The General Prologue
Folio 10v
20 of 23 folios
And aftur wol I telle of oure viage
And al þe remenaūt of oure pilgrmage
725
But ferst I pray ȝou of ȝour curtesie
That ȝe ne rette it nat my vilanye
Thougħ þat I speke al pleyn in þis matere
And telle ȝou here wordes and here cheere
Ne though I speke here wordes propurly
730
For þis ȝe knowen also wel as I
Who so schal telle a tale aftur a man
He moste reherce as neigħ as euer he can
Euery word if it be in his charge
Al speke he neuer so Rudely ne large
735
Or elles he moot telle his tale vntrewe
Or feyne þing or fynde his wordes newe
He may not spare þougħ he were his broþur
He moste as wel sey oo word as anoþur
Crist spak him self ful broode in holy writ
740
And wel ȝe woot no vilanye is it
Eke Plato seith who so þat can him rede
The wordes mot be cosyn to þe dede
Also I pray ȝou to forȝeue it me
Al haue I folk nat set in here degre
745
Here in þis tale as þat þei schulde stonde
My witt is thynne . ȝe may wel vndurstonde
GReet cheere made oure ost vs euerichon
And to þe souper sette he vs anon
He serued vs with vitaille atte beste
750
Strong was þe wyn and wel to drynke vs leste
A semely man oure Ooste was wiþ alle
For to han been a Marchal in an halle
A large man was he with eyȝen stepe
A fairere burgeys is þer noon in chepe
755
Bold of his speche and wys and wel I taugħt
And of manhede lakkede he right naugħt
Eke þerto he was rigħt a mery man
And after soper playen he bygan
And spak of myrthe among oþur þinges
760
Whan þat we hadde maad oure rekenynges