and soon all are talking and joking. Causen offt[e] myrthis for to be I-mevid, 200 As custom is of pilgryms, & hath been many a day. 204 The Host thanks The hoost leyd to his ere, of Southwork as ye knowe, the Pilgrims for having told Tales on the way down; and says each man must tell another Tale on the way back, [leaf 183] and he'll give them all a supper agree. 'So wele kepeing the covenaunt, in Southwork þat was That euery man shuld, by the wey, with a tale glade 208 212 "And al is wele perfourmed. but þan nowe pus I sey, 216 220 Yee grauntid of yeur/ curtesy, þat wee shuld also, All the Pilgrims And, as towching my persone, I hold me [wel a]payde; The Host says, 'Now go and amuse your selves.' To sport & pley vs," quod the hoost, "eche man as hym lest, And go by tyme to soper, & [thanne] to bed also; So mowe wee erly rysen, our iourney for to do." 228 The knyzt arose ther-with-al, & cast on a fressher gown, And his sone a-nothir, to walk[en] in the town); And so did al the remnaunt þat were of þat aray, 232 The Knight and his Son change their clothes, That had hir chaungis with hem; they made hem fressh & gay, Sortid hem to-gidir, rizte as hir' lustis lay, 1 236 As þey were [the] more vsid, traveling by the wey. 240 gonne, He declarid compendiously. & al that evir he ment, 244 He was of al factur, aftir fourm) of kynde; and go to see the wall and defences of the town. The Knight shows how it can be won, and defended. The Squire understands it all, his lady-love. And for to deme his governaunce, it semed þat his mynde but is thinking of Was [set] much in his lady þat he lovid best, 249 That made hym offt to wake, when he shuld have his rest. 252 The Clerk tells the Summoner "Me semeth of grete clerge þat þow art a mayde; ffor pow puttist on the ffrer, in maner of repreff, That he knowith falshede, vice, & eke a theff'; And I it hold vertuouse and right commendabiH [leaf 183, bk] can then avoid 256 them; To have verry knowlech of thingis reprouabit. 260 ffor, of alle crafftis, and of eche degre, They be nat al perfite; but som [ful] nyce be." "Lo! what is worthy," seyd the knyzte, "for to be a clerk! 265 1 MS wentto. 2 MS He. 3 ? To some men among us here. and so the Summoner oughtn't to be angry with the Friar for his tale. The Monk asks the Parson and Friar to visit an acquaintance with him. ffor of ethir parte he savith honeste." The monke toke the person pen, & pe grey[e] ffrer', The Monk, Par- They went forth to-gidir, talking of holy matere : The Wife of Bath takes the Prioress 268 Somm 13 272 275 But woot ye wele, in certeyn, they had no mynd on water to see the inngarden at Canterbury, full of pot-herbs, &c., [leaf 184] 280 The wyff of bath was so wery, she had no wiłł to walk; 284 289 ffor many a herbe grewe, for sew1 & surgery; And al the Aleyis feir' I-parid, I-raylid, & I-makid; The sauge, & the Isope, I-frethid & I-stakid; 292 a pretty sight. The Merchant, &c., go into the town. The Marchaunt, & pe mancipiH, pe Miller, & pe Reve, 297 But the Pardoner Save the Pardoner, þat pryvelich, when al they wer' goon, stalks into the taproom after his Kit, 1 MS for. p. 202. 4 soup, cooking: potherbs. 2 MS hym. 36 'wyne de Ryne', Babees Book, To make his covenaunte in certen, þat same eve 300 to secure her for 304 He wold be loggid with hir; þat was his hole entencioun). He put his hond to hir brest: "a-wake!" quod he, 309 66 the eve. (But he gets sold.) The Pardoner finds Kit halfasleep, a- puts his hand on her, "A! benedicite, sir, who wist zewe here? out! pus I my3t be take Prisoner," quod the tapstere, "being' al aloon;" And perwith breyd vp in a frizte, & be-gan to groon. 66 316 320 ? 324 She says she must; but he was rude, & ought to have cought before Nowe, sith yee be my prisoner', 3eld zewe now!" quod he, and says ‘Yield.” "I must[e] nedis," quod she, "I may no thing' fle; And eke I have no strengith, & am but yong' of Age, And also it is no mastry to cach a mouse in a cage, That may no where stert out, but closid wondir fast; And eke, Sir, I teł 3ewe, pouz I had grete hast, Yee shuld have couzid when ye com. wher' lern ye curtesy Now trewlich I must chide, for of rizte pryuyte Vommen been som tyme of day, when they be aloon. Wher coud I ([1] 3ewe prey) when yee com efft-sone?" "Nowe mercy, dere sweting! I wol do so no more: I thank[e] 3ew an hundrit sithis! & also by yeur/ lore I wołł do here-aftir, in what place þat I com. But lovers, Kitt, ben evit avisid ful offt & to lom; Wherfor I prey 3ew hertlich, hold[ith] me excusid, And I be-hote 3ew trewly, it shal no more be vsid. he came in. The Pardoner begs her pardon, [leaf 184, back] 329 332 and asks how she's been getting on. He's very fond of her. Kit says she's sure the Pardoner's conjured her, But nowe to our purpose: how have yee [i]farc "I have I-farid the wers for 3ewe," quod Kitt, "do ye no God pat is a-bove? & eke yee had no nede ffor to congir me, god woot, with yeur/ nygromancy, That have no more to vaunce me, but oonly my body; 340 I-wis I trowe, Ienkyn, ye be nat to trust to! and made her in ffor evir-more yee clerkis con so much in book, Yee wołł wyn a vomman, atte first[e] look." love with him. He asks if he may lie with her that night. 344 Thou3t the Pardoner, 'this goith wele'; & made hir And axid of hir sofft[e]ly: "lord, who shall ligge[n] here 348 "Make it nat ovir queynt, pouze yee be a clerk! She says, 'Yes, but come late, and open the door quietly.' They drink to seal the bargain, and the Pardoner gives her money for a late supper, 353 Ye know wele I-nou3 I-wis, by loke, by word, by work!" 356 360 Anoon they dronk the beuerage, & wer of oon accord swere, As pouze she had lernyd cury fauel, of som old[e] ffrere. 'To orden a rere soper for hem both[e] to,— [leaf 185] 365 |