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

[6-text p 547]

Here folwyn the mery wordys of chaucer & of þ^e host And the prologe of the chanonnys man [on leaf 380, back]

hat told was the lif of seynt Cecile [folio 381a] [ [[gaps filled-in from Sloane 1685, leaf 165,except that at ² it has "Boxton."]] Er w]e fully haddyn redyn fyue myle [At ²Boug]hton vndyr Blee vs gan a take [A man] that clothede was in clothis blake Line 557 [And vn]dyr that he hadde a whit surplys [hys ha]keny that was al pomele gris [So swa]tte that it wondir was to se [hit seme]de that he hadde prekede mylis thre Line 561 [The hors eke þat hys yoman r]od vpon [So swet þat vnneþe my]hte [["myȝt," in Sloane 1685]] it goon Aboute þe pey[trelle stode the] fom ful hye He was of foom al flekked as a pye Line 565 A male twifold on his croper lay It semede that he cariede lyte aray Al lygh for somyr rod this worthi man And in myn herte wonderyn I began Line 569 What that he was that I vndyrstood How that his cloke was sowid to his hood ffor which whanne I longe hadde auysede me I demede hym ^a schanoun for to be Line 573 His hat hyng doun at his bak by a lace ffor he hadde redyn moore than trot or pace He hadde ay prikyd lyk as he were wood A cloote lef he hadde vndyr his hood Line 577 ffro swot & for to kepe his heed from heete But it was Ioye for to seen hym sweete His forhed dropped as a stillatorie Were ful of plauntayn & of permytorye Line 581

[6-text p 548] Line 581 And whan that he was come he gan to crye Line 582 God saue quod he this fayre compaynye ffaste haue I prikyd quod he for ȝoure sake By cause that I wolde ȝow a take Line 585 To rydyn in this murye cumpaynye His ȝeman ek was ful of curteysie And seyde sens now in the morwe tyde Out of ȝoure hostelrye I saw ȝow ryde Line 589 And warnede heere myn lord & myn souereyn Which for to ridyn with ȝow is ful fayn ffor his disport he lout[h [[gaps filled-in from Sloane 1685]] dalyaunce] [folio 381b] ffreend for thyn warny[nge god ȝeue þe gode chaunce] Line 593 Thanne seyde oure h[Oste certes hit wolde seme] Thyn lord weere w[yse and so I may wele deme] He is ful Iocunde a[lso dare I leye] Can he ough a me[ry tale or tweye] Line 597 With which he glade [may þis companye] // Who sere myn lord [ȝe with out lie] He can of merthe & [eke of Iolyte] Nat but I-now also [sir trestyth me] Line 601 And ȝe hym knewe a[lso wele as] that do I Ȝe woldyn wondere how weel & craftyly He coude werke & that in sundery wise He hath takyn on hym manye a greet emprise Line 605 Whiche were ful hard for ony that is heere To brynge a-boute but ²they of hym it leere² [[^2_2 later]] As hoomely as he rit a-mongis ȝow Ȝif ȝe hym knewe it wolde be for ȝoure prow Line 609 ȝe wolde nat forgoon his aqueyntaunce ffor meche good I dare leye in balaunce Al that I haue in myn possessioun He is a man of heigh discrecioun Line 613 I warne ȝow weel he is a passynge man Weel quod oure host I preye the telle me than Is he clerk or noon I preye the telle me this Nay he is grettere than a clerk I-wis Line 617

[6-text p 549] Line 617 Seyde this ȝeman & in wordis fewe Line 618 Hoost of his craft sumwhat I wele ȝow schewe I seye myn lord can swich sotyletee But al his craft ȝe may nat wete at me Line 621 And sumwhat helpe I ȝit to his werkyng That al this ground on which we been rydyng Til that we comyn to cauntyrbery toun He coude al clene turne vp so doun Line 625 And paue it al of syluyr & of gold / And whan this ȝeman hadde this I-told Vn-to oure host he seyde benedicite This thyng is wondyr meruelious to me Line 629 Syn that thyn lord is of so hegh prudence [folio 382a] By cause of which men wolde hym reuerence That of his worschepe rekkith he but lyte His ouere sloppe nys nat worth a myte Line 633 As in effect to hym so mote I go It is al baudit & to-tore also Whi is thyn lord so slottysch I the preye And is of power betere cloth to beye Line 637 If that his deede a-cordit with his speche Tel me that & that I the be-seche // Whi quod this ȝeman wherto axe ȝe me God help me so for he schal neuere the Line 641 But I wele nat a-wowe that I seye And therfore kepe it secre I ȝow preye He is to wis in feyth as I be-leue That is ouerdone it wele nat preue Line 645 Aryght / as clerkis seyn it is a vice Wherfore in that I helde hym lewid & nyce ffor whan a man hath ouergreet a wit fful ofte hym happith to mysusen it Line 649 So doth myn lord & that me greuyth soore God it amende I can sey ȝow na moore Therof no fors goode ȝeman quod oure hoost Syn of the cunnyng of thyn lord thow wost Line 653

[6-text p 550] Line 653 Telle how he doth I preye the hertyly Line 654 Syn that he is so crafty & so sly Wheere dwellyn ȝe / ȝif it to tellyn be In the subarblis of a toun quod he Line 657 Lurkynge in hernys & in [[first lonys]] lanys blynde Where as these robbouris & these theuys by kynde Holdyn here priue ferful residence As they that dore nat schewe here presence Line 661 So fare we ȝif I schal seye the sothe Now quod oure hoost ȝit lat me speke to the Whi art thow so discolouryd in thyn face Petir quod he god ȝeue it harde grace Line 665 I am so vsed in the fuir to blowe That it hath chaunged myn colour I trowe I am not wone in no myrour to prye [folio 382b] But swynke sore & lerne multeplye Line 669 We blundere euere & poure in the fuyr And for al that we fayle of oure desyr ffor euere we lakke oure conclusioun To muche folk we doon illusyoun Line 673 And borwe gold be it a pound or two Or ten or twelve or manye summys mo And makyn hem to wenyn at the leste weye That of a pound we coudyn make tweye Line 677 ȝit is it fals but ay we han good hope It for to doon & aftyr it we grope But that science is so fer vs be-foren We mow not al-thogh we haddyn it sworen Line 681 It ouyrtake it slyt awey so faste It wele vs make beggeris at the laste // Whil this ȝeman was thus in his talkyng This chanoun drow hym neer & herde alle thyng Line 685 Which this ȝeman spak . for suspecioun Of menys speche / euere hadde this chanoun for Catoun seyth he that gilty is [Concius esse sibi.] Demyth alle thynge is seyd of hym I-wis Line 689

[6-text p 551] Line 689 That was the cause he gan so nygh hym drawe Line 690 To his ȝeman to herkenyn al his sawe And thus he seyde vn-to his ȝeman tho Hold thow thyn pees & spek no wordis mo Line 693 ffor ȝif thow do thow schat it dere a-beye Thow slaunderyst me / heere in this cumpaynye And ek discouerist that thow schuldist hide Ȝa quod oure ost telle on whatso betyde Line 697 Of al this thretyng relke nat a myte Infeyth quod he namore I do but lyte And whan this chanoun saw it wolde nat be But his ȝeman wolde telle his pryuyte Line 701 He fledde a-wey for verray sorwe & schame A quod the ȝeman here schal aryse game Al that I can a-non now wele I telle Line 704 Syn he is goon the foule fend hym quelle [folio 383a] [cut out of the Camb. MS.] [ffore neuere here aftere wolle with hym mete [Sloane MS 1685 folio 167b] ffor peny ne for pounde I be-hete he þat me brouȝt/ fyrst/ in to þat game Er/ þat he deyde sorowe haue he & shame Line 709 ffor hit ys ernest/ to me by my fayþe þat fele I wele what so ony man saythe And ȝit for alle my smert and alle my greef / And alle my sorowe laboure and myschef Line 713 I couþe neuere leeue hit / in no wyse Nowe wolde god my wytte myȝt / suffice To tellen alle þat longethe to þat arte But nathles ȝit wylle I telle you part Line 717 Syþens þat my lorde ys gone I wolle not spare Suche þenge as I knowe I wille declare

Here endith þe Prologge