Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be, That may bothe werke…

Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily.

Sourced, The Canterbury Tales

The Merchant’s Tale , l. 1832-1833

Other Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

Mordre wol out, that se we day by day. - View Quote Details on Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.
Soun is noght but air ybroken,
And every speche that is spoken,
Loud or privee, foul or fair,
In his substaunce is but air;
For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke,
Right so soun is air ybroke. - View Quote Details on Soun is noght but air ybroken,
And every speche that is…
And for ther is so gret diversite
In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge,
So prey I God that non myswrite the,
Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge;
And red wherso thow be, or elles songe,
That thow be understonde, God I biseche! - View Quote Details on And for ther is so gret diversite
In Englissh and in…
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swych licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages. - View Quote Details on Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March…
Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as wel in love as men now do;
Eek for to winne love in sondry ages,
In sondry londes, sondry ben usages. - View Quote Details on Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
Withinne…
But yet that holden this tale a folly,
As of a fox, or of a cock and hen,
Taketh the morality, good men.
For Saint Paul saith that all that written is,
To our doctrine it is y-writ, ywis;
Taketh the fruit, and let the chaff be still. - View Quote Details on But yet that holden this tale a folly,
As of a…
Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon
That shal ete with a feend. - View Quote Details on Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon
That shal ete with…
His studie was but litel on the Bible. - View Quote Details on His studie was but litel on the Bible.
And yet he had a thomb of gold parde. - View Quote Details on And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.
And of his port as meke as is a mayde. - View Quote Details on And of his port as meke as is a mayde.