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.

EPILOGUE TO THE MARCHANTES TALE.

• ‘EY! goddes mercy!’ seyde our Hoste tho,
• ‘Now swich a wyf I pray god kepe me fro!2420
• Lo, whiche sleightes and subtilitees
• In wommen been! for ay as bisy as bees
• Ben they, us sely men for to deceyve,
• And from a sothe ever wol they weyve;
• By this Marchauntes Tale it preveth weel.2425
• But doutelees, as trewe as any steel
• I have a wyf, though that she povre be;
• But of hir tonge a labbing shrewe is she,(10)
• And yet she hath an heep of vyces mo;
• Ther-of no fors, lat alle swiche thinges go.2430
• But, wite ye what? in conseil be it seyd,
• Me reweth sore I am un-to hir teyd.
• For, and I sholde rekenen every vyce
• Which that she hath, y-wis, I were to nyce,
• And cause why; it sholde reported be2435
• And told to hir of somme of this meynee;
• Of whom, it nedeth nat for to declare,
• Sin wommen connen outen swich chaffare;(20)
• And eek my wit suffyseth nat ther-to
• To tellen al; wherfor my tale is do.’2440

GROUP F.

[]Heading. E. The Prologe of the Squieres Tale; Hn. Here folwen the Wordes of the Worthy Hoost to the Frankeleyn; Pt. The prologe of the Fraunkeleyn.

[2419. ]E. oure Hoost; Hl. our hoste.

[2421. ]Hl. subtilitees; E. Hn. subtiltees.

[2424. ]E. Hn. sooth; Pt. Hl. soth (not sothe); see G. 167, 662.

[]Heading (after l. 8). So E. Hn. Pt. Hl.