The General Prologue
Folio 134r
5 of 20 folios
This is to seyne a monk out of hese cloystre
But tilke tixt held he not worth an oystre
And I seyde his opynyoū was good
What schulde he stodie & make hȳseluyn wood
185
Vp on a bok in cloystere alwey to poure
Or swȳkyn with hese hondis & laboure
As Austyn bit how schal þõ world be servid
Let Austyn han his swynk to hym reservid
Therfore he was a prekasor aryȝt
190
Grehoudis he hadde as swift as foul ī flyȝt
Of prekyng & huntȳge for the hare
Was al hese lust for no cost wolde he spare
I sey hese sleuys / purfilid at the hand
With grys / & that the feyneste of aland
195
And for to festene his hod vndir his schyn
He hadde of gold I wrouȝt a ful coryous pyn
A loue knot in the grettere ende þere was
His hed was ballyd that schon as ony glas
And ek hese face as he hadde ben enoynt
200
He was a lord ful fat & in good poynt
Hese eyen stepe & rollȳge in hese hed
That stemyd as a furneys of a led
Hese botis souple / his hors in gret estat
Now serteynly he was a fayr prelat
205
He nas not pale as a forpynede gost
A fat swan louede he best of ony rost
His palfray was as broū as is a berye__
A frere þere was a wantoun & a merye
¶ A lymytor a ful solēpne man
210
In alle the orderys foure is non that can
So mekil of daliauns & fayr langage
He hadde mad ful manye a maryage
Of ȝonge wemen at hese owene cost
On to his ordere he was a noble post
215
Ful wel he louyd & famyliar was he
With frankeleynys / oueral / \ ī/ his cuntre