The General Prologue
Folio 8v
4 of 22 folios
Or with a breetherede / to been withhoolde
But dwelte at hoom / and kepte wel his foolde
515
So þt the wolf ne maade it noght myscarye
He was a Sheepherde / xx and noght a Mercenarye
And thogh he hooly weere xx / and vertuous
He was noght to synful men despitous
Ne of his speche / daungerous / ne digne
520
But in his techyng discreet and benygne
To drawen folk to heuene / wt fairnesse
By good ensample / this was his bisynesse
But it weere / any persone obstynaat
What so he weere / of heigh / or lowe estaat
525
Hym wolde he snybben / sharply for the nonys
A bettre preest I trowe ther nowher noon ys
He wayted / after no pompe / and reuerence
Ne maked hym / a spyced conscience
But Cristes loore / and hise Apostles twelue
530
He taughte / but first he folwed it hym selue
¶ With hym ther was a Plowman / was his broother
That hadde ylad of donge / ful many a Foother
A trewe swynkere / and a good was he
Lyuynge in pees / and parfit charitee
535
God loued he best with al his hoole herte
At alle tymes / thogh hym gamed / or smerte
And thanne his Neighebore / right as hym selue
He wolde thresshe / and ther to / dyke and delue
For Cristes sake / for euery poure wight
540
With outen hyre / if it laye in his myght
His tythes payde he / ful faire and wel
Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel
In a Tabard he rood / vp on a Mere
Ther was also / a Reue / and a Millere
545
A Somonour / and a Pardoner also
A Maunciple / and my self ther weere namo
¶ The Millere / was a stout carl / for the nones
Ful byg he was / of brawen / and eek of bones
That proeued wel / for ouer al ther he cam
550
At wrastlynge / he wolde haue alwey the Ram
He was short shuldred / brood / a thikke knarre
Ther was no dore / that he noolde heue of harre