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. 1798 edition. Excerpt: ... THE CLERKES PROLOGUE. v. 7877 7896 Sire Clerk of Oxenforde, our hoste said, Ye ride as stille and coy, as doth a maid, Were newe spoused, sitting at the bord: This day ne herd I of your tonge a word. I trow ye studie abouten som sophime: But Salomon saith, that every thing hath time. For Goddes sake as beth of better chere, It is no time for to studien here. Tell us som mery tale by your fay; For what man that is entred in a play, He nedes most unto the play assent. But precheth not, as freres don in Lent, To make us for our olde finnes wepe, Ne that thy tale make us not to flepe. Tell us som mery thing of aventures, . Your termes, your coloures, and your figures, Kepe hem in store, til so be ye endite Hie stile, as whan that men to kinges write Speketh so plain at this time, I you pray, That we may understonden what ye lay. This worthy Clerk benignely answerde; Hoste, quod he, I am under your yerde, Ye have of us as now the governance, And therfore wolde I do you obeysance, As fer as reson afketh hardely: I wol you tell a tale, which that I Lerned at Padowe of a worthy clerk, As preved by his wordes and his werk. He is now ded, and nailed in his cheste, I pray to God so yeve his soule reste. Fraunceis Petrark, the laureat poete, Highte this clerk, whos rethorike swete Enlumined all Itaille of poetrie, As Lynyan did of philosophic, Or law, or other art particulere: But deth, that wol not suffre us dwellen here, But as it were a twinkling of an eye, Hem both hath slaine, and alle we shul dye. But forth to tellen of this worthy man, That taughte me this tale, as I began, I say that first he with hie stile enditeth (Or he the body of his tale writeth) A proheme, in the which descriveth he Piemont, and of Saluces the contree, And speketh...
