The Friar's Tale
Folio 77r
2 of 9 folios
5
Of wicchecraft and eek of bawderye
Of diffamacioū / and Auowtrye
Of chirche Reues / and of testamentz
Of contactes / and eek of lakke of sacramentz
Of vsure / and of Symonye also
10
But certes / lecchours dide he grettest wo
They sholde syngen / if þt they were hent
And smale tytheres / weren foule yshent
If any persoū / wolde vp on hem pleyne
Ther mygħte asterte hym / no pecunyal peyne
15
For smale tithes / and smal offrynge
He made the peple / pitously to synge
For er the bisshope / caughte hym wt his hook
They were in the Erchedeknes book /
And thanne / hadde he / thurgħ his Iurisdiccioū
20
Power / to doon on hem correccioū
He hadde a Somonor / redy to his hond
A slyer boye / nas noon in Engelond
For subtilly / he hadde his espiaille
That taughte hym / wher hym mygħte auaille
25
He koude spare of lecchours / oon or two
To techen hym / to foure and twenty mo
For thogh this Somonor / wood was as an hare
To telle his harlotrye / I wol nat spare
For we been / out of his correccioū
30
They han of vs no Iurisdiccioū
Ne neuere shullen / terme of hir lyues
¶ Peter / so been / wōmen of the Styves
Quod the Somonor / yput out of my cure
¶ Pees with myschance / and wt mysauenture
35
Thus seyde oure hoost and lat hym telle his tale
Now telleth forth / thogh þt the somonor gale
Ne spareth nat myn owene maister deere
¶ This false theef this Somonor quod the frere
Hadde alwey / bawdes redy to his hond
40
As any hauk to lure in Engelond
That tolde hym / al the secree þt they knewe
For hir aqueyntance / was nat come of newe
They weren / hise approwours piuely
He took hym self / a greet profit therby
45
His maister knew nat / alwey / what he wan
With outen mandement / a lewed man
He koude somne / on peyne of Cristes curs
And they were glade / for to fille his purs
And make hym / grete feestes atte nale
50
And rigħt as Iudas / hadde purses smale
And was a theef rigħt swich a theef was he
His maister hadde / but half his duetee