{"id":1531,"date":"2019-07-05T14:30:32","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/?post_type=chapter&p=1531"},"modified":"2019-07-05T14:55:49","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:55:49","slug":"general-prologue-marchant-clerk-sergeant-of-the-law-frankelain","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/chapter\/general-prologue-marchant-clerk-sergeant-of-the-law-frankelain\/","title":{"raw":"General Prologue: Marchant, Clerk, Sergeant of the Law, Frankelain","rendered":"General Prologue: Marchant, Clerk, Sergeant of the Law, Frankelain"},"content":{"raw":"A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd,\r\nIn mottelee, and hye on horse he sat;\r\nUpon his heed a Flaundryssh bever hat,\r\n275<\/span><\/small> His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.\r\nHis resons he spak ful solempnely,\r\nSownynge alway th'encrees of his wynnyng.\r\nHe wolde the see were kept for any thyng\r\nBitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.\r\n280<\/span><\/small> Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.\r\nThis worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;\r\nTher wiste no wight that he was in dette,\r\nSo estatly was he of his governaunce\r\nWith his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.\r\n285<\/span><\/small> For sothe, he was a worthy man with-alle,\r\nBut, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.\r\n\r\nA CLERK ther was of Oxenford also,\r\nThat unto logyk hadde longe ygo.\r\nAs leene was his hors as is a rake,\r\n290<\/span><\/small> And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,\r\nBut looked holwe and therto sobrely.\r\nFul thredbare was his overeste courtepy;\r\nFor he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,\r\nNe was so worldly for to have office.\r\n295<\/span><\/small> For hym was levere have at his beddes heed\r\nTwenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,\r\nOf Aristotle and his philosophie,\r\nThan robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.\r\nBut al be that he was a philosophre,\r\n300<\/span><\/small> Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;\r\nBut al that he myghte of his freendes hente,\r\nOn bookes and on lernynge he it spente,\r\nAnd bisily gan for the soules preye\r\nOf hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.\r\n305<\/span><\/small> Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede.\r\nNoght o word spak he moore than was neede,\r\nAnd that was seyd in forme and reverence,\r\nAnd short and quyk, and ful of hy sentence;\r\nSownynge in moral vertu was his speche,\r\n310<\/span><\/small> And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.\r\n\r\nA SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys,\r\nThat often hadde been at the Parvys,\r\nTher was also, ful riche of excellence.\r\nDiscreet he was, and of greet reverence-\r\n315<\/span><\/small> He semed swich, hise wordes weren so wise.\r\nJustice he was ful often in assise,\r\nBy patente, and by pleyn commissioun.\r\nFor his science, and for his heigh renoun,\r\nOf fees and robes hadde he many oon.\r\n320<\/span><\/small> So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:\r\nAl was fee symple to hym in effect,\r\nHis purchasyng myghte nat been infect.\r\nNowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,\r\nAnd yet he semed bisier than he was.\r\n325<\/span><\/small> In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle\r\nThat from the tyme of Kyng William were falle.\r\nTherto he koude endite and make a thyng,\r\nTher koude no wight pynche at his writyng;\r\nAnd every statut koude he pleyn by rote.\r\n330<\/span><\/small> He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote\r\nGirt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;\r\nOf his array telle I no lenger tale.\r\n\r\nA FRANKELEYN was in his compaignye.\r\nWhit was his berd as is a dayesye;\r\n335<\/span><\/small> Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.\r\nWel loved he by the morwe a sope in wyn,;\r\nTo lyven in delit was evere his wone,\r\nFor he was Epicurus owene sone,\r\nThat heeld opinioun that pleyn delit\r\n340<\/span><\/small> Was verray felicitee parfit.\r\nAn housholdere, and that a greet, was he;\r\nSeint Julian was he in his contree.\r\nHis breed, his ale, was alweys after oon,\r\nA bettre envyned man was nowher noon.\r\n345<\/span><\/small> Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous\r\nOf fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,\r\nIt snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,\r\nOf alle deyntees that men koude thynke.\r\nAfter the sondry sesons of the yeer,\r\n350<\/span><\/small> So chaunged he his mete and his soper.\r\nFul many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,\r\nAnd many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.\r\nWo was his cook, but if his sauce were\r\nPoynaunt and sharp, and redy al his geere.\r\n355<\/span><\/small> His table dormant in his halle alway\r\nStood redy covered al the longe day.\r\nAt sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;\r\nFul ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.\r\nAn anlaas and a gipser al of silk\r\n360<\/span><\/small> Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.\r\nA shirreve hadde he been, and a countour.\r\nWas nowher swich a worthy vavasour.\r\n\r\n ","rendered":"

A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd,
\nIn mottelee, and hye on horse he sat;
\nUpon his heed a Flaundryssh bever hat,
\n275<\/span><\/small> His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.
\nHis resons he spak ful solempnely,
\nSownynge alway th’encrees of his wynnyng.
\nHe wolde the see were kept for any thyng
\nBitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
\n280<\/span><\/small> Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.
\nThis worthy man ful wel his wit bisette;
\nTher wiste no wight that he was in dette,
\nSo estatly was he of his governaunce
\nWith his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.
\n285<\/span><\/small> For sothe, he was a worthy man with-alle,
\nBut, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.<\/p>\n

A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also,
\nThat unto logyk hadde longe ygo.
\nAs leene was his hors as is a rake,
\n290<\/span><\/small> And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,
\nBut looked holwe and therto sobrely.
\nFul thredbare was his overeste courtepy;
\nFor he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,
\nNe was so worldly for to have office.
\n295<\/span><\/small> For hym was levere have at his beddes heed
\nTwenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,
\nOf Aristotle and his philosophie,
\nThan robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.
\nBut al be that he was a philosophre,
\n300<\/span><\/small> Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
\nBut al that he myghte of his freendes hente,
\nOn bookes and on lernynge he it spente,
\nAnd bisily gan for the soules preye
\nOf hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.
\n305<\/span><\/small> Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede.
\nNoght o word spak he moore than was neede,
\nAnd that was seyd in forme and reverence,
\nAnd short and quyk, and ful of hy sentence;
\nSownynge in moral vertu was his speche,
\n310<\/span><\/small> And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.<\/p>\n

A SERGEANT OF THE LAWE, war and wys,
\nThat often hadde been at the Parvys,
\nTher was also, ful riche of excellence.
\nDiscreet he was, and of greet reverence-
\n315<\/span><\/small> He semed swich, hise wordes weren so wise.
\nJustice he was ful often in assise,
\nBy patente, and by pleyn commissioun.
\nFor his science, and for his heigh renoun,
\nOf fees and robes hadde he many oon.
\n320<\/span><\/small> So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:
\nAl was fee symple to hym in effect,
\nHis purchasyng myghte nat been infect.
\nNowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
\nAnd yet he semed bisier than he was.
\n325<\/span><\/small> In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle
\nThat from the tyme of Kyng William were falle.
\nTherto he koude endite and make a thyng,
\nTher koude no wight pynche at his writyng;
\nAnd every statut koude he pleyn by rote.
\n330<\/span><\/small> He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote
\nGirt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;
\nOf his array telle I no lenger tale.<\/p>\n

A FRANKELEYN was in his compaignye.
\nWhit was his berd as is a dayesye;
\n335<\/span><\/small> Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
\nWel loved he by the morwe a sope in wyn,;
\nTo lyven in delit was evere his wone,
\nFor he was Epicurus owene sone,
\nThat heeld opinioun that pleyn delit
\n340<\/span><\/small> Was verray felicitee parfit.
\nAn housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
\nSeint Julian was he in his contree.
\nHis breed, his ale, was alweys after oon,
\nA bettre envyned man was nowher noon.
\n345<\/span><\/small> Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous
\nOf fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,
\nIt snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,
\nOf alle deyntees that men koude thynke.
\nAfter the sondry sesons of the yeer,
\n350<\/span><\/small> So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
\nFul many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,
\nAnd many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.
\nWo was his cook, but if his sauce were
\nPoynaunt and sharp, and redy al his geere.
\n355<\/span><\/small> His table dormant in his halle alway
\nStood redy covered al the longe day.
\nAt sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;
\nFul ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.
\nAn anlaas and a gipser al of silk
\n360<\/span><\/small> Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.
\nA shirreve hadde he been, and a countour.
\nWas nowher swich a worthy vavasour.<\/p>\n

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