8

9

-

7

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,11
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

Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse, That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;1 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,21 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;

20

100

17

I 20

125

5

6

11

3

33

140

150

And peyned hire to countrefete 2 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; 8
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, 16 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; 19
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,22
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
And after Amor vincit omnia.

A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee 25 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 Seint 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
Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees;
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.
But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;
And I seyde his opinioun was good;
What sholde he studie and make hym-selven wood,30
Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken 3 with his handes and laboure

5

1 exerted herself 2 imitate 3 fashions * dignified worthy saw 7 little dogs cake bread died 10 any one 11 stick 12 sharply 13 neatly 14 face cloth 15 pinched, plaited 16 well-formed 17 certainly 18 well-made 19 as I perceived 20 set 21 Every eleventh bead was a large 22 beautiful green one. 23 an extremely fine one 24 hunting 25 fine 26 A cell is a branch monastery. 27 strict 28 plucked vagabond 31 work crazy

29

30

4

12

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;
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;

14

15

205

17

210

And certeinly he hadde a murye1 note;
Wel coude he synge and pleyen on a rote;2
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 tappestere1
Bet than a lazar or a beggestere; 7
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.

10

And over-al, 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,"
Yet wolde he have a ferthyng 15 er he wente:

16

235

240

245

250

255

260

His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.17
And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.18
In love-dayes 19 ther coude he muchel helpe,
For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer
With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,
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."
Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse,"
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.

21

For, if he 22 yaf, he 23 dorste make avaunt

He wiste that a man was repentaunt;

For many a man so harde is of his herte

21

225

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 26 have at his beddes heed Twenty bookes clad in blak or reed

25

290

9

merry 2 fiddle 3 proverbial sayings bar-maid 5 better beggar 7 female beggar becoming poor folk 11 where 12 full of good qualities 13 shoe 14 St. John i, 1, used as a greeting. 15 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 26 he had rather

18

340

12

A Good-wif was ther of biside Bathe, 445 But she was som-del deef and that was scathe.18 Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt 17 She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.

An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
Seint Julian" he was in his contree;
His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon;
A bettre envyned 13 man was no-wher noon.
Withoute bake-mete 14 was nevere his hous,
Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous

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,

So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,16
And many a breem 17 and many a luce 17 in
stuwe.1 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," and a gipser 22 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."

23

350

355

360

care mean

rich landowner 7 temperament 9 Sop 10 custom 11 patron saint of hospitality always of the same quality 13 provided 17 coop a kind of fish 18 pond 19 unless 20 a permanent table 21 knife

with wines 14 pasties 15 snowed 16

22 pouch

23 treasurer

24 landholder

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; 19
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.

465

1 dwelling 2 know hackney as well as he could cheap cloth lace, cord 7 goodfellow, rascal 8 merchant heed 10 threw them into the sea 11 currents 12 steersmanship 13 cunning in his plans 14 Denmark 15 creek, inlet 16 harm 17 skill 18 soft 19 at present 20 knew 21 teeth set wide apart, a sign that one will travel.

490

495

Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.
He coude 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 visite
The ferreste 10 in his parisshe, muche and lite,"
Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.
This noble ensample to his sheepe he gaf,
That firste he wroghte and afterward he taughte.
Out of the gospel he tho 12 wordes caughte,
And this figure he added eek 13 therto,
That if gold ruste what shal iren doo?
For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
No wonder is a lewed 14 man to ruste;
And shame it is, if a prest take keep,15

500

7

546

6

5

551

555

The Millere was a stout carl for the nones,2 Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones; 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;8 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," 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.

560

Now have I toold you shortly, in a clause, 715 Thestaat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause Why that assembled was this compaignye In Southwerk at this gentil hostelrye,

That highte 13 the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
But now is tyme to you for to telle
How that we baren us that ilke nyght,
Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght;
And after wol I telle of our viage
And al the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.
But first, I pray yow of youre curteisye,
That ye narette it nat my vileynye,16
Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere
To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,

13

720

725

1 snub, rebuke 2 for the nones means very, extremely. 3 everywhere 4 the prize 5 knot heave off its hinges end ears 9 nostrils 10 loud talker 12 As all honest millers have. 13 was called 14 journey 15 do not ascribe it to 10 lack of breeding

11 jester

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,

730

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

4

5

Al have I nat set folk in hir degree

735

740

Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; 745 My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.

6

Greet chiere made oure hoste us everichon, And to the soper sette he us anon, And served us with vitaille at the beste; Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.7

9

750

756

A semely man oure Hooste was with-alle
For to han been a marshal in an halle.
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,
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 "1 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! 13
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,16 and doon yow som comfort.
And if you liketh alle, by oon assent,
Now for to stonden at my juggement,

And for to werken as I shal yow seye,

37

780

To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
Now by my fader soule that is deed,
But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!
Hoold up youre hond withouten moore speche."
Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche;
Us thought it was noght worth to make it wys,
And graunted hym withouten moore avys,2
And bad him seye his verdit, as hym leste.3
"Lordynges," quod he, "now herkneth for the

beste,

--

6

786

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 5 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, 8
I wol myselven gladly with yow ryde
Right at myn owne cost, and be youre gyde.
And whoso wole my juggement withseye
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."