The Friar's Tale
Folio 68v
1 of 11 folios
Bi god I shal him quyten euery grot
I shal him telle swich a gret honour
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It is to be a flateryng limitour
And of many another cryme
Which nedeth nat rehercen for this tyme
And his office I shal him telle I wis
Our hoost answerd pees no more of this
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And after this he seyde vn to the frere
Telle forth your tale leue mastyr dere
Whilome ther was dwellyng in my cuntre
An Erchedeken a man of high degre
That boldely did execucioun
In punysshyng of fornicacioun
5
Of wich craft and eke of baudrye
Of diffamacioun and auoutrye
Of cherche reues and of testamentz
Of contractes and ek of lak of Sacamentz
Of vsure and of Symony also
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But certis lechours did he grettest wo
Thei shold syngen yif that thei were hent
And smale tithers were foule I shent
Yif any person wolde vpon him pleyne
Ther myght astert him no pecunyal peyne
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For smale tithes and smal offeryng
He made the peple pitously to synge
For or the bisshop caught hem wyth his hook
Thei were in the Erche dekenes book
And thanne had he thorgh his Iurisdiccioun
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Power to doon hem correccioun
He had a sompnour redy to his hond
A sleygher boy was non in Engelond
For sotelly he had his espiale
That taught him where him myght ought auayle
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He couth spare of lechours oon or two
To teche him to foure and twenti mo