The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 382v
5 of 5 folios
115
I am not wone in no myror to prye
But swȳke sore & lerne multeplye
We blund ere euere & poure in the fuyr
And for al that we fayle of oure desyr
For euere we lakke oure cōclusioū
120
To muche folk we doon illusyoū
And borwe gold be it a pound or two
Or ten or twelve or manye sūmys mo
And makȳ hē to wenyn at the leste weye
That of a pound we coudȳ make tweye
125
Ȝit is it fals but ay we han good hope
It for to doon & aftyr it we grope
But that science is so fer vs be foren
We mow not al thogh we haddȳ it sworen
It ouyrtake it slyt awey so faste
130
It wele vs make beggeris at the laste
Whil this ȝeman was thus in his talkyng
This chanoū drow hȳ neer & herde allethyng
Which this ȝeman spak for suspecioū
Of menys speche / euere hadde this chanoū
135
for Catoū seyth he that gilty is
Demyth alle thȳge is seyd of hȳ I wis
That was the cause he gan so nygh hȳ drawe
To his ȝeman to herkenȳ al his sawe
And thus he seyde vn to his ȝeman tho
140
Hold thow thȳ pees & spek no wordis mo
For ȝif thow do thow schat it deere a beye
Thow slaūderyst me heere in this cūpaynye
And ek discouerist that thow schuldist hide
Ȝa quod oure ost telle on what so betyde
145
Of al his thretyng relke nat a myte
Infeyth quod he namore I do but lyte
And whā this chanoū saw it wolde nat be
But his ȝeman wolde telle his pryuyte
He fledde a wey for verray sorwe & schame
150
A quod the ȝeman here schal a ryse game
Al that I can a non now wele I telle
Syn he is goon the foule fend hȳ quelle