Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue 21, The Manciple - (A Minimalist Translation) Poem by Forrest Hainline

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue 21, The Manciple - (A Minimalist Translation)

A gentle Manciple was there of a temple,
Of which acaters might take example
For to be wise in buying of vitaille;
For whether that he paid or took by tally,
Always he waited so in his achate,
That he was aye before and in good state.
Now is not that of God a full fair grace
That such a lewd man's wit shall pace
The wisdom of a heap of learned men?
Of masters had he more than thrice ten,
That were of law expert and curious,
Of which there were a dozen in that house
Worthy to be stewards of rent and land
Of any lord that is in England,
To make him live by his proper good
In honor debtless (but if he were wood) ,
Or live as scarcely as he might desire;
And able for to help all a shire
In any case that might fall or hap
And yet this Manciple set their all cap.

© 2009,2019,2020
Forrest Hainline