From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Shipman's Tale, lines 53-74

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

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From The Canterbury Tales:
The Shipman's Tale
lines 53-74: The merchant invites the monk

	But so bifel, this marchant on a day
	Shoop hym to make redy his array
55	Toward the toun of Brugges for to fare,
	To byen there a porcioun of ware;
	For which he hath to Parys sent anon
	A messenger, and preyed hath daun John
	That he sholde come to Seint-Denys to pleye
60	With hym and with his wyf a day or tweye,
	Er he to Brugges wente, in alle wise.

	It so it happened, this merchant, on a day,
	Prepared to make all ready his array,
55	Since to the town of Bruges he was to fare
	To purchase there a quantity of ware;
	To which end he'd to Paris sent someone
	With messages, and he had prayed Don John
	That he should come to Saint-Denis to pay
60	Him and his wife a visit for a day,
	Before he went to Bruges, he certainly must do.

	This noble monk, of which I yow devyse,
	Hath of his abbot, as hym list, licence,
	By cause he was a man of heigh prudence,
65	And eek an officer, out for to ryde,
	To seen hir graunges and hire bernes wyde,
	And unto Seint-Denys he comth anon.
	Who was so welcome as my lord daun John,
	Oure deere cosyn, ful of curteisye?
70	With hym broghte he a jubbe of malvesye,
	And eek another, ful of fyn vernage,
	And volatyl, as ay was his usage.
	And thus I lete hem ete and drynke and pleye,
	This marchant and this monk, a day or tweye.

	This noble monk, whereof I'm telling you.
	Had from his abbot, when he wished, license,
	Because he was a man of great prudence,
65	An officer, indeed, who out did ride
	To see to barns and granges, far and wide;
	And now to Saint-Denis he came anon.
	Who was so welcome as my lord Don John,
	Our cousin dear, so full of courtesy?
70	With him he brought a jug of rare malmsey,
	And still another full of fine vernage,
	And wild fowls, too, as was his long usage.
	And so I let them eat and drink and play,
	This monk and merchant, for a night and day.

Next:
From The Shipman's Tale, lines 75-88:
The merchant and his financial administration