GROUP A. FRAGMENT I.
§ 1. GENERAL PROLOGUE.
HARLEIAN MS. 7334 (British Museum).
WHan that aprille with his schowres swoote [folio 1a]
The drought of Marche haþ perced to þe roote
And bathud euery veyne in swich licour
Of which vertue engendred is þe flour
Line 4
whan ȝephirus eek with his swete breeth
Enspirud hath in euery holte and heeth
The tendre croppes and þe ȝonge sonne
hath in the Ram his halfe cours I-ronne
Line 8
And smale fowles maken melodie
That slepen al þe night wiþ open yhe
So prikeþ hem nature in here corages
Thanne longen folk to gon on pilgrimages
Line 12
And palmers for to seeken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes kouthe in sondry londes
And specially from euery schires ende
Of Engelond to Canturbury þey wende
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The holy blisful martir for to seeke
That hem haþ holpen whan þat þey were seeke
Byfel þat in þat sesoun on a day
In Southwerk at þe Tabbard as I lay
Line 20
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Canturbury with ful deuout/ corage
At night was come in to þat hostelrie
Wel nyne and twenty in a companye
Line 24
Of sondry folk by auenture I-falle
In felaschipe and pilgryms were þei alle
That toward Canturbury wolden ryde
