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John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.

Page 1

 
 
Geoffrey Chaucer. (c. 1340–1400)
 
1
    Whanne that April with his shoures sote
The droughte of March hath perced to the rote.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 1.
2
    And smale foules maken melodie,
That slepen alle night with open eye,
So priketh hem nature in hir corages;
Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 9.
3
    And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 69.
4
    He was a veray parfit gentil knight.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 72.
5
    He coude songes make, and wel endite.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 95.
6
    Ful wel she sange the service devine,
Entuned in hire nose ful swetely;
And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte bowe,
For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 122.
7
    A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 287.
8
    For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.
          Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 295.