Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1822 edition. Excerpt: ... And therin stiked a lily flour, 383s God shilde his corps fro shonde. And for he was a knight auntrous, He n'olde slepen in non hous, But liggen in his hood, His brighte helm was his wanger, And by him baited his destrer Of herbes fin and good. 13848 Himself drank water of the well, And did the knight Sire Percivell So worthy under wede, Til on a day PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS. No more of this for Goddes dignitee, 13847 Quod oure hoste, for thou makest me So wery of thy veray lewednesse, That al so wisly God my soule blesse, Min eres aken of thy drafty speche. Now swiche a rime the devil I beteche; This may wel be rime dogerel, quod he. Why so? quod I, why wolt thou letten me More of my tale, than an another man, 13855 Sin that it is the beste rime I can? By God, quod he, for plainly at o word, Thy drafty riming is not worth a tord: Thou dost nought elles but dispendest time. Sire, at o word, thou shalt no lenger rime. Let see wher thou canst tellen ought in geste, Or tellen in prose somwhat at the leste, In which ther be som mirthe or som doctrine. Gladly, quod I, by Goddes swete pine 13864 I wol you tell a litel thing in prose, That oughte liken you, as I suppose, Or elles certes ye be to dangerous. It is a moral tale vertuous, Al be it told somtime in sondry wise Of sondry folk, as I shal you devise. As thus, ye wote that every Evangelist, That telleth us the peine of Jesu Crist, 13872 Ne saith not alle thing as his felaw doth: But natheles hir sentence is al soth, And alle accorden as in hir sentence, Al be ther in hir telling difference: For som of hem say more, and som say lesse, Whan they his pitous passion expresse; I mene of Mark and Mathew, Luke and John, But douteles hir sentence is all on. Therfore, lordinges all, I you beseche, ...
