The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 200v
14 of 17 folios
And to hym spak and thus seyde in his game
Stoupeth adoun / by god ye be to blame
Helpeth me now / as I dide yow whil eer
610
Putte In youre hand / and looketh what is theer
¶ This preest took vp / this siluer teyne anon
And thanne seyde the Chanoū / lat vs gon
W thise thre teynes / whiche þt we han wrogħt
To som Goldsmytħ / and wite if they been ogħt
615
For by my feith / I nolde for myn hood
But if that they were siluer fyn and good
And that as swithe / preeued it shal bee
¶ Vn to the Goldsmyth / wt thise teynes three
They wente / and putte thise teynes in assay
620
To fir and hamer / mygħte no man seye nay
But þt they weren / as hem oghte be
¶ This sotted preest . who was gladder than he
Was neuere brid / gladder agayn the day
Ne nygħtyngale / in the sesoū of May
625
Nas neuere man / that luste bet to synge
Ne lady / lustier in carolynge
Or for to speke of loue and wōmanhede
Ne knygħt in Armes / to doon an hardy dede
To stonden in grace / of his lady deere
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Than hadde this preest this soory craft to leere
And to the Chanoū / thus he spak and seyde
For loue of god / that for vs alle deyde
And as I may / deserue it vn to yow
What shal this receite coste / telleth now
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¶ By oure lady quod this Chanou / it is deere
I warne yow wel / for saue I and a frere
In Egelond / ther kan no man it make
¶ Nofors quod he / now sire for goddes sake
What shal I paye / telleth me I preye ;
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¶ Ywis quod he / it is ful deere I seye
Sire at o word / if that thee list it haue
Ye shul paye fourty pound / so god me saue
And nere the freendshipe / þt ye dide er this
To me / . ye sholde paye moore ywis
645
¶ This preest the sōme of fourty pound anon
Of nobles fette / and took hem euerichon
To this Chanoū / for this ilke receit
Al his werkyng nas but fraude and deceit
¶ Sir preest he seyde / I kepe han no loos
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Of my craft / for I wolde it kept were cloos
And as ye loue me / kepeth it secree
For and men knewen / al my soutiltee
By god / they wolden han so greet enuye
To me / by cause / of my Philosophye