The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

18 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Full often time he had the board begun So hot he loved, that by nightertale 12
Aboven alle nati6ns in Prusse.e He slept no more than doth the nightingale.
In Lettowe had he reysed,2 and in Russe, Courteous he was, lowly, and serviceable,
No Christian man so oft of his degree. And carv'd before his father at the taie. 13
In Grenade at the siege eke had he be
Of Algesir,3 and ridden in Belmarie.3 A YEOMAN had he, and servants no mo'
At Leyes was he, and at Satalie, At that time, for him list ride so;14
When they were won; and in the Greate Sea 3 And he was clad in coat and hood of green.
At many a noble army had he be. A sheaf of peacock arrows 15 bright and keen
At mortal battles had he been fifteen5 Under his belt he bare full thriftily.
And foughten lor oui faith at Tramisseib a Well coild he dregs his tackle yeoinadil:
In listes thries, and aye slain his foe. His arrows drooped not with feathers low;
This ilke 4 worthy knight had been also And in his hand he bare a mighty bow.
Some time with the lord of Palatie,3 A nut-head16 had he, with a brown visage:
Against another heathen in Turkie: Of wood-craft coud 17 he well all the usage:
And evermore he had a sovereign price.5 Upon his arm he bare a gay bracer,18
And though that he was worthy he was wise, And by his side a sword and a buckler,
And of his port as mesk as s i maid. And oin that.bther side a gay daggere,
He never yet no villainy.6 ne said Harnessed well, and sharp as point of spear:
In all his life, unto no manner wight, A Christopher 19 on his breast of silver sheen.
He was a very perfect gentle knight. An horn he bare, the baldric was of green:
But for to telle you of his array, A forster20 was he soothly 2 as I guess.
His horse was good, but yet he was not gay.
Of fustian he weared a gipon, There was also a Nun, a PRIORESS,
Alle besmotter'd with his habergeoiin, That of her smiling was full simple and coy;
For he was late y-come from his voyage, Her greatest oathe was but by Saint Loy;22
And wente for to do his pilgrimage. And she was cleped23 Madame Eglentine.
Full well she sang the service divine,
With him there was his son, a young6 SQUIRE, Entuned in her nose full seemely;24
A lover, and a lusty bacheler, And French she spake full fair and fetisly 5
With lockds crudle 8 as they were laid in press. After the school of Stratford att Bow,
Of twenty year of age he was I guess. For French of Paris was to her unknow.
Of his statire he was of even length, At meate was she well y-taught withai;
And wonderly deliver,9 and great of strength. She let no morsel from her lipped fall,
And he had been some time in chevachie,'0 Nor wet her fingers in her saute deep.
In Flanders, in Arois, and Picardie, Well could she carry a motsel, and well
And borne him well, as of so little space,r keep,
In hope to standen in his lady's grace. That no droppe ne fell upon her breast.
Embroider'd was he, as it were a mead In courtesy was set full much her lest. 26
All full of freshe flowers, white and red. Her over-lipp8 wiped she so clean,
Singing he was, or fluting all the day; That in her cup there was no farthing 27 seen
He was as fresh as is the month of May. Of grease, when she drunken had her draught;
Short was his gown, with sleeves long and wide. Full seemely after her meat she raught; 2
Well could he sit on horse, and faire ride. And sickerly she was of great disport,19
He couldd songes make, and well indite, And full pleasant, and amiable of port,
Joust, andekedance, andwellpourtray andwrite. And pained her to counterfeits cheer
I Been placed at the head of the table, above 7 He wore a short doublet, all soiled by the contact
knights of all nations, in Prussia, whither warriors from of his coat of mail.
all countries were wont to repair, to aid the Teutonic 8 Curled. 9 Wonderfully nimble.
Order in their continual conflicts with their heathen 1o Engaged in cavalry expeditions or raids into the
neighbours in "Lettowe" or Lithuania (German, enemy's country.
"Litthauen"), Russia, &c. 11 Considering the short time he had had.
2 Journeyed, ridden, made campaigns; German, 12 Night-time.
"reisen," to travel 13 It was the custom for Squires of the highest degree
3 Algesiras, taken from the Moorish king of Grenada, to carve at their fathers' tables.
in 1344: the Earls of Derby and Salisbury took part 1. For it pleased him so to ride.
in the siege. Belmarie is supposed to have been a 15 Large arrows, With; peacocks' feathers.
Moorish state in Africa; but "Palmyrie" has been sug- 16 With nut-brown hair; or, round like a nut, the
gestedasthe correct reading. The Great Sea, orperhaps hair being cut short. 17 Knew.
the Greek sea, is the Eastern Mediterranean. Tra- 18 Shield for an archer's arm, still called a "bracer,"
iiissene, or Tremessen, is enumerated by Froissart from the French "bras," arm.
among the Moorish kingdoms in Africa. Palatie, or 19 A figure of St Christopher, used as a brooch, and
Palathia, in Anatolia, was'a fief held by the Christian supposed to possess'the power of charming away
knights after the Turkish conquests-the holders pay- danger.
ing tribute to the infidel. Our knight had fought with 20 Forester. 21 Certainly, 22 St Eligius, or Eloy.
one of those lords against a heathen neighbour. 23 Called. 24 Ini seemly fashion,
4 Ilke, same; compare the Scottish phrase "of that 25 Properly; Chaucer sneers at the debased AnglO.
ilk,"-that is, of the estate which bears the same name Norman then taught as French in England.
as its owner's title. 26 Pleasure. 27 Not the least specg
5 He was held in very high esteem. 28 Reached out her hand,
6 Nothing unbecoming a gentleman. 29 Assuredly she was of a lively dispositiow