The Summoner's Tale
Folio 87r
7 of 13 folios
For lettre sleetħ / so as we clerkes seyn
There haue I taugħt hem / to be charitable
And spende here good / there it is resonable
And there I saw oure dame / a where is she
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Ȝonder in the ȝerd / I trowe that she be
Seyde this man / and she wyl come a noon
¶ Ey Maister welcome be ȝe / be Seynt Ioħn
Seide this wyf / how fare ȝe hertily
The frere a risetħ vp / ful curteisly
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And hire embracetħ / in his armes narwe
And kist hire swete / and chirketħ as a sparwe
Witħ hise lippes / dame qd he rigħt wel
As he that is ȝoure seruaūt / euerydel
Thanked be god / þt ȝow ȝaf soule and lyf
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Ȝet saw I nat this day / so fair a wyf
In al the chirche / god so saue me
Ȝe god amende defautes / Sire qd she
Algates wolcome be ȝe / be my fay
Graunt mercy dame / this haue I founde alway
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But of ȝoure greet goodnesse / be ȝoure leeue
I wolde preye ȝow / that ȝe nat ȝow greeue
I wol witħ Thomas / speke a litel throwe
Theise curatours / ben so negligent / and slowe
To gropen tenderly / a conscience
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In shrift / in perchynge / is my diligence
And studye / in Petres wordes / and in Poules
I walke and fisshe / mennes soules
To ȝelden iħu crist / his propre rent
To sprede his word / is sette al myn entent
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¶ Now be ȝoure leue / deere Sire qd she
Chidetħ hī wele / for Seynt charite
He is as angry / as a Pissemyre
Thougħ that he haue / al that he can desire
Thougħ I hī wrye a nygħt / & make hī warme
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And ouer hi leye / my legge and eke myn arme
He gronetħ lyke oure Boor / litħ in oure sty
Other disport of hī / rigħt noon haue I
I may nat pleese hī / in no maner caas
O Thomas ieo vous dye / Thomas Thomas
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This maketħ the fend / this must ben amended
Ire is a thyng / that heye god defended
And ther of wol I speke / a word or twoo
Now Maister qd the wyf / or that I goo
What wol ȝe dyne / I wol go ther a boute
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Now dame qd he / now ieo vous die saunȝ doute
Haue I nat of a Capone / but the lyuere
And of ȝoure white bred / no but a shyuere