English Prose and Poetry (1137-1892)

And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachye,10
In Flaundres, in Artoys and Pycardye,
And born hym weel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady 11 grace.
Embrouded was he, as it were a meede 12
Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede;
Syngynge he was or floytynge 13 al the day;
He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and
wyde;

Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde;
He coude songes make and wel endite,14
Juste and eek daunce and weel purtreye and
write.

So hoote he lovede that by nyghtertale 15
He sleep namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.
Curteis he was, lowely and servysable,
And carf 16 biforn his fader at the table.

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125

And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly
After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,7
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;
Wel coude she carie a morsel and wel kepe
That no drope ne fille upon hire breste.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.8
Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene,
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir
draughte.

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136

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,9
And sikerly 10 she was of greet desport,11
And ful plesaunt and amyable of port,12
And peyned hire 13 to countrefete 14 cheere 15
Of court, and been estatlich 16 of manere, 140
And to ben holden digne 17 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.
Of smale houndes 19 hadde she, that she fedde
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed ; 20
But sore wepte she, if oon of hem were deed,21
Or if men
105
smoot it with a yerde 23 smerte;2
And al was conscience and tendre herte. 150
Ful semyly 25 hir wympul 26 pynched 27 was;
Hire nose tretys,28 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,29 she was nat undergrowe.

A Yeman 17 hadde he,18 and servants namo
At that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;
And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
A sheef 20 of pocok 21 arwes bright and kene
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily-
Wel coude he dresse 22 his takel 23 yemanly;
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres
lowe 24

And in his hand he bar a myghty bowe.

A not-heed 25 hadde he with a broun visage.
Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage. 110
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,

And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,26

.24

155

1 an image of his patron saint 2 cord quiet 4 By St. Eligius, a very mild oath 5 named 6 skilfully A convent near London. pleasure reached certainly good humour bearing exerted herself 14 imitate 15 fashions 16 dignified worthy saw little dogs 20 cake bread 21 died any one stick sharply neatly 26 face-cloth 27 pinched, plaited 28 well-formed 29 certainly

THE CANTERBURY TALES

Ful fetys1 was hir cloke, as I was war; 2
Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar
A peire 3 of bedes gauded al with grene,
And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,5
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
And after Amor vincit omnia.

162

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

166

A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee 3hors hadde he in stable,
And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel
heere

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175

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."
The reule of Seint Maure or of Seint Beneit,
By-cause that it was old and som-del streit 10-
This ilke monk leet olde thynges pace
And heeld after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled " hen
That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men,
Ne that a monk when he is recchelees 12
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,13

180

Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure, 185
Or swynken 14 with his handes and laboure
How shal the world be
As Austyn bit? 15

served?
Lat Austyn have his swynk 14 to him reserved.
Therfore he was a pricasour 16 aright;
Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight:
Of prikyng 17 and of huntyng for the hare 191
Was al his lust,18 for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh 19 his sleves purfiled 20 at the hond
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
And for to festne his hood under his chyn 195
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;

I perceived

eleventh bead was a large green one. extremely fine one

is a branch monastery.

12 vagabond 13

17 tracking

crazy

18 pleasure

22 bon point, fleshy

14 work

saw

set
5

4 Every beautiful

hunting

8 fine 9 A 10 strict 11 plucked

15 bids
edged

16 hunter

grey fur

Hise eyen stepe1 and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.
4 goost;
Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat.
He was nat pale, as a forpyned
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 7 is noon that can
So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage; 211
He hadde maad ful many a mariage
Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.
Unto his ordre he was a noble post;
Ful wel biloved and famulier was he
With frankeleyns 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 curat,
For of his ordre he was licenciat.
Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
And plesaunt was his absolucioun.
He was an esy man to yeve penaunce
to have a good pit-
Ther-as 10 he wiste "1

For unto a povre ordre for to yive
Is signe that a man is wel y-shryve.
For, if he 13 yaf, he 14 dorste make avaunt
He wiste that a man was repentaunt;
For many a man so harde is of his herte
He may nat wepe al-thogh hym soore smerte.
Therfore instede of wepynge and preyeres
Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.
His typet was ay farsed full of knyves 233
note; 235
And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.
And certeinly he hadde a murye
Wel coude he synge and pleyen on a rote;
Of yeddynges 18 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 240
And everich hostiler and tappestere
Bet 20 than a lazar 21 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,23 it may nat avaunce

For to deelen with no swiche poraille,1 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; 4 He was the beste beggere in his hous, For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho," So plesaunt was his In principio,6

250

Yet wolde he have a ferthynger he wente:
His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.
And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.10
In love-dayes" 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,12
That rounded as a belle, out of the presse.13
Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse,14
To make his Englissh swete upon his tonge;
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.

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271

A Marchant was ther with a forked berd,
In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat ;
Upon his heed a Flaundrish bever hat,
His botes clasped faire and fetisly.16
His resons 17
spak he ful solempnely,"
Souning 19 alway thencrees 20 of his winning.
He wolde the see were kept for anything 21
Betwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
Wel coude he in eschaunge 22 sheeldes 23 selle.
This worthy man ful well his wit bisette;
Ther wiste 25 no wight that he was in dette,
So estatly was he of his governaunce
With his bargaynes and with his chevisaunce.26
For sothe he was a worthy man withalle,
But sooth to seyn,27 I noot 28 how men him
calle.

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,

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1 poor folk 2 everywhere 3 where 4 full of good qualities shoe St. John i, 1, used as a greeting. 7 bit gettings what he paid for his begging privileges or his regular income 10 puppy arbitration days 12 short cape 13 the press in which the semi-cope a sober grey 16 was kept. 14 jollity 15 17 neatly remarks, declarations pompously sounding, proclaiming 20 the increase at any cost ex

French coins, écus 24 employed 25 knew

295

But looked holwe1 and ther-to 2 sobrely.
Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,3 290
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 bookes clad in blak or reed
Of Aristotle and his philosophie
Than robes riche, or fithele," or gay sautrie.5
But al be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
But al that he myghte of his freendes hente
On bookes and his lernynge he it spente, 300
And bisily gan for the soules preye
Of hem that gaf hym wher-with to scoleye.
Of studie took he moost cure and moost
heede;

Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,
And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence.
Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.
A Sergeant of the Lawe, war 10 and wys,
That often hadde been at the parvys,11
Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.
Discreet he was, and of greet reverence --
He semed swich, his wordes weren so wyse.
Justice he was ful often in assyse, 12

Of his complexioun 1 he was sangwyn.
Wel loved he by the morwe 2 a sope 3 in

wyn;

To lyven in delit was evere his wone,*
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;

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340

His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon; 6
A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon.
Withoute bake-mete 8 was nevere his hous,
Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous
It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,
Of alle deyntees that men coude thynke. 346
After the sondry sesons of the yeer,
So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,1
And many a breem " and many a luce" in
stuwe.12

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360

Wo was his cook but-if 13 his sauce were
Poynaunt and sharpe, and redy al his geere.
His table dormant 14 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,1 and a gipser 16 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.18
An haberdassher 19 and a carpenter,
A webbe,20 a dyere, and a tapicer,21
And they were clothed alle in o liveree,22
Of a solempne and greet fraternitee.
Ful fresh and newe hir gere 23 apyked 24 was;
Hir knyves were y-chaped 25 noght with bras,
But al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel
Hir girdles and hir pouches everydeel.
Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys,
To sitten in a yeldhalle 26
on a deys.2 370
Everich, for the wisdom that he can,?
Was shaply for to been an alderman;
For catel 29 hadde they ynogh and rente,30
And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;

27 28

1 temperament 2 in the morning 3 sop custom 6 patron saint of hospitality always of the same quality provided with wines pasties 9 snowed

unless

a per

coop kind of fish 12 2 pond manent table 15 knife 16 pouch treasurer 18 landholder 19 keeper of a shop for hats or furnishings

weaver upholsterer one uniform 23 apparel 24 trimmed 25 sheathed 26 guild-hall 27 dais 28 knows

And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she That she was out of alle charitee.

And every cryke in Britaigne and in
Spayne.

His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne. 410
With us ther was a Doctour of Phisyk,
In al this world ne was ther noon him lyk
To speke of 2 phisik and of surgerye;
For he was grounded in astronomye.
He kepte his pacient a ful greet del

In houres, by his magik naturel.
Wel coude he fortunen the ascendent
Of his images for his pacient.3

415

He knew the cause of everich maladye,
Were it of hoot or cold, or moiste, or drye,
And where engendred, and of what humour; 4
He was a verrey, parfit practisour.
The cause y-knowe, and of his harm the rote,&
Anon he yaf the seke man his bote.
Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries,
To sende him drogges and his letuaries,
For ech of hem made other for to winne;
Hir frendschipe nas nat newe to biginne.
Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,

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455

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 moyste1
and newe.

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,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, 461
But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.2
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;466
She coude 3 muche of wandrynge by the
weye:

Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,

Y-wympled wel, and on her heed an hat 470
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; 6

A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hire feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felaweshipe wel coude she laughe and

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