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 Tale Folio 193v 2 of 12 folios
Seide / gentil Sire allas / whider wol ȝe goon
465
Be ȝe affrayed of me / that am ȝoure freend
Now certes / I were worse than a feend
If I to ȝow wolde harm / or vylanye
I nam nat come / ȝoure coū seil for to espie
But trewely the cause / of my comyng
470
Was oonly for to herken / how þ t ȝe syng
For trewely ȝe han / as merie a steuene
As any Aungel hatħ / þ t is in heuene
Ther wt ȝe han in Musyke / more felynge
Than had Boice / or any þ t can synge
475
My lord ȝoure fader / god his soule blisse
Han in myn hous I ben / to my gret ese
And certes sire / ful fayn wolde I ȝow plese
But for men speke of syngynge / I wol seye
480
So mote I brouke wel / myne eyen tweye
Saue ȝe / I ne herd neuer e / man so synge
Certes it was of herte / al that he song
And for to make his voys / the more strong
485
He wolde so peyne ħ ī / þ t witħ bothe hise eyen
He muste wynke / so loude he wolde cryen
And stonden on his tipptoū / ther witħ al
And eke he was / of swicħ discrecioun
490
That þ er e nas noman / in no regioun
That ħ ī in song or wysdam / mygħ te passe
I haue wel red / in D aun Burnel the Asse
Among his vers / how þ t þ er e was a Cok
There is a small cross in the left margin. ODR
That for a Preestes sone / ȝaf ħ ī a knok
495
Vp on his leg / whil he was ȝong & nyce
He made ħ ī for to lese / his benefice
But certeyn þ er e is / no comper isoun
Betwix the wysdom / & discrecioun
Of ȝoure fader / and of his subtilitee
500
Now syngetħ sire / for seynt Charitee
This Chauntecler / his wenges gan to bete
So was he rauysshed / witħ his flaterie
505
Allas ȝe lordes / many a fals flater our