Comparison of Geoffrey Chaucer Merchant's Epilogue to Geoffrey Chaucer

Til that our hoste Iapen tho bigan,

Our hoste seyde, 'as I am faithful man,

'Sir Nonnes Preest,' our hoste seyde anoon,

'Do wey thy boldnes,' seyde Almachius tho,

'And sacrifyce to our goddes, er thou go;

'God, for his grace, fro swich oon kepe us!'

That ben as trewe as ever was any steel.

Was founde as trewe as any bonde,

I moste yow love, and ever been as trewe

As any can or may on-lyve [here].

For thogh so be that lovers be as trewe

As any metal that is forged newe,

Yong, fresshe, strong, and hardy as lyoun;

Trewe as steel in ech condicioun;

If of hir body dishonest she be, [continues next]

And a povre wenche, other than this — [continues next]

Hir hye malice? she is a shrewe at al.

[continues previous] If of hir body dishonest she be,

[continues previous] And a povre wenche, other than this —

'Ther-of no fors, good yeman,' quod our host;

He shal be rated of his studying, [continues next]

But wite ye what? I graunte yow,

[continues previous] Me reweth sore of hende Nicholas.

... have seyd biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped swich maner folk to your conseil; which conseillours been y-nogh repreved by the resouns afore-seyd. But nathelees, lat us now descende to the special. Ye shuln first procede after the doctrine of Tullius. Certes, the trouthe of this matere or of this conseil nedeth nat diligently enquere; for it is wel wist whiche they been that han doon to yow this trespas and vileinye, and how manye trespassours, and in what manere they han to yow doon al this wrong and al this vileinye. And after this, thanne shul ye examine the ... [continues next]

Ne ther it nedeth nat for to be yive,

And eek it nedeth nat for to devyse

Of other harm it nedeth nat to speke.

For ye your-self upon your-self yow wreke,

Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it more.

[continues previous] ... have seyd biforn, ye han greetly erred to han cleped swich maner folk to your conseil; which conseillours been y-nogh repreved by the resouns afore-seyd. But nathelees, lat us now descende to the special. Ye shuln first procede after the doctrine of Tullius. Certes, the trouthe of this matere or of this conseil nedeth nat diligently enquere; for it is wel wist whiche they been that han doon to yow this trespas and vileinye, and how manye trespassours, and in what manere they han to yow doon al this wrong and al this vileinye. And after this, thanne shul ye examine the seconde condicioun, which that the same Tullius ...

Nat nedeth it for to reherce hem alle,

semeth to ben right cleer and renomed. For certes, it nedeth nat

to seye, that blisfulnesse be [nat] anguissous ne drery, ne subgit to

Now wolde god my wit mighte suffyse [continues next]

And ther-to eek, as to my wit, [continues next]

And lat me tellen al my tale, I preye.'

[continues previous] Now wolde god my wit mighte suffyse

[continues previous] To tellen al that longeth to that art!

[continues previous] And ther-to eek, as to my wit,

To tellen al the tale aright,