The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales

THE CANTERBURY TALES.

WHEN that Aprilis, with his showers swoot*, *sweet

The drought of March hath pierced to the root,

And bathed every vein in such licour,

Of which virtue engender’d is the flower;

When Zephyrus eke with his swoote breath

Inspired hath in every holt* and heath *grove, forest

The tender croppes* and the younge sun *twigs, boughs

Hath in the Ram his halfe course y-run,

And smalle fowles make melody,

That sleepen all the night with open eye,

(So pricketh them nature in their corages*); *hearts, inclinations

Then longe folk to go on pilgrimages,

And palmers for to seeke strange strands,

To *ferne hallows couth* in sundry lands; *distant saints known*

And specially, from every shire’s end

Of Engleland, to Canterbury they wend,

The holy blissful Martyr for to seek,

That them hath holpen*, when that they were sick. *helped

Befell that, in that season on a day,

In Southwark at the Tabard as I lay,

Ready to wenden on my pilgrimage

To Canterbury with devout corage,

At night was come into that hostelry

Well nine and twenty in a company

Of sundry folk, *by aventure y-fall *who had by chance fallen

In fellowship*, and pilgrims were they all, into company.*

That toward Canterbury woulde ride.

The chamber, and the stables were wide,

And *well we weren eased at the best.* *we were well provided

And shortly, when the sunne was to rest, with the best*

So had I spoken with them every one,

That I was of their fellowship anon,

And made forword* early for to rise, *promise

To take our way there as I you devise*. *describe, relate

But natheless, while I have time and space,

Ere that I farther in this tale pace,

Me thinketh it accordant to reason,

To tell you alle the condition

Of each of them, so as it seemed me,

And which they weren, and of what degree;

And eke in what array that they were in:

And at a Knight then will I first begin.

A KNIGHT there was, and that a worthy man,

That from the time that he first began

To riden out, he loved chivalry,

Truth and honour, freedom and courtesy.

Full worthy was he in his Lorde’s war,

And thereto had he ridden, no man farre*, *farther

As well in Christendom as in Heatheness,

And ever honour’d for his worthiness

At Alisandre he was when it was won.

Full often time he had the board begun

Above alle nations in Prusse.

In Lettowe had he reysed,* and in Russe, *journeyed

No Christian man so oft of his degree.

In Grenade at the siege eke had he be

Of Algesir, and ridden in Belmarie.

At Leyes was he, and at Satalie,

When they were won; and in the Greate Sea

At many a noble army had he be.

At mortal battles had he been fifteen,

And foughten for our faith at Tramissene.

In listes thries, and aye slain his foe.

This ilke* worthy knight had been also *same

Some time with the lord of Palatie,

Against another heathen in Turkie:

And evermore *he had a sovereign price*. *He was held in very

And though that he was worthy he was wise, high esteem.*

And of his port as meek as is a maid.

He never yet no villainy ne said

In all his life, unto no manner wight.

He was a very perfect gentle knight.

But for to telle you of his array,

His horse was good, but yet he was not gay.

Of fustian he weared a gipon*, *short doublet

Alle *besmotter’d with his habergeon,* *soiled by his coat of mail.*

For he was late y-come from his voyage,

And wente for to do his pilgrimage.

With him there was his son, a younge SQUIRE,

A lover, and a lusty bacheler,

With lockes crulle* as they were laid in press. *curled

Of twenty year of age he was I guess.