The Friar's Tale
Folio 83r
4 of 9 folios
But as my brother / telle me how do ȝe
Now be my trouthe / dere brother seyde he
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As I shal tellen the / a feitħful tale
My wages ben ful streyte / and eke ful smale
My lord is hard to me / and daungerous
And myn office / is ful laboriuslaboriouslaborious
And therfore / by extorcioūs I lyue
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For sothe I take / al that men wol me ȝeue
Algate by sleigħte / or by violence
Fro ȝere to ȝere / I wynne al my dispence
I can no betir tellen / feitħfully
¶ Now certis qd this Sompnour / so fare I
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I spare nat to take / god it wot
But if it be to heuy / or to hot
What I may gete / in counseil preuyly
No manere conscience / of that haue I
Ner myn extercioū / I mygħt nat lyuen
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Ne of swicħ Iapes / wol I nat be shreuen
Stomak ne conscience / knowe I noon
I shrewe theise shriftefaderes / euerychoū
Wel be we mette / by god & by Seynt Iame
But leue brother / telle me thy name
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Quod this Sompnour / rigħt in this mene while
This ȝeman gan / a litel for to smyle
Brother qd he / wylt þu that I the telle
I am a fende / my dwellyng is in helle
And here I ryde / a boute my purchasyng
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To wete / where men wold me ȝeue / ony thyng
My purchas is the effect / of al my rent
Loke how thow ridest / for the same entent
To wynne good / thow rekkest neuere how
Rygħt so fare I / for ride wold I now
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Vn to the worlddes ende / for a preye
¶ A qd this Sompnor / bñdicite what ȝe seye
I wende ȝe were / a ȝeman trewely
Ȝe han a mannes shape / as wel as I
Han ȝe thanne a figure / determinate
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In helle there ȝe ben / in ȝoure estate
Nay certeynly qd he / there han we noone
But whan vs liketħ / we can take vs one
Or ellis make ȝow seme / we ben shape
Somtyme lyke a man / or lyke an Ape
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Or lyke an Aungel / can I ride or go
It is no wonder thyng / thougħ it be so
A lousy Iogelour / can disceyue the
And parde ȝet can I / moore craft than he