#  7.4 The Prologue and Tale of Sir Thopas, and the Host's Interruption 

 



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## **The Prologue to Sir Thopas** 

*Bihoold the murye wordes of the Hoost to Chaucer*

691  **Whan seyd was al this miracle, every man**  
 When all this miracle was told, every man  
692  **As sobre was that wonder was to se,**  
 Was so sober that it was wonderful to see,  
693  **Til that oure Hooste japen tho bigan,**  
 Until our Host then began to joke   
694  **And thanne at erst he looked upon me,**  
 And then for the first time he looked at me,  
695  **And seyde thus: "What man artow?" quod he;**  
 And said thus: "What sort of man art thou?" said he;  
696  **"Thou lookest as thou woldest fynde an hare,**  
 "Thou lookest as if thou would track a hare,  
697  **For evere upon the ground I se thee stare.**  
 For ever upon the ground I see thee stare.  
698  **"Approche neer, and looke up murily.**  
 " Approach nearer, and look up merrily.  
699  **Now war yow, sires, and lat this man have place!**  
 Now make way, sirs, and let this man have room!  
700  **He in the waast is shape as wel as I;**  
 He in the waist is shaped as well as I;  
701  **This were a popet in an arm t' enbrace**  
 This would be a little doll in an arm to embrace  
702  **For any womman, small and fair of face.**  
 For any woman, small and fair of face.  
703  **He semeth elvyssh by his contenaunce,**  
 He seems otherworldly in his behavior,  
704  **For unto no wight dooth he daliaunce.**  
 For unto no person is he sociable:  
705  **"Sey now somwhat, syn oother folk han sayd;**  
 "Say something now, since other folk have spoken;  
706  **Telle us a tale of myrthe, and that anon."**  
 Tell us a tale of mirth, and that right now."  
707  **"Hooste," quod I, "ne beth nat yvele apayd,**  
 "Host," said I, "be not displeased,  
708  **For oother tale certes kan I noon,**  
 For certainly I know no other tale,  
709  **But of a rym I lerned longe agoon."**  
 Except for a riming romance I learned long ago."  
710  **"Ye, that is good," quod he; "now shul we heere**  
 "Yes, that is good," said he; "now we shall hear  
711  **Som deyntee thyng, me thynketh by his cheere."**  
 Some dainty thing, it seems to me from his appearance."

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

## **Sir Thopas**

*Heere bigynneth Chaucers Tale of Thopas*

***The First Fit***

712 **Listeth, lordes, in good entent,**  
 Listen, my lords, with good will,  
713 **And I wol telle verrayment**  
 And I will tell truly   
714 **Of myrthe and of solas,**  
 Of mirth and of pleasure,  
715 **Al of a knyght was fair and gent**  
 All about a knight who was fair and gentle  
716 **In bataille and in tourneyment;**   
 In battle and in tournament;   
717 **His name was sire Thopas.**  
 His name was sir Thopas.

718 **Yborn he was in fer contree,**  
 He was born in a distant land,  
719 **In Flaundres, al biyonde the see,**  
 In Flanders, far beyond the sea,  
720 **At Poperyng, in the place.**  
 At Popering, in that place.  
721 **His fader was a man ful free,**  
 His father was a very noble man,  
722 **And lord he was of that contree,**  
 And he was lord of that country,  
723 **As it was Goddes grace.**  
 Since it was God's will.

724 **Sire Thopas wax a doghty swayn;**   
 Sir Thopas grew up to be a doughty lad;   
725 **Whit was his face as payndemayn,**  
 White was his face as fine white bread,  
726 **His lippes rede as rose;**   
 His lips red as a rose;   
727 **His rode is lyk scarlet in grayn,**  
 His complexion is like scarlet deeply dyed,  
728 **And I yow telle in good certayn**  
 And I tell you in true certainty  
729 **He hadde a semely nose.**  
 He had a seemly nose.

730 **His heer, his berd was lyk saffroun,**  
 His hair, his beard was like saffron,  
731 **That to his girdel raughte adoun;**   
 That to his girdle reached down;   
732 **His shoon of cordewane.**  
 His shoes of Cordovan leather.  
733 **Of Brugges were his hosen broun,**  
 Of Bruges were his brown stockings,  
734 **His robe was of syklatoun,**  
 His robe was of silk woven with gold,  
735 **That coste many a jane.**  
 That cost many a half-penny.

736 **He koude hunte at wilde deer,**  
 He knew how to hunt for wild animals,  
737 **And ride an haukyng for river**  
 And ride a-hawking for water-fowl  
738 **With grey goshauk on honde;**   
 With grey gos-hawk on hand;   
739 **Therto he was a good archeer;**   
 Moreover he was a good archer;   
740 **Of wrastlyng was ther noon his peer,**  
 In wrestling there was no one his peer,  
741 **Ther any ram shal stonde.**  
 Where any ram shall stand (as a prize).

742 **Ful many a mayde, bright in bour,**  
 Very many a maid, bright in bed-chamber,  
743 **They moorne for hym paramour,**  
 They mourn for him passionately,  
744 **Whan hem were bet to slepe;**   
 When it would be better for them to sleep;   
745 **But he was chaast and no lechour,**  
 But he was chaste and no lecher,  
746 **And sweete as is the brembul flour**  
 And sweet as is the dog rose  
747 **That bereth the rede hepe.**  
 That bears the red hip.

748 **And so bifel upon a day,**  
 And it so happened upon a day,  
749 **For sothe, as I yow telle may,**  
 In truth, as I can tell you,  
750 **Sire Thopas wolde out ride.**  
 Sir Thopas wanted to ride out.  
751 **He worth upon his steede gray,**  
 He mounted upon his gray steed,  
752 **And in his hand a launcegay,**  
 And in his hand a light lance,  
753 **A long swerd by his side.**  
 A long sword by his side.

754 **He priketh thurgh a fair forest,**  
 He spurs through a fair forest,  
755 **Therinne is many a wilde best,**  
 In which is many a wild best,  
756 **Ye, bothe bukke and hare;**   
 Yea, both buck and hare;   
757 **And as he priketh north and est,**  
 And as he spurs north and east,  
758 **I telle it yow, hym hadde almest**  
 I tell it you, to him had almost  
759 **Bitid a sory care.**  
 Happened a grievous misfortune.

760 **Ther spryngen herbes grete and smale,**  
 There spring herbs large and small,  
761 **The lycorys and the cetewale,**  
 The licorice and the zedoary,  
762 **And many a clowe-gylofre;**   
 And many a clove-gillyflower;   
763 **And notemuge to putte in ale,**  
 And nutmeg to put in ale,  
764 **Wheither it be moyste or stale,**  
 Whether it be new or old,  
765 **Or for to leye in cofre.**  
 Or to lay in a clothes press.

766 **The briddes synge, it is no nay,**  
 The birds sing, it can not be denied,  
767 **The sparhauk and the papejay,**  
 The sparrow hawk and the parrot,  
768 **That joye it was to heere;**   
 That it was joy to hear;   
769 **The thrustelcok made eek hir lay,**  
 The male thrush made also her lay,  
770 **The wodedowve upon the spray**  
 The wood-pigeon upon the branch  
771 **She sang ful loude and cleere.**  
 She sang very loud and clear.

772 **Sire Thopas fil in love-longynge,**  
 Sir Thopas fell in a yearning for love,  
773 **Al whan he herde the thrustel synge,**  
 As soon as he heard the thrush sing,  
774 **And pryked as he were wood.**  
 And spurred as if he were crazy.  
775 **His faire steede in his prikynge**  
 His fair steed in his spurring  
776 **So swatte that men myghte him wrynge;**   
 So sweated that one could wring him;   
777 **His sydes were al blood.**  
 His sides were all blood.

778 **Sire Thopas eek so wery was**  
 Sir Thopas also so weary was  
779 **For prikyng on the softe gras,**  
 For spurring on the soft grass,  
780 **So fiers was his corage,**  
 So fierce was his heart,  
781 **That doun he leyde him in that plas**  
 That down he laid him in that place  
782 **To make his steede som solas,**  
 To give his steed some rest,  
783 **And yaf hym good forage.**  
 And gave him good dry fodder.

784 **"O Seinte Marie, benedicite!**  
 "O Saint Mary, bless me!  
785 **What eyleth this love at me**  
 What does this love have against me  
786 **To bynde me so soore?**  
 To bind me so painfully?  
787 **Me dremed al this nyght, pardee,**  
 I dreamed all this night, by God,  
788 **An elf-queene shal my lemman be**  
 An elf-queen shall be my sweetheart  
789 **And slepe under my goore.**  
 And sleep under my cloak.

790 **"An elf-queene wol I love, ywis,**  
 "An elf-queen will I love, indeed,  
791 **For in this world no womman is**  
 For in this world no woman is  
792 **Worthy to be my make**  
 Worthy to be my mate  
793 **In towne;**   
 In town;   
794 **Alle othere wommen I forsake,**  
 All other women I forsake,  
795 **And to an elf-queene I me take**  
 And to an elf-queen I betake nyself,  
796 **By dale and eek by downe!"**  
 By dale and also by hill!"

797 **Into his sadel he clamb anon,**  
 Into his saddle he climbed at once,  
798 **And priketh over stile and stoon**  
 And spurs over stile and stone  
799 **An elf-queene for t' espye,**  
 An elf-queen for to see,  
800 **Til he so longe hath riden and goon**  
 Until he so long had ridden and walked  
801 **That he foond, in a pryve woon,**  
 That he found, in a secret place,  
802 **The contree of Fairye**  
 The country of Fairy  
803 **So wilde;**   
 So wild;   
804 **For in that contree was ther noon**  
 For in that country there was no one  
805 **That to him durste ride or goon,**  
 Who dared ride or go on foot at him,  
806 **Neither wyf ne childe;**   
 Neither woman nor child;

807 **Til that ther cam a greet geaunt,**  
 Until there came a big giant,  
808 **His name was sire Olifaunt,**  
 His name was sir Olifaunt,  
809 **A perilous man of dede.**  
 A perilous man of deeds.  
810 **He seyde, "Child, by Termagaunt,**  
 He said, "Child, by Termagaunt,  
811 **But if thou prike out of myn haunt,**  
 Unless thou spur out of my territory,  
812 **Anon I sle thy steede**  
 At once I will slay thy steed  
813 **With mace.**  
 With mace.  
814 **Heere is the queene of Fayerye,**  
 Here is the queen of Fairyland,  
815 **With harpe and pipe and symphonye,**  
 With harp and pipe and hurdy-gurdy,  
816 **Dwellynge in this place."**  
 Dwelling in this place."

817 **The child seyde, "Also moote I thee,**  
 The child said, "As I may prosper,  
818 **Tomorwe wol I meete with thee,**  
 Tomorrow will I meet with thee,  
819 **Whan I have myn armoure;**   
 When I have my armor;   
820 **And yet I hope, par ma fay,**  
 And yet I trust, by my faith,  
821 **That thou shalt with this launcegay**  
 That thou shalt by means of this light lance   
822 **Abyen it ful sowre.**  
 Very bitterly pay for it.  
823 **Thy mawe**  
 Thy maw  
824 **Shal I percen, if I may,**  
 Shall I pierce, if I can,  
825 **Er it be fully pryme of day,**  
 Ere it be fully prime of day (9 a.m.),  
826 **For heere thow shalt be slawe."**  
 For here thou shalt be slain."

827 **Sire Thopas drow abak ful faste;**   
 Sir Thopas drew back very fast;   
828 **This geant at hym stones caste**  
 This giant threw stones at him   
829 **Out of a fel staf-slynge.**  
 Out of a terrible staff-sling.  
830 **But faire escapeth child Thopas,**  
 But child Thopas safely escapes,  
831 **And al it was thurgh Goddes gras,**  
 And it was all due to God's grace,  
832 **And thurgh his fair berynge.**  
 And due to his fair bearing.

***The Second Fit***

833 **Yet listeth, lordes, to my tale**  
 Yet listen, gentlemen, to my tale  
834 **Murier than the nightyngale,**  
 Merrier than the nightingale,  
835 **For now I wol yow rowne**  
 For now I will you tell  
836 **How sir Thopas, with sydes smale,**  
 How sir Thopas, with slender waist,  
837 **Prikyng over hill and dale,**  
 Spurring over hill and dale,  
838 **Is comen agayn to towne.**  
 Is come again to town.

839 **His myrie men comanded he**  
 His merry men commanded he  
840 **To make hym bothe game and glee,**  
 To make him both amusement and delight,  
841 **For nedes moste he fighte**  
 For by necessity he must fight  
842 **With a geaunt with hevedes three,**  
 With a giant with three heads,  
843 **For paramour and jolitee**  
 For love and pleasure  
844 **Of oon that shoon ful brighte.**  
 Of one who shone very bright.

845 **"Do come," he seyde, "my mynstrales,**  
 "Do come," he said, "my musicians,  
846 **And geestours for to tellen tales,**  
 And story tellers to tell tales,  
847 **Anon in myn armynge,**  
 Right now in my arming,  
848 **Of romances that been roiales,**  
 Of romances that are royal,  
849 **Of popes and of cardinales,**  
 Of popes and of cardinals,  
850 **And eek of love-likynge."**  
 And also of the joys of love."

851 **They fette hym first the sweete wyn,**  
 They fetched him first the sweet wine,  
852 **And mede eek in a mazelyn,**  
 And mead also in a maple drinking bowl,  
853 **And roial spicerye**  
 And royal delicacies  
854 **Of gyngebreed that was ful fyn,**  
 Of gingerbread that was very fine,  
855 **And lycorys, and eek comyn,**  
 And licorice, and also cumin,  
856 **With sugre that is trye.**  
 With sugar that is excellent.

857 **He dide next his white leere**  
 He put on next to his white flesh  
858 **Of cloth of lake fyn and cleere,**  
 Of linen cloth fine and clear,  
859 **A breech and eek a sherte;**   
 A pair of trousers and also a shirt;   
860 **And next his sherte an aketoun,**  
 And next to his shirt a quilted jacket,

861 **And over that an haubergeoun**  
 And over that a chain-mail shirt   
862 **For percynge of his herte;**   
 To prevent piercing of his heart;   
863 **And over that a fyn hawberk,**  
 And over that a fine plate armor,  
864 **Was al ywroght of Jewes werk,**  
 Which was all wrought with jewelers' work,  
865 **Ful strong it was of plate;**   
 Very strong it was of iron plate;   
866 **And over that his cote-armour**  
 And over that his surcoat  
867 **As whit as is a lilye flour,**  
 As white as is a lily flour,  
868 **In which he wol debate.**  
 In which he will dispute.

869 **His sheeld was al of gold so reed,**  
 His shield was all of gold so red,  
870 **And therinne was a bores heed,**  
 And on that was a boar's head,  
871 **A charbocle bisyde;**   
 Beside a carbuncle (red gem);   
872 **And there he swoor on ale and breed**  
 And there he swore on ale and bread  
873 **How that the geaunt shal be deed,**  
 How the giant shall be dead,  
874 **Bityde what bityde!**  
 Whatever may happen!

875 **His jambeux were of quyrboilly,**  
 His leg guards were of hardened leather,  
876 **His swerdes shethe of yvory,**  
 His sword's sheath of ivory,  
877 **His helm of latoun bright;**   
 His helm of bright brass;   
878 **His sadel was of rewel boon,**  
 His saddle was of ivory,  
879 **His brydel as the sonne shoon,**  
 His bridle shone like the sun,  
880 **Or as the moone light.**  
 Or like the moon light.

881 **His spere was of fyn ciprees,**  
 His spear was of fine cypress,  
882 **That bodeth werre, and nothyng pees,**  
 That foretells war, and nothing of peace,  
883 **The heed ful sharpe ygrounde;**   
 The head ground very sharp;   
884 **His steede was al dappull gray,**  
 His steed was all dapple gray,  
885 **It gooth an ambil in the way**  
 It goes at a slow walk on the way  
886 **Ful softely and rounde**  
 Very softly and easily  
887 **In londe.**  
 In land.  
888 **Loo, lordes myne, heere is a fit!**  
 Lo, my lords, here is a fit!  
889 **If ye wol any moore of it,**  
 If you want to hear any more of it,  
890 **To telle it wol I fonde.**  
 To tell it will I try

*The Third Fit*

891 **Now holde youre mouth, par charitee,**  
 Now hold your mouth, for kindness, please,  
892 **Bothe knyght and lady free,**  
 Both knight and noble lady,  
893 **And herkneth to my spelle;**   
 And hearken to my tale;   
894 **Of bataille and of chivalry,**  
 Of battle and of chivalry,  
895 **And of ladyes love-drury**  
 And of ladies' passionate love  
896 **Anon I wol yow telle.**  
 Right now I will you tell.

897 **Men speken of romances of prys,**  
 Men speak of excellent romances,  
898 **Of Horn child and of Ypotys,**  
 Of Horn child and of Ypotys,  
899 **Of Beves and sir Gy,**  
 Of Bevis of Hampton and sir Guy of Watwick,  
900 **Of sir Lybeux and Pleyndamour --**  
 Of sir Lybeux Desconus and Pleyndamour --  
901 **But sir Thopas, he bereth the flour**  
 But sir Thopas, he bears the flower  
902 **Of roial chivalry!**  
 Of royal chivalry!

903 **His goode steede al he bistrood,**  
 His good steed he mounted  
904 **And forth upon his wey he glood**  
 And forth upon his way he glided  
905 **As sparcle out of the bronde;**   
 Like a spark out of the burning log;   
906 **Upon his creest he bar a tour,**  
 Upon his top of his helmet he bore a tower,  
907 **And therinne stiked a lilie flour --**  
 And in that stuck a lily flower --  
908 **God shilde his cors fro shonde!**  
 God protect his body from shame!

909 **And for he was a knyght auntrous,**  
 And because he was a knight errent,  
910 **He nolde slepen in noon hous,**  
 He would not sleep in any house,  
911 **But liggen in his hoode;**   
 But lie in his hood;   
912 **His brighte helm was his wonger,**  
 His bright helm was his pillow,  
913 **And by hym baiteth his dextrer**  
 And by him his war-horse grazes  
914 **Of herbes fyne and goode.**  
 On herbs fine and good.

915 **Hymself drank water of the well,**  
 He himself drank water of the well,  
916 **As dide the knyght sire Percyvell**  
 As did the knight sir Perceval  
917 **So worly under wede,**  
 So worthy in his armor,  
918 **Til on a day --**  
 Until on a day --

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

*Heere the Hoost stynteth Chaucer of his Tale of Thopas.*

919 **"Namoore of this, for Goddes dignitee,"**  
 "No more of this, for God's dignity,"  
920 **Quod oure Hooste, "for thou makest me**  
 Said our Host, "for thou makest me  
921 **So wery of thy verray lewednesse**  
 So weary of thy true ignorance  
922 **That, also wisly God my soule blesse,**  
 That, as surely as God may bless my soul,  
923 **Myne eres aken of thy drasty speche.**  
 My ears ache from thy crappy speech.  
924 **Now swich a rym the devel I biteche!**  
 Now such a rime I commit to the devil!  
925 **This may wel be rym dogerel," quod he.**  
 This may well be doggerel verse," said he.

926 **"Why so?" quod I, "why wiltow lette me**  
 "Why so?" said I, "why wilt thou prevent me  
927 **Moore of my tale than another man,**  
 From telling more of my tale than another man,  
928 **Syn that it is the beste rym I kan?"**  
 Since it is the best rime I know?"

929 **"By God," quod he, "for pleynly, at a word,**  
 "By God," said he, "for plainly, at one word,  
930 **Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a toord!**  
 Thy crappy riming is not worth a turd!  
931 **Thou doost noght elles but despendest tyme.**  
 Thou dost nothing else but waste time.  
932 **Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger ryme.**  
 Sir, at one word, thou shalt no longer rime.  
933 **Lat se wher thou kanst tellen aught in geeste,**  
 Let's see whether thou can tell anything in alliterative verse,  
934 **Or telle in prose somwhat, at the leeste,**  
 Or tell something in prose, at the least,  
935 **In which ther be som murthe or som doctryne."**  
 In which there may be some mirth or some doctrine."

936 **"Gladly," quod I, "by Goddes sweete pyne!**  
 "Gladly," said I, "by God's sweet pain!  
937 **I wol yow telle a litel thyng in prose**  
 I will you tell a little thing in prose  
938 **That oghte liken yow, as I suppose,**  
 That ought to please you, as I suppose,  
939 **Or elles, certes, ye been to daungerous.**  
 Or else, certainly, you are too hard to please.  
940 **It is a moral tale vertuous,**  
 It is a virtuous moral tale,  
941 **Al be it told somtyme in sondry wyse**  
 Although it is told sometimes in various ways  
942 **Of sondry folk, as I shal yow devyse.**  
 By various folk, as I shall tell you.

943 **"As thus: ye woot that every Evaungelist**  
 "As thus: you know that every Evangelist  
944 **That telleth us the peyne of Jhesu Crist**  
 Who tells us of the pain of Jesus Christ  
945 **Ne seith nat alle thyng as his felawe dooth;**   
 Does not say everything as his fellow does;   
946 **But nathelees hir sentence is al sooth,**  
 But nonetheless their essential meaning is all true,  
947 **And alle acorden as in hire sentence,**  
 And all agree in their meaning,  
948 **Al be ther in hir tellyng difference.**  
 Although there may be a difference in their telling.  
949 **For somme of hem seyn moore, and somme seyn lesse,**  
 For some of them say more, and some say less,  
950 **Whan they his pitous passioun expresse --**  
 When they His piteous passion express --  
951 **I meene of Mark, Mathew, Luc, and John --**  
 I mean of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John --  
952 **But doutelees hir sentence is al oon.**  
 But doubtless their essential meaning is all the same.  
953 **Therfore, lordynges alle, I yow biseche,**  
 Therefore, gentlemen, I beseech you,  
954 **If that yow thynke I varie as in my speche,**  
 If you think I vary as in my speech,  
955 **As thus, though that I telle somwhat moore**  
 As thus, though I tell something more  
956 **Of proverbes than ye han herd bifoore**  
 Of proverbs than you have heard before  
957 **Comprehended in this litel tretys heere,**  
 Comprehended in this little treatise here,  
958 **To enforce with th' effect of my mateere;**   
 With which to strengthen the effect of my matter;   
959 **And though I nat the same wordes seye**  
 And though I do not say the same words  
960 **As ye han herd, yet to yow alle I preye**  
 As you have heard, yet to you all I pray  
961 **Blameth me nat; for, as in my sentence,**  
 Blame not me; for, in my essential meaning,  
962 **Shul ye nowher fynden difference**  
 You shall nowhere find difference  
963 **Fro the sentence of this tretys lyte**  
 From the meaning of that little treatise   
964 **After the which this murye tale I write.**  
 In imitation of which this merry tale I write.  
965 **And therfore herkneth what that I shal seye,**  
 And therefore hearken what I shall say,  
966 **And lat me tellen al my tale, I preye."**  
 And let me tell all my tale, I pray."

*Explicit*