A lymytourfriar with assigned territory, a ful solempneimportant man.
In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan
So muchel of daliaunce witty play and fair langage.
He hadde maad ful many a mariage
Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.
Unto his ordre he was a noble postpillar .
Ful wel biloved and famulier was he
With frankeleynscountry gentlemen over al in his contree,
And eekalso with worthy wommen of the tountown;
For he hadde power of confessioun,
As seyde hymself, moore than a curat
For ofby his ordre he was licenciat.
Ful swetely herde he confessioun,
And plesaunt was his absolucioun:
He was an esy man to yevegive penaunce,
Ther as he wisteWhere he knew he'd to have a good pitaunce.
For unto a povre ordre for to yivegive
Is signe that a man is wel yshryveconfessed;
For if he yafgave, he dorste make avaunt,
He wisteknew that a man was repentaunt;
For many a man so hard is of his herte,
He may nat wepe, althogh hym soore smerte.
Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres
Men moote yevemight give silver to the povre freres.
His typethood's long tip was ay farsedalways stuffed ful of knyves
And pynnes, for to yevengive faire wyves.
And certeinly he hadde a murye note:
Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;
Of yeddyngesballads he baar outrelybore utterly the prisprize.
His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lyslily;
Therto he strong was as a champioun
He knew the tavernes wel in every toun
And everich hostilerevery innkeeper and tappesterebarmaid
BetBetter than a lazarleper or a beggestere;
For unto swichsuch a worthy man as he
Acorded natWas not suitable, as by his faculteein view of his position,
To have with sikesick lazars aqueyntaunce.
It is nat honesthonorable, it may nat avaunce,
For to deelen with no swich poraille,
But al with riche and selleres of vitaillevictuals.
And over al, ther aswherever profit sholde arise,
Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.
Ther nas(= ne was) wasn't no man nowher so vertuous.
He was the beste beggere in his hous;
(and yaf a certeyne fermepayment for the graunt;
Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his hauntterritory;)
For thogh a wydwewidow hadde noght a sho,
So plesaunt was his in principio,
Yet wolde he have a ferthyng, er he wente.
His purchasincome was wel bettre than his rentepayment.
And rageromp, flirt he koude, as it were right a whelppuppy.
In love-dayesdays when disputes were arbitrated ther koude he muchel help,
For ther he was nat lyk a cloysterer
With a thredbare copecloak, as is a povre scoler,
But he was lyk a maister learned authority or a pope.
Of double worstede was his semycope,
That rounded as a belle out of the pressemold.
Somwhat he lipsedlisped, for his wantownessewantonness,
To make his Englissh sweete upon his tonge;
And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,
His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght,
As doon the sterresstars in the frosty nyght.
This worthy lymytour was clepednamed, called Huberd.
A marchant was ther with a forked berd,
In motteleetwo-colored clothing, and hye on horse he sat;
Upon his heed a FlaundrysshFlanderish (fr. Flanders) bever hat,
His bootes clasped faire and fetislystylishly.
His resonsopinions he spak ful solempnelyimportantly,
SownyngeMentioning alwey th' encrees of his wynnyngearnings.
He woldewished the seesea were keptguarded for any thyng
Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldesgold coins selle.
This worthy man ful wel his wit bisetteemployed:
Ther wisteknew no wightnobody that he was in dette,
So estatlydignified was he of his governauncebehavior
With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.
For sotheTruly he was a worthy man with alle,
But, soothtruth to seyn, I noot (= ne woot) don't know how men hym calle.
A clerkstudent ther was of OxenfordOxford also,
That unto logyk haddehad (studied) longe ygo.
As leene was his hors as is a rake,
And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,
But looked holwehollow, emaciated, and therto sobrelyseriously.
Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy;
For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,
Ne was so worldly for to have office.
For hym was leverehe would rather have at his beddes heed
Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reedred,
Of Aristotle and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fithelefiddle, or gay sautrie.
But al be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
But al that he myghte of his freendes henteget,
On bookes and on lernynge he it spente,
And bisily gandid for the soules preye
Of hem that yaf hym wherwiththe means to scoleye.
Of studie took he moost curecare and moost heede,
Noght oone word spak he moore than was neede,
And that was seyd in formewith formality and reverence,
And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;
Sownynge inFull of (Sounding in) moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.
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