The General Prologue
Folio 139r
15 of 20 folios
In a tabbard he rod vp on a mere
There was also a reue & a mellere
545
A somnor & a pardoūner also
A maūsiple & mȳ self there were no mo
The meller was a strong carl forthenonys
Ful big he was of braū & ek of bonys
That preuyd he wel for ouyral þere he cam
550
At wrastelynge he wolde haue alwey the ram
He was schort schulderid brod & thikke knarre
Ther nas no dore that he wolde heue of harre
Oor breke it at a rennyng wt hese hed
His berd as ony sowe or fox was red
555
And þerto brod as þow it were a spade
Vp on the cop ryȝt of hese nose he hade
A wrete & theron stod a tust of herys
Red as the brostelis of a sowys erys
Hese nosetherlis blake were & wide
560
A swerd & a bokeler bar he bi hese syde
His mouth as \a/ gret furneys
He was a ganglere a galiardeys
And that was most of sȳne & harlotrye
Wel coude he stele corn & tolle twye
565
And that he hadde a tabb\ard of good parte/
A whit cote & a blew hod werede he
A bagge pipe wel couthe he blowe & soūne
And þerwithal he brouȝte / vs out of toūne
A gentyl maūciple was þere of a temple
570
Of whiche acatoris myȝte take exsaūple
For to ben wys in beyinge of uytayle
For where that he payede or tok be tayle
Algate he waytide so in hese acate
That he was ay be form & in good state
575
Now is not that of god / a ful fayr grace
That swich a lewede manys wit schal pace
The wisdam of an hep / of lernede men
Of maystrys hadde he mo þā t\hr/yis ten