The Cook's Tale
Folio 47v
2 of 2 folios
Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degree
They been ful wrothe al day / as men may see
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¶ This ioly perntys / with his maister bood
Til he were ny / out of his perntishood
Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late
And somtyme / lad with reuel to Newegate
But atte laste / his maister hym bithoghte
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Vp on a day / whan he his papir soghte
Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word
Wel bet is roten Appul / out of hoord
Than þt / it rotie al the remenaūt
¶ So fareth it by a riotous seruaūt
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It is wel lasse harm / to lete hym pace
Than he shende / alle the seruantz in the place
Therfore / his maister / yaf hym Acquitance
And bad hym go wt sorwe and wt meschance
And thus this ioly perntys / hadde his leue
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Now lat hym riote al the nyght / or leue
And for ther is no theef / with oute a lowke
That helpeth hym / to wasten and to sowke
Of that he brybe kan / or borwe may
Anon he sente his bed / and his array
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Vn to a compier / of his owene sort
That louede dys / and Reuel and disport
And hadde a wyf / that heeld for contenance
A shoppe / and swyued for hir sustenance