The Franklin's Tale
Folio 157r
1 of 11 folios
Lasse þan a þousand pound he wolde nought haue
Ne gladly for þat somme he wolde not goon
Aurilius wiþ blisful hert anoon
Answerde þus fy on a þousand pound
520
This wyde world which þat men say is round
I wold it ȝiue if I were lord of it /
This bargeyn is ful dryue for we ben knyt
Ȝe schal be payed trewly by my trouþe /
But lokeþ now for necligence or slouþe
525
Ȝe tarie vs heer no lenger þan to morwe /
Nay quod þis clerk haue her my faith to borwe
To bed is goon aurilius whan him leste
And wel neigh al nigħt he had his reste
What for his labour and his hope of blisse
530
His woful hert of penaunce had a lisse /
Vpon þe morwe whan þat it was day
To breteigñ take þei þe righte way
Aurilius and þis magicien bisyde
And ben descendid þer þay wol abyde
535
And þis was as þese bookes me remembre
The colde frosty seisoū of Decembre
Phebus wax old and hewed lyk latoū
That in his hoote declinaciou~
Schon as þe burned gold with stremes brigħt
540
But now in Capricorn a doū he ligħt
Wher as he schon ful pale I dar wel sayn
The bitter frostes with þe sleet and rayn
Destroyed haþ þe grene in euery ȝerd
Ianus sit by þe fuyr wiþ double berd
545
And drynkeþ of his bugle horn þe wyn
Biforn hym stont þe braun of toskid swyn
And Nowel crieþ euery lusty man
Aurilius in al þat euer he can
Doþ to þis maister chier and reuerence
550
And peyneþ him to doon his diligence
To bringen him out of his peynes smerte
Or wiþ a swerd þat he wold slytte his herte
This subtil clerk such rouþe had of þis man