Selections from [Chaucer's] Canterbury Tales

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Macmillan [Company], 1905

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Page 1 - That slepen al the nyght with open ye (So priketh hem nature in hir corages). — Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.
Page 3 - With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse. Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse. Of his stature he was of evene lengthe, And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe.
Page 3 - No Cristen man so ofte of his degree. In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye. At Lyeys was he and at Satalye, Whan they were wonne; and in the Crete See At many a noble armee hadde he be.
Page 1 - THE GENERAL PROLOGUE 1 HERE BYGYNNETH THE BOOK OF THE TALES OF CAUNTERBURY WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote. 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, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open eye, So priketh hem nature in hir...
Page 14 - Ther nas noon swich from Hulle to Cartage. Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; 405 With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.
Page 2 - A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan To riden out, he loved chivalrie, Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
Page 96 - graunt mercy of youre loore, But nathelees, as touchyng Daun Catoun, That hath of wysdom swich a greet renoun, Though that he bad no dremes for to drede, By God, men may in olde bookes rede Of many a man moore of...
Page 15 - To speke of phisik and of surgerye, For he was grounded in astronomye.
Page 17 - Up-on his feet, and in his hand a staf. This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf, That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte; Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte; And this figure he added eek ther-to, That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
Page xxiii - And saveour, as doun in this worlde here, Out of this toune help me through your might, Sin that ye wole nat been my tresorere ; For I am shave as nye as any frere.

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