The Cook's Prologue
Folio 192r
1 of 2 folios
395
And payed for þe souper euerey del
Of aleȳ & of Iohn þt bete hȳ wel
Hese wyf is swyuyd & hese doughtyr als
Lo swhich It is a melle\r/ to bē fals
And þerfore this prouerbe is seyd ful soth
400
Hȳ thar not wene wel þt euele doth
Agylor schal hym self begylede be
And god þt settyth hye \ ī/ mageste
Save alle þese cūpanyis grate & smale
Thus haue I quit þe mellere in mȳ tale
THe cook of lundene whil þe reue spak
For ioye hȳ thouȝte he clawede hȳ on þõ bak
Ha ha ha for cistys passyoū
This mallere hadde a scharp cōclusyou
5
Vp on his argumēt of herbergage
Wel seyde salamon / on his langage
Ne brȳge not euery with in to þȳ hous
For herberwȳge be nyȝte is perlyous
Wel auȝte a mā avysede for to be
10
Whō þt he brouȝte in to hese piuyte
I preye to god so ȝeue me sorwe & care
Syn euere I highte hoge of ware
Herde I euere a mellere betere I set a werke
He hadde a Iape of maleys in þe derke
15
But god for bede þt we stētȳ here
And þerfore ȝif ȝe wouche saf to here
A tale of me þt am a pore man
I wele ȝow telle as wel as euere I can
A lytyl Iape what fel in oure cete
20
Oure ost answerde & seyde I graūte it þe
Now telle on roger & loke þt it be good
For manye a paste hast þu letȳ blod
And manye a rakke of douere hast þu sold /