The Canterbury tales :

Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400. The Canterbury tales :
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The Monk's Prologue

1889: Whan ended was my tale of melibee,
1890: And of prudence and hire benignytee,
1891: Oure hooste seyde, as I am feithful man,
1892: And by that precious corpus madrian,
1893: I hadde levere than a barel ale
1894: That goodelief, my wyf, hadde herd this tale!
1895: For she nys no thyng of swich pacience
1896: As was this melibeus wyf prudence.
1897: By goddes bones! whan I bete my knaves,
1898: She bryngeth me forth the grete clobbed staves,
1899: And crieth, -- slee the dogges everichoon,
1900: And brek hem, bothe bak and every boon! --
1901: And if that any neighebor of myne
1902: Wol nat in chirche to my wyf enclyne,
1903: Or be so hardy to hire to trespace,
1904: Whan she comth hoom she rampeth in my face,
1905: And crieth, -- false coward, wrek thy wyf!
1906: By corpus bones, I wol have thy knyf,
1907: And thou shalt have my distaf and go spynne! --
1908: Fro day to nyght right thus she wol bigynne.
1909: -- allas! -- she seith, -- that evere I was shape
1910: To wedden a milksop, or a coward ape,
1911: That wol been overlad with every wight!
1912: Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyves right! --
1913: This is my lif, but if that I wol fighte;
1914: And out at dore anon I moot me dighte,
1915: Or elles I am but lost, but if that I
1916: Be lik a wilde leoun, fool-hardy.
1917: I woot wel she wol do me slee som day
1918: Som neighebor, and thanne go my way;
1919: For I am perilous with knyf in honde,
1920: Al be it that I dar nat hire withstonde,
1921: For she is byg in armes, by my feith:
1922: That shal he fynde that hire mysdooth or seith, --
1923: But lat us passe awey fro this mateere.
1924: My lord, the monk, quod he, by myrie of cheere,
1925: For ye shul telle a tale trewely.
1926: Loo, rouchestre stant heer faste by!
1927: Ryde forth, myn owene lord, brek nat oure game.
1928: But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat youre name.
1929: Wher shal I calle yow my lord daun john,
1930: Or daun thomas, or elles daun albon?
1931: Of what hous be ye, by youre fader kyn?
1932: I vowe to god, thou hast a ful fair skyn;
1933: It is a gentil pasture ther thow goost.
1934: Thou art nat lyk a penant or a goost:
1935: Upon my feith, thou art som officer,
1936: Som worthy sexteyn, or som celerer,
1937: For by my fader soule, as to my doom,
1938: Thou art a maister whan thou art at hoom;
1939: No povre cloysterer, ne no novts,
1940: But a governour, wily and wys,
1941: And therwithal of brawnes and of bones,
1942: A wel farynge persone for the nones.
1943: I pray to god, yeve hym confusioun
1944: That first thee broghte unto religioun!
1945: Thou woldest han been a tredefowel aright.

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1946: Haddestow as greet a leeve, as thou hast myght,
1947: To parfourne al thy lust in engendrure,
1948: Thou haddest bigeten ful many a creature.
1949: Allas, why werestow so wyd a cope?
1950: God yeve me sorwe, but, and I were a pope,
1951: Nat oonly thou, but every myghty man,
1952: Though he were shorn ful hye upon his pan,
1953: Sholde have a wyf; for al the world is lorn!
1954: Religioun hath take up al the corn
1955: Of tredyng, and we borel men been shrympes.
1956: Of fieble trees ther comen wrecched ympes.
1957: This maketh that oure heires been so sklendre
1958: And feble that they may nat wel engendre.
1959: This maketh that oure wyves wole assaye
1960: Religious folk, for ye mowe bettre paye
1961: Of venus peiementz than mowe we;
1962: God woot, no lussheburghes payen ye!
1963: But be nat wrooth, my lord, though that I pleye.
1964: Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye!
1965: This worthy monk took al in pacience,
1966: And seyde, I wol doon al my diligence,
1967: As fer as sowneth into honestee,
1968: To telle yow a tale, or two, or three.
1969: And if yow list to herkne hyderward,
1970: I wol yow seyn the lyf of seint edward;
1971: Or ellis, first, tragedies wol I telle,
1972: Of whiche I have an hundred in my celle.
1973: Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storei,
1974: As olde bookes maken us memorie,
1975: Of hym that stood in greet prosperitee,
1976: And is yfallen out of heigh degree
1977: Into myserie, and endeth wrecchedly.
1978: And they ben versified communely
1979: Of six feet, which men clepen exametrron.
1980: In prose eek been endited many oon,
1981: And eek in meetre, in many a sondry wyse.
1982: Lo, this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise.
1983: Now herkneth, if yow liketh for to heere.
1984: But first I yow biseeke in this mateere,
1985: Though I by ordre telle nat thise thynges,
1986: Be it of popes, emperours, or kynges,
1987: After hir ages, as men writen fynde,
1988: But tellen hem som bifore and som bihynde,
1989: As it now comth unto my remembraunce,
1990: Have me excused of myn ignoraunce.