The General Prologue
Folio 12r
20 of 21 folios
To Canturburyward I mene it so
And homward he schal tellen oþer tuo
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Of auentures þat whilom haue bifaƚƚ
And which of yow þat beriþ him best of aƚƚ
That is to sein that telleþ in þis cas
Tales of best sentence and most solas ./
Schal haue a souper at our alþer cost
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Her in þis place sittynge by þis post
Whan þat we comen aȝein fro Canturbury
And for to make ȝou þe more mury
I wil my seluen goodly with ȝou ryde
Right at myn owne cost and be ȝour gyde
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And who so wol my Iuggement wiþ seye
Schal paye al þat we spende by þe weye
And if ȝe vouche saf þat it be so
Tel me anon wiþouten wordes moo
And I wol erly schape me þer fore
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This þing was graunted and our oþes swore
With ful glad herte and preyȝen him also
That he wolde vouche saf for to do so
And þat he wolde ben oure gouernour
And of oure tales Iugge and reportour
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And sette a souper at a certein pris
And we wiln rewled ben at his deuys /
In heighe and lowe and þus by oon assent
We ben accorded to þe Iuggement
And þer vpon þe wyn was fet anon
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We dronken and to reste went echon
Wiþouten eny lenger taryyng
A morwe whan þe day bigan to spryng
Vp ros oure oost and was our alþer cok
And gadered vs to gider in a flok
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And forþ we riden a litel more þan paas
Vnto þe wateryng of Seint Thomas
And þer our oost gan his hors areste
And seide lordes herkneþ if you leste /