The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 217r
4 of 6 folios
Telle me that and that I the biseche
Whi quod this yeman wherto aske ye me
God helpe me so for he shal neuer the
But I wol nat avowe that I seye
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And therfore kepe it secree I yow preye
He is to wys in feith as I beleeue
And that is ouer doon it wol nat preue
Right as Clerkes seyn it is a vice
Wherfore in that I holde him lewde and nyce
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For whā a man hath ouer gret a wit
Ful ofte him happeth to mys usen it
So doth my lord and that me greueth soore
God it amende I kan sey yow no more
Ther of no fors good yeman quod our hoost
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Syn of the Connyng of thi lord thow woost
Telle how he doth I prey the hertily
Syn that he is so crafty and so sly
Where dwellen ye yif it to tellen be
In the subarbes of a toun quod he
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Lurkyng in the hernes and in lanes blynde
Where as this Robbours and theues bikynde
Holden hir pryuete ferful xxsxdence
As thei that dur nat shewen hir persence
So faren we yif I shal sey the sothe
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Now quod our hoost yit late me talke to the
Whi artow discolourde of thi face
Petyr quod he god yeue it harde grace
I am so vsed in the fire to blowe
That it hath chaunged my colour I trowe
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I nam nat wont in no myrour to prie
But swynke sore and lerne to multiplie
We blundren euer and pouren in the fire
And for al that we faile of our desire
For euer we lak our conclusioun
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To mochel folk we doon illusioun
And borowe gold be it a pound or two
Or ten or twelue and many a sōmes mo
And maken hem wene atte lest weye