The Canterbury Tales

1387- 1400

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Here bygynneth the Book of the

Tales of Caunterbury

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

5

Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

And smale foweles maken melodye,

10

That slepen al the nyght with open ye

(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

15

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.

Bifil that in that seson on a day,

20

In southwerk at the tabard as I lay

Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage

To caunterbury with ful devout corage,

At nyght was come into that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,

25

Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle

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.

30

And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,

So hadde I spoken with hem everichon

That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,

And made forward erly for to ryse,

To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.

35

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

Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,

40

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.

A KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,

That fro the tyme that he first bigan

45

To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.

Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,

As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

50

And evere 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;

In lettow hadde he reysed and in ruce,

55

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

60

At many a noble armee hadde he be.

At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,

And foughten for oure feith at tramyssene

In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.

This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also

65

Somtyme with the lord of palatye

Agayn another hethen in turkye.

And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;

And though that he were worthy, he was wys,

And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.

70

He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde

In al his lyf unto no maner wight.

He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.

But, for to tellen yow of his array,

His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.

75

Of fustian he wered a gypon

Al bismotered with his habergeon,

For he was late ycome from his viage,

And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

With hym ther was his sone, a yong SQUIER,

80

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 stature he was of evene lengthe,

And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.

85

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

90

Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede.

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.

95

He koude songes make and wel endite,

Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.

So hoote he lovede that by nyghtertale.

He sleep namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.

Curteis he was, lowely, and servysable,

100

And carf biforn his fader at the table.

A YEMAN hadde he and servantz namo

At that tyme, for hym liste ride so,

And he was clad in cote and hood of grene.

A sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene,

105

Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,

(wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly:

His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe)

And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.

A not heed hadde he, with a broun visage.

110

Of wodecraft wel koude he al the usage.

Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,

And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,

And on that oother syde a gay daggere

Harneised wel and sharp as point of spere;

115

A cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.

An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;

A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.

Ther was also a nonne, a PRIORESSE,

That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

120

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,

And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,

125

After the scole of stratford atte bowe,

For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe.

At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:

She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,

Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;

130

Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe

That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.

Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene

That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

135

Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.

And sikerly she was of greet desport,

And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,

And peyned hire to countrefete cheere

140

Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,

And to ben holden digne of reverence.

But, for to speken of hire conscience,

She was so charitable and so pitous

She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous

145

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.

But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,

Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;

150

And al was conscience and tendre herte.

Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,

Hir nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,

Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;

But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;

155

It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe;

For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.

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,

160

And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,

On which ther was first write a crowned a,

And after amor vincit omnia.

Another NONNE with hire hadde she,

That was hir chapeleyne, and preestes thre.

165

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

170

Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als 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 somdel streit

175

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 ben nat hooly men,

Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,

180

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 opinion was good.

What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,

185

Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,

Or swynken with his handes, and laboure,

As austyn bit? how shal the world be served?

Lat austyn have his swynk to hym reserved!

Therfore he was a prikasour aright:

190

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 purfiled at the hond

With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;

195

And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,

He hadde of gold ywroght a ful 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.

200

He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;

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;

205

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 wantowne and a merye,

A lymytour, a ful solempne man.

210

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.

Unto his ordre he was a noble post.

215

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 hymself, moore than a curat,

220

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 he wiste to have a good pitaunce.

225

For unto a povre ordre for to yive

Is signe that a man is wel yshryve;

For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,

He wiste that a man was repentaunt;

For many a man so hard is of his herte,

230

He may nat wepe, althogh hym soore smerte.

Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres

Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.

His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves

And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.

235

And certeinly he hadde a murye note:

Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;

Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.

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

Therto he strong was as a champioun.

240

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

Acorded nat, as by his facultee,

245

To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce.

It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce,

For to deelen with no swich poraille,

But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.

And over al, ther as profit sholde arise,

250

Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.

Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.

He was the beste beggere in his hous;

252a

(and yaf a certeyne ferme for the graunt;

252b

Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his haunt;)

For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,

So plesaunt was his in principio,

255

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 whelp.

In love-dayes ther koude he muchel help,

For ther he was nat lyk a cloysterer

260

With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,

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,

265

To make his englissh sweete upon his tonge;

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 huberd.

270

A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd,

In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat;

Upon his heed a flaundryssh bever hat,

His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.

His resons he spak ful solempnely,

275

Sownynge alwey th' encrees of his wynnyng.

He wolde the see were kept for any thyng

Bitwixe middelburgh and orewelle.

Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.

This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette:

280

Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,

So estatly was he of his governaunce

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.

285

A CLERK ther was of oxenford also,

That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.

As leene was his hors as is a rake,

And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,

But looked holwe, and therto sobrely.

290

Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy;

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,

295

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,

300

On bookes and on lernynge he it spente,

And bisily gan for the soules preye

Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.

Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede,

Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,

305

And that was seyd in forme and reverence,

And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;

Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,

And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.

A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys,

310

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,

315

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;

320

His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.

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.

325

Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,

Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng;

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;

330

Of his array telle I no lenger tale.

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;

335

To lyven in delit was evere his wone,

For he was epicurus owene sone,

That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit

Was verray felicitee parfit.

An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;

340

Seint julian he was in his contree.

His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon;

A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.

Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous

Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,

345

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.

Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,

350

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.

355

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 contour.

360

Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.

An HABERDASSHERE and a CARPENTER,

A WEBBE, a DYERE, and a TAPYCER, –

And they were clothed alle in o lyveree

Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee.

365

Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was;

Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras

But al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel

Hire girdles and hir pouches everydeel.

Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys

370

To sitten in a yeldehalle on a deys.

Everich, for the wisdom that he kan,

Was shaply for to been an alderman.

For catel hadde they ynogh and rente,

And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;

375

And elles certeyn were they to blame.

It is ful fair to been ycleped madame,

And goon to vigilies al bifore,

And have a mantel roialliche ybore.

A COOK they hadde with hem for the nones

380

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,

Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.

385

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.

A SHIPMAN was ther, wonynge fer by weste;

For aught I woot, he was of dertemouthe.

390

He rood upon a rounce, 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.

The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun;

395

And certeinly he was a good felawe.

Ful many a draughte of wyn had he ydrawe

Fro burdeux-ward, whil that the chapmen sleep.

Of nyce conscience took he no keep.

If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,

400

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 lodemenage,

Ther nas noon swich from hulle to cartage.

405

Hardy he was and wys to undertake;

With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.

He knew alle the havenes, as they were,

Fro gootlond to the cape of fynystere,

And every cryke in britaigne and in spayne.

410

His barge ycleped was the maudelayne.

With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISIK;

In al this world ne was the noon hym lik,

To speke of phisik and of surgerye

For he was grounded in astronomye.

415

He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel

In houres by his magyk natureel.

Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent

Of his ymages for his pacient.

He knew the cause of everich maladye,

420

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

And where they engendred, and of what humour.

He was a verray, parfit praktisour:

The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,

Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.

425

Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries

To sende hym drogges and his letuaries,

For ech of hem made oother for to wynne –

Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.

Wel knew he the olde esculapius,

430

And deyscorides, and eek rufus,

Olde ypocras, haly, and galyen,

Serapion, razis, and avycen,

Averrois, damascien, and constantyn,

Bernard, and gatesden, and gilbertyn.

435

Of his diete mesurable was he,

For it was of no superfluitee,

But of greet norissyng and digestible.

His studie was but litel on the bible.

In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,

440

Lyned with taffata and with sendal;

And yet he was but esy of dispence;

He kepte that he wan in pestilence.

For gold in phisik is a cordial,

Therefore he lovede gold in special.

445

A good WIF was ther OF biside BATHE,

But she was somdel 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

450

That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;

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

455

That on a sonday weren upon hir heed.

Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,

Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.

Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.

She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:

460

Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,

Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, –

But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.

And thries hadde she been at jerusalem;

She hadde passed many a straunge strem;

465

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.

Upon an amblere esily she sat,

470

Ywympled 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 hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.

In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.

475

Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,

For she koude of that art the olde daunce.

A good man was ther of religioun,

And was a povre PERSOUN OF A TOUN,

But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.

480

He was also a lerned man, a clerk,

That cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;

His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.

Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,

And in adversitee ful pacient,

485

And swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.

Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,

But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,

Unto his povre parisshens aboute

Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.

490

He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.

Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,

But he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,

In siknesse nor in meschief to visite

The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,

495

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,

500

That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?

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.

505

Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,

By his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.

He sette nat his benefice to hyre

And leet his sheep encombred in the myre

And ran to londoun unto seinte poules

510

To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,

Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;

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.

515

And though he hooly were and vertuous,

He was to synful men nat despitous,

Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,

But in his techyng discreet and benygne.

To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,

520

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.

525

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.

With hym ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother,

530

That hadde ylad 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,

535

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 payde he ful faire and wel,

540

Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.

In a tabard he rood upon a mere.

Ther was also a REVE, and a MILLERE,

A SOMNOUR, and a PARDONER also,

A MAUNCIPLE, and myself – ther were namo.

545

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;

550

Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre,

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

555

A werte, and theron stood a toft of herys,

Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys;

His nosethirles blake were and wyde.

A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde.

His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.

560

He was a janglere and a goliardeys,

And that was moost of synne and harlotries.

Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries;

And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.

A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.

565

A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,

And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple,

Of which achatours myghte take exemple

For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;

570

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.

Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace

That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace

575

The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?

Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,

That weren of lawe expert and curious,

Of which ther were a duszeyne in that hous

Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond

580

Of any lord that is in engelond,

To make hym lyve by his propre good

In honour dettelees (but if he were wood),

Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire;

And able for to helpen al a shire

585

In any caas that myghte falle or happe;

And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe.

The REVE was a sclendre colerik man.

His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan;

His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn;

590

His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn

Ful longe were his legges and ful lene,

Ylyk a staf, ther was no calf ysene.

Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne;

Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.

595

Wel wiste he by the droghte and by the reyn

The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.

His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,

His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye

Was hoolly in this reves governynge,

600

And by his covenant yaf the rekenynge,

Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age.

Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage.

Ther nas baillif, ne hierde, nor oother hyne,

That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;

605

They were adrad of hym as of the deeth.

His wonyng was ful faire upon an heeth;

With grene trees yshadwed was his place.

He koude bettre than his lord purchace.

Ful riche he was astored pryvely:

610

His lord wel koude he plesen subtilly,

To yeve and lene hym of his owene good,

And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood.

In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster;

He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.

615

This reve sat upon a ful good stot,

That was al pomely grey and highte scot.

A long surcote of pers upon he hade,

And by his syde he baar a rusty blade.

Of northfolk was this reve of which I telle,

620

Biside a toun men clepen baldeswelle.

Tukked he was as is a frere aboute,

And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.

A SOMONOUR was ther with us in that place,

That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynnes face,

625

For saucefleem he was, with eyen narwe.

As hoot he was and lecherous as a sparwe,

With scalled browes blake and piled berd.

Of his visage children were aferd.

Ther nas quyk-silver, lytarge, ne brymstoon,

630

Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon;

Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte,

That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white,

Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.

Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,

635

And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;

Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.

And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,

Thanne wolde he speke no word but latyn.

A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,

640

That he had lerned out of som decree –

No wonder is, he herde it al the day;

And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay

Kan clepen watte as wel as kan the pope.

But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope,

645

Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie;

Ay questio quid iuris wolde he crie.

He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;

A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.

He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn

650

A good felawe to have his concubyn

A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle;

Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.

And if he foond owher a good felawe,

He wolde techen him to have noon awe

655

In swich caas of the ercedekenes curs,

But if a mannes soule were in his purs;

For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be.

Purs is the ercedekenes helle, seyde he.

But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;

660

Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede,

For curs wol slee right as assoillyng savith,

And also war hym of a significavit.

In daunger hadde he at his owene gise

The yonge girles of the diocise,

665

And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.

A gerland hadde he set upon his heed

As greet as it were for an ale-stake.

A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake.

With hym ther rood a gentil PARDONER

670

Of rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,

That streight was comen fro the court of rome.

Ful loude he soong com hider, love, to me!

This somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;

Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.

675

This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,

But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;

By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,

And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;

But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.

680

But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,

For it was trussed up in his walet.

Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;

Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare.

Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.

685

A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.

His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe,

Bretful of pardoun, comen from rome al hoot.

A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot.

No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have;

690

As smothe it was as it were late shave.

I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare.

But of his craft, fro berwyk into ware,

Ne was ther swich another pardoner

For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,

695

Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl:

He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl

That seint peter hadde, whan that he wente

Upon the see, til jhesu crist hym hente.

He hadde a croys of latoun ful of stones,

700

And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.

But with thise relikes, whan that he fond

A povre person dwellynge upon lond,

Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye

Than that the person gat in monthes tweye;

705

And thus, with feyned flaterye and japes,

He made the person and the peple his apes.

But trewely to tellen atte laste,

He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.

Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,

710

But alderbest he song an offertorie;

For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,

He moste preche and wel affile his tonge

To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude;

Therefore he song the murierly and loude.

715

Now have I toold you soothly, in a clause,

Th' estaat, th' array, the nombre, and eek the cause

Why that assembled was this compaignye

In southwerk at this gentil hostelrye

That highte the tabard, faste by the belle.

The Tabard Inn

720

But now is tyme to yow for to telle

How that we baren us that ilke nyght,

Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght;

And after wol I telle of our viage

And al the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.

725

But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,

That ye n' arette 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.

730

For this ye knowen al so wel as I,

Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,

He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan

Everich a word, if it be in his charge,

Al speke he never so rudeliche and large,

735

Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,

Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.

He may nat spare, althogh he were his brother;

He moot as wel seye o word as another.

Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,

740

And wel ye woot no vileynye is it.

Eek plato seith, whoso that kan 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

745

Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde.

My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.

Woodcut from Caxton's second edition of The Canterbury Tales, 1483, coloring: ©Ulrich Harsch

Greet chiere made oure hoost us everichon,

And to the soper sette he us anon.

He served us with vitaille at the beste;

750

Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.

A semely man oure hooste was withalle

For to han been a marchal in an halle.

A large man he was with eyen stepe –

A fairer burgeys is ther noon in chepe –

755

Boold of his speche, and wys, and wel ytaught,

And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.

Eek therto he was right a myrie man,

And after soper pleyen he bigan,

And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,

760

Whan that we hadde maad oure rekenynges,

And seyde thus: now, lordynges, trewely,

Ye been to me right welcome, hertely;

For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,

I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye

765

Atones in this herberwe as is now.

Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.

And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,

To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.

Ye goon to caunterbury – God yow speede,

770

The blisful martir quite yow youre meede!

And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,

Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye;

For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon

To ride by the weye doumb as a stoon;

775

And therfore wol I maken yow disport,

As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.

And if yow liketh alle by oon assent

For to stonden at my juggement,

And for to werken as I shal yow seye,

780

To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,

Now, by my fader soule that is deed,

But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!

Hoold up youre hondes, withouten moore speche.

Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche.

785

Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys,

And graunted hym withouten moore avys,

And bad him seye his voirdit as hym leste.

Lordynges, quod he, now herkneth for the beste;

But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn.

790

This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,

That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,

In this viage shal telle tales tweye

To caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,

And homward he shal tellen othere two,

795

Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.

And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle,

That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas

Tales of best sentence and moost solaas,

Shal have a soper at oure aller cost

800

Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,

Whan that we come agayn fro caunterbury.

And for to make yow the moore mury,

I wol myselven goodly with yow ryde,

Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde,

805

And whoso wole my juggement withseye

Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.

And if ye vouche sauf that it be so,

Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,

And I wol erly shape me therfore.

810

This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore

With ful glad herte, and preyden hym also

That he wolde vouche sauf for to do so,

And that he wolde been oure governour,

And oure tales juge and reportour,

815

And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,

And we wol reuled been at his devys

In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent

We been acorded to his juggement.

And therupon the wyn was fet anon;

820

We dronken, and to reste wente echon,

Withouten any lenger taryynge.

Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,

Up roos oure hoost, and was oure aller cok,

And gradrede us togidre alle in a flok,

825

And forth we riden a litel moore than paas

Unto the wateryng of seint thomas;

And there oure hoost bigan his hors areste

And seyde, lordynges, herkneth, if yow leste.

Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde.

830

If even-song and morwe-song accorde,

Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.

As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,

Whoso be rebel to my juggement

Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.

835

Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne;

He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.

Sire knyght, quod he, my mayster and my lord,

Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord.

Cometh neer, quod he, my lady prioresse.

840

And ye, sire clerk, lat be youre shamefastnesse,

Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man!

Anon to drawen every wight bigan,

And shortly for to tellen as it was,

Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,

845

The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,

Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght,

And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,

By foreward and by composicioun,

As ye han herd; what nedeth wordes mo?

850

And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,

As he that wys was and obedient

To kepe his foreward by his free assent,

He seyde, syn I shal bigynne the game,

What, welcome be the cut, a goddes name!

855

Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.

The Canterbury Pilgrims setting out from the Tabard Inn

And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,

And he bigan with right a myrie cheere

His tale anon, and seyde as ye may heere.