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 PRIORESS’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 13365-13382.)

Bihold the mery wordes of the Host to the Shipman and to the lady Prioresse.

• ‘WEL seyd, by corpus dominus,’ quod our hoste,1625
• ‘Now longe moot thou sayle by the coste,
• Sir gentil maister, gentil marineer!
• God yeve this monk a thousand last quad yeer!
• A ha! felawes! beth ware of swiche a Iape!
• The monk putte in the mannes hood an ape,1630
• And in his wyves eek, by seint Austin!
• Draweth no monkes more un-to your in.
• But now passe over, and lat us seke aboute,
• Who shal now telle first, of al this route,(10)
• Another tale;’ and with that word he sayde,1635
• As curteisly as it had been a mayde,
• ‘My lady Prioresse, by your leve,
• So that I wiste I sholde yow nat greve,
• I wolde demen that ye tellen sholde
• A tale next, if so were that ye wolde.1640
• Now wol ye vouche-sauf, my lady dere?’
• ‘Gladly,’ quod she, and seyde as ye shal here.(18)

Explicit.

[]Heading.So E. (with Bihoold, murie, Hoost); Hn. Herke the myrie Wordes of the Worthy Hoost; Pt. And here bygynneth the prologe of the priores; Ln. Incipit prologus Priorisse.

[1625. ]E. Hn. Hoost.

[1626. ]E. Hn. moote; Ln. Hl. mot; rest mote. E. saille; cost.

[1628. ]E. this; rest the. Hn. quaad; rest quade.

[1642. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. sayde in this manere.