The General Prologue
Folio 11r
21 of 23 folios
And sayde þus . lo lordynges trewely
Ȝe ben to me rigħt welcome hertily
For by my trouthe if þat I schal not lye
I ne saugh þis ȝeer so mery a companye
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At oones in this herbergh as is now
Fayn wold I do ȝow merthe wiste I how
And of a merthe I am right now bythougħt
To doon ȝou eese and it schal coste nougħt
Ȝe goon to Caunturbury god ȝou speede
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The blisful martir quyte ȝou ȝoure meede
And wel I woot / as ȝe gon by þe weye
Ȝe schapen ȝow to talken and to pleye
For trewely comfort ne merthe is noon
To Ryde by þe weye domb as a stoon
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And þerfore wol I make ȝou disport /
As I seyde erst and do ȝou som confort
And if ȝow liketh alle by oon assent
Now for to standen at my Iuggement
And for to werken as I schal ȝou seye
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To morwe whan ȝe riden by þe weye
Now by my fadres soule þat is deed
But ȝe be merye smyteþ of myn heed
Hold vp ȝoure hond with oute more speche
Oure counseil was not longe for to seche
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Vs þoughte it nas nat worþ to make it wys
And graunted him wiþoute more avys
And bad him seie his verdite as him leste
LOrdynges quoþ he now herkeneþ for þe beste
But taketh not I pray ȝou in disdayn
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This is þe poynt to speken schort and playn
That ech of ȝow to schorte with ȝoure weie /
In þis viage schal telle tales tweye
To Caunturburiward I mene it so
And homward he schal tellen oþur tuo
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Of auentures þat þer han bifaƚƚ
And which of ȝow þat bereþ him best of aƚƚ
That is to seye þat telleþ in þis caas
Tales of best sentence and of solas