The General Prologue
Folio 136v
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An habirdaschere & a carpenter
A webber a dyere & a taphiser
365
And þey were clothid alle in on lyuere
Of a ful solēpne & a gret fraternyte
Frorsch & newe here ger apikede was
Here knyues were chapid not with bras
But al wt sylvir wrouȝt ful clene & wel
370
Here grerdelys & here pouchis euerydel
Wel semede eche of hē a fayr burgeys
To sittyn In a ȝilde halle on a deys
Euerych for the wisdam that he can
Was schaply for to ben an aldirman
375
For catel hade þey I now & rente
And ek here wyuys wolde it wel assente
And ellis serteyn weryn þey to blame
It is ful fayr to be clepid madame
And gon to vigilis al be fore
380
And han a mental ryalliche I bore
A cok hadde þey wt hē for þenonys
To boile the chekenys & the marye bonys
And poudir Marchaunt tard & galyngale
Wel coude he knowe a drauȝt of londen ale
385
He couth roste & sethe & boyle & frye
Makyn mortereus & wel bake a pye
But gret harm was it as it semede me
That on hese schene a mormal hadde he
For blankmanger þt made he at the beste
390
A schipman was þere wo\nȳ/ge fer be weste
For ouȝt I wot he was of dortemouthe
He rod up on a roūcy as he couthe
In a goūne of faldynge to the kne
A daggere hangȳge on a lace hadde he
395
Aboute his nekke vndir his arm adoū
The hote somyr hadde mad his hew al broun
And serteynli he was a good felawe
Ful manye a drauȝt of weyn hadde he I drawe