THE GENERAL PROLOGUE（第30页）

andtellhemusthistaleaswasreason，

byforword，andbyposition，

asyehaveheard;whatneedethwordes?

andwhenthisgoodmansawthatitwasso，

ashethatwisewasandobedient

tokeephisforwordbyhisfreeassent，

hesaid;"sithen*ishallbeginthisgame，*since

why，welebethecuoddesname.

nowletusride，andhearkenwhatisay."

andwiththatwordweriddenforthourway;

andhebeganwithrightamerrycheer

histaleanon，andsaidasyeshallhear.

tyrwhittpointsoutthat"thebull"shouldbereadhere，not"theram，"whichwouldplacethetimeofthepilgrimageintheendofmarch;whereas，intheprologuetothemanoflawstale，thedateisgivenasthe"eightandtwentydayofapril，thatismessengertomay."

dante，inthe"vitanuova，"disuishesthreeclassesofpilgrims:palmieri-palmerswhogobeyondseatotheeast，andoftenbringbackstavesofpalm-wood;peregrini，whogotheshrineofstjagoingalicia;romei，whogotorome">sirwalterscott，however，saysthatpalmerswereinthehabitofpassingfromshrioshrine，livingoncharity—pilgrimsontheotherhand，madethejourneytoanyshrineonlyonce，immediatelyreturningtotheirordinaryavocations">chauceruses"palmer"ofallpilgrims.

"hallows"survives，inthemeaningheregiven，inallhallows—all-saints—day">"couth，"pastparticipleof"conne"toknow，existsin"uncouth."

thetabard—thesignoftheinn—wasasleevelesscoat，wornbyheralds">thenameoftheinnwas，somethreecenturiesafterchaucer，changedtothetalbot.

iny-fall，""y"isacorruptionoftheanglo-saxon"ge"prefixedtoparticiplesofverbs">itisusedbychaucermerelytohelpthemetreingerman，"y-fall，"ory-falle，"wouldbe"gefallen"，"y-run，"or"y-ronne"，wouldbe"geronnen."

alisandre:alexandria，inegypt，capturedbypierrede露signan，kingofcyprus，in1365butabandonedimmediatelyafterwards">thirteenyearsbefore，thesameprincehadtakensatalie，theancientattalia，inanatolia，andin1367hewonlayas，inarmenia，bothplacesnamedjustbelow.

theknighthadbeenplacedattheheadofthetable，aboveknightsofallnations，inprussia，whitherwarriorsfromallcountrieswerewonttorepair，toaidtheteutonicorderintheircontinualconflictswiththeirheathenneighboursin"lettowe"orlithuania（german">"litthauen"），russia，but"palmyrie"estedasthecorrectreading">thegreatsea，orthegreeksea，istheeasternmediterranean.tramissene，ortremessen，isenumeratedbyfroissartangtheorishkingdomsinafrica">palatie，orpalathia，inanatolia，wasafiefheldbythechristianknightsaftertheturkishconquests—theholderspayingtributetotheinfidel">ourknighthadfoughtwithoneofthoselordsagainstaheathenneighbour.

ilke:same;parethescottishphrase"ofthatilk，"—thatis，oftheestatewhichbearsthesamenameasitsownerstitle.

itwasthecustomforsquiresofthehighestdegreetocarveattheirfatherstables.

peacockarrows:largearrows，withpeacocksfeathers.

anut-head:withnut-brownhair;or，roundlikeanut，thehairbeingcutshort.

greyeyesappeartohavebeenamarkoffemalebeautyinchaucerstime.

"forthemastery"wasappliedtomedicinesinthesenseof"sovereign"aswenowapplyittoaremedy.

itwasfashionabletohangbellsonhorsesbridles.

st">benedictwasthefirstfounderofaspiritualorderintheromanchurch">maurus，abbotoffuldafrom822to842，didmuchtore-establishthedisciplineofthebenedictinesonatruechristianbasis.

wood:mad，scottish"wud"">felixsaystopaul，"toomuchlearninghathmadetheemad".

limitour:afriarwithlicenceorprivilegetobeg，orexerciseotherfunctions，withinacertaindistrict:as，"thelimitourofholderness".

farme:rent;thatis，hepaidapremiumforhislicencetobeg.

inprincipio:thefirstwordsofgenesisandjohn，employedinsomepartofthemass.