The Cook's Prologue
Folio 46v
1 of 2 folios
395
And payed for the soper euerideel
Of Aleyn and of Ioħn þt bette hym weel
His wyf is swyued and his doghter als
Lo swich it is / a Miller to be fals
And therfore / this prouerbe / is seyd ful sooth
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Hym thar nat wene wel / that yuele dooth
A gylour shal hym self bigyled be
And god / þt sitteth heighe in Trinitee
Saue al this compaignye / grete and smale
Thus haue I quyt the Miller in my tale
¶ Heere is ended the Reues tale ~
¶ The prologe of the Cokes tale ~
The Cook of Londoū / whil that the Reue spak
For ioye hī thoughte / he clawed hī on the bak
Ha. ha quod he / for cristes passiou
This Miller / hadde a sharpe conclusiou
5
Vp on his Argument / of herbergage
Wel seyde Salomō in his langage
Ne brynge nat euery man in to thyn hous
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous
Wel oghte a man / auysed for to be
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Whom that he broghte / in to his pryuetee
I pray to god / so yeue me sorwe and care
If euere sitthe / I higħte Hogge of Ware
Herde I a Miller / bettre yset awerk
He hadde a Iape of malice in the derk
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But god forbede / that we stynte heere hic
And therfore / if ye vouche sauf to heere audire
A tale of me / that am a poure man
I wol yow telle / as wel as euere I kan
A litel iape / that fil in oure Citee
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¶ Oure hoost answerde / and seide I graunte it thee
Now telle on Roger / looke that it be good
For many a pastee / hastow laten blood
And many a Iakke of Douere / hastow soold
That hath been / twies hoot and twies coold
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Of many a pilgrym / hastow cristes curs
For of thy parcely / yet they fare the wors
That they han eten / with thy stubbel goos
For in thy shoppe / is many a flye loos
Now telle on / gentil Roger by thy name
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But yet I praye thee / be nat wroth for game