The Hengwrt 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.

HENGWRT MS.

¶ The Prohemie of the Clerkys tale of Oxenford [folio 173b]

                                    
                                      SIre clerk of Oxenford / oure hoost sayde
                                    
                                      Ye ride as coy / and stille as dooth a mayde
                                    
                                      Were newe spoused / sittyng 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
                                    
                                      ¶ ffor goddes sake / as beth of bettre cheere
                                    
                                      It is no tyme / for to studien heere
                                      Line 8 
                                    
                                      Tel vs som murie tale / by youre fey
                                    
                                      ffor what man / that is entred in a pley
                                    
                                      He nedes moot/ vn-to the pley assente
                                    
                                      But precheth nat/ as freres doon in lente
                                      Line 12 
                                    
                                      To maken vs / for oure olde synnes wepe
                                    
                                      Ne that thy tale / make vs nat to slepe
                                    
                                      ¶ Tel vs / som murye thyng of auentures
                                    
                                      Youre termes / youre colours / and youre figures
                                      Line 16 
                                    
                                      Kepe hem in stoor / til so be ye endite
                                    
                                      Heigh stile / as whan þat men to kynges write
                                    
                                      Speketh so pleyn at this tyme / we yow preye
                                    
                                      That we may vnderstonde / what ye seye
                                      Line 20 
                                    
                                      ¶ This worthy clerk/ benygnely 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

Pages

Index

About this Item

Title: The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 400
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/agz8233.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8233.0001.001/426:9

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DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:agz8233.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The Hengwrt 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/agz8233.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 20, 2025.