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Of his complexioun 1 he was sangwyn. Wel loved he by the morwe 2 a sope

wyn;

To lyven in delit was evere his wone,*
For he was Epicurus owne sone,

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;

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3 in

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340

His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon; 6 A bettre envyned 7 man was no-wher noon. Withoute bake-mete 8 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,10 And many a breem 11 and many a luce" in stuwe.12

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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,1 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 liverec,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,28 Was shaply for to been an alderman; For catel 29 hadde they ynogh and rente,30 And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;

370

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5 patron saint of hospitality always of the same quality provided with wines pasties snowed 11 coop a kind of fish 12 12 pond unless a permanent table 15 knife 16 pouch 17 treasurer 18 landholder 19

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For aught I woot 13 he was of Dertemouthe.
He rood upon a rouncy 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

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3 them of the right sort, very skilful a tart flavouring powder a root for flavouring boil 8 chowders 9 shin sore " minced capon with sugar, cream, and flour 12 dwelling 13 know 14 hack16 as well as he could ney cheap cloth 17 lace, cord apparel 18 goodfellow = rascal merchant 20 heed

keeper of a shop for hats or furnishings upholsterer one uniform

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24 trimmed 25 sheathed 26 guild-hall 27 dais 28 knows

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currents steersmanDenmark

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

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And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
That she was out of alle charitee.

452

Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound,
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed. 455
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite y-teyd, and shoes ful moyste1
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, 461
But ther-of nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.2
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seint Jame, and at Coloigne ;466
She coude muche of wandrynge by the

weye:

Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,

Y-wympled wel, and on her heed an hat 470
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; 6

A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hire feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felaweshipe wel coude she laughe and

carpe;

474

Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,s
For she coude of that art the olde daunce.9
A good man was ther of religioun,
And was a povre Persoun 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.
Hise parisshens devoutly wolde he teche;
Benygne he was and wonder diligent,
And in adversitee ful pacient ;

480

And swich he was y-preved 10 ofte sithes.11 485
Ful looth were hym to cursen 12 for hise tithes,
But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
Unto his povre parisshens aboute,

Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.
He coude in litel thyng have suffisaunce. 490
Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,
But he ne lafte 13 nat for reyn ne thonder
In siknesse nor in meschief to visite

The ferreste 14 in his parisshe, muche and
lite,15

1 soft 2 at present 3 knew teeth set wide apart, a sign that one will travel. 5 with a wimple about her face shield riding-skirt doubtless 9 This is a slang phrase, 10 proved 11 times 12 excommuni

6

7

cate

13 neglected 14 farthest 15

rich and poor

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He sette nat his benefice to hyre
And leet his sheep encombred in the myre,
And ran to London unto Seint Poules
To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,
Or with a bretherhed to been withholde; 5
But dwelte at hoom and kepte wel his folde,
So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;
He was a shepherde, and noght a mercenarie.
And though he hooly were and vertuous, 515
He was to synful man nat despitous,
Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,8
But in his techyng descreet and benygne;
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 lowe estat,
Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the
nonys.10

9

521

A bettre preest I trowe that no-wher noon ys;
He waited after no pompe and reverence, 525
Ne maked him a spiced conscience,
But Cristes loore, and his apostles twelve,
He taughte, but first he folwed it hym-selve.
With him ther was a Plowman, was
brother,
That hadde y-lad 12 of dong ful many a
fother,13

11

11 his

530

A trewe swinkere 1 and a good was he,
Livinge in pees and parfit 15 charitee.
God loved he best with al his hole herte
At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,1
And thanne his neighebour right as him-
selve.

16

535

He wolde thresshe, and ther-to dyke and delve,

1 those 2 also 3 ignorant 4 heed 5 maintained pitiless 7 overbearing haughty snub, rebuke 10 for the nonys means very, extremely " who was 12 carried 13 load 14 labourer 15 perfect 16 whether he was happy or unhappy

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Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed. 551
His berd, as any sowe or fox, was reed,
And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
Upon the cop 13 right of his nose he hade
A werte, and theron stood a tuft of herys,555
Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys;
His nosethirles 15 blake were and wyde.
A swerd and a bokeler bar he by his syde.
His mouth as wyde was as a greet forneys;
He was a janglere 16 and a goliardeys,17
And that was moost of synne and harlotries.
Wel coude he stelen corn and tollen thries,
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold,1s pardee!
A whit cote and a blew hood wered he;
A baggepipe wel coude he blowe and sowne,
And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

560

569

A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,19 Of which achatours 20 mighte take exemple For to be wyse in bying of vitaille. For whether that he payde, or took by taille,21 Algate he wayted 22 so in his achat 23 That he was ay biforn 24 and in good stat. Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace, That swich a lewed 25 mannes wit shal pace The wisdom of an heep of lerned men? Of maistres hadde he mo 27 than thryes ten, That were of lawe expert and curious; Of which ther were a doseyn in that hous, Worthy to been stiwardes of rente and lond Of any lord that is in Engelond,

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GEOFFREY CHAUCER

585

591

To make him live by his propre good,
In honour dettelees, but he were wood,1
Or live as scarsly 2 as him list desire;
And able for to helpen al a shire
In any cas that mighte falle or happe;
And yit this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.3
The Reeve was a sclendre colerik man.
His berd was shave as ny as ever he can;
His heer was by his eres round y-shorn;
His top was dokked 5 lyk a preest biforn.
Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,
Y-lyk a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.
Wel coude he kepe a gerner 6 and a binne;
Ther was noon auditour coude on him winne.
Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn,
The yeldyng of his seed, and of his greyn. 596
His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,
His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye,
Was hooly in this reves governing;
And by his covenaunt yaf the rekening
Sin 10 that his lord was twenty yeer of age;
Ther coude no man bringe him in arrerage."
Ther nas baillif, ne herde,12 ne other hyne,'
That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;
They were adrad of him, as of the deeth. 605
His woning 15 was ful fair up-on an heeth;
With grene trees shadwed was his place;
He coude bettre than his lord purchace.
Ful riche he was astored prively;
His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly,
To yeve and lene him of his owne good,
And have a thank, and yet a cote, and hood.16
In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister;
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
This reve sat up-on a ful good stot,18
That was al pomely 19 grey, and highte Scot.
A long surcote of pers 20
up-on he hade,

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600

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14

610

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615

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And by his syde he bar a rusty blade.
Of Northfolk was this reve of which I telle,
Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle.
Tukked 21 he was, as is a frere, aboute,
And evere he rood the hindreste of our route.
A Somnour was ther with us in that place,
That hadde a fyr-reed cherubinnes face,
For sawceflem 22 he was, with eyen narwe,

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With scalled1 browes blake, and piled? berd;

630

Of his visage children were aferd.
Ther nas quik-silver, litarge,3 ne brimstoon,
Boras,* ceruce,3 ne oille of tartre noon,
Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte,
That him mighte helpen of his whelkes
whyte,

Ne of the knobbes sittinge on his chekes.
Wel loved he garleck, oynons, and eek lekes,
And for to drinken strong wyn, reed as blood.
Thanne wolde he speke and crye, as he were
wood.6

And whan that he wel dronken hadde the
wyn,

8

Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn.
A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,
That he had lerned out of some decree; 640
No wonder is, he herde it al the day;
And eek ye knowen wel, how that a Jay
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;
Ay "Questio quid iuris" wolde he crye. 646
He was a gentil harlot 10 and a kynde;
A bettre felawe 11 sholde men noght fynde;
He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn
A good felawe to have his [wikked sin]
A twelf-month, and excuse him atte fulle;
650
And prively a finch eek coude he pulle.12
And if he fond owher 13 a good felawe,
He wolde techen him to have non awe,
In swich cas, of the erchedeknes curs,14
But-if 15 a mannes soule were in his purs;
For in his purs he sholde y-punisshed be.
"Purs is the erchedeknes helle,” seyde he.
But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;
Of cursing oghte ech gulty man him drede 17
659
For curs wol slee, right as assoilling 18 saveth -
And also war him of a significavit."
In daunger 20 hadde he at his owne gyse
The yonge girles 22 of the diocyse,
And knew hir counseil,23 and was al hir reed.
A gerland hadde he set up-on his heed,

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1 scurfy 2 scraggy 3

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655

16

666

a lead ointment 4 borax bumps mad call "Walter," as a parrot calls "Poll" law" 10 rascal 11 good fellow was slang for a “dis9"The question is what is the

8 test

reputable person.'

7

10

servant

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14 whose dwelling

13 anywhere

craft and deceit he did not know

19

16 lend his lord's own property to him and receive
thanks and gifts
17 trade 18 cob
21 his coat was tucked up with a girdle 22 pimpled
dappled 20 blue

14

12 slang for "rob a greenhorn." excommunication 15 unless 16 purse

17 be afraid 18 absolving 19 writ for arresting an excommunicated person

21

way
24 adviser

20 under his influence 22 young people of either sex 23 secrets

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1

As greet as it were for an ale-stake; 1
A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake.
With him ther rood a gentil Pardoner
Of Rouncivale, his frend 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 stíf burdoun,2
Was nevere trompe 3 of half so greet a soun.
This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
But smothe it heng, as doth a strike of flex; 4
By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
And ther-with he his shuldres overspradde;
But thinne it lay, by colpons oon and oon;
But hood, for jolitee,' ne wered he noon, 680
For it was trussed up in his walet.

Him thoughte8 he rood al of the newe jet; 9
Dischevele, save his cappe, he rood al bare.
Swiche glaringe eyen hadde he as an hare.
A vernicle 10 hadde he sowed on his cappe. 685
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.
No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have,
As smothe it was as it were late y-shave; 690

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But of his craft, fro Berwik unto Ware," Ne was ther swich another pardoner; For in his male 13 he hadde a pilwe-beer,14 Which that, he seyde, was our lady veyl; He seyde, he hadde a gobet 16 of the seyl 17 That Seynt Peter hadde, whan that he wente Up-on the see, til Iesu Crist him hente; 18 He hadde a croys 19 of latoun,20 ful of stones, And in a glas he hadde pigges bones. But with thise relikes, whan that he fond A povre person dwelling up-on lond,21 Up-on a day he gat him more moneye Than that the person gat in monthes tweye. And thus with feyned flaterye and japes,22 705 He made the person and the peple his apes." But trewely to tellen, atte laste, He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.

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new

1a pole projecting from the wall of an inn and usually bearing a garland 2 accompaniment 3 4 trumpet hank of flax 5 small portions handfuls for sport it seemed to him 7 fashion 10 a duplicate of the handkerchief of St. Veronica, on which the face of Jesus was imprinted. 11 brimful 12 from one end of England to the other 13 14 bag pillow-case 15 Our Lady's veil 16 bit 17 sail 18 seized 19 20 brass 21 in the coun

try

22 tricks

23 fools

cross

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730

But first, I pray yow of youre curteisye, That ye narette it nat my vileynye, Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere, Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely; 7 For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Whoso shal telle a tale after a man, He moote reherce, as ny as evere he can, Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large,9 Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe; He may nat spare, althogh he were his brother,

735

740

He moot as wel seye o word as another.
Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,
And wel ye woot no vileynye 10 is it.
Eek Plato seith, whoso that can hym rede,
"The wordes moote be cosyn " to the dede."
Also I prey yow to foryeve it me
Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde;
My wit is short, ye may wel understonde. 746
Greet chiere made oure hoste us everichon,"
And to the soper sette he us anon,
And served us with vitaille at the beste;
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us
leste.13
750

A semely man oure Hooste was with-alle
For to han been a marshal in an halle.
A large man he was, with eyen stepe,14
A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe;

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