The General Prologue
Folio 6v
8 of 22 folios
Wo was his Cook / but if his Sauce weere
Poynaunt and sharpe / and redy al his geere
355
Hys table dormaunt in his halle alway
Stood redy couered / al the longe day
At sessions / ther was he / lord and sire
Ful ofte tyme / he was knyght of the Shire
An Anlaas / and a Gipser / al of sylk
360
Heeng at his girdel / whit as morne mylk
A Shirreue hadde he been / and Countour
Was nowheer / swich a worthy vauasour
¶ An haberdasshere / and a Carpenter
A Webbe / a Dyere / and a Tapycer
365
And they weere clothed alle / in oo lyueree
Of a solempne / and a greet frat ernytee
Ful fressħ and newe / hir geere apyked was
Hir knyues weere chaped / noght with bras
But al with siluer / wroght ful cleene and wel
370
Hir girdles / and hir pouches / euerydel
Wel seemed eech of hem / a fair Burgeys
To sitten in a yeldehalle / on a deys
Euerych / for the wisdom / þt he kan
Was shaply / for to been an Alderman
375
For catel / hadde they ynogh / and rente
And eek hir wyues / wolde it wel assente
And ellis certeyn / they weere to blame
It is ful fair / to been yclepyd madame
And goon to vigilies / al bifore
380
And haue a Mantel / realliche ybore
¶ A Cook they hadde with hem / for the nones
To boille the chiknes / with the Marybones
And poudre marchaunt. tart and / Galyngale
Wel koude he knowe / a draghte of london ale
385
He koude rooste / and seethe / and broille / & frye
Maken Mortreux / and wel bake a pye
But greet harm was it / as it thoughte me
That on his Shyne / a Mormal hadde he
For Blankmanger / that maade he with the beste
390
¶ A Shipman was ther / wonyng fer by weste
For aught I woot he was of Dertemouthe
He rood vp on a Rouncy / as he kouthe