alsoSomtyme with the lord of Palatye, 3 5Age y n another hethen in Turk ye :And everemore he hadde a sovereyn prys. 3 9And though that he were worthy, he was wys ,And of his port 4 0 as meek as is a mayde.He nevere yet no vileinye 4 1 ne saydeIn al his lyf, un-to no maner wight . 4 2He was a verray parfit gentil knight.But for to tellen yow of his array,His hors were goode, but he was nat gay .Of fustian 4 3 he wered a g i pou n 4 4A l bismotered 4 5 with his habergeoun. 4 6For he was late y-come from his viage, 4 7And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.With him ther was his sone, a yong SQUYER,A lovyer, and a lusty bacheler,With lokkes crulle, 4 8 as they were leyd in presse.Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.Of his stature he was of evene lengthe, 4 9And wonderly delivere, 5 0 and greet of strengthe.And he hadde been somtyme in chivachye, 5 1In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardye,And born him wel, as of so litel space, 5 2In hope to stonden in his lady 5 3 grace.Embrouded was he, as it were a medeA l ful of fresshe floures, whyte and rede.Singinge he was, or floytinge, 54 al the day;He was as fresh as is the month of May .Short was his goune, with sieves longe and w y de .We l coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.He coude songes make and wel endyte, 5 5Iuste and eek daunce, and wel purtreye and wrytc.So hote he lovede, that by nightertale 5 6He sleep namore than doth a nightingale.Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable,5 8 Same. 3 9 Great reputation. 4 0 Bearing. 4 1 Discourtesy. 4 2 Kind of person.43Coarse cloth. 44Short coat. "Soiled. 4 6Coat of mail. 47Journey.4 8 Curled. 4 9 Moderate height. 5 0 Active. 5 1 Cavalry expeditions.5 2 Considering his youth. 5 3 Lady's. 5 4 Whistling. 5 5 Compose. 5 6 Night-time.[14]And carf" biforn his fader at the table.AYE MAN hadde he, 5 8 and servaunts namo 5 9At that tyme, for him liste 6 0 ryde so;And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;A sheef 6 1 of pecok arwes brighte and keneUnder his belt he bar ful thriftily,( We l coude he dresse his takel yemanly:His arwes drouped noght with fetheres low e ) ,And in his hand he bar a mighty bowe.A not-heed 6 2 hadde he, with a broun visage.Of wode-craft wel coude 6 3 he al the usage.Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer, 6 4And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,And on that other syde a gay daggere,Harneised 6 5 wel, and sharp as point of spere;A Cristofre 6 6 on his brest of silver sheneAn horn he bar, the bawd r i k 6 7 was of grene;A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.The r was also aNon n e , a PRIORESSE,That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy;Hir gretteste ooth was but by seynt Lo y ; 6 8And she was cleped 6 9 madame Eglentyne.Ful wel she song the service divyne,Entuned in hir nose ful semely;And Frensh she spak ful faire and fetisly, 7 0After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe , 7 1For Frensh of Paris was to hir unknowe.At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle;She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,N e wette hir fingres in hir sauce depe.We l coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe,That no drope ne fille up-on hir brest.In curteisye was set ful moche hir lest. 7 2Hir over lippe 7 3 w y p e d she so clene,That in hir coppe was no ferthing 7 4 seneOf grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.Carved. 5 8 The knight. 5 9 No more. 6 0 It pleased him. 6 1 Twenty-four.Closely cut hair. 6 3 Knew. 6 4 Arm-guard o£ leather. 6 5 Mounted.Image of St. Christopher, his patron saint. 6 7 Cord or belt./. e., she did not swear at all, like St. Eligius. 6 9 Called. 7 0 Skilfully.71A convent near London. She spoke Anglo-French. 7 2 Delight.7 3 Upper lip. Guests drank out of a common cup. 7 4 Smallest particle.[15]Ful semely after hir mete she raughte, 7 5And sikerly 7 6 she was of greet disport, 7 7And ful plesaunt, and amiable of port,And peyned hir to countrefete chere 7 8Of court, and been estatlich 7 9 of manere,And to ben holden dig n e 8 0 of reverence.But, for to speken of hir conscience, 8 1She was so charitable and so pitous,She wolde wepe, if that she sawe a mousCaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.Of smale houndes had she, that she feddeWith rosted flesh, or milk and wastel breed. 8 2But sore weep she if oon of he m were deed,Or if men smoot it with a yerde 8 3 smerte:And a l was conscience 8 1 and tendre herte.Ful semely 8 4 hir w impel 8 5 pinched 8 6 was;Hir nose tretys; 8 7 hir eyen greye as glas;Hir mouth ful smal, and ther-to softe and reed;But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed.It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe;For, hardily, 8 8 she was nat undergrowe.Ful fetis 8 9 was hir cloke, as I was war.Of smal coral aboute hir arm she barA peire 8 0 of bedes, gaud e d 9 1 al with grene;And ther-on heng a broche of gold ful shene,On which ther was first write a crowned A ,And after, Amor vincit omnia?" 1Another N ON N E with hir hadde she,That was hir chapeleyne, and PREESTES thre.A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrye, 9 3An out-rydere, 9 4 that lovede venerye; 9 5A manly man , to been an abbot able.Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable:And , whan he rood, men mighte his brydel hereGinglen in a whistling w y n d as clere,And eek as loude as dooth the chapel-belle,Reached. 7 6 Certainly. 7 7 High spirits. 7 8 Took pains to imitate courtly manners.Dignified. 8 0 Worthy. 8 1 Sensibility. 8 2 Cake. 8 3 Stick. 8 4 Becomingly.Kerchief. 8 6 Plaited. 8 7 Well-formed. 8 8 Certainly. 8 9 Well-made. "String.9 1 Having every eleventh bead green. 9 2 Love conquers all things.9 3 In the highest degree.9 4 He had charge of the manors attached to his monastery. 9 5 Hunting.[16]The r - as 9 6 this lord was keper of the celle. 9 7The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit,By-cause that it was old and som-del streit, 9 8This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace,And held after the newe world the space.He yaf 9 9 nat of that text a pulled 1 0 0 hen,That seith, that hunters been nat holy men;N e that a monk , whan he is cloisterlees 1 0 1Is likned til a fish that is waterlees;This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre.But thilke text held he nat worth an oistre.And I seyde his opinioun was good.What sholde he studie, and make him-selven wood , 1 0 2Upon a book in cloistre alwey to poure,Or s winke n 1 0 3 with his handes, and laboure,As Austin bit ? 1 0 4 How shal the world be served?L at Austin have his swink to him reserved.Therfor he was a pricasour 1 0 5 aright;Grehoundes he hadde, as swifte as fowel in flight;Of pri king 1 0 6 and of hunting for the hareWas a l his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.I seigh 1 0 7 his sieves purfiled 1 0 8 at the hondWith gr y s , 1 0 9 and that the fyneste of a lond;And , for to festne his hood under his chin,He hadde of gold y-wroght a curious pin:A love-knot in the gretter ende ther was.His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,And eek his face, as he hadde been anoint.He was a lord ful fat and in good point; 1 1 0His eyen stepe, 1 1 1 and rollinge in his heed,That stemed 1 1 2 as a forneys of a leed; 1 1 3His botes souple, his hors in greet estaat.Now certeinly he was a fair prelat;He was nat pale as a for-pyned 1 1 4 goost.A fat swan loved he best of any roost.His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.A FRERE ther was, a wantown and a merye,9 6 Where. 97Branch monastery. 9 8 Somewhat strict. "Gave. 100Plucked.Vagabond. 1 0 2 Mad. 1 0 3 Work. 1 0 4 As St. Augustine bids. 1 0 5 Hard riderRiding, spurring. 1 0 7 Saw. 1 0 8 Trimmed. 1 0 9 Gray fur. 1 1 0 Plump1 1 1 Prominent. 1 1 2 Shone. 1 1 3 Cauldron. 1 1 1 Wasted by torment.[17]A limitour, 1 1 5 a ful solempne 1 1 6 man .In alle the ordres foure 1 1 7 is noon that can 1 1 8So moche of daliaunce and fair langage.He hadde maad ful many a mariageOf yonge w o m men , at his owne cost.Un-to his ordre he was a noble post.Ful wel biloved and famulier was heWith frankeleyns 1 1 9 over-al in his contree,And eek with worthy w o m men of the toun:For he had power of confessioun,As seyde him-self, more than a curat,For of his ordre he was licentiat.Ful swetely herde he confessioun,And plesaunt was his absolucioun;He was an esy man to yeve penaunceThe r as he wiste to han a good pitaunce; 1 2 0For unto a povre ordre for to yiveIs signe that a man is wel y-shrive. 1 2 1For if he 1 2 2 yaf, he dorste make avaunt,He wiste that a man was repentaunt.For many a man so hard is of his herte,He may nat wepe al-thogh him sore smerte.Therfore, in stede of weping and preyeres,Men moot 1 2 3 yeve silver to the povre freres.His tipet was ay farsed 1 2 4 ful of knyvesAnd pinnes, for to yeven faire wyves.And certeinly he hadde a mery note;We l coude he singe and pleyen on a rote. 1 2 5Of yeddinges 1 2 6 he bar utterly the prys.His nekke why t was as the flour-de-lys;Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.He knew the tavernes wel in every toun,And everich hostiler and tappestere
¶Be t 1 2 7 than a lazar 1 2 8 or a beggestere; 1 2 9
¶For un-to swich a worthy man as he
¶Acorded nat, as by his facultee, 1 3 0
¶Holding a license to beg within certain limits. 1 1 6 Impressive. 1 1 7 /. e., of friars. Knows. 1 1 9 Gentlemen farmers. 1 2 0 Where he knew he would get a handsome
¶present. 1 2 1 Absolved. 1 2 2 The penitent. 1 2 3 Must. 1 2 4 Stuffed.
¶1 2 5 Fiddle. 1 2 6 Proverbs.
¶Better. 1 2 8 Beggar. 1 2 9 Female beggar. 1 3 0 It was not fitting in a man of his ability.
p. 18¶To have with seke lazars aqueyntaunce.It is nat honest, 1 3 1 it may nat avaunceFor to delen with no swich poraille, 1 3 2But al with riche and sellers of vitaille.And over-al, 1 3 3 ther-as profit sholde aryse,Curteys he was, and lowly of servyse.The r nas no man nowher so vertuous. 1 3 4He was the beste beggere in his hous;For thogh a widwe hadde noght a sho,So plesaunt was his "In principio",™Yet wolde he have a ferthing, er he wente.His purchas was wel bettre than his rente. 1 3 6And rage 1 3 7 he coude as it were right a whelpe.In love-dayes 1 3 8 ther coude he mochel helpe.For ther he was nat lyk a cloisterer,With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,But he was lyk a maister or a pope.Of double worsted was his semi-cope, 1 3 9That rounded as a belle out of the presse.So m what he lipsed, for his wantownesse, 1 4 0To make his English swete up-on his tonge;And in his harping, whan that he had songe,His eyen twinkled in his heed aright,As doon the sterres in the frosty night.This worthy limitour was cleped 1 4 1 Huberd.A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd,In mottelee, 1 4 2 and hye on horse he sat,Up-on his heed a Flaundrish bever hat;His botes clasped faire and fetisly. 1 4 3His resons 1 4 4 he spak ful solempnely,S owning e 1 4 5 alway thencrees of his winning.He wolde the see were kept 1 4 6 for any thing 1 4 7Bitwixe Middleburgh and Orewelle.We l coude he in eschaunge sheeldes 1 4 8 selle.This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette; 1 4 9The r wiste no wight that he was in dette,Proper. 1 3 2 Poor rabble. 1 3 3 Everywhere. 1 3 4 Capable. 1 3 5 John I, i; wasused as a greeting. 1 3 6 This probably means that he made more out of hisbegging than he paid for the privilege.Behave wantonly. 1 3 8 Days for settling differences out of court. 1 3 9 Short cape.In affectation. 1 4 1 Called. 1 4 2 Motley. 1 4 3 Neatly. 1 4 4 Opinions. 1 4 5 Dealing with.1 4 6 Guarded. 1 4 7 At any cost. 1 4 8 French crowns. 1 4 9 Used.[19]So estatly 1 5 0 was he of his governaunce, 1 5 1With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce. 1 5 2For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle,But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle.A CLERK 1 5 3 ther was of Oxenford also,That un-to logik hadde longe y - go . 1 5 4As lene was his hors as is a rake,And he nas nat right fat, I undertake;But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly.Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; 1 5 5For he had geten him yet no benefice,N e was so worldly for to have office.For him was levere 1 5 6 have at his beddes heedTwenty bokes, clad in blak or reedOf Aristotle and his philosophye,Than robes riche, or fithele, 157 or gay sautrye. 1 5 8But al be that he was a philosophre,Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;But al that he mighte of his frendes hente, 1 5 9On bokes and on lerninge he it spenteAnd bisily gan for the soules preyeOf hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye. 1 6 0Of studie took he most cure and most hede.Noght o word spak he more than was nede,And that was seyd in forme and reverence,And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence. 1 6 1Sowninge in 1 6 2 moral vertu was his speche,And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.A SERGEANT OF THE LAW E , war 1 6 3 and wys,That often hadde been at the parvys, 1 6 4The r was also, ful riche of excellence.Discreet he was, and of greet reverence:He seemed swich, his wordes weren so wyse,Iustice he was ful often in assyse,By patente, and by pleyn 1 6 5 commissioun;For his science, and for his heigh renounOf fees and robes hadde he many oon.
¶1 5 0 Dignified. 1 5 1 Conduce. 1 5 2 Borrowings.1 5 3 Student. 1 5 4 Gone, devoted himself. 1 5 5 Outer short coat. 1 5 6 Rather.1 5 7 Fiddle. 1 5 8 Psaltery. 1 5 9 Get. 1 6 0 Go to school. 1 6 1 Meaning. 1 6 2 Tending to.1 6 3 Wary. 1 6 4 The portico of St. Paul's, where lawyers met. 1 6 5 Full.[20]So greet a purchasour 1 6 6 was nowher noon.A l was fee simple to him in effect, 1 6 7His purchasing 1 6 8 mighte nat been infect. 1 6 9Now her so bisy a man as he ther nas,And yet he semed bisier than he was.In termes hadde he caas and domes alle, 1 7 0That from the tyme of king William were falle.Therto he oude endyte, 1 7 1 and make a thing,The r coude no wight pinche 1 7 2 at his wryting;And every statut coude 1 7 3 he pleyn by rote.He rood but hoomly in a medlee 1 7 4 coteGirt with a ceint 1 7 5 of silk, with barres smale;Of his array telle I no lenger tale.A FRANKELEYN was in his compaignye;Why t was his berd as is the dayesye.Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.We l loved he by the morwe 1 7 6 a sop in w y n .To liven in delyt was evere his w one , 1 7 7For he was Epicurus own e sone,That heeld opinioun that pleyn delytWas verraily felicitee parfyt.An householdere, and that a greet, was he;Seynt Iulian 1 7 8 he was in his contree.His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon; 1 7 9A bettre envy n e d 1 8 0 man was no-wher noon.With-oute bake mete was nevere his hous,Of fish and flesh, and that so plentevous,Its new e d 1 8 1 in his hous of mete and drinke,Of alle deyntees that men coude thinke.After the sondry sesons of the yeer,So chaunged he his mete and his soper.Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in me we , 1 8 2And many a bree m 1 8 3 and many a luce 1 8 3 in stewe. 1 8*W o was his cook, but-if 1 8 5 his sauce werePoynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere.
¶1 6 6 Conveyancer.1 6 7 All forms of land-holding were as easy for him to handle as fee-simple.1 6 8 Conveyancing. 1 6 9 Invalid. 1 7 0 He had definite knowledge of all cases and decisions.1 7 1 Compose. 1 7 2 Find fault with. 1 7 3 Knew. 1 7 4 Motley. 1 7 5 Girdle.1 7 6 In the morning. 1 7 7 Custom. mThe patron saint of hospitality.1 7 9 Of uniform quality. 1 8 0 Provided with wine. 181Snowed.1 8 2 Coop. 1 8 3 A kind of fish. 1 8 4 Fish-pond. 1 8 5 Unless.[21]His table dormant 1 8 6 in his halle alwayStood redy covered al the longe day.At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire.Ful ofte tyme he was knight of the shire.An anlas 1 8 7 and a gipser 1 8 8 al of silkHeng at his girdel, why t as morne milk.A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour; 1 8 9Was nowher such a worthy vavasour. 1 9 0
An HABERDASSHER and a CARPENTER,A WEB BE, 1 9 1 a DYER E, and aT AP ICE R, 1 9 2
¶Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, 1 9 3Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. 1 9 4Ful fresh and newe hir gere a pyke d 1 9 5 was;Hir knyves were y-chaped 1 9 6 noght with bras,But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel,Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel.We l semed ech of hem a fair burgeys,To sitten in a yeldhalle 1 9 7 on a deys. 1 9 8Everich, 1 9 9 for the wisdom that he can , 2 0 0Was shaply 2 0 1 for to been an alderman.. For catel 2 0 2 hadde they ynogh and rente,And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;And elles certein were they to blame.It is ful fair to been y-clept 2 0 3 "ma dame','And goon to vigilyes 2 0 4 al bifore,And have a mantel roialliche 2 0 5 y-bore. 2 0 6A COOK they hadde with he m for the nones, 2 0 7To boille chiknes with the mary-bones,And poudre-marchant 2 0 8 tart, and galingale. 2 0 9We l coude he know e a draughte of London ale.He coude roste, and sethe, 2 1 0 and broille, and frye,Make n mortreux, 2 1 1 and wel bake a pye.But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,That on his shine am or mal 2 1 2 hadde he;For blankmanger, 2 1 3 that made he with the beste.1 8 6 Fixed. 1 8 7 Knife. 1 8 8 Pouch. 1 8 9 Treasurer. 1 9 0 Squire. 1 9 1 Weaver.1 9 2 Upholsterer. 1 9 3 Livery.Trade guild. 1 9 5 Trimmed. 1 9 6 Mounted. 1 9 7 Guild hall. 1 9 8 Dais. 1 9 9 Each one.Knows. 2 0 1 Fit. 2 0 2 Property. 2 0 3 Called. 2 0 4 Festival evens. 2 0 5 Royally.Carried before them. 2 0 7 For the occasion. 2 0 8 A flavoring powder.2 0 9 Root of sweet cyperus. 2 1 0 Boil.A kind of soup. 2 1 2 Gangrene. 2 1 3 A delicacy made of minced capon, etc.[22]A SHIPMAN was ther, won in g 2 1 4 fer by weste:For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.He rood up-on a rouncy, 2 1 5 as he couthe, 2 1 6In a gown e of falding 2 1 7 to the knee.A daggere hanging on a laas hadde heAbout e his nekke under his arm adoun.The hote somer had maad his hewe al broun;And , certeinly, he was a good felawe.Ful many a draughte of w y n had he y-drawe 2 1 8From Burdeux-ward, why l that the chapman 2 1 9 sleep.Of n y c e 2 2 0 conscience took he no keep. 2 2 1If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,By water he sente he m h o o m 2 2 2 to every lond.But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,His stremes 2 2 3 and his daungers him bisydes,His herberwe 2 2 4 and his mone, his lodemenage, 2 2 5The r nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; 2 2 6With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were,From Gootlond to the cape of Finistere,And every cryke in Britayne and in Spayne;His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne.
¶With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISYK,In al this world ne was ther noon him lykTo speke of phisik and of surgerye;For he was grounded in astronomye.He kept e 2 2 7 his pacient a ful greet delIn houres, 2 2 8 by his mag i k naturel.We l coude he fortunen the ascendentOf his images for his pacient. 2 2 9He knew the cause of everich maladye,Were it of hoot,or cold, or moiste, or drye,And where engendred, and of what humour ; 2 3 0He was a verrey parfit practisour.
¶2 1 4 Dwelling. 2 1 5 Nag. 2 1 6 Could. 2 1 7 Frieze or serge. 2 1 8 Stolen. 2 1 9 Merchant.2 2 0 Scrupulous. 2 2 1 Heed. 2 2 2 Drowned. 2 2 3 Currents. 2 2 4 Harbour. 2 2 5 Pilotage.2 2 6 Clever in planning. 2 2 7 Watched. 2 2 8 Astrological hours favorable for cures.2 2 9 Choose a fortunate star rising above the horizon, under which to treat images asa charm to cure the patient.2 3 0 Illness was supposed to be due to a humour in excess.[23]The cause y-knowe, and of his harm the rote,Anon he yaf the seke man his bote. 2 3 1Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries,To sende him drogges, 2 3 2 and his letuaries, 2 3 3For ech of hem made other for to winne;Hir frendschipe nas nat newe to biginne.We i knew he the olde Esculapius,And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus;Old Ypocras, Haly , and Galien;Serapion, Razis, and A vice n ;Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn;Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbert y n . 2 3 4Of his diete mesurable 2 3 5 was he,For it was of no superfluitee,But of greet norissing and digestible.His studie was but litel on the Bible.In sang w in 2 3 6 and in pers 2 3 7 he clad was al,Lyned with taffata and with sendal; 2 3 8And yet he was but esy of dispence; 2 3 9He kepte that he w an in pestilence.For gold in phisik is a cordial,Therfor he lovede gold in special.A good WYF was ther of bisyde BATHE,But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe. 2 4 0Of cloth-making she hadde swiche an haunt, 2 4 1She passed he m of Ypres and of Gaunt .In al the parisshe wyf n e was ther noonThat to the offring bifore hir sholde goon;And if ther dide, certeyn, so wrooth was she,That she was out of alle charitee.Hir coverchiefs ful fyne were of ground ; 2 4 2I dorste swere they weyeden ten poundThat on a Sonday were upon hir heed.Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,Ful streite y-teyd, 2 4 3 and shoos ful moiste and newe.Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
¶2 3 1 Remedy. 2 3 2 Drugs.2 3 3 Medicinal syrups. 2 3 4 These are the authors of the favorite medical text-booksof the Middle Ages. 2 3 5 Temperate. 2 3 6 Blood-red. 2 3 7 Bluish gray.2 3 8 A kind of silk. 2 3 9 In spending. 2 4 0 Pity. 2 4 1 Skill. 2 4 2 Texture.[24]She was a worthy w o m man a l hir lyve,Housbondes at chirche-dore 2 4 4 she hadde fyve,Withouten other compaignye in youthe;But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe. 2 4 5And thryes hadde she been at Ierusalem;But hadde passed many a straunge streem;At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,In Galice at seint lame, and at Colo i g n e . 2 4 6She coude moche of wandring by the weye.Gat-tothed 2 4 7 was she, soothly for to seye.Up-on an amblere esily she sat,Y - wimple d 2 4 S wel, and on hir heed an hatAs brood as is a bokeler or a targe; 2 4 9A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,And on hir feet a paire 2 5 0 of spores sharpe.In felaweschip wel coude she laughe and carpe. 2 5 1Of remedies of love she knew per-chaunce,For she coude of that art the olde daunce. 2 5 2A good man was ther of religioun,And was a povre PER SOUN 2 5 3 of a toun;But riche he was of holy thoght and werk.He was also a lerned man, a clerk,That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,And in adversitee ful pacient;And swich he was y-preved 2 5 4 ofte sythes. 2 5 5Ful looth were him to cursen 2 5 6 for his tythes,But rather,wolde he yeven, out of doute,Un-to his povre parisshens abouteOf his offring, and eek of his substaunce.He coude in litel thing han suffisaunce.W y d was his parisshe, and houses fer a-sonder,But he ne lafte 2 5 7 nat, for reyn ne thonder,In siknes nor in meschief, to visyteThe ferreste in his parisshe, moche and lyte, 2 5 8Up-on his feet, and in his hand a staf.
p. 24¶2 4 4 Marriages were performed in the church porch. 2 4 5 At present.These were all famous shrines. 2 4 7 Gap-toothed. 2 4 8 Kerchiefed. 2 4 9 Shield.Apparently she rode astride. 2 5 1 Talk. 2 5 2 The whole game. 2 5 3 Parson.' 4 Proved. 2 5 5 Times. 2 5 6 Excommunicate. 2 5 7 Neglected. 2 5 8 Great and small.[25]This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte;Out of the gospel he tho 2 5 9 wordes caughte;And this figure he added eek ther-to,That if gold ruste, what shal yren do?For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,No wonder i sale we d 2 6 0 man to ruste;And shame it is, if a preest take keep , 2 6 1A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.We l oghte a preest ensample for to yive,By his clennesse, how that his sheep shold live.He sette nat his benefice to hyre,And leet 2 6 2 his sheep encombred in the myre,And ran to London, un-to seynt Poules,To seken him a chaunterie for soules,Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,So that the wolf ne made it nat miscarie;He was a shepherde and no mercenarie.And though he holy were, and vertuous,He was to sinful man nat despitous, 2 6 3N e of his speche daungerous 2 6 4 n e dig n e , 2 6 5But in his teching discreet and benigne.To drawen folk to heven by fairnesseBy good ensample, this was his bisynesse:But it were any persone obstinat,What so he were, of heigh or lowe estat,Him wolde he snibben 2 6 6 sharply for the nones. 2 6 7A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher non is.He wayted after no pompe and reverence,N e maked him a spyced 2 6 8 conscience,But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,He taughte, but first he folwed it him-selve.With him ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother,That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother, 2 6 9A trewe swinkere 2 7 0 and a good was he,Livinge in pees and parfit charitee.God loved he best with al his hole herte
¶2 5 9 Those. 2 6 0 Ignorant. 2 6 1 Heed. 2 6 2 Left.
¶Contemptuous. 2 6 4 Overbearing. 2 6 5 Haughty. 2 6 6 Rebuke. 2 6 7 This phrase often vaguely intensive. 2 6 8 Suspiciously fastidious. 2 6 9 Cartload. 2 7 0 Laborer.
p. 26¶At alle tymes, thogh him game d or smerte, 2 7 1And thanne his neighebour right as him-selve.He wolde thresshe, and ther-to dyke 2 7 2 and delve,For Cristes sake, for every povre wight,Withouten hyre, if it lay in his might.His tythes payed he ful faire and wel,Bothe of his propre s wink 2 7 3 and his catel. 2 7 4In a tabard 2 7 5 he rood upon a mere.The r was also a Reve and a Millere,A Somnour and a Pardoner also,A Maunciple, and my-self; ther we r namo . 2 7 'The MILLER was a stout carl, for the nones, 2 6 7Ful big he was of braun, and eek of bones;That proved wel, for over-al ther he cam,At wrastling he wolde have alwey the ram . 2 7 7He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre, 2 7 8The r nas no dore that he nolde 2 7 9 heve of harre, 2 8 0Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed.His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade.Up-on the c o p 2 8 1 right of his nose he hadeA werte, and ther-on stood a tuft of heres,Reed as the bristles of a sowes eres,His nose-thirles blake were and w y de .A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde;His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.He was a janglere 2 8 2 and a goliardeys, 2 8 3And that was most of sinne and harlotryes.We l coude he stelen corn, and tollen 2 8 4 thryes;And yet he hadde a thombe of gold 2 8 5 pardee.A why t cote and a blew hood wered he.A baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne,And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.A gentil MAUNCIPLE 2 8 6 was ther of a temple, 2 8 7Of which achatours 2 8 8 mighte take exempleFor to be wyse in bying of vitaille.
¶2 7 1 Pleased or pained him. 2 7 2 Also ditch. 2 7 3 Labor.2 7 4 Property. 2 7 5 Smock frock. 2 7 6 No more. 2 7 7 The usual prize. 2 7 8 Knot.2 7 9 Would not. 2 8 0 Hinges. 2 8 1 Tip. 2 8 2 Great talker. 2 8 3 Jester.2 8 4 Take his commission. 2 8 5 Li\e all honest millers.2 8 6 Steward. 2 8 7 Inn of court, where lawyers lived. 2 8 8 Purchasers.[27]For whether that he payde, or took by taille, 2 8 9A l gate 2 9 0 he wayted so in his achat, 2 9 1That he was ay biforn 2 9 2 and in good stat.Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,That swich ale we d 2 9 3 mannes wit shal pace 2 9 4The wisdom of an heep of lerned men ?Of maistres hadde he m o than thryes ten,That were of law e expert and curious;Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous,Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and londOf any lord that is in Engelond,To make him live by his propre good,In honour dettelees, but he were wood , 2 9 5Or live as scarsly 2 9 6 as him list desire;And able for to helpen al a shireIn any cas that mighte falle or happe;And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe. 2 9 7TheRE V E 2 9 8 was a sclendre colerik man,His berd was shave as ny as ever he can.His heer was by his eres round y-shorn.His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.We l coude he kepe a gerner 2 9 9 and a binne;The r was noon auditour coude on him winne.We l wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn,The yeldyng of his seed, and of his greyn.His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,His swyn, his hors, his stoor, 3 0 0 and his pultrye,Was hoolly in this reves governing,And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening,Sin that his lord was twenty yeer of age;The r coude no man bringe him in arrerage. 3 0 1The r nas baillif, ne herde, ne other h y n e , 3 0 2That he n e knew his sleighte and his cov y n c ; 3 0 3They were adrad of him, as of the deeth. 3 0 4His won in g 3 0 5 was ful fair up-on an heeth,2 8 9 Tally, credit.2 9 0 Always. 2 9 1 Buying. 2 9 2 Ahead. 2 9 3 Ignorant. 2 9 4 Surpass. 2 9 5 Mad.2 9 6 Sparingly. 2 9 7 Fooled them all. 2 9 8 Bailiff. 2 9 9 Garner. 3°° Stock.3 0 1 Arrears. 3 0 2 Farm-laborer. 3 0 3 Deceit. 3 0 4 Pestilence. 3 0 5 Dwelling.[28]With grene trees shadwed was his place.He coude bettre than his lord purchace.Ful riche he was astored 3 0 6 prively,His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly,To yeve and lene him of his owne good,And have a thank, and yet a cote, and hood.In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister; 3 0 7He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.This reve sat up-on a ful good stot, 3 0 8That was alp o me l y 3 0 9 grey, and highte 3 1 0 Scot.A long surcote 3 1 1 of pers 3 1 2 up-on he hade,And by his syde he bar a rusty blade.Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle.T u k k e d 3 1 3 he was, as is a frere, aboute,And evere he rood the hindreste of our route.A SOMNOUR 3 1 4 was ther with us in that place,That hadde a fyr-reed cherubinnes face,For sawceflem 3 1 5 he was, with eyen narwe.As hoot he was, and lecherous as a sparvve,With scalled 3 1 6 browes blake, and piled 3 1 7 berd;Of his visage children were aferd.The r nas quik-silver, litarge, 3 1 8 ne brimstoon,Boras, 3 1 9 ceruce, 3 2 0 ne oille of tartre 3 2 1 noon,N e oynement that wolde dense and byte,That him mighte helpen of his w he l k e s 3 2 2 whyte,N e of the knobbes sittinge on his chekes.We l loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,And for to drinken strong w y n , reed as blood.Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were wood . 3 2 3And whan that he wel dronken hadde the w y n ,Than wolde he speke no word but L at y n .A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,That he had lerned out of som decree;No wonder is, he herde it al the day;And eek ye know e n wel, how that a jay
¶** Furnished with supplies. 3 0 7 Trade. 3 0 8 Cob. 3 0 9 Dappled. 3 1 0 Was called.3 1 1 Overcoat. 3 1 2 Bluish gray. 3 1 3 With the skirts of his coat tucked up.3 1 4 Apparitor, summoner to ecclesiastical courts. 3 1 5 Pimpled. . 3 1 6 Scabby.3 1 7 Thin. 3 1 8 White lead. 3 1 9 Borax. 3 2 0 A kind of ointment made from white lead.[29]Can clepen 'Watte,' as well as can the pope.But who-so coude in other thing him grope, 3 2 4Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophye;Ay 'Questio quid iuris' 325 wolde he crye.He was a gentil harlot 3 2 6 and a kynde;A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.He wolde suffre for a quart of w y nA good felawe to have his concubynA twelf-month, and excuse him atte fulle:And prively a finch eek coude he pulle. 3 2 7And if he fond owher a good felawe,He wolde techen him to have non awe,In swich cas, of the erchedeknes curs,But-if 3 2 8 a mannes soule were in his purs;For in his purs he sholde y-punisshed be.'Purs is the erchedeknes helle,' seyde he.But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;Of cursing oghte ech gulty man him drede—For curs wol slee right as assoilling 3 2 9 saveth—And also war him of a significavit 330In daunger 3 3 1 hadde he at his owne g y s e 3 3 2The yonge girles 3 3 3 of the diocyse,And knew hir counseil, and was al hir reed. 3 3 4A gerland hadde he set up-on his heed,As greet as it were for an ale-stake; 3 3 5A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake.With him ther rood a gentil PARDONEROf Rouncivale, his frend and his compeer,That streight was comen fro the court of Rome .Ful loude he song, ' Corn hider, love, to me.'This somnour bar to him a stiff burdoun, 3 3 6Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as we x ,But smothe it heng, as doth a strike 3 3 7 of flex;By ounces 3 3 8 henge his lokkes that he hadde,
p. 29¶3 2 4 Test. 3 2 5 The question is, What is the law? 3 2 6 Fellow.3 2 7 Fleece a greenhorn. 3 2 8 Unless. 3 2 9 Absolution. 3 3 0 The word which began thewrit of excommunication.3 3 1 Under his control. 3 3 2 In his own way. 333Young people of both sexes.3 3 4 Adviser. 3 3 5 As large as the garlands hung on a sta\e in front of alehouses.[30]And ther-with he his shuldres overspradde;But thinne it lay, by colpons 3 3 8 oon and oon;But hood, for jolitee, ne wered he noon,For it was trussed 3 3 9 up in his walet.Him thoughte, he rood al of the newe jet; 3 4 0Dischevele, save his cappe, he rood al bare.Swiche glaringe eyen hadde he as an hare.A vernicle 3 4 1 hadde he sowed on his cappe.His walet lay biforn him in his lappe,Bret-ful 3 4 2 of pardoun come from Rome al hoot,A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot.No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have,As smothe it was as it were late y-shave;I trowe he were a gelding or a mare.But of his craft, fro Berwik into Ware,N e was ther swich another pardoner.For in his male 3 4 3 he hadde a pilwe-beer, 3 4 4Which that, he seyde, was our lady 3 4 5 veyl:He seyde, he hadde ago be t 3 4 6 of the seylThat seynt Peter hadde, whan that he wenteUp-on the see, til Iesu Crist him hente.He hadde a croys of latoun, 3 4 7 ful of stones,And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.But with thise relikes, whan that he fondA povre person dwelling up-on lond,Up-on a day he gat him more moneyeThan that the person gat in monthes tweye.And thus with feyned flaterye and japes, 3 4 8He made the person and the peple his apes.But trewely to tellen, atte laste,He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.We l coude he rede a lessoun or a storie,But alderbest 3 4 9 he song an offertorie;For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,He moste preche, and wel affyle 3 5 0 his tonge,To winne silver, as he ful wel coude;Therefore he song so meriely and loude.
p. 30¶3 3 9 Packed. 3 4 0 Fashion.3 4 1 A small copy of the handkerchief of Veronica with the miraculous portrait of Christ.3 4 2 Brimfull. 3 4 3 Bag. 3 4 4 Pillow-case. 3 4 5 Lady's. 3 4 6 Fragment.3 4 7 A compound of, copper and zinc. 3 4 8 Jests. 3 4 9 Best of all. 3 5 0 Make smooth.[31]Now have I told you shortly, in a clause,Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the causeWhy that assembled was this compaignyeIn Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye,That highte 3 5 1 the Tabard , faste by the Belle.But now is tyme to yow for to telleHow that we baren 3 5 2 us that ilke 3 5 3 night,Whan we were in that hostelrye alight.And after wol I telle of our viage 3 5 4And a l the remenaunt of our pilgrimage.But first I pray yow of your curteisye,That ye narette 3 5 5 it nat my vileinye, 3 5 6Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere,To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; 3 5 7N e thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.For this ye know e n al-so 3 5 8 wel as I,Who-so shal telle a tale after a man,He moot reherce, as ny as evere he can,Everich a word, if it be in his charge, 3 5 9A l 3 6 0 speke he never so rudeliche and large; 3* 1Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe,Or feyne thing, or fynde wordes newe.He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother;He moot as wel seye o word as another.Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ,And wel ye woot, no vileinye 3 6 2 is it.Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede," The wordes mote 3 0 3 be cosin to the dede."Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,A l 3 6 0 have I nat set folk in hir 3 6 4 degreeHere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde;My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.
¶Greet chere made our hoste us everichon, 3 6 5And to the soper sette he us anon;And served us with vitaille at the beste.Strong was the w y n , and wel to drinke us leste. 3 6'A semely man our hoste was with-alle3 5 1 Was called. 3 5 2 Bore, behaved. 3 5 3 Same. 3 5 4 Journey.3 5 5 Reckon. 3 5 6 Ill-breeding. 3 5 7 Behavior 3 5 8 As.3 5 9 Task. 3 6 0 Although. 3 6 1 Broad. 362 Vulgarity.3 6 3 Must. 3 6 4 Their. 3 6 5 Every one. 3 6 6 It pleased us.[32]For to han been a marshal in an halle;A large man he was with eyen stepe, 3"A fairer burgeys was ther noon in C he p e : 3 0 8Bold of his speche, and wys, and wel y-taught,And of manhod him lakkede right naught.Eek therto 3 6 9 he was right a mery man,And after soper pleyen he bigan,And spak of mirthe amonges othere thinges,Whan that we hadde maad our rekeninges;And seyde thus: ' Now , lordinges, trewelyYe ben to me right welcome hertely:For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,In e saugh 3 7 0 this yeer so mery a compaignyeAt ones in this herberwe 3 7 1 as is now.Fay n wolde I doon yow mirthe, wiste I how.And of a mirthe I am right now bithoght,To doon yow ese, and it shall coste noght.Ye goon to Caunterbury; God yow spede,The blisful martir quyte yow your mede. 3 7 2And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,Ye shapen 3 7 3 yow to talen 3 7 4 and to pleye;For trewely, confort ne mirthe is noonTo ryde by the weye do u m b as a stoon;And therefore wol I make n yow disport,As I seyde erst, 3 7 5 and doon yow som confort.And if yow lyke th 3 7 6 alle, by oon assent,Now for to stonden at my jugement,And for to werken as I shal yow seye,To - morwe , w h any e ryden by" the weye,Now , by my fader 3 7 7 soule, that is deed,But 3 7 8 ye be merye, I wol yeve yow my n heed.Hold up your hond, withoute more speche.'Our counseil was nat longe for to seche;Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys , 3 7 9And graunted him with-outen more a v y s , 3 8 0And bad him seye his verdit, as him leste.'Lordinges,' quod he, 'now herkneth for the beste;But tak it not, I prey yow, in desdeyn;3 6 7 Prominent. 3 6 8 Cheapside. 3 6 5 Besides.3 7 0 Saw. 3 7 1 Inn. 3 7 2 Give you your reward. 3 7 3 Prepare. 3 7 4 Tell tales. 3 7 5 Before.3 7 6 It pleases you. 3 7 7 Father's. 3 7 8 Unless. 3 7 9 To deliberate. 3 8 0 Consideration.[33]This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,That ech of yow, to shorte with our weye,In this viage, shal telle tales tweye,To Caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,And horn-ward he shal tellen othere two,Of aventures that why lom 3 8 1 han bifalle.And which of yow that bereth him best of alle,That is to seyn, that telleth in this casTales of best sentence 3 8 2 and most solas, 3 8 3Shal han a soper at our aller 3 8 4 costHere in this place, sitting by this post,Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.And for to make yow the more mery,I wol my-selven gladly with yow ryde,Right at my n owne cost, and be your gyde.And who-so wol my jugement withseye 3 8 5Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.And if ye vouche-sauf that it be so,T e l me anon, with-outen wordes m o ,And I wol erly shape 3 8 6 me therfore.'This thing was graunted, and our othes sworeWith ful glad herte, and preyden him alsoThat he wold vouche-sauf for to do so,And that he wolde been our governour,And of our tales juge and reportour,And sette a soper at a certeyn prys;And we wold reuled been at his devys, 3 8 7In heigh and lowe; and thus, by oon assent,We been acorded to his jugement.And ther-up-on the w y n was fet 3 8 8 anoon;We dronken, and to reste wente echoon,With-outen any lenger taryinge.A-morwe, whan that day bigan to springe,Up roos our host, and was our aller cok , 3 8 9And gadrede us togidre, alle in a flok,And forth we riden, a litel more than pas, 3 9 0Unto the watering 3 9 1 of seint Thomas .And there our host bigan his hors areste, 3 9 23 8 1 Once upon a time. 3 8 2 Meaning.3 8 3 Pleasure. 3 8 4 Of all of us. 3 8 5 Gainsay. 3 8 6 Prepare. 3 8 7 Judgment. 3 8 8 Fetched.3 8 9 Cock of us all; i. e., waked us. 3 9 0 Walking. 3 9 1 Watering-place. 3 9 2 To pull up.[34]And seyde; 'Lordinges, herkneth if yow leste.Ye woot your forward, 3 9 3 and I it yow recorde. 3 9 4If even-song and morwe-song acorde,L at s e now who shal telle the firste tale.As evere mote 3 9 5 I drinke w y nor ale,Who-so be rebel to my jugementShal paye for al that by the weye is spent.Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer t winne ; 3 9 8He which that hath the shortest shal biginne.''Sire knight,' quod he, 'my maister and my lord,Now draweth cut, for that is my n acord.Cometh neer,' quod he, 'my lady prioresse;And ye, sir clerk, lat be your shamfastnesse,N e studieth noght; ley hond to, every man.'Anon to drawen every wight bigan,And shortly for to tellen, as it was,Were it by aventure, or sort, 3 9 7 or cas, 3 9 3The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knight,Of which ful blythe and glad was every wight ;And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,By forward 3 9 9 and by composicioun, 3 9 9As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes m o ?And whan this goode man saugh 4 0 0 it was so,As he that wys was and obedientTo kepe his forward by his free assent,He seyde: 'Sin I shal biginne the game,What , welcome be the cut, a 4 0 1 Goddes name!Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.'And with that word we riden forth our weye;And he bigan with right a mery chereHis tale anon, and seyde in this manere.
Then Un's Priest's Tale
¶Here biginneth the N on n e Preestes Tale of the Cok and He n ,Chauntecleer and Pertelote.A POVRE widwe somdel stope 1 in age,Was why lom 2 dwelling in a narwe cotage,Bisyde a grove, stondyng in a dale.Agreement. 3 9 4 Recall. 3 9 5 May. 3 9 6 Depart further. 3 9 7 Fate. 3 9 8 Chance.Agreement. 4 0 0 Saw. 4 0 1 In. 1 Somewhat advanced. 2 Once upon a time.[35]This widwe , of which I telle yow my tale,Sin thilke 3 day that she was last a wyf,In pacience ladde a ful simple lyf,For litel was hir catel 4 and hir rente;By housbondrye, of such as God hir sente,She fond 5 hir-self, and eek hir doghtren two.Three large sowes hadde she, and namo,Three kyn, and eek a sheep that highte 6 Malle.Ful sooty was hir hour, 7 and eek hir halleIn which she eet ful many a sclendre meel.Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel.No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte;Hir dyete was accordant to hir cote.Repleccioun ne made hir nevere syk;Attempree dyete was al hir phisyk,And exercyse, and hertes suffisaunce.The goute lette 8 hir no-thing for to daunce,N e poplexye 9 shente 1 0 nat hir heed;No wynne drank she, neither why t n e reed;Hir bord was served most with why t and blak,Milk and broun breed, in which she fond no lak,Seynd 1 1 bacoun, and somtyme an ey 1 2 or tweye,For she was as it were a maner deye. 1 3A yerd she hadde, enclosed al abouteWith stikkes, and a drye dich with-oute,In which she hadde a cok, hight Chauntecleer,In al the land of crowing nas 1 4 his peer.His vois was merier than the merye orgonOn messe-dayes that in the chirche gon;We l sikerer 1 5 was his crowing in his logge, 1 6Than is a clokke, or an abbey orlogge. 1 7By nature knew he ech ascenciounOf equinoxial in thilke toun;For whan degrees fiftene were ascended, 1 8Thanne crew he, that it mighte nat ben amended.His comb was redder than the fyn coral,And batailed, 1 9 as it were a castel-wal.[36]His bile was blak, and as the jeet it shoon;Lyk asur were his legges, and his toon; 2 0His nayles whytter than the lilie flour,And lyk the burned 2 1 gold was his colour.This gentil cok hadde in his governaunceSevene hennes, for to doon al his plesaunce,Which e were his sustres and his paramours,And wonder lyk to him, as of colours.Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throteWas cleped 2 2 faire damoysele Pertelote.Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire,And compaignable, and bar hir-self so faire,Sin thilke day that she was seven night old,That trewely she hath the herte in holdOf Chauntecleer loken in every lith; 2 3He loved hir so, that wel was him therwith.But such a joye was it to here hem singe,Whan that the brighte sonne gan to springe,In swete accord, *My lief is faren in londe . ' 2 4For thilke 2 5 tyme, as I have understonde,Bestes and briddes coude speke and singe.And so bifel, that in a dawenynge,As Chauntecleer among his wyves alleSat on his perche, that was in the halle,And next him sat this faire Pertelote,This Chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte,As man that in his dreem is drecched 2 6 sore.And whan that Pertelote thus herde him rore,She was agast, and seyde, ' O herte deere,What eyleth yow , to grone in this manere?Ye ben a verray sleper, fy for shame!'And he answerde and seyde thus, 'Madame,I pray yow , that ye take it nat a-grief : 2 7By God , me mette 2 8 I was in swich meschiefRight now, that yet my n herte is sore afright.Now God , ' quod he, 'my swevene 2 9 rede 3 0 aright,And keep my body out of foul prisoun!Me mette, 2 8 how that I romed up and doun2 0 Toes. 2 1 Burnished. 2 2 Called.2 3 Locked in every limb. 2 4 'My dear is gone away'—a line from a popular song.2 5 That. 2 6 Troubled. "Amiss. 2 8 1 dreamed. 2 9 Dream. 3 0 Interpret.[37]Withinne our yerde, wher-as I saugh a beste,Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areste 3 1Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed.His colour was bitwixe yelwe and reed;And tipped was his tail, and bothe his eresWith blak, unlyk the remenant of his heres;His snowte smal, with glowinge eyen tweye.Yet of his look for fere almost I deye;This caused me my groning, douteles.''Avoy!' quod she, 'fy on yow , herteles!Alias!' quod she, 'for, by that God above,Now han ye lost my n herte and a l my love;I can nat love a coward, by my feith.For certes, what, so any w o m man seith,We alle desyren, if it mighte be,To han housebondes hardy, wyse, and free,And secree, and no nigard, ne no fool,N e him that is agast of every tool, 3 2 ,N e noon avauntour, 3 3 by that God above!How dorste ye sayn for shame unto youre love,That any thing mighte make yow aferd?Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd?Alias! and conne ye been agast of swevenis? 3 4No-thing, God wot, but vanitee, in sweven is.Swevenes engendren of 3 5 replecciouns,And ofte of fume, 3 6 and of complecciouns, 3 7Whan humours been to habundant in a wight.Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-night,Cometh of the grete superfluiteeOf youre rede colera™ pardee, 3 9Which causeth folk to dreden in here dremesOf arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes, 4 0Of grete bestes, that they wol hem byte,Of contek, 4 1 and of whelpes grete and lyte; 4 2Right 4 3 as the humour of malencolyeCauseth ful many a man, in sleep, to crye,3 1 Seized. 3 2 Weapon.3 3 Boaster. 3 4 Dreams. 3 5 Are produced by. 3 6 Vapours rising from the stomach.3 7 Particular combinations of humors. 3 8 Red choler was one of the four humors, theproportionate amounts of which were supposed to determine the individualtemperament or "complexion." 3 9 An oath.[38]For fere of blake beres, or boles 4 4 blake,Or elles, blake develes wole him take.Of othere humours coude I telle also,That werken many a man in sleep ful w o ;But I wol passe as lightly as I can.Lo Catoun, which that was so wys a man,Seyde he nat thus, ne do no fors of 4 5 dremes?Now , sire,' quod she, 'whan we flee fro the bemes, 4 6For Goddes love, as tak som laxatyf;Up peril of my soule, and of my lyf,I counseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye,That both of colere, and of malencolyeYe purge yow ; and for ye shul nat tarieThough in this toun is noon apotecarie,I shal my-self to herbes techen 4 7 yow,That shul ben for your hele, 4 8 and for your prow; 4 9And in our yerd tho herbes shal I fynde,The whiche han of here propretee, by k y n de , 5 0To purgen yow binethe, and eek above.Forget not this, for Goddes owene love!Ye been ful colerik of compleccioun.W are 5 1 the sonne in his ascenciounN e fynde yow nat repleet 5 2 of humours hote;And if it do, I dar wel leye 5 3 a grote,That ye shul have a fevere terciane,Or an agu, that may be youre bane. 5 4A day or two ye shul have digestyvesOf wormes, er ye take your laxatyves,Of lauriol, 5 5 centaure, 5 6 and fumetere, 5 7Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there,Of catapuce, 5 8 or of gaytres 5 9 beryis,Of erbe y v e , 6 0 growing in our yerd, that mery 6 1 is;Pekke hem up right as they growe, and ete hem in.Be mery, housbond, for your fader k y n ! 6 2Dredeth no dreem; I can say yow na-more.'
p. 38¶'Madame,' quod he,'graunt mercy 63 of your lore.But natheles, as touching daun Catoun,4 4 Bulls. 4 5 Pay no attention to. 4 0 Perch. 4 7 Direct. 4 8 Health. 4 9 Profit.5 0 Nature. 5 1 Beware. 5 2 Too full. 5 3 Bet. 5 4 Death. 5 5 Spurge-laurel.5 6 Centaury. 5 7 Fumitory. 5 8 Caper-spurge. 5 9 Buck-thorn. 6 0 Herb ivy.6 1 Pleasant. 6 2 Father's kin. 6 3 Many thanks.[39]That hath of wisdom such a gret renoun,Though that he bad no dremes for to drede,By God , men may in olde bokes redeOf many a man, more of auctoriteeThan evere Catoun was, so moot I thee, 6 4That a l the revers seyn of this sentence,And han wel founden by experience,That dremes ben significaciouns,As wel of joye as tribulaciounsThat folk enduren in this lyf present.The r nedeth make of this noon argument;The verray preve 6 5 sheweth it in dede.O on of the gretteste auctours that men rede 6 8Seith thus, that why lom two felawes wenteOn pilgrimage, in a ful good entente;And happed so, thay come into a toun,Wher-as ther was swich congregaciounOf peple, and eek so streit of herbergage, 6 7That they ne founde as muche as o 6 8 cotage,In which they bothe mighte y-logged 6 9 be.Wherfor thay mosten, of necessitee,As for that night, departen 7 0 compaignye;And ech of hem goth to his hostelrye,And took his logging as it wolde falle. 7 1That oon of hem was logged in a stalle,Fer in a yerd, with oxen of the plough;That other man was logged wel y-nough,As was his aventure, 7 2 or his fortune,That us governeth alle as in commune.And so bifel, that, longe er it were day,This man mette 7 3 in his bed, ther-as 7 4 he lay,How that his felawe gan up-on him calle,And seyde, 'alias! for in an oxes stalleThis night I shal be mordred the r 7 4 1 lye.Now help me, dere brother, or I dye;In alle haste corn to me,' he sayde.This man out of his sleep for fere abrayde; 7 5But whan that he was wakned of his sleep,6 4 So may I thrive. 6 5 True proof. 6 6 Cicero. 6 7 Such crowding in the inns.68 One. 6 9 Lodged, 7 0 Part, 7 1 Happen. "Chance. 7 3 Dreamed. 7 4 Where.7 5 Started.[40]He turned him, and took of this no keep; 7 6Him thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitee.Thus twyes in his sleping dremed he.And atte thridde tyme yet his felaweCorn , as him thoughte, and seide, 'I am now slawe; 7 7Bihold my bloody woundes, depe and w y de !A r y s up erly in the morwe-tyde,And at the west gate of the toun,' quod he,' A carte ful of donge ther shaltow see,In which my body is hid ful prively;Do thilke carte arresten boldely.My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn;'And tolde him every poynt how he was slayn,With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe.And truste wel, his dreem he fond ful trewe;For on the morwe, as sone as it was day,To his felawes in he took the way;And whan that he cam to this oxes stalle,After his felawe he bigan to calle.The hostiler answerde him anon,And seyde, 'sire, your felawe is agon,As sone as day he wente out of the toun.'This man gan fallen in suspecioun,R e me m bring on his dremes that he mette, 7 8And forth he goth, no lenger wolde he lette, 7 9Unto the west gate of the toun, and fondA dong-carte, as it were to donge lond,That was arrayed in that same wyseAs ye han herd the dede man devyse; 8 0And with an hardy herte he gan to cryeVengeaunce and justice of this felonye:—' M y felawe mordred is this same night,And in this carte he lyth gapinge upright. 8 1I crye out on the ministres,' 8 2 quod he,'That sholden kepe and reulen this citee;Harrow! alias! her lyth my felawe slayn!'What sholde I more un-to this tale sayn?The peple out-sterte, and caste the cart to grounde,
¶Heed. 7 7 Slain. 7 8 Dreamed. 7 9 Delay. 8 0 Describe.8 1 On his back. 8 2 Magistrates.[41]And in the middel of the dong they foundeThe dede man, that mordred was al newe.O blisful God , that art so just and trewe!Lo , how that thou biwreyest mordre alwaylMordre wol out, that s e we day by day.Mordre is so wlatsom 8 3 and abhominableTo God , that is so just and resonable,That he n e wol not suffre it heled 8 4 be;Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or three,Mordre wol out, this 8 5 my conclusioun.And right anoon, ministres of that tounH an hent 8 6 the carter, and so sore him pyne d , 8 7And eek the hostiler so sore engyned, 8 8That thay b i knew e 8 9 hir wikkednesse anoon,And were an-hanged by the nekke-boon.Here may men seen that dremes been to drede. 9 0And certes, in the same book I rede,Right in the nexte chapitre after this,(I g abbe 9 1 nat, so have I joye or blis,)Two men that wolde han passed over see,For certeyn cause, in-to a fer contree,If that the wind ne hadde been contrarie,That made hem in a citee for to tarie,That stood ful mery upon an haven-syde.But on a day, agayn 9 2 the even-tyde,The wind gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste.Jolif and glad they wente un-to hir reste,And casten 9 3 hem ful erly for to saille;But to that o o 9 4 man fel a greet mervaille.That oon of hem, in sleping as he lay,Him mette 9 5 a wonder dreem, agayn 9 2 the day;Him thoughte 9 6 a man stood by his beddes syde,And him comaunded, that he sholde abyde,And seyde him thus, 'If thou to-morwe wende,Thou shalt be dreynt; 9 7 my tale is at an ende.'He wook, and tolde his felawe what he mette, 9 5And preyde him his viage for to lette; 9 8As for that day, he preyde him to abyde.8 3 Heinous. 8 4 Concealed. 8 5 This is. 8 6 Seized. 8 7 Tortured. 8 8 Racked.8 9 Confessed. 9 0 To be dreaded. 9 1 Lie. 9 2 Towards. 9 3 Planned. 9 4 The one.9 5 He dreamed. 9 6 It seemed to him. 9 7 Drowned. 9 8 Delay.[42]His felawe, that lay by his beddes syde,Gan for to laughe, and scorned him ful faste.'No dreem,' quod he, 'may so my n herte agaste,"That I wol lette 9 8 for to do my thinges.I sette not a straw by thy dreminges,For swevenes 1 0 0 been but vanitees and japes. 1 0 1Men dreme al-day of owles or of apes,And eek of many am as e 1 0 2 therwithal;Men dreme of thing that nevere was ne shal.But sith I see that thou wolt heer abyde,And thus for-sleuthen 1 0 3 wilfully thy tyde,God wot i trewe th 1 0 4 me; and have good day.'And thus he took his leve, and wente his way .But er that he hadde halfe his cours y-seyled,No o t 1 0 5 I nat why , ne what mischaunce it eyled,But casuelly 1 0 6 the shippes botme rente,And ship and man under the water wenteIn sighte of othere shippes it byside,That with he m seyled at the same tyde.And therfor, faire Pertelote so dere,By swiche ensamples olde maistow lere, 1 0 7That no man sholde been to reccheleesOf dremes, for I sey thee, doutelees,That many a dreem ful sore is for to drede.'Lo, in the lyf of seint Kenelm , I rede,That was Kenulpus sone, the noble kingOf Mercenrike, how Kenelm mette a thing;A lyte 1 0 8 er he was mordred, on a day.His mordre in his avisioun he say. 1 0 9His norice him expouned every delHis sweven, 1 1 0 and bad him for to kepe 1 1 1 him welFor 1 1 2 traisoun; but he nas but seven yeer old,And therfore litel tale hath he told 1 1 3Of any dreem, so holy was his herte.By God , I hadde levere 1 1 4 than my sherteThat ye had rad his legende, as have I.Dame Pertelote, I sey yow trewely,
¶9 9 Frighten. 1 0 0 Dreams. 1 0 1 Trifles. 1 0 2 Bewilderment. 1 0 3 Lose through sloth.1 0 4 Makes me sorry. 1 0 5 Know not. 1 0 6 By an accident. l m Mayst thou learn.1 0 8 Little. 1 0 9 Saw. 1 1 0 Dream. 1 1 1 Guard. 1 1 2 Against.1 1 3 Heed hath he paid, 1 1 4 Rather.[43]Macrobeus, that writ the avisiounIn Affrike of the worthy Cipioun,Affermeth dremes, and seith that they beenWarning of thinges that men after seen.And forther-more, I pray yow loketh welIn the olde testament, of Daniel,If he held dremes any vanitee.Reed eek of Joseph, and ther shul ye seeW her dremes ben somtyme (I sey nat alle)Warning of thinges that shul after falle.Loke of Egipt the king, daun Pharao,His bakere and his boteler also,W her they ne felte noon effect in dremes.Who-so wol seken actes of sondry remes, 1 1 5May rede of dremes many a wonder thing.'Lo Cresus, which that was o fLy de king,Mette he nat that he sat upon a tree,Which signified he sholde anhanged be?Lo heer Andromacha, Ectores wyf,That day that Ector sholde lese 1 1 6 his lyf,She dremed on the same night biforn,How that the lyf of Ector sholde be lorn, 1 1 7If thilke day he wente in-to bataille;She warned him, but it mighte nat availle;He wente for to fighte natheles,But he was slayn anoon of Achilles.But thilke 1 1 8 tale is al to long to telle,And eek it is n y 1 1 9 day, I may nat dwelle.Shortly I seye, as for conclusioun,That I shal han of this avisioun 1 2 0Adversitee; and I seye forther-more,That In e telle 1 2 1 of laxatyves no store,For they ben venimous, I woot it wel;I hem defye, 1 2 2 I love hem nevere a del. 1 2 3' Now let us speke of mirthe, and stinte 1 2 4 al this;Madame Pertelote, so have I blis,Of o 1 2 5 thing God hath sent me large grace;For whan I see the beautee of your face,
¶Realms. 1 1 6 Lose. " 7Lost. » 8That. 1 1 9 Nigh. ' 2° Vision.1 2 1 Count. 1 2 2 Despise. 1 2 3 Not a bit. 1 2 4 Stop. 1 2 5 One.[44]Ye ben so scarlet-reed about youre yen,It maketh a l my drede for to dyen;For, also siker as In principio, mMulier est hominis confusio; 127Madame , the sentence of this Latin is—W o m man is mannes joye and al his blis.For whan I fele a-night your softe syde,I am so ful of joye and of solasThat I defyye bothe sweven and dreem.'And with that word fley doun fro the beem,For it was day, and eek his hennes alle;And with a chuk he gan he m for to calle,For he had founde a corn, lay in the yerd.Roial he was, he was namore aferd; . . .He loketh as it were a grim leoun;And on his toos he rometh up and doun,Him deyned not to sette his foot to grounde.He chukketh, whan he hath a corn y-founde,And to him rennen thanne his wyves alle.Thus roial, as a prince is in his halle,Leve I this Chauntecleer in his pasture;And after wol I telle his aventure.Whan that the month in which the world bigan,That highte March, whan God first maked man,Was complet, and y-passed were also,Sin March bigan, thritty dayes and two ,Bifel that Chauntecleer, in al his pryde,His seven wyves walking by his syde,Caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne,That in the signe of Taurus hadde y-ronneTwenty degrees and oon, and somwhat more;And knew by k y n de , 1 2 8 and by noon other lore,That it was pryme, and crew with blisful stcvene. 1 2 9' The sonne,' he sayde, 'is clomben upon heveneFourty degrees and oon, and more, y-wis. 1 3 0Madame Pertelote, my worldes blis,Herkneth thise blisful briddes how they singe,And see the fresshe floures how they springe;
¶'In the beginning," John I. I. 1 2 7 "Woman is man's confusion."1 2 8 Nature. 1 2 9 Voice. 1 3 0 Certainly.[45]Ful is my n hert of revel and solas.' 1 3 1But sodeinly him fil 1 3 2 a sorweful cas; 1 3 3For evere the latter ende of joye is w o .Got woot that worldly joye is sone ago ; 1 3 4And if a rethor coude faire endyte, 1 3 5He in a chronique saufly mighte it write,As for a sovereyn notabilitee. 1 3 6Now every wys man, lat him herkne me;This storie is al-so 1 3 7 trewe, I undertake,As is the book of Launcelot de Lake ,That w o m men holde in ful gret reverence.Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence. 1 3 8A col-fox, 1 3 9 ful of sly iniquitee,That in the grove hadde w one d 1 4 0 yeres three,By heigh imaginacioun forn-cast, 1 4 1The same night thurgh-out the hegges brastInto the yerd, ther 1 4 2 Chauntecleer the faireWas wont, and eek his wyves, to repaire;And in a bed of wortes 1 4 3 stille he lay,T i l it was passed under n 1 4 4 of the day,Way t in g his tyme on Chauntecleer to falleAs gladly doon thise homicydes alle,That in awayt liggen to mordre men.O false mordrer, lurking in thy den!O newe Scariot, newe Genilon!False dissimilour, O Greek Sinon,That broghtest Troy e a l outrely to sorwe!O Chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe,That thou into that yerd flough 145 fro the bemes!Thou were ful wel y-warned by thy dremes,That thilke day was perilous to thee.But what that God forwot 1 4 6 mot 1 4 7 nedes be,After the opinioun of certeyn clerkis.Witnesse on him, that any perfit clerk is,That in scole is gret altercaciounIn this matere, and greet disputisoun,And hath ben of an hundred thousand men.1 3 1 Delight. 132Befel. 1 3 3 Accident. 1 3 4 Gone. 1 3 5 Write. 1 3 6 Notorious fact.1 3 7 As. 1 3 8 Thread of my story. 1 3 9 Fox with black tips. 1 4 0 Dwelt.1 4 1 Premeditated. 1 4 2 Where. 1 4 3 Herbs. 1 4 4 About 10.30 A. M. 1 4 5 Flew.1 4 6 Fore-knows. 1 4 7 Must.[46]But In e can not bulte it to the bren, 1 4 8As can the holy doctour August y n ,Or Boece, or the bishop Bradwardyn,Whether that Goddes worthy forwiting 1 4 9Streyneth 1 5 0 me nedely 1 5 1 for to doon a thing,( N e del y clepe 1 5 2 I simple necessitee);Or elles, if free choys be graunted meTo do that same thing, or do it noght,Though God forwoot it, er that it was wroght;Or if his writing streyneth 1 5 0 nevere a delBut by necessitee condicionel.I wol not han to do of swich matere;My tale is of a cok, as ye may here,That took his counseil of his wyf, with sorwe,To walken in the yerd upon that morweThat he had met the dreem, that I yow tolde.W o m men n e s counseils been ful ofte colde; 1 5 3W o m mannes counseil broghte us first to w o ,And made Adam fro paradys to go,The r as he was ful mery, and wel at ese.But for I noot, to whom it mighte displese,If I counseil of w o m men wolde blame,Passe over, for I seyde it in my game.Rede auctours, wher they trete of swich matere,And what thay seyn of w o m men ye may here.This e been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne;I can noon harme of now o m man divyne.Faire in the sond, to bathe hire merily,Lyth Pertelote, and alle hir sustres by,Agayn 1 5 4 the sonne; and Chauntecleer so freeSong merier than the mermayde in the see;For Phisiologus seith sikerly,How that they singen wel and merily.And so bifel, that as he caste his ye,Among the wortes, on a boterflye,He was war of this fox that lay ful lowe.No-thing ne liste him thanne for to crowe,But cryde anon, 'cok, cok,' and up he sterte,
¶1 4 8 Sift it thoroughly. 1 4 9 Fore-knowledge.Constraineth. 1 5 1 Of necessity. 1 5 2 Call. 1 5 3 Disastrous.[47]As man that was affrayed in his herte.For naturelly a beest desyreth fleeFro his contrarie, if he may it see,Though he never erst had seyn it with his ye.This Chauntecleer, whan he gan him espyeHe wolde han fled, but that the fox anonSeyde, 'Gentil sire, alias! wher wol ye g on ?Be ye affrayed of me that am your freend ?Now certes, I were worse than a feend,If I to yow wolde harm or vileinye.I am nat come your counseil for tespye;But trewely, the cause of my comingeWas only for to herkne how that ye singe.For trewely ye have as mery a stevene, 1 5 5As eny aungel hath, that is in hevene;The r with ye han in musik more felingeThan hadde Boece, or any that can singe.My lord your fader ( God his soule blesse!)And eek your moder, of hir gentilesse,H an in my n hous y-been, to my gret ese;And certes, sire, ful fayn wolde I yow plese.But for men speke of singing, I wol saye,So mote 1 5 6 I bro u k e 1 5 7 wel my n eyen tweye,Save yow, I herde nevere man so singe,As dide your fader in the morweninge;Certes, it was of herte, al that he song.And for to make his voys the more strong,He wolde so peyne him, that with both his yenHe moste winke, so loude he wolde cryen,And stonden on his tiptoon ther-with-al,And strecche forth his nekke long and smal.And eek he was of swich discrecioun,That ther nas no man in no regiounThat him in song or wisdom mighte passe.I have weel rad in daun 1 5 8 Burnel the Asse,Among his vers, how that ther was a cok,For that a prestes sone yaf him a knokUpon his leg, why l he was yong and n y c e , 1 5 9He made him for to lese 1 6 0 his benefyce.1 5 5 Pleasant a voice. 1 5 8 May. 1 5 7 Enjoy. 1 5 8 Sir, Mr. 1 5 9 Foolish. 1 6 0 Lose.[48]But certeyn, ther nis no comparisounBitwix the wisdom and discreciounOf your fader, and of his subtiltee.Now singeth, sire, for seinte charitee,Let se, conne ye your fader countrefete?' 1 6 1This Chauntecleer his winges gan to bete,As man that coude his tresoun nat espye,So was he ravisshed with his flaterye.Alias! ye lordes, many a fals flatourIs in your courtes, and many a losengeour, 1 8 2That plesen yow wel more, by my feith,Than he that soothfastnesse unto yow seith.Redeth Ecclesiaste of flaterye;Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye.This Chauntecleer stood hye up-on his toos,Strecching his nekke, and held his eyen cloos,And gan to crowe loude for the nones; 1 6 3And daun 1 5 8 Russel the fox sterte up at ones,And by the gar gat 1 6 4 hente 1 6 5 Chauntecleer,And on his bak toward the wode him beer,For yet ne was ther no man that him sewed. 1 6 6O destinee, that mayst nat ben eschewed!Alias, that Chauntecleer fleigh 167 fro the bemes!Alias, his wyf ne roghte 1 6 8 nat of dremes!And on a Friday fil al this meschaunce.O Venus, that art goddesse of plesaunce,Sin that thy servant was this Chauntecleer,And in thy service dide al his poweer,More for delyt, than world to multiplye,Why woldestow suffre him on thy day to dye ?O Gaufred, dere mayster soverayn,That , whan thy worthy king Richard was slaynWith shot, compleynedest his deth so sore,Why n e hadde I now thy sentence and thy lore,The Friday for to chide, as diden ye?(For on a Friday soothly slayn was he.)Than wolde I shewe yow how that I coude pleyneFor Chauntecleres drede, and for his peyne.
¶1 6 1 Imitate. 1 6 2 Flatterer. 1 6 3 Extremely. 1 6 4 Throat. 1 6 5 Seized. 1 6 8 Pursued.1 6 7 Flew. 1 6 8 Recked.[49]Certes, swich cry ne lamentaciounWas nevere of ladies maad, whan IliounWas wonne, and Pirrus with his streite 1 6 9 swerd,Whan he hadde he n t 1 6 5 king Priam by the berd,And slayn him (as saith us Eneydos),As maden alle the hennes in the clos, 1 7 0Whan they had seyn of Chauntecleer the sighte.But sovereynly 1 7 1 dame Pertelote shrighte, 1 7 2Ful louder than dide Hasdrubales wyf,Whan that hir housbond hadde lost his lyf,And that the Romayns hadde brend Cartage,She was so ful of torment and of rage,That wilfully into the fyr she sterte,And brende hir-selven with a stedfast herte.O woful hennes, right so cryden ye,As , whan that Nero brende the citeeOf Rome, cryden senatoures wyves,For that hir housbondes losten alle hir lyves;Withouten gilt this Nero hath he m slayn.Now wol I tome to my tale agayn:This sely 1 7 3 widwe , and eek hir doghtres two,Herden thise hennes crye and make n w o ,And out at dores sterten thay anoon,And syen 1 7 4 the fox toward the grove goon,And bar upon his bak the cok away;And cryden, 'Out! harrow! and weylaway!Ha , ha, the fox!' and after him they ran,And eek with staves many another man ;Ran Colle our dogge, and Talbot, and Gerland,And Malkin, with a distaf in hir hand;Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hoggesSo were they fered for berking of the doggesAnd shouting of the men and wi m men eke,They ronne so, hem thoughte hir herte breke.They yelleden as feendes doon in helle;The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle; 1 7 5The gees for fere flowen over the trees;Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees;So hidous was the noyse, a! benedicitel1 6 9 Naked. 1 7 0 Yard. 1 7 1 Especially. 1 7 2 Shrieked. 1 7 3 Harmless. 1 7 4 Saw. 1 7 5 Kill.[50]Certes, he Jakke Straw, and his meynee, 1 7'N e maden nevere shoutes half so shrille,Whan that they wolden any Fleming kille,As thilke day was maad upon the fox.Of bras thay broghten bemes, 1 7 7 and of box,Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and pouped, 1 7'And therwithal thay shryked and they houped;It semed as that hevene sholde falle.Now , gode men, I pray yow herkneth alle!Lo , how fortune turneth sodeinlyThe hope and pryde eek of hir enemy!This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak,In al his drede, un-to the fox he spak,And seyde, 'sire, if that I were as ye,Yet sholde I seyn (as w is 1 7 9 God helpe me ) ,Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle!A verray pestilence upon yow falle!Now am I come un-to this wodes syde,Maugre e 1 8 0 your heed, the cok shal heer abyde;I wol him ete in feith, and that anon.'—The fox answerde, 'In feith, it shal be don,'—And as he spak that word, al sodeinlyThis cok brak from his mouth deliverly, 1 8 1And heighe up-on a tree he fleigh anon.And whan the fox saugh that he was y-gon,'Alias!' quod he, ' O Chauntecleer, alias!I have to yow,' quod he, 'y-doon trespas,In-as-muche as I maked yow aferd,Whan I yow hente, 1 8 2 and broghte out of the yerd;But, sire, I dide it in now i k k e entente;Corn doun, and I shal telle yow what I mente.I shal seye sooth to yow, God help me so.'' Nay than,' quod he, 'I shrewe 1 8 3 us bothe two,And first I shrewe my-self, bothe blood and bones,If thou bigyle me ofter than ones.Thou shalt namore, thurgh thy flateryeDome to singe and winke with my n ye.For he that winketh, whan he sholde see,
¶Followers. '"Trumpets. 1 7 8 Puffed. 1 7 9 Surely. 1 8 0In spite of.1 8 1 Nimbly. 1 8 2 Seized. 1 8 3 Curse.[51]A l wilfully, God lat him never thee ! ' 1 8 4'Nay,' quod the fox, 'but God yeve him meschaunce,That is so undiscreet of governaunce,That iangleth whan he sholde holde his pees.'Lo , swich it is for to be recchelees,And necligent, and truste on flaterye.But ye that holden this tale a folye,As of a fox, or of a cok and hen,Taketh the moralitee, good men.For seint Paul seith, that al that writen is,To our doctryne it is y-write, y-wis. 1 8 5Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille.Now , gode God , if that it be thy wille,As seith my lord, so make us alle good men ;And bringe us to his heighe blisse. A men .Here is ended the N on n e Preestes Tale .
Epilogue to Then Un's Priest's Tale
¶'SIR N on n e Preest,' our hoste seyde anoon,'Y-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!This was a mery tale of Chauntecleer.But by my trouthe, if thou were seculer,Thy woldest been a trede-foul a-right.For, if thou have corage as thou hast might,Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene,Y a , m o than seven tymes seventene.See, whiche braunes hath this gentil Preest,So greet a nekke, and swich a large breest!He loketh as a sperhauk with his yen;Him nedeth not his colour for to dyenWith brasil, ne with greyn of Portingale.Now sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!'