The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer: The Text Collated with the Seven Oldest Mss., and a Life of the Author, Introductory Notices, Grammar, Critical and Explanatory Notes, and Index to Obsolete and Difficult WordsE. Maynard & Company, 1880 - 112 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
1st and 3rd adjectives adverb alliterative verse attě berd bestě but-if called Canterbury Canterbury Tales century Chaucer church clergy court couthe cowdě dative daunger England English French poetry French words friars gentil Geoffrey Chaucer German gret haddě Harl hath heed hire holy hond inflections Kellogg's king King of Cyprus Knightes Tale kouthe lady language Latin litel lord lově lovede maken maner meaning modern monks newě noble note on line O.Fr originally owně participle past tense person physician Piers Plowman plural poetry pres priests Prol Prologue pronounced reed retained riden rime Robert of Gloucester Romance languages rood Saxon says schal sche schulde sense seynt singular sounded speke syllable Tabard tellě Teutonic Thanne ther therto thries toun trewěly Uppon verbs verse vowel weak verbs Wel cowde weren whan wight wolde woot worthi yonge
Popular passages
Page 44 - Somtyme with the lord of Palatye, Ageyn another hethen in Turkye : And evermore he hadde a sovereyn prys. And though that he were worthy, he was wys, And of his port as meke as is a mayde. He never yet no vileinye ne sayde In al his lyf, un-to no maner wight. He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
Page 49 - Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer, And by his side a swerd and a bokeler, And on that other side a gay daggere, Harneysed wel, and scharp as poynt of spere; A Cristofre on his brest of silver schene.
Page 84 - Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, Or breke it, at a renning, with his heed. His berd as any sowe or fox was reed, And ther-to brood, as though it were a spade. Up-on the cop...
Page 14 - I feyth and ful credence, And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon That fro my bokes maketh me to goon...
Page 43 - Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce. In Lettowe hadde reyced and in Ruce, No Cristen man so ofte of his degre. In Gernade atte siege hadde he be Of Algesir, and riden in Belmarie.
Page 51 - But sore weep she if oon of hem were deed, Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte: And al was conscience and tendre herte.
Page 47 - Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day ; He was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
Page 52 - LET us pray for the whole state of Christ's church militant here on earth...
Page 77 - Sche passede hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon That to the offryng byforn hire schulde goon, And if ther dide certeyn so wroth was sche, That sche was thanne out of alle charite".
Page 90 - Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were wood. And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn, Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn. A fewe termes hadde he, two or...