Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes - Page 5

That of all the floures in the mede, Thanne love I most these floures white and rede, Suche as men callen daysyes in her toune.

Thus with hir fader for a certeyn space Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience, That neither by hir wordes ne hir face Biforn the folk, ne eek in her absence, Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence.

And then the wren gan scippen and to daunce.

The cat would eat fish but would not get her feet wet.

A love grown old is not the love once new.

Pitee renneth soone in gentil herte.

Min be the travaille, and thin be the glorie.

For many a pasty have you robbed of blood, And many a Jack of Dover have you sold That has been heated twice and twice grown cold. From many a pilgrim have you had Christ's curse, For of your parsley they yet fare the worse, Which they have eaten with your stubble goose; For in your shop full many a fly is loose.

For I have seyn of a ful misty morwe Folowen ful ofte a myrie someris day.

That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears.

The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men.

That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis.

Til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe; For th'orisonte hath reft the sonne his lyght; This is as muche to seye as it was nyght!

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.

Drunkenness is the very sepulcher Of man's wit and his discretion.

Felds hath eyen, and wode have eres.

He that loveth God will do diligence to please God by his works, and abandon himself, with all his might, well for to do.

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.

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.

One eare it heard, at the other out it went.

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

Nowhere so busy a man as he there was And yet he seemed busier than he was.

Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese.

To maken vertue of necessite.