Quotes
Quotes - Chaucer
The gretest clerkes ben not the wisest men.
So was hire joly whistle wel ywette.
In his owen grese I made him frie.
And for to see, and eek for to be seie.
I hold a mouses wit not worth a leke,
That hath but on hole for to sterten to.
Loke who that is most vertuous alway,
Prive and apert, and most entendeth ay
To do the gentil dedes that he can,
And take him for the gretest gentilman.
That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis.
This flour of wifly patience.
They demen gladly to the badder end.
Therefore behoveth him a ful long spone,
That shall eat with a fend.
Fie on possession,
But if a man be vertuous withal.
Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.
Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.
Mordre wol out, that see we day by day.
But all thing which that shineth as the gold
Ne is no gold, as I have herd it told.
The firste vertue, sone, if thou wilt lere,
Is to restreine and kepen wel thy tonge.
The proverbe saith that many a smale maketh a grate.
Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese.
Right as an aspen lefe she gan to quake.
For of fortunes sharpe adversite,
The worst kind of infortune is this,--
A man that hath been in prosperite,
And it remember whan it passed is.
He helde about him alway, out of drede,
A world of folke.
One eare it heard, at the other out it went.
Eke wonder last but nine deies never in toun.
I am right sorry for your heavinesse.
Go, little booke! go, my little tragedie!
