With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISYK, =Doctour.=
In al this world ne was ther noon him lyk
To speke of phisik and of surgerye;
For he was grounded in astronomye.
He kepte his pacient a ful greet del 415
In houres, by his magik naturel.
Wel coude he fortunen the ascendent
Of his images for his pacient. (420)
He knew the cause of everich maladye,
Were it of hoot or cold, or moiste, or drye, 420
And where engendred, and of what humour;
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, 425
To sende him drogges and his letuaries,
For ech of hem made other for to winne;
Hir frendschipe nas nat newe to biginne. (430)
Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus, 430
Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galien;
Serapion, Razis, and Avicen;
Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn;
Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
Of his diete mesurable was he, 435
For it was of no superfluitee,
But of greet norissing and digestible.
His studie was but litel on the Bible. (440)
In sangwin and in pers he clad was al,
[14: T. 442-478.]
Lyned with taffata and with sendal; 440
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.
415. Hl. wondurly wel; _rest_ a ful greet deel (del). 416. E. Hn.
natureel. 418. E. Hn. hise; Cm. hese. 421. E. Cm. Hl. where they;
Hn. where it. 424. Cm. Ln. seke; _rest_ sike. 425. E. hise. 426.
E. Hn. Cm. drogges; Cp. Pt. Ln. drugges; Hl. dragges. 430. Pt. Rufus;
Cm. Rufijs; Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl. Rusus; E. Risus. 431. Hl. Pt. Old; _rest_
Olde.
A good WYF was ther of bisyde BATHE, =Wyf of Bathe.=
But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe. 446
Of clooth-making she hadde swiche an haunt,
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. (450)
In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon
That to the offring bifore hir sholde goon; 450
And if ther dide, certeyn, so wrooth was she,
That she was out of alle charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne were of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
That on a Sonday were upon hir heed. 455
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite y-teyd, and shoos ful moiste and newe.
Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe. (460)
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve,
Housbondes at chirche-dore she hadde fyve, 460
Withouten other companye in youthe;
But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe.
And thryes hadde she been at Ierusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge streem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne, 465
In Galice at seint Iame, and at Coloigne.
She coude muche of wandring by the weye.
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye. (470)
Up-on an amblere esily she sat,
Y-wimpled wel, and on hir heed an hat 470
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felawschip wel coude she laughe and carpe.
Of remedyes of love she knew per-chaunce, 475
For she coude of that art the olde daunce.
452. Hl. was thanne out. 453, 455. E. weren. 457. Cp. Hl. schoos;
E. Pt. Ln. shoes. 458. E. Hn. Boold. 463. Ln. had. 467. Ln.
muche; Hl. Pt. Cp. moche; E. Hn. muchel. 474. E. Hn. felaweschip.
476. Hl. For of that art sche knew.
[15: T. 479-513.]
A good man was ther of religioun, =Persoun.=
And was a povre PERSOUN of a toun; (480)
But riche he was of holy thoght and werk.
He was also a lerned man, a clerk, 480
That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;
His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,
And in adversitee ful pacient;
And swich he was y-preved ofte sythes. 485
Ful looth were him to cursen for his tythes,
But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
Un-to his povre parisshens aboute (490)
Of his offring, and eek of his substaunce.
He coude in litel thing han suffisaunce. 490
Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer a-sonder,
But he ne lafte nat, for reyn ne thonder,
In siknes nor in meschief, to visyte
The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lyte,
Up-on his feet, and in his hand a staf. 495
This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,
That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte;
Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte; (500)
And this figure he added eek ther-to,
That if gold ruste, what shal iren do? 500
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.
Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive, 505
By his clennesse, how that his sheep shold live.
He sette nat his benefice to hyre,
And leet his sheep encombred in the myre, (510)
And ran to London, un-to sëynt Poules,
To seken him a chaunterie for soules, 510
Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;
[16: T. 514-547.]
But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,
So that the wolf ne made it nat miscarie;
He was a shepherde and no mercenarie.
And though he holy were, and vertuous, 515
He was to sinful man nat despitous,
Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,
But in his teching discreet and benigne. (520)
To drawen folk to heven by fairnesse
By good ensample, was his bisinesse: 520
But it were any persone obstinat,
What-so he were, of heigh or lowe estat,
Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nones.
A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher noon is.
He wayted after no pompe and reverence, 525
Ne maked him a spyced conscience,
But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taughte, and first he folwed it him-selve. (530)
485. Hl. I-proued; E. Cp. Pt. preued. 486. E. hise. 490. Hl. Cm.
Pt. han; E. Hn. Cp. Ln. haue. 493. E. siknesse. 497. E. firste.
E. _ins._ that (_by mistake_) _before_ he. 503. Hl. _alone ins._ that
_after_ if. 505. Hl. ȝiue; E. yeue. 509. Hl. Cp. seynte. 510.
Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. chaunterie; E. Hn. chauntrie. 512. E. dwelleth;
_rest_ dwelte. E. keepeth; Ln. keped; _rest_ kepte. 514. Hl. no;
_rest_ not a. 516. Hl. to senful man nought; _rest_ nat to sinful
man. 520. _All but_ Hl. this was. 522. Hn. lowe; E. lough. 523.
E. nonys. 525. E. waiteth; _rest_ waited. 527. E. hise. 528. Hl.
and; _rest_ but.
With him ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother, =Plowman.=
That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother, 530
A trewe swinker and a good was he,
Livinge in pees and parfit charitee.
God loved he best with al his hole herte
At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,
And thanne his neighebour right as him-selve. 535
He wolde thresshe, and ther-to dyke and delve,
For Cristes sake, for every povre wight,
Withouten hyre, if it lay in his might. (540)
His tythes payed he ful faire and wel,
Bothe of his propre swink and his catel. 540
In a tabard he rood upon a mere.
534. E. Pt. Ln. he; _rest_ him. 537. for] Hn. Hl. with. 539. Cp.
Pt. payed; Cm. Hl. payede; E. Hn. payde. 540. propre] Hl. owne.
Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,
A Somnour and a Pardoner also,
A Maunciple, and my-self; ther were namo.
The MILLER was a stout carl, for the nones, =Miller.=
[17: T. 548-582.]
Ful big he was of braun, and eek of bones; 546
That proved wel, for over-al ther he cam,
At wrastling he wolde have alwey the ram. (550)
He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,
Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, 550
Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed.
His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,
And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade.
Up-on the cop right of his nose he hade
A werte, and ther-on stood a tuft of heres, 555
Reed as the bristles of a sowes eres;
His nose-thirles blake were and wyde.
A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde; (560)
His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.
He was a Ianglere and a goliardeys, 560
And that was most of sinne and harlotryes.
Wel coude he stelen corn, and tollen thryes;
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.
A whyt cote and a blew hood wered he.
A baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne, 565
And ther-with-al he broghte us out of towne.
550. Cp. Hl. nolde; Hn. noolde; E. ne wolde. 555. E. toft; Ln. tofte:
_rest_ tuft. E. herys. 556. Hn. bristles; E. brustles; Pt. brysteles;
Hl. Cp. berstles. E. erys. 558. _All but_ Cp. and a. 559. Hl.
wyde; _rest_ greet, gret. 565. Hl. _om._ wel.
A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple, =Maunciple.=
Of which achatours mighte take exemple (570)
For to be wyse in bying of vitaille.
For whether that he payde, or took by taille, 570
Algate he wayted so in his achat,
That he was ay biforn and in good stat.
Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,
That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
The wisdom of an heep of lerned men? 575
Of maistres hadde he mo than thryes ten,
That were of lawe expert and curious;
Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous, (580)
Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and lond
Of any lord that is in Engelond, 580
[18: T. 583-615.]
To make him live by his propre good,
In honour dettelees, but he were wood,
Or live as scarsly as him list desire;
And able for to helpen al a shire
In any cas that mighte falle or happe; 585
And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.
570. E. Hn. wheither. 571. E. Achaat. 572. E. staat. 577. E.
weren. 578. E. whiche. Cm. doseyn; E. duszeyne. 581. E. maken.
582. Cm. but; Cp. Pt. but if that; _rest_ but if. 585. E. Hn. caas.
The REVE was a sclendre colerik man, =Reve.=
His berd was shave as ny as ever he can. (590)
His heer was by his eres round y-shorn.
His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn. 590
Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,
Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.
Wel coude he kepe a gerner and a binne;
Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne.
Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn, 595
The yelding of his seed, and of his greyn.
His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,
His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye, (600)
Was hoolly in this reves governing,
And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening, 600
Sin that his lord was twenty yeer of age;
Ther coude no man bringe him in arrerage.
Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne,
That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;
They were adrad of him, as of the deeth. 605
His woning was ful fair up-on an heeth,
With grene treës shadwed was his place.
He coude bettre than his lord purchace. (610)
Ful riche he was astored prively,
His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly, 610
To yeve and lene him of his owne good,
And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.
In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister;
[19: T. 616-652.]
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
This reve sat up-on a ful good stot, 615
That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.
A long surcote of pers up-on he hade,
And by his syde he bar a rusty blade. (620)
Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,
Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle. 620
Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,
And ever he rood the hindreste of our route.
589. _All but_ Hl. Ln. _ins._ ful _after_ eres. 590. E. doked. 594.
E. of; _rest_ on. 603. ne (2)] E. Hn. Cp. Pt. nor. 604. Hl. they
(_for_ he). E. Cm. _om._ ne. 606. Hl. fair; E. faire. 607. E. Hn.
shadwed; Hl. I-schadewed; Cm. I-schadewid; Cp. Pt. shadewed; Ln.
schadowed. 611. Hl. owne; E. owene. 612. E. _om._ and. E. gowne;
_rest_ cote. 613. _So_ Hn. Hl.; E. _and rest_ hadde lerned. Cp. Hl.
mester. 618. E. baar.
A SOMNOUR was ther with us in that place, =Somnour.=
That hadde a fyr-reed cherubinnes face,
For sawcefleem he was, with eyen narwe. 625
As hoot he was, and lecherous, as a sparwe;
With scalled browes blake, and piled berd;
Of his visage children were aferd. (630)
Ther nas quik-silver, litarge, ne brimstoon,
Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon, 630
Ne oynement that wolde dense and byte,
That him mighte helpen of his whelkes whyte,
Nor of the knobbes sittinge on his chekes.
Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,
And for to drinken strong wyn, reed as blood. 635
Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were wood.
And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn. (640)
A fewe termes hadde he, two or three,
That he had lerned out of som decree; 640
No wonder is, he herde it al the day;
And eek ye knowen wel, how that a Iay
Can clepen ‘Watte,’ as well as can the pope.
But who-so coude in other thing him grope,
Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophye; 645
Ay ‘_Questio quid iuris_’ wolde he crye.
He was a gentil harlot and a kinde;
A bettre felawe sholde men noght finde. (650)
He wolde suffre, for a quart of wyn,
A good felawe to have his concubyn 650
[20: T. 653-687.]
A twelf-month, and excuse him atte fulle:
Ful prively a finch eek coude he pulle.
And if he fond o-wher a good felawe,
He wolde techen him to have non awe,
In swich cas, of the erchedeknes curs, 655
But-if a mannes soule were in his purs;
For in his purs he sholde y-punisshed be.
‘Purs is the erchedeknes helle,’ seyde he. (660)
But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;
Of cursing oghte ech gilty man him drede— 660
For curs wol slee, right as assoilling saveth—
And also war him of a _significavit_.
In daunger hadde he at his owne gyse
The yonge girles of the diocyse,
And knew hir counseil, and was al hir reed. 665
A gerland hadde he set up-on his heed,
As greet as it were for an ale-stake;
A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake. (670)
623. Cm. Pt. Somnour; Hl. sompnour; E. Hn. Somonour. 627. E. Hn. Cm.
scaled. 629. Cp. Pt. Hl. bremston. 632. E. the; _rest_ his. 652.
E. Ln. Hl. And; _rest_ Ful. 655. Cm. Cp. erche-; E. erce-; Hl.
arche-. 660. Cp. Ln. him; Hl. Pt. to; _rest om._ 661. Hl. Pt.
saueth; E. sauith. 663. Hl. owne; E. owene. 668. E. bokeleer.
With him ther rood a gentil PARDONER =Pardoner.=
Of Rouncival, his freend and his compeer, 670
That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
Ful loude he song, ‘Com hider, love, to me.’
This somnour bar to him a stif burdoun,
Was never trompe of half so greet a soun.
This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex, 675
But smothe it heng, as dooth a strike of flex;
By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
And ther-with he his shuldres overspradde; (680)
But thinne it lay, by colpons oon and oon;
But hood, for Iolitee, ne wered he noon, 680
For it was trussed up in his walet.
Him thoughte, he rood al of the newe Iet;
Dischevele, save his cappe, he rood al bare.
Swiche glaringe eyen hadde he as an hare.
A vernicle hadde he sowed on his cappe. 685
[21: T. 688-722.]
His walet lay biforn him in his lappe,
Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.
A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot. (690)
No berd hadde he, ne never sholde have,
As smothe it was as it were late y-shave; 690
I trowe he were a gelding or a mare.
But of his craft, fro Berwik into Ware,
Ne was ther swich another pardoner.
For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,
Which that, he seyde, was our lady veyl: 695
He seyde, he hadde a gobet of the seyl
That sëynt Peter hadde, whan that he wente
Up-on the see, til Iesu Crist him hente. (700)
He hadde a croys of latoun, ful of stones,
And in a glas he hadde pigges bones. 700
But with thise relikes, whan that he fond
A povre person dwelling up-on lond,
Up-on a day he gat him more moneye
Than that the person gat in monthes tweye.
And thus, with feyned flaterye and Iapes, 705
He made the person and the peple his apes.
But trewely to tellen, atte laste,
He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste. (710)
Wel coude he rede a lessoun or a storie,
But alderbest he song an offertorie; 710
For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,
He moste preche, and wel affyle his tonge,
To winne silver, as he ful wel coude;
Therefore he song so meriely and loude.
669. E. was; _rest_ rood, rode. 670. E. Cm. Pt. Rounciuale. 672. E.
soong. 676. E. heeng. 677, 678. E. hise. 680. But] Cm. Hl. And.
Hl. ne; _rest omit_. 683. E. Discheuelee. 685. Hl. Cp. on; _rest_
vp on. 686. Hl. lay; _which the rest omit._ 687. Hl. Cm. come;
_rest_ comen. 688. Hl. eny (_for_ hath a). 690. Hn. yshaue; E.
shaue. 695. _All_ oure. 713. Hl. right (_for_ ful). 714. Cp. Pt.
Ln. so meriely; E. Hn. Cm. the murierly.
Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, 715
Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause
Why that assembled was this companye
In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, (720)
That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
But now is tyme to yow for to telle 720
[22: T. 723-758.]
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.
But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, 725
That ye narette it nat my vileinye,
Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere,
To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; (730)
Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly.
For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, 730
Who-so shal telle a tale after a man,
He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can,
Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
Al speke he never so rudeliche and large;
Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, 735
Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe.
He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother;
He moot as wel seye o word as another. (740)
Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ,
And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. 740
Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede,
The wordes mote be cosin to the dede.
Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,
Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; 745
My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.
715. E. Hl. shortly; _rest_ soothly. 716. Hl. Thestat; Hn. Thestaat;
E. The staat; Cm. Cp. The estat. 718. E. as; _rest_ at. 724. E.
oure (_but_ our _in_ l. 723). 725. E. youre; Hl. ȝour. 726. E.
Hn. Cm. narette; Cp. Pt. Hl. ne rette. 734. E. or; Hl. ne; _rest_
and. 741. _All but_ Hl. _om._ that.
Greet chere made our hoste us everichon,
And to the soper sette he us anon; (750)
And served us with vitaille at the beste.
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drinke us leste. 750
A semely man our hoste was with-alle
For to han been a marshal in an halle;
A large man he was with eyen stepe,
A fairer burgeys is ther noon in Chepe:
Bold of his speche, and wys, and wel y-taught, 755
And of manhod him lakkede right naught.
[23: T. 759-793.]
Eek therto he was right a mery man,
And after soper pleyen he bigan, (760)
And spak of mirthe amonges othere thinges,
Whan that we hadde maad our rekeninges; 760
And seyde thus: ‘Now, lordinges, trewely,
Ye been to me right welcome hertely:
For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
I ne saugh this yeer so mery a companye
At ones in this herberwe as is now. 765
Fayn wolde I doon yow mirthe, wiste I how.
And of a mirthe I am right now bithoght,
To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght. (770)
747. E. chiere. E. hoost (_see_ l. 751). 752. Hl. han; _rest om._
754. E. Hn. was. 755. E. Hn. Boold. 756. Cm. Cp. lakkede; E.
lakked. 761. now] Hl. lo. 764. Hl. ne saugh; _rest_ saugh nat
(seigh not, &c.). Hl. Cm. mery; E. myrie.
Ye goon to Caunterbury; God yow spede,
The blisful martir quyte yow your mede. 770
And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye;
For trewely, confort ne mirthe is noon
To ryde by the weye doumb as a stoon;
And therfore wol I maken yow disport, 775
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
And if yow lyketh alle, by oon assent,
Now for to stonden at my Iugement, (780)
And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
To-morwe, whan ye ryden by the weye, 780
Now, by my fader soule, that is deed,
But ye be merye, I wol yeve yow myn heed.
Hold up your hond, withouten more speche.’
774. a] E. the; Hn. _om._ 778. _All but_ Hl. _om._ Now. 782. E. But
if; _rest_ But. E. myrie. Hl. merye smyteth of.
Our counseil was nat longe for to seche;
Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys, 785
And graunted him withouten more avys,
And bad him seye his verdit, as him leste.
785. Hl. nas. 787. Cp. verdit; Pt. veredit; Hl. Ln. verdite; Cm.
verdoit; E. Hn. voirdit.
‘Lordinges,’ quod he, ‘now herkneth for the beste; (790)
But tak it not, I prey yow, in desdeyn;
This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn, 790
That ech of yow, to shorte with your weye,
[24: T. 794-827.]
In this viage, shal telle tales tweye,
To Caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,
And hom-ward he shal tellen othere two,
Of aventures that whylom han bifalle. 795
And which of yow that bereth him best of alle,
That is to seyn, that telleth in this cas
Tales of best sentence and most solas, (800)
Shal have a soper at our aller cost
Here in this place, sitting by this post, 800
Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
And for to make yow the more mery,
I wol my-selven gladly with yow ryde,
Right at myn owne cost, and be your gyde.
And who-so wol my Iugement withseye 805
Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
And if ye vouche-sauf that it be so,
Tel me anon, with-outen wordes mo, (810)
And I wol erly shape me therfore.’
789. E. taak; Ln. tak; Cp. Pt. take; Hl. Hn. taketh. 791. Cp. Hl.
your; _rest_ our; _cf._ l. 803. 795. Hl. ther (_for_ whylom). 797,
798. E. caas, solaas. 802. E. Hn. Cp. mury. 803. Hl. my seluen
gladly; E. my self goodly. 805. E. wole (_but_ wol _in_ l. 809).
This thing was graunted, and our othes swore 810
With ful glad herte, and preyden him also
That he wold vouche-sauf for to do so,
And that he wolde been our governour,
And of our tales Iuge and reportour,
And sette a soper at a certeyn prys; 815
And we wold reuled been at his devys,
In heigh and lowe; and thus, by oon assent,
We been acorded to his Iugement. (820)
And ther-up-on the wyn was fet anon;
We dronken, and to reste wente echon, 820
With-outen any lenger taryinge.
812. E. would. 816. Hl. wolde; Pt. wold; _rest_ wol, wolen, wiln,
wil. 817. Hl. lowe; E. lough.
A-morwe, whan that day bigan to springe,
Up roos our host, and was our aller cok,
And gadrede us togidre, alle in a flok,
And forth we riden, a litel more than pas, 825
[25: T. 828-860.]
Un-to the watering of seint Thomas.
And there our host bigan his hors areste,
And seyde; ‘Lordinges, herkneth, if yow leste. (830)
Ye woot your forward, and I it yow recorde.
If even-song and morwe-song acorde, 830
Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.
As ever mote I drinke wyn or ale,
Who-so be rebel to my Iugement
Shal paye for al that by the weye is spent.
Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twinne; 835
He which that hath the shortest shal biginne.
Sire knight,’ quod he, ‘my maister and my lord,
Now draweth cut, for that is myn acord. (840)
Cometh neer,’ quod he, ‘my lady prioresse;
And ye, sir clerk, lat be your shamfastnesse, 840
Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man.’
822. E. Hn. that; Hl. that the; _rest_ the. E. gan for; Hn. Cp. Hl.
bigan. 823. E. Hn. aller; Hl. althur; Cp. alther; Pt. Ln. alder.
825. E. paas. 829. E. foreward (_badly_). E. Hn. _om._ I. 831.
Hl. ferst a tale. 835. Cp. Pt. Ln. ferther; Hl. forther. 836. E.
Hn. shorteste. 840. E. shamefastnesse.
Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
And shortly for to tellen, as it was,
Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knight, 845
Of which ful blythe and glad was every wight;
And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,
By forward and by composicioun, (850)
As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes mo?
And whan this gode man saugh it was so, 850
As he that wys was and obedient
To kepe his forward by his free assent,
He seyde: ‘Sin I shal biginne the game,
What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.’ 855
848, 852. E. foreward (_badly_). 850. _All insert_ that _after_ saugh
(_needlessly_). 854. Hl. thou (_for_ the).
And with that word we riden forth our weye;
And he bigan with right a mery chere
His tale anon, and seyde in this manere. (860)
=Here endeth the prolog of this book; and here biginneth the first
tale, which is the knightes tale.=
857. Cm. mery; E. myrie. 858. _So_ E. Hl.; _rest_ as ye may here.
COLOPHON: _from_ MS. Sloane 1685, _which has_ Heere endith, heere,
knyghte (_sic_).
[26: T. 861-885.]
* * * * *