The Friar's Tale
Folio 229r
1 of 8 folios
For subtily he hadde hise expyayle
That tauȝte hȳ where hȳ myȝte a vayle
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He coude spare of lechourys on or two
To techȳ hȳ to foure & twenty mo
For þow þis somenor wood were as an hare
To telle his harloterye I wele not spare
For we ben out of his coreccioū
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They han of vs no Iurdiccioū
Ne neuere ne schuln of alle here lyuys
Petyr so been wemen at þe styuys
Quod þe somenor I put out of oure cure
Pees wt myschaūce & with mysauenture
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Thus seyde oure ost & lat hȳ telle his tale
Now tellith forth þow þt þe somenour gale
Ne sparyth not myn owene maystyr dere
This false thef þis somenour quod þe frere
Hadde alwey baudys redy to his hond
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As ony hauk to lure in ingelond
That tolde hȳ al þe secre þt þey knewe
For hire aqueyntaūs was not comyn of newe
They were hise approuoris pryuyly
He tok hȳ self a profyt þerby
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His maystyr knew not alwey what he wan
With outȳ maūdement a lewede man
He coude somoūne vp peyne of crystis curs
And þey were ful glad to fille his purs
And made hȳ noble festis at þe nale
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And ryȝt as Iudas hadde purse smale
And was a thef ryȝt swich a thef was he
Hise maystyr hadde but half hise duete
He was ȝif I schal ȝeuȳ hȳ hise lawede
A thef & ek a somenour & a baude
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He hadde ek wēchis at his retenew
That wheþer syre Robert oþer sire hewe
Or Iakke or Raf or who so þt it were
That lay by hē þey tolde it in hise ere
Thus was þe wenche & he at on assent
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And he wolde feche a feynede maūdement