The Prologue + 

The Cook of London, while the Reeve thus spake, + 

For joy he laugh’d and clapp’d him on the back: + 

“Aha!” quoth he, “for Christë’s passión, + 

This Miller had a sharp conclusión, + 

Upon this argument of herbergage. + 

Well saidë Solomon in his languáge, + 

Bring thou not every man into thine house, + 

For harbouring by night is periloús. + 

Well ought a man avised for to be + 

Whom that he brought into his privity. + 

I pray to God to give me sorrow and care + 

If ever, since I hightë Hodge of Ware, + 

Heard I a miller better set a-werk; + 

He had a jape of malice in the derk. + 

But God forbid that we should stintë here, + 

And therefore if ye will vouchsafe to hear + 

A tale of me, that am a poorë man, + 

I will you tell as well as e’er I can + 

A little jape that fell in our citý.” + 

Our Host answér’d and said; “I grant it thee. + 

Roger, tell on; and look that it be good, + 

For many a pasty hast thou letten blood, + 

And many a Jack of Dover hast thou sold, + 

That had been twicë hot and twicë cold. + 

Of many a pilgrim hast thou Christë’s curse, + 

For of thy parsley yet fare they the worse. + 

That they have eaten in thy stubble goose: + 

For in thy shop doth many a fly go loose. + 

Now tell on, gentle Roger, by thy name, + 

But yet I pray thee be not wroth for game; + 

A man may say full sooth in game and play.” + 

“Thou sayst full sooth,” quoth Roger, “by my fay; + 

But sooth play quad play, as the Fleming saith, + 

And therefore, Harry Bailly, by thy faith, + 

Be thou not wroth, else we departë here, + 

Though that my tale be of an hostelére. + 

But natheless, I will not tell it yet, + 

But ere we part, y-wis thou shalt be quit.” + 

And therewithal he laugh’d and madë cheer, + 

And told his tale, as ye shall after hear. + 