The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 226v
18 of 21 folios
What shal I pay telleth me I praye
640
¶ I wis quod he it is ful dere I saye
Syr at .o. word yif that the list it haue
Ye shul pay fourty pound so god me saue
And nere the frendeship that ye dede or this
To me ye sholden pay more I wis
645
¶ This preest the some of xl. pound anon
Of nobles fette and took hem euerychon
To this Chanon for this ilke receyte
Al his workyng nas but fraude and deceite
Syr preest he seide I kepe han no loos
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Of my crafte for I wolde it kepte were cloos
And as ye loueth me kepe it secree
For and men knewen al my sotilite
Bi god thei wolden han so gret enuye
To me bi cause of my philosophie
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I sholde be deed ther were non other weye
¶ God it forbede quod the preest what seie ye
Yit had I leuer spenden al the good
Which that I haue and elles wex I wood
Than that ye shulden falle in swich meschief
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¶ For your good wille syr haue ye right good preef
Quod the Chanon fare wel graunt mercy
He went his wey and neuer the preest him sy
Aftyr that day and whan this preest sholde
Maken assay at swich tyme as he wolde
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Of this receit fare wel it wolde nat be
Lo thus bi iaped and bigiled was he
Thus maketh he his introduccioun
To brynge folk to hir destruccioun
¶ Considreth sirs how that in eche stat
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Bitwix men and gold ther is debat
So ferforth that vnnethes is ther non
This multipliyng blent so many a mon
That in good feith I trow that it be
The cause grettest of swich scarsete
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Philosophres speken so mistily
In this craft that men can nat come therby