The General Prologue
Folio 7v
4 of 9 folios
380
And haue a Mantel / rially bore
A Coke they had / wt hem for þe nones
To boyle the Chikenys / wt the Maribones
And pouder Merchaunt / tart / and Galyngale
Wel coude he knowe / a draugħt of londoū ale
385
He coude / roste / sethe / boille / and frye
Make Mortrewes / and wel bake a Pye
But gret harm was it / as thouȝt me
That on his shyne / a mormal had he
And blanchemangere / mad he wt the best
390
A Shipman there was / þt woned fer by west
For ought þt I wot / he was of Dertemouthe
He rod vp on a Rouncy / as wel as he couthe
In a gowne of faldyng / vn to the knee
A daggere hangyng / on a lace had he
395
A boute his nekke / vndir his arme a doun
The hote Somer / had mad his hew al broun
And serteynly / he was a good felawe
Ful many a draught / of wyn / had he drawe
Fro Burdeusward / whiles the chapmen slepe
400
Of nyce conscience / toke he no kepe
If þt he faught / and had the heyer hand
Be water he sent it home / fro euery lond
But to reken wel / of his craft the tydes
The stremes and the strandes hym beside is
405
His herberwe / his mone / and his lodes manage
There was non swicħ / from hulle in to cartage
Hardy he was / and wys / I vndertake
W many a tempest / he had his berd shake
He knew alle the hauenes / as they were
410
Fro Gutlond / to the Cape de fenistre
And euery Cryke / fro Bretaigne in to Spayne
His Barge was called / the Magdaleyne
With vs there was / a Doctor of Phisik
In al þis world / was non hī lik
415
To speke of Phesik and of Surgerie
For he was gounded / in Astronomye
He kept his pacience / a ful gret dele
In houres by his / magyk / naturele
Wel coude he fortunen / the accident
420
Of hise ymages / for be his pacient
He knew the cause / of euery maladye