The Canterbury Tales/Source/The General Prologue: Difference between revisions
The Canterbury Tales/Source/The General Prologue (view source)
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Truth and honour, freedom and courtesy.
Full worthy was he in his Lorde's war,
And thereto had he ridden, no man {{alttext|farre
As well in Christendom as in Heatheness,
And ever honour'd for his worthiness
At Alisandre<ref>Alisandre: Alexandria, in Egypt, captured by Pierre de Lusignan, king of Cyprus, in 1365 but abandoned immediately afterwards. Thirteen years before, the same Prince had taken Satalie, the ancient Attalia, in Anatolia, and in 1367 he won Layas, in Armenia, both places named just below.</ref> he was when it was won.
Full often time he had the board begun
Above alle nations in Prusse.<ref>The knight had been placed at the head of the table, above knights of all nations, in Prussia, whither warriors from all countries were wont to repair, to aid the Teutonic Order in their continual conflicts with their heathen neighbours in "Lettowe" or Lithuania (German. "Litthauen"), Russia, &c.</ref>
In Lettowe had he {{alttext|reysed|journeyed}},
No Christian man so oft of his degree.
In Grenade at the siege eke had he be
Of Algesir, and ridden in Belmarie.<ref>Algesiras was taken from the Moorish king of Grenada, in 1344: the Earls of Derby and Salisbury took part in the siege. Belmarie is supposed to have been a Moorish state in Africa; but "Palmyrie" has been suggested as the correct reading. The Great Sea, or the Greek sea, is the Eastern Mediterranean. Tramissene, or Tremessen, is enumerated by Froissart among the Moorish kingdoms in Africa. Palatie, or Palathia, in Anatolia, was a fief held by the Christian knights after the Turkish conquests -- the holders paying tribute to the infidel. Our knight had fought with one of those lords against a heathen neighbour.</ref>
At Leyes was he, and at Satalie,
When they were won; and in the Greate Sea
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And foughten for our faith at Tramissene.
In listes thries, and aye slain his foe.
This {{alttext|ilke|same}}<ref>Ilke: same; compare the Scottish phrase "of that ilk," -- that is, of the estate which bears the same name as its owner's title.</ref> worthy knight had been also
Some time with the lord of Palatie,
Against another heathen in Turkie:
And evermore
And though that he was worthy he was wise,
And of his port as meek as is a maid.
He never yet no villainy ne said
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But for to telle you of his array,
His horse was good, but yet he was not gay.
Of fustian he weared a {{alttext|gipon
Alle
For he was late y-come from his voyage,
And wente for to do his pilgrimage.
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His tale anon, and said as ye shall hear.
10. It was the custom for squires of the highest degree to carve
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