Clene concience and wit/kende 10 me to his place, And dude enseure" me seththe 12/ to serve him for evere, Bothe to sowen and to setten, / while I swynke mighte. 13 33 I have ben his folower / this fiftene wynter, 38 For, thaugh I sigge 18 hit myself, / I serve him topaye.19 I have myn hure 20 of him wel/ and otherwhile 170 Among thise othere folk was Criseyda, As was Criseyde, as folk seyde everichoon And neigh the dore, ay under shames drede, 175 181 This Troilus, as he was wont to gyde 16 17 191 194 1 at all 2 saint 3 direct 4 fellow 5 spiked staff 6 scrip, bag 7 before 8 naturally, well " intelligence 10 instructed 11 did bind 12 afterwards 13 work 14 followed 15 dyked and delved 10 commanded 17 looked out for say 19 acceptably 20 hire 21 1 spring 2 especially greatest promptest 4 peerless 5 crowd 22 withholds 23 servant 24 has not 25 low, humble 6 was not more dearly every one garment 26 will 27 know 28 direct you 29 10 yea, dear Piers 30 I space 11 that same 12 take away would not take 31 go pleased 15 observe 16 sigh 17 feast 18 7 3 8 9 13 blame 14 it As proude Bayard ginneth for to skippe I moot endure, and with my feres 20 drawe." So lyk a man of armes and a knight 9 It was an heven up-on him for to see. His helm to-hewen " was in twenty places, For which he wex a litel reed for shame, Cryseyda gan al his chere aspyen, And leet 15 so softe it in hir herte sinke, That to hir-self she seyde, "Who yaf drinke ?" 17 641 14 645 And for 1o ther is so greet diversitee The wraththe, as I began yow for to seye, 16 14 18 1095 1790 1795 1800 1805 2 1830 Swich fyn hath, lo, this Troilus for love, O yonge fresshe folkes, he or she, 1835 In which that love up groweth with your age, Repeyreth hoom from worldly vanitee, And of your herte up-casteth the visage 1810 O moral Gower, this book I directe To thee, and to the philosophical Strode, To vouchen sauf, ther 13 nede is, to corecte, Of your benignitees and zeles gode. 1815 And to that sothfast Crist, that starf 15 on rode,10 1861 And in him-self he lough 23 right at the wo 1821 Thou oon, and two, and three, eterne on-lyve,17 That regnest ay in three and two and oon, Uncircumscript, and al mayst circumscryve, 1865 Us from visible and invisible foon Defende; and to thy mercy, everichoon, So make us, Jesus, for thy grace digne,18 15 sphere 16 leaving behind (so that they seemed convex) For love of mayde and' moder thyn benigne ! Amen. 2 1 end royal 3 brittleness, frailty buy, redeem 6 died 7 sits 8 will not 10 since 11 cursed 12 examine 13 where faithful 15 died 16 cross 17 eternally living • that same 9 entirely 14 true and 18 worthy THE CANTERBURY TALES FROM THE PROLOGUE 5 6 5 Whan that Aprille with hise shoures soote1 The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne, And smale foweles' maken melodye That slepen al the nyght with open eye, So priketh hem Nature in hir corages, Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes,10 kowthe " in sondry londes; And specially, from every shires ende Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blisful martir for to seke, 8 9 ΙΟ 15 At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene, And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo. This ilke 14 worthy knyght hadde been also Somtyme with the lord of Palatye Agayn 15 another hethen in Turkye; And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.16 And though that he were worthy, he was wys, And of his port 17 as meeke as is a mayde. de. 18 20 45 50 55 60 65 70 He never yet no vileynye ne sayde In al his lyf unto no maner wight. 25 But for to tellen yow of his array, His hors were goode, but he was nat gay; Of fustian 19 he wered a gypon 75 30 Al bismotered 21 with his habergeon; 22 80 And made forward 17 erly for to ryse, But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space, 35 To take oure wey, ther-as I yow devyse.18 With lokkes crulle, as 25 they were leyd in presse. Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse. Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,20 And wonderly delyvere 27 and greet of strengthe; In Flaundres, in Artoys and Pycardye, 29 In hope to stonden in his lady grace. Embrouded was he, as it were a meede 30 Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede; 90 |