75 But for to tellen yow of his array, 80 A lovyere, and a lusty bacheler, Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse. And he had been somtyme in chivachye," Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde. He coude songes make and wel endyte, 95 Iuste15 and eek daunce, and wel purtreye16 and wryte. So hote1 he lovede, that by nightertale18 He sleep namore than dooth a nightingale. Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable, 100 Harneised 23 wel, and sharp as point of spere; A Cristofre24 on his brest of silver shene.115 An horn he bar, the bawdrik 25 was of grene; A forster26 was he, soothly, as I gesse. Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE, That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy; 119 Hir gretteste ooth was but by sëynt Loy, 130 135 For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe. A peire2 of bedes, gauded al with grene; And ther-on heng a broche of gold ful shene, 160 On which ther was first write a crowned A, Another NONNE with hir hadde she, That was hir chapeleyne, and PREESTES thre. A MONK ther was, a fair for the mais- An out-rydere, that lovede venerye;4 165 And eek his face, as he had been anoint. Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in A limitour, 20 a ful solempne21 man. In alle the ordres foure is noon that can22 And, whan he rood, men mighte his brydel So moche of daliaunce and fair langage.211 here He hadde maad ful many a mariage toun: For he had power of confessioun, 24 215 220 As seyde him-self, more than a curat, smerte. 26 225 230 235 Therfore, in stede of weping and preyeres, toun, 15 in good condition. 18 fire under a cauldron. 20 licensed beggar. 5 somewhat strict. 6 same. 7 go. 23 country gentlemen. • mad. 25 give. 28 a sort of fiddle. And everich hostiler and tappestere1 250 256 And rage he coude as it were right a whelpe. 261 In love-dayes ther coude he mochel helpe. His eyen twinkled in his heed aright, A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, 270 In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, 13 For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle, But sooth to seyn, I noot18 how men him calle. A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also, 285 That un-to logik hadde longe y-go. As lene was his hors as is a rake, And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly. Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy;19290 For he had geten him yet no benefyce, Ne was so worldly for to have offyce. For him was lever have at his beddes heed Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed, Of Aristotle and his philosophye, Than robes riche, or fithele,20 or gay sautrye.21 295 But al be that he was a philosophre, On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, 300 Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye. Of studie took he most cure and most hede. Noght o word spak he more than was nede, And that was seyd in forme and rever ence, 23 305 310 A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war26 and wys, That often hadde been at the parvys,27 Ther was also, ful riche of excellence. Discreet he was, and of greet reverence: He semed swich, his wordes weren so wyse. Iustyce he was ful often in assyse, By patente, and by pleyn commissioun;315 For28 his science, and for his heigh renoun, Of fees and robes hadde he many oon. So greet a purchasour29 was nowher noon. Al was fee simple to him in effect, His purchasing mighte nat been infect. 320 Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas, And yet he semed bisier than he was. In termes hadde he caas30 and domes31 alle, That from the tyme of king William were falle. 3 leper. 6 profit. 7 4 beggar woman. poor people. 11 regular income. 22 get. 13 guarded. Gospel of St. John. 15 employed. 17 dealings. 18 know not. 24 meaning. 27 church-porch. 30 cases. Therto he coude endyte, and make a thing, Ther coude no wight pinche1 at his wryting; 326 And every statut coude he pleyn by rote. Of his array telle I no lenger tale. 330 A FRANKELEYN was in his companye; Whyt was his berd, as is the dayesye. Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.* But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel, 370 Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in And goon to vigilyës al bifore, wyn.6 And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. 375 460 fyve, Withouten other companye in youthe; But therof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe. 19 And thryes hadde she been at Ierusalem; She hadde passed many a straunge streem; At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne, In Galice at seint Iame, and at Coloigne. She coude muche of wandring by the weye. 467 Gat-tothed 20 was she, soothly for to seye. Up-on an amblere esily she sat, Y-wimpled21 wel, and on hir heed an hat 470 As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; A foot-mantel22 aboute hir hipes large, And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe. In felaweschip wel coude she laughe and carpe.2 23 474 Of remedies of love she knew per-chaunce, 480 484 |