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 Tale of Sir Thopas Folio 159r 1 of 3 folios
But he was chast and no lechour
35
And swete as is the brambel flour
That beretħ the red hepe
And so it fel vp on a day
For sothe as I ȝow telle may
Sire Thopas wold out ride
40
He wortħ vp on his steede gray
A long swerd by his side
He pryketħ thurgħ a fair forest
Ther Inne is many a wylde best
45
Ȝa bothe Buk and hare
I telle it ȝow hī had almest
Bitidde a sory kare
There spi ngen erbes grete & smale
50
The lycoris and the cetewale
And many a clowe gylophre
And Notemuge to putte in ale
Wheither it be moyst or stale
Or for to leyn in coffre
55
The briddes songen it is no nay
The Spar hauk and the Popyngay
That ioye it was to heere
The thrustelcok mad eke hire lay
The wode dowe vp on a spray
60
She sang ful loude & clere
Sire Thopas fel in loue longyng
Al whan he herd / the thrustel syng
His fair steede in his prekyng
65
So swatte / þ t mē mygħ t hī wryng
His sides were al blod
Sire Thopas eke so wery was
For prikyng on the softe gras
So fiers was his corage
70
That doun he leid hī in that place
To make his steede som solace
And ȝaf hī good forage
O Seynte Mary benedicite
What eyletħ this loue at me
75
To bynde me so sore
Me dremed al this nygħ t per de
An Elf Quene shal my lē man be
And slepe vnder my gore
80
For in this world no wō man is
Worthy to be my make //
In towne
Alle othere wō men I forsake
85
By dale and eke by downe
In to his sadel he clom a noon
An Elf Quene for to espie
Til he so longe hatħ ryde & gon
90
That he fond in a pryue won
The contreye of fairie
So wylde
For in that contrey was þ er e noon
That to hī durst ride or gon
Neither wyf ne childe
95
Til that þ er e com a gret geaunt
His name was Sire Olifaunt
A per ilous man of dede
He seide child by Termagaunt