The Summoner's Tale
Folio 235v
2 of 14 folios
And spcially for thyn saluacioū
Haue I seyd manye a percious orisoū
And for oure oþere frendis god hē blysse
80
I haue to day been at ȝoure cherche at messe
And seyd a sarmoū aftyr mȳ sȳple wit
Nat al aftyr þe text of holy wret
For it is hard to ȝow as I suppose
And þerfore wele I telle ȝow al þe glose
85
Glosyng is a glorious thyng serteyn
For lettere sleth as we clerkis seyn
There haue I tauȝt hē to be charytable
And spēde here good þere it is resonable
And þere I saw oure dame a where is sche
90
Ȝon\d/ ī þe ȝerd I trowe þt sche be
Ey maystir wolcome be ȝe by seynt Ioħn
Seyde þis wif how fare ȝe hertely
This frere arysith vp ful curteysly
95
And hire enbraseth in hise armys narwe
And kysseth hire swete / & chirketh as a sparwe
With his lippis dame quod he ryȝt wel
As he þt is ȝoure seruaūt euerydel
Thākede be god þt ȝow ȝaf soule & lyf
100
Ȝit saw I not þis day so fayr a wyf
In al þe cherche god so saue me
Ȝa god amende þe fautis sere quod sche
Algatis wolcome ȝe by myn fey
Graunt merci dame þis haue I foūde alwey
105
But of ȝoure grete goodnesse by ȝoure leue
I wolde preye ȝow þt ȝe nat ȝow greve
I wele with Thmas speke a lytyl throwe
These curatis been ful neglygent & slowe
To grope tenderely a concience
110
In schrifte in prechȳge is mȳ diligēce
And stodie in peteris wordis & in Poulis
I walke to fyche cristene menys soulys
To ȝilde Ihū crist / hise propere rente
To sprede his word is set al myn entente