{"id":1525,"date":"2019-07-05T14:20:01","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/?post_type=chapter&p=1525"},"modified":"2019-08-07T13:43:25","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T13:43:25","slug":"general-prologue-april-opening-tabard-knight-squire-yeoman","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/chapter\/general-prologue-april-opening-tabard-knight-squire-yeoman\/","title":{"raw":"General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales: April opening, Tabard Inn, Knight, Squire, Yeman","rendered":"General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales: April opening, Tabard Inn, Knight, Squire, Yeman"},"content":{"raw":"Here bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunterbury\r\n\r\nWhan that Aprill, with his shoures soote\r\nThe droghte of March hath perced to the roote\r\nAnd bathed every veyne in swich licour,\r\nOf which vertu engendred is the flour;\r\n5<\/span><\/small> Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth\r\nInspired hath in every holt and heeth\r\nThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne\r\nHath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,\r\nAnd smale foweles maken melodye,\r\n10<\/span><\/small> That slepen al the nyght with open y\u00eb\r\n(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);\r\nThanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages\r\nAnd palmeres for to seken straunge strondes\r\nTo ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;\r\n15<\/span><\/small> And specially from every shires ende\r\nOf Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,\r\nThe hooly blisful martir for to seke\r\nThat hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.\r\n\r\nBifil that in that seson, on a day,\r\n20<\/span><\/small> In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay\r\nRedy to wenden on my pilgrymage\r\nTo Caunterbury with ful devout corage,\r\nAt nyght was come into that hostelrye\r\nWel nyne and twenty in a compaignye\r\n25<\/span><\/small> Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle\r\nIn felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,\r\nThat toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.\r\nThe chambres and the stables weren wyde,\r\nAnd wel we weren esed atte beste;\r\n30<\/span><\/small> And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,\r\nSo hadde I spoken with hem everichon\r\nThat I was of hir felaweshipe anon,\r\nAnd made forward erly for to ryse\r\nTo take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.\r\n\r\n35<\/span><\/small> But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,\r\nEr that I ferther in this tale pace,\r\nMe thynketh it acordaunt to resoun\r\nTo telle yow al the condicioun\r\nOf ech of hem, so as it semed me,\r\n40<\/span><\/small> And whiche they weren, and of what degree,\r\nAnd eek in what array that they were inne;\r\nAnd at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.\r\n\r\nA KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,\r\nThat fro the tyme that he first bigan\r\n45<\/span><\/small> To riden out, he loved chivalrie,\r\nTrouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.\r\nFul worthy was he in his lordes werre,\r\nAnd therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,\r\nAs wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,\r\n50<\/span><\/small> And evere honoured for his worthynesse.\r\nAt Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne.\r\nFul ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne\r\nAboven alle nacions in Pruce;\r\nIn Lettow hadde he reysed, and in Ruce,\r\n55<\/span><\/small> No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.\r\nIn Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be\r\nOf Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.\r\nAt Lyeys was he and at Satalye,\r\nWhan they were wonne; and in the Grete See\r\n60<\/span><\/small> At many a noble armee hadde he be.\r\nAt mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,\r\nAnd foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene\r\nIn lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.\r\nThis ilke worthy knyght hadde been also\r\n65<\/span><\/small> Somtyme with the lord of Palatye\r\nAgayn another hethen in Turkye.\r\nAnd everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;\r\nAnd though that he were worthy, he was wys,\r\nAnd of his port as meeke as is a mayde.\r\n70<\/span><\/small> He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde\r\nIn al his lyf unto no maner wight.\r\nHe was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.\r\nBut, for to tellen yow of his array,\r\nHis hors were goode, but he was nat gay.\r\n75<\/span><\/small> Of fustian he wered a gypon\r\nAl bismotered with his habergeoun,\r\nFor he was late ycome from his viage,\r\nAnd wente for to doon his pilgrymage.\r\n\r\nWith hym ther was his sone, a yong SQUIER,\r\n80<\/span><\/small> A lovyere and a lusty bacheler;\r\nWith lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.\r\nOf twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.\r\nOf his stature he was of evene lengthe,\r\nAnd wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.\r\n85<\/span><\/small> And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie\r\nIn Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie,\r\nAnd born hym weel, as of so litel space,\r\nIn hope to stonden in his lady grace.\r\nEmbrouded was he, as it were a meede,\r\n90<\/span><\/small> Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede;\r\nSyngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day,\r\nHe was as fressh as is the monthe of May.\r\nShort was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.\r\nWel koude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.\r\n95<\/span><\/small> He koude songes make, and wel endite,\r\nJuste, and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.\r\nSo hoote he lovede, that by nyghtertale\r\nHe slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.\r\nCurteis he was, lowely, and servysable,\r\n100<\/span><\/small> And carf biforn his fader at the table.\r\n\r\nA YEMAN hadde he and servantz namo\r\nAt that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;\r\nAnd he was clad in cote and hood of grene.\r\nA sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene\r\n105<\/span><\/small> Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,\r\n(Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly:\r\nHise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe)\r\nAnd in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.\r\nA not heed hadde he, with a broun visage,\r\n110<\/span><\/small> Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage.\r\nUpon his arm he baar a gay bracer,\r\nAnd by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,\r\nAnd on that oother syde a gay daggere\r\nHarneised wel and sharpe as point of spere.\r\n115<\/span><\/small> A Cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.\r\nAn horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;\r\nA forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.","rendered":"

Here bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunterbury<\/p>\n

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
\nThe droghte of March hath perced to the roote
\nAnd bathed every veyne in swich licour,
\nOf which vertu engendred is the flour;
\n5<\/span><\/small> Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
\nInspired hath in every holt and heeth
\nThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
\nHath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
\nAnd smale foweles maken melodye,
\n10<\/span><\/small> That slepen al the nyght with open y\u00eb
\n(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
\nThanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
\nAnd palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
\nTo ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
\n15<\/span><\/small> And specially from every shires ende
\nOf Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
\nThe hooly blisful martir for to seke
\nThat hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.<\/p>\n

Bifil that in that seson, on a day,
\n20<\/span><\/small> In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
\nRedy to wenden on my pilgrymage
\nTo Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
\nAt nyght was come into that hostelrye
\nWel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
\n25<\/span><\/small> Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
\nIn felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
\nThat toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
\nThe chambres and the stables weren wyde,
\nAnd wel we weren esed atte beste;
\n30<\/span><\/small> And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
\nSo hadde I spoken with hem everichon
\nThat I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
\nAnd made forward erly for to ryse
\nTo take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.<\/p>\n

35<\/span><\/small> But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
\nEr that I ferther in this tale pace,
\nMe thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
\nTo telle yow al the condicioun
\nOf ech of hem, so as it semed me,
\n40<\/span><\/small> And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
\nAnd eek in what array that they were inne;
\nAnd at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.<\/p>\n

A KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
\nThat fro the tyme that he first bigan
\n45<\/span><\/small> To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
\nTrouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
\nFul worthy was he in his lordes werre,
\nAnd therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,
\nAs wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,
\n50<\/span><\/small> And evere honoured for his worthynesse.
\nAt Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne.
\nFul ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
\nAboven alle nacions in Pruce;
\nIn Lettow hadde he reysed, and in Ruce,
\n55<\/span><\/small> No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.
\nIn Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be
\nOf Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
\nAt Lyeys was he and at Satalye,
\nWhan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
\n60<\/span><\/small> At many a noble armee hadde he be.
\nAt mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
\nAnd foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
\nIn lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
\nThis ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
\n65<\/span><\/small> Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
\nAgayn another hethen in Turkye.
\nAnd everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;
\nAnd though that he were worthy, he was wys,
\nAnd of his port as meeke as is a mayde.
\n70<\/span><\/small> He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde
\nIn al his lyf unto no maner wight.
\nHe was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
\nBut, for to tellen yow of his array,
\nHis hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
\n75<\/span><\/small> Of fustian he wered a gypon
\nAl bismotered with his habergeoun,
\nFor he was late ycome from his viage,
\nAnd wente for to doon his pilgrymage.<\/p>\n

With hym ther was his sone, a yong SQUIER,
\n80<\/span><\/small> A lovyere and a lusty bacheler;
\nWith lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
\nOf twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
\nOf his stature he was of evene lengthe,
\nAnd wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.
\n85<\/span><\/small> And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie
\nIn Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie,
\nAnd born hym weel, as of so litel space,
\nIn hope to stonden in his lady grace.
\nEmbrouded was he, as it were a meede,
\n90<\/span><\/small> Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede;
\nSyngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day,
\nHe was as fressh as is the monthe of May.
\nShort was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.
\nWel koude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
\n95<\/span><\/small> He koude songes make, and wel endite,
\nJuste, and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.
\nSo hoote he lovede, that by nyghtertale
\nHe slepte namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.
\nCurteis he was, lowely, and servysable,
\n100<\/span><\/small> And carf biforn his fader at the table.<\/p>\n

A YEMAN hadde he and servantz namo
\nAt that tyme, for hym liste ride soo;
\nAnd he was clad in cote and hood of grene.
\nA sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene
\n105<\/span><\/small> Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,
\n(Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly:
\nHise arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe)
\nAnd in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.
\nA not heed hadde he, with a broun visage,
\n110<\/span><\/small> Of woodecraft wel koude he al the usage.
\nUpon his arm he baar a gay bracer,
\nAnd by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
\nAnd on that oother syde a gay daggere
\nHarneised wel and sharpe as point of spere.
\n115<\/span><\/small> A Cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.
\nAn horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;
\nA forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Public domain content<\/div>