There was also a nun, a Prioress,
Her smiling was modest and without fuss;
Her greatest oath was,"By St.Elgius!"
And she was known as Madam Eglantine.
In a clear voice she sung the words divine,
All intoned most properly through her nose.
She spoke French precisely, as do those
Who follow the school of Stratford-by-Bow
For the French of Paris she did not know.
Her table manners were the best of all
No crumb or morsel from her lips would fall
She dipped her fingers lightly in her bowl
Of sauce and carefully lifted the whole
Up to her mouth so none fell on her front.
Politeness and good manners were her wont:
She wiped her upper lip completely clean
So on the cup no spot of grease was seen
When she replaced it after drinking wine;
The way she took her food was most refined.
And truly she was of a friendly bent
Of pleasant and amiable deportment
Taking pains to display a courtly mien
So that her dignity was clearly seen
To be at all times worthy of esteem.
But as to her emotions, it would seem
She was so loving and tender hearted
That if she saw a mouse trapped, she started
To weep for it if it were dead or bled.
She had some small dogs which she always fed
On roasted meat or milk and fine white bread,
And how she cried if one of them were dead
Or if, with cruel sticks, men made them smart
For all was sensibility and heart.
Her wimple was pressed and pleated just right
Her nose well formed and her eyes grey and bright.
Her mouth was small and her lips soft and red
But in truth she had a most fair forehead.
It was almost a span broad I should say
She was not under grown in any way.
Her cloak was finely made as I could see
And round her arm she wore a rosary
Of coral beads, the large ones coloured green.
Hanging from it, a golden brooch was seen
With at the top a crowned initial 'a`
Below it - Amor vincit omnia.
(For those who little Latin can recall
This means in English that love conquers all.)
Also there was another nun to do
What service need be done, and three priests too.
Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,
That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;
Hir gretteste ooth was but by Seinte Loy;
And she was cleped Madame Eglentyne.
Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,
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 hir unknowe.
At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;
Wel koude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe
That no drope ne fille upon hir brist.
In curteisie was set ful muche hir list.
Hire over-lippe wyped she so clene
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte;
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.
And sikerly, she was of greet desport,
And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,
And peyned hir to countrefete cheere
Of court, and been estatlich of manere,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But, for to speken of hir conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde
With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.
But soore weep she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;
And al was conscience, and tendre herte.
Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,
Hire nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,
Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;
But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;
It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe;
For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war;
Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar
A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,
An theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
And after Amor vincit omnia.
Another nonne with hir hadde she,
That was hire chapeleyne, and preestes thre.