And thus he seyde vn-to vs euerichon,

This swete prest, this goodly man sir Iohn.

Explicit.

4010

[Here follows The Nonne Prestes Tale, printed in Chaucer's Prologue, &c., ed. Morris (Clar. Press Series) pp. 97-116; lines numbered 4011-4636 in the Six-Text; next comes The Nuns' Priest's End-link, l. 4637-4652, with which Group B ends.

Group C begins with The Doctor's Tale, ll. 1-286; after which come The Wordes of the Hoost to the Phisicien and the Pardoner, ll. 287-328, and then The Pardoner's Preamble and Tale, ll. 329-968. See Man of Law's Tale, &c.; pp. 38-60.

Group D contains The Wife of Bath's Tale, the Friar's Tale, and the Summoner's Tale.]

GROUP E. THE CLERK'S PROLOGUE

AND TALE.

Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of
Oxenford.

Sir clerk of Oxenford,' our hoste sayde,

'Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde,
Were newe spoused, sitting at the bord;
This day ne herde I of your tonge a word.
I trowe ye studie aboute som sophyme,
But Salomon seith, "euery thyng hath tyme."
For goddes sake, as beth of bettre chere,
It is no tyme for to studien here.
Telle vs som merie tale, by your fey;
For what man that is entred in a pley,
He nedes moot vnto the pley assente.
But precheth nat, as freres doon in lente,
To make vs for our olde synnes wepe,
Ne that thy tale make vs nat to slepe.

Telle vs som merie thing of auentures;-
Your termes, your colours, and your figures,
Keepe hem in stoor til so be ye1 endyte
Hy style, as whan that men to kinges wryte.
Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, 12 yow preye,
That we may vnderstonde what ye seye.'

1E. HI. that ye; the rest omit that.

2 E. Hn. we; the rest I.

5

IO

15

20

This worthy clerk benignely answerde,

Hoste,' quod he, I am vnder your yerde;
Ye han of vs as now the gouernaunce,
And therfor wol I do yow obeisaunce,
As fer as reson axeth, hardily.

I wol yow telle a tale which that I
Lerned at Padowe of a worthy clerk,
As preued by his wordes and his werk.
He is now deed and nailed in his cheste,
I prey to god so yiue his soule reste!

Fraunceys Petrark, the laureat poete,
Highte this clerk, whos rethoryke sweete
Enlumined al Itaille of poetrye,

25

30

As Linian dide of philosophye

Or lawe, or other art particuler;

35

But deeth, that wol nat suffre vs1 dwellen heer

But as it were a twinkling of an yë,

Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dye.

But forth to tellen of this worthy man,
That taughte me this tale, as I bigan,
I seye that first with hy style he endyteth,
Er he the body of his tale wryteth,
A proheme, in the which discryueth he
Pemond, and of Saluces the contree,
And speketh of Apennyn, the hilles hye,
That been the boundes of West Lumbardye,
And of Mount Vesulus in special,

Where as the Poo out of a welle smal
Taketh his firste springing and his sours,
That Estward ay encresseth in his cours
To Emelward, to Ferrare, and Venyse;
The which a long thing were to deuyse.
1 E. omits suffre vs.

40

45

50

And trewely, as to my Iugement,

Me thinketh it a thing impertinent,

Saue that he wol conueyen his matere,

55

But this his tale [is]', which that ye may here.

Heere bigynneth the tale of the Clerk of Oxenford.

Ther is, at the West syde of Itaille,

Doun at the roote of Vesulus the colde,

A lusty playne, habundant of vitaille,

Wher many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde,

60

That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,

And many another delitable syghte,

And Saluces this noble contree hyghte.

A markis whylom lord was of that londe,

As were his worthy eldres him bifore;
And obeisant and redy to his honde
Were alle his liges, bothe lasse and more.

65

Thus in delyt he liueth, and hath doon yore,

Biloued and drad thurgh fauour of fortune

Bothe of his lordes and of his commune.

70

Therwith he was, to speke as of linage,

The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye,

A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,
And ful of honour and of curteisye;

Discreet ynough his contree for to gye,

75

Saue in somme thinges that he was to blame,
And Walter was this yonge lordes name..

1 E. Hn. this his tale, omitting is; Hl. Pt. this is the tale; Ln. this is tale. E. Saue that; the rest omit that.

I blame him thus, that he considereth nought
In tyme coming what myghte him1 bityde,
But on his lust present was al his thought,
As for to hauke and hunte on euery syde;
Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde,
And eek he nolde, and that was worst of alle,
Wedde no wyf, for ought that may bifalle.

Only that point his peple bar so sore,

That flokmele on a day they to him wente,
And oon of hem, that wysest was of lore,
Or elles that the lord best wolde assente

That he sholde telle him what his peple mente,
Or elles coude he shewe wel swich matere,

He to the markis seyde as ye shul here.

'O noble markis, your humanitee

3

Assureth vs and yiueth vs hardinesse,

As ofte as tyme is of necessitee

That we to yow mowe telle our heuinesse;
Accepteth, lord, now for your gentillesse,
That we with pitous herte vn-to yow pleyne,
And lete your eres nat my voys disdeyne.

Al haue I nought to doone in this matere
More than another man hath in this place,
Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so dere,
Han alwey shewed me fauour and grace,
I dar the better aske of yow a space
Of audience to shewen our requeste,
And ye, my lord, to doon ryght as yow leste.

1 So Hn. Ln.; E. hym myghte; C. Pt. my3t; Hl. mighte.

2 C. Cp. Pt. Ln. ouzte; E. Hn. noght; Hl. no thing.
So Hn. Pt. Hl.; E. to 3eue; C. and 3eue; Ln. and whisse.