The Friar's Tale
Folio 230v
4 of 8 folios
What I may gete in conseyl pryuyly
No manere concience haue I
Nere myn extorcioū I myȝte not lyue
140
Ne of sweche Iapis I wele not be schreue
Stomak ne concience knowe I non
I schrewe þese schryft faderys euerychon
Wel be we met by god & by seynt Iame
But leue broþer telle me þāne þȳ name
145
Quod this somenour & in þis mene while
This ȝeman gan a lytyl for to smyle
Broþer quod he wilt þu þt I þe telle
I am a fend mȳ dwellyng is in helle
And here I ryde a boute myn purchasyng
150
To wete where men wolde ȝeue me ony thyng
Myn purchas is þe effect of al myn rente
Loke how þu rydist for þe same entente
To wȳne good þu rekist neuere how
Ryght so fare I for ryde wolde I now
155
Vnto þe worldis ende for a preye
A quod þe somenour bñdiste what seye
I wende ȝe were a ȝeman trewely
Ȝe haue a manys schap as wel as I
Hxue ȝe a figure þāne determynat
160
In helle þere ȝe ben in ȝoure estat
Nay serteyn quod he þere haue we non
But whan vs lykyth þāne can we takyn on
Or eƚƚ make ȝow seme þt we been schape
Sūtyme lyk a man or lyk an ape
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Or lyk an aūgel can I ryde or go
It is no wondyr thyng thow it be so
A lousy iogelour can deseyue þe
And perde ȝit can I more craft þā he
Whi quod þe somenour ride ȝe þāne or gon
170
In sundery schap & not alwey in on
For we quod he wele vs swich formys make
As most able is oure prey for to take
What makyth ȝow to haue al þis labour
Ful manye a cause leue sire Somenour