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.

EPILOGUE TO THE NONNE PREESTES TALE.

• ‘SIR Nonnes Preest,’ our hoste seyde anoon,
• ‘Y-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!
• This was a mery tale of Chauntecleer.
• But, by my trouthe, if thou were seculer,4640
• Thou woldest been a trede-foul a-right.
• For, if thou have corage as thou hast might,
• Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene,
• Ya, mo than seven tymes seventene.
• See, whiche braunes hath this gentil Preest,4645
• So greet a nekke, and swich a large breest!(10)
• He loketh as a sperhauk with his yen;
• Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen
• With brasil, ne with greyn of Portingale.
• Now sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!’4650
• And after that he, with ful mery chere,
• Seide to another, as ye shullen here.

GROUP C.

[]These genuine lines only occur in Dd., in MS. Reg. 17 D. xv, and in MS. Addit. 5140 (B. M.). The text is founded on Dd.

Note.Three varieties of a Doctour’s Prologue are given, respectively, by Tyrwhitt, Wright, and Morris; but are all spurious. Perhaps the best is the very short one in Tyrwhitt, as follows:—

• ‘Ye, let that passen,’ quod our Hoste, ‘as now.
• Sire Doctour of Phisyk, I preye yow,
• Telle us a tale of som honest matere.’
• ‘It shal be doon, if that ye wol it here,’
• Seyde this Doctour, and his tale bigan anon.
• ‘Now, good men,’ quod he, ‘herkneth everichon.’

[4637. ]Dd. oure hoost.

[4639. ]Dd. murie; Reg. Add. mery.

[4641. ]Dd. ben. Dd. tredfoul; Reg. Add. trede foule.

[4645. ]Dd. which; Reg. whiche; Add. suche.

[4646. ]Dd. gret

[4647. ]Dd. sperhauke; eyen.

[4648. ]Dd. dyghen; Reg. Add dyen.

[4650. ]I suspect these three lines to be spurious.

Reg. youre mery tale.

[4651. ]I suspect these three lines to be spurious.

[4652. ]I suspect these three lines to be spurious.

to] all un-to. another] Add. the Nonne.