8

And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
A sheef of pocok arwes bright and kene
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily

Wel coude he dresse 10 his takel " yemanly;
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe 12
And in his hand he bar a myghty bowe.
A not-heed 13 hadde he with a broun visage.
Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage.
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,1
And on that oother syde a gay daggere
Harneised wel and sharpe as point of spere;
A Cristofre 15 on his brest of silver sheene;
An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene.
A forster was he soothly, as I gesse.

16

95

100

17

Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse, That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;" Hire gretteste ooth was but by Seïnt Loy,18 And she was cleped 19 madame Eglentyne. Ful weel she songe the service dyvyne, Entuned in hir nose ful semely; And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,2 For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe. At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle, She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;

21

20

120

125

6

3

140

150

And peyned hire1 to countrefete2 cheere
Of court, and been estatlich of manere,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But, for to speken of hire conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous
Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. 145
Of smale houndes' hadde she, that she fedde
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed;
But sore wepte she, if oon of hem were deed,'
Or if men 10 smoot it with a yerde " smerte,12
And al was conscience and tendre herte.
Ful semyly 13 hir wympul " pynched
15 was;
Hire nose tretys, 10 hir eyen greye as glas,
Hir mouth ful smal and ther-to softe and reed,
But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;
It was almoost a spanne brood I trowe,
For, hardily," she was nat undergrowe.
Ful fetys 18 was hir cloke, as I was war;
Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar
A peire 20 of bedes gauded " al with grene,
And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,"
On which ther was first write a crowned A, 161
And after Amor vincit omnia.

16

14

19

Another Nonne with hire hadde she, That was hire chapeleyne; and Preestes thre. A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,23 An outridere that lovede venerie,24

25

155

166

A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable,
And whan he rood men myghte his brydel heere
Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd as cleere
And eek as loude as dooth the chapel-belle
Ther-as this lord was kepere of the celle.20
The reule of Seint Maure or of Saint Beneit,
By-cause that it was old and som-del streit,27
This ilke monk leet olde thynges pace
And heeld after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled 28 hen
That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men,
Ne that a monk when he is recchelees 29
Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees;

170

175

180

Wel coude she carie a morsel and wel kepe, 130
That no drope ne fille upon hire breste.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.22
Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene,
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,23
And sikerly she was of greet desport,2
And ful plesaunt and amyable of port,20

3

25

12

1 whistling compose night-time carved "yeoman the knight no more bundle of twenty-four 'peacock 10 take care of 11 equipment worn and clipped short 13 closely cut hair 14 small shield 15 an image of his patron saint 16 cord 17 quiet 18 St. Loy (St. Eligius) did not swear at all. 19 named 20 skilfully "A convent near London. 22 pleasure "reached ≫ certainly 26 bearing good humor

25

As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served? Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved. Therfore he was a pricasour3 aright;

8

4

9

191

195

200

Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight:
Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
Was al his lust," for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
And for to festne his hood under his chyn
He hadde of gold y-wroght a curious pyn;
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face as it hadde been enoynt.
He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;
Hise eyen stepe 10 and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed "1 as a forneys of a leed; 12
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.
Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat.
He was nat pale, as a forpyned 13 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,
A lymytour," a ful solempne man.
In alle the ordres foure 16 is noon that can
So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage;
He hadde maad ful many a mariage
Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.
Unto his ordre he was a noble post;

15

17

205

210

7

And certeinly he hadde a murye1 note;
Wel coude he synge and pleyen on a rote;'
Of yeddynges he bar outrely the pris.
His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys;
Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.
He knew the tavernes well in every toun
And everich hostiler and tappestere
Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;
For unto swich a worthy man as he
Acorded nat, as by his facultee,
To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce;
It is nat honeste, it may nat avaunce
For to deelen with no swiche poraille,"
But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.
And over-al,1o ther-as " profit sholde arise,
Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.
Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous;12
He was the beste beggere in his hous,
For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,13
So plesaunt was his In principio,1

16

Yet wolde he have a ferthyng 15 er he wente: His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.17 And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.18 In love-dayes 1o ther coude he muchel helpe, For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer

235

240

245

250

255

With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler, 260
But he was lyk a maister, or a pope;
Of double worstede was his semi-cope,20
That rounded as a belle, out of the presse.21
Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse,2

22

To make his Englissh swete upon his tonge, 265
And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,
Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght
As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.
This worthy lymytour was cleped Huberd.

* A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also That unto logyk hadde longe y-go. As leene was his hors as is a rake, And he nas nat right fat, I undertake, But looked holwe 23 and ther-to" sobrely. Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,' For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice, Ne was so worldly for to have office; For hym was levere 20 have at his beddes heed Twenty bookes clad in blak or reed

1

8

25

285

290

merry 2 fiddle ❜ proverbial sayings bar-maid better beggar 7 female beggar becoming poor folk 10 everywhere 11 where 12 full of good qualities 18 shoe 14 St. John i, 1, used as a greeting. 18 bit 16 gettings 17 what he paid for his begging privileges or his regular income puppy 19 arbitration days 20 short cape 21 the press in which the semi-cope was kept. 22 jollity 23 hollow 24 besides 25 outer short coat 20 he had rather

18

6

7

8

*

in wyn;

A Frankeleyn was in his compaignye; Whit was his berd as is the dayesye; Of his complexioun he was sangwyn. Wel loved he by the morwe a sope To lyven in delit was evere his wone,10 For he was Epicurus owne sone, That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit Was verraily felicitee parfit.

An housholdere, and that a greet, was he; Seint Julian" he was in his contree;

His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon; 12 A bettre envyned 13 man was no-wher noon. Withoute hake-mete 14 was nevere his hous, Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous

305

335

1 fer by weste;

390

A Shipman was ther, wonynge For aught I woot he was of Dertemouthe. He rood upon a rouncy as he couthe,

3 5

In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.

A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he
Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.
The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun.
And certeinly he was a good felawe;'
395

Ful many a draughte of wyn hadde he i-drawe
Fro Burdeuxward, whil that the chapman sleep.
Of nyce conscience took he no keep.

If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,
By water he sente hem hoom 10 to every lond. 400
But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,
His stremes" and his daungers hym bisides,
His herberwe and his moone, his lodemenage,12
Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.
Hardy he was, and wys to undertake;
With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake;
He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were,
From Gootlond 14 to the Cape of Fynystere,
And every cryke 15 in Britaigne and in Spayne.
His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne.

*

13

405

410

It snewed 15 in his hous of mete and drynke, 345
Of alle deyntees that men coude thynke
After the sondry sesons of the yeer,

16

So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,"
And many a breem 17 and many a luce in
stuwe.18

Wo was his cook but-if 19 his sauce were
Poynaunt and sharpe, and redy al his geere.
His table dormant 20 in his halle alway
Stood redy covered al the longe day.
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;
Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.
An anlaas,11 and a gipser "2 al of silk,
Heeng at his girdel whit as morne milk.
A shirreve hadde he been and a countour;
Was no-wher such a worthy vavasour.2 24

That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon; 450
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
That she was out of alle charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound,
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed
Ful streite y-teyd, and shoes ful moyste 18 and

newe.

455

Boold was hir face and fair and reed of hewe.
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve;
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve, 460
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe,
But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe; 1o
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seint Jame, and at Coloigne;
She coude 20 muche of wandrynge by the weye:
Gat-tothed 21 was she, soothly for to seye.

7

490

The Millere was a stout carl for the nones,2 Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones; 546 That proved wel, for over-al3 ther he cam, At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram. He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre, Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed. His berd, as any sowe or fox, was reed, And therto brood, as though it were a spade. Upon the cop right of his nose he hade A werte, and theron stood a tuft of herys, Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys; & His nosethirles blake were and wyde. A swerd and a bokeler bar he by his syde. His mouth as wyde was as a greet forneys; He was a janglere 10 and a goliardeys," And that was moost of synne and harlotries. Wel coude he stelen corn and tollen thries, And yet he hadde a thombe of gold,12 pardee! A whit cote and a blew hood wered he; A baggepipe wel coude he blowe and sowne, 565 And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

551

555

8

560

Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely; 1
For this ye knowen al-so wel as I,
Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,
He moote reherce, as ny as evere he can,
Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
Al2 speke he never so rudeliche and large,3
Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,
Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.
He may nat spare, althogh he were his brother,
He moot as wel seye o word as another.
Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,
And wel ye woot no vileynye is it.
Eek Plato seith, whoso that can hym rede,
"The wordes moote be cosyn' to the dede."
Also I prey yow to foryeve it me

730

735

740

A large man he was, with eyen stepe,
A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe;'
Boold of his speche, and wys and wel y-taught,
And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.
Eek therto 10 he was right a myrie man,
And after soper pleyen he bigan,

756

And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,
Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges; 760
And seyde thus: "Now, lordynges, trewely,
Ye been to me right welcome, hertely;
For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
I ne saugh this yeer so myrie a compaignye
At ones in this herberwe" as is now;
Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.12
And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,
To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.

"Ye goon to Canterbury; God yow speede,
The blisful martir quite yow youre meede!"
And, wel I woot," as ye goon by the weye,
Ye shapen yow to talen 15 and to pleye;
For trewely comfort ne myrthe is noon
To ride by the weye doumb as a stoon;
And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som comfort.
And if you liketh alle, by oon assent,
Now for to stonden at my juggement,

16

791

795

But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn;
This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,
That ech of yow to shorte with your weye,
In this viage shal telle tales tweye
To Caunterburyward, — I mean it so,—
And homward he shal tellen othere two,
Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.
And which of yow that bereth hym beste of alle,
That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas,
Shal have a soper at oure aller cost,'
Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
And, for to make yow the moore mury,
I wol myselven gladly with yow ryde
Right at myn owne cost, and be youre gyde.
And whoso wole my juggement withseye 9
Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
And if ye vouche-sauf that it be so
Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,
And I wol erly shape me 10 therfore."

8

800

805

765

And of our tales juge and reportour, And sette a soper at a certeyn pris, And we wol reuled been at his devys

815

4 vulgarity

* cousin every one 7 it pleased us big Cheapside 10 besides 11inn 12 if I knew how 13 give you your reward 14 know 18 tell tales 16 before

12

Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,
Up roos oure Hoost and was oure aller cok,12
And gadrede us togidre alle in a flok,
And forth we riden, a litel moore than paas,13 825
Unto the Wateryng of Seint Thomas;

And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste
And seyde, "Lordynges, herkneth, if yow leste!