Quotes from bookThe Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. In 1386, Chaucer became Controller of Customs and Justice of Peace and, in 1389, Clerk of the King's work. It was during these years that Chaucer began working on his most famous text, The Canterbury Tales. The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark on their return.
“A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
General Prologue, l. 287
The Canterbury Tales
“Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin's Tale, l. 11789
The Canterbury Tales
“Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
For youthe and elde is often at debat.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Miller's Tale, l. 121-122
The Canterbury Tales
“Right as an aspen lefe she gan to quake.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
Source: Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919), Canterbury Tales, L. 1201
“Up rose the sonne, and up rose Emelie.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Knight's Tale, l. 2275
The Canterbury Tales
“The gretest clerkes ben not the wisest men.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Reeve's Tale, l. 4051
The Canterbury Tales
“And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
General Prologue, l. 565; referencing the proverb, "Every honest miller has a golden thumb".
The Canterbury Tales
“Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet he semed bisier than he was.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
About the Sergeant of Law
General Prologue, l. 323-324
The Canterbury Tales
“The smylere with the knyf under the cloke.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Knight's Tale, l. 1141
The Canterbury Tales
“This flour of wifly patience.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Clerk's Tale, part v., l. 8797
The Canterbury Tales
“The proverbe saith that many a smale maketh a grate.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
Persones Tale
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919), Canterbury Tales
“His studie was but litel on the Bible.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
General Prologue, l. 440
The Canterbury Tales
“So was hire joly whistle wel ywette.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Reeve's Tale, l. 4153
The Canterbury Tales
“I hold a mouses wit not worth a leke,
That hath but on hole for to sterten to.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Wife of Bath's Tale, l. 6154
The Canterbury Tales
“Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily.”
Geoffrey Chaucer book The Canterbury Tales
The Merchant's Tale, l. 1832-1833
The Canterbury Tales
