Second Middle English Primer: Extracts from Chaucer, with Grammar and Glossary |
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Common terms and phrases
acord agayn alwey bēn broghte Canterbury Tales Chaucer courtepy dęth diphthong dōn dōth ęch ęęk everich felawe foules fresshe frọ fynde fyrst Goddes gōld gọn gręęt grēne gręt gręte hath hẽ heere herde herte heven hire hise hond kynde lenger litel lord māke maner męte MIDDLE ENGLISH mỹ myghte mỹn Nātūre noght nyght oghte oother orloge ōther peyne pitee pleyn plur pret pronunciation quod rede ręęd resoun ryght seint seyde seye seyn shal shē sholde shul shyne sing sith sọ sonne sorwe sōth spak spęke sunne swēte swich syllable synge tercel tercelet thanne ther thertō thise thọ thogh thou thow thrē thurgh thỹ thyng tō seyn trōuthe trōwe twō tyme unaccented untō verbs vowels wedres weel Wēl koude wende whan whō withouten wolde wōrdes words wọt wynke zaadze
Popular passages
Page 85 - But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre...
Page 83 - 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 72 - And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes...
Page 87 - Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire. An anlaas, and a gipser al of silk, Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk; A shirreve hadde he been, and a countour. Was nowher such a worthy vavasour.
Page 94 - That was al pomely grey, and highte Scot. A long surcote of pers upon he hade, And by his syde he bar a rusty blade. Of Northfolk was this reve, of which I telle, Biside a toun men clepen Baldeswelle. 620 Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute, And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.
Page 90 - As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large, And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe. In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe. Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce, For she koude of that art the olde...
Page 91 - For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste, No wonder is a lewed man to ruste; And shame it is, if a preest take keep, A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
Page 88 - If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond, By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.
Page 89 - And yet he was but esy of dispence ; He kepte that he wan in pestilence. For gold in phisik is a cordial ; Therfore he lovede gold in special.
Page 93 - Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?