The Friar's Tale
Folio 229v
2 of 8 folios
And somoune hē to chapitere boþe two
And pile þe man & lete þe wenche go
Thāne wolde he sey frend I schal for thyn sake
Don stryke þe out of oure letteris blake
65
The thar no more as in þis cas trauayle
I am thȳ frend þere I þe may a vayle
Certeyn he knew of bryberyis mo
Than possible is to telle in ȝeris two
For in þis world nys doge for þe bowe
70
Thā kan an hurt der frō an hol knowe
Bet þan þe somenour knew a sly lechour
And for þt was þe freut of al his rente
Terfore he sette on it al hyse entente
75
And so be fel þt onys on a day
This somenour euere waytȳge on hyse pray
Wente for to somoūne a wedewe an old rybibe
Feynȳge a cause for he wolde brybe
And happede he saw by fore hȳ ryde
80
A gay ȝeman vndir a forest syde
A bowe he bar & arwis bryȝte & kene
He hadde vp on a courtepy of grene
An hat vp on his hed xxxx with frengis blake
Syre quod þe somenour wel a take
85
Wolcome quod he & euery good felawe
Wheþer rydistow vndyr þis grene wode schawe
Seyde þis ȝeman wilt þu fer to day
This somenour answerde & seyde nay
Here faste by is myn entente
90
To rydyn & to reysyn vp a rente
That longith on to myn lordis duete
Art þu þāne a baylyf / \ye qd he/
He durste not for veray fylthe & schame
Seye he was a somenour for þe name
95
De perdeus quod þis ȝeman leue broþer
Thou art a balyf & I am a noþer
I am onknowyn as in þis cuntre
Of thyn aqueyntaūs I wolde preye þe