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THE GENERAL PROLOGUE02
书名： 坎特伯雷故事集 作者： （英） 乔叟 本章字数： 27451 更新时间： 2024-06-13 17:43:43

Well could he fortune* the ascendent *make fortunate

Of his images for his patient,.

He knew the cause of every malady,

Were it of cold, or hot, or moist, or dry,

And where engender’d, and of what humour.

He was a very perfect practisour

The cause y-know,* and of his harm the root,*known

Anon he gave to the sick man his boot* *remedy

Full ready had he his apothecaries,

To send his drugges and his lectuaries

For each of them made other for to win

Their friendship was not newe to begin

Well knew he the old Esculapius,

And Dioscorides, and eke Rufus;

Old Hippocras, Hali, and Gallien;

Serapion, Rasis, and Avicen;

Averrois, Damascene, and Constantin;

Bernard, and Gatisden, and Gilbertin.

Of his diet measurable was he,

For it was of no superfluity

But of great nourishing, and digestible.

His study was but little on the Bible.

In sanguine* and in perse** he clad was all *red**blue

Lined with taffeta, and with sendall*. *fine sil

And yet *he was but easy of dispense*: *he spent very little*

He kept *that he won in the pestilence*. *the money he made

For gold in physic is a cordial; during the plague*

Therefore he loved gold in special.

A good WIFE was there OF beside BATH,

But she was somedeal deaf, and that was scath*. *damage; pity

Of cloth-making she hadde such an haunt*, *skill

She passed them of Ypres, and of Gaunt.

In all the parish wife was there none,

That to the off’ring* before her should gon, *the offering at mass

And if there did, certain so wroth was she,

That she was out of alle charity

Her coverchiefs* were full fine of ground *head-dresses

I durste swear, they weighede ten pound

That on the Sunday were upon her head.

Her hosen weren of fine scarlet red

Full strait y-tied, and shoes full moist* and new*fresh

Bold was her face, and fair and red of hue.

She was a worthy woman all her live,

Husbands at the church door had she had five

Withouten other company in youth;

But thereof needeth not to speak as nouth*. *now

And thrice had she been at Jerusalem;

She hadde passed many a strange stream

At Rome she had been, and at Bologne,

In Galice at Saint James, and at Cologne;

She coude* much of wand’rng by the Way. *knew

Gat-toothed* was she, soothly for to say. *Buck-toothed

Upon an ambler easily she sat,

Y-wimpled well, and on her head an hat

As broad as is a buckler or a targe.

A foot-mantle about her hippes large,

And on her feet a pair of spurres sharp.

In fellowship well could she laugh and carp* *jest,talk

Of remedies of love she knew perchance

For of that art she coud* the olde dance. *knew

A good man there was of religion,

That was a poore PARSON of a town:

But rich he was of holy thought and werk*. *work

He was also a learned man, a clerk,

That Christe’s gospel truly woulde preach.

His parishens* devoutly would he teach. *parishioners

Benign he was, and wonder diligent,

And in adversity full patient:

And such he was y-proved *often sithes*. *oftentimes*

Full loth were him to curse for his tithes,

But rather would he given out of doubt,

Unto his poore parishens about,

Of his off’ring, and eke of his substance.

*He could in little thing have suffisance*. *he was satisfied wit

Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder, very little*

But he ne left not, for no rain nor thunder,

In sickness and in mischief to visit

The farthest in his parish, *much and lit*, *great and small*

Upon his feet, and in his hand a staff.

This noble ensample to his sheep he gaf*, *gave

That first he wrought, and afterward he taught

Out of the gospel he the wordes caught,

And this figure he added yet thereto

That if gold ruste, what should iron do?

For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust,

No wonder is a lewed* man to rust: *unlearned

And shame it is, if that a priest take keep,

To see a shitten shepherd and clean sheep:

Well ought a priest ensample for to give,

By his own cleanness, how his sheep should live.

He sette not his benefice to hire

And left his sheep eucumber’d in the mire,

And ran unto London, unto Saint Paul’s,

To seeke him a chantery for souls,

Or with a brotherhood to be withold:* *detained

But dwelt at home, and kepte well his fold,

So that the wolf ne made it not miscarry.

He was a shepherd, and no mercenary.

And though he holy were, and virtuous,

He was to sinful men not dispitous* *severe

Nor of his speeche dangerous nor dign* *disdainful

But in his teaching discreet and benign.

To drawen folk to heaven, with fairness,

By good ensample, was his business:

*But it were* any person obstinate, *but if it were*

What so he were of high or low estate,

Him would he snibbe* sharply for the nones**. *reprove **nonce,occasion

A better priest I trow that nowhere none is.

He waited after no pomp nor reverence,

Nor maked him a *spiced conscience*, *artificial conscience*

But Christe’s lore, and his apostles’ twelve,

He taught, and first he follow’d it himselve

With him there was a PLOUGHMAN, was his brother,

That had y-laid of dung full many a fother*. *ton

A true swinker* and a good was he, *hard worker

Living in peace and perfect charity.

God loved he beste with all his heart

At alle times, were it gain or smart*, *pain, loss

And then his neighebour right as himselve.

He woulde thresh, and thereto dike*, and delve, *dig ditches

For Christe’s sake, for every poore wight,

Withouten hire, if it lay in his might.

His tithes payed he full fair and well,

Both of his *proper swink*, and his chattel** *his own labour* **goods

In a tabard* he rode upon a mare. *sleeveless jerkin

There was also a Reeve, and a Millere,

A Sompnour, and a Pardoner also,

A Manciple, and myself, there were no mo’.

The MILLER was a stout carle for the nones,

Full big he was of brawn, and eke of bones;

That proved well, for *ov’r all where* he came,*wheresoever*

At wrestling he would bear away the ram.

He was short-shouldered, broad, a thicke gnarr*,*stump of wood

There was no door, that he n’old* heave off bar, *could not

Or break it at a running with his head.

His beard as any sow or fox was red,

And thereto broad, as though it were a spade.

Upon the cop* right of his nose he had *head

A wart, and thereon stood a tuft of hairs

Red as the bristles of a sowe’s ears.

His nose-thirles* blacke were and wide. *nostrils

A sword and buckler bare he by his side.

His mouth as wide was as a furnace.

He was a jangler, and a goliardais*, *buffoon

And that was most of sin and harlotries.

Well could he steale corn, and tolle thrice

And yet he had a thumb of gold, pardie.

A white coat and a blue hood weared he

A baggepipe well could he blow and soun’,

And therewithal he brought us out of town.

A gentle MANCIPLE was there of a temple,

Of which achatours* mighte take ensample *buyers

For to be wise in buying of vitaille*. *victuals

For whether that he paid, or took *by taile*, *on credit

Algate* he waited so in his achate**, *always **purchase

That he was aye before in good estate.

Now is not that of God a full fair grace

That such a lewed* mannes wit shall pace** *unlearned **surpass

The wisdom of an heap of learned men?

Of masters had he more than thries ten,

That were of law expert and curious:

Of which there was a dozen in that house,

Worthy to be stewards of rent and land

Of any lord that is in Engleland,

To make him live by his proper good,

In honour debtless, *but if he were wood*, *unless he were mad*

Or live as scarcely as him list desire;

And able for to helpen all a shire

In any case that mighte fall or hap;

And yet this Manciple *set their aller cap* *outwitted them all*

The REEVE was a slender choleric man

His beard was shav’d as nigh as ever he can.

His hair was by his eares round y-shorn;

His top was docked like a priest beforn

Full longe were his legges, and full lean

Y-like a staff, there was no calf y-seen

Well could he keep a garner* and a bin* *storeplaces for grain

There was no auditor could on him win

Well wist he by the drought, and by the rain,

The yielding of his seed and of his grain

His lorde’s sheep, his neat*, and his dairy *cattle

His swine, his horse, his store, and his poultry,

Were wholly in this Reeve’s governing,

And by his cov’nant gave he reckoning,

Since that his lord was twenty year of age;

There could no man bring him in arrearage

There was no bailiff, herd, nor other hine* *servant

That he ne knew his *sleight and his covine* *tricks and cheating*

They were adrad* of him, as of the death *in dread

His wonning* was full fair upon an heath *abode

With greene trees y-shadow’d was his place.

He coulde better than his lord purchase

Full rich he was y-stored privily

His lord well could he please subtilly,

To give and lend him of his owen good,

And have a thank, and yet* a coat and hood. *also

In youth he learned had a good mistere* *trade

He was a well good wright, a carpentere

This Reeve sate upon a right good stot*, *steed

That was all pomely* gray, and highte** Scot. *dappled **called

A long surcoat of perse* upon he had, *sky-blue

And by his side he bare a rusty blade.

Of Norfolk was this Reeve, of which I tell,

Beside a town men clepen* Baldeswell, *call

Tucked he was, as is a friar, about,

And ever rode the *hinderest of the rout*. *hindmost of the group*

A SOMPNOUR* was there with us in that place,*summoner

That had a fire-red cherubinnes face

For sausefleme* he was, with eyen narrow. *red or pimply

As hot he was and lecherous as a sparrow,

With scalled browes black, and pilled* beard: *scanty

Of his visage children were sore afeard.

There n’as quicksilver, litharge, nor brimstone,

Boras, ceruse, nor oil of tartar none,

Nor ointement that woulde cleanse or bite,

That him might helpen of his whelkes* white,*pustules

Nor of the knobbes* sitting on his cheeks. *buttons

Well lov’d he garlic, onions, and leeks,

And for to drink strong wine as red as blood.

Then would he speak, and cry as he were wood;

And when that he well drunken had the wine,

Then would he speake no word but Latin.

A fewe termes knew he, two or three,

That he had learned out of some decree;

No wonder is, he heard it all the day.

And eke ye knowen well, how that a jay

Can clepen* “Wat,” as well as can the Pope. *call

But whoso would in other thing him grope*, *search

Then had he spent all his philosophy,

Aye, Questio quid juris, would he cry.

He was a gentle harlot* and a kind; *a low fellow

A better fellow should a man not find

He woulde suffer, for a quart of wine,

A good fellow to have his concubine

A twelvemonth, and excuse him at the full.

Full privily a *finch eke could he pull*. *”fleece” man*

And if he found owhere* a good fellaw, *anywhere

He woulde teache him to have none awe

In such a case of the archdeacon’s curse;

*But if* a manne’s soul were in his purse; *unless*

For in his purse he should y-punished be.

“Purse is the archedeacon’s hell,” said he.

But well I wot, he lied right indeed:

Of cursing ought each guilty man to dread,

For curse will slay right as assoiling* saveth; *absolving

And also ‘ware him of a significavit

In danger had he at his owen guise

The younge girles of the diocese,

And knew their counsel, and was of their rede*. *counsel

A garland had he set upon his head,

As great as it were for an alestake*: *The post of an alehouse sign

A buckler had he made him of a cake.

With him there rode a gentle PARDONERE

Of Ronceval, his friend and his compere,

That straight was comen from the court of Rome.

Full loud he sang, “Come hither, love, to me”

This Sompnour *bare to him a stiff burdoun*, *sang the bass*

Was never trump of half so great a soun’.

This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax,

But smooth it hung, as doth a strike* of flax: *stri

By ounces hung his lockes that he had,

And therewith he his shoulders oversprad.

Full thin it lay, by culpons* one and one, *locks,shreds

But hood for jollity, he weared none,

For it was trussed up in his wallet.

Him thought he rode all of the *newe get*, *latest fashion*

Dishevel, save his cap, he rode all bare.

Such glaring eyen had he, as an hare.

A vernicle* had he sew’d upon his cap. *image of Christ

His wallet lay before him in his lap,

Bretful* of pardon come from Rome all hot. *brimful

A voice he had as small as hath a goat.

No beard had he, nor ever one should have.

As smooth it was as it were new y-shave;

I trow he were a gelding or a mare.

But of his craft, from Berwick unto Ware,

Ne was there such another pardonere.

For in his mail* he had a pillowbere**, *bag **pillowcase

Which, as he saide, was our Lady’s veil:

He said, he had a gobbet* of the sail *piece

That Sainte Peter had, when that he went

Upon the sea, till Jesus Christ him hent*. *took hold of

He had a cross of latoun* full of stones, *copper

And in a glass he hadde pigge’s bones.

But with these relics, whenne that he fond

A poore parson dwelling upon lond,

Upon a day he got him more money

Than that the parson got in moneths tway;

And thus with feigned flattering and japes*, *jest

He made the parson and the people his apes.

But truely to tellen at the last,

He was in church a noble ecclesiast.

Well could he read a lesson or a story,

But alderbest* he sang an offertory: *best of all

For well he wiste, when that song was sung,

He muste preach, and well afile* his tongue, *polis

To winne silver, as he right well could:

Therefore he sang full merrily and loud.

Now have I told you shortly in a clause

Th’ estate, th’ array, the number, and eke the cause

Why that assembled was this company

In Southwark at this gentle hostelry,

That highte the Tabard, fast by the Bell.

But now is time to you for to tell

*How that we baren us that ilke night*, *what we did that same night*

When we were in that hostelry alight.

And after will I tell of our voyage,

And all the remnant of our pilgrimage.

But first I pray you of your courtesy

That ye *arette it not my villainy*, *count it not rudeness in me*

Though that I plainly speak in this mattere.

To tellen you their wordes and their cheer;

Not though I speak their wordes properly.

For this ye knowen all so well as I,

Whoso shall tell a tale after a man,

He must rehearse, as nigh as ever he can,

Every word, if it be in his charge,

*All speak he* ne’er so rudely and so large; *let him speak*

Or elles he must tell his tale untrue,

Or feigne things, or finde wordes new

He may not spare, although he were his brother;

He must as well say one word as another.

Christ spake Himself full broad in Holy Writ,

And well ye wot no villainy is it.

Eke Plato saith, whoso that can him read,

The wordes must be cousin to the deed.

Also I pray you to forgive it me,

*All have I* not set folk in their degree, *although I have*

Here in this tale, as that they shoulden stand:

My wit is short, ye may well understand.

Great cheere made our Host us every one,

And to the supper set he us anon:

And served us with victual of the best.

Strong was the wine, and well to drink us lest*. *pleased

A seemly man Our Hoste was withal

For to have been a marshal in an hall.

A large man he was with eyen steep*, *deep-set.

A fairer burgess is there none in Cheap:

Bold of his speech, and wise and well y-taught,

And of manhoode lacked him right naught.

Eke thereto was he right a merry man,

And after supper playen he began,

And spake of mirth amonges other things,

When that we hadde made our reckonings;

And saide thus; “Now, lordinges, truly

Ye be to me welcome right heartily:

For by my troth, if that I shall not lie,

I saw not this year such a company

At once in this herberow*, am is now. *inn

Fain would I do you mirth, an* I wist* how. *if I knew*

And of a mirth I am right now bethought.

To do you ease*, and it shall coste nought. *pleasure

Ye go to Canterbury; God you speed,

The blissful Martyr *quite you your meed*; *grant you what

And well I wot, as ye go by the way, you deserve*

Ye *shapen you* to talken and to play: *intend to*

For truely comfort nor mirth is none

To ride by the way as dumb as stone:

And therefore would I make you disport,

As I said erst, and do you some comfort.

And if you liketh all by one assent

Now for to standen at my judgement,

And for to worken as I shall you say

To-morrow, when ye riden on the way,

Now by my father’s soule that is dead,

*But ye be merry, smiteth off* mine head. *unless you are merry,

Hold up your hands withoute more speech. smite off my head*

Our counsel was not longe for to seech*: *seek

Us thought it was not worth to *make it wise*,*discuss it at length*

And granted him withoute more avise*, *consideration

And bade him say his verdict, as him lest.

Lordings (quoth he), now hearken for the best;

But take it not, I pray you, in disdain;

This is the point, to speak it plat* and plain. *fla

That each of you, to shorten with your way

In this voyage, shall tellen tales tway,

To Canterbury-ward, I mean it so,

And homeward he shall tellen other two,

Of aventures that whilom have befall.

And which of you that bear’th him best of all,

That is to say, that telleth in this case

Tales of best sentence and most solace,

Shall have a supper *at your aller cost* *at the cost of you all*

Here in this place, sitting by this post,

When that ye come again from Canterbury.

And for to make you the more merry,

I will myselfe gladly with you ride,

Right at mine owen cost, and be your guide.

And whoso will my judgement withsay,

Shall pay for all we spenden by the way.

And if ye vouchesafe that it be so,

Tell me anon withoute wordes mo’*, *more

And I will early shape me therefore.”

This thing was granted, and our oath we swore

With full glad heart, and prayed him also,

That he would vouchesafe for to do so,

And that he woulde be our governour,

And of our tales judge and reportour,

And set a supper at a certain price;

And we will ruled be at his device,

In high and low: and thus by one assent,

We be accorded to his judgement.

And thereupon the wine was fet* anon. *fetched.

We drunken, and to reste went each one,

Withouten any longer tarrying

A-morrow, when the day began to spring,

Up rose our host, and was *our aller cock*, *the cock to wake us all*

And gather’d us together in a flock

And forth we ridden all a little space,

Unto the watering of Saint Thomas:

And there our host began his horse arrest,

And saide; “Lordes, hearken if you lest.

Ye *weet your forword,* and I it record. *know your promise*

If even-song and morning-song accord,

Let see now who shall telle the first tale

As ever may I drinke wine or ale,

Whoso is rebel to my judgement,

Shall pay for all that by the way is spent.

Now draw ye cuts*, ere that ye farther twin**. *lots **go

He which that hath the shortest shall begin.”

“Sir Knight (quoth he), my master and my lord,

Now draw the cut, for that is mine accord.

Come near (quoth he), my Lady Prioress,

And ye, Sir Clerk, let be your shamefastness,

Nor study not: lay hand to, every man.”

Anon to drawen every wight began,

And shortly for to tellen as it was,

Were it by a venture, or sort*, or cas**, *lot **chance

The sooth is this, the cut fell to the Knight,

Of which full blithe and glad was every wight;

And tell he must his tale as was reason,

By forword, and by composition,

As ye have heard; what needeth wordes mo’?

And when this good man saw that it was so,

As he that wise was and obedient

To keep his forword by his free assent,

He said; “Sithen* I shall begin this game, *since

Why, welcome be the cut in Godde’s name.

Now let us ride, and hearken what I say.”

And with that word we ridden forth our way;

And he began with right a merry cheer

His tale anon, and said as ye shall hear.

NOTES:

1. Tyrwhitt points out that “the Bull” should be read here, not “the Ram,” which would place the time of the pilgrimage in the end of March; whereas, in the Prologue to the Man of Law’s Tale, the date is given as the “eight and twenty day of April, that is messenger to May.”

2. Dante, in the “Vita Nuova,” distinguishes three classes of pilgrims: palmieri – palmers who go beyond sea to the East, and often bring back staves of palm-wood; peregrini, who go the shrine of St Jago in Galicia; Romei, who go to Rome. Sir Walter Scott,however, says that palmers were in the habit of passing from shrine to shrine, living on charity — pilgrims on the other hand, made the journey to any shrine only once, immediately returning to their ordinary avocations. Chaucer uses “palmer” of all pilgrims.

3. “Hallows” survives, in the meaning here given,in All Hallows — All-Saints — day. “Couth,” past participle of “conne” to know, exists in “uncouth.”

4. The Tabard — the sign of the inn — was a sleeveless coat, worn by heralds. The name of the inn was, some three centuries after Chaucer, changed to the Talbot.

5. In y-fall,” “y” is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon”ge” prefixed to participles of verbs. It is used by Chaucer merely to help the metre In German, “y-fall,”or y-falle,” would be “gefallen”, “y-run,” or “y-ronne”,would be “geronnen.”

6. Alisandre: Alexandria, in Egypt, captured by Pierre de Lusignan, king of Cyprus, in 1365 but abandoned immediately afterwards. Thirteen years before, the same Prince had taken Satalie, the ancient Attalia, in Anatolia, and in 1367 he won Layas, in Armenia, both places named just below.

7. The knight had been placed at the head of the table, above knights of all nations, in Prussia, whither warriors from all countries were wont to repair, to aid the Teutonic Order in their continual conflicts with their heathen neighbours in “Lettowe” or Lithuania(German. “Litthauen”), Russia, &c.

8. Algesiras was taken from the Moorish king of Grenada, in 1344: the Earls of Derby and Salisbury took part in the siege. Belmarie is supposed to have been a Moorish state in Africa; but “Palmyrie” has been suggested as the correct reading. The Great Sea, or the Greek sea, is the Eastern Mediterranean.Tramissene, or Tremessen, is enumerated by Froissart among the Moorish kingdoms in Africa. Palatie, or Palathia, in Anatolia, was a fief held by the Christian knights after the Turkish conquests — the holders paying tribute to the infidel. Our knight had fought with one of those lords against a heathen neighbour.

9. Ilke: same; compare the Scottish phrase “of that ilk,” — that is, of the estate which bears the same name as its owner’s title.

10. It was the custom for squires of the highest degree to carve at their fathers’ tables.

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.

14. “for the mastery” was applied to medicines in the sense of “sovereign” as we now apply it to a remedy.

15. It was fashionable to hang bells on horses’bridles.

16. St. Benedict was the first founder of a spiritual order in the Roman church. Maurus, abbot of Fulda from 822 to 842, did much to re-establish the discipline of the Benedictines on a true Christian basis.

17. Wood: Mad, Scottish “wud”. Felix says to Paul,”Too much learning hath made thee mad”.

18. Limitour: A friar with licence or privilege to beg,or exercise other functions, within a certain district: as, “the limitour of Holderness”.

19. Farme: rent; that is, he paid a premium for his licence to beg.

20. In principio: the first words of Genesis and John,employed in some part of the mass.

21. Lovedays: meetings appointed for friendly settlement of differences; the business was often followed by sports and feasting.

22. He would the sea were kept for any thing: he would for anything that the sea were guarded. “The old subsidy of tonnage and poundage,” says Tyrwhitt,”was given to the king ‘pour la saufgarde et custodie del mer.’ — for the safeguard and keeping of the sea” (12 E. IV. C.3).

23. Middleburg, at the mouth of the Scheldt, in Holland; Orwell, a seaport in Essex.

24. Shields: Crowns, so called from the shields stamped on them; French, “ecu;” Italian, “scudo.”

25. Poor scholars at the universities used then to go about begging for money to maintain them and their studies.

26. Parvis: The portico of St. Paul’s, which lawyers frequented to meet their clients.

27. St Julian: The patron saint of hospitality, celebrated for supplying his votaries with good lodging and good cheer.

28. Mew: cage. The place behind Whitehall, where the king’s hawks were caged was called the Mews.

29. Many a luce in stew: many a pike in his fish-pond; in those Catholic days, when much fish was eaten, no gentleman’s mansion was complete without a “stew”.

30. Countour: Probably a steward or accountant in the county court.

31. Vavasour: A landholder of consequence; holding of a duke, marquis, or earl, and ranking below a baron.

32. On the dais: On the raised platform at the end of the hall, where sat at meat or in judgement those high in authority, rank or honour; in our days the worthy craftsmen might have been described as “good platform men”.

33. To take precedence over all in going to the evening service of the Church, or to festival meetings,to which it was the fashion to carry rich cloaks or mantles against the home- coming.

34. The things the cook could make: “marchand tart”, some now unknown ingredient used in cookery;”galingale,” sweet or long rooted cyprus; “mortrewes”,a rich soup made by stamping flesh in a mortar; “Blanc manger”, not what is now called blancmange; one part of it was the brawn of a capon.

35. Lodemanage: pilotage, from Anglo-Saxon”ladman,” a leader, guide, or pilot; hence “lodestar,” “lodestone.”

36. The authors mentioned here were the chief medical text- books of the middle ages. The names of Galen and Hippocrates were then usually spelt”Gallien” and “Hypocras” or “Ypocras”.

37. The west of England, especially around Bath,was the seat of the cloth-manufacture, as were Ypres and Ghent (Gaunt) in Flanders.

38. Chaucer here satirises the fashion of the time,which piled bulky and heavy waddings on ladies’heads.

39. Moist; here used in the sense of “new”, as in Latin, “mustum” signifies new wine; and elsewhere Chaucer speaks of “moisty ale”, as opposed to “old”.

40. In Galice at Saint James: at the shrine of St Jago of Compostella in Spain.

41. Gat-toothed: Buck-toothed; goat-toothed, to signify her wantonness; or gap-toothed — with gaps between her teeth.

42. An endowment to sing masses for the soul of the donor.

43. A ram was the usual prize at wrestling matches.

44. Cop: Head; German, “Kopf”.

45. Nose-thirles: nostrils; from the Anglo-Saxon,”thirlian,” to pierce; hence the word “drill,” to bore.

46. Goliardais: a babbler and a buffoon; Golias was the founder of a jovial sect called by his name.

47. The proverb says that every honest miller has a thumb of gold; probably Chaucer means that this one was as honest as his brethren.

48. A Manciple — Latin, “manceps,” a purchaser or contractor – – was an officer charged with the purchase of victuals for inns of court or colleges.

49. Reeve: A land-steward; still called “grieve” —Anglo-Saxon, “gerefa” in some parts of Scotland.

50. Sompnour: summoner; an apparitor, who cited delinquents to appear in ecclesiastical courts.

51. Questio quid juris: “I ask which law (applies)”; a cant law- Latin phrase.

52 Harlot: a low, ribald fellow; the word was used of both sexes; it comes from the Anglo-Saxon verb to hire.

53. Significavit: an ecclesiastical writ

54. Within his jurisdiction he had at his own pleasure the young people (of both sexes) in the diocese.

55. Pardoner: a seller of pardons or indulgences.

56. Newe get: new gait, or fashion; “gait” is still used in this sense in some parts of the country.

57. Vernicle: an image of Christ; so called from St Veronica, who gave the Saviour a napkin to wipe the sweat from His face as He bore the Cross, and received it back with an impression of His countenance upon it.

58. Mail: packet, baggage; French, “malle,” a trunk.

59. The Bell: apparently another Southwark tavern; Stowe mentions a “Bull” as being near the Tabard.

60. Cheap: Cheapside, then inhabited by the richest and most prosperous citizens of London.

61. Herberow: Lodging, inn; French, “Herberge.”

62. The watering of Saint Thomas: At the second milestone on the old Canterbury road.

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