Canterbury Tales Host Quotes

Greet chiere made oure Hoost us everichon,
And to the soper sette he us anon.
He served us with vitaille at the beste;
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.
A semely man oure hooste was withalle
For to been a marchal in an halle.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. Harry Bailly, the Host of the Tabart Inn where the pilgrims stop on the way to Canterbury, shows great hospitality to the group. He provides them with a supper considering of the best food and strong wine.

And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
For to stonden at my juggement,
And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
Tomorwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
Now, by my fader soule that is deed,
But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. Host Harry Bailly announces to the pilgrims that he is going to make a game for them to provide them some pleasure. He would like them to accept his judgment and he promises by his father’s soul that if they are not merry he will give them his head.

And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle –
That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas –
Shal have a soper at oure aller cost
Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Host comes up with a competition for the pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. Each is to tell two tales on the way and two on the journey back home. The winner will receive a supper at the cost of them all in the Host’s inn when they come back from Canterbury.

The Millere, that for dronken was al pale,
So that unnethe upon his hors he sat,
He nolde avalen neither hood ne hat,
Ne abyde no man for his curteisie,
But in Pilates voys he gan to crie,
And swoor, "By armes, and by blood and bones,
I kan a noble tale for the nones,
With which I wol now quite the Knyghtes tale."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Prologue. When the Host chooses the Monk to tell his tale after the Knight, the Miller drunkenly interrupts, challenging the Host’s social order. He swears on arms, blood and bones that he can tell a story even better than the Knight. The drunken, swearing Miller represents a person of low status and character.

"Nay, nay!" quod he, "thanne have I Cristes curs!
Lat be," quod he, "it shal nat be, so theech!
Thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech,
And swere it were a relyk of a seint,
Though it were with thy fundement depeint!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Host responds furiously to the Pardoner’s hypocrisy and blatent con trick, in selling pardons and fake relics and inviting the Host to kneel down and kiss his "relics." The Pardoner would swear his old underpants was a relic of a saint, even though it was stained by the Pardoner’s backside, the Host claims.

I rede that oure Hoost heere shal bigynne,
For he is moost envoluped in synne.
Com forth, sire Hoost, and offre first anon,
And thou shalt kisse the relikes everychon,
Ye, for a grote! Unbokele anon thy purs.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. When he finishes his tale, the Pardoner uses aggressive methods to sell his pardons and fake religious relics to his fellow pilgrims. There is a lot of venom in his sales pitch, directed towards the pilgrims and particularly the Host Harry Bailly. The Pardoner targets the Host as the first to buy his spiritual favors, saying that he is the most sinful. He also uses sexually suggestive, insulting language when he invites the Host to kneel, kiss the relics and unbuckle his purse.

But, by the croys which that Seint Eleyne fond,
I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond
In stide of relikes or of seintuarie.
Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie;
They shul be shryned in an hogges toord!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. After the Pardoner’s invite to the Host to kiss his "relics" and loosen his purse buckle, Harry Bailly launches a violently verbal assault on the greedy, hypocritical Pardoner. He threatens to have the Pardoner’s testicles cut off and enshrined in a hog’s turd. The Pardoner, so angry that he doesn’t answer, is shamed into silence.

"Sire Pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere;
And ye, sire Hoost, that been to me so deere,
I prey yow that ye kisse the Pardoner.
And Pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer,
And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye."
Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hir weye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The closing lines of the tale, as the Knight intervenes in the spat between the Host and the Pardoner, suggesting that they kiss and make up. The two do just that and the cavalcade having halted for refreshments and to hear the Pardoner’s tale they mount up and ride on towards Canterbury.

Thow lookest as thou woldest fynde an hare,
For ever upon the ground I se thee stare.
Approche neer, and looke up murily;
Now war yow, sires, and lat this man have place.
He in the waast is shape as wel as I;
This were a popet in an arm t’embrace
For any womman, smal and fair of face.
He semeth elvyssh by his contenaunce,
For unto no wight dooth he daliaunce.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Prologue to Sir Thopas. The Host Harry Bailly describes Chaucer the Pilgrim. He is small, fair of face, stares a lot at the ground and doesn’t gossip with anyone. The Host calls Chaucer to him to invite him tell his tale.

And for he was a knyght auntrous,
He nolde slepen in noon hous,
But liggen in his hoode;
His brighte helm was his wonger,
And by hym baiteth his dextrer
Of herbes fyne and goode.
Hymself drank water of the well,
As dide the knyght sire Percyvell
So worly under wede,
Til on a day – .

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Tale of Sir Thopas. Chaucer continues to describe how the adventurous knight would sleep outdoors, his helmet for his pillow, his war-horse grazing beside him. This is as far as Chaucer gets in his story before it is interrupted by the Host, who can’t listen to any more of it.

"Namoore of this, for Goddes dignitee,"
Quod oure Hooste, "for thou makest me
So wery of thy verray lewednesse
That, also wisly God my soule blesse,
Myne eres aken of thy drasty speche.
Now swich a rym the devel I biteche!
This may wel be rym dogerel," quod he.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Tale of Sir Thopas. No more of this, the Host says, commanding Chaucer to halt his tale. The host rages that his ears ache from Chaucer’s worthless speech and this may well be doggerel verse. He definitely doesn’t appear to be impressed with Chaucer’s send-up of knights and chivalry.

"Sire Nonnes Preest," oure Hooste seide anoon,
"I – blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!
This was a murie tale of Chauntecleer.
But by my trouthe, if thou were seculer,
Thou woldest ben a trede-foul aright.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, Epilogue to the Nun’s Priest’s Tale. The Host Harry Bailly thanks the Nun’s Priest for his merry tale of Chanticleer. He then flatters the priest in sexual terms, by blessing his breeches and testicles and saying that if he were a layman he would have been a great rooster among hens.

But yet, Manciple, in feith thou art to nyce,
Thus openly repreve hym of his vice.
Another day he wole, peraventure,
Reclayme thee and brynge thee to lure;
I meene, he speke wole of smale thynges,
As for to pynchen at thy rekenynges,
That were nat honest, if it cam to preef.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Manciple’s Prologue. The Host cautions the Manciple that he is foolish to openly reprimand the Cook for his excessive drinking. The Cook could repay his insults by finding fault in the Manciple’s financial accounts, he warns. The Host is raising suspicions about the Manciple’s dishonest dealings here.
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