Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat. Chaucer is most famous as the author of The Canterbury Tales. He is sometimes credited with being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin.

Quotes



 * By writing have men mind of things passed, for writing is the key of all good remembrance.
 * "The 25 Good Women", quoted in Edward, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game, Prologue

Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge, The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne; Al this mene I be love.'''
 * '''The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.
 * Parlement of Foules, l. 1-4; comparable with Hippocrates, Aphorisms 1:1

Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere; And '''out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere.'''
 * For out of olde feldes, as men seith,
 * Parlement of Foules, l. 22-25


 * Nature, the vicar of the Almightie Lord.
 * Parlement of Foules, l. 379

And every speche that is spoken, Loud or privee, foul or fair, In his substaunce is but air; For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, Right so soun is air ybroke.'''
 * '''Soun is noght but air ybroken,
 * The House of Fame, bk. 2, l. 257-62

But yit I praye unto youre curteisye: Beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die.
 * For I am shave as neigh as any frere.
 * The Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse, l. 19–21


 * Harde is his herte that loveth nought In Mey, ...
 * The Romaunt of the Rose, Lines 85-86

Troilus and Criseyde (1380s)


Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge Us thinketh hem'''; and yet they spake hem so, And spedde as wel in love as men now do; '''Eek for to winne love in sondry ages, In sondry londes, sondry ben usages.'''
 * '''Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
 * Book 2, line 22-28


 * Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese.
 * Book ii, line 470

Whan he the peple upon him herde cryen, That to beholde it was a noble game, How sobreliche he caste doun his yen. Criseyda gan al his chere aspyen, And let so softe it in her herte sinke That to herself she seyde, "Who yaf me drinke?"
 * For which he wex a litel red for shame,
 * Book 2, line 645-651

So thorugh this lettre, which that she hym sente, Encressen gan desir, of which he brente.'''
 * '''Or as an ook comth of a litel spir,
 * Book 2, line 1335-37
 * The earliest known near-usage in English of the proverb "Great oaks from little acorns grow."


 * It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.
 * Book 3, line 764

The worst kynde of infortune is this, A man to han ben in prosperitee, And it remembren, whan it passed is.
 * For of fortunes sharp adversitee
 * Book 3, line 1625-1628

A world of folke.
 * He helde about him alway, out of drede,
 * Book 3, line 1721


 * Oon ere it herde, at tothir out it wente
 * One ear heard it, at the other out it went
 * Book 4, line 434


 * Eke wonder last but nine deies never in toun.
 * Book 4, line 525


 * For tyme y-lost may not recovered be.
 * Book 4, line 1283


 * I am right sorry for your heavinesse.
 * Book 5, line 146

In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge, So prey I God that non myswrite the, Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge; And red wherso thow be, or elles songe, That thow be understonde, God I biseche!
 * And for ther is so gret diversite
 * Book 5, line 1793-1798


 * Go, little booke! go, my little tragedie!
 * Book 5, line 1798

In which that love up-groweth with your age, Repeyreth hoom fro worldly vanitee, '''And of your herte up-casteth the visage To thilke God that after his image Yow made, and thynketh al nis but a faire This world, that passeth sone as floures faire.'''
 * O yonge fresshe folkes, he or she,
 * Book 5, line 1835-1841

The Canterbury Tales


The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swych licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye (So priketh hem nature in hir corages); Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.
 * Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
 * General Prologue, l. 1-12


 * And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
 * General Prologue, l. 69


 * He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
 * General Prologue, l. 72


 * He coude songes make, and wel endite.
 * General Prologue, l. 95

Entuned in hir nose ful semely, And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
 * Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,
 * General Prologue, l. 122-126


 * A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.
 * General Prologue, l. 287

A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red, Of Aristotle, and his philosophie, Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie. But all be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.
 * For him was lever han at his beddes hed
 * General Prologue, l. 295-300

'''Noght o word spak he more than was nede, And that was seyd in forme and reverence, And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence. Souninge in moral vertu was his speche, And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.'''
 * Of studie took he most cure and most hede.
 * General Prologue, l. 305 - 310

And yet he semed bisier than he was.'''
 * '''Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
 * About the Sergeant of Law
 * General Prologue, l. 323-324


 * His studie was but litel on the Bible.
 * General Prologue, l. 440

Therefore he loved gold in special.
 * For gold in phisike is a cordial;
 * General Prologue, l. 445


 * Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder.
 * General Prologue, l. 493

That first he wrought, and afterwards he taught.'''
 * '''This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf, —
 * General Prologue, l. 498

He taught; but first he folwed it himselve.'''
 * '''But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
 * General Prologue, l. 529


 * And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.
 * General Prologue, l. 565; referencing the proverb, "Every honest miller has a golden thumb".

He moste reherse, as neighe as ever he can, Everich word, if it be in his charge, All speke he never so rudely and so large; Or elles he moste tellen his tale untrewe, Or feinen thinges, or finden wordes newe.
 * Who so shall telle a tale after a man,
 * General Prologue, l. 733

The seson priketh every gentil herte, And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte.
 * For May wol have no slogardie a-night.
 * General Prologue, l. 1044


 * The smylere with the knyf under the cloke.
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 1141


 * That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears.
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 1524

Ech man for hymself, ther is noon other.
 * And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 1181-1182

Now with his love, now in his colde grave Allone, withouten any compaignye.
 * What is this world? what asketh men to have?
 * The Knight's Tale, IV, 1919 - 1921

And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro'''; Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore.
 * '''This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
 * The Knight's Tale, lV, 1990 - 1992

That is prince and cause of alle thyng Convertynge al unto his propre welle From which it is deryved, sooth to telle, And heer-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to strive. '''Thanne is it wysdom, as it thynketh me, To maken vertu of necessity,''' And take it weel, that we may nat eschue; And namely, that to us alle is due.
 * What maketh this, but Juppiter the kyng,
 * The Knight's Tale, lV 2177 - 2186


 * Up rose the sonne, and up rose Emelie.
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 2275


 * Min be the travaille, and thin be the glorie.
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 2408


 * To maken vertue of necessite.
 * The Knight's Tale, l. 3044

For youthe and elde is often at debat.
 * Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
 * The Miller's Tale, l. 121-122


 * And brought of mighty ale a large quart.
 * The Miller's Tale, l. 3497

That may both werken wel and hastily. 4 This wol be done at leisure parfitly.
 * Ther n' is no werkman whatever he be,
 * The Merchant's Tale, l. 585


 * The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men.
 * The Reeve's Tale, l. 134


 * Yet in our ashen cold is fire yreken.
 * The Reeve's Tale, l. 388


 * The gretest clerkes ben not the wisest men.
 * The Reeve's Tale, l. 4051


 * So was hire joly whistle wel ywette.
 * The Reeve's Tale, l. 4153

Preesse on us faste, and thanne wol we flee. With daunger oute we al oure chaffare: Greet prees at market maketh dere ware, And too greet chepe is holden at litel pris.
 * In his owen grese I made him frie.
 * The Wife of Bath's Prologue, l. 487
 * Forbede us thing, and that desiren we;
 * The Wife of Bath's Prologue, l. 525-529


 * Allas! allas! that evere love was synne!
 * The Wife of Bath's Prologue, l. 614
 * And for to see, and eek for to be seie.
 * The Wife of Bath's Tale, l. 6134

That hath but on hole for to sterten to.
 * I hold a mouses wit not worth a leke,
 * The Wife of Bath's Tale, l. 6154

Prive and apert, and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, And take him for the gretest gentilman.
 * Loke who that is most vertuous alway,
 * The Wife of Bath's Tale, l. 6695


 * That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis.
 * The Wife of Bath's Tale, l. 6752

Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde.
 * For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
 * The Clerk's Tale, l. 62-63


 * This flour of wifly patience.
 * The Clerk's Tale, part v., l. 8797

That may bothe werke wel and hastily.
 * Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
 * The Merchant's Tale, l. 1832-1833

That shal ete with a feend.
 * Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon
 * The Squire's Tale, l. 594-95


 * They demen gladly to the badder end.
 * The Squire's Tale, l. 10538

Wommen, of kynde, desiren libertee, And nat to been constreyned as a thral; And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal.
 * Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
 * The Franklin's Tale, l. 767-770

But if a man be vertuous withal.
 * Fie on possession,
 * The Franklin's Tale, l. 10998


 * Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.
 * The Franklin's Tale, l. 11789


 * Ful wys is he that kan hymselven knowe!
 * The Monk's Tale, l. 3329


 * Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.
 * The Nun's Priest's Tale, l. 232

As of a fox, or of a cock and hen, Taketh the morality, good men. For Saint Paul saith that all that written is, To our doctrine it is y-writ, ywis; Taketh the fruit, and let the chaff be still.
 * But yet that holden this tale a folly,
 * The Nun's Priest's Tale, l. 672-677


 * Certes, they been lyk to houndes, for an hound whan he comth by the roser, or by other bushes, though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up his leg and make a contenaunce to pisse.
 * The Parson's Tale, sect. 77

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)



 * Your duty is, as ferre as I can gesse.
 * The Court of Love, line 178

How darst thou put thy-self in prees for drede?
 * O little booke, thou art so unconning,
 * The Flower and the Leaf, line 59

Than love I most these floures white and rede, Soch that men callen daisies in our toun.
 * Of all the floures in the mede,
 * Prologue of the Legend of Good Women, line 41

The daisie, or els the eye of the day, The emprise, and floure of floures all.
 * That well by reason men it call may
 * Prologue of the Legend of Good Women, line 183


 * For iii may keep a counsel if twain be away.
 * The Ten Commandments of Love

Canterbury Tales
Ne is no gold, as I have herd it told.
 * But all thing which that shineth as the gold
 * The Chanones Yemannes Tale, l. 16430

Is to restreine and kepen wel thy tonge.
 * The firste vertue, sone, if thou wilt lere,
 * The Manciples Tale, l. 17281


 * The proverbe saith that many a smale maketh a grate.
 * Persones Tale


 * Right as an aspen lefe she gan to quake.
 * L. 1201

Quotes about Chaucer

 * Chaucer, notwithstanding the praises bestowed on him, I think obscene and contemptible;—he owes his celebrity, merely to his antiquity, which he does not deserve so well as Pierce Plowman, or Thomas of Ercildoune.
 * Lord Byron, from a memorandum book dated 30 November 1807, in Letters and Journals of Lord Byron, ed. T. Moore (1830), p. 36


 * The worshipful father and first founder and embellisher of ornate eloquence in our English.
 * William Caxton, Epilogue to Boethius' De Consolacione Philosophie (1478)


 * Chaucer was one of the most original men who ever lived. There had never been anything like the lively realism of the ride to Canterbury done or dreamed of in our literature before. He is not only the father of all our poets, but the grandfather of all our hundred million novelists.
 * G. K. Chesterton, Chaucer (1959), p. 34


 * As he is the Father of English Poetry, so I hold him in the same Degree of Veneration as the Grecians held Homer, or the Romans Virgil: He is a perpetual Fountain of good Sense; learn'd in all Sciences; and, therefore speaks properly on all Subjects: As he knew what to say, so he knows also when to leave off; a Continence which is practis'd by few Writers, and scarcely by any of the Ancients, excepting Virgil and Horace. ... Chaucer follow'd Nature every where, but was never so bold to go beyond her.
 * John Dryden, Preface to The Fables (1700)


 * 'Tis sufficient to say according to the Proverb, that here is God's Plenty.
 * John Dryden, Preface to The Fables (1700)

The first enriched our English with his rhymes, And was the first of ours that ever broke Into the Muses' treasures, and first spoke In weighty numbers, delving in the mine Of perfect knowledge.'''
 * '''That noble Chaucer, in those former times,
 * Michael Drayton, Epistle to Henry Reynolds (1627)


 * One of those rare authors whom, if we had met him under a porch in a shower, we should have preferred to the rain.
 * James Russell Lowell, My Study Windows (1871), p. 229


 * One... characteristic of medieval space must be noted: space and time form two relatively independent systems. First: the medieval artist introduced other times within his own spatial world, as when he projected the events of Christ's life within a contemporary Italian city, without the slightest feeling that the passage of time has made a difference, just as in Chaucer the classical legend of Troilus and Cressida is related as if it were a contemporary story. When a medieval chronicler mentions the King... it is sometimes difficult to find out whether he is talking about Caeser or Alexander the Great or his own monarch: each is equally near to him. ...the word anachronism is meaningless when applied to medieval art... in Botticelli's The Three Miracles of St. Zenobius, three different times are presented upon a single stage.


 * Lewis Mumford, Technics and Civilization (1934)


 * I read Chaucer still with as much pleasure as almost any of our poets. He is a master of manners, of description, and the first tale-teller in the true enlivened natural way.
 * Alexander Pope, as quoted in Joseph Spence's Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters, of Books and Men, ed. ‎S. W. Singer (1820), p. 19

On Fame's eternal beadroll worthy to be filed.'''
 * '''Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled
 * Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene (1596), Book IV, Canto II, stanza 32

The pure well-head of poetry did dwell.
 * Dan Geffrey, in whose gentle spright
 * Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, Book VII. Canto VII, stanza 9

His music heard below; Dan Chaucer, the first warbler, whose sweet breath Preluded those melodious bursts that fill The spacious times of great Elizabeth With sounds that echo still.'''
 * '''The morning star of song, who made
 * Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "A Dream of Fair Women" (1832), lines 3–8


 * It is pretty generally admitted that Geoffrey Chaucer, the eminent poet of the fourteenth century, though obsessed with an almost Rooseveltian passion for the new spelling, was there with the goods when it came to profundity of thought.
 * P. G. Wodehouse, "Rough-Hew Them How We Will" (1914)