Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

Make a virtue of necessity.

At the ches with me she (Fortune) gan to pleye; With her false draughts (pieces) dyvers/She staal on me, and took away my fers. And when I sawgh my fers awaye, Allas! I kouthe no lenger playe.

Forbid us something, and that thing we desire.

In the stars is written the death of every man.

Love will not be constrain'd by mastery. When mast'ry comes, the god of love anon Beateth his wings, and, farewell, he is gone. Love is a thing as any spirit free.

Women naturally desire the same six things as I; they want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous with money, obedient to the wife, and lively in bed.

Murder will out, this my conclusion.

The devil can only destroy those who are already on their way to damnation.

The guilty think all talk is of themselves.

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.

He that loveth God will do diligence to please God by his works, and abandon himself, with all his might, well for to do.

And as for me, thogh that I can but lyte, On bakes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yeve I feyth and ful credence, And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon, That fro my bokes maketh me to goon, But hit be seldom, on the holyday; Save, certeynly, when that the month of May Is comen, and that I here the foules singe, And that the floures ginnen for to springe, Farwel my book and my devocion.

Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And let him seen a mous go by the wal; Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous.

To keep demands as much skill as to win.

For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so Then people long on pilgrimage to go And palmers to be seeking foreign strands To distant shrines renowned in sundry lands.

. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .

And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach

Look up on high, and thank the God of all.

There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily.

Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting.

My house is small, but you are learned men And by your arguments can make a place Twenty foot broad as infinite as space.

Purity in body and heart May please some--as for me, I make no boast. For, as you know, no master of a household Has all of his utensils made of gold; Some are wood, and yet they are of use.

Of alle the floures in the mede, Than love I most these floures whyte and rede, Swiche as men callen daysies in our toun. . . . . Til that myn herte dye. . . . . That wel by reson men hit calle may The 'dayesye' or elles the 'ye of day,' The emperice and flour of floures alle. I pray to god that faire mot she falle, And alle that loven floures, for hir sake!

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

If gold rusts, what then can iron do?

The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people.

If a man really loves a woman, of course he wouldn't marry her for the world if he were not quite sure that he was the best person she could possibly marry.

Certes, they been lye to hounds, for an hound when he cometh by the roses, or by other bushes, though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up his leg and make a countenance to pisse.

Many a true word is spoken in jest

People can die of mere imagination.

There's never a new fashion but it's old.

Patience is a conquering virtue.

Time and tide wait for no man.

First he wrought, and afterwards he taught.

The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne. Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge, The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne; Al this mene I be love... For out of olde feldes, as men seith, Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere; And out of olde bokes, in good feith, Cometh al this newe science that men lere.

All good things must come to an end.

Felds hath eyen, and wode have eres.

For many a pasty have you robbed of blood, And many a Jack of Dover have you sold That has been heated twice and twice grown cold. From many a pilgrim have you had Christ's curse, For of your parsley they yet fare the worse, Which they have eaten with your stubble goose; For in your shop full many a fly is loose.

Men sholde nat knowe of Goddes pryvetee Ye, blessed be alwey, a lewed man That noght but oonly his believe kan! So ferde another clerk with astromye, He walked in the feelds, for to prye Upon the sterres, what ther sholde bifalle, Til he was in a marle-pit yfalle.

What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing.

One shouldn't be too inquisitive in life Either about God's secrets or one's wife.

Fie on possession, But if a man be vertuous withal.

He loved chivalrye Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye.

Mercy surpasses justice.

In general, women desire to rule over their husbands and lovers, to be the authority above them.

Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.

But manly set the world on sixe and sevene; And, if thou deye a martir, go to hevene.

What's said is said and goes upon its way Like it or not, repent it as you may.