The Franklin's Tale
Folio 293v
13 of 21 folios
515
He made it straūg & swor so god hȳ saue
Lasse thā a thousent pound wolde he nat haue
Ne gladli for that sūme wolde he nat goon
Aurelyus wt blysful herte a noon
Answerde thus fy on a thousent pound
520
This wide world which that men seyn is round
I wolde it ȝeue ȝif I weere lord of it
This bargayn is ful drewyn for we been knyt
Ȝe schal been payed trewely be myn trouthe
But lokyth now for no necligence ne slouthe
525
Ȝe tarye vs no lengere thā to morwe
Nay quod this clerk / here myn feyth to borwe
To bedde is goon Aurelius whā hȳ leste
And wel nygh al that nyght he hadde his reste
What for his labor & his hope of blys
530
His woful herte of penaūce hadde a lys
Vp on the morwe whā that it was day
To bryteyne toke they the ryȝte way
Aurelyus & the Magicyoū by syde
And been descendit there they wele vnbyde
535
And this was as the bokys me remēbre
The colde frosty sesoū of desembre
Phebz wex old & hewid lyk latoū
That in his hoote declynacioū
Schon as the burnet gold with streemys bryȝte
540
But now in Caprycorn adoū he lyghte
Wheere as he schon ful pale I dar weel seyn
The bittere frostis with the sleet & reyn
Distroyed hat the grene & euery ȝerd
Ianus sit by the fyr wt double berd
545
And drynkyth of hyse bugle horn the wyn
By forn hȳ stant braū / of the tuskyd swyn
And Nowel syngyth / eueuery lusty man
Aurelius in al that euere he can
Doth to his maystyr chier & reuerēce
550
And preyeth hȳ to don his dilygence
To bryngȳ hȳ out of hise peynys smerte
Or with a swerd that he wolde slytte his herte