The Prologue, the Knightes Tale, the Nonne Preestes Tale, from the Canterbury Tales

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Clarendon, 1889 - Reading - 262 pages

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Page 18 - Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf. This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf, That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte ; Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte ; And this figure he added eek therto, That if gold ruste, what shal yren do?
Page 2 - In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle, That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde; The chambres and the stables weren wyde, And wel we weren esed atte beste.
Page 27 - Greet chere made our 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. A semely man our hoste was withalle For to been a marshal in an halle ; A large man he was with eyen stepe...
Page 11 - But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre...
Page 26 - That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle. But now is tyme to yow for to telle How that we baren us that ilke night, Whan we were in that hostelrye alight. And after wol I telle of our viage, And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage.
Page 113 - What sholde I more un-to this tale sayn? The peple out-sterte, and caste the cart to grounde, And in the middel of the dong they founde The dede man, that mordred was al newe. O blisful god, that art so just and trewe!
Page 16 - And yet he was but esy of dispence ; He kepte that he wan in pestilence. For gold in phisik is a cordial, Therfore he lovede gold in special.
Page 18 - For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste, No wonder is a lewed man to ruste ; And shame it is, if a preest take keep, A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
Page 8 - A fat swan loved he best of any roost. His palfrey was as broun as is a berye. A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour, a ful solempne man. In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan 210 So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.
Page 4 - With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse. Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse. Of his stature he was of evene lengthe, And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe.

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