The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 219v
4 of 21 folios
Sol gold is / and luna siluer we threpe
Mars Iren / Mercurye quyk siluer we clepe
Saturnus leed and Iupiter is tyn
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And venus copir bi my fader kyn
¶ This cursed crafte who so wole excersice
He shal no good han that him may suffice
For al the good he spendeth ther aboute
He leese shal ther of haue he no doute
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Who so that list outen his folye
Lete him come forth and lerne to multiplie
And euery man that hath aught in his cofre
Lat him appere and wex a Philosopre
Ascaunce that crafte is so light to lere
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Nay / nay god woot al be he monk or frere
Prest or Chanoun or any other wight
Thogh he sitte at his book bothe day and nyght
In lernyng of his eluysshe nyce lore
Al is in veyn and parde mochel more
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To lerne a lewde man this sotilite
Fy speke nat ther of it wol nat be
And konne he lettrure or konne he non
As in effect he shal fynde it al on
For bothe two bi my sauacioun
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Concluden in multiplicacioun
I leche wel whan thei haue al I do
This is to seyn thei falle bothe two
¶ Yit forgat I to make rehersaile
Of watres corssife and of lemaile
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And of bodies mollificacioun
And also of other induracioun
Oilles ablucioun and metal fusible
To tellen al wold passen any bible
That oghwer is / wherefore as for the beste
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Of al this names now wol I me reste
For as I trowe I haue yow told ynow
To reise a feende al looke he neuer so row
¶ A nay let be the philosophres ston
Elixer clepte we seken fast echon