The Hengwrt description of the Monk in the General Prologue Adam Pinkhurst's handwriting in the Hengwrt manuscript
End of the Parson's Prologue in Hengwrt

¶Oure hoost / hadde the wordes for vs alle

Sire preest quod he / now faire yow bifalle

Sey what yow list / and we wol gladly heere

And with that word / he seyde in this manere

Telleth quod he / your meditaciou(n)

But hasteth yow / the sonne wol adoun

Beth fructuous / and that in litel space

And to do wel / god sende yow his grace
End of Parson's Prologue, Ellesmere

Oure hoost / hadde the wordes for us alle

Sire preest quod he / now faire yow bifalle

Sey what you list / we wol gladly heere

And with that word / he seyde in this manere

Telleth quod he / youre meditaciou(n)

But hasteth yow / the sonne wole adoun

Beth fructuous / and that in litel space

And to do wel / god sende yow his grace
The Riverside Chaucer:
Oure Hoost hadde the wordes for us alle;                         67
"Sire preest," quod he, "now faire yow bifalle!
Telleth," quod he, "youre meditacioun.
But hasteth yow; the sone wole adoun;                             70
Beth fructuous, and that in litel space,
And to do wel God sende yow his grace!
Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere."
And with that word he seyde in this manere.		 Riverside Chaucer Explanatory Notes:
73-74 In all MSS this couplet follows upon line 68. See Textual Notes.

Riverside Chaucer Textual Notes:
73-74 These lines occur in all the MSS after 68 and and are printed in that position by Skt Pol M-R (although Manly in his 1928 edition suggests the transposition). Brown (ChR 10, 1976, 236-42) argues for a return to the MS order.
   
Wife of Bath's Prologue in Hengwrt

And trewely / as myne housbondes tolde me

I hadde the beste quonyam myghte be

Myn ascendent was Taur / and Mars ther Inne

Allas • Allas / that evere loue was synne

I folwed ay my Inclinacioun

By vertu of my constellacioun

That made me / I koude noght withdrawe

My chambre of Venus / from a good felawe
Wife of Bath's Prologue in Ellesmere

And trewely / as myn housbondes tolde me
I hadde the beste Quonyam myghte be [page break in manuscript]
For certes I am al Venerien
In feelynge / and myn herte ^ is ^ Marcien
Venus me yaf my lust / my likerousnesse
And Mars yaf me / my sturdy hardynesse
Myn Ascendent was Taur and Mars therinne
Allas / Allas / þat euere loue was synne
I folwed ay myn Inclinacioun
By vertu of my constellacioun
That made me I koude noght withdrawe
My chambre of Venus from a good felawe
Yet have I Martes mark vpon my face
And also in another privee place
For god so wys be my sauvacioun
I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun
But evere folwede myn appetyt
Al were he short or long or blak or whyt
I took no kepe so that he lyked me
How pore he was ne eek of what degree
What sholde I say….