The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 173v
5 of 21 folios
For al oure craft whan we han al y do
And al oure sleigħt he wol not come vs to
He haþ I made us spende moche good
150
For sorwe of which almost we wexen wood
But þat good hope crepeþ in oure hert
Supposing euer þough we sore smerte /
To be relieued by him afterward
Supposing and hope is scharp and hard
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I warne ȝou wel it is to seken euer
That fiture temps haþ made men disseuere
In trust þerof from al þat euer þey hadde /
Ȝet of þat art þay cōne nouȝt wexe sadde /
For vnto hem it is a bitter swete
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So semeþ it for nad þey but a scheete
Which þay mighte wrappe hem in a night
And a bak to walke Inne by day ligħt
They wolde hem selle and spenden on þis craft
Thay can nought stinte til no þing be laft
165
And euermore wher þat euer þey goon
Men may hem knowe by smel of bremston
For al þe world þay stynken as a goot
Her sauour is so rammyssch and so hoot
That þougħ a man fro hem a myle be /
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The sauour wol infecte him trusteþ me /
Lo þus by smellyng and by þredbare array
If þat men list þis folk þey knowe may /
And if a man wol aske hem priuely
Why þay ben cloþed so vnþriftily
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Rigħt anoon þay rounen in his eere /
And say if þat þay espied were
Men wold hem slee by cause of here science
Lo þus þis folk bytrayen Innocence
Passe ouer þis I go my tale vnto
180
Er þan þe pot be on þe fuyr y do
Of metals with a certeyn quantite /
My lord hem tempreþ and no man but he /
Now he is goon I dar say boldely
For as men sayn he can doon craftily