| Whan ended was my tale of Melibee, |
| 1890 | And of Prudence and hire benignytee, |
| Oure Hooste seyde, "As I am feithful man, |
| And by that precious corpus Madrian, |
| I hadde levere than a barel ale |
| That Goodelief, my wyf, hadde herd this tale! |
| 1895 | For she nys no thyng of swich pacience |
| As was this Melibeus wyf Prudence. |
| By Goddes bones, whan I bete my knaves, |
| She bryngeth me forth the grete clobbed staves, |
| And crieth, `Slee the dogges everichoon, |
| 1900 | And brek hem, bothe bak and every boon!' |
| "And if that any neighebor of myne |
| Wol nat in chirche to my wyf enclyne, |
| Or be so hardy to hire to trespace, |
| Whan she comth hoom she rampeth in my face, |
| 1905 | And crieth, `False coward, wrek thy wyf! |
| By corpus bones, I wol have thy knyf, |
| And thou shalt have my distaf and go spynne!' |
| Fro day to nyght right thus she wol bigynne. |
| `Allas,' she seith, `that evere I was shape |
| 1910 | To wedden a milksop, or a coward ape, |
| That wol been overlad with every wight! |
| Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyves right!' |
| "This is my lif, but if that I wol fighte; |
| And out at dore anon I moot me dighte, |
| 1915 | Or elles I am but lost, but if that I |
| Be lik a wilde leoun, fool-hardy. |
| I woot wel she wol do me slee som day |
| Som neighebor, and thanne go my way; |
| For I am perilous with knyf in honde, |
| 1920 | Al be it that I dar nat hire withstonde, |
| For she is byg in armes, by my feith: |
| That shal he fynde that hire mysdooth or seith -- |
| But lat us passe awey fro this mateere. |
| "My lord, the Monk," quod he, "be myrie of cheere, |
| 1925 | For ye shul telle a tale trewely. |
| Loo, Rouchestre stant heer faste by! |
| Ryde forth, myn owene lord, brek nat oure game. |
| But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat youre name. |
| Wher shal I calle yow my lord daun John, |
| 1930 | Or daun Thomas, or elles daun Albon? |
| Of what hous be ye, by youre fader kyn? |
| I vowe to God, thou hast a ful fair skyn; |
| It is a gentil pasture ther thow goost. |
| Thou art nat lyk a penant or a goost: |
| 1935 | Upon my feith, thou art som officer, |
| Som worthy sexteyn, or som celerer, |
| For by my fader soule, as to my doom, |
| Thou art a maister whan thou art at hoom; |
| No povre cloysterer, ne no novys, |
| 1940 | But a governour, wily and wys, |
| And therwithal of brawnes and of bones |
| A wel farynge persone for the nones. |
| I pray to God, yeve hym confusioun |
| That first thee broghte unto religioun! |
| 1945 | Thou woldest han been a tredefowel aright. |
| Haddestow as greet a leeve as thou hast myght |
| To parfourne al thy lust in engendrure, |
| Thou haddest bigeten ful many a creature. |
| Allas, why werestow so wyd a cope? |
| 1950 | God yeve me sorwe, but, and I were a pope, |
| Nat oonly thou, but every myghty man, |
| Though he were shorn ful hye upon his pan, |
| Sholde have a wyf; for al the world is lorn! |
| Religioun hath take up al the corn |
| 1955 | Of tredyng, and we borel men been shrympes. |
| Of fieble trees ther comen wrecched ympes. |
| This maketh that oure heires been so sklendre |
| And feble that they may nat wel engendre. |
| This maketh that oure wyves wole assaye |
| 1960 | Religious folk, for ye mowe bettre paye |
| Of Venus paiementz than mowe we; |
| God woot, no lussheburghes payen ye! |
| But be nat wrooth, my lord, though that I pleye. |
| Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye!" |
| 1965 | This worthy Monk took al in pacience, |
| And seyde, "I wol doon al my diligence, |
| As fer as sowneth into honestee, |
| To telle yow a tale, or two, or three. |
| And if yow list to herkne hyderward, |
| 1970 | I wol yow seyn the lyf of Seint Edward; |
| Or ellis, first, tragedies wol I telle, |
| Of whiche I have an hundred in my celle. |
| Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storie, |
| As olde bookes maken us memorie, |
| 1975 | Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee, |
| And is yfallen out of heigh degree |
| Into myserie, and endeth wrecchedly. |
| And they ben versified communely |
| Of six feet, which men clepen exametron. |
| 1980 | In prose eek been endited many oon, |
| And eek in meetre in many a sondry wyse. |
| Lo, this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise. |
| "Now herkneth, if yow liketh for to heere. |
| But first I yow biseeke in this mateere, |
| 1985 | Though I by ordre telle nat thise thynges, |
| Be it of popes, emperours, or kynges, |
| After hir ages, as men writen fynde, |
| But tellen hem som bifore and som bihynde, |
| As it now comth unto my remembraunce, |
| 1990 | Have me excused of myn ignoraunce." |