The Friar's Tale
Folio 116v
3 of 11 folios
Or Iohan or Rauf or who þat it were
That lay by hem þat tolde it in his eere
Thus was þe wenche and he of oon assent
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And he wolde fecche a feyned maundement
And somne hem to þe Chapitre boþe tuo
And pile þe man and late þe wenche go
Þanne wolde he seye I schal freend for þy sake
Do strike þe out of oure lettres blake
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Þe þar nomore as in þis cas tauayle
I am þi frend þer I þe may auayle
Certein he knew of briberies mo
Þan possible is to telle ȝou vnto
For in þis worlde is dogge for no bowe
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That knew an hurt deer from an old bite kowe
Than þat þis sompnor knew a sleigħ lecchour
Or avouter or elles a paramour
And for þat was þe fruyt of aƚƚ þe rent
Therfore on it he sette al his entent
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And so bifeƚƚ þat ones on a day
This somnour euer waytyng on his pray
Rode for to somne an old wijf a ribibe
Feynyng a cause for he wolde bribe
And happede þat he seigħ byfore him ryde /
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A gay yoman vnder a forest syde
A bowe he bar and arwes bright and keene
He hadde vppon a courtepy of grene /
An hatte vppon his heed wiþ frenges blake
Sire qd þis Sompnor hail and wel atake /
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Welcome qd he and euery good felawe
Whider ridestow vnder þis greene schawe
Seyde þis ȝeman wilt þou fer to day
This somnour him answerde and seyde nay
Here faste by quod he is myn entente
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To ryden for to reysen vp a rente /
It longeþ to my lordes dewete
Art þou þanne a baillif ȝe qd he