The Clerk's Prologue
Sire clerk of oxenford, oure hooste sayde, Line 1
Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde Line 2
Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord; Line 3
This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word. Line 4
I trowe ye studie aboute som sophyme; Line 5
But salomon seith -- every thyng hath tyme. -- Line 6
For goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere! Line 7
It is no tyme for to studien heere. Line 8
Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey! Line 9
For what man that is entred in a pley, Line 10
He nedes moot unto the pley assente. Line 11
But precheth nat, as freres doon in lente, Line 12
To make us for oure olde synnes wepe, Line 13
Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe. Line 14
Telle us som murie thyng of aventures. Line 15
Youre termes, youre colours, and youre figures, Line 16
Keepe hem in stoor til so be that ye endite Line 17
Heigh style, as whan that men to kynges write. Line 18
Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, we yow preye, Line 19
That we may understonde what ye seye. Line 20
This worthy clerk benignely answerde: Line 21
Hooste, quod he, I am under youre yerde; Line 22
Ye han of us as now the governance, Line 23
And therfore wol I do yow obeisance, Line 24
As fer as resoun axeth, hardily. Line 25
I wol yow telle a tale which that I Line 26
Lerned at padowe of a worthy clerk, Line 27
As preved by his wordes and his werk. Line 28
He is now deed and nayled in his cheste, Line 29
I prey to God so yeve his soule reste! Line 30
Fraunceys petrak, the lauriat poete, Line 31
Highte this clerk, whos rethorike sweete Line 32
Enlumyned al ytaille of poetrie, Line 33
As lynyan dide of philosophie, Line 34
Or lawe, or oother art particuler; Line 35
But deeth, that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer, Line 36
But as it were a twynklyng of an ye, Line 37
Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dye. Line 38
But forth to tellen of this worthy man Line 39
That taughte me this tale, as I bigan, Line 40
I seye that first with heigh stile he enditeth, Line 41
Er he the body of his tale writeth, Line 42
A prohemye, in the which discryveth he Line 43
Pemond, and of saluces the contree, Line 44
And speketh of apennyn, the hilles hye, Line 45
That been the boundes of west lumbardye, Line 46
And of mount vesulus in special, Line 47
Where as the poo out of a welle smal Line 48
Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours, Line 49
That estward ay encresseth in his cours Line 50
To emele-ward, to ferrare, and venyse; Line 51
The which a long thyng were to devyse. Line 52
And trewely, as to my juggement, Line 53
Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent, Line 54
Save that he wole conveyen his mateere; Line 55
But this his tale, which that ye may heere. Line 56