The Friar's Tale
Folio 231r
5 of 8 folios
175
Seyde þis fend but alle thynge hath tyme
The day is schort / & it is passede pryme
And ȝit ne wan I no thyng on this day
I wele entende to wynnyng ȝif I may
And noght entende oure wordis to declare
180
For broþer mȳ thyn wit is al to bare
To vndyrstonde al thow I tolde hē the
But for for þu axsyst why laboure we
For sūmtyme we ben goddys instrumentis
And meeny for to don hise comaūdementis
185
Whā þt hȳ lyste vp on hyse creaturys
In dyuerse art & in dyuerse figurys
With outyn hȳ we haue no myȝt certeyn
Ȝif þt hī liste stande þereageyn
And sūtyme at oure preyere han we leue
190
Only þe body but not þe soule to greue
This is to seyne of soule & body ek
And sūtyme be we sufferede for to sek
195
Vp on a man & don his soule onreste
Noght his body & al is for þe beste
Whan he withstandith oure temptacioū
It is þe cause of his sauacioun
Al be it þt it was not oure entente
200
He schulde be saf but þt we wolde hȳ hente
And sūtyme be we seruātys vn to man
As to þe Erchebischop seynt Dunstan
And to þe aposteƚƚ ek seruanaunt was I
Ȝit telle me quod þe sūnour feythfully
205
Make ȝe ȝow newe bodyis þë alwey
Of elementis / the fend answerde nay
Sūtyme we feyne & sūtyme we areyse
W deede bodyis in ful sundery wyse
And speke as renabe & fayre & wel
210
As to þe Phitonyssa dede Samuel
And ȝit wele some men seyn it was nat
I do no fors of ȝoure dyuynyte
But o thyng warne I þe I wele not iape
Thow wolt algatis wete how we ben schape