The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 180v
2 of 22 folios
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If he continue I holde his þrifte y do
So help me god þer by schal he not wynne
But empte his purs and make his wittes þinne
And whan he þorugħ his madnesse and folye
Haþ lost his owne good þorugħ Ie pardye
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Þanne he exciteþ oþer folk þerto
To lese here good as himself haþ do
For vnto schrewes Ioye it is and ese
To haue here felawes in peyne and disese
Thus was I ones lerned of a clerk
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Of þat no charge I wol speke of oure werk
Whan we ben þere as we schulle exercise
Oure eluysshe craft ; we semen wonder wise
Oure termes ben so clergeal and so queynte
I blowe þe fuyr til þat myn herte feynte
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What scholde I telle eche proporcioū
Of þinges whiche þat we worchen vppon
As on fyue or sixe vnces may wel be
Of siluer or of som oþer quantite
And besye me to telle ȝou þe names
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Of Opyment brent bones yren squames
That in to poudre grounden ben ful smal
And in an erþen pot how þat put is al
And salt y put in and also paupere
Bifore þise poudres þat I speke of here
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And wel y couered wiþ a laumpe of glas
And of muche oþer þing what þat þer was
And of þe pot and glas englutyng
That of þe aier mighte passe no þing
And of þe esy fyr and smert also
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Which þat was mad and of þe care and wo
Þat we hadde in oure matiers sublymynge
And amalgamynge and Calcenynge
Of quyk syluer y cleped mercurie crude
For aƚƚ oure sleigħtes we can nouȝt conclude
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Oure orpymed and sublimed mercurie