The Summoner's Tale
Folio 88v
10 of 13 folios
225
Whan they for soules / seyn the psalme of Dauyd
Loo ; buf they seyn / Cor meum eructauit
Who folwetħ Cristes gospel / and here fore
But we that humble ben / and chaast and poore
Werkers of goddis word / nat auditours
230
Therfore rigħt as an hauke / vp on a sours
Vp spryngetħ in to the Eyr / rigħt so preyeres
Of charitable and chaast / bisy freres
Maken here souressourssoures / to goddis Eres twoo
Thomas Thomas / so mot I ride or goo
235
And be that lord / that cleped is Seynt Iue
Nere thow oure brother / shuldest þu neuere thryue
In oure chapitre / preye we day and nygħt
To Crist / that he sende the / hele and mygħt
Thy body / for to welden hastily
240
God wot qd he / no thyng ther of fele I
As helpe me god / as I in fewe ȝeres
Haue spended / vp on many dyuers freres
Ful many a pound / ȝet fare I neuere the bette
Certeyn my good / haue I almost bysette
245
Fare wel my gold / for it is al a go
The frere answered / o Thomas dost þu so
What nedetħ the / dyuerse freres seche
What nedetħ hī / that hatħ a parfyt leche
To sechen othere leches / in tovne
250
Ȝoure inconstaunce / is ȝoure confusione
Holde ȝe thanne me / and eke al oure couent
To preye for ȝow / be insufficient
Thomas that iape / is nat wortħ a myte
Ȝoure maladye is / for we han to lyte
255
A / ȝeue that Couent foure and twenty grotes
A / ȝeue that Couent / half a quarter Otes
A / ȝeue that Frere / a peny and lat hī goo
Nay nay Thomas / it may no thyng be soo
What is a ferthyng / wortħ / parted on twelue
260
Loo ~ ecħ thyng that is oned / in hī selue
Is more strong / than whan it is I skatered
Thomas of me / thow shalt nat ben I flatered
Thow woldest han oure labour / half for nougħt
The heye god / that al this world hatħ wrougħt
265
Seitħ that the werkman / is wortħ his hyre
Thomas nat of ȝoure tresore / I desire
As for my selue / but that al oure Couent
To preye for ȝow / ben ay so diligent
And for to holden / Cristes owen chirche
270
Thomas if ȝe wyln lerne / for to werche
Of beldynge / vp on chirches / may ȝe fynde