The General Prologue
Folio 11v
19 of 21 folios
Ek þer to he was rigħt a merie man
And after soper pleyen he bigan
And spak of merþe amonges oþer þinges
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Whan þat he hadde maad our rikenynges
And seide þus Now lordynges trewely
Ȝe ben to me welcome right hertely
For by my trouthe if þat I schal not lye
I seyh not þis yer so mery a companye
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At oones in þis herberw as is now
Fayn wold I don ȝou merthe wist I how
And of a merthe I am right now biþougħt
To don you eese and it schal coste nought
Ye gon to Canturbury god yow speede
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The blisful martir quyte ȝou ȝour meede
And wel I woot as ȝe gon by þe weye
Ye schapen ȝou to talen and to pleye
For trewely confort ne merþe is non
To riden by þe wey domb as ston
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And þer forx wol I make you disport
As I seide erst and do you som confort
And if ȝou likeþ aƚƚ by on assent
For to stonden at my Iuggement
And for to werken as I schal ȝou seie
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To morwe whan ȝe riden by þe weie /
Now by my fader soule þat is deed
But ȝe be merye I wil ȝeue yow mȳ heed
Hold vp ȝour hond wiþoute more speche /
Our counseil was not longe for to seche
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Vs þought it was not worþ to make it wys
And gaunted him wiþoute more avys
And bad him seye his verdit as him leste
Lordyngis quod he / now herkneþ for þe beste
But take it nougħt I prey ȝow in disdeigne
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This is þe poynt to speke schort and pleigne
That ech of ȝou to schorte with ȝour weye
In þis viage schal telle tales tweie