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THE PROLOGUE

 

 THE Cook of London, while the Reeve thus spake,
 

 For joy he laugh'd and clapp'd him on the back:
 

 "Aha!" quoth he, "for Christes passion,
 

 This Miller had a sharp conclusion,
 

 Upon this argument of herbergage.*              *lodging
 

 Well saide Solomon in his language,
 

 Bring thou not every man into thine house,
 

 For harbouring by night is perilous.
 

 *Well ought a man avised for to be*   *a man should take good heed*
 

 Whom that he brought into his privity.
 

 I pray to God to give me sorrow and care
 

 If ever, since I highte* Hodge of Ware,          *was called
 

 Heard I a miller better *set a-work*;             *handled
 

 He had a jape* of malice in the derk.             *trick
 

 But God forbid that we should stinte* here,           *stop
 

 And therefore if ye will vouchsafe to hear
 

 A tale of me, that am a poore man,
 

 I will you tell as well as e'er I can
 

 A little jape that fell in our city."
 

Our Host answer’d and said; “I grant it thee.
Roger, tell on; and look that it be good,
For many a pasty hast thou letten blood,
And many a Jack of Dover<1> hast thou sold,
That had been twice hot and twice cold.
Of many a pilgrim hast thou Christe’s curse,
For of thy parsley yet fare they the worse.
That they have eaten in thy stubble goose:
For in thy shop doth many a fly go loose.
Now tell on, gentle Roger, by thy name,
But yet I pray thee be not *wroth for game*; *angry with my jesting*
A man may say full sooth in game and play.”
“Thou sayst full sooth,” quoth Roger, “by my fay;
But sooth play quad play,<2> as the Fleming saith,
And therefore, Harry Bailly, by thy faith,
Be thou not wroth, else we departe* here, *part company
Though that my tale be of an hostelere.* *innkeeper
But natheless, I will not tell it yet,
But ere we part, y-wis* thou shalt be quit.”<3> *assuredly
And therewithal he laugh’d and made cheer,<4>
And told his tale, as ye shall after hear.

Notes to the Prologue to the Cook’s Tale

1. Jack of Dover: an article of cookery. (Transcriber’s note: suggested by some commentators to be a kind of pie, and by others to be a fish)