The Online Library of Liberty

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• Introduction
• Errata.
• Additions to ‘the Minor Poems’ In Vol. I.
• XXIV.: Womanly Noblesse.
• XXV.: Complaint to My Mortal Foe.
• XXVI.: Complaint to My Lode-sterre.
• Notes to the Preceding Poems.
• The Canterbury Tales. Group A.
• The Prologue.
• The Knightes Tale.
• The Miller’s Prologue.
• The Milleres Tale.
• The Reeve’s Prologue.
• The Reves Tale.
• The Cook’s Prologue.
• The Cokes Tale.
• Group B.
• Introduction to the Man of Law’s Prologue. (t. 4421-4446.)
• The Tale of the Man of Lawe.
• The Shipman’s Prologue.
• The Shipmannes Tale.
• The Prioress’s Prologue. (t. 13365-13382.)
• The Prioresses Tale.
• Prologue to Sir Thopas. (t. 13621-13641.)
• Sir Thopas.
• Prologue to Melibeus. (t. 13847-13875.)
• The Tale of Melibeus.
• The Monk’s Prologue. (t. 13895-13924.)
• The Monkes Tale.
• The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale. (t. 14773-14798).
• The Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Group C.
• The Phisiciens Tale. (t. 11935-11957.)
• Words of the Host. (t. 12221-12239.)
• The Prologue of the Pardoners Tale. (t. 12263-12288).
• The Pardoners Tale. ( Numbered In Continuation of the Preceding. )
• Group D.
• The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. (t. 5583-5602; For T. 5582, See P. 164.)
• The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
• The Friar’s Prologue. (t. 6847-6868).
• The Freres Tale.
• The Somnour’s Prologue. (t. 7247-7270.)
• The Somnours Tale.
• Group E.
• The Clerk’s Prologue. (t. 7877-7898.)
• The Clerkes Tale.
• The Merchant’s Prologue. (t. 9089-9120).
• The Marchantes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale.
• Group F.
• The Squieres Tale. (t. 10315-10334).
• The Franklin’s Prologue. (t. 11021-11040).
• The Frankeleyns Tale.
• Group G.
• The Seconde Nonnes Tale.
• The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue. (t. 16022-16043.)
• The Chanouns Yemannes Tale.
• Group H.
• The Manciple’s Prologue. (t. 16950-16968).
• The Maunciples Tale.
• Group I.
• The Parson’s Prologue. (t. 17312-17330).
• The Persones Tale.
• Appendix to Group A.
• The Tale of Gamelyn.

THE COOK’S PROLOGUE.

The prologe of the Cokes Tale.

• THE Cook of London, whyl the Reve spak,4325
• For Ioye, him thoughte, he clawed him on the bak,
• ‘Ha! ha!’ quod he, ‘for Cristes passioun,
• This miller hadde a sharp conclusioun
• Upon his argument of herbergage!
• Wel seyde Salomon in his langage,4330
• “Ne bringe nat every man in-to thyn hous;”
• For herberwing by nighte is perilous.
• Wel oghte a man avysed for to be
• Whom that he broghte in-to his privetee.(10)
• I pray to god, so yeve me sorwe and care,4335
• If ever, sith I highte Hogge of Ware,
• Herde I a miller bettre y-set a-werk.
• He hadde a Iape of malice in the derk.
• But god forbede that we stinten here;
• And therfore, if ye vouche-sauf to here4340
• A tale of me, that am a povre man,
• I wol yow telle as wel as ever I can
• A litel Iape that fil in our citee.’
• Our host answerde, and seide, ‘I graunte it thee;(20)
• Now telle on, Roger, loke that it be good;4345
• For many a pastee hastow laten blood,
• And many a Iakke of Dover hastow sold
• That hath been twyes hoot and twyes cold.
• Of many a pilgrim hastow Cristes curs,
• For of thy persly yet they fare the wors,4350
• That they han eten with thy stubbel-goos;
• For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos.
• Now telle on, gentil Roger, by thy name.
• But yet I pray thee, be nat wrooth for game,(30)
• A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley.’4355
• ‘Thou seist ful sooth,’ quod Roger, ‘by my fey,
• But “sooth pley, quaad pley,” as the Fleming seith;
• And ther-fore, Herry Bailly, by thy feith,
• Be thou nat wrooth, er we departen heer,
• Though that my tale be of an hostileer.4360
• But nathelees I wol nat telle it yit,
• But er we parte, y-wis, thou shalt be quit.’
• And ther-with-al he lough and made chere,
• And seyde his tale, as ye shul after here.(40)

Thus endeth the Prologe of the Cokes tale.

[4325. ]E. whil that the

[4332. ]Hl. herburgage.

[4336. ]Hn. sith; E. sitthe; Hl. siþþe; Cp. Pt. Ln. sithen.

[4339. ]Hn. Hl. stynten; E. stynte.

Last two words glossed hic and audire in E. Hn.

[4340. ]Last two words glossed hic and audire in E. Hn.

[4347. ]E. Hn. Cm. Ln. Douere. E. Hn. soold.

[4348. ]E. Hn. coold.

[4350. ]Hl. persly; Hn. persle; E. percely.

[4355. ]Hl. omits.

[4357. ]E. Cm. quaad; Cp. Hl. quad; rest quade.

[4359. ]E. na (for nat).

Colophon.In Pt.; Ln. Explicit prologus.