The Summoner's Tale
Folio 86v
6 of 13 folios
A goddis kechel / or a trype of chese
40
Or ellis what ȝow list / we moun nat chese
A goddis halpeny / or a masse peny
Or ȝeue vs of ȝoure brawne / if ȝe haue eny
A dagoū of ȝoure blanket / lef dame
Loo deere suster / heere wryte I ȝoure name
45
Bacoū or Beef / or swicħ thyng as ȝe fynde
¶ A sturdy harlot / went hem ay behynde
That was here hostis man / and bar a sak
And that men ȝaf hem / leide it on his bak
And whan that he was / out at the dore / a noon
50
He planed a wey / the names euerychou
That he byforñ had wretyn / in his tables
He serued hem witħ nyfles / and witħ fables
¶ Nay there thow lixt / thow Sompnor qd the frere
Pees qd oure host / for cristes moder deere
55
Telle fortħ thy tale / and spare it nat at al
So thryue I qd this Sompnour / so I shal
So longe he went / fro hous to hous / til he
Cam to an hous / there he was wont to be
Refresshed moore / than in an hundred places
60
Seke lay the bonde man / whos the place is
Bedred vp on a couche / sekelowelowe seke he lay
Deus hic qd he / O Thomas frend good day
Seide this frere / curteisly and softe
Thomas qd he / god ȝelde ȝow / ful ofte
65
Haue I vp on this benche / faren ful wele
Heere haue I eten / ful many a mery mele
And fro the benche / he drof a wey the cat
And leide a doun his potent / and his hat
And eke his skrippe / and sette hī softe a doune
70
His felawe was gon / walked in to toune
Fortħ witħ his knaue / in to that hostelrye
Where as he shope hī / thilke nygħt to lye
O deere maister / qd this syke man
How han ȝe faren / syn that Marche bygan
75
I saw ȝow nat / this fourtene nygħt or more
God wot qd he / laboured haue I sore
And specially / for thy saluacione
Haue I seid / many a precious orisone
And for oure oþereoþere frendis / god hē blisse
80
I haue to day ben / at ȝoure chirche at messe
And seid a Sermoun / to my symple wytte
Nat al after the text / of holy wrytte
For it is hard to ȝow / as I suppose
And therfore wol I telle ȝow / al the glose
85
Glosyng / is a ful glorious thyng / certeyn