The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 194r
5 of 5 folios
For it is / ernest to me by my feith
That feele I wel / what that any man seith
And yet for al my smert and al my grief
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For al my sorwe / labour / and meschief
I koude neuere leue it / in no wise
Now wolde god / my wit mygħte suffise
To tellen / al that longeth / to that Art
And naþelees / yow wol I tellen part
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Syn that my lord is goon / I wol nat spare
Swich thyng / as that I knowe / I wol declare
¶ Heere endeþ þe prologe of the Chanoūs Yemannes tale ~
¶ Heere bigynneth / the Chanoūs yeman his tale ~
With this Chanoū / I dwelt haue seuen yeer
And of his science / am I neuer the neer
Al that I hadde / I haue lost ther by
And god woot so hath many mo than I
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Ther I was wont to be rigħt fressħ and gay
Of clothyng and of oother good array
Now may I were / an hose vp on myn heed
And wher my colour / was bothe fressħ and reed
Now is it wan / and of leden hewe
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Who so it vseth / soore shal he rewe
And of my swynk / yet blered is myn eye
Lo / which auantage / is to multiplie
That slidynge science / hath me maad so bare
That I haue no good / wher þt euere I fare
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And yet I am endetted so ther by
Of gold / that I haue borwed trewely
That whil I lyue / I shal it quite neuere
Lat euery man be war by me for euere
What maner man / that casteth hym therto
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If he continue / I holde his xx thrift ydo
For so helpe me god / ther xx by shal he nat wynne
But empte his purs / and make hise wittes thynne
And whan he / thurgħ his madnesse and folye
Hath lost his owene good / thurgħ Iupartye
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Thanne he exciteth / oother folk / ther to
To lesen hir good / as he hym self hath do
For vn to shrewes / ioye it is and ese
To haue hir felawes / in peyne and disese
Thus was I / ones lerned of a Clerk
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Of that no charge / I wol speke of oure werk
¶ Whan we been there / as we shul excercise
Oure Eluyssħe craft / we semen wonder wise