The General Prologue
Folio 1v
2 of 18 folios
As wel in cristendom / as in Hethenesse
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And euere / honoured for his worthynesse
¶ At Alisaundre he was / whan it was wonne
Ful ofte tyme / he hadde the bord bigonne
Abouen alle nacions in Pruce
In Lettow / hadde he reysed and in Ruce
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No cristen man so ofte of his degree
In Gernade / at the seege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir /. and riden in Belmarye
At Lyeys was he / and at Satalye
Whan they were wonne / & in the grete See
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At many a noble Armee / hadde he be
At mortal batailles / hadde he been fiftene
And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
In Lystes thries / and ay slayn his foo
This ilke worthy knygħt hadde been also
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Som tyme / with the lord of Palatye
Agayn / another hethen in Turkye
And eueremoore / he hadde a souereyn prys
And thougħ þt he were worthy he was wys
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde
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He neuere yet / no vileynye ne sayde
In al his lyf / vn to no maner wigħt
He was a verray parfit gentil knygħt
¶ But for to tellen yow / of his array
His hors weren goode / but he was nat gay
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Of Fustian / he wered a gypou
Al bismotered with his habergeou
For he was late / ycome from his viage
And wente / for to doon his pilgrymage
With hym ther was his sone a yong Squier
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A louyer / and a lusty Bacheler
W lokkes crulle / as they were leyd in presse
Of twenty yeer of age / he was I gesse
Of his stature / he was of euene lengthe
And wonderly delyuere / and of greet strengthe
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And he hadde been somtyme / in chyuachie
In Flaundres / in Artoys and Pycardie
And born hym weel / as of so litel space
In hope / to stonden in his lady grace
Embrouded was he / as it were a meede
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Al ful of fressħe floures / whyte and reede
Syngynge he was / or floytynge al the day
He was as fressħ / as is the Monthe of May
Short was his gowne / wt sleues longe & wyde
Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde
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He koude songes make / and wel endite
Iuste & eek daunce / and weel purtreye & write