The General Prologue
Folio 5r
9 of 23 folios
Al þat he spak it was of heye prudence
And schort and quyk and ful of gret sentence
Sownynge in moral manere was his speche /
310
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche
A Sergeant of lawe war and wys
That often hadde ben atte paruys
Ther was also ful riche of excellence
Discret he was and of gret Reuerence
315
He semed such his wordes were so wise
Iustice he was fuloften in assise
By patent and by pleyn comissioū
For his science and for his heih renou~
Of fees and Robes had he many oon
320
So gret a purchasour was þer no wher noon
Al was fee symple to him in effecte
His purchasyng might nougħt ben to hī m suspecte
No wher so besy a man as he þer nas /
And ȝit he semed besier þan he was
325
In termes hadde caas and domes alle
That fro þe tyme þat kyng were falle /
Ther to he couþe endite and make a þing
Ther couþe no man pynche at his writyng
And euery statute couthe he pleyn by roote
330
He rood but hoomly in a medled coote
Gird with a seynt of silk wiþ barres smale
Of his array telle I no lenger tale
A Frankeleyn þer was in his companye /
Whit was his berde as þe dayesye
335
Of his complexioū he was sangwyn
Wel loued he in þe morn a sop of wyn
To lyue in delite was all his wone
For he was Epicurius owne sone
That heeld opynyoū þat pleyn delyt
340
Was verraily felicite parfyt
An houshaldere and þat a gret was he
Seynt Iulian he was in his coūtre
His breed his ale was alway after oon
A bettre envyned man was no wher noon