The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 403]

GROUP E. FRAGMENT VI.

§ 1. THE CLERK'S HEAD-LINK.

ELLESMERE MS.

¶ Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford. [folio 91b]

                                    
                                      Sire clerk / of Oxenford / oure Hoost sayde
                                    
                                      ye ryde as coy / and stille / as dooth a mayde
                                    
                                      were newe spoused / sittynge at the bord
                                    
                                      This day / ne herde I / of youre tonge a word
                                      Line 4 
                                    
                                      I trowe ye studie / aboute som Sophyme
                                    
                                      But Salomon seith / euery thyng hath tyme [¶ pausacio]

                                    
                                      ¶ ffor goddes sake / as beth of bettre cheere
                                    
                                      It is no tyme / for to studien heere
                                      Line 8 
                                    
                                      Telle vs som myrie tale / by youre fey
                                    
                                      ffor what man / that is entred in a pley
                                    
                                      He nedes moot vnto the pley assente
                                    
                                      But precheth nat as freres doon in lente
                                      Line 12 
                                    
                                      To make vs / for oure olde synnes wepe
                                    
                                      Ne that thy tale / make vs nat to slepe [¶ pausacio]

                                    
                                      ¶ Telle vs / som murie thyng/ of auentures
                                    
                                      Youre termes / youre colours / and youre figures
                                      Line 16 
                                    
                                      Keepe hem in stoor / til so be that ye endite
                                    
                                      Heigh style / as whan þat men to kynges write
                                    
                                      Speketh so pleyn / at this tyme we yow preye
                                      Line 19 
                                    
                                      That we may vnderstonde what ye seye [¶ pausacio]

                                    
                                      ¶ This worthy clerk benignely answerde
                                    
                                      Hoost quod he / I am vnder youre yerde
                                    
                                      Ye han of vs / as now the gouernance
                                    
                                      And therfore / wol I do yow obeisance

                                      Line 24

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Index

About this Item

Title: The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 235
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,; 1868-1879.

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8232.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8232.0001.001/265:6

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Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:agz8232.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8232.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 19, 2025.