Meanwhile he smokes, and laughs at merry tales
In the vast abyss

Down bend the banks, the trees depending grow.
'Twas built with turrets on a rising ground.
"Lord, as in heaven, on earth Thy will be done"
The moon takes up the wondrous tale

The victor's shouts and dying groans confound

The cord slides swiftly through his glowing hands
Cease, cease, thou cruel ocean.

And all the village wept

And on his fist, th' unhooded falcon sits

As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care
And boys in flow'ry bands the tiger lead

PROLOGUE TO THE CANTERBURY TALES.

BY GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER, the "Father of English Poetry," was born in London in 1328. The rank of his family is unknown, but it must have been respectable. It is believed that he was educated at Cambridge, and that, after leaving that University, he travelled for some time on the Continent, and then devoted himself to the law, but afterwards relinquished the Bar for the Court. He married a sister of the lady who afterwards became the wife of John of Gaunt, and obtained considerable influence through the favour of that Prince, which led to his receiving some profitable appointments, and being sent on embassies. His alleged connexion with the reformer Wycliffe brought upon him many misfortunes, and ended in his being an exile and a prisoner for a long period. He at length regained his liberty, and lived remote from Court, amid the charming shades of Woodstock, where he wrote many of his best poems. The accession of Henry Bolingbroke, the son of his brother-in-law and patron, drew him from his retirement; his fortunes became once more bright, and he spent the evening of his days in ease and abundance. He died in 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His principal poems are a series known as the "Canterbury Tales," the Prologue to which we have printed as the best example of his style.]

WHANNE that Aprille with his shoures sote '

2

The droughte of March hath perced to the rote,3

And bathed every veine in swiche licour,
Of whiche vertue engendred is the flour;"
Whan Zephirus eke with his sote brethe
Enspired hath in every holt and hethe
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne"
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,7

8

And smale foules maken melodie,

That slepen alle night with open eye,

3

So priketh hem' nature in hir2 corages; 3
Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken strange strondes,

To serve halwes,+ couthe' in sondry londes ;
And specially, from every shires ende

Of Englelond, to Canterbury they wende,

The holy blisful martyr for to seke,

That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
Befelle, that, in that seson on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Canterbury with devoute corage,
At night was come into that hostelrie
Wel nine and twenty in a compagnie
Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle

In felawship, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Canterbury wolden ride.

The chambres and the stables weren wide,

And wel we weren esed' atte beste.

And shortly, whan the sonne was gon to reste.

So hadde I spoken with hem everich on,

That I was of hir felawship anon,

8

And made forword erly for to rise,

To take oure way ther as I you devise.

But natheles, while I have time and space,

Or that I forther in this tale pace,

Me thinketh it accordant to reson,

To tellen you alle the condition

Of eche of hem, so as it semed me,

And whiche they weren, and of what degre;
And eke in what araie that they were inne :
And at a knight than wol I firste beginne.

A KNIGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the time that he firste began
To riden out, he loved chevalrie,

Trouthe and honour, fredom and curtesie.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,'
And therto hadde he ridden, no man ferre,2
As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse,
And ever honoured for his worthinesse.

At Alisandre 3 he was whan it was wonne.
Ful often time he hadde the bord begonne +
Aboven alle nations in Pruce."

In Lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruce,"
No cristen man so ofte of his degre.

In Gernade at the siege eke hadde he be

Of Algesir, and ridden in Belmarie.

At Leyes was he, and at Satalie,

Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete see

At many a noble armee hadde he be.

At mortal batailles hadde he ben fiftene,

And foughten for our faith at Tramissene

In listes thries, and ay slain his fo.

This ilke worthy knight hadde ben also Somtime with the lord of Palatie,

Agen another hethen in Turkie :

And evermore he hadde a sovereine pris.

And though that he was worthy he was wise,

And of his port as meke as is a mayde.

He never yet no villanie ne sayde

In alle his lif, unto no manere wight.'

He was a veray parfit gentil knight.

But for to tellen you of his araie,
His hors was good, but he ne was not gaie.

Of fustian he wered a gipon,2

Alle besmotred with his habergeon,3

For he was late ycome fro his viage,

And wente for to don his pilgrimage.

With him ther was his sone a yonge SQUIer,

A lover, and a lusty bacheler,

With lockes crull as they were laide in presse.

Of twenty yere of age he was I gesse.

Of his stature he was of even lengthe,

And wonderly deliver and grete of strengthe.

And he hadde be somtime in chevachie,"

In Flaundres, in Artois, and in Picardie,

Kind of man. 4 Nimble.

2 Short coat.

5 Military expedition.

3 Coat of mail.