HEREBEGINNETHTHEGALESOFCANGER
BURYANDPIRST THE PROLOGUETHEREOPA
Dath in the Ram bis halfe cours yronne,
Hnd smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye,
So príketh hem nature in bir corages:
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres fortoscken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
Hnd specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath bolpen whan that they were
seeke.
IFIL. that in that seson on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard ao
I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrym-
age
To Caunterbury with fuldevout
corage,
THAT Hprille with bis shoures soote
The droghte of March bath perced to the roote, Ht nyght were come into that bostelrye
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,
Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
In felawesbipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
The chambres and the stables weren wyde
Spoiled shut.
HEREBEGINNETHTHEGALESOFCANGER
