The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 393r
18 of 19 folios
725
Of philisopheris vndyrstōde can
An ȝif he do he is a lowede man
For this sciēce & this cūnȳge quod he
Is of the secre of the secretis perde
Also there was a disciple of plato
730
That on a tyme he seyde his maystir to
As his bok senyor wele bere witnesse
And this was his demānde in sothfastnesse
Telle me the name of the pryue stoon
And plato answerde vn to hȳ a noon
735
Take the ston that Titanos mē name
Whiche is that quod he Magnasia is the same
Seyde plato ȝa syre & is it thus
This is ignotū par ignocius
What is magnacia goode sere I ȝow preye
740
It is a watyr that is mad I seye
Of elementis foure quod Plato
Telle me the rooche goode sire quod he tho
Of that watyr ȝif that it be ȝore wil
Nay nay quod plato serteyn that I nyl
745
The philisopheris sworn were euerichon
That they schulde discouere it on to non
Nor in no bok it write in no manere
For on to cryst it is so lef & deere
That he wele not that it discouered be
750
But wheere it likyth to his deitee
Men for to enspire & ek for to defende
Whō that hȳ likith lo this is the ende
Thāne cōclude I thus syn that god of heuene
Ne wele not that the philisopheris neuene
755
How that a mā schal come vn to this stoon
I rede as for the beste lat it gon
For ho so makyth good his aduersarye
As for to werkȳ ony thyng In cōtrarye
Of his wil sertis neuere schal he thryue
760
Thow that he multyplie terme of lyue
And there a poynt for endit is mȳ tale
God sende euery trewe man bote of his bale