The collection / 519,258 fragments

Words worth keeping.

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01c. 1364 AD

Whanne that April with his shoures sote The droughte of March hath perced to the rote.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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02c. 1364 AD

And smale foules maken melodie, That slepen alle night with open eye, So priketh hem nature in hir corages; Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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03c. 1364 AD

And of his port as meke as is a mayde.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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04c. 1364 AD

He was a veray parfit gentil knight.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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05c. 1364 AD

He coude songes make, and wel endite.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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06c. 1364 AD

Ful wel she sange the service devine, Entuned in hire nose ful swetely; And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly, After the scole of Stratford atte bowe, For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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07c. 1364 AD

A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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08c. 1364 AD

For him was lever han at his beddes hed A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red, Of Aristotle, and his philosophie, Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie. But all be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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09c. 1364 AD

And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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10c. 1364 AD

Nowher so besy a man as he ther n' as, And yet he semed besier than he was.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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11c. 1364 AD

His studie was but litel on the Bible.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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12c. 1364 AD

For gold in phisike is a cordial; Therefore he loved gold in special.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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13c. 1364 AD

Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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14c. 1364 AD

This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf,— That first he wrought, and afterwards he taught.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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15c. 1364 AD

But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taught; but first he folwed it himselve.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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16c. 1364 AD

And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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17c. 1364 AD

Who so shall telle a tale after a man, He moste reherse, as neighe as ever he can, Everich word, if it be in his charge, All speke he never so rudely and so large; Or elles he moste tellen his tale untrewe, Or feinen thinges, or finden wordes newe.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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18c. 1364 AD

For May wol have no slogardie a-night. The seson priketh every gentil herte, And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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19c. 1364 AD

That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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20c. 1364 AD

Up rose the sonne, and up rose Emelie.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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21c. 1364 AD

Min be the travaille, and thin be the glorie.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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22c. 1364 AD

To maken vertue of necessite.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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23c. 1364 AD

And brought of mighty ale a large quart.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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24c. 1364 AD

Ther n' is no werkman whatever he be, That may both werken wel and hastily. This wol be done at leisure parfitly.

Geoffrey Chaucer / quote

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