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A KNIGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the timè that he firste began
To riden out, he loved Chevalrie,
Trouthe and honòur, fredom and curtesie.
Ful worthy was he in his lordès werre',
And therto hadde he ridden, no man ferre2,
As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse,
And ever honoured for his worthinesse.

At Alisandre he was whan it was wonne.
Ful often time he hadde the bord3 begonne⭑
Aboven allè 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 Leyès was he, and at Satalie,

Whan they were wonne; and in the Gretè see
At many a noble armee hadde he be.

At mortal batailles hadde he ben fiftene,
And foughten for our faith at Tramissène
In listès thries, and ay slain his fo.
This ilke worthy knight hadde ben alsò
Sometime 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 vilanie ne sayde

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34 Been placed at the head of the table. 5 Travelled.

6 Praise.

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 gipòn1,

Alle besmotred 2 with his habergeon3,
For he was late ycome fro his viàge,
And wentè for to don his pilgrimage.

With him ther was his sone a yongè Squier,
A lover and a lusty bacheler,

With lockès crull as they were laide in presse.
Of twenty yere of age he was I

gesse.

Of his statùre 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,
And borne him wel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his ladies grace.

8

Embrouded was he, as it were a mede Alle ful of fresshè flourès, white and rede. Singing he was, or floyting alle the day, He was as fresshe, as is the moneth of May. Short was his goune, with slevès long and wide. Well coude he sitte on hors, and fayrè ride. He coudè songès make, and wel endite,

Juste and eke dance, and wel pourtraie and write.

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So hote he loved, that by nightertale1
He slep no more than doth the nightingale.
Curteis he was, lowly, and servisable,
And carf before his fader at the table.

A Yeman hadde he, and servantes no mo
At that time, for him luste3 to ride so;
And he was cladde in cote and hode of grene.
A shefe of peacock arwes bright and kene
Under his belt he bare ful thriftily.
Well coude he dresse his takel1 yemanly:
His arwes drouped not with fetheres low.
And in his hond he bare a mighty bowe.

A not-hed hadde he, with a broune visàge.
Of wood-craft coude he wel alle the usage.
Upon his arme he bare a gaie bracèr3,
And by his side a swerd and a bokeler,
And on that other side a gaie daggère,
Harneised wel, and sharpe as point of spere:
A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene.
An horne he bare, the baudrik was of grene,
A forster was he sothely as Ι gesse.

Ther was alsò a Nonne, a Prioresse,
That of hire smiling was full simple and coy;
Hire gretest othe n'as but by Seint Eloy;
And she was cleped Madame Eglentine.
Ful wel she sangè the servìce devìne,

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Entuned in hire nose ful swetely;

And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly',
After the scole of Stratford attè Bowe,

For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.
At metè was she wel ytaughte withalle;
She lette no morsel from her lippès fall,
Ne wette hire fingres in hire saucè depe.
Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe,
Thattè no drope ne fell upon hire brest.
In curtesie was sette ful moche hire lest?.
Hire over lippè wiped she so clene,

That in hire cuppè was no ferthing sene3

Of gresè, whan she dronken hadde hire draught.
Ful semèly after her mete she raught1.
And sikerly she was of grete disport,
And ful plesant, and amiable of port,
And peined hire to contrefeten" chere
Of court, and ben estatelich of manère,
And to ben holden digne" of reverence.

But for to speken of hire conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitoùs,
She wolde wepe if that she saw a mous
Caughte in a trappe, if it were ded or bledde.
Of smalè houndès hadde she, that she fedde
With rosted flesh, and milk, and wastel brede.
But sore wept she if on of hem were dede,

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Or if men smote it with a yerdè1 smerto,
And all was conscience and tendre herte.

Ful semely hire wimple ypinched was;
Hire nose tretis3; hire eyen grey as glas;
Hire mouth ful smale, and therto soft and red;
But sikerly she hadde a fayre forehèd.
It was almost a spannè brode I trowe;
For hardily she was not undergrowe*.

Ful fetise was hire cloke, as I was ware.
Of smale coràll aboute hire arm she bare
A pair of bedès, gauded all with grene;
And theron heng a broche of gold ful shene,
On whiche was first ywriten a crouned A,
And after, Amor vincit omnia.

Another Nonne also with hire hadde she,
That was hire chapelleine, and Preestès thre.
A Monk ther was, a fayre for the maistrie,
An outrider, that loved venerie";

A manly man, to ben an abbot able.

Ful many a deintè hors hadde he in stable:
And whan he rode, men might his bridel here
Gingèling in a whistling wind as clere,
And eke as loude, as doth the chapell belle,
Ther as this lord was keeper of the celle.

The reule of Seint Maure and of Seint Beneit,
Because that, it was olde and somdele streit,
This ilkè monk lette oldè thingès pace,
And held after the newè worlde the trace.

1 Stick. 2 Smartly, adv. 5 Neat.

3 Straight.

6 Hunting.

4 Of ow stature.

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