A knight there was, and that a worthy[28] man,
That[29] from the timè that he first began
To riden out, he[29] lovèd chivalry,
Truth and honoúr, freedom[30] and courtesy.
Full worthy was he in his Lordès war,
And thereto had he ridden, no man farre,[31]
As well in Christendom as in Heatheness,
And ever honoured for his worthiness.
At Alexandr' he was when it was won;
Full oftè time he had the board begun[32]
Aboven allè natìóns in Prusse;
In Lettowe[33] had he reyséd[34] and in Russe,
No Christian man so oft of his degree;
In Gernade[35] at the siegè had he be
Of Algezir,[36] and ridden in Belmarié.[37]
At Lieys[38] was he, and at Satalié,[39]
When they were won; and in the Greatè Sea[40]
At many a noble army[41] had he be.
At mortal battles had he been fifteen,
And foughten for our faith at Tramassene[42]
In listès thriès, and aye slain his foe.
This ilkè[43] worthy knight had been also
Sometimè with the lord of Palatié,[44]
Again another heathen in Turkéy:
And evermore he had a sovereign pris.[45]
And though that he were worthy[46] he was wise,
And of his port as meek as is a maid.
He never yet no villainy[47] ne said
In all his life unto no manner wight.[48]
He was a very perfect gentle knight.
But for to tellen you of his array,
His horse were good, but he ne was not gay[49];
Of fustìán he wearèd a gipon,[50]
All besmuterèd[51] with his habergeón,
For he was late ycome from his viáge.[52]
And wentè for to do his pilgrimáge.
The Prioress
There was also a Nun, a Prioress,
That of her smiling was full simple and coy;
Her greatest oath was but by Sáìnt Loy;
And she was clepèd[53] Madame Eglentine.
Full well she sang the servicè divine,
Entunéd[54] in her nose full seemèly;
And French she spake full fair and fetisly[55]
After the school of Stratford-at-the-Bow,
For French of Paris was to her unknowe.
At meatè well ytaught was she withal;
She let no morsel from her lippès fall,
Ne wet her fingers in her saucè deep.
Well could she carry a morsel, and well keep,
That no dropè ne fell upon her breast.
In courtesy was set full much her lest.[56]
Her over-lippè wipèd she so clean,
That in her cup there was no farthing[57] seen
Of greasè, when she drunken had her draught;
Full seemèly after her meat she raught[58]:
And sickerly[59] she was of great disport,
And full pleasánt and amiable of port,
And painèd[60] her to counterfeiten[61] cheer
Of court, and to be stately of manére,
And to be holden digne[62] of revérence.
But for to speaken of her consciénce,[63]
She was so charitable and so pitoús,
She wouldè weep if that she saw a mouse
Caught in a trap, if it were dead or bled;
Of smallè houndès had she, that she fed
With roasted flesh, or milk and wastel-bread[64];
But soré wept sh' if one of hem were dead,[65]
Or if men[66] smote it with a yardè[67] smarte[68]:
And all was conscìénce and tender heart.
Full seemèly her wimple[69] pinchèd[70] was;
Her nosè tretys, her eyen gray as glass,
Her mouth full small and thereto soft and red;
But sickerly[71] she had a fair forehéad;
It was almost a spannè broad, I trow;
For hardily[72] she was not undergrowe.[73]
Full fetis[74] was her cloak, as I was ware.
Of small corál about her arm she bare
A pair[75] of beadès gauded all with green[76];
And thereon hung a brooch of gold full sheen,
On which ther was first writ a crownèd A,
And after, Amor vincit omnia.
Another Nunnè with her haddè she,
That was her chapèlain,[77] and Priestès three.
The Friar
A Frere there was, a wanton and a merry,
A limitoúr,[78] a full solemnè[79] man.
In all the orders four is none that can[80]
So much of dalliance and fair languáge.
He haddè made full many a marrìáge
Of youngè women at his owen cost.
Unto his order he was a noble post;
Full well beloved and fámiliár was he
With franklins over-all[81] in his country,
And eke with worthy[82] women of the town:
For he had powèr of confessìón,
As saidè hímself, more than a curáte,
For of his order he was licentiáte.
Full sweetèly heard he confessìón,
And pleasant was his absolutìón.
He was an easy man to give penánce,
There-as he wist to have[83] a good pittánce;
For unto a poor order for to give
Is signè that a man is well yshrive;
For if he gave, he durstè make avaunt,[84]
He wistè that a man was répentánt.
For many a man so hard is of his heart,
He may not weep although him sorè smart;
Therefore instead of weeping and prayérs,
Men mote give silver to the poorè freres.
His tippet was aye farsèd[85] full of knives
And pinnès, for to given fairè wives;
And certainly he had a merry note:
Well could he sing and playen on a rote[86];
Of yeddings[87] he bare utterly the pris.[88]
His neckè white was as the fleur-de-lis.
Thereto he strong was as a champión.
He knew the taverns well in every town,
And every hostèlér[89] and tapèstér,
Bet than a lazár[90] or a beggestér[91];
For unto such a worthy man as he
Accorded nought, as by his faculty,
To have with sickè lazárs ácquaintánce;
It is not honest, it may not advance
For to dealen with no such poraille,[92]
But all with rich and sellers[93] of vitaille.[94]
And o'er-all,[95] there-as profit should arise,
Courteous he was and lowly of servíce.
There was no man nowhere so virtuous[96];
He was the bestè beggar in his house:
[And gave a certain farmè[97] for the grant,
None of his brethren came there in his haunt.]
For though a widow haddè not a shoe,
So pleasant was his In principio,[98]
Yet would he have a farthing ere he went;
His purchase[99] was well better than his rent.[100]
And rage[101] he could as it were right a whelp:
In lovèdays[102] there could he muchel help;
For there he was not like a cloisterér
With a threadbare cope, as is a poor scholér;
But he was like a master or a pope,
Of double worsted was his semicope,[103]
That rounded as a bell out of the press.
Somewhat he lispèd for his wantonness,
To make his English sweet upon his tongue;
And in his harping, when that he had sung,
His eyen twinkled in his head aright,
As do the starrès in the frosty night.
This worthy limitour was cleped[104] Hubérd.
The Clerk of Oxford
A Clerk there was of Oxenford[105] also,
That unto logic haddè long ygo.[106]
As leanè was his horse as is a rake,
And he was not right fat, I undertake,[107]
But lookèd hollow, and thereto soberly.
Full threadbare was his overest[108] courtepy,[109]
For he had geten[110] him yet no benefice,
Ne was so worldly for to have office.
For him was liefer[111] have at his bed's head
Twenty bookès clad in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophy,
Than robes rich, or fiddle, or gay psaltery.
But albe that he was a philosópher,
Yet haddè he but little gold in coffer,
But all that he might of his friendès hent,[112]
On bookès and his learning he it spent,
And busily[113] gan for the soulès pray
Of hem, that gave him wherewith to scolay[114];
Of study took he most cure and most heed.
Not one word spake he morè than was need;
And that was said in form and reverence,
And short and quick, and full of high senténce.[115]
Sounding in moral virtue was his speech,
And gladly would he learn and gladly teach.
The Lawyer
A sergeant of the Lawè, ware and wise,
That often had ybeen at the Parvys,[116]
There was also, full rich of excellence.
Discreet he was and of great reverence;
He seemèd such, his wordès were so wise;
Justice he was full often in assize,
By patent and by plein[117] commissìón.
For his sciénce, and for his high renown,
Of fees and robès had he many one;
So great a purchaser[118] was nowhere none;
All was fee simple to him in effect,
His purchasíng mightè not be infect.[119]
Nowhere so busy a man as he there nas,
And yet he seemèd busier than he was.
In termès had he case and doomès[120] all,
That from the time of King Williám were fall.
Thereto he could indite, and make a thing,
There couldè no wight pinch[121] at his writíng;
And every statute could[122] he plein[123] by rote.
He rode but homely in a medley[124] coat,
Girt with a ceint[125] of silk, with barrès smale[126];
Of his array tell I no lenger tale.
The Shipman