The Canterbury Tales · The Cook’s Tale · The Tale

The Tale

A prentice whilom dwelt in our city,

And of a craft of victuallers was he:

Galliard1375 he was, as goldfinch in the shaw,1376

Brown as a berry, a proper short felláw:

With lockës black, combed full fetisly.1377

And dance he could so well and jollily,

That he was called Perkin Revellour.

He was as full of love and paramour,

As is the honeycomb of honey sweet;

Well was the wenchë that with him might meet.

At every bridal would he sing and hop;

He better lov’d the tavern than the shop.

For when there any riding was in Cheap,1378

Out of the shoppë thither would he leap,

And, till that he had all the sight y-seen,

And danced well, he would not come again;

And gather’d him a meinie of his sort,1379

To hop and sing, and makë such disport:

And there they settë steven1380 for to meet

To playen at the dice in such a street.

For in the townë was there no prentíce

That fairer couldë cast a pair of dice

Than Perkin could; and thereto he was free

Of his dispence, in place of privity.1381

That found his master well in his chaffare,1382

For oftentime he found his box full bare.

For, soothëly, a prentice revelloúr,

That haunteth dice, riot, and paramoúr,

His master shall it in his shop abie,1383

All1384 have he no part of the minstrelsy.

For theft and riot they be convertible,

All1385 can they play on gitern or ribible.1386

Revel and truth, as in a low degree,

They be full wroth1387 all day, as men may see.

This jolly prentice with his master bode,

Till he was nigh out of his prenticehood,

All1388 were he snubbed1389 both early and late,

And sometimes led with revel to Newgate.

But at the last his master him bethought,

Upon a day when he his paper1390 sought,

Of a proverb, that saith this samë word;

Better is rotten apple out of hoard,

Than that it should rot all the remenánt:

So fares it by a riotous servánt;

It is well lessë harm to let him pace,1391

Than he shend1392 all the servants in the place.

Therefore his master gave him a quittánce,

And bade him go, with sorrow and mischance.

And thus this jolly prentice had his leve:1393

Now let him riot all the night, or leave.1394

And, for there is no thief without a louke,1395

That helpeth him to wasten and to souk1396

Of that he bribë can, or borrow may,

Anon he sent his bed and his array

Unto a compere1397 of his owen sort,

That loved dice, and riot, and disport;

And had a wife, that held for countenance1398

A shop, and swived1399 for her sustenance.

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