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 FRANKLIN’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 11021-11040).

The Prologe of the Frankeleyns Tale.

[This Prologue follows immediately after the Words on p. 481.]

• THISE olde gentil Britons in hir dayes
• Of diverse aventures maden layes,710
• Rymeyed in hir firste Briton tonge;
• Which layes with hir instruments they songe,(40)
• Or elles redden hem for hir plesaunce;
• And oon of hem have I in remembraunce,
• Which I shal seyn with good wil as I can.715
• But, sires, by-cause I am a burel man,
• At my biginning first I yow biseche
• Have me excused of my rude speche;
• I lerned never rethoryk certeyn;
• Thing that I speke, it moot be bare and pleyn.720
• I sleep never on the mount of Pernaso,
• Ne lerned Marcus Tullius Cithero.(50)
• Colours ne knowe I none, with-outen drede,
• But swiche colours as growen in the mede,
• Or elles swiche as men dye or peynte.725
• Colours of rethoryk ben me to queynte;
• My spirit feleth noght of swich matere.
• But if yow list, my tale shul ye here.

[]Heading.So E.; Ln. Incipit prologus de le Frankeleyne; Hn. Pt. Here bigynneth the Frankeleyns tale. Hl. omits ll. 709-1223.

[712. ]E. whiche.

[722. ]E. Hn. Scithero.

[726. ]Cp. Ln. ben me to; Pt. bene to me; Hn. they ben to; E. been to.