The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

                                
                                     [6-text p 366] 
                                  
                                  And þer-to comen of so lowh a kynde
                                
                                  That litel wonder is þough I walwe & wynde
                                
                                  So wolde god myn herte wolde breste
                                
                                  Is þis quod sche þe cause of ȝoure vnreste;
                                  Line 1104 
                                
                                  ȝe· certeinly quod he no wonder is
                                
                                  Now sire quod sche I couþe amende al þis [folio 105a]  [for 114] 
                                
                                  If þat me liste or it were dayes þre
                                
                                  So wel ȝe mighte bere ȝou vnto me
                                  Line 1108 
                                
                                  ¶ But for ȝe speken of such gentilesse [¶ Nota bene de Nobilitate] 
                                
                                  As is descended out of alle richesse /
                                
                                  þat þerfore schulden ȝe be gentil men
                                
                                  Such erregance nys nat worþ an hen
                                  Line 1112 
                                
                                  lo who þat most is vertuous alway
                                
                                  Preuy and aperte and most endeþ ay
                                
                                  To do þe gentil dedes þat he can
                                
                                  And take him for þe grettest gentil man
                                  Line 1116 
                                
                                  Crist wole we clayme of him oure gentilnesse
                                
                                  Nat of oure eldres for here olde richesse
                                
                                  ffor þough þey ȝeue vs alle here heritage
                                
                                  ffor which we clayme to be of heigh parage
                                  Line 1120 
                                
                                  ȝet may þey not bequeþe for no þing
                                
                                  To non of vs here vertuous lyuyng
                                
                                  That made hem gentil men y-called be
                                
                                  And bad vs folwen hem in such degre
                                  Line 1124 
                                
                                  Wel can þe wise poete of fflorence
                                
                                  That highte dante speke in þis sentence
                                
                                  Lo in swich maner ryme is dauntes tale
                                
                                  fful seelde vp riseþ by his branches smale
                                  Line 1128 
                                
                                  Prowesse of man for god of his prowesse /
                                
                                  Wil þat of him we clayme oure gentilnesse
                                
                                  ffor of oure eldres may we noþing clayme
                                
                                  But temperel þing þat we may hurte and mayme
                                  Line 1132 
                                
                                  Ek euery wight wot þis as wel as I
                                
                                  If gentilesse were plaunted naturelly
                                
                                  Vnto a certein linage doun þe lyne
                                
                                  Pryue and aperte þanne wolde þey neuer fyne

                                  Line 1136

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Title: The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 245
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Chaucer society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1868-[1869]

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8235.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8235.0001.001/273:6

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Full citation: "The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8235.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2025.

The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

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