The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 180r
18 of 21 folios
Ȝe schul pay fourty pound so god me saue /
And nere þe frendschipe þat ȝe dede er þis
To me . ȝe schulde paye more I wys
645
This prest þe somme of fourty pound anoon
Of nobles fette and took hem euerychoon
To þis chanoū for þis ilk receyt
Al his werkyng nas but fraude and deceyt
Sire prest he seyde I kepe haue no loos
650
Of my craft for I wold it kept were cloos
And as ȝe loueþ me kepeþ it secre
For and men knewe / al my sotilte
By god men wolden haue so gret enuye
To me by cause of my philosophie
655
I schulde be deed þer were noon oþer weye
God it forbede quoþ þe prest what seye
Ȝet had I leuer spenden al þe good
Which þat I haue and elles wax I wood
Than þat ȝe schulde falle in such meschief
660
For ȝour good wil sir haue ȝe right good preef
Quoþ þe chanoun and far wel gaunt mercy
He went his wey and neuer þe prest him sey
After þis day and whan þat þis prest scholde /
Maken assay at such tyme as he wolde /
665
Of þis receyt far wel it wold not be /
Lo þus byiaped and bygilt was he
Thus makeþ he his introductiou~
To bringe folk to here destrucciou~
Considereth sires how þat in ech astaat
670
Bitwixe men and gold þer is debaat
So ferforth þat vnneþe þer is noon
This multiplying blent so many oon
That in good faith I trowe þat it be /
The cause grettest of which skarsete
675
Philosophres speken so mistyly
In þis craft þat men conne not come þer by
For any witt þat men han now on dayes
They may wel chiteren as doon þese iayes
And in here termes sette lust and peyne