The Manciple's Prologue
Folio 202v
2 of 3 folios
Thyne eyen daswen eek as that me thynketh
And wel I woot / thy breeth / ful soure stynketh
That sheweth wel / thou art nat wel disposed
Of me certeyn / thou shalt nat been yglosed
35
See how he ganeth / lo this dronken wigħt
As thougħ he wolde / swolwe vs anon rigħt
Hoold cloos thy mouth man / by thy fader kyn
The deuel of helle / sette his foot ther In
Thy cursed breetħ / infecte wole vs alle
40
Fy stynkyng swyn / fy / foule moote thou falle
A taketh heede sires / of this lusty man
Now sweete sire / wol ye Iusten atte Fan
Therto me thynketh / ye been wel yshape
I trowe / that ye dronken han wyn Ape
45
And that is / whan men pleyen with a straw
And with his speche / the Cook wax wrootħ & wraw
And on the Manciple / he gan nodde faste
For lakke of speche / and doun the hors hym caste
Where as he lay / til þt men vp hym took
50
This was / a fair chyuachee / of a Cook
Allas / he nadde / holde hym by his ladel
And er þt he / agayn were in his Sadel
Ther was greet showuyng bothe to and fro
To lifte hym vp / and muchel care and wo
55
So vnweeldy / was this sory palled goost
And to the Manciple / thanne spak oure hoost
¶ By cause / drynke / hath dominacioū
Vpon this man / by my sauacioū
I trowe / lewedly / he wolde telle his tale
60
For were it wyn / or oold / or moysty Ale
That he hath dronke / he speketh in his nose
And fneseth faste / and eek he hath the pose
¶ He hath also / to do moore than ynougħ
To kepen hym and his Capul out of slougħ
65
And if he falle / from his capul eftsoone
Thanne shal we alle / haue ynogħ to doone
In liftyng vp / his heuy dronken cors
Telle on thy tale / of hym make I no fors
¶ But yet Manciple / in feith thou art / to nyce
70
Thus openly / repreue hym of his vice
Another day / he wole per auenture
Reclayme thee / and brynge thee to lure
I meene / he speke wole / of smale thynges
As for to pynchen / at thy rekenynges
75
That were nat honeste / if it cam to preef
¶ No quod the Manciple / that were a greet mescheef
So mygħte he ligħtly / brynge me in the snare
Yet hadde I leuere / payen for the Mare