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

[6-text p 253]

[Here be-gynneth þe Prolooge of þe Monke. [Sloane MS 1685 folio 201b]

Whan endid was þis tale of Melybe And of / Prudence and of hir/ benygnyte Line 3080 Oure hoste sayd as I am a · feyth-full man And by þe preciouse corpus madryan I hade leuere þan a Barelle of ale þat godeleve my wyf hade hard þis tale Line 3084 ffor she nys no þenge of suche pacience · As was þis Melibeus wyfes prudence Be godes bones whan I bete my knaues. Sche bryngeth me þe grete clubbed staves. Line 3088 And cryethe slee þe dogges euereycheon And breke bothe backe and bone And ȝif þat ony neghebour of myne Wolle not in chirche to my wyf enclyne Line 3092 Or be so hardy to her/ to trespace When she cometh home she renneth in my face And cryeth false coward wreke þi wyfe By corpus bonus I wylle haue þi knyfe Line 3096 And þou shalte haue my distafe and go spynne ffro day to nyȝt riȝt þus she wolle begynne Alas she seithe þat euere I was shape To wedde a melke soppe or so grete an ape Line 3100 þat wolle bene ouere lade with euery wyȝt þou dorste not stonde by þi wyf a ryȝt Thys ys my lyfe but ȝif I wolde fyȝt And oute at þe dore a-none I mote me dyȝt Line 3104 Or elles I am lost but ȝif þat I Be lyke a wylde lyonn foule hardy I wote wele she wylle do me slee som day [Sloane MS 1685 folio 202a] Line 3107 Some neyȝeboure and þan go my way] [[Sloane extract ends]] For I am perlious with knyf in honde [Camb. Univ. Lib. MS Gg. 4.27] [folio 351a] Al be it that I dar nat hire with-stonde

[6-text p 254] For sche is big in armys by myn feyth That schal he fynde that hire mys doth or seyth Line 3112 But lat vs passe a-way from this matiere Myn lord the Monk be merye of cheere For ȝe schul telle a tale trewely Lo rouchestre stant heere faste by Line 3116 Ryde forth myn owene lord / brek nat oure game But by myn trouthe I knowe nat ȝoure name Wher schal I calle ȝow myn lord daund Iohn Or daun Thomas or ellis daun Albon Line 3120 Of what hous be ȝe by ȝoure fadyr kyn I voue to god thow hast a ful fayr skyn It is a gentyl pasture theere thow gost Thow art nat lyk a penaunt or a gost Line 3124 Vp-on myn feyth thow art sum offyseer Sum worthi Sexteyn or sum Celereer ffor by myn fadyr soule as to myn doom Thow art a maystyr whan thow art at hom Line 3128 No poore Cloysterer ne non nouys But a gouernour worthy & wis And therwithal of braun & of bonys A weel farynge persone for the nonys Line 3132 I preye to god ȝeue hem confusioun That ferst the brouȝte vn-to relygeoun Thow woldyst a been a tredefowel aryȝt Haddyst thow as greet a leue as thow hast myght Line 3136 To perforne al this lust in engendernge Thow haddyst begetyn manye a creature Allas why werys thow so syd a cope God ȝeue me sorwe but & I were a pope Line 3140 Nat only thow but euery myghty man Thow he were schore hye vp on his pan Schulde han a wif for al the world is lorn Religeous hath takyn vp al the corn Line 3144 Of tythyng / & we borel meen been schrympis [folio 351b] Of feble treis theere comyn febele ympis

[6-text p 255] This makyth that oure eyris been so sklendere And feble that they may not weel engendere Line 3148 This makyth that oure wiuys wele assaye Relygeous folk for ȝe mowe the betere paye Of Venus payementis than mowe we God wot no lusschebruys paye ȝe Line 3152 But be nat wroth myn lord thow that I pleye Ful ofte in game a sothe I haue herd seye

THis worthy Monk tok al in pacience And seyde I wele don al myn diligence Line 3156 As fer as sounyth in-to honeste To telle ȝow a tale or two or three And ȝif thow leste to herkyn hedyrward I wele ȝow seyn the lyf of seynt Edeward Line 3160 Or ellis fyrst tragedeis wele I telle Of whiche I haue an hundered in myn celle Tragedie is to seyne a certeyn storye As olde bokys makyn vs memorie Line 3164 Of hym that stod in greet prosperitee & is I-fallyn out of hygh degre In-to myserye & endyth wrechedely And they been vercified comounly Line 3168 Of sexe feet whiche men callyn exametroun In prose ek endytid been many on And ek in metre in manye a sundery wyse Lo this declarynge oughte I-nough suffyse Line 3172 Now herkyth ȝif ȝow lyke for to heere But fyrst I ȝow be-seke in this matiere Thow I be ordere telle nat these thyngis Be it of popis emperourys or kyngis Line 3176 Aftyr here agis as men rede & fynde But telle hem some by-fore & some be-hynde As it comyth to myn remembraunce Haue me excusede of myn ygnoraunce Line 3180