GROUP B. PROLOGUE OF THE NONNE PRESTES TALE. The prologue of the Nonne preestes tale. 'Ho!' quod the knyght, 'good sir, no more of this, That ye han seyd is right ynow, ywis, And mochel more; for litel heuinesse Is ryght ynow to mochel folk, I gesse. 3960 I seye for me, it is a greet disese Wher as men han ben in greet welthe and ese, To heren of her sodeyn fal, allas! And the contrarie is Ioie and greet solas, As when a man hath ben in poure estaat, 3965 And clymbeth vp, and wexeth fortunat, Swich thing is gladsom, as it thinketh me, And of swich thing were goodly for to telle.' 3970 I noot neuer what, and als of a 66 It is for to biwaille, ne compleyne Tragedie " That that is doon, and als it is a peyne, As ye han seyd, to here of heuynesse. Sir monk, no more of this, so god yow blesse ! 3975 Your tale anoyeth al this companye; Swich talking is nat worth a boterflye; 3980 For ther-in is ther no disport ne game. Wherfor, sir Monk, or1 dan Piers by your name, 3985 3990 If any thing shal wel reported be. Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.' 3995 'Nay,' quod this monk, 'I haue no lust to pleye; Now let another telle, as I haue told.' Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde vn-to the nonnes preste anon, 'Com neer, thou prest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, 4000 Tel vs swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde vp-on a Iade. What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serue thee, rek nat a bene; 1 Pt. or; Hn. o; which the rest omit. 4005 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, l. 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 'Sir clerk of Oxenford,' our hoste sayde, 'Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde, Telle vs som merie thing of auentures;- 1 E. Hl. that ye; the rest omit that. 2 E. Hn. we; the rest I. 5 ΙΟ 15 20 This worthy clerk benignely answerde, Hoste,' quod he, I am vnder your yerde; I wol yow telle a tale which that I Fraunceys Petrark, the laureat poete, 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 dyë. 40 But forth to tellen of this worthy man, - That taughte me this tale, as I bigan, Taketh his firste springing and his sours, |