British Literature Exam 1

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licóur

Of which vertú engendred is the flour;

Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,

And smale foweles maken melodye,

That slepen al the nyght with open ye,

So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

And specially, from every shires ende

Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,

The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Bifil that in that seson on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,

Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage

To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,

At nyght were come into that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Of sondry folk, by áventure y-falle

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.

And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

So hadde I spoken with hem everychon,

That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,

And made forward erly for to ryse,

To take oure wey, ther as I yow devyse.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,

Er that I ferther in this tale pace,

Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun

To telle yow al the condicioun

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,

And whiche they weren and of what degree,

And eek in what array that they were inne;

And at a Knyght than wol I first bigynne.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,

That fro the tyme that he first bigan

To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

Trouthe and honóur, fredom and curteisie.

Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

And thereto hadde he riden, no man ferre,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

And evere honóured for his worthynesse.

At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne;

Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne

Aboven alle nacions in Pruce.

In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,—

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

No cristen man so ofte of his degree.

In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be

Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.

At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,

Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See

At many a noble armee hadde he be.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,

And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene

In lyste thries, and ay slayn his foo.

This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also

Somtyme with the lord of Palatye

Agayn another hethen in Turkye;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.

And though that he were worthy, he was wys,

And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.

He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde,

In al his lyf, unto no maner wight.

He was a verray, parfit, gentil knyght.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

But for to tellen yow of his array,

His hors weren goode, but he was nat gay;

Of fustian he wered a gypon

Al bismótered with his habergeon;

For he was late y-come from his viage,

And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

With hym ther was his sone, a yong Squiér,

A lovyere and a lusty bacheler,

With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse.

Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.

Of his statúre he was of evene lengthe,

And wonderly delyvere and of greet strengthe.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie

In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie,

And born hym weel, as of so litel space,

In hope to stonden in his lady grace.

Embrouded was he, as it were a meede

Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day;

He was as fressh as is the month of May.

Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde;

Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde;

He koude songes make and wel endite,

Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

So hoote he lovede that by nyghtertale

He sleep namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.

Curteis he was, lowely and servysáble,

And carf biforn his fader at the table.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Yeman hadde he and servántz namo

At that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;

And he was clad in cote and hood of grene.

A sheef of pecock arwes bright and kene,

Under his belt he bar ful thriftily—

Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe—

And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.

A not-heed hadde he, with a broun viságe.

Of woodecraft wel koude he al the uságe.

Upon his arm he baar a gay bracér,

And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And on that oother syde a gay daggere,

Harneised wel and sharp as point of spere;

A Cristophere on his brest of silver sheene.

An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene.

A forster was he, soothly as I gesse.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,

That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

Hire gretteste ooth was but by seinte Loy,

And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.

Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,

Entuned in hir nose ful semely;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,

After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,

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.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe

Thát no drope ne fille upon hire brist;

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir list.

Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene

That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.

And sikerly she was of greet desport,

And ful plesáunt and amyable of port,

And peyned hire to countrefete cheere

Of court, and been estatlich of manere,

And to ben holden digne of reverence.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

But for to speken of hire conscience,

She was so charitable and so pitous

She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous

Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.

Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde

With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel breed;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,

Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;

And al was conscience and tendre herte.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was;

Hire nose tretys, her 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, she was nat undergrowe.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war;

Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar

A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,

And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,

On which ther was first write a crowned A,

And after, Amor vincit omnia.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Another Nonne with hire hadde she,

That was hire chapeleyne, and Preestes thre.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,

An outridere, that lovede venerie;

A manly man, to been an abbot able.

Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable;

And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere

Gýnglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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,—

This ilke Monk leet olde thynges pace,

And heeld after the newe world the space.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen

That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men,

Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,

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;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And I seyde his opinioun was good.

What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,

Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,

Or swynken with his handes and labóure,

As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served?

Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Therfore he was a prikasour aright:

Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight;

Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare

Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.

I seigh his sleves y-púrfiled at the hond

With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And for to festne his hood under his chyn

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 he hadde been enoynt.

He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

His eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,

That stemed as a forneys of a leed;

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.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,

A lymytour, a ful solémpne man.

In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan

So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.

He hadde maad ful many a mariage

Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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 curát,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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

There as he wiste to have a good pitaunce;

For unto a povre ordre for to yive

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Is signe that a man is wel y-shryve;

For, if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt

He wiste that a man was répentaunt;

For many a man so hard is of his herte

He may nat wepe al-thogh hym soore smerte.

Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyéres

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.

His typet was ay farsed full of knyves

And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.

And certeinly he hadde a murye note:

Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;

Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys;

Ther-to he strong was as a champioun.

He knew the tavernes wel in every toun,

And everich hostiler and tappestere

Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;

For unto swich a worthy man as he

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Acorded nat, as by his facultee,

To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce;

It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce

Fór to deelen with no swich poraille,

But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.

And over-al, ther as profit sholde arise,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.

Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.

He was the beste beggere in his hous;

[And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt,

Noon of his brethren cam ther in his haunt;]

For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

So plesaunt was his In principio,

Yet wolde he have a ferthyng er he wente:

His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.

And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.

In love-dayes ther koude he muchel helpe,

For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scolér,

But he was lyk a maister, or a pope;

Of double worstede was his semycope,

That rounded as a belle, out of the presse.

Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse,

To make his Englissh sweete upon his tonge;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,

His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght

As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.

This worthy lymytour was cleped Hubérd.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Marchant was ther with a forked berd,

In motteleye, and hye on horse he sat;

Upon his heed a Flaundryssh bevere hat;

His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.

His resons he spak ful solémpnely,

Sownynge alway thencrees of his wynnyng.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

He wolde the see were kept for any thing

Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.

Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.

This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;

Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,

So estatly was he of his gouvernaunce,

With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.

For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle,

But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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,

But looked holwe, and ther-to sobrely.

Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,

Ne was so worldly for to have office;

For hym was lévere háve at his beddes heed

Twénty bookes, clad in blak or reed,

Of Aristotle and his philosophie,

Than robes riche, or fíthele, or gay sautrie.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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 on lernynge he it spente,

And bisily gan for the soules preye

Of hem that yaf hym wher-with to scoleye.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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 senténce.

Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche;

And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Sergeant of the Lawe, war and wys,

That often hadde been at the Parvys,

Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.

Discreet he was, and of greet reverence—

He semed swich, his wordes weren so wise.

Justice he was ful often in assise,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

By patente, and by pleyn commissioun.

For his science and for his heigh renoun,

Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.

So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:

Al was fee symple to hym in effect;

His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,

And yet he semed bisier than he was.

In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle

That from the tyme of kyng William were falle.

Ther-to he koude endite and make a thyng,

Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.

He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote,

Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;

Of his array telle I no lenger tale.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Frankeleyn was in his compaignye.

Whit was his berd as is the dayesye;

Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.

Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn;

To lyven in delit was evere his wone,

For he was Epicurus owene sone,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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.

His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon;

A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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 koude thynke,

After the sondry sesons of the yeer;

So chaunged he his mete and his soper.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,

And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.

Wo was his cook but if his sauce were

Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his geere.

His table dormant in his halle alway

Stood redy covered al the longe day.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;

Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.

An anlaas, and a gipser al of silk,

Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.

A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour;

Was nowher such a worthy vavasour.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

An Haberdasshere, and a Carpenter,

A Webbe, a Dyere, and a Tapycer,—

And they were clothed alle in o lyveree

Of a solémpne and a greet fraternitee.

Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was;

Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

But al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel

Hire girdles and hir pouches everydeel.

Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys

To sitten in a yeldehalle, on a deys.

Éverich, for the wisdom that he kan,

Was shaply for to been an alderman;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

For catel hadde they ynogh and rente,

And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente,

And elles certeyn were they to blame.

It is ful fair to been y-cleped Madame,

And goon to vigilies al bifore,

And have a mantel roialliche y-bore.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones,

To boille the chiknes with the marybones,

And poudre-marchant tart, and galyngale.

Wel koude he knowe a draughte of Londoun ale.

He koude rooste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,

Máken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.

But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,

That on his shyne a mormal hadde he;

For blankmanger, that made he with the beste.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Shipman was ther, wonynge fer by weste;

For aught I woot he was of Dertemouthe.

He rood upon a rouncy, as he kouthe,

In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.

A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he

Aboute his nekke, under his arm adoun.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun;

And certeinly he was a good felawe.

Ful many a draughte of wyn hadde he y-drawe

Fro Burdeux-ward, whil that the chapman sleep.

Of nyce conscience took he no keep.

If that he faught and hadde the hyer hond,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.

But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,

His stremes, and his daungers hym bisides,

His herberwe and his moone, his lode-menage,

Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.

Hardy he was and wys to undertake;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.

He knew alle the havenes, as they were,

From Gootlond to the Cape of Fynystere,

And every cryke in Britaigne and in Spayne.

His barge y-cleped was the Maudelayne.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

With us ther was a Doctour of Phisik;

In all this world ne was ther noon hym lik,

To speke of phisik and of surgerye;

For he was grounded in astronomye.

He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel

In houres, by his magyk natureel.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent

Of his ymáges for his pacient.

He knew the cause of everich maladye,

Were it of hoot, or cold, or moyste, or drye,

And where they engendred and of what humour.

He was a verray, parfit praktisour;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

The cause y-knowe, and of his harm the roote,

Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.

Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries

To sende him drogges and his letuaries;

For ech of hem made oother for to wynne,

Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,

And De{"y}scorides, and eek Rufus,

Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galyen,

Serapion, Razis, and Avycen,

Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn,

Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Of his diete mesurable was he,

For it was of no superfluitee,

But of greet norissyng and digestíble.

His studie was but litel on the Bible.

In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,

Lyned with taffata and with sendal.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A Good Wif was ther of biside Bathe,

But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe.

Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt

She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.

In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon

That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she

That she was out of alle charitee.

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,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ful streite y-teyd, and shoes ful moyste 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;

But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And thries hadde she been at Jérusalem;

She hadde passed many a straunge strem;

At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,

In Galice at Seint Jame, and at Coloigne.

She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.

Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Upon an amblere esily she sat,

Y-wympled wel, and on hir heed an hat

As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;

A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,

And on hire feet a paire of spores sharpe.

In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe;

Of remedies of love she knew per chauncé,

For she koude of that art the olde daunce.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A good man was ther of religioun,

And was a povre Person of a Toun;

But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.

He was also a lerned man, a clerk,

That Cristes Gospel trewely wolde preche;

His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,

And in adversitee ful pacient;

And swich he was y-preved ofte sithes.

Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,

But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,

Unto his povre parisshens aboute,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Of his offrýng and eek of his substaunce;

He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.

Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,

But he ne lafte nat, for reyn ne thonder,

In siknesse nor in meschief to visíte

The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.

This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,

That first he wroghte and afterward he taughte.

Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte;

And this figure he added eek therto,

That if gold ruste, what shal iren doo?

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,

No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;

And shame it is, if a prest take keep,

A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.

Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive

By his clennesse how that his sheep sholde lyve.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

He sette nat his benefice to hyre

And leet his sheep encombred in the myre,

And ran to Londoun, unto Seinte Poules,

To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,

Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;

But dwelte at hoom and kepte wel his folde,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;

He was a shepherde, and noght a mercenarie.

And though he hooly were and vertuous,

He was to synful man nat despitous,

Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,

But in his techyng díscreet and benygne.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,

By good ensample, this was his bisynesse.

But it were any persone obstinat,

What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,

Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.

A bettre preest I trowe that nowher noon ys.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

He waited after no pompe and reverence,

Ne maked him a spiced conscience;

But Cristes loore and his apostles twelve

He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

With hym ther was a Plowman, was his brother,

That hadde y-lad of dong ful many a fother;

A trewe swynkere and a good was he,

Lyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.

God loved he best, with al his hoole herte,

At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And thanne his neighebor right as hymselve.

He wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,

For Cristes sake, for every povre wight,

Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.

His tithes payede he ful faire and wel,

Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.

In a tabard he rood upon a mere.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,

A Somnour and a Pardoner also,

A Maunciple, and myself,—ther were namo.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

The Millere was a stout carl for the nones;

Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones.

That proved wel, for over-al, ther he cam,

At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram.

He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre;

Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre,

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.

His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,

And therto brood, as though it were a spade.

Upon the cop right of his nose he hade

A werte, and thereon stood a toft of herys,

Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

His nosethirles blake were and wyde.

A swerd and a bokeler bar he by his syde.

His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys;

He was a janglere and a goliardeys,

And that was moost of synne and harlotries.

Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries;

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.

A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.

A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,

And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,

Of which achátours myghte take exemple

For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;

For, wheither that he payde or took by taille,

Algate he wayted so in his achaat

That he was ay biforn and in good staat.

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue

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?

Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,

That weren of lawe expert and curious,

Of whiche ther weren a duszeyne in that hous

Chaucer - Caunterbury Tales General Prologue