The General Prologue
Folio 7r
3 of 9 folios
For he was Epiors / owen sone
That held opynyoū / that pleyn delit
340
Was verray / felicite parfyt
An housholdere / and þt a gret was he
The grettest / of al his contre
His brede his ale / was alwey after one
A betir wyned man / was nowher none
345
W oute bake mete / was neuere his hous
Of fyssħ and flescħ / and þt so plentenous
It sewed in his hous / of mete and drynke
Of alle deyntes / þt eny man coude thynke
After the sondry sesons / of the ȝere
350
So chaunged he his mete / & his sopere
Ful many a fat partricħ had he in mue
And many a breme / & many a luce in stue
Wo was his coke / but if his sauce were
Poynant and sharpe / and redy al his gere
355
His table durmau / in his haƚƚ alwey
Stod redy couered / al the long day
At the sessiones / there was he lord and sire
Ful often tyme / he was knygħt of the shire
And an Anlaas / and a Gipciere al of silk
360
Heng at his girdil / as whyt as morwe mylk
A sherewe had he be / and a Countor
Was nowher swich / a worthy vauasor
An haberdassher
/ and a Carpenter
¶ An Haberdassher
A Carpenter
A Webbere
A Digħe
A Tapicer
A Webbere a digħe / and a tapicer
365
And they were clothed / alle in oo lyuere
Of a solempne / and gret fraternite
Ful fressħ and newe / her gere pyked was
Here knywes were nouȝt / chaped wt bras
But al wt siluer / wrouȝt ful clene and wele
370
Here Girdeles / and here pouches / euerydele
Wel semed ich of hem / a fair Burgeys
To sitte in the ȝildehalle / vp on þe heye deys
Euerycħ for the wysdom / that he can
Was shaply to be / an Alderman
375
For catel hadden they I nougħ / and rent
And eke here wyues / wold it wel assent
And ellis serteyn / they weren to blame
It is ful feyr / to be cleped Madame
And go to the vigiles / al byfore