He hadde of gold y-wrought a curious pynne: A love-knot in the grettere ende ther was. His heed was balled, that schon as eny glas, And eek his face, as he hadde ben anoynt. He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt; His eyën steepe, and rollyng in his heede, That stemëde as a forneys of a leede;{36} His bootës souple, his hors in gret estat. Now certeinly he was a fair prelat; He was not pale as a for-pyned goost. A fat swan lovede he best of eny roost. His palfrey was as broun as is a berye. A FRERE there was, a wantown and a merye, A lymytour,{37} a ful solempnë man. In alle the ordres foure{38} is noon that can So moche of daliaunce and fair langage. He hadde i-mad ful many a mariage Of yongë wymmen, at his owën cost. Unto his ordre he was a noble post.{39} Ful wel biloved and famulier was he With frankeleyns{40} over-al in his cuntre, And eek with worthy wommen of the toun: For he hadde power of confessioun, As seyde himself, morë than a curat, For of his ordre he was licentiat.{41} Ful swetëly herde he confessioun, And plesaunt was his absolucioun; He was an esy man to yeve penaunce Ther as he wistë han{42} a good pitaunce; For unto a poure ordre for to yive Is signë that a man is wel i-schrive. For if he yaf, he dorstë make avaunt, He wistë that a man was repentaunt. For many a man so hard is of his herte, He may not wepe although him sorë smerte. Therfore in stede of wepyng and preyeres, Men{43} moot yive silver to the pourë freres. His typet was ay farsëd ful of knyfes And pynnës, for to yivë fairë wyfes. And certeynly he hadde a mery note; Wel couthe he synge and pleyen on a rote. Of yeddynges he bar utterly the prys. His nekkë whit was as the flour-de-lys. Therto he strong was as a champioun. He knew the tavernes wel in every toun, And everych hostiler and tappestere, Bet then a lazer, or a beggestere, For unto such a worthy man as he Acorded not, as by his faculté, To han with sikë lazars aqueyntaunce. It is not honest, it may not avaunce, For to delen with no such poraille, But al with riche, and sellers of vitaille.{44} And overal, ther as profyt schulde arise, Curteys he was, and lowly of servyse. Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous. He was the bestë beggere in his hous, For though a widewe haddë noght oo schoo, So plesaunt was his _In principio_,{45} Yet wolde he have a ferthing or he wente. His purchas{46} was wel better than his rente. And rage he couthe as it were right a whelpe, In lovë-dayës{47} couthe he mochel helpe. For ther he was not lik a cloysterer, With a thredbare cope as is a poure scoler, But he was lik a maister or a pope. Of double worsted was his semy-cope,