Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400) - "The Canterbury Tales", from General Prologue, ll. 569-588

From The Canterbury Tales:
General Prologue
lines 569-588: The Manciple

	A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple,
570	Of which achatours myghte take exemple
	For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;
	For wheither that he payde or took by taille,
	Algate he wayted so in his achaat
	That he was ay biforn, and in good staat.
575	Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace,
	That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
	The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?
	Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,
	That weren of lawe expert and curious,
580	Of whiche ther weren a duszeyne in that hous
	Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond
	Of any lord that is in Engelond,
	To maken hym lyve by his propre good,
	In honour dettelees (but if he were wood),
585	Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire,
	And able for to helpen al a shire
	In any caas that myghte falle or happe-
	And yet this Manciple sette hir aller cappe.

	The MANCIPLE was from the Inner Temple,
570	To whom all buyers might think of as an example
	To learn the art of buying victuals;
	Cash or credit, he knew all the rituals,
	That he knew the markets, watched them closely,
	And found himself ahead, he did quit nicely.
575	Now is it not of God's very fair grace
	That such a vulgar man has wit to pace
	The wisdom of a crowd of learned men?
	Of masters had he more than three times ten,
	Who were in law expert and curious;
580	Whereof there were a dozen in that house
	Fit to be stewards of both rent and land
	Of any lord in England who would stand
	To make him live by his own wealth and fee,
	In honour, debtless (unless his head was crazy),
585	Or live as economically as he might desire;
	These men were able to have helped a shire
	In any case that ever might occur;
	And yet this manciple covered their sight with blur.