The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 227v
20 of 21 folios
He seith how that the dragon doutelees
Ne dieth nat but yif that he be slayn
With his brother and that is for to sayn
Bi the dragon mercury and non other
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He vnderstood and brymston bi his brother
¶ That out of Sol and luna were ydrawe
And therfore seide he take hede to my sawe
Lat no man bisie him this art for to seche
But yif that he thentencioun and speche
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Of Philosophres vnderstanden can
And yif he do he is a lewed man
For this science and this konnyng quod he
Is of the Secree of secretes parde
¶ Also ther was a disciple of Plato
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That on atyme seide his maister to
As his book Senior wol bere witnesse
And this was his demande in sothfastnesse
Telle me the name of the piue stoon
¶ And Plato answerd vnto him anon
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Take the ston that titanos men name
¶ Which is that quod he / magnasia is the same
Seide plato ye sir and is it thus
This is ignotum par ignocius
What is magnasia good sir I yow preye
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¶ It is a water that is maad I seye
Of Elementes four quod plato
¶ Telle me the rote good sir quod he tho
Of that water yif that it be your wille
¶ Nay nay quod plato certeyn that I nylle
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The Philosophres sworn were euerychon
That thei shulde discouere it to non
Ne in no book it write ne in no manere
For vnto crist it is so leef and dere
That he wol nat that it discouered be
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But where it liketh to his deite
Men for tenspire and eke for to defende
Whom that him liketh lo this is thende
Than conclude I thus / syn that god of heuene