The Summoner's Tale
Folio 84r
7 of 13 folios
255
A yif that Couent half a quarter otes
A yif that Couent .xxiiij. grotes
A yif that frere a peny / and lat hym go .
Nay nay Thomas / it may no thyng be so
What is a ferthyng worth / parted in twelue
260
Lo ech thyng / that is oned / in it selue
Is moore strong than whan it is to scatered
Thomas / of me / thou shalt nat been yflatered
Thou woldest han oure labour al for nogħt
The hye god / that al this world hath wrogħt
265
Seith that the werkman / worthy is his hyre
Thomas / nogħt of your tresor I desire
As for my self but that al oure Couent
To preye for yow / is ay so diligent
And for to buylden / cristes owene chirche
270
Thomas / if ye wol lernen for to wirche
Of buyldynge vp of chirches / may ye fynde
If it be good / in Thomas lyf of Inde
Ye lye heere / ful of Anger of Ire
With which / the deuel set your herte afyre
275
And chiden heere / the sely Innocent
Youre wyf / that is so meke and pacient
And therfore Thomas / trowe me if thee leste
Ne stryue nat with thy wyf / as for thy beste
And ber this word awey / now by thy feitħ
280
Touchynge this thyng lo what the wise seith
¶ With Inne thyn hous / ne be thou no Leou
To thy subgitz / do noon opperssiou
Ne make thyne aqueyntances / nat for to flee
And Thomas / yet eft soones I charge thee
285
Be war from hir / þt in thy bosom slepeth
Be war fro the serpent / that so slily crepetħ
Vnder the gras / and styngeth subtilly
Be war my sone / and herkne paciently
That twenty thousand men / han lost hir lyues
290
For stryuyng wt hir lēmans and hir wyues
Now sith ye han / so hooly meke a wyf
What nedeth yow Thomas / to maken stryf
Ther nys ywys / no serpent so cruel
What man tret on his tayl / ne half so fel
295
As wōman is / whan she hath caugħt an Ire
Vengeance is thanne / al that they desire
Ire is a synne / oon of the grete of seuene
Abhomynable / vn to the god of heuene
And to hym self / it is destrucciou
300
This euery lewed viker or persou
Kan seye / how Ire engendreth homycide
Ire is in sooth / executour of pryde