The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

§ 1. THE CLERK'S HEAD-LINK. [Here begynneþe þe Prologe of/ þe Clerk/ of Oxenford

CAMBRIDGE MS. [Leaves 242 and 243 (containing the Clerk's Head-Link, the painting of him, and the first 8 stanzas of the Tale) are cut out.]

[Sir Clerk/ of Oxenford oure Oste sayd [Sloane MS 1685 folio 129b] Ye ride as stylle as Coy as dothe a mayde Were newe spoused sittynge at þe borde þis day ne herd/ I of youre mouthe a worde Line 4 I trowe þat ȝe study a-boute some sophyme But salamon saithe alle þenge hathe tyme ffor goddes sake bethe of better/ chere hit ys no tyme nowe to study here Line 8 Telle vs som mery tale by your fay ffor what man ys entred in to a play he nedes mote into þat play assent But precheth not as freres done in lent Line 12 To make us for oure olde synnes to wepe Ne þat þi Tale ne make vs not to slepe Telle vs some mery þenge of auentures ȝoure termes your figoures and your coloures Line 16 kepe hem in store tyl so be ȝe hem endite hieȝe style as when men to kynges wryte Spekethe so playne at þis tyme I you pray [Sloane MS 1685 folio 130a] þat we may vndirstonde what ȝe say Line 20 This worþi Clerke benyngely vnswared Oste quod he I am vnder your/ ȝerde ȝe haue as nowe of vs þe Gouernaunce And þerfore wolle I do ȝowe now obeysaunce Line 24

[6-text p 404] Line 24 As fer as reson askethe hardely [Sloane 1635, on leaf130] I wille you telle a tale whiche þat I lerned at Padow/ of a worþi clerke As prouyd by hys wordes and his werk/ Line 28 he ys nowe dede and nailid in his chest I pray to god to sende his saul gode reste Fraunceys petrak þe laureol poet hiȝt/ þis Clerk whos rethorik/ swete Line 32 Illumyeth alle Italy þurgh poetrye As lynean dyd of philosophi · Or lawe or oþere art particuler But dethe þat wolle suffre no þinge here Line 36 But as hit were twynkelynge of an eye Bothe hathe he slayne and alle shalle we deye But for to tellen of þis worthi man þat taught me þis tale as I first be-gan Line 40 I sey þat he first with hiȝe stile enditethe Or he þe body of his tale writeth A prochem in þe whiche desernethe he The Mounde & of Saluce þe contre Line 44 And spekethe of appenen þe hilles hie þat bene þe boundes · of west lumbardye And of Mounte resulus in special where as þe Pope out of a welle smal Line 48 Takith his first spryngynge and his sours Where as he holte þe euen streight way his cours To enel ward to Ferrar & to venyse The whiche a longe þenge were to devise Line 52 And truly as to my Iugement Me thynke hit a thinge impertinent/ Saue he wolle conueye his matere [Sloane MS 1685 folio 130b] But this is þe tale whiche þat ȝe shulle here Line 56

Here endeth þe Prologe