Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400) - "The Canterbury Tales", from General Prologue, ll. 717-785

From The Canterbury Tales:
General Prologue
lines 717-785: The proposal of the Host

	Now have I toold you shortly in a clause,
	Th'estaat, th'array, the nombre, and eek the cause
	Why that assembled was this compaignye
720	In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye
	That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
	But now is tyme to yow for to telle
	How that we baren us that ilke nyght,
	Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght;
725	And after wol I telle of our viage
	And all the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.
	But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,
	That ye n'arette it nat my vileynye,
	Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere,
730	To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,
	Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.
	For this ye knowen also wel as I,
	Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,
	He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan
735	Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
	Al speke he never so rudeliche or large,
	Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,
	Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.
	He may nat spare, al thogh he were his brother;
740	He moot as wel seye o word as another.
	Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,
	And, wel ye woot, no vileynye is it.
	Eek Plato seith, whoso kan hym rede,
	The wordes moote be cosyn to the dede.
745	Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,
	Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
	Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde.
	My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.

	Now have I told you briefly, in a clause,
	The state, the array, the number, and the cause
	Of the assembling of this company
720	In Southwark, at this noble hostelry
	Known as the Tabard Inn, closely to the Bell.
	But now the time has come wherein to tell
	How we conducted ourselves that very night
	When at the hostelry we did alight.
725	And afterward the story I begin
	To tell you of our pilgrimage we're in.
	But first, I beg, address your courtesy,
	You'll not ascribe it to vulgarity
	Though I speak plainly of this matter here,
730	Explain to you their words and means of cheer;
	Nor though I use their very terms, nor lie.
	For this thing do you know as well as I:
	When one repeats a tale told by a man,
	He must report, as closely as he can,
735	Every single word, as he remembers it,
	How vulgar it be, or how unfit;
	Or else he may be telling what's untrue,
	Embellishing, even making up things too.
	He may not spare, although it were his brother;
740	He must as well say one word as another.
	Christ spoke very plainly, in holy writ,
	And, you know well, there's nothing rude in it.
	And Plato says, to those able to read:
	"The word should be the cousin to the deed."
745	Also, I beg that you'll forgive it me
	If I have not set folk, in their degree
	Here in this tale, by rank as they should stand.
	My wit is short, as you'll well understand.

	Greet chiere made oure Hoost us everichon,
750	And to the soper sette he us anon.
	He served us with vitaille at the beste;
	Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.
	A semely man OURE HOOSTE was withalle
	For to been a marchal in an halle.
755	A large man he was, with eyen stepe -
	A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe -
	Boold of his speche, and wys, and well ytaught,
	And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.
	Eek therto he was right a myrie man,
760	And after soper pleyen he bigan,
	And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,
	Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges,
	And seyde thus: "Now lordynges, trewely,
	Ye been to me right welcome hertely;
765	For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
	I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
	Atones in this herberwe, as is now.
	Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.
	And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,
770	To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.

	Great fun our host provided, every one,
750	Was set and the supper straightway begun;
	And served us then with victuals of the best.
	Strong was the wine and pleasant to each guest.
	A seemly man our good host was, withal,
	And fit to be a marshal in a hall;
755	A large man he was, with piercing eyes,
	As fine a burgher as in Cheapside lies;
	Bold in his speech, and wise, and fairly taught,
	And as to manhood, lacking there was not.
	Moreover, he's a very merry man,
760	And after dinner, with playing he began,
	And spoke of mirth among some other things,
	When all of us had paid our reckonings;
	And saying thus: "Now my lords, truly
	You are all welcome here, and heartily:
765	On my word, I'm telling you no lie,
	I have not seen, this year, a company
	Here in this inn, fitter for sport than now.
	Fain I'd make you happy, if I'd knew how.
	And of a game have I this moment thought
770	To give you joy, and it shall cost you not.

	Ye goon to Caunterbury - God yow speede,
	The blisful martir quite yow youre meede!
	And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
	Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye,
775	For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon
	To ride by the weye doumb as stoon;
	And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
	As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
	And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
780	For to stonden at my juggement,
	And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
	To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
	Now, by my fader soule that is deed,
	But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!
785	Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche."

	"You go to Canterbury; may God speed
	And the blest martyr listens to your need.
	And well I know, as you go on your way,
	You'll tell good tales and shape yourselves to play;
775	For truly there's no mirth nor comfort, none,
	Riding the roads as dumb as is a stone;
	And therefore I provide to you a sport,
	As I just said, to give you some comfort.
	And if you like it all, unanimously,
780	Accept my judgement, submit yourselves, agree
	And will so do as I'll proceed to say,
	Tomorrow, when you ride upon your way,
	Then, by my father's spirit, who is dead,
	If you're not merry, I will give you my head.
785	Hold up your hands, nor more about it speak."