The General Prologue
Folio 3r
5 of 23 folios
Hire mouth ful smal and þerto softe and reed
But sikurly sche hadde a fair forheed
155
It was almost a spanne brood I trowe
For hardily sche was not vndurgrowe
Ful fetys was hire cloke as I was waar
Of smal coral aboute hire arme sche baar
A peire of bedes gaudid al with grene
160
And þer on heng a brocħ of gold ful schene
On which was first I writen a crowned A .
And after þat Amor vincit omnia .
Anothur Nonne with hire hadde sche
That was hire Chapelleyn and prestes þre
165
A Monk þer was a fair for the maistrie
An out Rydere þat loued venerye
A manly man to ben an abbot able
Ful many a deynte hors hadde he in stable
And whan he rood men migħt his bridel heere
170
Gyngle in a whistlyng wynd so cleere
And eek as lowde as doþ þe chapel belle
Ther as þe lord was keper of þe selle
The Reule of seynt maure or of Seint Beneyt
By cause þat it was old and somdel streyt
175
This ilke monk leet forby hem pace
And helde aftur þe newe world þe space
He ȝaf nat of þat text a pulled hen
That seiþ þat hunters been noon holy men
Ne þat a monk whan he is Cloysterles
180
Is likned to a fissche þat is watirles
This is to seyn a monk out of his cloystre
But þilke text hild he not worþ an oystre /
And I seide his opinioū was good
What schulde he studie and make himseluē wood
185
Vppon a book in Cloystre alway to powre
Or swynke with his handes and laboure
As Austyn byt // how schal þe world be serued
Lat austyn haue his swynk to him reserued
Therfore he was a pricasour arigħt
190
Greyhoūdes he hadde as swifte as fowel in fligħt .