袋鼠小说

THE EPILOGUE（第1页）

"y-blessedbethybreech，andeverystone;

thiswasamerrytaleofchanticleer。

"sirnunnespriest，"ourhostesaidanon，

butbymytruth，ifthouwertseculere，**alaymanthouwouldestbeatreadefowl*aright;*cock

forifthouhavecourageasthouhastmight，

theewereneedofhennes，asiween，

yearethanseventimesseventeen。

see，whatebrawnes*haththisgentlepriest，*muscles，sinews

sogreataneck，andsuchalargebreast

helookethasasperhawkwithhiseyen

himneedethnothiscolourfortodyen

withbrazil，norwithgrainofportugale。

but，sir，fairefallyouforyourtale。"

and，afterthat，hewithfullmerrycheer

saidtoanother，asyeshallhear。

thesixteenlinesappendedtothetaleofthenunspriestseem，astyrwhittobserves，eedingtale—butthedifficultyistodeterminewhichthattaleshouldbe。inearliereditions，thelinesformedtheopeningoftheprologuetothemanciplestale;butstofthemanuscriptsacknowledgethemselvesdefectiveinthispart，andgivethenunstaleafterthatofthenunspriest。intheharleianmanuscript，followedbymrwright，thesecondnunstale，andthecanonsyeomanstale，areplacedafterthefranklinstale;andthesixteenlinesabovearenotfound—themanciplesprologueingimmediatelyafterthe"amen"ofthenunspriest。intwomanuscripts，thelastlineofthesixteenrunsthus:"saiduntothenunasyeshallhear;"andsixlinesreevidentlyforged，aregiventointroducethenunstale。allthisconfusionanddoubtonlystrengthenthecertainty，anddeepentheregret，that"thecanterburytales"wereleftatchaucers，deathnotmerelyveryimperfectasawhole，butdestituteofmanyfinishingtouchesthatwouldhavemadethempletesofarastheconceptionhadactuallybeencarriedintoperformance。