From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Shipman's Tale, lines 33-52

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From The Shipman's Tale, lines 020-032:
A monk who frequently visits the house of the merchant

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From The Canterbury Tales:
The Shipman's Tale
lines 33-52: The monk claims to be the merchant's cousin

	And for as muchel as this goode man,
	And eek this monk, of which that I bigan,
35	Were bothe two yborn in o village,
	The monk hym claymeth as for cosynage;
	And he agayn, he seith nat ones nay,
	But was as glad therof as fowel of day;
	For to his herte it was a greet plesaunce.
40	Thus been they knyt with eterne alliaunce,
	And ech of hem gan oother for t'assure
	Of bretherhede, whil that hir lyf may dure.

	And in as much as this same goodly man
	And too, this monk of whom I first began,
35	Were both born in the village they'd lived in,
	The monk claimed him for cousin, or such kin;
	And he again, he never said him nay,
	But was as glad thereof as bird of day;
	For to his heart it was a great pleasance.
40	Thus they were knit by endless alliance,
	And each of them did other one assure
	Of brotherhood the while their lives endure.

	Free was daun John, and manly of dispence,
	As in that hous, and ful of diligence
45	To doon plesaunce, and also greet costage.
	He noght forgat to yeve the leeste page
	In al that hous; but after hir degree,
	He yaf the lord, and sitthe al his meynee,
	Whan that he cam, som manere honest thyng,
50	For which they were as glad of his comyng
	As fowel is fayn whan that the sonne up riseth.
	Na moore of this as now, for it suffiseth.

	Free was Don John with money and expense
	When in that house; and full of diligence
45	To please all there, whatever be his age.
	He ne'er forgot to tip the humblest page
	In all that house; according to degree
	He gave the master, then the company,
	Whene'er he came, some kind of honest thing;
50	For which they were as glad of his coming
	As bird is glad when the new sun up-rises.
	No more of all this now, for it suffices.

Next:
From The Shipman's Tale, lines 53-74:
The merchant invites the monk