What is this world? what asketh men to have? Now with…

What is this world? what asketh men to have?
Now with his love, now in his colde grave
Allone, withouten any compaignye.

Sourced, The Canterbury Tales

The Knight’s Tale, l. 2777-2779

Other Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

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…
For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre. - View Quote Details on For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty…
Of studie took he most cure and most hede.
Noght o word spak he more than was nede,
And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence.
Souninge in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. - View Quote Details on Of studie took he most cure and most hede…
This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro;
Deeth is an ende of every worldly soore. - View Quote Details on This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
And we…
Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily. - View Quote Details on Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke…
Certes, they been lyk to houndes, for an hound whan he comth by the roser, or by other bushes, though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up his leg and make a contenaunce to pisse. - View Quote Details on Certes, they been lyk to houndes, for an hound whan…
This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf,—
That first he wrought, and afterwards he taught. - View Quote Details on This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf,—
That first he…
Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
For youthe and elde is often at debat. - View Quote Details on Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
For youthe and elde is…
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght. - View Quote Details on He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
Ech man for hymself, ther is noon oother. - View Quote Details on And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
Ech man for…