The Summoner's Tale
Folio 87v
8 of 13 folios
And after that / a rosted pygges hede
But that I nolde for me / no beest were dede
135
Than had I witħ ȝow / homly sufficeaunce
I am a man / of litel sustenaunce
My spirit hatħ his fostrynge / in the bible
My body is ay so redy / & so penyble
To wake / that my stomak is destroyed
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I preye ȝow dame / that ȝe be nat a noyed
Thougħ I so frendly / ȝow my counseil shewe
By god I nold han told it / but a fewe
¶ Now Sire qd she / but a word or I goo
My child is deed / with inne theise wekes twoo
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Sone after that ȝe went / out of this Touñ
¶ His detħ saw I / by reuelacioū
Seide this Frere / at hom in oure dortour
I dar wel seyn / that or half an houre
Aftir his deetħ / I saw hī borñ to blisse
150
In myn auysione / so god me wysse
So dide oure Sexteyn / and oure Fermerer
That han ben trewe freres / fifty ȝere
They moun now / god bythanked of his lone
Maken here Iubilee / and walken allone
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And vp I roos / and al oure couent eke
Witħ many a teer / trillynge on my cheke
Witħ outen noyse / and clateryng of belles
To deum / was oure song / & nothyng elles
Saue that to Crist / I bad an orisoū
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Thankynge hī / of my reuelacioū
For sire and dame / trostetħ me rigħt wele
Oure orisons ben more / effectuele
And more we sen / of Cristes secree thynges
Than borel folk / al thougħ that they ben kynges
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We lyue in pouert / and in abstinence
And borel folk / in rychesse and in despence
Of mete and drynk / and in here foule delyt
We han this worldlis list / al in despyt
Lazar and Dyues / lyueden dyuersly
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And dyuers guerdoun / hadden ther by
Who so wol preye / he must fast and beclene
And fatte his soule / and make his body leene
We fare as seitħ the Appostel / clotħ and food
Suffisetħ vs / thougħ they be nat ful good
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The clennesse and the fastynge / of vs Freres
Maketħ that Crist / acceptetħ oure preyeres
Loo Moyses / fourty dayes and fourty nygħt
Fasted / er that god ful of mygħt