Chaucer's England, by Matthew Browne |
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Common terms and phrases
anoon ascun believe Bishop Black Death Boke called Canterbury Canterbury Tales chapter Chaucer Christ Church clerk conceive course deniers doun drede dress Edward III England English fact Ffor fourteenth century frere friars Gamelyn geve gode gold gret grete hath herte holy hond Joseph kepe King labour lady land loke lond London lord lyve manner Mary mediæval medieval middle ages mind Miracle Plays moche modern monk nature never night nought pagiant Pardoner person Piers Ploughman pilgrims poet poor quod reader religious sanctuary sayde schal sche serving-man seyde shal shuld Sompnour Southwark speke spirit story street Tabard Tale thai thanne ther thing thou trewe tyme unto weren whan Wickliffe widow Wife of Bath William of Wykeham Winchester wolde women word wyff Wykeham Yeman
Popular passages
Page 239 - The little bird sits at his door in the sun, Atilt like a blossom among the leaves, And lets his illumined being o'errun With the deluge of summer it receives; His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings, And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings; He sings to the wide world and she to her nest,— In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?
Page 235 - Camelot; And sometimes thro' the mirror blue The knights come riding two and two: She hath no loyal knight and true, The Lady of Shalott. But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often thro...
Page 154 - Thus this brook has conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main ocean; and thus the ashes of Wickliffe are the emblem of his doctrine, which now is dispersed all the world over."* — Church History.
Page 238 - Earth gets its price for what Earth gives us; The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in, The priest hath his fee who comes and shrives us, We bargain for the graves we lie in; At the Devil's booth are all things sold, Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold...
Page 238 - And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days; Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune, And over it softly her warm ear lays...
Page 223 - Thanne wolde he speke, and crye as he were wood. And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn, Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn. A fewe termes hadde he, two or...
Page 146 - To drawe folk to heven by fairnesse, By good ensample, was his busynesse: But it were eny persone obstinat, What so he were of high or lowe estat, Him wolde he snybbe scharply for the nones. A bettre preest I trowe ther nowher non is. He waytud after no pompe ne reverence, Ne maked him a spiced conscience, But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taught, and ferst he folwed it himselve.
Page 242 - And many a breem and many a luce in stewe. 350 Wo was his cook, but-if his sauce were Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere. His table dormant in his halle alway Stood redy covered al the longe day.
Page 189 - And held after the newe world the space. He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen, That seith, that hunters been nat holy men...
Page 144 - PERSOUN of a toun ; But riche he was of holy thought and werk. He was also a lerned man, a clerk, That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche ; His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.