1. Whan
that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte
of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed
every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu
engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek
with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every
holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the
yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours
yronne,
And smale fowles maken melodye,
That
slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So priketh
hem nature in hir corages),
Thanne longen
folk to goon on pilgrimages.
(General
Prologue, 1–12)
2. The
Firste Moevere of the cause above,
Whan he
first made the faire cheyne of love,
Greet
was th'effect, and heigh was his entente.
.
. .
For with that faire cheyne of love he
bond
The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the
lond
In certeyn boundes, that they may nat
flee.
(The
Knight's Tale, 2987–2993)
3. Thus
swyved was this carpenteris wyf,
For al his
kepyng and his jalousye;
And Absolon hath
kist hir nether ye;
And Nicholas is scalded
in the towte.
This tale is doon, and God save
al the rowte!
(The
Miller's Tale, 3850–3854)
