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 FRIAR’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 6847-6868).

The Prologe of the Freres tale.

• THIS worthy limitour, this noble Frere,1265
• He made alwey a maner louring chere
• Upon the Somnour, but for honestee
• No vileyns word as yet to him spak he.
• But atte laste he seyde un-to the Wyf,
• ‘Dame,’ quod he, ‘god yeve yow right good lyf!1270
• Ye han heer touched, al-so moot I thee,
• In scole-matere greet difficultee;
• Ye han seyd muchel thing right wel, I seye;
• But dame, here as we ryden by the weye,(10)
• Us nedeth nat to speken but of game,1275
• And lete auctoritees, on goddes name,
• To preching and to scole eek of clergye.
• But if it lyke to this companye,
• I wol yow of a somnour telle a game.
• Pardee, ye may wel knowe by the name,1280
• That of a somnour may no good be sayd;
• I praye that noon of you be yvel apayd.
• A somnour is a renner up and doun
• With mandements for fornicacioun,(20)
• And is y-bet at every tounes ende.’1285
• Our host tho spak, ‘a! sire, ye sholde be hende
• And curteys, as a man of your estaat;
• In companye we wol have no debaat.
• Telleth your tale, and lat the Somnour be.’
• ‘Nay,’ quod the Somnour, ‘lat him seye to me1290
• What so him list; whan it comth to my lot,
• By god, I shal him quyten every grot.
• I shal him tellen which a greet honour(29)
• It is to be a flateringe limitour;

  [T. 6876

• And his offyce I shal him telle, y-wis.’

  [T. 6879

• Our host answerde, ‘pees, na-more of this.’1296
• And after this he seyde un-to the Frere,
• ‘Tel forth your tale, leve maister deere.’

Here endeth the Prologe of the Frere.

[]Heading.So E. Hn.

[1266. ]E. chiere.

[1267. ]E. Somonour; Hn. Somnour.

[1273. ]E. Hn. muche; Ln. muchel; rest mochel.

[1274. ]E. ryde; rest ryden.

[1277. ]Hl. scoles. E. Hn. Hl. om. eek.

[1278. ]E. And; rest But.

[1284. ]E. Hn. mandementz.

[1286. ]Hl oste (om. tho).

[1294. ]After l. 1294 all but Hl. wrongly insert ll. 1307 and 1308; which see. Tyrwhitt also inserts them.

[1298. ]E. Hn. leeue; Hl. my; Cp. Ln. my leue; Pt. my owen.

Colophon.From Hn.; so Pt. (with Thus for Here).