The Friar's Tale
Folio 107v
10 of 11 folios
315
For dette which þou owest me of old
Whan þat þou madest þin housbond cokewold
I payd at hom for þi correccioun
Thou lixt quod sche by my sauaciou~
Ne was I neuer er now wydow ne wyf
320
Somound vnto ȝour court in al my lyf
Ne neuer I was but of my body trewe
Vnto þe deuel rough and blak of hiewe
Ȝiue I þy body and þe panne also
And whan þe deuel herd hir curse so
325
Vpon his knees he sayd in þis manere
Now mabely myn owne modir deere
Is þis ȝour wil in ernest þat ȝe seye
Þe deuel quod he fecche him er he deye
And panne and al but he wol him repente
330
Nay olde stot þat is not myn entente
Quod þis sompnor to repente me
For eny þing þat I haue had of þe
I wold I had þy smok and euery cloth
Now broþir quod þe deuyl be not wroþ
335
Thy body and þis panne is myn by rigħt
Thow schalt wiþ me to helle ȝit to nigħt
Wher þou schalt knowen of oure priuete
More þan a maister of diuinite
And wiþ þat word þe foule fend him hente
340
Body and soule he wiþ þe deuyl wente
Wher as þe sompnors han her heritage
And god þat maked after his ymage
Mankynde saue and gyde vs aƚƚ and some
And leeue þis sompnour good man to bycome
345
Lordyngs I couþ han told ȝow quod þe frere
Had I had leysir for þis sompnour here
After þe text of crist powel and Ion
And of oþer doctours many oon
Such peynes þat our herte might agrise
350
Al be it so no tonge may deuyse /
Thougħ þat I might a þousand wynter telle
The peyn of þilke cursed hous of helle