The Friar's Tale
Folio 70v
5 of 11 folios
No maner consciens of that haue .I.
Nere myn extorcioun I myght nat lyuen
140
Ne of suche Iapes wil I noght be shryuen
Stomake ne conscience know I none
I shrew thise shrift fadres euerychone
Wel be we met bi god and bi seynt Iame
But leue brother telle me than thi name
145
Quod this Sompnour in this mene while
This yoman gan a litel for to smyle
¶ Brother quod he woltow that I the telle
I am a fend my dwellyng is in helle
And here I ride a boute my purchasyng
150
To wite where men wol yeue me any thing
Mi purchas is theffect of al my rente
Loke how thou ridest for the same entente
To wynne good thou rekkest neuer how
Ryght so fare I for ride wol I now
155
Vnto the worldes ende for a preye
¶ A quod the Sompnour benedicite what sey ye
I wende ye were a yoman trewly
Ye han a mannes shap as wel as I
Han ye a figure determinat
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In helle there ye ben in your estat
¶ Nay certeyn quod he there haue we none
But whan vs liketh we can take vs one
Or elles maken vs seme that we ben shape
Some tyme lyke aman or like an Ape .
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Or like an aungel can I ryde or go
It is no wondir thing thogh it be so
A lousy iogeler can deceyue the
And yit parde can I more craft than he
¶ Whi quod the sompnour ride ye than or gon
170
In sondry shap and noght alwey in oon
¶ For we quod he wil vs siche formes make
As moost able is our prey for to take
¶ What maketh yow to han al this labour