The Friar's Tale
Folio 120v
11 of 11 folios
345
Lordinges I couþe han told ȝou quod þis frere
Hadde I had leysir for þis somnour heere
After þe tixte of crist poule and Iohñ
And of oure oþer doctours many oon
Suche peynes þat ȝoure hertes migħt agrise
350
Al be it so no tonge may deuyse
Þougħ þat I migħt a þousand wynt er telle
Þe peyne of þilke cursed hous of helle
But for to kepe vs fro þat cursed place
Wakeþ and prayeþ ihū for his gace
355
So kepe vs fro þe temptour Sathanas
Herkneþ þis word be war as in þis cas
Þe leoun sitte in his awayte alway
To sle þe Innocent if þat he may
Disposeþ ay ȝour hertes to wiþstonde
360
Þe feend þat ȝou wolde make þralle and bonde
He may nat tempten yow ouer your migħt
For crist wille be ȝour champioū and knigħt
And preyeþ þat þis somnour him repente
Of his mysdede or þat þe feend him hente ¶ Explicit
¶ Her endeþ þe Frere his tale /
This Somnour in his styrop heyhe stood
Vpon þis frere his herte was so wood
That lik an aspen leef he quok for Ire
Lordynges quod he but o þing I desire /
5
I ȝou beseche þat of ȝour curtesye
Siþ ȝe han herde þis false frere lye
As suffreþ me I may a tale telle
This frere bosteþ þat he knoweþ helle /
And god wot þat it is litel wonder
10
Freres and feendes ben but litel asonder
For parde ȝe han ofte tyme herd telle /
How þat a frere rauyssched was in helle
In spirit ones by avisioū
And as an aungel ladde him vp and doū
15
To schewen him þe peynes þat þer were /