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 SOMNOUR’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 7247-7270.)

The prologe of the Somnours Tale.

• THIS Somnour in his stiropes hye stood;1665
• Up-on this Frere his herte was so wood,
• That lyk an aspen leef he quook for yre.
• ‘Lordinges,’ quod he, ‘but o thing I desyre;
• I yow biseke that, of your curteisye,
• Sin ye han herd this false Frere lye,1670
• As suffereth me I may my tale telle!
• This Frere bosteth that he knoweth helle,
• And god it woot, that it is litel wonder;
• Freres and feendes been but lyte a-sonder.(10)
• For pardee, ye han ofte tyme herd telle,1675
• How that a frere ravisshed was to helle
• In spirit ones by a visioun;
• And as an angel ladde him up and doun,
• To shewen him the peynes that ther were,
• In al the place saugh he nat a frere;1680
• Of other folk he saugh y-nowe in wo.
• Un-to this angel spak the frere tho:
• “Now, sir,” quod he, “han freres swich a grace
• That noon of hem shal come to this place?”(20)
• “Yis,” quod this angel, “many a millioun!”1685
• And un-to Sathanas he ladde him doun.
• “And now hath Sathanas,” seith he, “a tayl
• Brodder than of a carrik is the sayl.
• Hold up thy tayl, thou Sathanas!” quod he,
• “Shewe forth thyn ers, and lat the frere see1690
• Wher is the nest of freres in this place!”
• And, er that half a furlong-wey of space,
• Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve,
• Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve(30)
• Twenty thousand freres in a route,1695
• And thurgh-out helle swarmeden aboute;
• And comen agayn, as faste as they may gon,
• And in his ers they crepten everichon.
• He clapte his tayl agayn, and lay ful stille.
• This frere, whan he loked hadde his fille1700
• Upon the torments of this sory place,
• His spirit god restored of his grace
• Un-to his body agayn, and he awook;
• But natheles, for fere yet he quook,(40)
• So was the develes ers ay in his minde,1705
• That is his heritage of verray kinde.
• God save yow alle, save this cursed Frere;
• My prologe wol I ende in this manere.’

Here endeth the Prologe of the Somnours Tale.

[]Heading.So E. Hn.; E. Somonours.

[1665. ]E. Somonour; Hl. sompnour; rest Somnour.

[1676. ]E. vanysshed (!); rest rauysshed.

[1692. ]Pt. Hl. than; rest that.

[1693. ]E. Hn. swarmeden; Hl. swarmed al.

[1700. ]Cp. Hn. loked hadde; Pt. Ln. Hl. loked had; E. hadde looke al (sic).

Colophon.From Hn.