The Canterbury Tales

Fragment I

The Cook's Prologue

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The Prologe of the

Cokes Tale

4325

The cook of londoun, whil the reve spak,

For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the bak.

Ha! ha! quod he, for cristes passion,

This millere hadde a sharp conclusion

Upon his argument of herbergage!

4330

Wel seyde salomon in his langage,

-- Ne bryng nat every man into thyn hous; --

For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous.

Wel oghte a man avysed for to be

Whom that he broghte into his pryvetee.

4335

I pray to god, so yeve me sorwe and care

If evere, sitthe I highte hogge of ware,

Herde I a millere bettre yset a-werk.

He hadde a jape of malice in the derk.

But God forbede that we stynte heere;

4340

And therfore, if ye vouche-sauf to heere

A tale of me, that am a povre man,

I wol yow telle, as wel as evere I kan,

A litel jape that fil in oure citee.

Oure hoost answerde and seide, I graunte it thee.

4345

Now telle on, roger, looke that it be good;

For many a pastee hastow laten blood,

And many a jakke of dovere hastow soold

That hath been twies hoot and twies coold.

Of many a pilgrym hastow cristes curs,

4350

For of thy percely yet they fare the wors,

That they han eten with thy stubbel goos;

For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos.

Now telle on, gentil roger by thy name.

But yet I pray thee, be nat wroth for game;

4355

A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley.

Thou seist ful sooth, quod roger, by my fey!

But -- sooth pley, quaad pley, -- as the flemyng seith.

And therfore, herry bailly, by thy feith,

Be thou nat wrooth, er we departen heer,

4360

Though that my tale be of an hostileer.

But nathelees I wol nat telle it yit;

But er we parte, ywis, thou shalt be quit.

And therwithal he lough and made cheere,

And seyde his tale, as ye shul after heere.