well espy. “My husband is so full of jealousy, That but ye waitë well, and be privy, I wot right well I am but dead,” quoth she. “Ye mustë be full derne as in this case.” “Nay, thereof care thee nought,” quoth Nicholas: “A clerk had litherly beset his while, But if he could a carpenter beguile.” And thus they were accorded and y-sworn To wait a time, as I have said beforn. When Nicholas had done thus every deal, And thwacked her about the lendës well, He kiss’d her sweet, and taketh his psalt’ry And playeth fast, and maketh melody. Then fell it thus, that to the parish church, Of Christë’s owen workës for to wirch, This good wife went upon a holy day: Her forehead shone as bright as any day, So was it washen, when she left her werk.
Now was there of that church a parish clerk, The which that was y-cleped Absolon. Curl’d was his hair, and as the gold it shone, And strutted as a fannë large and broad; Full straight and even lay his jolly shode. His rode was red, his eyen grey as goose, With Paulë’s windows carven on his shoes. In hosen red he went full fetisly. Y-clad he was full small and properly, All in a kirtle of a light waget; Full fair and thickë be the pointës set. And thereupon he had a gay surplíce, As white as is the blossom on the rise. A merry child he was, so God me save; Well could he letten blood, and clip, and shave, And make a charter of land, and a quittance. In twenty manners could he trip and dance, After the school of Oxenfordë tho, And with his leggës castë to and fro; And playen songës on a small ribible; Thereto he sung sometimes a loud quinible. And as well could he play on a gitérn. In all the town was brewhouse nor tavérn, That he not visited with his solas, There as that any garnard tapstere was. But sooth to say he was somedeal squaimous Of farting, and of speechë dangerous.
This Absolon, that jolly was and gay, Went with a censer on the holy day, Censing the wivës of the parish fast; And many a lovely look he on them cast, And namëly on this carpénter’s wife: To look on her him thought a merry life. She was so proper, and sweet, and likerous. I dare well say, if