Prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales with Explanatory Notes, a Glossary, and a Life of the Poet

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Longmans, Green, and Company, 1871

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Page 54 - For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt, He wiste that a man was repentaunt. For many a man so hard is of his herte, He may nat wepe al-thogh him sore smerte. 230 Therfore, in stede of weping and preyeres, Men moot yeve silver to the povre freres.
Page 47 - 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 59 - But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre...
Page 42 - Picardie, And born him wel, as in so litel space, In hope to stonden in his lady grace. Embrowdid was he, as it were a mede Al ful of fresshe floures, white and reede.
Page 40 - 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 77 - Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, 550 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 73 - A good man ther was of religioun, That was a poure PERSONE of a toun: But riche he was of holy thought and werk. He was also a lerned man, a clerk, That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche. His parishens devoutly wolde he teche. Benigne he was, and wonder diligent, And in adversite ful patient: And swiche he was ypreyed often sithes.
Page 23 - And bathed every veyne in swich licour. Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes...
Page 86 - A vernicle hadde he sowed on his cappe. His walet lay biforn him in his lappe, Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot.

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