THE PRIORESS.

There was also a Nun, a Prioress,

That of her smiling was full simple and coy;
Her greatest oathè was but "by Saint Loy";'
And she was clepèd Madame Eglentine.
Full well she song the servicè divine,
Entunèd in her nose full seemely;

And French she spak full fair and fetisly,2
After the school of Stratford atte Bow,
For French of Paris was to her unknow.
At meatè well y-taught was she withal;
She let no morsel from her lippès fall,
Ne wet her finger in her saucè deep.
Well couth she carry a morsel, and well keep
That no dropè ne fell upon her breast.

10

4

In curtesie was set full much her lest.3
Her over-lippè wipèd she so clean
That in her cup there was no ferthing seen
Of grease when she dronken had her draught.
Full seemely after her meat she raught.
And sickerly she was of great disport,"
And full pleasaunt, and amiable of port;
And painèd her to counterfeitè chere?
Of Court, and been estately of manere,
And to been holden digne9 of reverence.
But for to speaken of her conscience:
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde 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.11
But sore wept she if one of them were dead,
Or if men smote it with a yerdè smart :
And all was conscience and tender heart.
Full seemely her wimple pinched was;
Her nose was straight, her eyen grey as glass;
Her mouth full small, and thereto soft and red;
But sikerly she had a fair forehead.

13

It was almost a spannè broad I trow,
For hardely 14 she was not undergrow.
Full fetis was her cloak, as I was ware.

1 Saint Louis.

2 Neatly.

12

4 A scrap or atom.

5 Certainly

6 Very cheerful. 7 To imitate courtly behaviour. 8 To be stately of manner.

9 To be held worthy.

3 Pleasure.

10 Full of pity.

11 Cake-bread.

Of small coral about her arm she bare
A pair of beadès1 gauded 2 all with green;
And thereon hong a brooch of gold full sheen,
On which there was first written a crownèd A,
And, after, Amor vincit omnia.

A Clerk there was of Oxenford also,
That unto logic hadde long y-go.5
As leanè was his horse as is a rake;
And he was not right fat, I undertake,
But looked hollow and thereto soberly.
Full threadbare was his overest courtepy;6
For he had geten him yet no benefice,
Ne was so worldly for to have office.
For him was liefer7 have at his bed-head
Twenty bookes clad in black and red,
Of Aristotle and his philosophy,

Than robès rich, or fithel, or gay sautrie.8
But al-be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
But all that he might of his friendès hent,
On bookes and his learning he it spent,
And busily gan for the soulés pray

Of them that gave him wherewith to scholay.9
Of study took he most cure and most heed.
Not one word spake he more than was need ;
And that was said in form and reverence,
And short and quick, and full of high sentence.
Souning in moral virtue was his speech,
And gladly wold he learn and gladly teach.

THE FRANKLIN,10

A Frankelein was in this company;
White was his beard as is the daiesy.
Of his complexion he was sanguine;
Well loved he by the morrow
To liven in delight was ever his won,12
For he was Epicurus' owen son,

a sop

in wine.

1 Two strings of beads. 2 The gaudies were the bigger beads in a roll for prayer. 3 Scholar preparing for the church.

4 Oxford.

6 Upper coat of coarse cloth. 7 He would rather have.

5 Gone.

8 Or fiddle or harp.

1

That held opinion that plein 1 delight
Was verily felicity parfite.

An householder, and that a great, was he;
Saint Julian 2 he was in his countree.
His bread, his ale, was alway after one;
A better envined 3 man was never none.
Withouten bake-meat never was his house,
Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous,
It snewèd in his house of meat and drink.

1 Full.

4 Snowed.

THE WIFE OF BATH.

A good Wife there was of besidè 5 Bath ;
But she was somedeal deaf, and that was scath.
Of cloth-making she haddè such an haunt,
She passed them of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In all the parish wife ne was there none
That to the offering before her should gone ;
And, if there did, certain so wroth was she
That she was out of allè charity.

Her coverchiefs full finè were of ground;
I durstè swear they weigheden ten pound
That on a Sunday were upon her head.
Her hosen weren of fine scarlet red,
Full strait y-tied, and shoes full moist and new.
Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.
She was a worthy woman all her live :
Husbands at the church door she had five,
Withouten other company in youth;

7

But thereof needeth not to speak as nowth.8
And thrice had she been at Jerusalem;
She haddè passèd many a strangè stream;
At Rome she haddè been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Saint Jame, and at Coloigne : 10
She couthè much 11 of wandering by the way.
Gat-toothed was she, soothly for to say.
Upon an ambler easily she sat,

12

Y-wimpled well, and on her head an hat
As broad as is a buckler or a targe; 13
A foot-mantel11 about her hippès large,

6 Misfortune.

2 The patron saint of travellers.
3 Stocked with wine.
A place near Bath.
7 Besides.
9 The shrine of St. James of Compostello in Galicia.

10 The supposed tomb of the three kings, or wise men of the East.

8 At present.

And on her feet a pair of spurrès1 sharp.
In fellowship well could she laugh and carp :"
Of remedies of love she knew perchance,
For she couth 3 of that art the oldè dance.*

THE PARSON.

A good man was there of religioun,
That was a poorè Parson of a town;
But rich he was of holy thought and work.
He was also a learned man, a clerk,
That Christès gospel truèly would preach;
His parishens devoutly would he teach.
Benign he was and wonder diligent,
And in adversity full patient;

And such he was y-provèd oftè sithès.
Full loth were him to cursen for his tithès ;
But rather would he given, out of doubt,
Unto his poorè parishens about,

Of his offring and eke of his substance:
He couth in little thing have suffisance.
Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder;
But he ne leftè not, for rain ne thunder,
In sickness nor in mischief to visite

The furthest in his parish, much and lite,7
Upon his feet, and in his hand a staff.
This noble ensample to his sheep he gaf,8
That first he wrought and afterward he taught.
Out of the gospel he the wordès caught,
And this figure he added eke thereto,-
That, if gold rusted, what should iron do?
For, if a priest be foul on whom we trust,
No wonder is it lewèd 9 men to rust.
He was a shepherd, and not a mercenary;
And, though he holy were and virtuous,
He was to sinful man nought dispitous,10
Ne of his speechè daungerous ne digne,1
But in his teaching discreet and benign.
To drawen folk to heaven by fairness
By good ensample, this was his business.

8 Knew.

11

4 The old customs. We say the 'old song.' 6 Oftentimes. 7 Great and small.

9 Lay, ignorant.

10 Without pity.

That held opinion that plein1 delight
Was verily felicity parfite.

An householder, and that a great, was he;
Saint Julian2 he was in his countree.

His bread, his ale, was alway after one;
A better envined 3 man was never none.
Withouten bake-meat never was his house,
Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous,
It snewèd in his house of meat and drink.

1 Full.
4 Snowed.

THE WIFE OF BATH.

A good Wife there was of besidè5 Bath;
But she was somedeal deaf, and that was scath."
Of cloth-making she hadde such an haunt,
She passed them of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In all the parish wife ne was there none
That to the offering before her should gone;
And, if there did, certain so wroth was she
That she was out of allè charity.

Her coverchiefs full finè were of ground;
I durstè swear they weigheden ten pound
That on a Sunday were upon her head.
Her hosen weren of fine scarlet red,

Full strait y-tied, and shoes full moist and new.
Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.
She was a worthy woman all her live :
Husbands at the church door she had five,
Withouten other company in youth;

7

But thereof needeth not to speak as nowth.8
And thrice had she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passèd many a strangè stream;
At Rome she haddè been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Saint Jame, and at Coloigne :10
She couthè much 11 of wandering by the way.
Gat-toothed 12 was she, soothly for to say.
Upon an ambler easily she sat,
Y-wimpled well, and on her head an hat
As broad as is a buckler or a targe;13
A foot-mantel11 about her hippès large,

2 The patron saint of travellers. 8 Stocked with wine. A place near Bath. 6 Misfortune. 7 Besides. 9 The shrine of St. James of Compostello in Galicia. 10 The supposed tomb of the three kings, or wise men of the East.

8 At present.