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Greet chiere made oure Hoost us everichon,
And to the soper sette he us anon.
He served us with vitaille at the beste;
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.
A semely man OURE HOOSTE was withalle ‡
For to been a marchal in an halle.
A large man he was, with eyen stepe—
A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe—
Boold of his speche, and wys, and well ytaught,
And of manhod hym lakkede right naught. †
Eek therto he was right a myrie man,
And after soper pleyen he bigan,
And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,
Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges,
And seyde thus: "Now lordynges, trewely,
Ye been to me right welcome hertely;
For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
Atones in this herberwe, as is now.
Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.
And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,
To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.
Ye goon to Caunterbury—God yow speede,
The blisful martir quite yow youre meede! ‡
And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye, ‡
For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon †
To ride by the weye doumb as stoon; †
And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
For to stonden at my juggement,
And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
Now, by my fader soule that is deed,
But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!
Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche."
Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche.
Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys, †
And graunted hym, withouten moore avys,
And bad him seye his voirdit, as hym leste.
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