The Summoner's Prologue
Folio 80v
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Wher as that Somonors / han hir heritage
And god / þt made / after his ymage
Mankynde / saue and gyde vs alle and some
And leue thise Somonours / goode men bicome
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LOrdynges / I koude han toold yow quod this frere
Hadde I had leyser / for this Somnour heere
After the text of Crist / Poul / and Ioħn
And of oure othere doctours many oon
Swiche peynes / that youre ħte myghte agryse
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Al be it so / no tonge may it deuyse
Thogħ þt I myghte / a thousand wynter telle
The peynes / of thilke cursed hous of helle
But for to kepe vs / fro that cursed place
Waketh / and preyeth Ihū for his grace
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So kepe vs / fro the temptour Sathanas
Herketh this word / beth war as in this cas
The leoū sit in his awayt alway
To sle the Innocent / if that he may
Disposeth ay / youre hertes to withstonde
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The feend / þt yow wolde make / thral & bonde
He may nat tempte yow / ouer your mygħt
For crist wol be / youre champion and knyght
And prayeth / þt thise Somonours hem repente
Of hir mysdedes / er þt the feend hem hente ~
¶ Heere endeth the Freres tale ~
¶ The prologe / of the Somonors tale ~
This Somonor / in his Styropes hye stood
Vp on this frere / his herte was so wood
That lyk an Aspen leef / he quook for Ire
¶ Lordynges quod he / but o thyng I desire
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I yow biseke / that of youre curteisye
Syn ye han herd / this false x / xxx frere lye
As suffreth me / I may my tale telle
This frere bosteth / that he knoweth helle
And god it woot that it is litel wonder
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Freres and feendes . / been but lyte a sonder
For pardee / ye han ofte tyme herd telle
How that a frere / vanysshed was to helle
In Spirit ones / by a visioun
And as an Angel / ladde hym vp and doun
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To shewen hym / the peynes þt ther were
In al the place
saugh he nat a frere