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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395624" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Canterbury Tales; Prologue</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whan that Aprille, with hise shoures soote,<br>The droghte of March hath perced to the roote<br>And bathed every veyne in swich licour,<br>Of which vertu engendred is the flour;<br>Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Inspired hath in every holt and heeth<br>The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne<br>Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,<br>And smale foweles maken melodye,<br>That slepen al the nyght with open eye-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So priketh hem Nature in hir corages-<br>Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages<br>And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes<br>To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;<br>And specially, from every shires ende</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of Engelond, to Caunturbury they wende,<br>The hooly blisful martir for the seke<br>That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.<br>Bifil that in that seson, on a day,<br>In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage<br>To Caunterbury, with ful devout corage,<br>At nyght were come into that hostelrye<br>Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye<br>Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,<br>That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.<br>The chambres and the stables weren wyde,<br>And wel we weren esed atte beste;<br>And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So hadde I spoken with hem everychon<br>That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,<br>And made forward erly for to ryse<br>To take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.<br>But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Er that I ferther in this tale pace,<br>Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun<br>To telle yow al the condicioun<br>Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,<br>And whiche they weren, and of what degree,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And eek in what array that they were inne;<br>And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.<br>A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,<br>That fro the tyme that he first bigan<br>To riden out, he loved chivalrie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.<br>Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,<br>As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse,<br>And evere honoured for his worthynesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;<br>Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne<br>Aboven alle nacions in Pruce;<br>In Lettow hadde he reysed, and in Ruce,<br>No cristen man so ofte of his degree.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be<br>Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye;<br>At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,<br>Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See<br>At many a noble arive hadde he be.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,<br>And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene<br>In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.<br>This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also<br>Somtyme with the lord of Palatye</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Agayn another hethen in Turkye,<br>And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.<br>And though that he were worthy, he was wys,<br>And of his port as meeke as is a mayde;<br>He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In al his lyf unto no maner wight;<br>He was a verray parfit gentil knyght.<br>But for to tellen yow of his array,<br>His hors weren goode, but he was nat gay.<br>Of fustian he wered a gypoun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Al bismotered with his habergeoun;<br>For he was late ycome from his viage,<br>And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.<br>With hym ther was his sone, a yong Squier,<br>A lovyere and a lusty bacheler,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.<br>Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.<br>Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,<br>And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.<br>And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie,<br>And born hym weel, as of so litel space,<br>In hope to stonden in his lady grace.<br>Embrouded was he, as it were a meede,<br>Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day,<br>He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.<br>Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.<br>Wel koude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde,<br>He koude songes make, and wel endite,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Juste, and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.<br>So hoote he lovede, that by nyghtertale<br>He slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.<br>Curteis he was, lowely, and servysable,<br>And carf biforn his fader at the table.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A Yeman hadde he, and servantz namo<br>At that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;<br>And he was clad in cote and hood of grene,<br>A sheef of pecok arwes bright and kene<br>Under his belt he bar ful thriftily-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly,<br>Hise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe-<br>And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.<br>A not -heed hadde he, with a broun visage,<br>Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,<br>And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,<br>And on that oother syde a gay daggere,<br>Harneised wel, and sharpe as point of spere.<br>A Cristophere on his brest of silver sheene,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene.<br>A Forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.<br>Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,<br>That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy.<br>Hir gretteste ooth was but by Seinte Loy,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And she was cleped Madame Eglentyne.<br>Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,<br>Entuned in hir nose ful semely;<br>And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly<br>After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For Frenssh of Parys was to hir unknowe.<br>At mete wel ytaught was she withalle;<br>She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,<br>Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe.<br>Wel koude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That no drope ne fille upon hir brist.<br>In curteisie was set ful muche hir list;<br>Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene,<br>That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene<br>Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful semely after hir mete she raughte;<br>And sikerly, she was of greet desport,<br>And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,<br>And peyned hir to countrefete cheere<br>Of court, and been estatlich of manere,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And to ben holden digne of reverence.<br>But for to speken of hir conscience,<br>She was so charitable and so pitous,<br>She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous<br>Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.<br>But soore weep she if oon of hem were deed,<br>Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;<br>And al was conscience, and tendre herte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,<br>Hire nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,<br>Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;<br>But sikerly, she hadde a fair forheed,<br>It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.<br>Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war;<br>Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar<br>A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,<br>An theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">On which ther was first write a crowned `A,'<br>And after,`Amor vincit omnia.'<br>Another Nonne with hir hadde she,<br>That was hire Chapeleyne, and preestes thre.<br>A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">An outridere, that lovede venerie,<br>A manly man, to been an abbot able.<br>Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable;<br>And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere<br>Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And eek as loude, as dooth the chapel belle,<br>Ther as this lord was keper of the celle.<br>The reule of Seint Maure, or of Seint Beneit,<br>Bycause that it was old and somdel streit-<br>This ilke Monk leet olde thynges pace,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And heeld after the newe world the space.<br>He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,<br>That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men,<br>Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,<br>Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre-<br>But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre!<br>And I seyde his opinioun was good,<br>What sholde he studie, and make hymselven wood,<br>Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Or swynken with his handes and laboure<br>As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served?<br>Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved;<br>Therfore he was a prikasour aright,<br>Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare<br>Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.<br>I seigh his sleves ypurfiled at the hond<br>With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;<br>And for to festne his hood under his chyn</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pyn;<br>A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.<br>His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,<br>And eek his face, as it hadde been enoynt.<br>He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hise eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,<br>That stemed as a forneys of a leed;<br>His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat;<br>Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat!<br>He was nat pale as a forpyned goost,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A fat swan loved he best of any roost.<br>His palfrey was as broun as is a berye,<br>A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,<br>A lymytour, a ful solempne man,<br>In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.<br>He hadde maad ful many a mariage<br>Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.<br>Unto his ordre he was a noble post,<br>And wel biloved and famulier was he</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With frankeleyns overal in his contree<br>And eek with worthy wommen of the toun,<br>For he hadde power of confessioun,<br>As seyde hymself, moore than a curat,<br>For of his ordre he was licenciat.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful swetely herde he confessioun,<br>And plesaunt was his a absolucioun,<br>He was an esy man to yeve penaunce<br>Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce;<br>For unto a povre ordre for to yive</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Is signe that a man is wel yshryve;<br>For, if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,<br>He wiste that a man was repentaunt.<br>For many a man so harde is of his herte,<br>He may nat wepe, al thogh hym soore smerte;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Therfore, in stede of wepynge and preyeres,<br>Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.<br>His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves<br>And pynnes, for to yeven yonge wyves.<br>And certeinly he hadde a murye note,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wel koude he synge, and pleyen on a rote,<br>Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.<br>His nekke whit was as the flour delys;<br>Therto he strong was as a champioun,<br>He knew the tavernes wel in every toun</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And everich hostiler and tappestere<br>Bet than a lazar or a beggestere.<br>For unto swich a worthy man as he<br>Acorded nat, as by his facultee,<br>To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">It is nat honeste, it may nat avaunce,<br>For to deelen with no swich poraille,<br>But al with riche and selleres of vitaille;<br>And overal, ther as profit sholde arise,<br>Curteis he was, and lowely of servyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous;<br>He was the beste beggere in his hous,<br>(And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt<br>Noon of his brethren cam ther in his haunt <br>For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,<br>So plesaunt was his `In principio'<br>Yet wolde he have a ferthyng er he wente;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.<br>And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe;<br>In love-dayes ther koude he muchel helpe;<br>For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer,<br>With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But he was lyk a maister or a pope;<br>Of double worstede was his semycope,<br>That rounded as a belle out of the presse.<br>Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse<br>To make his Englissh sweete upon his tonge,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,<br>Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght<br>As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.<br>This worthy lymytour was cleped Huberd.<br>A Marchant was ther, with a forkek berd,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat,<br>Upon his heed a Flaundryssh bevere hat,<br>His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.<br>Hise resons he spak ful solempnely,<br>Sownynge alway thencrees of his wynnyng.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He wolde the see were kept for any thyng<br>Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.<br>Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.<br>This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;<br>Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So estatly was he of his governaunce,<br>With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.<br>Forsothe, he was a worthy man with-alle,<br>But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.<br>A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.<br>As leene was his hors as is a rake,<br>And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,<br>But looked holwe and therto sobrely.<br>Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,<br>Ne was so worldly for to have office,<br>For hym was levere have at his beddes heed<br>Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,<br>Of Aristotle and his plilosophie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.<br>But al be that he was a philosophre,<br>Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;<br>But al that he myghte of his freendes hente,<br>On bookes and his lernynge he it spente,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And bisily gan for the soules preye<br>Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.<br>Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede,<br>Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,<br>And that was seyd in forme and reverence,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And short and quyk, and ful of hy sentence.<br>Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,<br>And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.<br>A Sergeant of the Lawe, war and wys,<br>That often hadde been at the parvys,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.<br>Discreet he was, and of greet reverence,-<br>He semed swich, hise wordes weren so wise.<br>Justice he was ful often in assise,<br>By patente, and by pleyn commissioun.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For his science, and for his heigh renoun,<br>Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.<br>So greet a purchasour was nowher noon,<br>Al was fee symple to hym in effect,<br>His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,<br>And yet he semed bisier than he was;<br>In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle,<br>That from the tyme of Kyng William were falle.<br>Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng.<br>And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.<br>He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote<br>Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;-<br>Of his array telle I no lenger tale.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A Frankeleyn was in his compaignye;<br>Whit was his berd as is a dayesye.<br>Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.<br>Wel loved he by the morwe a sope in wyn,<br>To lyven in delit was evere his wone;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For he was Epicurus owene sone,<br>That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit<br>Was verraily felicitee parfit,<br>An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;<br>Seint Julian was he in his contree.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon,<br>A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.<br>Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous,<br>Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,<br>It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of alle deyntees that men koude thynke.<br>After the sondry sesons of the yeer<br>So chaunged he his mete and his soper.<br>Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,<br>And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wo was his cook, but if his sauce were<br>Poynaunt, and sharp, and redy al his geere.<br>His table dormant in his halle alway<br>Stood redy covered al the longe day.<br>At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.<br>An anlaas and a gipser al of silk<br>Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.<br>A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour,<br>Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">An Haberdasshere and a Carpenter,<br>A Webbe, a Dyere, and a Tapycer-<br>And they were clothed alle in o lyveree<br>Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee.<br>Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras,<br>But al with silver wroght ful clene and weel,<br>Hir girdles and hir pouches everydeel.<br>Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys<br>To sitten in a yeldehalle on a deys.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Everich for the wisdom that he kan<br>Was shaply for to been an alderman;<br>For catel hadde they ynogh, and rente,<br>And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente-<br>And eles, certeyn, were they to blame!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">It is ful fair to been ycleped `ma Dame,'<br>And goon to vigilies al bifore,<br>And have a mantel roialliche ybore.<br>A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones,<br>To boille the chiknes with the marybones,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And poudre-marchant tart, and galyngale.<br>Wel koude he knowe a draughte of London ale;<br>He koude rooste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,<br>Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.<br>But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That on his shyne a mormal hadde he!<br>For blankmanger, that made he with the beste.<br>A Shipman was ther, wonynge fer by weste;<br>For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.<br>He rood upon a rouncy, as he kouthe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.<br>A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he<br>Aboute his nekke, under his arm adoun.<br>The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun,<br>And certeinly he was a good felawe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful many a draughte of wyn had he ydrawe<br>Fro Burdeuxward, whil that the chapman sleep.<br>Of nyce conscience took he no keep;<br>If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,<br>By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But of his craft, to rekene wel his tydes,<br>His stremes, and his daungers hym bisides,<br>His herberwe and his moone, his lodemenage,<br>Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.<br>Hardy he was, and wys to undertake,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake;<br>He knew alle the havenes as they were<br>From Gootlond to the Cape of Fynystere,<br>And every cryke in Britaigne and in Spayne.<br>His barge yeleped was the Maudelayne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With us ther was a Doctour of Phisik;<br>In al this world ne was ther noon hym lik,<br>To speke of phisik and of surgerye;<br>For he was grounded in astronomye.<br>He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In houres, by his magyk natureel.<br>Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent<br>Of hisc ymages for his pacient.<br>He knew the cause of everich maladye,<br>Were it of hoot or coold, or moyste, or drye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And where they engendred, and of what humour.<br>He was a verray parfit praktisour;<br>The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,<br>Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.<br>Ful redy hadde he hise apothecaries</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To sende him drogges and his letuaries,<br>For ech of hem made oother for to wynne,<br>Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.<br>Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,<br>And Deyscorides and eek Rufus,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Olde Ypocras, Haly, and Galyen,<br>Serapioun, Razis, and Avycen,<br>Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn,<br>Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.<br>Of his diete mesurable was he,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For it was of no superfluitee,<br>But of greet norissyng, and digestible.<br>His studie was but litel on the Bible.<br>In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,<br>Lyned with taffata and with sendal-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And yet he was but esy of dispence;<br>He kepte that he wan in pestilence.<br>For gold in phisik is a cordial,<br>Therfore he lovede gold in special.<br>A good wif was ther, of biside Bathe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He was to synful man nat despitous,<br>Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,<br>But in his techyng discreet and benygne;<br>To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,<br>By good ensample, this was his bisynesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But it were any persone obstinat,<br>What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,<br>Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.<br>A bettre preest, I trowe, that nowher noon ys.<br>He waited after no pompe and reverence,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne maked him a spiced conscience,<br>But Cristes loore, and Hise apostles twelve<br>He taughte, but first he folwed it hym-selve.<br>With hym ther was a Plowman, was his brother,<br>That hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A trewe swybnker and a good was he,<br>Lyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.<br>God loved he best with al his hoole herte<br>At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,<br>And thanne his neighebore right as hym-selve;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,<br>For Cristes sake, for every povre wight<br>Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.<br>Hise tithes payed he ful faire and wel,<br>Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In a tabard he rood, upon a mere.<br>Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,<br>A Somnour and a Pardoner also,<br>A Maunciple, and myself, ther were namo.<br>The Millere was a stout carl for the nones,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones-<br>That proved wel, for overal ther he cam<br>At wrastlyng he wolde have alwey the ram.<br>He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,<br>Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.<br>His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,<br>And therto brood, as though it were a spade.<br>Upon the cop right of his nose he hade<br>A werte, and thereon stood a toft of heres</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Reed as the brustles of a sowes eres;<br>Hise nosethirles blake were and wyde.<br>A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde.<br>His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys,<br>He was a janglere and a goliardeys,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And that was moost of synne and harlotries.<br>Wel koude he stelen corn, and tollen thries,<br>And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.<br>A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.<br>A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.<br>A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,<br>Of which achatours myghte take exemple<br>For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;<br>For wheither that he payde or took by taille,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Algate he wayted so in his achaat<br>That he was ay biforn, and in good staat.<br>Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,<br>That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace<br>The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,<br>That weren of lawe expert and curious,<br>Of whiche ther weren a duszeyne in that hous<br>Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond<br>Of any lord that is in Engelond,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To maken hym lyve by his propre good,<br>In honour dettelees, but if he were wood;<br>Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire,<br>And able for to helpen al a shire<br>In any caas that myghte falle or happe-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe!<br>The Reve was a sclendre colerik man;<br>His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan,<br>His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn,<br>His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,<br>Ylyk a staf, ther was no calf ysene.<br>Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne,<br>Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.<br>Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.<br>His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,<br>His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye,<br>Was hooly in this reves governyng<br>And by his covenant yaf the rekenyng,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age;<br>Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage.<br>Ther nas baillif, ne hierde, nor oother hyne,<br>That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne,<br>They were adrad of hym as of the deeth.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His wonyng was ful faire upon an heeth,<br>With grene trees shadwed was his place.<br>He koude bettre than his lord purchace.<br>Ful riche he was astored pryvely;<br>His lord wel koude he plesen subtilly</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To yeve and lene hym of his owene good,<br>And have a thank, and yet a cote and hook.<br>In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster,<br>He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.<br>This reve sat upon a ful good stot,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.<br>A long surcote of pers upon he hade,<br>And by his syde he baar a rusty blade.<br>Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,<br>Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,<br>And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.<br>A Somonour was ther with us in that place,<br>That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynnes face,<br>For sawcefleem he was, with eyen narwe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As hoot he was, and lecherous, as a sparwe,<br>With scalled browes blake, and piled berd,<br>Of his visage children were aferd.<br>Ther nas quyk-silver, lytarge, ne brymstoon,<br>Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne oynement, that wolde clense and byte,<br>That hym myghte helpen of his wheldes white,<br>Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.<br>Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,<br>And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.<br>And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,<br>Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn.<br>A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,<br>That he had lerned out of som decree-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No wonder is, he herde it al the day,<br>And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay<br>Kan clepen `watte' as wel as kan the Pope.<br>But who so koude in oother thyng hym grope,<br>Thanne hadde he spent al his plilosophie;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ay `questio quid juris' wolde he crie.<br>He was a gentil harlot and a kynde,<br>A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde;<br>He wolde suffre, for a quart of wyn,<br>A good felawe to have his concubyn</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A twelf-monthe, and excuse hym atte fulle-<br>Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.<br>And if he foond owher a good felawe,<br>He wolde techen him to have noon awe,<br>In swich caas, of the erchedekeness curs,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But if a mannes soule were in his purs;<br>For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be,<br>`Purs is the erchedekenes helle,' seyde he.<br>But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;<br>Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For curs wol slee, right as assoillyng savith-<br>And also war him of a Significavit.<br>In daunger hadde he at his owene gise<br>The yonge girles of the diocise,<br>And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A gerland hadde he set upon his heed<br>As greet as it were for an ale-stake;<br>A bokeleer hadde he maad him of a cake.<br>With hym ther rood a gentil Pardoner<br>Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.<br>Ful loude he soong `com hider, love, to me.'<br>This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun,<br>Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.<br>This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;<br>By ounces henge hise lokkes that he hadde,<br>And therwith he hise shuldres overspradde;<br>But thynne it lay by colpons oon and oon.<br>But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For it was trussed up in his walet.<br>Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet,<br>Dischevele, save his cappe, he rood al bare.<br>Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.<br>A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe<br>Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.<br>A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot,<br>No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have,<br>As smothe it was as it were late shave,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare.<br>But of his craft, fro Berwyk into Ware,<br>Ne was ther swich another Pardoner;<br>For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,<br>Which that he seyde was Oure Lady veyl;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He seyde, he hadde a gobet of the seyl<br>That Seinte Peter hadde, whan that he wente<br>Upon the see, til Jesu Crist hym hente.<br>He hadde a croys of latoun, ful of stones,<br>And in a glas he hadde pigges bones;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But with thise relikes whan that he fond<br>A povre persoun dwellyng up-on-lond,<br>Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye<br>Than that the person gat in monthes tweye,<br>And thus with feyned flaterye and japes</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He made the persoun and the peple his apes.<br>But trewely to tellen atte laste,<br>He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste;<br>Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,<br>But alderbest he song an offertorie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe<br>He moste preche, and wel affile his tonge;<br>To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude,<br>Therfore he song the murierly and loude.<br>Now have I toold you shortly in a clause</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thestaat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause<br>Why that assembled was this compaignye<br>In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye,<br>That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.<br>But now is tyme to yow for to telle</div><div style="margin:10px 0">How that we baren us that ilke nyght<br>Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght,<br>And after wol I telle of our viage,<br>And all the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.<br>But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That ye narette it nat my vileynye,<br>Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere<br>To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,<br>Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.<br>For this ye knowen also wel as I,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Who-so shal telle a tale after a man,<br>He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan<br>Everich a word, if it be in his charge,<br>Al speke he never so rudeliche or large;<br>Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.<br>He may nat spare, al thogh he were his brother,<br>He moot as wel seye o word as another.<br>Crist spak hym-self ful brode in Hooly Writ,<br>And, wel ye woot, no vileynye is it.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Eek Plato seith, who so kan hym rede,<br>The wordes moote be cosyn to the dede.<br>Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,<br>Al have I nat set folk in hir degree<br>Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.<br>Greet chiere made oure hoost us everichon,<br>And to the soper sette he us'anon.<br>He served us with vitaille at the beste;<br>Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us lestel</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A semely man oure Hooste was withalle<br>For to been a marchal in an halle.<br>A large man he was, with eyen stepe,<br>A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe;<br>Boold of his speche, and wys, and well ytaught,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.<br>Eek therto he was right a myrie man;<br>And after soper pleyen he bigan,<br>And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,<br>Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And seyde thus: 'Now lordynges, trewely,<br>Ye been to me right welcome hertely,<br>For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,<br>I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye<br>Atones in this herberwe, as is now.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how-<br>And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght<br>To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.<br>Ye goon to Caunterbury, God yow speede-<br>The blisful martir quite yow youre meede-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,<br>Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye,<br>For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon<br>To ride by the weye doumb as stoon,<br>And therfore wol I maken yow disport,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort;<br>And if yow liketh alle by oon assent<br>For to stonden at my juggement,<br>And for to werken as I shal yow seye,<br>To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now, by my fader soule that is deed,<br>But ye be myrie I wol yeve yow myn heed!<br>Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche.'<br>Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche-<br>Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And graunted hym, withouten moore avys,<br>And bad him seye his voirdit, as hym leste.<br>'Lordynges,' quod he, 'now herkneth for the beste,<br>But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn.<br>This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,<br>In this viage shal telle tales tweye,<br>To Caunterburyward I mene it so,<br>And homward he shal tellen othere two,<br>Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle-<br>That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas<br>Tales of best sentence and moost solaas-<br>Shal have a soper at oure aller cost,<br>Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.<br>And for to make yow the moore mury<br>I wol my-selven goodly with yow ryde<br>Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde.<br>And who so wole my juggement withseye</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.<br>And if ye vouchesauf that it be so,<br>Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,<br>And I wol erly shape me therfore.'<br>This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With ful gald herte, and preyden hym also<br>That he wolde vouchesauf for to do so,<br>And that he wolde been oure governour,<br>And of our tales juge and reportour,<br>And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And we wol reuled been at his devys<br>In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent<br>We been acorded to his juggement;<br>And therupon the wyn was fet anon,<br>We dronken, and to reste wente echon</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Withouten any lenger taryynge.<br>Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,<br>Up roos oure Hoost, and was oure aller cok,<br>And gadrede us to gidre, alle in a flok,<br>And forth we riden, a litel moore than paas,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Unto the wateryng of Seint Thomas. <br>And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste,<br>And seyde, 'Lordynges, herkneth if yow leste,<br>Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde;<br>If even-song and morwe-song accorde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.<br>As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,<br>Whoso be rebel to my juggement<br>Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.<br>Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.<br>Sire knyght,' quod he, 'my mayster and my lord,<br>Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord,<br>Cometh neer,' quod he, 'my lady Prioresse,<br>And ye, Sir Clerk, lat be your shamefastnesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man.'<br>Anon to drawen every wight bigan,<br>And shortly for to tellen as it was,<br>Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,<br>The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght.<br>And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,<br>By foreward and by composicioun,-<br>As ye han herd, what nedeth wordes mo?<br>And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As he that wys was and obedient<br>To kepe his foreward by his free assent,<br>He seyde, 'Syn I shal bigynne the game,<br>What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!<br>Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,<br>And he bigan with right a myrie cheere<br>His tale anon, and seyde in this manere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Geoffrey+Chaucer">Geoffrey Chaucer</a><div class=q>
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