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Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

1340–1400 England

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant. Chaucer is most famous as the author of The Canterbury Tales.

England
Philosophers
Poets
Translators

Also known as: Chaucer, Chaucer, Geoffrey

Random Geoffrey Chaucer quote

78 quotes

Habit maketh no monke, ne wearing of guilt spurs maketh no knight.

Ye been oure lord, dooth with youre owene thyng Right as yow list.

For thre may kepe a counsel, if twain be awaie.

For pitee renneth soone in gentil herte.

The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.

But every thyng which schyneth as the gold,
Nis nat gold, as that I have herd it told.

Anon hire herte hath pite of his wo,
And with that pite love com in also.

It is nought good a sleeping hound to wake.

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

Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes.

And yet he hadde "a thombe of gold" pardee.

And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.

My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.

Seyned bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye.

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

That wel by reson men hit calle may
The 'dayesye' or elles the 'ye of day,'
The emperice and flour of floures alle.

Hold it wise …
To make a virtue of necessity.

Ful craftier to pley she was
Than Athalus, that made the game
First of the ches: so was his name.

This noble ensample to his sheepe he gaf,—
That firste he wroughte and afterward he taughte.

The first vertue, sone, if thou wilt lerne,
Is to restreyne and kepen wel thy tonge.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Geoffrey Chaucer (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.