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Show BANI LA TID orete workmen, and glene my handfuls of th fhedynge after ther handes, and yf' me faile: ough of my tul, t© eT_)‘cre'fe my porcion wich that 1 {ha drawe by privyties out of {hockes; a flyefervaunt in his owne helpe is often moche commended knowynge of trouthe in caufes of thynges, wa more hardier in the firfte fechers, and fo fayt Ariftotle, and lighter_in us that han folowed after For ther pafling ftudy han fréthed our wittes, an oure underftandynge han' excited in confideracio of trouth by fharpenes of ther refons. Utterl thefe thinges be no dremes ne japes, to throwe t hogges, it is lifelych mete for children of trouth and as they me betiden whan T pilgramed out o my kith<in wintere, whan the wether out of mefur was boiftous, and the wyld' wynd' Boreas, as hi kind afketh, with dryinge coldes nraked the wawe of the ocean fe {o to arile unkindely over thé commune bankes that it was in' point to fpill all th erthe NIGI AGI And mad¢ forward etli for to rife To take our weye ther as I did devife But nathlefs while that I have time and fpace Er' that I farther in this talé pace Methinkith it accordaunt to refon To tell you allé the conditio Of ech of them, fo as it femid me And which they werin, and of what degres And eke in what array that they wer in' And ata knight then woll I firft begin Th KnigHT A knight ther wasy and that a worthy man ‘That fro the timé that he firt bega To ridin out he lovid Chevalrie Trouth and honour, fredome and cuttefy Full worthy was he in hislordis werre And thereto had he riddin nane moté ferr Aswell in Chriftendom asin Hethnefs' And evyr honoured for his worthinefs At Aleffandre he was whan it was won The Prorocui W of the CanTerBUR CHAUCER Tares o from the MSS EN that Aprilis with his fhouris fote The drought of March had percid to the rote And bathid'every véyn in fuch licour Of which vertue engendrid is the flour When Zephyrus eke, with his fweté breth Enfpirid hath, in every holt and het The tender croppis; and that the yong Sun Hath in the Ramm his halvé cours yrunn And fmale foulis makin melodye That flepin all¢ night with opin eye (So prickith them nature in ther corage Then longin folk to go on pilgrimage And palmers for to {ekin ftrange ftrondes To fervin hallowes ccuth in fondry londes And fpecially fro every fhir'is en Of England, to Canterbury they wend ‘The holy blisfull martyr for to feke ‘That them hath holpin whan that they were feke Befell that in that fefon on a da In Southwerk at the Tabberd as I lay Redy to wendin on my pilgrimag To Canterbury with devate corage At night wer come into that hofter Wele nine and twenty in a cumpan Of fundrie folk, by aventure yfal In felathip 3 and pilgrimes wer they all Full oft timis he had' the bord bego Abovin allé naciounsin Pruce In Lettow had he riddin,. and in Luce No Chriften-man fo oft of his degre In Granada; inthe fege had he b Of Algezir, andridd in Belmary At Leyis was he, and at Sataly Whan' that they wer won; and in the grete fe At many'a noble army had he be At mortal battails had he ben fiftene And foughtin for our feith at Tramefene In liftis thrys, and alwey flein his fo This ilke worthy knight had been alf Sometimis with the lord of Palathy Ayens anothir hethin in Turky And evirmore he had a fov'rane prize And though that he was worthy, he was wilgs And of his port as meke as is a maid He nevir yet no villany he fai In all his life unto no manner wight He was a very parfit gentil knight. But for to tellin you of his array His hors wer good ; but he was nothing gay Of fuftian he werid a gipon, Alle befmottrid with his haburgeon For he was late ycome from his viage And wenté for to do his pilgrimage Th That toward Canterbury wouldin ride ~ The chambers and the flablis werin wide And well we werin efid at the beft And thortly whan the funné was to reft So had I fpokin with them everych one - That I was of ther felathip anone Vo, I HOU‘S Th NO Fir of FAM Boke herken, asI have you faied What that I mette.or 1 abraied Of December the tenith daie When it was night, to flepe I laie [h Righ |