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THE SQUIERES TALE

Of your disese, if it lay in my myght,
I wolde amende it, er that it were nyght,
As wisly1 helpe me gret God of kynde!2
And herbes shal I ryght ynowe 3 yfynde
To hele with your hurtes hastily."

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Tho' shryghte this faucon yet more pitously
Than ever she dide, and fil" to grounde anon,
And lyth aswowne,' deed, and lyk a stoon,
Til Canacee hath in hir lappe hir take
Un-to the tyme she gan of swough awake.
And, after that she of hir swough' gan breyde,"
Ryght in hir haukes ledene 10 thus she seyde:
"That pitee renneth "sone in gentil herte,
Feling his similitude in peynes smerte,
Is preved 12 al-day, 13 as men may it see,
As wel by werk as by auctoritee;
For gentil herte kytheth " gentillesse.

I se wel, that ye han of my distresse
Compassion, my faire Canacee,
Of verray wommanly benignitee

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That Nature in your principles hath set.
But for non hope for to fare the bet,15
But for to obeye un-to your herte free,
And for to maken other be war 16 by me,
As by the whelp chasted 17 is the leoun,
Ryght for that cause and that conclusioun,18
Whyl that I have a leyser 19 and a space,
Myn harm I wol confessen, er I pace." 20
And ever, whyl that oon" hir sorwe tolde,
That other 22
weep, as she to water wolde,"
Til that the faucon bad hir to be stille;
And, with a syk," ryght thus she seyde hir wille.
"Ther 20 I was bred, allas that harde day!
And fostred in a roche 27 of marbul gray
So tendrely, that nothing eyled me,
I niste 28 nat what was adversitee,

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Til I coude flee ful hye under the sky.
Tho dwelte a tercelet 29 me faste by,
That semed welle of alle gentillesse;
Al 30 were he ful of treson and falsnesse,
It was so wrapped under humble chere,
And under hewe 31 of trewthe in swich manere,
Under plesance, and under bisy peyne,
That I ne coude han wend " he coude feyne,
So depe in greyn he dyed his coloures.
Ryght as a serpent hit 33 him under floures
Til he may sen his tyme for to byte,
Ryght so this god of love, this ypocryte,
Doth so his cerimonies and obeisances,

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And kepeth in semblant alle his observances
That sowneth in-to1 gentillesse of love.
As in a toumbe is al the faire above,
And under is the corps, swich as ye wot,2
Swich was this ypocrite, both cold and hot,
And in this wyse he served his entente,
That (save the feend) non wiste3 what he mente.
Til he so longe had wopen 4 and compleyned,
And many a yeer his service to me feyned,
Til that myn herte, to pitous and to nyce,"
Al innocent of his corouned malice,
For-fered of his deth, as thoughte me,
Upon his othes and his seuretee,
Graunted him love, on this condicioun,
That evermore myn honour and renoun
Were saved, bothe privee and apert; "
This is to seyn, that, after his desert,
I yaf' him al myn herte and al my thought-
God wot and he, that otherwyse nought
And took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay.
"But sooth is seyd gon sithen many a day, 536
'A trew wyght 10 and a theef thenken nat oon.'
And, whan he sey" the thing so fer ygon,
That I had graunted him fully my love,
In swich a gyse 12 as I have seyd above,
And yiven 13 him my trewe herte, as fre
As he swoor that he yaf his herte to me;
Anon this tygre, ful of doublenesse,

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Fil on his knees with so devout humblesse,
With so hey reverence, and, as by his chere," 545
So lyk a gentil lovere of manere,

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So ravisshed, as it semed, for the joye,
That never Jason, ne Paris of Troye,—
Jason? certes, ne non other man,
Sin 15 Lameth was, that alderfirst 16 bigan
To loven two, as wryten folk biforn,
Ne never, sin 15 the firste man was born,
Ne coude man, by twenty thousand part,
Countrefete the sophimes of his art;
Ne were worthy unbokele his galoche,
Ther doublenesse or feyning sholde approche,
Ne so coude thanke a wyght as he did me!
His maner was an heven for to see

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1 certainly nature enough

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11 runs

12 proved 13 constantly 14 makes known, shows 15 better 16 cautious 17 chastised 18 end 19 leisure

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pass

25 sigh

21 the one 22 the other 23 as if 24 would turn

26 where rock 28 knew not 29 male falcon

30 although a color 32 thought 33 hides

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мечу

So newefangel1 ben they of hir mete,
And loven novelries of propre kynde; 2
No gentillesse of blood ne may hem bynde. 620
So ferde this tercelet, allas the day!

Though he were gentil born, and fresh and

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I knowe what is the peyne of deth ther-by;
Swich harm I felte for he ne myghte bileve.
So on a day of me he took his leve,
So sorwefully eek, that I wende 10 verraily
That he had felt as muche harm as I,
Whan that I herde him speke, and sey " his hewe.
But natheles, I thoughte he was so trewe,
And eek that he repaire 12 sholde ageyn
With-inne a litel whyle, soth to seyn;
And reson wolde eek that he moste go
For his honour, as ofte it happeth so,
That I made vertu of necessitee,
And took it wel, sin 13 that it moste be.
As I best myghte, I hidde fro him my sorwe, 595
And took him by the hond, Seint John to borwe,14
And seyde him thus: 'Lo, I am youres al;
Beth 15 swich as I to yow have ben, and shal.'
What he answerde it nedeth nat reherse,
Who can seyn bet 16 than he, who can do werse?
Whan he hath al wel seyd, thanne hath he doon.
"Therfor bihoveth him a ful long spoon
That shal ete with a feend,' thus herde I seye.
So atte laste he moste 17 forth his weye,
And forth he fleeth,18 til he cam ther him leste.19
Whan it cam him to purpos for to reste,
I trowe he hadde thilke 20 text in mynde,
That ‘alle thing, repeiring to his kynde,21
Gladeth him-self;' thus seyn men, as I gesse.
Men loven of propre kynde 22 newfangelnesse,25
As briddes doon that men in cages fede;
For though thou nyght and day take of hem hede,
And strawe hir cage faire and softe as silk,
And yive 24 hem sugre, hony, breed and milk,
Yet ryght anon, as that his dore is uppe,
He with his feet wol spurne adoun his cuppe,
And to the wode he wol 25 and wormes ete;

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Greet was the sorwe for the haukes harme That Canacee and alle hir wommen made; They nisten' how they myghte the faucon glade. But Canacee hom bereth hir in hir lappe, And softely in plastres gan hir wrappe

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Ther-as she with hir beek had hurt hir-selve.
Now can nat Canacee but herbes delve
Out of the grounde, and make salves newe
Of herbes precious, and fyne of hewe,
To helen 10 with this hauk; fro day to nyght
She doth hir bisynesse and al hir myght.
And by hir beddes heed she made a mewe,"
And covered it with velouettes 12 blewe,
In signe of trewthe that is in wommen sene.
And al with-oute, the mewe " is peynted grene,
In which were peynted alle thise false foules,
As beth thise tidifs, 13 tercelets, and oules;
And pyes," on hem for to crye and chyde,
Ryght for despyt were peynted hem bisyde. 650
Thus lete 15 I Canacee hir hauk keping;
I wol namore as now 18 speke of hir ring,
Til it come eft to purpos for to seyn
How that this faucon gat hir love ageyn
Repentant, as the storie telleth us,
By mediacion of Cambalus,

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1 far 2 gone 3 fell dear dearer no more part whether 9 remain 10 thought 13 since 14 St. John as my security 15 be 18 flies 19 where he pleased

17 must go

20 that

21 nature 22 their own nature 23 novelty 24 give 25 will go

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3 acted where dig 10 heal

1 desirous of novelty their own nature a bird again lap 7 knew not 12 velvets 13 small birds

cage

16 for the present 17 henceforth

14 magpies

18 had he not

15 leave

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As that ye ben! Fy on possessioun
But-if a man be vertuous with-al.
I have my sone snibbed,10 and yet shal,
For he to vertu listeth" nat entende;
But for to pleye at dees," and to dispende,
And lese 13 al that he hath, is his usage.'
And he hath lever talken with a page
Than to comune with any gentil wyght
Ther 15 he myghte lerne gentillesse aryght."
"Straw for your gentillesse," quod our host; 695
“What, frankeleyn? parde, sir, wel thou wost
That eche of yow mot tellen atte leste 17
A tale or two, or breken his biheste," 18
"That knowe I wel, sir," quod the frankeleyn;
"I preye yow, haveth me nat in disdeyn
Though to this man I speke a word or two."
"Tel on thy tale with-outen wordes mo."
‘Gladly, sir host," quod he, "I wol obeye
Un-to your wil; now herkneth what I seye.
I wol yow nat contrarien in no wyse
As fer as that my wittes wol suffyse;

I preye to God that it may plesen yow,
Than wot I 19 wel that it is good ynow."
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Explicit

1 where I left off 2 chariot

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3 The zodiacal sign

8 pleasure

Gemini was the house of the sly god Mercury. acquitted praise judgment 7 give

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⚫ unless 10 reproved

15 where 16 knowest know I 20 enough

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A ROUNDEL

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FROM THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES "Now welcom, somer, with thy sonne softe, That hast this wintres weders over-shake,? And driven awey the longe nightes blake!" 682

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Seynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte,3
Thus singen smale foules for thy sake:
"Now welcom, somer, with thy sonne softe,
That hast this wintres weders over-shake." 686

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Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse,
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal;
Gret reste stant 16 in litel besinesse.
And eek be war 17
to sporne ageyn an al;
Strive noght, as doth the crokke 20 with the wal.
Daunte thy-self, that dauntest otheres dede;
And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.
That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse,21
The wrastling for this worlde axeth a fal.
Her nis non hom, her nis but wildernesse:
Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste,22 out of thy stal!
Know thy contree; lok up, thank God of al;
Hold the hye-wey,23 and lat thy gost 24 thee lede!
And trouthe shal delivere, hit is no drede.

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THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO
HIS EMPTY PURSE

To you, my purse, and to non other wight 2
Compleyne I, for ye be my lady dere!
I am so sory, now that ye be light;
For certes, but ye make me hevy chere,'
Me were as leef be leyd up-on my bere; 5
For whiche un-to your mercy thus I crye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

Now voucheth sauf this day, or hit be night,
That I of you the blisful soun may here,
Or see your colour lyk the sonne bright,
That of yelownesse hadde never pere.
Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere,
Quene of comfort and of good companye,
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

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Now purs, that be to me my lyves light,
And saveour, as doun in this worlde here,
Out of this toune help me through your might,
Sin that ye wole nat ben my tresorere;
For I am shave as nye as any frere.10
But yit I pray un-to your curtesye:

Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!

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LENVOY DE CHAUCER

O conquerour of Brutes Albioun !
Which that by lyne and free eleccioun
Ben verray king, this song to you I sende;
And ye, that mowen al myn harm amende, 25
Have mynde up-on my supplicacioun !

MORAL BALADE OF CHAUCER

The firste stok,3 fader of gentilesse-
What man that claymeth gentil for to be,
Must folowe his trace, and all his wittes dresse
Vertu to sewe, and vyces for to flee.

For unto vertu longeth dignitee,

And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme,
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.
This firste stok was ful of rightwisnesse,
Trewe of his word, sobre, pitous, and free,
Clene of his goste,' and loved besinesse,
Ageinst the vyce of slouthe, in honestee;
And, but his heir love vertu, as dide he,
He is noght gentil, thogh he riche seme,
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.

Vyce may wel be heir to old richesse;
But ther may no man, as men may wel see,
Bequethe his heir his vertuous noblesse;
That is appropred unto no degree,

But to the Firste Fader in Magestee,
That maketh him his heir, that can him queme,"
Al were he mytre, crowne, or diademe.

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judge, 9 please

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