DIMEV 5024
Squire come near if it your will be
Geoffrey Chaucer, the ‘Squire’s Headlink’ of the
Canterbury Tales — 8 lines in couplets.
Note: These lines are almost always conjoined with IV.2419-40 (
745), the ‘Merchant’s Endlink’, though
in some MSS the references to ‘Squire are altered to ‘Franklin’
to function as a prologue to the
Franklin’s Tale.
Author(s): Geoffrey Chaucer
Title(s): ‘Squire’s Headlink’; Squire’s Prologue;
Canterbury Tales
Subjects: pilgrims/pilgrimage; love; links
Versification: —
couplets —
aa
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Arch. Selden B. 14 (SC 3360), f. 131
v1
First Lines:Squyer come nere if that youre wille be
and sey somwhat of loue for
certis ye…
Last Lines:…haue me excused if that I speke a mys
my wil is good and lo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: Here endith the Squyers prolog…(f. 131v)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Barlow 20 (SC 6420), ff. 149-149
v
Transcription:Sir frankeleyn comyth nere if it ȝore wil be
And telle vs a tale
as ȝe ar a worthi man
Hit shal be don trewly Ost quod he
I wil
ȝow telle as hertly as I can
Holdeth me excused þogh I vnworthi
am
To tell ȝow a tale for I wil not Rebelle
A ȝenst ȝoure
wille a tale wil I telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32 (
745), together introducing the
Franklin’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: here endith þe prologe… (f. 149v).
3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 686 (SC 2527), f. 129
v
First Lines:Squyer come nere yf it youre wylle be
And sey somwhat of love for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused yef y speke amysse
My wille is good and lo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: Here endeth þe prologe of þe Squyers tale… (f.
129v)
4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Hatton Donati 1 (SC 4138), f. 99
First Lines:Sir ffrankeleyn come ner if it your will be
And sei vs a tale for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if that I speke a mys
Mi wil is good and lo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: Prolog of þe ffrankelyn (RT)
5.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 600 (SC 1476), f. 161
v
First Lines:Sire squier come nere if it be your will be
And sai vs a tale for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if I sai amys
Mi wille is good and loo my tale
is þis
Attributed Title: Here endeþ þe prolog of þe Squier… (f.
161v)
6.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 739 (SC 1234), f. 176
v
Transcription:Sir fraunkelene cometh nere ȝif if ȝour wil be
And say hus a
taile as ȝe are gentilman
Hit shall be do truly ooste quod he
I
will ȝou telle as hertly as I can
Holdeth me excusyd þogh I
vnworthy am
To telle ȝou a tale for I will not rebelle
And with
ȝour leve a tale now will I telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together introducing the Franklin’s
Tale.
7.Source: Oxford, Christ Church 152, f. 220
First Lines:Squyer come neer if it youre wille be
And sey somwhat of certes
ye
Can there on as moche as any man…
Last Lines:…Haue me excuse yf I speke amys
My wille is good and so my
wille is this
8.Source: Oxford, Trinity College 49, f. 123
v1
First Lines:Marchaunt comyth nere if your wille be
and say vs a tale for certis
ye…
Last Lines:…haue me excusid if I speke a mys
My wille is gode and lo my
tale is this
Note: These lines here serve to introduce the Merchant’s Tale;
see below where they function as a headlink to the Squire’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: Prologus Mercatorij (f. 123v)
9.Source: Oxford, Trinity College 49, f. 140
v
First Lines:Squier com nere yif that your wille be
and say sum what of loue for
certis ye…
Last Lines:…holde me excusid I if I speke a mys
My will is gode
and my tale is this
Note: Second occurrence in MS.
Attributed Title: Armiger (RT)
10.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Dd.4.24, f. 119
v
First Lines:Squyere come ner if it ȝoure wylle be
And seye som what of loue
for certes ȝe…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if I speke amys
My wyl is good and lo my tale
is this
Attributed Title: Hic desinit prologus… (f. 119v)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Cambridge MS. Dd.4.24 of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
Completed by the Egerton MS. 2726 (The Haistwell MS).
The Chaucer Society
1st Series, no. 95 (Part 1, issue for 1901) and 96 (Part 2, issue for
1902).
11.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ii.3.26, f. 98
v
First Lines:Sir ffrankeleyn come nere if it your wil be
And sey vs a tale for
certeys ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if that I speke amysse
My wil is good and lo
my tale is this
Attributed Title: ffrankleyn (RT)
12.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Mm.2.5, ff. 153
v-154
First Lines:Sir fraunkeleyn com ner ȝif it your will be
And saye us a tale
for certes ȝe…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused ȝif y saye amis
My will is goode and lo
my tale is this
Note: V.4 omitted.
13.Source: Cambridge UK, Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 181 [olim Ashburnham 127], f. 118
Transcription:Sir ffrancleyn come nere yf your wylle be
And sey us a tale as ye are
a gentel man
Hit schall be do truly ost quoth he
I woll you tell as
hertely as y kan
Holde me excused þouȝe y vnworthy am
To tell
you a tale for y woll not rebelle
Ayeynst youre wylle a tale wol y
telle
Haue me excused yf that y speke a mysse
My wyll ys gode and loo my
tale is this
Note: Present in this MS in this nine-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
14.Source: London, British Library Addit. 5140, f. 171
v
First Lines:Squyer come neer yf it your wil be
And sey somwhat of love for
certis ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused yf y speke amys
My wyll is good and loo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: Explicit prologus Armigeri… (f. 171v)
15.Source: London, British Library Addit. 35286 [olim Ashburnham 125], f. 122
v
First Lines:Squier come nere yif it your wille be
And sey some what of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused yif I speke amys
Mi wille is good and loo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: the Squyer (RT)
Editions: Horobin, Simon.
“A Transcription and Study of British Library MS Additional 35286 of
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.”
Diss. Univ. of Sheffield, 1997.
16.Source: London, British Library Egerton 2726 [olim Haistwell], f. 139
First Lines:Squyer com nere yf it your will be
And sey somwhat of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused yf I speke a mys
My will is gode and lo my
tale is this
Attributed Title: Hic desinit prologus Armigeri… (f. 139)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Cambridge MS. Dd.4.24 of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
Completed by the Egerton MS. 2726 (The Haistwell MS).
The Chaucer Society
1st Series, no. 95 (Part 1, issue for 1901) and 96 (Part 2, issue for
1902).
18.Source: London, British Library Harley 1758, f. 127
Transcription:Sir ffrankeleyn comyth neer if it your will be
And seie vs a tale as
ye are a gentill man
It schall be doon trewli Ost quod he
I woll you
telle as herteli as I can
Holde me excusid thogh I vnworthi am
To telle
you a tale for I woll noght rebelle
Ayenst your wille a tale now woll I
telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
19.Source: London, British Library Harley 7334, f. 148
v
First Lines:Sir Squier com forþ if þat ȝour wille be
And say vs a
tale for certes ȝe…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if þat I speke amys
My wil is good and
þerto my tale is this
Attributed Title: Her endith þe prologe… (f. 148v)
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Harleian MS 7334 of Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury
Tales’.
Chaucer Society
73. London: Trübner, 1885.
20.Source: London, British Library Harley 7335, f. 129
v
First Lines:Squyer come ner if it youre will be
And sey sumwhat of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if y speke a mys
Mi wille is good and lo my
tale is this
21.Source: London, British Library Royal 17 D.XV, ff. 96-96
v
First Lines:Sqwyer come neere yefe your wylle be
And saye somewhatte of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excusede yefe I speke Amysse
My wylle is gode and lo
the tale is this
Attributed Title: Here endith the prolog… (f. 96v)
22.Source: London, British Library Royal 18 C.II, ff. 145
v-146
Transcription:Sire frankeleyn comeþ nere ȝif hit ȝoure wil be
And
telle vs a tale as ȝe are a worthi man
Hit schal be do truly oost quod
he
I wil ȝow telle as hertely as I can
Holdeþ me excused
þough I vnworthi am
To telle ȝou a tale for I wolde not
rebelle
Aȝens ȝoure wille a tale wole I telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: Here endith the prolog… (f. 146)
23.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1685, ff. 145-145
v
Transcription:Sir ffrankleyne comethe nere yf it youre wille be
And seithe vs a tale
as ȝe are gentill man
Hit shalle be do trewely Ost quod he
I wolle
you telle as hertely as I can
Holde me excused vnworþi if I am
To
telle you a tale for I wille not rebelle
Aȝenst your wylle a tale now
wylle I telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: Here endeth þe Prologe… (f. 145v)
24.Source: Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales Peniarth 392 D [‘Hengwrt’], ff. 153-153
v
First Lines:Sir ffrankeleyn com neer if it youre wille be
And sey vs a tale for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if þat I speke amys
My wyl is good and lo
my tale is this
Attributed Title: Explicit (f. 153v)
Facsimiles:
Ruggiers, Paul G.,
ed.
The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer. A Facsimile of the Hengwrt
Manuscript, with Variants from the Ellesmere Manuscript.
Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma, and Folkestone: Wm. Dawson,
1979.
Stubbs, Estelle,
ed.
The Hengwrt Chaucer Digital Facsimile (CD-ROM).
Leicester, England: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2000.
Editions:
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Hengwrt Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 3, 9, 27, 39, 51, 71. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
Blake, Norman F.,
ed.
The Canterbury Tales. Edited from the Hengwrt Manuscript.
York Medieval Texts, second series.
London: Edward Arnold, 1980.
Stubbs, Estelle,
ed.
The Hengwrt Chaucer Digital Facsimile (CD-ROM).
Leicester, England: Scholarly Digital Editions, 2000.
25.Source: Alnwick Castle, Duke of Northumberland MS 455, f. 130
v
Transcription:Sir ffrankelen com nere yf your wil be
And tel vs a tale as ye be
gentil man
It shal be do trewly hoost quod he
I woll ȝew tell as
hertly as I can
Hold me excusid þouȝ I vnworthy am
Have me
excusid þouȝe I speke amys
Mi will is good lo my tale is
this
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
26.Source: Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral Library 29, ff. 153-153
v
Transcription:Sire ffrankeleyn cometh nere ȝif it ȝoure wille be
And say
vs a tale as ȝe are gentilman
It shal be do trewely oost quod he
I
wol ȝow telle as hertely as I can
Holdeth me excused thogh I vnworthy
am
To telle ȝow a tale for I wol not rebelle
Aȝenst ȝoure
wille a tale now wol I telle
Note: Present in this MS in this seven-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: The ffrankeleyn (RT); Thus endeth þe prologe… (f.
153v, rubric)
27.Source: Lincoln, Lincoln Cathedral Library 110, f. 137
v
First Lines:Sire frankleyn
skquiercom ner if your wille bee
And sey vs atale for certes
yee…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused yif þat I speke amys
My wil is good &
lo my tale is thys
Note: These lines are added in the margin. Following IV.1212, at the end of
Clerk’s Tale, is the explicit: ‘Now is endid þe
clerkis tale of oxenford And now / biginneth þe prolog of the frankelens
tale’. What follows, however, is the ‘Host’s Stanza’,
(IV.1212a-g,
5801),
which is then followed by V.709-728, the
Franklin’s Prologue. Next
to IV.1212g, in the gutter, a second scribe adds a ‘+’, followed by
‘Sir Frankl[eyn]’. In the margin, below a corresponding
‘+’, this scribe writes V.1-8, but a third hand subsequently crosses
out ‘frankleyn’ and writes ‘skquier’ above. Also in the
margin, but written much smaller, are three sets of comments (written by the
same hand that deletes ‘frankleyn’ and writes ‘skquier’
above): opposite the incipit for
Franklin’s Tale is ‘heer
sholde þe marchantz tale’; five lines lower is ‘And þis
prolog is fals for it is / for skquiers tale’; at the very bottom,
opposite V.717, is V.9, ‘[A]t Sarray in þe londe of Tartrie’.
These three comments appear to be by yet another scribe.
28.Source: Manchester, John Rylands Library Eng. 113 [olim Hodson 39], f. 98
First Lines:Squier come nere yif it your will be
And sey somwhat of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…haue me excuse if I spek amys
My will is good and lo my tale
is þis
Attributed Title: Hic desinit prologus fabule Armigeri… (f. 98); Squyer
(RT)
29.Source: Petworth House, Lord Leconfield MS 7, f. 178
First Lines:Sire ffraunkeleyne come ner if it ȝour wille be
And say vs a
tale for sertys ȝe…
Last Lines:…HAue me excused ȝif I sey amys
My wille is good & loo
my tale is þis
Note: The ‘Merchant’s Endlink’ (
745) is here conjoined
with the ‘Squire’s Headlink’ to introduce the
Franklin’s Tale.
Attributed Title: Here endeþ þe prologe of þe ffraunkeleyn… (f. 178);
The prologe of þe ffraunkleyn (RT)
Editions:
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Petworth MS of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 6, 12, 19, 35, 42, 54, 68. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
Autotype Specimens of the Chief Chaucer MSS, Part II.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, no. 56. London: Trübner, 1876.
31.Source: New York, Columbia University Library Plimpton 253 [olim Phillipps 9970], f. 1
First Lines:…[Syr] [f]franklin com nerr ȝef it ȝoure wille
be
And say vs atale for certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haueth me excused ȝef I say amys
My will is good and lo
my tale is this
Note: Smudges partially obscure the beginning of the first line.
Attributed Title: The ffrankeleyn (RT)
32.Source: New York, Pierpont Morgan Library M249 [olim Ashburnham 124, post Compton Hall], f. 152
v
First Lines:Sire ffrankeleyn cometh nere ȝif if youre wil be
And say vs a
tale as ye are a gentilman…
Last Lines:…Holdeth me excused though I vnworthy am
To telle you a tale
for I wol not rebell
Aȝenist youre wille a tale now wol I
telle
Note: V.7 precedes 5-6.
Attributed Title: The ffrankeleyn (RT); Thus endeth the prologe of the ffrankeleyn… (f.
152v)
33.Source: San Marino, CA, Henry Huntington Library EL 26.C.9 [‘Ellesmere’], ff. 115-115
v
First Lines:Squier com neer if it your wille be
And sey somwhat of loue for
certes ye…
Last Lines:…Haue me excused if I speke amys
My wyl is good and lo my tale
is thiso
Attributed Title: Squier (RT)
Facsimiles:
The Ellesmere Chaucer Reproduced in Facsimile.
2 vols. Preface by Alix Egerton. Manchester: Manchester University
Press, 1911.
Hanna, Ralph,
ed.
The Ellesmere Chaucer Reproduced in Facsimile.
2 vols. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1911. Preface by
Alix
Egerton
repr. as The Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales: A Working Facsimile. Intro. Hanna; Cambridge: D. S.
Brewer, 1989.
Editions: Furnivall, Frederick James,
ed.
The Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer Society
Series 1, nos. 2, 8, 16, 26, 32, 38, 50, 70. London: Trübner,
1868-79.
34.Source: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale angl. 39, f. 57
ra
First Lines:esquyer come neer yif that your wille be
and say som what for certys
yee…
Last Lines:…hold me excusid yif I speke amys
my wil is good and my tale is
this
Attributed Title: Explicit prohemium fabule Armi / geri… (f.
57ra)
36.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya Deposit 32 [olim Penrose 6; prior Delamere], f. 81
va
Transcription:Sire ffrankeleyn comyht neere yif it yowre will be
And seye vs a tale
as yee are a gentell man
Hit schall bee doon trewly Ooste quod hee
I
wole yow telle as hertilye as I can
Holde mee excused thowgh I vnworthy
am
Too tell yow a taale fore I wole nowght rebelle
Ayenst yowre will a
tale now wole I telle
Haue me Explicit prologe excusede if
þat I speke amys
My will is good and lo my tale is this
Note: Present in this MS in this nine-line form and preceded by a seven-line
version of IV.2427-32, together functioning to introduce the Franklin’s
Tale.
Attributed Title: Explicit prologe (f. 81va, deleted)