Geoffrey Chaucer, the Clerk’s Prologue of the Canterbury Tales —56 lines in rhyming couplets.

Author(s): Geoffrey Chaucer

Title(s): Clerk’s Prologue; Canterbury Tales

Subjects: pilgrims/pilgrimage; links; Petrarch; links

Versification: — couplets — aa

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Attributed Title: …And next folwith / the Clerke of Oxonford is prolog (f. 65v); the clerkes prolog (RT); Here endith the clerke of Oxonford his prolog… (f. 66)

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Note: Blank line follows IV.48; 50 omitted.

Attributed Title: The Clerk of Oxenford (RT)

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Attributed Title: The prolog of the Clerk of Oxenford (f. 89v)

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Attributed Title: …And begynneþ / þe prohemium of þe clerke of Oxonforddes Tale (f. 98v); Clerke (RT)

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Attributed Title: …And next begynneth the / Prolog of the Clerk of Oxenford (f. 164v); The Clerk (RT); Here endeth the prolog of the Clerk… (f. 165)

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Attributed Title: Here begynneth the prolog of the / Clerc of Oxenford (f. 110); þe prolog of þe clerc (RT)

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Note: IV.50 lost.

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Attributed Title: He bigynneth the prolog of the Clerkes tale of Oxenford (f. 58); The clerk (RT)

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Note: IV.50 omitted.

Attributed Title: …And here begynneth the clerk of Oxenfordes prolog (f. 74v)

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Attributed Title: …And here beginneth the Prolog of the Clerk / of Oxenford (f. 107v); Prologus Clerici (RT); Hic finitur Prologus Clerici Oxonie… (f. 108v)

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Attributed Title: …The prohemye of the Clerkys tale of Oxenford (f. 102)

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Note: IV.33-56 lost.

Attributed Title: …here bygenneþ þe prologe of þe clerk of Oxenford (f. 129v); Clerk (RT, rubric)

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Attributed Title: Here begynnyth þe prolog of þe clerk of Oxen / forde (f. 130v)

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Note: IV.52 omitted.

Attributed Title: …Prologus (f. 106v); Griselde (RT)

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Attributed Title: …& incipit prologus clerici de Oxonia (f. 92); Hic desinit prologus… (f. 93)

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Attributed Title: …And next be / gynneth the Clerke of Oxinforde (f. 135); The Clerke of Oxinforde (RT); Here Endeth the Clerkes prologe… (f. 136v)

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Attributed Title: …Here begynneth þe prologe of þe Clerke of Oxenforde (f. 139); the clerk of oxenforde (RT); Here endith þe prologe… (f. 139v)

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Note: IV.29-30, 33-54 omitted.

Attributed Title: The prolog of þe clerk of Oxenford (f. 160)

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Attributed Title: Hiere endith the Prolog of the Clerk / of Oxenford… (f. 45vb)

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Attributed Title: …and / Here begynneth the Clerke of Oxenfordes tale (f. 157, rubric)

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Attributed Title: …& Incipit Prologus clerici Oxoniensis (f. 128); Explicit Prologus clerici Oxoniensis… (f. 129)

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Attributed Title: Explicit prohemium fabule Grysyldis… (f. 64v)

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Attributed Title: Here bigynneth the prologe of the Clerkes tale of Oxenford (f. 90); the Clerk (RT); Here endeth the prologe… (f. 90v)

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Attributed Title: …& incipit prologus / Clerici Oxon cuius fabula est de Grisilde mitissima (f. 108); Hic desinit prologus Clerici Oxon… (f. 108v)

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Note: IV.29-56 lost.

Attributed Title: Here beginneþ the prolog of þe clerk of Oxenford (f. 103v)

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Attributed Title: Heer begynneth the clerkys tale of Oxenforde of Grisylde (f. 111v); The prolog of the clerkes tale (RT); Hic desinit prologus clerici Oxon (f. 112, margin)

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Attributed Title: Here begynneth the prolog of the clerke of Oxenford (f. 114); The Clerk of Oxenford (RT); Here endith the Prolog… (f. 114v)

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Note: IV.20, 51 omitted.

Attributed Title: …Clerk of Oxonfordes Prologe (f. 77ra, rubric)

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Attributed Title: …And here bygynneth þe Clerk of Oxenford prologe (f. 116v); The Clerk Of Oxenford (RT); Explicit prohemium… (f. 117); Explicit prohemium… (f. 117, margin, in scribe’s informal hand)

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Attributed Title: …Alloquium Hospitis/ ad clericum oxonie (f. 99v, margin)

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Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus Clerici (f. 114); þe Clerk (RT); Explicit prologus… (f. 115)

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Attributed Title: …And begynnyth / the prolog of the clerke of oxenforde (f. 157v); Here endith the prolog… (f. 158v)

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Note: IV.50 omitted.

Attributed Title: Here begynnyth the prolog of the clerke of Oxenford (f. 131); The clerke of oxenforde (RT); Here endith the prolog… (f. 131v)

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Attributed Title: …Here begynneþe þe Prologe of þe Clerk of Oxenford (f. 129v); The Clerk Of Oxenford (RT); Here endeth þe Prolog… (f. 130v)

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Note: IV.13-14 reversed.

Attributed Title: …And Here begynneth the Prolog of þe clerk of Oxenford (f. 155v); Prolog of the Clerke Off Oxenfforde (RT); Here endeth the Prolog of the Clerke of Oxenforde… (f. 156v)

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Attributed Title: The prohemie of the Clerkys tale of Oxenford (f. 173v)

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Note: IV.24, 39-54 omitted.

Attributed Title: Here begynnyth the Clerk of Oxinforth his prologg (f. 116v)

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Note: On f. 102vb, in rubic, the scribe has written: ‘Orate pro salute animarum Galfridi Spirleng Ciuis Norwici Courtholder Clerici Maioratus & dicte Comitatus ac Thome Spirleng filij sui qui scribendo hunc librum compleuerunt mense Ianuariij anno domini Millesimo CCCCmolxxvjto quo tempore dictus Galfridus quasi quinquaginta et dictus Thomas quasi Sexdecim etatis extiterunt annorum’. This is followed in the text ink by: ‘This writyng is drawn for the book of Canterbury is not yet ended and therfor these woords arn writen yet folwyng immediatly’. In the same column, but above the previous two passages and also in rubric is: ‘Be it remembred that the tale of the Clerk of Oxenford and the ta // le of the Chanons yoman folwen immediat // li in the next leef’.

Attributed Title: Here begynneth the prologe of þe Clerk of / Oxenford (f. 103ra); The Clerk of Oxenford (RT); Here endeth þe prologus… (f. 103rb)

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Note: Blank line follows IV.48; 50 omitted.

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Attributed Title: …And begynne þe prologe of þe Clerk of Oxenford (f. 137v, rubric); The Clerk Of Oxenford (RT, rubric); Thus endeth the prologe… (f. 138v, rubric)

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Attributed Title: …and biginneth the clerkis tale of Oxenforde in honest kind (f. 121v, heavily stained); The Clerk of Oxenford (RT); Here endith the prolog of the Clerk of Oxenford (f. 122v, heavily stained)

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Note: IV.50-1 reversed.

Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus Clerici Oxon (f. 167); Explicit Prologus… (f. 168)

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Attributed Title: …Incipit prologus fabule Clerici Oxonie (f. 76); Prologus Clerici oxonie (f. 76, margin); Hic desinit prologus Clerici Oxonie… (f. 76v)

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Attributed Title: …And here / bygynneþ þe prologe of þe clerk of Oxenford (f. 159); The prologe (f. 159, margin); The prologe of þe Clerk of Oxenford (RT); Thus endeþe þe prologe of þis tale… (f. 160)

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Attributed Title: …Et incipit prologus Clerici Oxonie (f. 92, foot); Clerke of Oxonford (RT); Hic desinit prologus Clerici Oxon (f. 93)

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Attributed Title: …And bygynneth the prologe of the Clerk / of Oxenford (f. 136); The Clerk Of Oxenford (RT); Thus endeth the prologe of the Clerk of Oxenford… (f. 137)

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Attributed Title: …and begyneth þe prologe of the Clerke of Oxenforde (f. 106); The clerke of oxenforde (RT); Here endeth the prologe of þe clerke / of oxeforde… (f. 106v)

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Attributed Title: …Begynnyng of the Clerk of Oxinford prologg (f. 105); Prolog Oxinford (RT); Here endith the Clerk of Oxinfordis prolog (f. 105v, foot)

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Attributed Title: Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford (f. 87v); Clerk of Oxenford (RT)

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Attributed Title: …& iam incipti / prologus fabule Clerici Oxonie (f. 31ra); Explicit prohemium fabule Cle / rici Oxonie… (f. 31va)

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Attributed Title: Here begynneth the prolog of [the Clerk fabula?(smudged)] of Oxenford (f. 1, rubric); Explicit prohemium (f. 2)

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Attributed Title: …Et Incipit Prologus Clerici / Oxonie cuius fabula est de / Grisilde mitissima (f. 98v, rubric); Hic desinit Prologus Clerici Oxonie… (f. 99, rubric)

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Attributed Title: The Clerkis prolog of Oxenford (f. 101, rubric)

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Note: Verse ends on f. 327.

Attributed Author: Here begynneth the prolog / of the clerk of Oxenford (f. 169v); Here endith the prolog… (f. 170v)

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Attributed Author: …And here foloweth the prologue of the / Clerke of Oxenforde (sig. t.6v); Here begynneth the prologue Of the clerke of Oxenford (sig. aa.1); The Prologue (RT); Here endyth the prologue (sig. aa.1v)

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Attributed Author: …And here foloweth the prologue of the / Clerke of Oxenforde (sig. bb.5v); The Clerkes prologue of Oxenforde (RT); Here endith the prologue of the / Clerke of Oxenforde… (sig. bb.6v)

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Attributed Title: …And folowith the prologe of the / clerke of oxenforde (sig. i.5v); Here endith the prologue (sig. i.5vb)