Quotes from Geoffrey Chaucer

The Pardoner's Prologue Here follows the Prologue of the Pardoner's Tale. "The love of money is the root of all evil." 1 Timothy 6:10 "My Lords," said the Pardoner, "in Churches, when I preach, I take pains to speak with a resounding voice and have my words ring out as loud as a bell, for I know by rote all that I expound. My text is always the same, and ever was—the love of money is the root of all evil.

Antes de que cese el trueno, cae la lluvia.»

And Seneca says, 'Whosoever would have wisdom shall disdain no man, but he shall gladly teach what he knows, without presumption or pride, and of such things as he does not know, he shall not be ashamed to learn them, and shall inquire of lesser folk than himself.

Los timadores, al final, acaban siendo ellos mismos timados.

What difference is there betwixt an idolater and an avaricious man, but that the idolater has, perhaps, one or two idols, whereas the avaricious man has many?

allí donde encontremos la pena más profunda, allí empezaremos la curación.

Todo lo que se escribe, se escribe para nuestra enseñanza.»

The Book says, 'Whilst that you keep your counsel in your heart, you keep it in your prison, and, when you disclose your counsel unto any person, he holds you in his prison.' And, therefore, it is better to hide your counsel in your heart, than entreat him to whom you have revealed your secret to keep it close and still. For Seneca says, 'If it be so that you can not keep your own counsel, how can you then ask any person to keep your counsel hidden?

Aunque pueda parecer dificil de soportar, la pobreza es una clase de riqueza que nadie tratará de quitarte.

Nadie que esté bajo la influencia de la bebida sabe guardar un secreto: esto es indiscutible.

Opta por el no antes que por el sí cuando puedas hacer algo de lo que luego te arrepentirás.

For Cato says that he who is guilty believes every one speaks only of him.

I gave my whole heart up, for him to hold.

Now let us turn again to January, who, in the garden with his fair May, sang full merrier than the popinjay, "I love you best, and always shall, and I will love no other one.

And Solomon says, 'Fortunate is the man who is in dread of all, because he who possesses a fearless heart and a strong body will presume too much, and misfortune shall befall him.

Nay, Sir, not of love," said he, "but a tale shall I relate as best I can, with hearty good will. I shall not disobey your request. Excuse me if I speak amiss. My intention is good. And, lo, my tale is this.

Another Sin of Lechery is to bereave a Maiden of her maidenhead, for he who does so, certainly, casts a Maiden out of the highest degree that exists in this present life, and deprives her of that precious fruit that the Book calls the "Hundred Fruits." I can not say it in any other way in English, but in Latin it is called Centesimus fructus.

A priest should take to heart the shameful scene of shepards filthy while the sheep are clean.

I will tell you, as it was taught to me, the four spirits and the seven bodies, by order, as I oft heard my Master name them. The first spirit is called quicksilver, the second is arsenic, the third is sal ammoniac, and the fourth is brimstone. The seven bodies, lo, are here anon: the Sun is gold, the Moon is silver, Mars is iron, Mercury is quicksilver, Saturn is lead, Jupiter is tin, and Venus is copper.

For, as Seneca said, 'Loss of chattels may recovered be, but time, once lost, we shall never see.' It will not come again, without doubt, no more than will Molly's maidenhead, when she has lost it because of her wantonness. Let us not grow mouldy thus in idleness.

For the common proverb says thus, 'He who judges in haste shall soon repent.

For Solomon says, "When you have no audience, do not try to speak." Whereupon did this wise man say, "I see well that the common proverb is true, that 'Good counsel is most wanting when it is most needed.

Ah! Nay! Let it be. The Philosopher's Stone is what we seek, everyone. For, if we had it, we could then transmute lead into gold, and then would we be safe enough. But, unto God in Heaven, I do avow, in spite of all our craft, and all our efforts, and all our magic, the Stone will not come to us.

Another whispered low to his fellow, and said, "He is mistaken, for it is rather like an illusion created by some Sorcerer, as conjurers do at those great feasts." Of sundry doubts did they thus chatter and debate, as ignorant people are wont to do about things that are crafted more cunningly than they can comprehend in their ignorance, and they usually expect the worst.