The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 385r
3 of 19 folios
115
Ho so that lystyth outyn his folye
Let hȳ come forth & lerne multeplye
And euery man that hat ought in his cofere
Lat hȳ apere & wexe a philysophere
As cauns that craft is so lyght to lere
120
Nay nay god wot al be he monk or frere
Prest or chanoū or ony othir whit
Thow he sete at his bok day or nygh
In lernȳge of this eluyssch nyce loore
Al is in veyn & perde meche moore
125
To lerne a lewede man this sotylete
Fy spek nat therof for it wele nat be
And kūne he lettereure or cūne he non
As in effect he schal fȳde it al oon
For bothe to be myn saluacioū
130
Concludȳ as in multiplicacyoū
I lyche weel / whan they hā al I do
This is to seyn they fayle bothe twe
Ȝit forgat I to make rehersayle
Of wateris coresif & of lemayle
135
And of bodyis mollyficacioū
And also of here induracioū
Oyles absolucioū / & metal fusible
To tellyn al wolde passȳ any bible
That ower is / wherefore as for the beste
140
Of alle the these namys now wele I me reste
For as I trowe I haue ȝow told I nogh
To reyse a fend al loke he neuere so rogh
A nay lat be the philisopheris stoon
Elixer clepid / we sekyn faste echon
145
For hadde we hȳ we were sekyr I nogh
But on to god of heuene I make a wow
For al oure craft whā we hā al I do
And al oure sleyghte he wele nat come vs to
He hath I mad vs spēde mechil good
150
For sorwe of whiche almost xx we wexe wood
But that good hope crepith in oure herte
Supposȳge euere thow we sore smerte