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Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause Why that assembled was this companye In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle. But now is tyme to yow for to telle How that we baren us that ilke night, Whan we were in that hostelrye alight. And after wol I telle of our viage, And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage. But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, That ye narette it nat my vileinye, Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere, To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly. For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Who-so shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can, Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large; Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe. He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother; He moot as wel seye o word as another. Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ, And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede, The wordes mote be cosin to the dede. Also I prey yow to foryeve it me, Al have I nat set folk in hir degree Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; My wit is short, ye may wel understonde. Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause Why that assembled was this companye In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle. But now is tyme to yow for to telle How that we baren us that ilke night, Whan we were in that hostelrye alight. And after wol I telle of our viage, And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage. But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, That ye narette it nat my vileinye, Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere, To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly. For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Who-so shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can, Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large; Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe. He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother; He moot as wel seye o word as another. Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ, And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede, The wordes mote be cosin to the dede. Also I prey yow to foryeve it me, Al have I nat set folk in hir degree Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.

Original Text

Modern Text

Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause Why that assembled was this companye In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle. But now is tyme to yow for to telle How that we baren us that ilke night, Whan we were in that hostelrye alight. And after wol I telle of our viage, And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage. But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, That ye narette it nat my vileinye, Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere, To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly. For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Who-so shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can, Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large; Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe. He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother; He moot as wel seye o word as another. Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ, And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede, The wordes mote be cosin to the dede. Also I prey yow to foryeve it me, Al have I nat set folk in hir degree Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; My wit is short, ye may wel understonde. Now have I told you shortly, in a clause, Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eek the cause Why that assembled was this companye In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye, That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle. But now is tyme to yow for to telle How that we baren us that ilke night, Whan we were in that hostelrye alight. And after wol I telle of our viage, And al the remenaunt of our pilgrimage. But first I pray yow, of your curteisye, That ye narette it nat my vileinye, Thogh that I pleynly speke in this matere, To telle yow hir wordes and hir chere; Ne thogh I speke hir wordes properly. For this ye knowen al-so wel as I, Who-so shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce, as ny as ever he can, Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large; Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or feyne thing, or finde wordes newe. He may nat spare, al-thogh he were his brother; He moot as wel seye o word as another. Crist spak him-self ful brode in holy writ, And wel ye woot, no vileinye is it. Eek Plato seith, who-so that can him rede, The wordes mote be cosin to the dede. Also I prey yow to foryeve it me, Al have I nat set folk in hir degree Here in this tale, as that they sholde stonde; My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.