1	Whan that Aprille, with hise shoures soote,
2	The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
3	And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
4	Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
5	Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
6	Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
7	The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
8	Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
9	And smale foweles maken melodye,
10	That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
11	So priketh hem Nature in hir corages-
12	Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
13	And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
14	To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
15	And specially, from every shires ende
16	Of Engelond, to Caunturbury they wende,
17	The hooly blisful martir for the seke
18	That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.
19	Bifil that in that seson, on a day,
20	In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,
21	Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
22	To Caunterbury, with ful devout corage,
23	At nyght were come into that hostelrye
24	Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
25	Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
26	In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
27	That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
28	The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
29	And wel we weren esed atte beste;
30	And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
31	So hadde I spoken with hem everychon
32	That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
33	And made forward erly for to ryse
34	To take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.
35	But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
36	Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
37	Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
38	To telle yow al the condicioun
39	Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
40	And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
41	And eek in what array that they were inne;
42	And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.
43	A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,
44	That fro the tyme that he first bigan
45	To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
46	Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
47	Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
48	And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,
49	As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse,
50	And evere honoured for his worthynesse.
51	At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;
52	Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
53	Aboven alle nacions in Pruce;
54	In Lettow hadde he reysed, and in Ruce,
55	No cristen man so ofte of his degree.
56	In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be
57	Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye;
58	At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,
59	Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
60	At many a noble arive hadde he be.
61	At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
62	And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
63	In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
64	This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
65	Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
66	Agayn another hethen in Turkye,
67	And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
68	And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
69	And of his port as meeke as is a mayde;
70	He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde
71	In al his lyf unto no maner wight;
72	He was a verray parfit gentil knyght.
73	But for to tellen yow of his array,
74	His hors weren goode, but he was nat gay.
75	Of fustian he wered a gypoun,
76	Al bismotered with his habergeoun;
77	For he was late ycome from his viage,
78	And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.
79	With hym ther was his sone, a yong Squier,
80	A lovyere and a lusty bacheler,
81	With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
82	Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
83	Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
84	And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.
85	And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie
86	In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie,
87	And born hym weel, as of so litel space,
88	In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
89	Embrouded was he, as it were a meede,
90	Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede;
91	Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day,
92	He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
93	Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.
94	Wel koude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde,
95	He koude songes make, and wel endite,
96	Juste, and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.
97	So hoote he lovede, that by nyghtertale
98	He slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.
99	Curteis he was, lowely, and servysable,
100	And carf biforn his fader at the table.
101	A Yeman hadde he, and servantz namo
102	At that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;
103	And he was clad in cote and hood of grene,
104	A sheef of pecok arwes bright and kene
105	Under his belt he bar ful thriftily-
106	Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly,
107	Hise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe-
108	And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.
109	A not -heed hadde he, with a broun visage,
110	Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage.
111	Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,
112	And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
113	And on that oother syde a gay daggere,
114	Harneised wel, and sharpe as point of spere.
115	A Cristophere on his brest of silver sheene,
116	An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene.
117	A Forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
118	Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,
119	That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy.
120	Hir gretteste ooth was but by Seinte Loy,
121	And she was cleped Madame Eglentyne.
122	Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,
123	Entuned in hir nose ful semely;
124	And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly
125	After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,
126	For Frenssh of Parys was to hir unknowe.
127	At mete wel ytaught was she withalle;
128	She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
129	Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe.
130	Wel koude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe
131	That no drope ne fille upon hir brist.
132	In curteisie was set ful muche hir list;
133	Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene,
134	That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
135	Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
136	Ful semely after hir mete she raughte;
137	And sikerly, she was of greet desport,
138	And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,
139	And peyned hir to countrefete cheere
140	Of court, and been estatlich of manere,
141	And to ben holden digne of reverence.
142	But for to speken of hir conscience,
143	She was so charitable and so pitous,
144	She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous
145	Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
146	Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde
147	With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.
148	But soore weep she if oon of hem were deed,
149	Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;
150	And al was conscience, and tendre herte.
151	Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,
152	Hire nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,
153	Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;
154	But sikerly, she hadde a fair forheed,
155	It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe,
156	For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
157	Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war;
158	Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar
159	A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,
160	An theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
161	On which ther was first write a crowned `A,'
162	And after,`Amor vincit omnia.'
163	Another Nonne with hir hadde she,
164	That was hire Chapeleyne, and preestes thre.
165	A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,
166	An outridere, that lovede venerie,
167	A manly man, to been an abbot able.
168	Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable;
169	And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere
170	Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere,
171	And eek as loude, as dooth the chapel belle,
172	Ther as this lord was keper of the celle.
173	The reule of Seint Maure, or of Seint Beneit,
174	Bycause that it was old and somdel streit-
175	This ilke Monk leet olde thynges pace,
176	And heeld after the newe world the space.
177	He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
178	That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men,
179	Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,
180	Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees-
181	This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre-
182	But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre!
183	And I seyde his opinioun was good,
184	What sholde he studie, and make hymselven wood,
185	Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
186	Or swynken with his handes and laboure
187	As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served?
188	Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved;
189	Therfore he was a prikasour aright,
190	Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight;
191	Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
192	Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
193	I seigh his sleves ypurfiled at the hond
194	With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
195	And for to festne his hood under his chyn
196	He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pyn;
197	A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
198	His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
199	And eek his face, as it hadde been enoynt.
200	He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt,
201	Hise eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,
202	That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
203	His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat;
204	Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat!
205	He was nat pale as a forpyned goost,
206	A fat swan loved he best of any roost.
207	His palfrey was as broun as is a berye,
208	A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,
209	A lymytour, a ful solempne man,
210	In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan
211	So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.
212	He hadde maad ful many a mariage
213	Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.
214	Unto his ordre he was a noble post,
215	And wel biloved and famulier was he
216	With frankeleyns overal in his contree
217	And eek with worthy wommen of the toun,
218	For he hadde power of confessioun,
219	As seyde hymself, moore than a curat,
220	For of his ordre he was licenciat.
221	Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
222	And plesaunt was his a absolucioun,
223	He was an esy man to yeve penaunce
224	Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce;
225	For unto a povre ordre for to yive
226	Is signe that a man is wel yshryve;
227	For, if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,
228	He wiste that a man was repentaunt.
229	For many a man so harde is of his herte,
230	He may nat wepe, al thogh hym soore smerte;
231	Therfore, in stede of wepynge and preyeres,
232	Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.
233	His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves
234	And pynnes, for to yeven yonge wyves.
235	And certeinly he hadde a murye note,
236	Wel koude he synge, and pleyen on a rote,
237	Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.
238	His nekke whit was as the flour delys;
239	Therto he strong was as a champioun,
240	He knew the tavernes wel in every toun
241	And everich hostiler and tappestere
242	Bet than a lazar or a beggestere.
243	For unto swich a worthy man as he
244	Acorded nat, as by his facultee,
245	To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce;
246	It is nat honeste, it may nat avaunce,
247	For to deelen with no swich poraille,
248	But al with riche and selleres of vitaille;
249	And overal, ther as profit sholde arise,
250	Curteis he was, and lowely of servyse.
251	Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous;
252	He was the beste beggere in his hous,
253	(And yaf a certeyn ferme for the graunt
254	Noon of his brethren cam ther in his haunt;)
255	For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,
256	So plesaunt was his `In principio'
257	Yet wolde he have a ferthyng er he wente;
258	His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.
259	And rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe;
260	In love-dayes ther koude he muchel helpe;
261	For there he was nat lyk a cloysterer,
262	With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,
263	But he was lyk a maister or a pope;
264	Of double worstede was his semycope,
265	That rounded as a belle out of the presse.
266	Somwhat he lipsed for his wantownesse
267	To make his Englissh sweete upon his tonge,
268	And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,
269	Hise eyen twynkled in his heed aryght
270	As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.
271	This worthy lymytour was cleped Huberd.
272	A Marchant was ther, with a forkek berd,
273	In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat,
274	Upon his heed a Flaundryssh bevere hat,
275	His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.
276	Hise resons he spak ful solempnely,
277	Sownynge alway thencrees of his wynnyng.
278	He wolde the see were kept for any thyng
279	Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
280	Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.
281	This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;
282	Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,
283	So estatly was he of his governaunce,
284	With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.
285	Forsothe, he was a worthy man with-alle,
286	But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.
287	A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also,
288	That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.
289	As leene was his hors as is a rake,
290	And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,
291	But looked holwe and therto sobrely.
292	Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,
293	For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,
294	Ne was so worldly for to have office,
295	For hym was levere have at his beddes heed
296	Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,
297	Of Aristotle and his plilosophie,
298	Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.
299	But al be that he was a philosophre,
300	Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
301	But al that he myghte of his freendes hente,
302	On bookes and his lernynge he it spente,
303	And bisily gan for the soules preye
304	Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.
305	Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede,
306	Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,
307	And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
308	And short and quyk, and ful of hy sentence.
309	Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,
310	And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.
311	A Sergeant of the Lawe, war and wys,
312	That often hadde been at the parvys,
313	Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.
314	Discreet he was, and of greet reverence,-
315	He semed swich, hise wordes weren so wise.
316	Justice he was ful often in assise,
317	By patente, and by pleyn commissioun.
318	For his science, and for his heigh renoun,
319	Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.
320	So greet a purchasour was nowher noon,
321	Al was fee symple to hym in effect,
322	His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.
323	Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
324	And yet he semed bisier than he was;
325	In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle,
326	That from the tyme of Kyng William were falle.
327	Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,
328	Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng.
329	And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.
330	He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote
331	Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;-
332	Of his array telle I no lenger tale.
333	A Frankeleyn was in his compaignye;
334	Whit was his berd as is a dayesye.
335	Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
336	Wel loved he by the morwe a sope in wyn,
337	To lyven in delit was evere his wone;
338	For he was Epicurus owene sone,
339	That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit
340	Was verraily felicitee parfit,
341	An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
342	Seint Julian was he in his contree.
343	His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon,
344	A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.
345	Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous,
346	Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,
347	It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,
348	Of alle deyntees that men koude thynke.
349	After the sondry sesons of the yeer
350	So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
351	Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,
352	And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.
353	Wo was his cook, but if his sauce were
354	Poynaunt, and sharp, and redy al his geere.
355	His table dormant in his halle alway
356	Stood redy covered al the longe day.
357	At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;
358	Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.
359	An anlaas and a gipser al of silk
360	Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.
361	A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour,
362	Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.
363	An Haberdasshere and a Carpenter,
364	A Webbe, a Dyere, and a Tapycer-
365	And they were clothed alle in o lyveree
366	Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee.
367	Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was,
368	Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras,
369	But al with silver wroght ful clene and weel,
370	Hir girdles and hir pouches everydeel.
371	Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys
372	To sitten in a yeldehalle on a deys.
373	Everich for the wisdom that he kan
374	Was shaply for to been an alderman;
375	For catel hadde they ynogh, and rente,
376	And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente-
377	And eles, certeyn, were they to blame!
378	It is ful fair to been ycleped `ma Dame,'
379	And goon to vigilies al bifore,
380	And have a mantel roialliche ybore.
381	A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones,
382	To boille the chiknes with the marybones,
383	And poudre-marchant tart, and galyngale.
384	Wel koude he knowe a draughte of London ale;
385	He koude rooste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,
386	Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.
387	But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,
388	That on his shyne a mormal hadde he!
389	For blankmanger, that made he with the beste.
390	A Shipman was ther, wonynge fer by weste;
391	For aught I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.
392	He rood upon a rouncy, as he kouthe,
393	In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.
394	A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he
395	Aboute his nekke, under his arm adoun.
396	The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun,
397	And certeinly he was a good felawe.
398	Ful many a draughte of wyn had he ydrawe
399	Fro Burdeuxward, whil that the chapman sleep.
400	Of nyce conscience took he no keep;
401	If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,
402	By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.
403	But of his craft, to rekene wel his tydes,
404	His stremes, and his daungers hym bisides,
405	His herberwe and his moone, his lodemenage,
406	Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage.
407	Hardy he was, and wys to undertake,
408	With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake;
409	He knew alle the havenes as they were
410	From Gootlond to the Cape of Fynystere,
411	And every cryke in Britaigne and in Spayne.
412	His barge yeleped was the Maudelayne.
413	With us ther was a Doctour of Phisik;
414	In al this world ne was ther noon hym lik,
415	To speke of phisik and of surgerye;
416	For he was grounded in astronomye.
417	He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel
418	In houres, by his magyk natureel.
419	Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent
420	Of hisc ymages for his pacient.
421	He knew the cause of everich maladye,
422	Were it of hoot or coold, or moyste, or drye,
423	And where they engendred, and of what humour.
424	He was a verray parfit praktisour;
425	The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,
426	Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.
427	Ful redy hadde he hise apothecaries
428	To sende him drogges and his letuaries,
429	For ech of hem made oother for to wynne,
430	Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.
431	Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
432	And Deyscorides and eek Rufus,
433	Olde Ypocras, Haly, and Galyen,
434	Serapioun, Razis, and Avycen,
435	Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn,
436	Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
437	Of his diete mesurable was he,
438	For it was of no superfluitee,
439	But of greet norissyng, and digestible.
440	His studie was but litel on the Bible.
441	In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,
442	Lyned with taffata and with sendal-
443	And yet he was but esy of dispence;
444	He kepte that he wan in pestilence.
445	For gold in phisik is a cordial,
446	Therfore he lovede gold in special.
447	A good wif was ther, of biside Bathe,
448	But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
449	Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,
450	She passed hem of ypres and of gaunt.
451	In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
452	That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
453	And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,
454	That she was out of alle charitee.
455	Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
456	I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
457	That on a sonday weren upon hir heed.
458	Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
459	Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
460	Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
461	She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
462	Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,
463	Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, --
464	But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.
465	And thries hadde she been at jerusalem;
466	She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
467	At rome she hadde been, and at boloigne,
468	In galice at seint-jame, and at coloigne.
469	She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
470	Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
471	Upon an amblere esily she sat,
472	Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
473	As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
474	A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
475	And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
476	In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
477	Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
478	For she koude of that art the olde daunce.
479	A good man was ther of religioun,
480	And was a povre persoun of a toun,
481	But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.
482	He was also a lerned man, a clerk,
483	That cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;
484	His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
485	Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,
486	And in adversitee ful pacient,
487	And swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.
488	Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,
489	But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
490	Unto his povre parisshens aboute
491	Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.
492	He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.
493	Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,
494	But he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,
495	In siknesse nor in meschief to visite
496	The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,
497	Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.
498	This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,
499	That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte.
500	Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte,
501	And this figure he added eek therto,
502	That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
503	For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
504	No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
505	And shame it is, if a prest take keep,
506	A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
507	Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,
508	By his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.
509	He sette nat his benefice to hyre
510	And leet his sheep encombred in the myre
511	And ran to londoun unto seinte poules
512	To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,
513	Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;
514	But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,
515	So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;
516	He was a shepherde and noght a mercenarie.
517	And though he hooly were and vertuous,
518	He was to synful man nat despitous,
519	Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,
520	But in his techyng discreet and benygne;
521	To drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,
522	By good ensample, this was his bisynesse.
523	But it were any persone obstinat,
524	What so he were, of heigh or lough estat,
525	Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.
526	A bettre preest, I trowe, that nowher noon ys.
527	He waited after no pompe and reverence,
528	Ne maked him a spiced conscience,
529	But Cristes loore, and Hise apostles twelve
530	He taughte, but first he folwed it hym-selve.
531	With hym ther was a Plowman, was his brother,
532	That hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother.
533	A trewe swybnker and a good was he,
534	Lyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.
535	God loved he best with al his hoole herte
536	At alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,
537	And thanne his neighebore right as hym-selve;
538	He wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,
539	For Cristes sake, for every povre wight
540	Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.
541	Hise tithes payed he ful faire and wel,
542	Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel.
543	In a tabard he rood, upon a mere.
544	Ther was also a Reve and a Millere,
545	A Somnour and a Pardoner also,
546	A Maunciple, and myself, ther were namo.
547	The Millere was a stout carl for the nones,
548	Ful byg he was of brawn and eek of bones-
549	That proved wel, for overal ther he cam
550	At wrastlyng he wolde have alwey the ram.
551	He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre,
552	Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre,
553	Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.
554	His berd as any sowe or fox was reed,
555	And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
556	Upon the cop right of his nose he hade
557	A werte, and thereon stood a toft of heres
558	Reed as the brustles of a sowes eres;
559	Hise nosethirles blake were and wyde.
560	A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde.
561	His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys,
562	He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
563	And that was moost of synne and harlotries.
564	Wel koude he stelen corn, and tollen thries,
565	And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.
566	A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.
567	A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,
568	And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.
569	A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,
570	Of which achatours myghte take exemple
571	For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;
572	For wheither that he payde or took by taille,
573	Algate he wayted so in his achaat
574	That he was ay biforn, and in good staat.
575	Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,
576	That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
577	The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?
578	Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,
579	That weren of lawe expert and curious,
580	Of whiche ther weren a duszeyne in that hous
581	Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond
582	Of any lord that is in Engelond,
583	To maken hym lyve by his propre good,
584	In honour dettelees, but if he were wood;
585	Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire,
586	And able for to helpen al a shire
587	In any caas that myghte falle or happe-
588	And yet this manciple sette hir aller cappe!
589	The Reve was a sclendre colerik man;
590	His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan,
591	His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn,
592	His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.
593	Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,
594	Ylyk a staf, ther was no calf ysene.
595	Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne,
596	Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.
597	Wel wiste he, by the droghte, and by the reyn,
598	The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.
599	His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,
600	His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye,
601	Was hooly in this reves governyng
602	And by his covenant yaf the rekenyng,
603	Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age;
604	Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage.
605	Ther nas baillif, ne hierde, nor oother hyne,
606	That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne,
607	They were adrad of hym as of the deeth.
608	His wonyng was ful faire upon an heeth,
609	With grene trees shadwed was his place.
610	He koude bettre than his lord purchace.
611	Ful riche he was astored pryvely;
612	His lord wel koude he plesen subtilly
613	To yeve and lene hym of his owene good,
614	And have a thank, and yet a cote and hook.
615	In youthe he hadde lerned a good myster,
616	He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
617	This reve sat upon a ful good stot,
618	That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot.
619	A long surcote of pers upon he hade,
620	And by his syde he baar a rusty blade.
621	Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle,
622	Bisyde a toun men clepen Baldeswelle.
623	Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,
624	And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.
625	A Somonour was ther with us in that place,
626	That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynnes face,
627	For sawcefleem he was, with eyen narwe.
628	As hoot he was, and lecherous, as a sparwe,
629	With scalled browes blake, and piled berd,
630	Of his visage children were aferd.
631	Ther nas quyk-silver, lytarge, ne brymstoon,
632	Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon,
633	Ne oynement, that wolde clense and byte,
634	That hym myghte helpen of his wheldes white,
635	Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.
636	Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,
637	And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;
638	Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.
639	And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
640	Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn.
641	A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,
642	That he had lerned out of som decree-
643	No wonder is, he herde it al the day,
644	And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay
645	Kan clepen `watte' as wel as kan the Pope.
646	But who so koude in oother thyng hym grope,
647	Thanne hadde he spent al his plilosophie;
648	Ay `questio quid juris' wolde he crie.
649	He was a gentil harlot and a kynde,
650	A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde;
651	He wolde suffre, for a quart of wyn,
652	A good felawe to have his concubyn
653	A twelf-monthe, and excuse hym atte fulle-
654	Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.
655	And if he foond owher a good felawe,
656	He wolde techen him to have noon awe,
657	In swich caas, of the erchedekeness curs,
658	But if a mannes soule were in his purs;
659	For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be,
660	`Purs is the erchedekenes helle,' seyde he.
661	But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;
662	Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede-
663	For curs wol slee, right as assoillyng savith-
664	And also war him of a Significavit.
665	In daunger hadde he at his owene gise
666	The yonge girles of the diocise,
667	And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.
668	A gerland hadde he set upon his heed
669	As greet as it were for an ale-stake;
670	A bokeleer hadde he maad him of a cake.
671	With hym ther rood a gentil Pardoner
672	Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,
673	That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
674	Ful loude he soong `com hider, love, to me.'
675	This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun,
676	Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.
677	This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
678	But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;
679	By ounces henge hise lokkes that he hadde,
680	And therwith he hise shuldres overspradde;
681	But thynne it lay by colpons oon and oon.
682	But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,
683	For it was trussed up in his walet.
684	Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet,
685	Dischevele, save his cappe, he rood al bare.
686	Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.
687	A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.
688	His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe
689	Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.
690	A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot,
691	No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have,
692	As smothe it was as it were late shave,
693	I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare.
694	But of his craft, fro Berwyk into Ware,
695	Ne was ther swich another Pardoner;
696	For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,
697	Which that he seyde was Oure Lady veyl;
698	He seyde, he hadde a gobet of the seyl
699	That Seinte Peter hadde, whan that he wente
700	Upon the see, til Jesu Crist hym hente.
701	He hadde a croys of latoun, ful of stones,
702	And in a glas he hadde pigges bones;
703	But with thise relikes whan that he fond
704	A povre persoun dwellyng up-on-lond,
705	Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye
706	Than that the person gat in monthes tweye,
707	And thus with feyned flaterye and japes
708	He made the persoun and the peple his apes.
709	But trewely to tellen atte laste,
710	He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste;
711	Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,
712	But alderbest he song an offertorie,
713	For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe
714	He moste preche, and wel affile his tonge;
715	To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude,
716	Therfore he song the murierly and loude.
717	Now have I toold you shortly in a clause
718	Thestaat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause
719	Why that assembled was this compaignye
720	In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye,
721	That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
722	But now is tyme to yow for to telle
723	How that we baren us that ilke nyght
724	Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght,
725	And after wol I telle of our viage,
726	And all the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.
727	But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,
728	That ye narette it nat my vileynye,
729	Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere
730	To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,
731	Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.
732	For this ye knowen also wel as I,
733	Who-so shal telle a tale after a man,
734	He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan
735	Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
736	Al speke he never so rudeliche or large;
737	Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,
738	Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.
739	He may nat spare, al thogh he were his brother,
740	He moot as wel seye o word as another.
741	Crist spak hym-self ful brode in Hooly Writ,
742	And, wel ye woot, no vileynye is it.
743	Eek Plato seith, who so kan hym rede,
744	The wordes moote be cosyn to the dede.
745	Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,
746	Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
747	Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde-
748	My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.
749	Greet chiere made oure hoost us everichon,
750	And to the soper sette he us'anon.
751	He served us with vitaille at the beste;
752	Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us lestel
753	A semely man oure Hooste was withalle
754	For to been a marchal in an halle.
755	A large man he was, with eyen stepe,
756	A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe;
757	Boold of his speche, and wys, and well ytaught,
758	And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.
759	Eek therto he was right a myrie man;
760	And after soper pleyen he bigan,
761	And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,
762	Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges,
763	And seyde thus: Now lordynges, trewely,
764	Ye been to me right welcome hertely,
765	For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
766	I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
767	Atones in this herberwe, as is now.
768	Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how-
769	And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght
770	To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.
771	Ye goon to Caunterbury, God yow speede-
772	The blisful martir quite yow youre meede-
773	And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
774	Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye,
775	For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon
776	To ride by the weye doumb as stoon,
777	And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
778	As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort;
779	And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
780	For to stonden at my juggement,
781	And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
782	To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
783	Now, by my fader soule that is deed,
784	But ye be myrie I wol yeve yow myn heed!
785	Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche.
786	Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche-
787	Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys-
788	And graunted hym, withouten moore avys,
789	And bad him seye his voirdit, as hym leste.
790	Lordynges, quod he, now herkneth for the beste,
791	But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn.
792	This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,
793	That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,
794	In this viage shal telle tales tweye,
795	To Caunterburyward I mene it so,
796	And homward he shal tellen othere two,
797	Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.
798	And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle-
799	That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
800	Tales of best sentence and moost solaas-
801	Shal have a soper at oure aller cost,
802	Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
803	Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
804	And for to make yow the moore mury
805	I wol my-selven goodly with yow ryde
806	Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde.
807	And who so wole my juggement withseye
808	Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
809	And if ye vouchesauf that it be so,
810	Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,
811	And I wol erly shape me therfore.
812	This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore
813	With ful gald herte, and preyden hym also
814	That he wolde vouchesauf for to do so,
815	And that he wolde been oure governour,
816	And of our tales juge and reportour,
817	And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,
818	And we wol reuled been at his devys
819	In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent
820	We been acorded to his juggement;
821	And therupon the wyn was fet anon,
822	We dronken, and to reste wente echon
823	Withouten any lenger taryynge.
824	Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,
825	Up roos oure Hoost, and was oure aller cok,
826	And gadrede us to gidre, alle in a flok,
827	And forth we riden, a litel moore than paas,
828	Unto the wateryng of Seint Thomas.
829	And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste,
830	And seyde, Lordynges, herkneth if yow leste,
831	Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde;
832	If even-song and morwe-song accorde,
833	Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.
834	As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,
835	Whoso be rebel to my juggement
836	Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.
837	Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne,
838	He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.
839	Sire knyght, quod he, my mayster and my lord,
840	Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord,
841	Cometh neer, quod he, my lady Prioresse,
842	And ye, Sir Clerk, lat be your shamefastnesse,
843	Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man.
844	Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
845	And shortly for to tellen as it was,
846	Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
847	The sothe is this, the cut fil to the knyght,
848	Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght.
849	And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,
850	By foreward and by composicioun,-
851	As ye han herd, what nedeth wordes mo?
852	And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,
853	As he that wys was and obedient
854	To kepe his foreward by his free assent,
855	He seyde, Syn I shal bigynne the game,
856	What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!
857	Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.
858	And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,
859	And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
860	His tale anon, and seyde in this manere.

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