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THE PROLOGUE<1>

This worthy limitour, this noble Frere,
He made always a manner louring cheer* *countenance
Upon the Sompnour; but for honesty* *courtesy
No villain word as yet to him spake he:
But at the last he said unto the Wife:
“Dame,” quoth he, “God give you right good life,
Ye have here touched, all so may I the,* *thrive
In school matter a greate difficulty.
Ye have said muche thing right well, I say;
But, Dame, here as we ride by the way,
Us needeth not but for to speak of game,
And leave authorities, in Godde’s name,
To preaching, and to school eke of clergy.
But if it like unto this company,
I will you of a Sompnour tell a game;
Pardie, ye may well knowe by the name,
That of a Sompnour may no good be said;
I pray that none of you be *evil paid;* *dissatisfied*
A Sompnour is a runner up and down
With mandements* for fornicatioun, *mandates, summonses*
And is y-beat at every towne’s end.”
Then spake our Host; “Ah, sir, ye should be hend* *civil, gentle
And courteous, as a man of your estate;
In company we will have no debate:
Tell us your tale, and let the Sompnour be.”
“Nay,” quoth the Sompnour, “let him say by me
What so him list; when it comes to my lot,
By God, I shall him quiten* every groat! *pay him off
I shall him telle what a great honour
It is to be a flattering limitour
And his office I shall him tell y-wis”.
Our Host answered, “Peace, no more of this.”
And afterward he said unto the frere,
“Tell forth your tale, mine owen master dear.”

Notes to the Prologue to the Friar’s tale

1. On the Tale of the Friar, and that of the Sompnour which follows, Tyrwhitt has remarked that they “are well engrafted upon that of the Wife of Bath. The ill-humour which shows itself between these two characters is quite natural, as no two professions at that time were at more constant variance. The regular clergy, and particularly the mendicant friars, affected a total exemption from all ecclesiastical jurisdiction, except that of the Pope, which made them exceedingly obnoxious to the bishops and of course to all the inferior officers of the national hierarchy.” Both tales, whatever their origin, are bitter satires on the greed and worldliness of the Romish clergy.

THE TALE

 

 Whilom* there was dwelling in my country        *once on a time
 

 An archdeacon, a man of high degree,
 

 That boldely did execution,
 

 In punishing of fornication,
 

 Of witchecraft, and eke of bawdery,
 

 Of defamation, and adultery,
 

 Of churche-reeves,* and of testaments,         *churchwardens
 

 Of contracts, and of lack of sacraments,
 

 And eke of many another manner* crime,            *sort of
 

 Which needeth not rehearsen at this time,
 

 Of usury, and simony also;
 

 But, certes, lechours did he greatest woe;
 

 They shoulde singen, if that they were hent;*         *caught
 

 And smale tithers<1> were foul y-shent,*    *troubled, put to shame
 

 If any person would on them complain;
 

 There might astert them no pecunial pain.<2>
 

 For smalle tithes, and small offering,
 

 He made the people piteously to sing;
 

 For ere the bishop caught them with his crook,
 

 They weren in the archedeacon's book;
 

 Then had he, through his jurisdiction,
 

 Power to do on them correction.