GP 553 And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
GP 553 And /ther// to /brood// as /though// it/were// a /spade//. 10 syllables
GP 554 Upon the cop right of his nose he hade
GP 554 U /pon// the /cop// right /of// his /nose// he /hade// 10 syllables
GP 555 A werte, and theron stood a toft of herys,
GP 555 A /werte// and /ther// on /stood// a /toft// of /herys// 10 syllables
GP 556 Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys;
GP 556 Reed /as// the /brus// tles /of// a /sowes// e /rys// 10 syllables
GP 557 His nosethirles blake were and wyde.
GP 557 His /nose// thir /les// bla /ke// were /and// wy /de//. 10 syllables
GP 558 A swerd and a bokeler bar he by his syde.
GP 558 Aswerd /and/ a /bo/ ke /ler/ bar /he/ by /his/ syde//. 11 syllables
GP 559 His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.
GP 559 His /mouth// as /greet// was /as// a /greet// for /neys//. 10 syllables
GP 560 He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
GP 560 He /was// a /jan// glere /and// a /go// liar /deys//, 10 syllables
GP 561 And that was moost of synne and harlotries.
GP 561 And /that// was /moost// of /synne// and /har// lo /tries//. 10 syllables
GP 562 Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries;
GP 562 Wel /koude// he /ste/ / len /corn// and /to// llen /thries//; 10 syllables
GP 563 And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee.
GP 563 And /yet/ / he /hadde// a /thombe// of /gold// par /dee//. 10 syllables
GP 564 A whit cote and a blew hood wered he.
GP 564 A /whit// cote /and// a /blew// hood /we// red /he//. 10 syllables
GP 565 A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne,
GP 565 A /bagge/ / pi /pe// wel /koude// he /blowe// and /sowne//, 10 syllables
GP 566 And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.
GP 566 And /ther// with /al// he /broghte// us /out// of /towne//. 10 syllables
GP 567 A gentil MAUNCIPLE was ther of a temple,
GP 567 A /gen/ til /MAUN/ CI /PLE/ was /ther/ of /a/ temple//, 11 syllables
GP 568 Of which achatours myghte take exemple
GP 568 Of /which// a /cha// tours /myghte// ta /ke// e /xemple// 10 syllables
GP 569 For to be wise in byynge of vitaille;
GP 569 For /to// be /wise// in /byyn// ge /of// vi /taille//; 10 syllables
GP 570 For wheither that he payde or took by taille,
GP 570 For /whei// ther /that// he /payde// or /took// by /taille//, 10 syllables
GP 571 Algate he wayted so in his achaat
GP 571 Al /gate// he /way// ted /so// in /his// a /chaat//10 syllables
GP 572 That he was ay biforn and in good staat.
GP 572 That /he// was /ay// bi /forn// and /in// good /staat//. 10 syllables
GP 573 Now is nat that of God a ful fair grace
GP 573 Now /is// nat /that// of /God// a /ful// fair /grac(e)// 10 syllables
GP 574 That swich a lewed mannes wit shal pace
GP 574 That /swich// a /lew// ed /man// nes /wit// shal // 9 Syllables
GP 575 The wisdom of an heep of lerned men?
GP 575 The /wis// dom /of// an /heep// of /ler// ned /men?// 10 syllables
GP 576 Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten,
GP 576 Of /mais// tres /had// d(e) /he// mo /than// thries /ten//, 10 syllables
GP 577 That weren of lawe expert and curious,
GP 577 That /we// ren /of// law(e) /ex// pert /and// cu /rious//, 10 syllables
GP 578 Of which ther were a duszeyne in that hous
GP 578 Of /whiCh// ther /wer(e) // a /dus// zeyn(e) /in// that /hous// 10 syllables
GP 579 Worthy to been stywardes of rente and lond
GP 579 Wor /thy// to /been// sty /ward(e)s // of /rent(e) // and /lond//10 syllables
GP 580 Of any lord that is in Engelond,
GP 580 Of /a// ny /lord// that /is// in /En// g(e) / lond// 10 syllables
GP 581 To make hym lyve by his propre good
GP 581 To/ make// hym/ lyve //by/ his// prop/re// good 9 syllables
GP 582 In honour dettelees (but if he were wood),
GP 582 In /honour// dette/lees// (but/ if// he/wer(e)// wo/od//), 10 syllables
GP 583 Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire;
GP 583 Or /lyve// as/ scars//ly /as //hym/ list// de/sire//; 10 syllables
GP 584 And able for to helpen al a shire
GP 584 And/ able// for/ to// help/en// al/ a// shi/r(e)// 10 syllables
GP 585 In any caas that myghte falle or happe.
GP 585 In/ any// ca/as// that/ myght(e)// fall(e)/ or // hap/p(e)// 10 syllables.
GP 586 And yet this Manciple sette hir aller cappe.
GP 586 And/ yet// this/ Man// ci/pl(e)// sett(e)/ hir// aller/ capp(e) 10 syllables
GP 587 The REVE was a sclendre colerik man.
GP 587 The/ REV(E)// was/ a// s/clen//dr(e)/ cole// rik/ man// 10 syllables.
GP 588 His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan;
GP 588 His/ berd// was/ shav(e)// as/ (a)ny// as/ ever// he /kan//; 10 syllables
GP 589 His heer was by his erys ful round yshorn;
GP 589 His/ heer// was/ by// his/ e//rys/ ful// round/ y//shorn; 11 syllables
GP 590 His top was dokked lyk a preest biforn.
GP 590 His/ top// was/ dokk(e)d// ly/k// a/ preest// bi/forn//.10 syllables
GP 591 Ful longe were his legges and ful lene,
GP 591 Ful/ long(e)// were/ his// leg/ges// and/ ful// le/ne//, 10 syllables
GP 592 Ylyk a staf; ther was no calf ysene.
GP 592 Y/lyk// a/ staf//; ther/ was// no /calf// y/sene//. 10 syllables
GP 593 Wel koude he kepe a gerner and a bynne;
GP 593 Wel/ koud(e)// he/ kep(e)// a/ ger//ner/ and/ a /bynn(e)//; 10 syllables
GP 594 Ther was noon auditour koude on him wynne.
GP 594 Ther/ was// no/oon// audi/tour// koud(e)/ on// him/ wynn(e)//. 10 syllables
GP 595 Wel wiste he by the droghte and by the reyn
GP 595 Wel/ wist(e)// he/ by// the/ droght(e)// and /by// the/ reyn// 10 syllables
GP 596 The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn.
GP 596 The/ yel// dyng(e)/ of // his/ seed// and/ of// his /greyn.// 10 syllables
GP 597 His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye,
GP 597 His/ lord//es/ sheep//, his/ neet//, his/ day//er/ye//, 10 syllables
GP 598 His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye
GP 598 His/ swyn//, his/ hors//, his / stoor//, and/ his// pult/rye// 10 syllables
GP 599 Was hoolly in this Reves governynge,
GP 599 Was/ hoo//lly/ in// this/ Re//ves/ go//ver/nyng(e)//, 10 syllables
GP 600 And by his covenant yaf the rekenynge,
GP 600 And/ by// his/ cove//nant/ yaf //the/ rek//e/nyng(e)//, 10 syllables
GP 601 Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age.
GP 601 Syn/ that// his/ lord// was/ twen//ty / ye/er// of /age.// 11 syllables
GP 602 Ther koude no man brynge hym in arrerage
GP 602 Ther/ koud(e)// no/ man// bryng(e)/ hym// in/ ar//re/rage// 10 syllables
Chaucer uses an AABB rhyme and a ten-syllable scheme to set an iambic pentameter rythm. This iambic pentameter is not always regular, and we can find variations about the number of syllables (nine or eleven syllabic patterns are acceptable when using iambic pentameter).
We can find also some parallelisms about syntax if we compare lines throughout the text. The rhyming words are usually in the same position, and it is funny the mood in that we can notice internal rhymes, and even an optional use of the ending “e”. The interesting of this prologue is to create a well-structured story by using such a rhythmic pattern, which gives to the text a sense of troubadouresque tone.
Jose Monfort, Clive Pertegas, J.Manuel Martin
