In Lettow hadde he reysed1 and in Ruce,-2
No cristen man so ofte of his degree.
In Gernades at the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarÿe.5
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,"

55

Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See At many a noble aryves hadde he be.

At mortal battailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for oure feithe at Tramyssene
In lystės thries, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of PalatŸe1o
Again another hethen in Turkye;

And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys.
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.

He never yet no vileynye11 ne sayde,

60

65

70

In al his lyfe, unto no maner wight.

He was a verray parfit, gentil knyght.

But for to tellen yow of his array,

His hors weren goode, but he ne was nat gay;

Of fustian he wered a gypón12

75

Al bismotered 13 with his habergeon14

For he was late y-come from his viáge,

And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

With hym ther was his sone, a yong SQUIER, A lovyere and a lusty bacheler, 15

80

With lokkes crulle16 as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse,
Of his stature he was of even lengthe,17
And wonderly delyvere1s and greet of strengthe;
And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie, 19 85
In Flaundrės, in Artoys and Pycardie,
And born hym weel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrouded was he, as it were a meede
Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede;
Syngynge he was, or floytynge, 21 al the day;
He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
Short was his gowne, with slevės longe and
wyde;

Wel koude he sitte on hors and fairė ryde;
He koudė songės make and wel endite,

90

105

Under his belt he bar ful thriftily -
Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly;
His arwės drouped noght with fetheres lowe-
And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.
A not-heed 26 hadde he, with a broun visage.
Of woodecraft wel koude27 he al the usage. 110
Upon his arm he baar a gay bracér, 28
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler.
And on that oother syde a gay daggére,
Harneised wel and sharpe as point of spere;
A Cristophere29 on his brest of silver sheene;
An horn he bar, the bawdryk30 was of grene. 116
A forster was he, soothly as I gesse.

And Frenssh she spake ful faire and fetisly33
After the scole of Stratford-attė-Bowe,3
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
At metė wel y-taught was she with-alle,
She leet no morsel from hir lippės falle,
Ne wette hir fyngrès in hir sauce depe.
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe, 130
Thát no drope ne fille35 upon hire breste;

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.30

Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene,
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

Of Court, 39 and been estatlich40 of manére,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But for to speken of hire conscience, 41
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smalé houndės hadde she that she fedde 146
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel breed;42
But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;43
And al was conscience and tendre herte.

150

Ful semyly hir wympul44 pynched was; Hire nose tretys, 45 hir eyen greye as glas, Hir mouth ful smal and there-to softe and reed, But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed; It was almost a spannė brood I trowe, For, hardily, she was not undergrowe. 26 Cropped head. 28 Arm guard.

46

27 Knew.

29 A brooch with a figure of St. Christopher. 30 Shoulder belt.

155

31 St. Eloy, or Eligius, patron saint of goldsmiths and farriers.

34 After the style (scole) of those in or about Stratfordat-Bow; i. e. the Prioresse spoke the provincial, or AngloNorman, and not the Parisian French. The priory over which she presided is supposed to have been near Stratford-at-Bow, then a village only a few miles from London. 35 Fell. 36 Pleasure. 37 Reached. 36 Surely. 39 Cheere of Court, imitate courtly behaviour. 40 Stately, dignified.

41 Sympathy.

Surely

Ful fetys1 was hir cloke, as I was war;
Of smal corál aboute hire arm she bar
A peire of bedės,2 gauded al with grene,
And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
On which ther was first write a crowned A,3 161
And after Amor vincet omnia.

166

170

Another Nonnė with hire hadde she That was hir Chapeleyne, and Preestės thre. A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrie,* An outridere, that lovede venerie;5 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 Gýnglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere, And eeke as loude as dooth the chapel belle. Ther as this lord was keepere of the celle, The reule of seint Maures or of seint Benéit, By-cause that it was olde and som-del streit," This ilkė Monk leet oldė thyngės pace,8 And heeld after the newė world a space. He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen10 That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men, Ne that a Monk whan he is reechelees11 Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees: This is to seyn, a Monk out of his cloystre. But thilkė12 text heeld he nat worth an oystre; And I seyde his opinioun was good. What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood, 13

175

180

185

Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken14 with his handes and laboure,
As Austyn15 bit?16 How shal the world be
served?

191

195

Lat Austyn have his swynk17 to him reserved.
Therfore he was a prikasouris aright;
Grehoundes he hadde; as swift as fowel in flight:
Of prikyng and of hunting for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves y-purfiled1 at the hond
With grys, 20 and that the fyneste of a lond;
And for to festne his hood under his chyn
He hadde of gold y-wrought 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 he hadde been enoynt.
He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;
Hise eyén stepe2 and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;22
His bootės souple, his hors in greet estaat.

1 Neat.

200

2 A string of beads. Here the beads were coral, gauded with green, i. e., the larger beads or gawdies, were of green. 3A," probably stood for Amor, or Charity, crowned as the greatest of Christian virtues.

4i. e. as we should say, one well fitted to succeed. 5 Hunting.

St. Maur, or Maurus, a follower and successor of St. Benedict who was founder of the Benedictine Order. His rules of monastic discipline (reule of Seint Beneil), came to be widely followed throughout Europe. 7 Somewhat strict.

8 Pass. Not necessarily a fert from the Bible. Supposed here to refer to the belief or legend that Nimrod, the mighty hunter, was a bad man.

10 Plucked hen.

12 That same.

13 Mad.

11 Cloisterless. 14 Work, toil. and author of the

22 Glowed like a fire under a cauldron.

18 Hard rider. 21 Protruding.

Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat.
He was nat pale, as a forpynėd23 goost: 205
A fat swan loved he best of any roost;
His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.

210

215

220

225

229

A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour, 24 a ful solempné 25 man; In alle the ordrės foure26 is noon that kan So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage; He hadde maad ful many a marïage Of yonge wommen at his owenė cost: Unto his ordre he was a noble post. Ful wel biloved and famuliér was he With frankėleyns27 over al in his contree; And eek with worthy wommen of the toun, For he hadde power of confessioun, As seyde hym-self, moore than a curát, For of his ordre he was licenciat.28 Ful swetely herde he confessioun, And pleasaunt was his absolucioun. He was an esy man to yeve penáunce Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce; For unto a poure ordre for to yive Is signe that a man is wel y-shryve; For, if he yaf, he dorstė make avaunt29 He wiste that a man was répentaunt: For many a man so harde is of his herte He may nat wepe al thogh hym soorė smerte, Therefore in stede of wepynge and preyéres Men moote yeve silver to the poure freres. His typet30 was ay farsed full31 of knyves And pynnės for to yeven yonge wyves; And certeinly he hadde a murey note; Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote:32 Of yeddynges33 he baar outrėly the pris; His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys, Ther-to34 he strong was as a champioun. He knew the tavernes well in al the toun And everich hostiler and tappestere35 Bet than a lazar36 or a beggéstere;37 For unto swich a worthy man as he Acorded nat, as by his facultee, To have with siké lazars áqueyntáunce; It is nat honeste, it may nat avaunce Fór to deelen with no swiche poraille;38 But al with riche and selleres of vitaille. And over al, ther as profit sholde arise, Curteis he was and lowely of servyse, Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous! He was the bestė beggere in his hous, For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho," So plesaunt was his In principio,40

271

A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, In motteleye, and hye on horse he sat; Upon his heed a Flaunderyssh bevere hat; His bootės clasped faire and fetisly; His resons he spake ful solempnély, Sowynge alway thencreés of his wynnýng. 275 He wolde the see were kept for any things Bitwixé Middelburgh and Orewelle." Wel koude he in eschaungė sheeldės selle. This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette, Ther wisté no wight that he was in dette, So estatly was he of his governaunce With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce,"

280

For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle,
But sooth to seyn I noot 10 how men hym calle.

A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also
That unto logyk haddė long y-go.
As leene was his hors as is a rake.
And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,
But looked holwe, 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 have at his beddes heed
Twenty bookés clad in blak or reed

Of Aristotle and his philosophie,

285

.11 290

Than robės riche, or fithele, 12 or gay sautrie:13
But al be11 that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;

295

300

But al that he myghte of his freendės hente15
On bookes and his lernynge he it spente,
And bisily gan for the soulės preye

Of hem that yaf hym wher-with to scoleye.18 Of studie took he moost cure and moost heed,

Noght o1s word spak he moore than was neede,

His purchase (or gain from begging) was larger than hia rente (or income).

1 Romp, play.

Days set apart for the settlement of disputes by arbitration or amicable agreement.

'Short cloak.

At any cost.

A port on the island of Walcheren in the Netherlands. 'Orwell (now Harwich), a port on the English coast nearly opposite Middleburgh.

A French coin, so called because they had a shield stamped on one side. 11 Short over-coat. 14 Although. 17 Care.

Loans. 12 Fiddle.

Get.

10 Know not. 13 Harp.

16 To study.

18 One.

305

And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence.19
Sownynge 20 in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.

310

315

A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys,21
That often hadde been at the Parvys,22
Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.
Discreet he was, and of greet reverence;
He semed swich, hise wordes weren so wise.
Justice he was full often in Assise, 23
By patente and by pleyn commissioun.
For his science and for his heigh renoun,
Of fees and robės hadde he many oon;
So greet a purchasour24 was nowher noon.
Al was fee symple to hym in effect,
His purchasying myghte nat been infect.
Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet he semed bisier than he was.
In termés hadde he caas and doomės25 alle
That from the tyme of kyng William were falle;
Ther-to he coude endite and make a thyng. 325
Ther koude no wight pynchen 26 at his writýng;
And every statut coude he pleyn by rote.27
He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote,
Girt with a ceint of silk with barres28 smale;
Of his array telle I no lenger tale.

A FRANKELEYN29 was in his compaignye.
Whit was his berd as is a daysėye,
Of his complexioun he was sangwýn.
Wel loved he by the morwes a sope in wyn;
To lyven in delit was evere his wone,31
For he was Epicurus owené sone,
That heeld opinioun that pleyn32 delit
Was verraily felicitee parfit.

22 Here, the porch, or portico in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, where the lawyers were accustomed to meet for consultation.

23 A Session (or sitting) of the Circuit Court. About forty years before Chaucer wrote his Prologue, in order to provide for the administration of justice in remote places, a law was passed, providing that an assize might be held, by a Judge of King's Bench, or of the Common Pleas, or by a King's Sergeant sworn. Chaucer's sergeant held this high office "by patent and by pleyn (or full) Commission.'

24 A money-maker, or perhaps a buyer of land. The Sergeant is so skilled in the law of real estate, that he is able, by a legal process, to effect the conveyance of land held under restrictions which would ordinarily interfere with its sale or transfer. Hence, all land was in fee simple to him i. e. as though free from such restrictions. 26 Find fault.

351

After the sondry sesons of the yeer,
So chaunged he his mete and his sopér,
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe 1
And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.2
Wo was his cook but if his sauce were
Poynaunt and sharpe, and redy al his geere.
His table dormant in his halle alway
Stood redy covered al the longé day.
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;
Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.
An anlaas, and a gipser al of silk,
Heeng at his girdel, whit as morné milk;
A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour.
Was nowher such a worthy vavasour."

5

355

360

An HABERDASSHERE, and a CARPENTER,
A WEBBE,10 a DYERE, and a TAPYCER,11
And they were clothed alle in o12 lyveree
Of a solémpne and greet fraternitee; 13
Ful fressh and newé hir geere apiked was;14 365
Hir knyvės were chaped noght with bras,
But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel,
Hire girdles and hir pouches everydeel.15
Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys
To sitten in a yeldehalle, 16 on a deys.17
Everich 18 for the wisdom that he kan19
Was shaply for to been 20 an alderman.
For catel hadde they ynogh and rente,21
And eek hir wyvės wolde it wel assente;
And elles certeyn were they to blame.
It is ful fair to been y-cleped 22 MADAME,
And goon to vigilies al bifore,23
And have a mantel roialliche y-bore.24

370

375

401

If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,
By water he sent hem hoom to every lond.
But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,
His stremes and his daungers hym bisides,
His herberwe and his moone, his lode-menage, 35
Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.
Hardy he was, and wys to undertake:
With many a tempest hadde his berd ben shake;
He knew wel alle the havenes, as they were,
From Gootlands to the Cape of Fynystere,
And every cryke in Britaigne and in Spayne.
His barge y-cleped was the Maudėlayne.

With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISIK;
In all this world ne was ther noon hym lik
To speke of phisik and of surgerye;
For he was grounded in astronomye.
He kepte37 his pacient a ful greet deel
In hourės, 38 by his magyk natureel.
Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent39
Of his ymáges for his pacient.

405

410

415

He knew the cause of everich maladye,
Were it of hoot, or cold, or moyste, or drye, 420
And where they engendred and of what humour;
He was a verray parfit praktisour.

425

The cause y-knowe and of his harm the roote,
Anon he yaf the sikė man his boote.40
Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries
To send him drogges and his letuaries,41
For ech of hem made oother for to wynne,
Hir friendshipe nas nat newė to bigynne.
Wel knew he the olde Esculapius42
And Deÿscorides, and eke Rufus,
Olde Ypocras, Haly and Galyen,
Serapion, Razis and Avycen,

Averrois, Damascien and Constantyn,
Bernard and Gatesden and Gilbertyn.
Of his diétė mesurable was he.
For it was of no superfluitee,
But of greet norissyng and digestible.
His studie was but litel on the Bible.
In sangwyn and in pers13 he clad was al,
Lyned with taffata and with sendal.44
And yet he was but esy of dispence,"
He kepté that he wan in pestilence.46
For gold in phisik is a cordial,
Therfore he lovede gold in special.

43

45

430

435

440

445

A GOOD WIF was ther of bisidė Bathe,
But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe."7
Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunts
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon

34 i. e. he pitched them over-board.

35 Pilotage.

27 Watched.

36 Jutland.

38 Astrological hours. 39 He knew well how to make a fortunate horoscope (fortunen the ascendent) of his patient by making images or characters stamped in metals, or wax, at a time when the stars were favorable.

40 Remedy.

41 Syrup and powders.

42 Aesculapius was the reputed founder of the art of medicine, the following names are those of famous physicians and medical writers of the Middle Ages.

43 Red and blue.

45 Moderate in spending.

47 A pity.

16 Guildhall.

19 He knew.

22 Be called.

24 Royally carried-by a servant.

25 Marrow-bones.

27 Mix in a mortar.

30A nag.

44 Silk.

46 The plague known as the "Black Death," which devastated England in Chaucer's century.

48 Skill.

That to the offrynge1 bifore hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she, 451
That she was out of alle charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground,
I dorstė swere they weyeden ten pound,
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,

455

459

Ful streite y-teyd, and shoes ful moyste and
newe;
Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve,
Housbondes at chirché dore3 she hadde fyve,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe,-
But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe,4
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalém;
She haddė passed many a straungė strem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne, 465
In Galice at Seint Jame, and at Coloigne,
She koudė muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Y-wympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
As brood as is a bokeler or targe;
A foot mantel aboute her hipės large,
And on hire feet a paire of sporės sharpe.
In felaweship wel koude she laughe and carpe;7
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce, 475
For she koude of that art the oldė daunce.

470

480

485

490

Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce:
He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.
Wyd was his parisshe and houses fer asonder,
But he ne lafte nat for reyn ne thonder,
In siknesse nor in meschief to visíte

505

A shiten shepherde and a clene sheepe.
Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive
By his clennesse how that his sheepe sholde lyve.
He settė nat his benefice to hyre

510

515

And leet his sheepe encombred in the myre,
And ran to Londoun, unto Seint Poules,
To seken hyn a chaunterie13 for soules;
Or with a bretherhed to been withholde,14
But dwelte at hoom and keptė wel his folde,
So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie,--
He was a shepherde, and noght a mercenarie
And though he hooly were and vertuous,
He was to synful man nat despitous, 15
Ne of his speché daungerous ne digne,
But in his techyng déscreet and benygne,
To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,
By good ensample, this was his bisynesse;
But it were any persone obstinat,
What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,
Hym wolde he snybben 16 sharply for the

nonys.

A bettre preest I trowe that nowher noon ys;
He waited after no pompe and reverence,
Ne marked him a spiced conscience,
But Cristės loore, and his Apostles twelve,
He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.

520

525

With hym ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother,

529

That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother, 18
A trewė swynkere1 and a good was he,
Lyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.
God loved he best, with all his hoole herte,
At allé tymės, thogh him gamed or smerte,20 534
And thanne his neighėbore right as hymselve.
He wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,
For Cristės sake, for every poure wight,
Withouten hire if it lay in his myght.
His tithes payde he ful faire and wel,
Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.21
In a tabárd22 he rood upon a mere.

Ther was also a REVE23 and a MILLER.
A SOMNOUR24 and a PARDONER25 also,
MAUNCIPLE 28 and myself, ther

The MILLERE was a stout carl for the nones, Ful byg was he of brawn and eek of bones; That proved wel, for over-al ther, he cam, At wrastlynge he wolde have awey the ram.27 He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikké knarre, 28

13 Either an endowment for the payment of a priest to sing or say mass for the dead; or else the church or chapel in which such masses were celebrated. After the plague, many parish priests deserted their parishes and went to London to make money by officiating in the chaunteries. 14 Supported. 15 Scornful. 16 Reprove. 17 Here to mean "scrupulous." "overfastidious" or over-particular about non-essentials. 18 Cart-load.

the Reve of a manor.

Here

24 An officer who summoned delinquents before the ecclesiastical courts.

25 One empowered to sell indulgences, or pardons. 26 A caterer for a college or for one of the Inns of Court. 27 The usual prize at wrestling matches.

28 Knot.