His tythés payéde he ful faire and wel,
Bothe of his owné swynk and his catel.
In a tabard he rood upon a mere.
Ther was also a Reeve and a Mellere,
A Sompnour and a Pardoner also,
A Maunciple, and my self, ther wer no mo.
The MELLERE was a stout carl for the nones, Ful big he was of braun, and eek of boones; That prevede wel, for overal ther he cam,
At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram.
He was schort schuldred, brood, a thikké
Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre,
Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.
His berd as ony sowe or fox was reed,
And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
Upon the cop right of his nose he hade
A werte, and theron stood a tuft of heres,
Reede as the berstles of a sowés eeres.
His nosé-thurlés blaké were and wyde.
A swerd and bokeler baar he by his side,
His mouth as wyde was as a gret forneys.
He was a janglere and a golyardeys,
And that was most of synne and harlotries.
Wel cowde he stelé corn, and tollen thries;
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold pardè.
A whit cote and a blew hood werede he.
A baggépipe wel cowde he blowe and sowne,
And therwithal he broughte us out of towne.
A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple,
Of which achàtours mighten take exemple
For to be wyse in beyying of vitaille.
For whether that he payde, or took by taille,
Algate he waytede so in his achate,
That he was ay biforn and in good state.
Now is not that of God a ful fair grace,
That such a lewéd mannés wit schal pace
The wisdom of an heep of lernede men?
Of maystres hadde he moo than thriés ten,
That were of lawe expert and curious;
Of which ther were a doseyne in that hous,
Worthi to ben stiwàrdes of rente and lond
Of any lord that is in Engélond,
To make him lyvé by his propre good,
In honour detteles, but-if he were wood,
Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire;
And able for to helpen al a schire
In any caas that mighté falle or happe;
And yit this maunciple sette here aller cappe.
The REEVE was a sklendre colerik man,
His berd was schave as neigh as evere he
His heer was by his eres ful round i-shorn.
His top was dockéd lyk a preest biforn.
Ful longé wern his leggés, and ful lene,
Y-lik a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.
Wel cowde he kepe a gerner and a bynne;
Ther was non auditour cowde on him wynne.
Wel wiste he by the droughte, and by the
The yeeldyng of his seed, and of his greyn.
His lordés scheep, his neet, his dayerie,
His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrie,
Was holly in this reevés governynge,
And by his covenaunt yaf the rekenynge,
Syn that his lord was twenti yeer of age;
Ther couthe no man bringe him in arrerage.
Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne,
That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne;
They were adrad of him, as of the dethe.
His wonyng was ful fair upon an hethe,
With grené trees i-schadwed was his place.
He cowdé bettre than his lord purchace.
Ful riche he was astored privély,
His lord wel couthe he plesé subtilly,
To yeve and lene him of his owné good,
And have a thank, and yet a cote, and hood.
In youthe he lernéd hadde a good mester;
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
This reevé sat upon a ful good stot,
That was al pomely gray, and highté Scot.
A long surcote of pers uppon he hade,
And by his side he bar a rusty blade.
Of Northfolk was this reeve of which I telle,
Byside a toun men clepen Baldes welle.
Tukkéd he was, as is a frere, aboute,
And evere he rood the hyndreste of the route.
A SOMPNOUR was ther with us in that place,
That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynés face,
For sawcéflem he was, with eyghen narwe.
And hoot he was, and lively, as a sparwe,
With skalled browés blake, and piléd berd;
Of his visagé children weren aferd.
Ther nas quyksilver, litarge, ne bremstoon,
Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon,
Ne oynément that woldé clense and byte,
That him mighte helpen of his whelkés white,
Ne of the knobbés sittyng on his cheekes.
Wel lovede he garleek, oynouns, and ek leekes,
And for to drinké strong wyn reed as blood.
Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were
wood.
And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
Than wolde he speké no word but Latyn.
A fewé termés hadde he, tuo or thre,
That he hadde lernéd out of som decree;
No wonder is, he herde it al the day;
And eek ye knowen wel, how that a jay
Can clepen Watte, as wel as can the pope.
But who so wolde in other thing him grope,
Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie,
Ay, Questio quid juris, wolde he crye.
He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;
A bettre felawe schuldé men noght fynde.
He woldé suffre for a quart of wyn
A good felàwe to have his wil ful fyn
A twelf moneth, and excuse him atté fulle:
And privély a fynch eek cowde he pulle.
And if he fond owhèr a good felàwe,
He woldé techen him to han non awe
In such caas of the archédeknés curs,
But-if a mannés soule were in his purs;
For in his purs he scholde y-punyssched be.
'Purs is the erchédeknés helle,' quod he.
But wel I woot he lyede right in dede;
Of cursyng oghte ech gulty man him drede;
For curs wol slee right as assoillyng saveth;
And also war him of a significavit.
In daunger hadde he at his owné gise
The yongé gurlés of the diocise,
And knew here counseil, and was al here reed.
A garland hadde he set upon his heed,
As gret as it were for an alé-stake;
A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake.
With him ther rood a gentil PARDONER
Of Rouncivale, his frend and his compèr,
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