No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Nun's Priest's Tale Prologue to the Nun’s Priest’s Tale Page 2

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Original Text	Modern Text
And wel I woot the substance is in me, If any thing shal wel reported be. Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.’	And wel I woot the substance is in me, If any thing shal wel reported be. Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.’
‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye; Now let another telle, as I have told.’ Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde unto the Nonnes Preest anon, ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde upon a Iade. What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene; Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.’ ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go, But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:’— And right anon his tale he hath attamed, And thus he seyde unto us everichon, This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.	‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye; Now let another telle, as I have told.’ Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde unto the Nonnes Preest anon, ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde upon a Iade. What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene; Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.’ ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go, But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:’— And right anon his tale he hath attamed, And thus he seyde unto us everichon, This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.

Original Text	Modern Text
And wel I woot the substance is in me, If any thing shal wel reported be. Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.’	And wel I woot the substance is in me, If any thing shal wel reported be. Sir, sey somwhat of hunting, I yow preye.’
‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye; Now let another telle, as I have told.’ Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde unto the Nonnes Preest anon, ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde upon a Iade. What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene; Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.’ ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go, But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:’— And right anon his tale he hath attamed, And thus he seyde unto us everichon, This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.	‘Nay,’ quod this monk, ‘I have no lust to pleye; Now let another telle, as I have told.’ Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold, And seyde unto the Nonnes Preest anon, ‘Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir Iohn, Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade, Be blythe, though thou ryde upon a Iade. What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene, If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene; Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.’ ‘Yis, sir,’ quod he, ‘yis, host, so mote I go, But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:’— And right anon his tale he hath attamed, And thus he seyde unto us everichon, This swete preest, this goodly man, sir Iohn.