The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• 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 PROLOGUE OF THE NONNE PRESTES TALE.
(T. 14773-14798).

The prologue of the Nonne Preestes Tale.

• ‘HO!’ quod the knight, ‘good sir, na-more of this,
• That ye han seyd is right y-nough, y-wis,
• And mochel more; for litel hevinesse
• Is right y-nough to mochel folk, I gesse.3960
• I seye for me, it is a greet disese
• Wher-as men han ben in greet welthe and ese,
• To heren of hir sodeyn fal, allas!
• And the contrarie is Ioie and greet solas,
• As whan a man hath been in povre estaat,3965
• And clymbeth up, and wexeth fortunat,(10)
• And ther abydeth in prosperitee,
• Swich thing is gladsom, as it thinketh me,
• And of swich thing were goodly for to telle.’
• ‘Ye,’ quod our hoste, ‘by seint Poules belle,3970
• Ye seye right sooth; this monk, he clappeth loude,
• He spak how “fortune covered with a cloude”
• I noot never what, and als of a “Tragedie”
• Right now ye herde, and parde! no remedie
• It is for to biwaille, ne compleyne3975
• That that is doon, and als it is a peyne,(20)
• As ye han seyd, to here of hevinesse.
• Sir monk, na-more of this, so god yow blesse!
• Your tale anoyeth al this companye;
• Swich talking is nat worth a boterflye;3980
• For ther-in is ther no desport ne game.
• Wherfor, sir Monk, or dan Piers by your name,
• I preye yow hertely, telle us somwhat elles,
• For sikerly, nere clinking of your belles,
• That on your brydel hange on every syde,3985
• By heven king, that for us alle dyde,(30)
• I sholde er this han fallen doun for slepe,
• Although the slough had never been so depe;
• Than had your tale al be told in vayn.
• For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn,3990
• “Wher-as a man may have noon audience,
• Noght helpeth it to tellen his sentence.”
• And wel I woot the substance is in me,
• If any thing shal wel reported be.
• Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.’3995
• ‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye;(40)
• Now let another telle, as I have told.’
• Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold,
• And seyde un-to the Nonnes Preest anon,
• ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn,4000
• Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade,
• Be blythe, though thou ryde up-on a Iade.
• What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene,
• If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene;
• Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.’4005
• ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go,(50)
• But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:’—
• And right anon his tale he hath attamed,
• And thus he seyde un-to us everichon,
• This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.4010

Explicit.

[3982. ]Pt. or; Hn. o; rest omit.

[4002. ]though] Hl. al-though.

[4004. ]Pt. Hl. rek.

[4005. ]E. Hn. murie; rest mery.

[4006. ]Cp. Ln. Yis, ost, quod he, so mote I ryde or go.