Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

First he wrought, and afterwards he taught.

Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese.

To maken vertue of necessite.

Oon ere it herde, at tother out it went.

To keep demands as much skill as to win.

Whoso will pray, he must fast and be clean, And fat his soul, and make his body lean.

But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.

It is nought good a sleping hound to wake.

With emptie hands men may no haukes lure.

For of fortunes sharp adversitee The worst kynde of infortune is this, A man to han ben in prosperitee, And it remembren, whan it passed is.

In general, women desire to rule over their husbands and lovers, to be the authority above them.

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.

What's said is said and goes upon its way Like it or not, repent it as you may.

The handsome gifts that fate and nature lend us Most often are the very ones that end us.

Pitee renneth soone in gentil herte.

'My lige lady, generally,' quod he, 'Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As well over hir housbond as hir love.'

Ful wys is he that kan hymselven knowe.

And for to see, and eek for to be seie.

Or as an ook comth of a litel spir, So thorugh this lettre, which that she hym sente, Encressen gan desir, of which he brente.

At the ches with me she (Fortune) gan to pleye; With her false draughts (pieces) dyvers/She staal on me, and took away my fers. And when I sawgh my fers awaye, Allas! I kouthe no lenger playe.

If no love is, O God, what fele I so? And if love is, what thing and which is he? If love be good, from whennes cometh my woo? If it be wikke, a wonder thynketh me

And when a beest is deed, he hath no peyne; But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne.

The proverbe saith that many a smale maketh a grate.

Fie on possession, But if a man be vertuous withal.

So was hir jolly whistel wel y-wette.

And brought of mighty ale a large quart.

Yblessed be god that I have wedded fyve! Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.

If gold ruste, what shall iren do?

Eke wonder last but nine deies never in toun.

The smylere with the knyf under the cloke.

Alas, alas, that ever love was sin! I ever followed natural inclination Under the power of my constellation And was unable to deny, in truth, My chamber of Venus to a likely youth.

I am right sorry for your heavinesse.

I hold a mouses wit not worth a leke, That hath but on hole for to sterten to.

Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.

Ek gret effect men write in place lite; Th'entente is al, and nat the lettres space.

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.

But all thing which that shineth as the gold Ne is no gold, as I have herd it told.

And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach

For tyme y-lost may not recovered be.

Yet in our ashen cold is fire yreken.

Ther is no newe gyse that it nas old.

The bisy larke, messager of day.

His spirit chaunged house and wente ther, As I cam nevere, I kan nat tellen wher.

... murder wol out

people have managed to marry without arithmetic

you will not be master of my body & my property

we know little of the things for which we pray

Lo, which a greet thing is affeccioun!Men may die of imaginacioun, So depe may impressioun be take.

By God, if women had written stories, As clerks had within here oratories, They would have written of men more wickednessThan all the mark of Adam may redress.

Then the Miller fell off his horse.