The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 203r
3 of 5 folios
He hatħ take on hī / many a gret emprise
Whicħ were ful hard / for any þt is heere
To brynge a boute / but they of hī it lere
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As homly as he ryt / a monges ȝow
If ȝe hī knewe / it wolde be for ȝoure prow
Ȝe wolde nat forgon / his acqueyntaunce
For mechel good / I dar leye in balaunce
Al that I haue / in my possessioū
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He is a man / of heigħ discresioū
I warne ȝow wel / he is a passyng man
Wel quod oure hoost / I preye the telle me than
Is he a clerk or noon / telle what he is
Nay / he is grettere than a Clerk / I wys
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Seide this ȝeman / and in wordes fewe
Hoost of his craft / som what I wol ȝow shewe
I seye my lord can / suche sotiltee
But al his craft / ȝe moun nat wyte of me
And som what helpe I ȝet / to his werkyng
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That al this gounde / on whicħ we ben ridyng
Til that we come / to Caunterbury Toun
He coude al clene / turnen vp so doun
And paue it al of siluer / and of golde
And whan this ȝeman / had this tale I tolde
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Vn to oure hoost / he seide benedicite
This thyng / is wonder merueillous / to me
Syn þt thy lord / is / of so heigħ prudence
By cause of whicħ / men shulde hī reuerence
That of his worshipe / rekketħ he so lite
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His ouer sloppe / nys nougħt wortħ a myte
As in effect / to hī / so mot I go
It is al baudy / and tore also
Why is thy lord so sluttissħ / I the preye
And is of power / bettre clotħ to beye
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If that his dede / a corded witħ thy speche
Telle me that / and I the biseche
¶ Why qd this ȝeman / wher to aske ȝe me
God helpe me so / for he shal neuere the
But I wol nat a vowe / that I seye
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And þerfore kepe it secree / I ȝow preye
He is to wys in feitħ / as I bileue
That þat is ouer doon / It wol nat preue
A rigħt / as Clerkes seyn / it is a vice