The General Prologue
Folio 4v
8 of 23 folios
His eyȝen twynkeled in his heed arigħt
270
As don þe sterres in þe frosty nigħt
This worthi lymytour was called huberd
A Marchaunt was þer wiþ a forked berd
In motteleye higħ on horse he sat
Vppon his heed a Flaūdrisch beuer hat /
275
His botus clapsud faire and fetously
His resons he spak ful solempnely
Swownynge alway the encres of his wynnyng
He wolde þe see were kepud for eny þing
Bitwixe Middulburgħ and Orewelle /
280
Wel couþe he in eschange scheeldes selle /
This worþi man ful wel his witte bisette
Ther wiste no man that he was in dette
So estately was he of gouernaūce
With his bargayns and with his cheuysaūce
285
For sothe he was a worþi man with alle
But soth to say I not what men him calle /
A Clerk þer was of Oxenford also
That vnto logik hadde longe I go
Also lene was his hors as is a rake
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And he was not right fat I vndertake
But lokede holwe and þerto soburly
Ful thredbare was his ouerest courtepy
For he hadde nouȝt geten him ȝit a benefice
Ne was not worþy to hauen an office
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For him was leuer haue at his beddes heed
Twenty bookes cloped in blak and reed
Of Aristotil and of his philosophie
Thē Robus Riche or fithul or Sawtrie
But al þougħ he were a philosophre
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Ȝet hadde he but litul gold in cofre
But al þat he migħt gete and his frendes sende
On bookes and his lernyng he it spende
And busily gan for þe soules pray
Of hem þat ȝaf him wherwith to scolay
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Of studie tooke he most cure and heede
Not oo word spak he more þan was neede