The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 174r
6 of 21 folios
185
Algate I wot wel he haþ such a name
And ȝet ful ofte he renneþ in blame
¶ And wite ȝe how ful ofte it happeþ so
The pot to brekeþ and far wel al is goo
These metals been of so gret violence /
190
Oure walles may not make hem resistence
But if þay were wrought of lym and stoon
Thay percen so and þurgh þe wal þay goon
And some of hem synken in to þe grounde /
Thus haue we lost by tymes many a pounde
195
And some are skatered al þe floor aboute /
Some lepe in to þe roof wiþouten doute
Thougħ þat þe feend nought in oure sight him schewe /
I trowe þat he with vs be þat schrewe /
In helle wher þat he is lord and sire
200
Nis þer no more woo ne anger ne Ire /
Whan þat oure pot is broke as I haue sayd
Euery man chyt and halt him euel a payd
Som sayd it was long on þe fuyr makyng
Some sayde nay it was on þe blowyng
205
Than was I ferd for þat was myn office /
Straw quod þe þridde / ȝe been lewed and nyce /
It was nouȝt tempred as it oughte be /
Nay quod þe ferþe stynt and herkne me /
By cause oure fuyr was nought y maad of Beech
210
That is þe cause and oþer noon so þeech /
I can not telle wher on it was long
But wel I woot gret stryf is vs among
What quod my lord þer is no more to doone /
Of þese periles I wol be war eft soone /
215
I am right siker þat þe pot was crased
Be as be may be ȝe no þing amased
As vsage is let swoope þe floor as swiþe /
Pluk vp ȝour hertes and beþ glad and bliþe
The mullok on an heep I swoped was
220
And on þe floor y cast a caneuas
And al þis mulloc in a syue I þrowe /
And sifted and y plukked many a þrowe