The Canterbury Tales · The Clerk’s Tale · The Prologue

The Prologue

“Sir Clerk of Oxenford,” our Hostë said,

“Ye ride as still and coy, as doth a maid

That were new spoused, sitting at the board:

This day I heard not of your tongue a word.

I trow ye study about some sophime:2423

But Solomon saith, every thing hath time.

For Goddë’s sake, be of better cheer,2424

It is no timë for to study here.

Tell us some merry talë, by your fay;2425

For what man that is entered in a play,

He needës must unto that play assent.

But preachë not, as friars do in Lent,

To make us for our oldë sinnës weep,

Nor that thy talë make us not to sleep.

Tell us some merry thing of áventures.

Your terms, your colourës, and your figúres,

Keep them in store, till so be ye indite

High style, as when that men to kingës write.

Speakë so plain at this time, I you pray,

That we may understandë what ye say.”

This worthy Clerk benignëly answér’d;

“Hostë,” quoth he, “I am under your yerd,2426

Ye have of us as now the governánce,

And therefore would I do you obeisánce,

As far as reason asketh, hardily:2427

I will you tell a talë, which that I

Learn’d at Padova of a worthy clerk,

As proved by his wordës and his werk.

He is now dead, and nailed in his chest,

I pray to God to give his soul good rest.

Francis Petrarc’, the laureate poét,2428

Hightë2429 this clerk, whose rhetoric so sweet

Illumin’d all Itále of poetry,

As Linian2430 did of philosophy,

Or law, or other art particulére:

But death, that will not suffer us dwell here

But as it were a twinkling of an eye,

Them both hath slain, and allë we shall die.

“But forth to tellen of this worthy man,

That taughtë me this tale, as I began,

I say that first he with high style inditeth

(Ere he the body of his talë writeth)

A proem, in the which describeth he

Piedmont, and of Saluces2431 the countrý,

And speaketh of the Pennine hillës high,

That be the bounds of all West Lombardy:

And of Mount Vesulus in special,

Where as the Po out of a wellë small

Taketh his firstë springing and his source,

That eastward aye increaseth in his course

T’ Emilia-ward,2432 to Ferraro, and Veníce,

The which a long thing werë to devise.2433

And truëly, as to my judgëment,

Me thinketh it a thing impertinent,2434

Save that he would conveyë his mattére:

But this is the tale, which that ye shall hear.”