The Franklin's Tale
Folio 159r
1 of 24 folios
As euer mote I brouke boþe my tresses
1065
I schal not spare for no curtesye
To speke him harm þat wolde vs vilanye
Dame qd þis pluto be no lengere wroþ
I ȝiue it vp but seþens I swor mȳ oþ
Þat I wolde gaunten him his sight aȝein
1070
My word schal stonde þat warne I þe certayn
I am a king it sitt me nouȝt to lye
And I quod sche a queen of fayerye
Hire answere sche schal haue I vndertake
Let vs no more wordes make
¶ The ploge of þe Fankeleyn
Thise olde gentile britouns in here dayes
Of diuerse auentures maden layes
Rymeden in here firste britoun tonge
Whiche layes with here instrumentz þey songe
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Oþer elles radden hem for here plesaunce
And on of hem haue I in remembraunce
Which I schal seye wiþ as good wille as I can
But sires by cause þat I am a burel man
At my begynnyng first I ȝou beseche
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Haueþ me excused of my rude speche
I lerned neuer rethorik certayn
Þing þat I speke it mot be bare and playn
I slepte neuer on þe mount of parnaso
Ne neuer lered Marcus Thullius ne Cithero
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Colours of Rethorik ne knowe I non wiþouten drede
But suche coloures as growen in þe mede
Oþir elles suche as men dye or peynte
Colours of Rethorik ben me to queynte
Myn spyrit feleþ nougħt of such matere
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But if ȝe luste my tale schul ȝe not here
In amoryke þat cleped is Briteyne
Ther was a knigħt þat loued and did his peyne
To seruen a lady in his beste wise
And many a labour and many a gret empise
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He for his lady wrouȝt er sche were wonne