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

                                
                                     [6-text p 367] 
                                  
                                  To don of gentillesse þe offys
                                
                                  They myȝte don no vilenye nor vice
                                
                                  Tak fyr & bere in þe derkeste hous
                                
                                  Be-twyxe this & þe mount of Cankerous
                                  Line 1140 
                                
                                  And let men schette þe dore & go þenne
                                
                                  ȝit wil þe fyr lye as fyr & brenne
                                
                                  As twenty thousent men myȝte it by-holde
                                
                                  His offise naturel ay wel it holde
                                  Line 1144 
                                
                                  Vp peril of myn lyf tyl þat it deye
                                
                                  Here may ȝe wel sen how þat genterye
                                
                                  Is not annexed to possescioun
                                
                                  Sithe folk ne don here operacioun
                                  Line 1148 
                                
                                  Alwey as doth the fyr in hise kynde
                                
                                  ffor I wot men may ful ofte fynde
                                
                                  A lordis sone do schame & vilanye
                                
                                  And he þat wele haue prys of his genterye
                                  Line 1152 
                                
                                  ffor he was bore of a gentyl hous
                                
                                  And hadde hise olderis nobele & vertuous
                                
                                  And nyle hym self don non gentyle dedis
                                
                                  Ne folwe his gentyle auncetere þat deed is
                                  Line 1156 
                                
                                  He nys not gentyl be he duk or el
                                
                                  ffor violens synful dedys make eke a cherl
                                
                                  ffor gentillesse nys but renomee
                                
                                  Of thynne auncestris for here hygh bounte
                                  Line 1160 
                                
                                  Whiche is a strong thyng to thyn persone [folio 226b] 
                                
                                  The gentillesse comyth from god a-lone
                                
                                  Thanne comyth oure verray gentillesse of grace
                                
                                  It was no thyng be-quethe vs with oure place
                                  Line 1164 
                                
                                  Thynkith how nobele as seyth valerius
                                
                                  Was that ilke tullius hostilius
                                
                                  That out of pouert ros to gret noblesse
                                
                                  Redyth senec & redith eek boece
                                  Line 1168 
                                
                                  Ther schul ȝe se expres þat no dred is
                                
                                  That he is gentyl that doth gentyl dedis
                                
                                  And þerfore leue husbonde I thus conclude
                                
                                  Al were it þat myne auncestris were reude

                                  Line 1172

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Title: The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 200
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner,; 1868-1879.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8234.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8234.0001.001/216

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Full citation: "The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) 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/agz8234.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 26, 2025.

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

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