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BRITISH POEMS

FROM "CANTERBURY TALES" TO "RECESSIONAL"

GEOFFREY CHAUCER [1340?-1400]

THE PILGRIMS

5

WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote1
The droghte of Marche hath percèd2 to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich3 licour,
Of which vertu engendrèd is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspirèd hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale fowles maken melodye,
That slepen al the night with open ye,
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages®):
Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
(And palmers for to seken straunge strondes,)
To ferne halwes, couthe' in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The holy blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
Bifel that, in that sesoun on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
At night was come in-to that hostelrye
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,
Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle
In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle,

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