The Friar's Tale
Folio 79v
7 of 9 folios
245
As ferforthly / as euere were ye foled
So muche wo / as I haue with yow tholed
The deuel haue al / bothe hors and Cart and hey
¶ This Somonor seyde / heere shal we haue a pley
And neer the feend he drougħ / as noght ne were
250
Ful piuely / and rowned in his ere
Herkne my brother herkne by thy feith
Herestow nat how þt the Carter seith
Hent it anon / for he hath yeue it thee
Bothe hey and Cart and eek hise caples thre
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¶ Nay quod the deuel / god woot neuera deel
It is nat his entente / trust thou me weel
Axe hym thy self if thou nat trowest me
Or elles stynt a while / and thou shalt see
¶ This Carter / taketh his hors on the croupe
260
And they bigonne drawen and to stoupe
Heyt now quod he / ther Ihū crist yow blesse
And al his handwerk bothe moore and lesse
That was wel twight myn owene lyard boy
I pray to god saue thee / and seint loy
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Now is my Cart out of the slow pardee
¶ Lo brother quod the feend / what tolde I thee
Heere may ye se / myn owene deere brother
The carl spak oon / but he thoghte another
Lat vs go forth / abouten oure viage
270
Heere / wynne I no thyng vp on cariage
¶ Whan that they coomen / som what out of towne
This Somonor / to his brother gan to rowne
Brother quod he / heere woneth an old rebekke
That hadde almoost as lief to lese hir nekke
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As for to yeue / a peny of hir good
I wole han .xij. pens / though þt she be wood
Or I wol sompne hir / vn to oure office
And yet god woot / of hir knowe I no vice
But for thou kanst nat as in this contree
280
Wynne thy cost taak heer ensample of me
¶ This Somonor / clappeth at the wydwes gate
Com out quod he / thou olde virytrate
I trowe thou hast som frere / or preest wt thee
¶ Who clappeth seyde this wyf / benedicitee
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God saue yow sire / what is youre sweete wille ;
¶ I haue quod he / of somonce a bille
Vp on peyne of cursyng looke þt thou be
Tomorn / bifore the Erchedeknes knee
Tanswere to the court of certeyn thynges
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¶ Now lord quod she / crist Ihū kyng of kynges
So wisly helpe me / as I ne may
I haue been syk / and that ful many a day