The General Prologue
Folio 11r
3 of 21 folios
Eke þere to he was riht a mery man
And after soper pleyȝen he be gan
And spak of mirþe amonge oþere þinges
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Whan þat we had maade owre rekenynges
And seide þus Now lordeynges trewly
Ȝe bene to me welcome riht hertly
For be my trouþe if þat .I. schal notte lye
.I. sawe nouht þis ȝere so mery a companye
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Att ones in þis herburhe as is nowe
Fayne wolde .I. done ȝowe merþe wist .I. howe
And of a merþe .I am riht nowe be þouhte
To done ȝowe ese & it schal cost nowhte
¶ÊȜe gone to Canterbury god ȝowe spede
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The blisful Martir white ȝow ȝowre mede
And wele .I. wote as ȝe gone be þe weye
Sche schapen ȝowe to talen & to pleye
For trewly comforþe & merþe is none
To riden be þe waie dom as any stone
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And þer for wil .I. maken ȝowe disporte
As .I. seide arst & do ȝow som comforte
And if ȝowe likeþ aƚƚ be on assente
For to stonden at my Iuggemente
And for to werken as .I. schal ȝowe seie
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To morwen whan we riden be þe weie
Nowe be mi fader sowe þat is dede
But ȝe bue merie .I. ȝeue ȝowe mine hede
Hold vpe ȝowre hondes wiþ owte more speche
¶ Owre conseƚƚ was not longe for to seche
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Vs þouhte it was not worþe to make it wise
And graunted him wiþ oute more avise
And bad him seie his verdite as him liste
Lordynges qd he now herkeneþ for þe beste
Bot tak it nowhte .I. pay ȝowe in disdeyne
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This is þe pointe to speke schort & pleine
That iche of ȝowe to schort wiþ owre weie
In þis viage schal tel tales tweye
To kanterbury warde .I. mene it so
And homward he schal tellen oþere two
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Of aventures whilome þat haue be faƚƚ
And whiche of ȝowe þat bereþ him best of aƚƚ
That is to seyne þat telleþ in þis cas
Tales of best sentence . & most solas