Canterbury Tales

By Geoffrey Chauncer QUOTATION: But in the dome of mighty Mars the red,
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Knight’s Tale.

QUOTATION: Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, Januarie, in “The Merchant’s Tale,” l. 1832-3 (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, etc. (1898).

QUOTATION: Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth,
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye,
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “General Prologue,” l. 5-12 (1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe,
But thereof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “General Prologue,” l. 459-62 (1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: Mordre wol out; that se we day by day.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale,” l. 4242 (1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: Certes, they been lyk to houndes, for an hound whan he comth by the roser, or by other bushes, though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up his leg and make a contenaunce to pisse.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “The Parson’s Tale,” Sequitur de Luxuria (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, etc. (1898).

QUOTATION: Experience, though noon auctoritee
Were in this world, were right ynogh to me
To speke of wo that is in mariage.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue,” l. 1-3 (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro;
Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, Egeus, in “The Knight’s Tale,” l. 2847-9 (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet he semed bisier than he was.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “General Prologue,” l. 323-4 (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: The smylere with the knyf under the cloke.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400), British poet. The Canterbury Tales, “The Knight’s Tale,” l. 1999 (c. 1387-1400), repr. In The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Alfred W. Pollard, et al. (1898).

QUOTATION: For vileyns sinful dedes make a cherl.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

QUOTATION: Murder will out, this my conclusion.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 291).

QUOTATION: Read eek of Joseph, and there shall ye see
Where dreames ben sometime—I say not all—
Warning of thinges that shall after fall.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 364–366).

QUOTATION: ‘O blissful God, that art so just and true,
Lo, how that thou bewrayest murder alway!
Murder will out, that see we day by day.
Murder is so wlatsom and abominable
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 284–287).

QUOTATION: Whoso will seeken acts of sundry realms
May read of dreames many a wonder thing.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 370–371).

QUOTATION: Right as the humour of melancholy
Causeth full many a man in sleep to cry
For fear of blacke bears, or bulles black,
Or elles blacke devils will them take.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 167–170).

QUOTATION: Alas! ye lordes, many a false flatterer
Is in your courts, and many a losenger,
That pleasen you well more, by my faith,
Than he that soothfastness unto you saith.
Readeth Ecclesiasticus of flattery;
Beeth ware, ye lordes of her treachery.
ATTRIBUTION: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400), British poet. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (l. 559–564).

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