The Friar's Tale
Folio 116r
2 of 11 folios
He hadde a somnour redy to his hande
A sleyere boy was non in engelande
For sotilly he hadde his especiaile
That taughte him where þat him mighte auayle
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He coude spare of lecchours on or tuo
To techen him to foure and twenty mo
For þough þis somnour wood were as an hare
To telle his harlottrie I wil not spare
For we ben oute of here correccoū
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They han of vs no Iuresdictioū
Ne neuer schullen terme of aƚƚ hire lyues
Petur so ben þe wōmen of þe Styues
Quod þis Somnor y putt out of oure cure
Pees with meschance and with mysauenture
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Thus seyde oure host and let him telle his tale
Now telleþ forþ and late þe somnor gale
Ne spareþ nougħt myn oughne maister deere
This false þeef þis somnor quod þe Frere
Hadde alwey bawdes redy to his hond
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As eny hauke to lure in Engelond
That telle him al þe secre þat þey knewe
For here aqueintance was nat come of newe
Þey weren his approwours priuely
He tok himself a gret profyt þerby
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His maister knew nat alwey what he wan
Wiþouten maundement of a lewed man
He coude somne on peyne of cristes curs
And þey were ynly gladde to fille his purs /
And made him grete festes atte nale
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And right as Iudas hadde purses smale
And was a þeef rigħt swich a þeef was he
His mayster hadde but half his dewete /
He was if I schal ȝiuen him his laude
A theef and eek a sompnor and a baude
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He hadde eek wenches of his retenue
That wheþer þat ser Roberd or ser huwe