The Manciple's Prologue
Folio 257r
2 of 4 folios
65
And if he falle fro his capil eft sone
Thenne schulle we aƚƚ haue ynough to doone
In liftyng vp his heuy drunken cors
Telle on þin tale of him make I no fors
But ȝit maunciple in feiþ þou art to nyce
70
Thus openly to reproue him of his vice
Anoþer day he wole parauenture
Reclayme þe and bringen þe to lure
I mene he speke wole of smale þinges
And for to pynchen at þine rekenynges
75
That were not honeste if it come to pref
No quod þe maunciple þat were a gret meschief
So migħt he bringe me in to þe snare
Yet hadde I leuer payen for þe mare
Which he ryt on þan he schulde wiþ me stryue
80
I wol not wraþþe him so mote I þryue
Þat þat I spak I seyde it in my bourde
And wite ȝe wel I haue heer in my gourde
A draugħt of wyn ye of a rype grape
And right anon ȝe schullen seen a good Iape
85
This Cook schal drynke þer of if I may
Vp peyne of my lyf he wol not say nay
And certeinly to tellen as it was
Of þis vesseƚƚ þe Cook drank faste allas
What needeþ it he drank ynougħ aforn
90
And whan he hadde pouped in his horn
To þe maunciple he took þe gourde aȝain
And of þat drynke þe cook was wonder fayn
And þanked him in such wise as he cowde
Then gan oure Oste to lawhe wonder lowde
95
And sayde I se wel it is necessarie
Where þat we goon good drink wiþ vs to carie
For þat wol tourne rancour and disese
To acord and loue and many a word to peese
O Bachus y blessed be þy name
100
Þat so canst torne ernest in to game