| Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340–1400). The Complete Poetical Works. 1894. | | | | The Canterbury Tales | | The Prioress’s Prologue |
| | Bihold the mery wordes of the Host to the Shipman and to the lady Prioresse.
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‘WEL seyd, by corpus dominus,’ quod our hoste, | |
| ‘Now longe moot thou sayle by the coste, | |
| Sir gentil maister, gentil marineer! | |
| God yeve this monk a thousand last quad yeer! | |
| A ha! felawes! beth ware of swiche a Iape! | 5 |
| The monk putte in the mannes hood an ape, | |
| And in his wyves eek, by seint Austin! | |
| Draweth no monkes more un-to your in. | |
| But now passe over, and lat us seke aboute, | |
| Who shal now telle first, of al this route, | 10 |
| Another tale;’ and with that word he sayde, | |
| As curteisly as it had been a mayde, | |
| ‘My lady Prioresse, by your leve, | |
| So that I wiste I sholde yow nat greve, | |
| I wolde demen that ye tellen sholde | 15 |
| A tale next, if so were that ye wolde. | |
| Now wol ye vouche-sauf, my lady dere?’ | |
‘Gladly,’ quod she, and seyde as ye shal here.
Explicit. | | | |
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