The General Prologue
Folio 9v
2 of 22 folios
Ful longe weere hise legges / and ful leene
Ylik a staf. ther / was no calf yseene
595
Wel koude he keepe / a Gerner and a Bynne
Ther was noon Auditour / koude on hym wynne
Wel wiste he / by the droghte and by the reyn
The yeldynge / of his seed / and of his greyn
His lordes sheepe / his neet / his dayerye
600
His swyn / his hors / his stoor / and his pultrye
Was hoolly / in this Reues gouernynge
And by his couenant. yaf the rekenynge
Syn that his loord / was twenty yeer of age
Ther koude no man / brynge hym in arrerage
605
Ther nas Baillyf. hierde / nor oother hyne
That he ne knew / his sleyghte / and his couyne
They weere adrad of hym / as of the deeth
His wonyng was ful faire vp on an heeth
With greene trees / shadwed was his place
610
He koude bettre / than his lord purchace
Ful riche / he was astoored pryuely
His lord / wel koude he plesen subtilly
To yeue / and leene hym / of his owene good
And haue a thank. and yet a coote and hood
615
In youthe / he lerned hadde / a good Mister
He was a wel good wrighte / a Carpenter
This Reue sat vp on a wel good Stot
That was a Pomely gray / and highte Scot
A long Surcote of Pers / vp on he haade
620
And by his syde / he baar a rusty blaade
Of Northfolk was this Reue / of which I telle
Bisyde a town / men clepyn Baldeswelle
Tukked he was / as is a Frere aboute
And euere he rood / the hyndreste of oure route
625
¶ A Somonour was ther with vs / in that place
That hadde / a fyr reed Cherubynnes face
For Sawceflewm he was / with eyen narwe
And hoot he was / and lecherous as a Sparwe
With scaled browes blake / and pyled berd
630
Of his visage / children weere aferd
Ther nas quyk siluer / lytarge / ne Brymstoon
Borace / Ceruce / ne Oille of Tartre noon