The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ Here bigynneth The Prologe of the Monkes ta[le].

WHan ended was my tale / of Melibee [folio 88a] And of Prudence / and hire benygnitee Line 3080 Oure hoost seyde / as I am feithful man And by / that precious corpus Madrian I hadde leuere / than a barel Ale That goode lief my wyf / hadde herd this tale Line 3084 She nys no thyng of swich pacience As was / this Melibeus wyf Prudence By goddes bones / whan I bete my knaues She bryngeth me / the grete clobbed staues Line 3088 And crieth / slee the dogges euerichon And breke hem / bothe bak and euery bon And if þat / any neighebore / of myne Wol nat in chirche / to my wyf enclyne Line 3092 Or be so hardy / to hire to trespace Whan she cometh / she raumpeth in my face And crieth / false coward wrek thy wyf By corpus bones / I wol haue thy knyf Line 3096 And thow shalt haue my distaf/ and go spynne ffro day to nyght right thus she wol bigynne Allas she seith / þat euere þat I was shape To wedden a Milksope / or a coward Ape Line 3100 That wol been ouer-lad / of euery wight Thow darst nat stonden / by thy wyues right This is my lif but if þat I wol fighte And out at dore / anoon I moot me dighte Line 3104 Or ellis I am but lost but if þat I Be lyk a wilde leon / fool hardy I woot wel / she wol do me sle som day Som neighebore / and thanne go my way Line 3108 ffor I am perilous / with knyf in honde Al be it that I dar nat hire withstonde

[6-text p 254] ffor she is big in armes / by my feith That shal he fynde / þat hire mysdooth / or seith Line 3112 But lat vs passe awey / fro this matere ¶ My lord the Monk quod he / be myrie of cheere ffor / ye shul telle a tale trewely [folio 88b] Lo / Rouchestre / stant heer fasteby Line 3116 Ride forth myn owene lord / brek nat oure game But by my trouthe / I knowe nat youre name Wher shal I calle yow / my lord Dann Iohn Or dann Thomas / or ellis Dann Albon Line 3120 Of what hous be ye / by youre fader kyn I vow to god / thow hast a ful fair skyn It is a gentil pasture / ther thow goost Thow art nat lyk a penannt or a goost Line 3124 Vp-on my feith / thow art som Officer Som worthy Sexteyn / or som Celerer ffor by my fader soule / as to my doom Thow art a maister / whan thou art at hom Line 3128 No poure Cloistrer / ne no novys But a gouernour / wily and wys And ther with al / of brawnes & of bones A wel farynge persone / for the nones Line 3132 I prey god / yeue hym confusion That first thee broghte / vn-to Religion Thow woldest han been a tredefoul aright Haddestow / as greet a leue as thow hast myght Line 3136 To perfourne / al thy lust in engendrure Thow haddest bigeten / ful many a creature Allas / why werestow so wyd a cope God yeue me sorwe / but and I were a Pope Line 3140 Nat oonly thow / but euery myghty man Thogh he were shore / ful hye vp on his pan Sholde haue a wyf for al the world is lorn Religion / hath take vp al the corn Line 3144 Of tredyng and we borel men been shrympes Of feble trees / ther comen wrecched ympes

[6-text p 255] This maketh / þat oure heires beth so sklendre And feble / þat they may nat wel engendre Line 3148 This maketh / þat oure wyues wole assaye Religious folk / for ye mowe bettre paye Of Venus paiementz / than may we God woot no lussheburgh payen ye Line 3152 But be nat wrooth my Lord / thogh þat I pleye fful ofte in game / a sooth I haue herd seye ¶ This worthy Monk / took al in pacience [folio 89a] And seyde / I wol doon al my diligence Line 3156 As fer / as sowneth in to honestee To telle yow a tale / or two / or three And if yow list to herkne hiderward I wol yow seyn / the lyf of Seint Edward Line 3160 Or ellis first tragedies wol I telle Of whiche / I haue an hundred in my Celle Tragedie is to seyn / a certeyn storie As olde bokes / maken vs memorie Line 3164 Of hym / þat stood in greet prosperitee And is yfallen / out of heigh degree In to myserie / and endeth wrecchedly And they been / versified comunly Line 3168 Of .vj. feet whiche men clepyn Exametron In prose eek been endited many oon And eek in metre / in many a sondry wise Lo this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise Line 3172 ¶ Now herkneth / if yow liketh for to heere But first I yow biseke / in this matere Though I by ordre / telle nat thise thynges Be it of Popes / Emperours / or Kynges Line 3176 After hir ages / as men writen fynde But telle hem / som bifore / and som bihynde As it now cometh / vn-to my remembrance Haueth me excused / of myn ignorance Line 3180

Notes

• [Bitten off by rats.]