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An HABERDASSHER and a CARPENTER, A WEBBE, a DYERE, and a TAPICER, Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. Ful fresh and newe hir gere apyked was; Hir knyves were y-chaped noght with bras, But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel, Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys, To sitten in a yeldhalle on a deys. Everich, for the wisdom that he can, Was shaply for to been an alderman. For catel hadde they y-nogh and rente, And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente; And elles certein were they to blame. It is ful fair to been y-clept “ma dame,” And goon to vigilyës al bifore, And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. There was also a HABERDASHER—a hatmaker—a CARPENTER, a WEAVER, a clothing DYER, and a TAPESTRY MAKER. These men all belonged to the same workingmen’s union, called a guild. Because they belonged to the same guild, they all wore the same clothing too, which seemed to have been made just recently. They wore expensive accessories, including purses, belts, and even fancy knives with handles made of pure silver. Each of them seemed like he could have been a powerful leader of their guild or even a town council. They were certainly all wise enough and wealthy enough to do so. Their wives would no doubt have pushed them to take such positions of power because they too would benefit from being married to men of such prestige.
A COOK they hadde with hem for the nones, To boille the chiknes with the mary-bones, And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale. Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale. He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye, Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye. But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me, That on his shine a mormal hadde he; For blankmanger, that made he with the beste. The guildsmen brought a COOK with them to make them tasty dishes on their journey—spicy chickens and tarts and whatnot.The cook certainly knew a good beer when he saw one and could roast, broil, fry, and stew with the best of them. His chicken stew was particularly good. Too bad he had a nasty sore on his leg.

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An HABERDASSHER and a CARPENTER, A WEBBE, a DYERE, and a TAPICER, Were with us eek, clothed in o liveree, Of a solempne and greet fraternitee. Ful fresh and newe hir gere apyked was; Hir knyves were y-chaped noght with bras, But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel, Hir girdles and hir pouches every-deel. Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys, To sitten in a yeldhalle on a deys. Everich, for the wisdom that he can, Was shaply for to been an alderman. For catel hadde they y-nogh and rente, And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente; And elles certein were they to blame. It is ful fair to been y-clept “ma dame,” And goon to vigilyës al bifore, And have a mantel royalliche y-bore. There was also a HABERDASHER—a hatmaker—a CARPENTER, a WEAVER, a clothing DYER, and a TAPESTRY MAKER. These men all belonged to the same workingmen’s union, called a guild. Because they belonged to the same guild, they all wore the same clothing too, which seemed to have been made just recently. They wore expensive accessories, including purses, belts, and even fancy knives with handles made of pure silver. Each of them seemed like he could have been a powerful leader of their guild or even a town council. They were certainly all wise enough and wealthy enough to do so. Their wives would no doubt have pushed them to take such positions of power because they too would benefit from being married to men of such prestige.
A COOK they hadde with hem for the nones, To boille the chiknes with the mary-bones, And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale. Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale. He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye, Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye. But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me, That on his shine a mormal hadde he; For blankmanger, that made he with the beste. The guildsmen brought a COOK with them to make them tasty dishes on their journey—spicy chickens and tarts and whatnot.The cook certainly knew a good beer when he saw one and could roast, broil, fry, and stew with the best of them. His chicken stew was particularly good. Too bad he had a nasty sore on his leg.

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