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 SHIPMAN’S PROLOGUE.

Here biginneth the Shipmannes Prolog.

*∗*In Tyrwhitt’s text, ll. 12903-12924.

• OUR hoste up-on his stiropes stood anon,
• And seyde, ‘good men, herkneth everich on;
• This was a thrifty tale for the nones!1165
• Sir parish prest,’ quod he, ‘for goddes bones,
• Tel us a tale, as was thy forward yore.
• I see wel that ye lerned men in lore
• Can moche good, by goddes dignitee!’
• The Persone him answerde, ‘benedicte!1170
• What eyleth the man, so sinfully to swere?’
• Our hoste answerde, ‘O Iankin, be ye there?(10)
• I smelle a loller in the wind,’ quod he.
• ‘How! good men,’ quod our hoste, ‘herkneth me;
• Abydeth, for goddes digne passioun,1175
• For we shal han a predicacioun;
• This loller heer wil prechen us som-what.’
• ‘Nay, by my fader soule! that shal be nat,’
• Seyde the Shipman; ‘heer he shal nat preche,
• He shal no gospel glosen heer ne teche.1180
• We leve alle in the grete god,’ quod he,
• ‘He wolde sowen som difficultee,(20)
• Or springen cokkel in our clene corn;
• And therfor, hoste, I warne thee biforn,

• My Ioly body shal a tale telle,1185
• And I shal clinken yow so mery a belle,
• That I shal waken al this companye;
• But it shal nat ben of philosophye,
• Ne physices, ne termes queinte of lawe;(27)
• Ther is but litel Latin in my mawe.’1190

[*∗* ]For l. 5583 in Tyrwhitt’s Text, see Group D, l. 1.

Colophon.The latter part is from MS. Arch. Selden B. 14. Many MSS have The prolog of the squyers tale, or the prolog of the Squier. The Petworth MS. and some others have here an ill-written and spurious Prologue to the Shipman’s Tale, which is here subjoined:

• ‘Now freendes,’ seide our Hoost so dere,
• ‘How lyketh you by Iohn the Pardonere?
• For he hath unbokeled wel the male;
• He hath us told right a thrifty tale
• As touching of misgovernaunce—
• I preye to God, yeve him good chaunce!—
• As ye han herd of thise riotoures three.
• Now, gentil Mariner, hertely I preye thee,
• Telle us a good tale, and that right anon.’
• ‘It shall be doon, by god and by seint Iohn,’
• Seyde this Mariner, ‘as wel as ever I can,’
• And right anon his tale he bigan.

[1163. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1164. ]Cp. herkeneth; Hl. herkneth.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1165. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1166. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1167. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1168. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1169. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1170. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1171. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1172. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1173. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1174. ]Cp. herkeneth; Hl. herkneth.

Hl. Now; rest How (Howe).

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1175. ]Hl. omits.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1176. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1177. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1178. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1179. ]Seld. has Shipman; Roy. Slo. Cp. Pt. Ln. squier; Hl. sompnour.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1180. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1181. ]Seld. Hl. We leuen; Roy. Cp. Pt. Ln. He leueth.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1182. ]Seld. Hl. quod, which Cp. Pt. Ln. Roy. Slo. omit.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1183. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1184. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1185. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

[1186. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

Hl. omits.

[1187. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

Hl. omits.

[1188. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

Hl. omits.

[1189. ]Tyrwhitt has of physike; the MSS. have the unmeaning word phislyas (Sloane phillyas; Ln. fisleas); read physices; see note.

Colophon.From Seld.

From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

Hl. omits.

[1190. ]From Cp., collated with Hl. Pt. Ln. Seld. Royal, and Sloane; E. Hn. Cm. omit.

Hl. omits.