Manuscript images © Cambridge University Library. Reproduction is strictly prohibited.
- You are now viewing the graphical version of the manuscript
1. The General Prologue
2. The Knight's Tale
3. The Miller's Prologue
4. The Miller's Tale
5. The Reeve's Prologue
6. The Reeve's Tale
7. The Cook's Prologue
8. The Cook's Tale
9. Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale
10. The Man of Law's Tale
11. The Wife of Bath's Prologue
12. The Wife of Bath's Tale
13. The Friar's Prologue
14. The Friar's Tale
15. The Summoner's Prologue
16. The Summoner's Tale
17. The Clerk's Tale
18. Lenvoye de Chaucer
19. Words of the Host
20. The Merchant's Prologue
21. The Merchant's Tale
22. Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
23. The Squire's Tale
24. The Franklin's Tale
25. The Physician's Tale
26. Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale
27. The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
28. The Shipman's Tale
29. The Prioress' Tale
30. The Tale of Sir Thopas
31. Here the Host 'stynteth' Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas
32. The Tale of Melibeus
33. The Monk's Prologue
34. The Monk's Tale
35. The Nun's Priest's Prologue
36. The Nun's Priest's Tale
37. Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale
38. The Second Nun's Tale
39. The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
40. The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
The Nun's Priest's Prologue Folio 187v 1 of 1 folios
Here bigynneth the pro loge of the Nonnes prest /
Written in the header in brownODR
Hoo qd the knygħ t / good sire nomore of this
That ȝe han seid / is rigħ t I now I wys
And mochel more / for litel heuynesse
Is rigħ t I now / for mechil folk I gesse
I seye for me / it is a gret dissese
Where as men han ben / in gret welthe & ese
To heren of here sodeyn fal allas
And the conta rie is ioye / & gret solas
As whan a man hatħ ben / in poure estat
And there abydetħ / in pro sper itee
Swicħ thyng is gladsom / as it thynketħ me
Ȝa qd oure hoost / by Seynt Poules belle
Ȝe seye rigħ t sotħ / this monke he clappetħ loude
He spak how fortune / couered was wt a cloude
I not neuer e what / and als of a tragedie
Rigħ t now ȝe herde / and parde no remedie
Is it / for to be wayllen / ne compleyne
Corrected from: <nothing> idid Corrected from: þ atqd qd is don / and als it is a peyne
As ȝe han seide / to heere of heuynesse
Sire Monke no more of this / so god yow blisse
Ȝoure tale anoyetħ / al this compaignye
Swicħ thyng is nat wortħ / a boterflye
5
For þ er e Inne is ther no / disporte ne game
Wherfore sire Monke / o daun Piers by thy name
I preye yow hertily / telle vs som what elles
For sikerly / nere clynkyng of ȝoure belles
That oon ȝoure bridel hange / oon euer y syde
10
By heuene kyng / þ t for vs alle dyde
I shulde er this / haue fallen doun for slepe
Al thougħ the slougħ / had neuer e ben so depe
A small cross is in the left margin next to this line. ODR
Thā ne had ȝoure tale / al ben tolde in veyn
For certeynly / as þ t theise Clerkes seyn
15
Where as a man / may haue noon audience
Nat helpetħ it / to tellen his sentence
And wel I woot / the substaū ce is in me
If any thyng / shal wel reported be
Sire seye somwhat / of huntyng I ȝow preye
20
Now lat another telle / as I haue tolde
Thā ne spak oure hoost / wt rude speche & bolde
And seide / vn to the Nō nes preest a noon