The Prioresse's Portrait

Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,
That of hir smylyng was ful symple_and coy;
Hire 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 Paris was to hire_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 hire brest.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.
Hir 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 hire to counterfete cheere
Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But for to speken of hire 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 wepte 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,
Hir 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 almost a spanne brood, I trowe;
For hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
Ful fetys was hir cloke,_as I was war.
Of smal coral aboute_hire_arm she bar
A peire_of bedes, gauded al with grene,
And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
On which ther was first write_a crowned A,
And after Amor vincit omnia.