The Friar's Tale
Folio 105r
5 of 11 folios
125
As I schal telle þe a faithful tale
My wages ben ful streyt and eek ful smale
My lord to me is streyt and daungerous
And myn office is ful laborous
And þerfor by extorcioūs I lyue
130
For soþ I take al þat men wil me ȝiue
Algate by sleighte or by violence
Fro ȝer to ȝer I wynne my despence
I can no better telle faithfully
Now certes quod þis sompnour so fare I
135
I spare not to take god it woot
But if it be to heuy or to hoot
What I may gete . in counseil priuely
No more consciens of þat haue I
Ner myn extorcions I migħt not lyuen
140
Ne of such iapes I wil not be schriuen
Stomak ne conscience . know I noon
I schrew þes schriftefadres euerychoon
Wel be we met by god and by seint Iame
But leue broþer telle me þy name
145
Quod þis sompnor in þis mene while
This ȝeman gan a litel for to smyle
Broþir quod he woltow þat I þe telle
I am a feend my dwellyng is in helle /
And her I ryde about my purchasyng
150
To wite wher mē wol ȝiue me eny þing
My purchas is þeffect of al my rent
Loke how þou ridest for þe same entent
To wynne good þou rekkist neuer how
Right so fare I for ryde I wolde now
155
Vnto þe worldes ende for a pray
A quod þe sompnour bñdicite what ȝe say
I wende ȝe were a ȝeman trewely
Ȝe han a mannes schap as wel as I
Haue ȝe a figure . þan determinate
160
In helle þer ȝe ben in ȝour estate /
Nay certeynly quod he þer haue we non
But whan vs likith we can make vs on