9

y-ronne,

5

And bathed every veyne 8 in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt 10 and heeth
The tendre croppes," and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours 12
And smale foweles 13 maken melodye
That slepen al the nyght with open eye,
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages,1 —
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,15
To ferne halwes,16 kowthe 17 in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende

II

15

In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed atte beste.1
And, shortly, whan the sonne was to reste, 30
So hadde I spoken with hem everychon,
That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
And made forward 2 erly for to ryse,
To take oure wey, ther-as I yow devyse.3
But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Me thynketh it accordaunt to resoun
To telle yow al the condicioun 4
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,

36

45

And whiche 5 they weren and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were inne;
And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne. 42
A Knyght ther was and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
To riden out, he lovede chivalrie,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
And thereto 6 hadde he riden, no man ferre,7
As wel in Cristendom as in hethenesse,
And ever honoured for his worthynesse.
At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne;
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
Aboven alle nacions in Pruce.9

11

50

8

12

In Lettow 10 hadde he reysed " and in Ruce,"
No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.13
55
In Gernade1 at the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.15
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,16
Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete
See 17

16

16

60

At many a noble armee 18 hadde he be.
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene 16
In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke 19 worthy knyght hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
Agayn 20 another het hen in Turkye;
And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.21
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.
He never yet no vileynye ne sayde

22

23

65

70

4 character what sort 6 besides 7 farther begun the board (sat at the head of the table) 9 Prussia 10 Lithuania 11 made expeditions 12 Russia 13 rank 14 Granada 15 A district in Africa. 16 Places in Asia Minor. 17 Mediterranean 18 armed expedition same against 21 high esteem 22 bearing 23 discourtesy

19

20

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.
131
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.

18

136

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,'
And sikerly 10 she was of greet desport,"
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 șo 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 22 smoot it with a yerde 23 smerte;
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, 155
For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.

4

active

6

10 cavalry expeditions" lady's 12 meadow 13 whistling 14 16 15 night-time compose carved 17 yeoman no more bundle of twenty-four 22 take care of 23 equipment 24 worn and clipped short 25 closely cut hair 26 small shield

18 the knight 19

21

peacock

9

29

24

3 1 an image of his patron saint 2 cord quiet 5 named skilfully A convent near London. pleasure reached 10 certainly good humour bearing 13 exerted herself 14 imitate 15 fashions 16 dignified worthy saw 19 little dogs 20 cake bread 21 died any one stick 24 sharply 25 neatly 26 face-cloth pinched, plaited 28 well-formed 29 certainly

17

22

27

18

23

170

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
As Austyn bit? 15 How shal the world be
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,21 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 ;
4
set Every

as

1 well-made 2 I perceived 3 eleventh bead was a large green one.

6

22

5 beautiful

11 strict

an extremely fine one 7 hunting cell is a branch monastery. 10 12 vagabond 13

17

22

crazy

tracking 18 pleasure

en bon point, fleshy

14 work 15 bids

19

20

21

edged saw

16 hunter

grey fur

Hise eyen stepe1 and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed; 3
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.
Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat.
He was nat pale, as a forpyned 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 is noon that can 8
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
Ther-as 10 he wiste11 to have a good pit-

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 15 full of knyves 233
And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.
And certeinly he hadde a murye
16 note;
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 19
Bet 20 than a lazar 21 or a beggestere; 22
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

261

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 11 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,"
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,

12

Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght
As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.
This worthy lymytour was cleped Huberd.

266

271

A Marchant was ther with a forked berd,
In mottelee,1 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,18
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,

3

24

281

285

1 poor folk 2 everywhere where 4 full of good qualities shoe 6 St. John i, 1, used as a greeting.

8

12

5

short

11

17

7 bit gettings 9 what he paid for his begging privileges or his regular income 10 puppy arbitration days cape 13, the press in which the semi-cope was kept. 14 jollity neatly remarks, declarations pompously sounding, proclaiming 20 the increase 21 at any cost exchange 23 French coins, écus 24

15 a sober grey

18

16

19

22

25 employed knew

295

But looked holwe 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."
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;

9

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.8
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

That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit Was verraily felicitee parfit.

8

3 in

335

340

An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
Seint Julian he was in his contree;
His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon;
A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon.
Withoute bake-mete 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,"
And many a breem 11 and many a luce 11 in
stuwe.12

10

350

355

17

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,15 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.27
Everich, for the wisdom that he can,2
Was shaply for to been an alderman;
For catel 29 hadde they ynogh and rente,30
And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;

28

4

9

370

custom

temperament 2 in the morning 3 sop *patron saint of hospitality always of the same quality provided with wines pasties snowed coop a kind of fish 12 pond 13 unless 14 a permanent table 15 knife 16 pouch 17 treasurer 18 landholder 19 keeper of a shop for hats or furnishings upholsterer one uniform 23 apparel

20

weaver 21

22

28

24 trimmed 25 sheathed 26 guild-hall 27 dais 25 knows property 30 income

29

Maken mortreux,8 and wel bake a pye. But greet harm was it, as it thought me, 385 That on his shine a mormal 1o hadde he. For blankmanger," that made he with the beste. 12 fer by

A Shipman was ther, wonynge

weste;
For aught I woot 13 he was of Dertemouthe.
He rood upon a rouncy 14 as he couthe,15 390
In a gowne of faldyng 16 to the knee.

A daggere hangynge on a laas 17 hadde he
Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.

The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun.

And certeinly he was a good felawe; 18 395 Ful many a draughte of wyn hadde he idrawe

Fro Burdeuxward, whil that the chapman 19 sleep.

Of nyce conscience took he no keep.20

If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond, By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.21