The Canterbury Tales (2 of 230)

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THE PROLOGUE. (CONT'D)

A YEOMAN had he, and servants no mo'
At that time, for him list ride so it pleased him so to ride
And he was clad in coat and hood of green.
A sheaf of peacock arrows<11> bright and keen
Under his belt he bare full thriftily.
Well could he dress his tackle yeomanly:
His arrows drooped not with feathers low;
And in his hand he bare a mighty bow.
A nut-head <12> had he, with a brown visiage:
Of wood-craft coud he well all the usage: knew
Upon his arm he bare a gay bracer, small shield
And by his side a sword and a buckler,
And on that other side a gay daggere,
Harnessed well, and sharp as point of spear:
A Christopher on his breast of silver sheen.
An horn he bare, the baldric was of green:
A forester was he soothly as I guess. certainly

There was also a Nun, a PRIORESS,
That of her smiling was full simple and coy;
Her greatest oathe was but by Saint Loy;
And she was cleped Madame Eglentine. called
Full well she sang the service divine,
Entuned in her nose full seemly;
And French she spake full fair and fetisly properly
After the school of Stratford atte Bow,
For French of Paris was to her unknow.
At meate was she well y-taught withal;
She let no morsel from her lippes fall,
Nor wet her fingers in her sauce deep.
Well could she carry a morsel, and well keep,
That no droppe ne fell upon her breast.
In courtesy was set full much her lest. pleasure
Her over-lippe wiped she so clean,
That in her cup there was no farthing seen speck
Of grease, when she drunken had her draught;
Full seemely after her meat she raught: reached out her hand
And sickerly she was of great disport, surely she was of a lively
And full pleasant, and amiable of port, disposition
And pained her to counterfeite cheer took pains to assume
Of court, and be estately of mannere, a courtly disposition
And to be holden digne of reverence. worthy
But for to speaken of her conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous, full of pity
She woulde weep if that she saw a mouse
Caught in a trap, if it were dead or bled.
Of smalle houndes had she, that she fed
With roasted flesh, and milk, and wastel bread. finest white bread
But sore she wept if one of them were dead,
Or if men smote it with a yarde smart: staff
And all was conscience and tender heart.
Full seemly her wimple y-pinched was;
Her nose tretis; her eyen gray as glass;<13> well-formed
Her mouth full small, and thereto soft and red;
But sickerly she had a fair forehead.
It was almost a spanne broad I trow;
For hardily she was not undergrow. certainly she was not small
Full fetis was her cloak, as I was ware. neat
Of small coral about her arm she bare
A pair of beades, gauded all with green;
And thereon hung a brooch of gold full sheen,
On which was first y-written a crown'd A,
And after, Amor vincit omnia. love conquers all
Another Nun also with her had she,
[That was her chapelleine, and PRIESTES three.]

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11. Peacock Arrows: Large arrows, with peacocks' feathers.

12. A nut-head: With nut-brown hair; or, round like a nut, the
hair being cut short.

13. Grey eyes appear to have been a mark of female beauty in
Chaucer's time.

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