English Satires Part 3

[Footnote 32: through his own negligence.]

[Footnote 33: weak, unstable.]

[Footnote 34: But.]

[Footnote 35: sloth.]

[Footnote 36: a year's-gift.]

[Footnote 37: to rule, guide, govern.]

[Footnote 38: mother-wit.]

[Footnote 39: I commit thee to Christ.]

[Footnote 40: to become.]

[Footnote 41: by myself.]

[Footnote 42: The charm of the birds.]

[Footnote 43: under a linden-tree on a plain.]

[Footnote 44: a short time.]

[Footnote 45: a most wonderful dream.]

[Footnote 46: I dreamed.]

[Footnote 47: followed.]

[Footnote 48: sawest.]

[Footnote 49: sooner.]

[Footnote 50: gains his livelihood.]

[Footnote 51: drunken.]

[Footnote 52: disdainful.]

[Footnote 53: club staff.]

[Footnote 54: to injure.]

[Footnote 55: pray.]

[Footnote 56: journeyed.]

[Footnote 57: we met Wit.]

[Footnote 58: work.]

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

(1340?-1400.)

PORTRAITS FROM THE CANTERBURY TALES.

II. AND III. THE MONK AND THE FRIAR.

The following complete portraits of two of the characters in Chaucer's matchless picture of the Canterbury Pilgrims are taken from the Prologue to the _Canterbury Tales_.

II.

A monk ther was, a fayre for the maistrie,[59]

An outrider, that loved venerie;[60]

A manly man, to ben an abbot able.

Ful many a deinte[61] hors hadde he in stable: And whan he rode, men might his bridel here Gingeling in a whistling wind as clere, And eke as loude, as doth the chapell belle, Ther as this lord was keeper of the celle.

The reule of Seint Maure and of Seint Beneit, Because that it was olde and somdele streit, This ilke monk lette olde thinges pace,[62]

And held after the newe world the s.p.a.ce.

He yaf not of the text a pulled hen,[63]

That saith, that hunters ben not holy men; Ne that a monk, whan he is reckeles,[64]

Is like to a fish that is waterles; That is to say, a monk out of his cloistre.

This ilke text held he not worth an oistre.

And I say his opinion was good.

What? shulde he studie, and make himselven wood[65]

Upon a book in cloistre alway to pore, Or swinken[66] with his hondes, and laboure, As Austin bit?[67] how shal the world be served?

Let Austin have his swink to him reserved.

Therfore he was a p.r.i.c.kasoure[68] a right: Greihoundes he hadde as swift as foul of flight: Of p.r.i.c.king[69] and of hunting for the hare Was all his l.u.s.t, for no cost wolde he spare.

I saw his sleves purfiled[70] at the hond With gris,[71] and that the finest of the lond.

And for to fasten his hood under his chinne, He hadde of gold ywrought a curious pinne; A love-knotte in the greter end ther was.

His hed was balled,[72] and shone as any glas, And eke his face, as it hadde ben anoint.

He was a lord ful fat and in good point.

His eyen stepe,[73] and rolling in his hed, That stemed as a forneis of led.[74]

His bootes souple, his hors in gret estat: Now certainly he was a fayre prelat.

He was not pale as a forpined[75] gost.

A fat swan loved he best of any rost, His palfrey was as broune as is a bery.

III.

A Frere[76] ther was, a wanton and a mery, A Limitour,[77] a ful solempne man.