The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 171r
5 of 6 folios
And make hem wenen atte leste weye
That of a pound we conne make tweye
125
Ȝit is it fals and ay we han good hope
It for to doon and after it we grope /
But þat science is so fer vs biforn
We mowen nouȝt al þougħ we had it sworn
It ouertake it slyt away so fast
130
It wol us make beggers atte last
Whil þis ȝeman was þus in his talkyng
This chanoun drough him ner and herd al þing
Which þat þis ȝiman spak for suspecciou~
Of mennes speche euer hadde þis chanou~
135
For Catoū saiþ þat he þat gulty is
Demeþ al þing be spoke of him I wis /
By cause of þat / he gan so neigh to drawe
His ȝeman þat he herde al his sawe /
And þus he sayd vnto his ȝeman þo /
140
Hold now þi pees and spek no wordes mo
For if þou do þou schalt it deere abye
Thow sclaundrest me here in þis companye
And eek discouerest þat þou schuldest hide
Ȝe quod oure ost tel on what so bytyde /
145
Of alle þis thretyng recche þe nought a myte
In faiþ quod he no more do I but lite /
And whan þis chanoun seih it wold not be
But his ȝeman wold telle his priuete
He fledde a way for verray sorwe and schame
150
A quod þis ȝeman her schal arise game
Al þat I can anoon now wol I telle
Sin he is goon þe foule feend him quelle
For neuer her after wol I wiþ him meete
For peny ne for pound I wol byheete /
155
He þat me broughte first vnto þat game /
Er þat he deye sorwe haue he and schame /
For it is ernest to me by my faytħ
That fele I wel what so eny man saith
And ȝet for al my smert and al my greef
160
For al my sorwe and labour and mescheef