The Manciple's Tale
Folio 247v
1 of 8 folios
And wite ȝe what I haue heer in a gourde
A draugħt of wyn is of a ripe grape /
And right anoon ȝe schal se a good iape
85
Þis Cook schal drinke þer of if I may
Vp peyn of deth he wol nouȝt say me nay
And certeinly to tellen as it was /
Of þis vessel þe cook dronk fast allas
What needid it he drank ynough biforn
90
And whan he hadde pouped in his horn
To þe maunciple he took þe gourd agayn
And of þat draught þe cook was wonder fayn
And þanked him in such wise as he couþe /
Than gan our host to laughe wonder louthe /
95
And sayd I se wel it is necessarie
Wher þat we go good drynk wiþ vs to carie
For þat wol torne rancour and desese
To accord and loue and many racour pese /
O þou bacus / I blessid be þin name
100
That so canst torne ernest in to game
Worschip and þonke . be to þy deite
Of þat matier ȝe get no more of me /
Tel on þi tale maūcipel I þe pray
Wel sir quod he . now herkyn what I say
Whan phebus duelt her in þis erþe a doun
As olde bookes maken mencioun
He was þe moste lusty bachiler
Of al þis world and eek þe best archer
5
He slough phiton þe serpent as he lay
Slepyng agayn þe sonne vpon a day
And many another noble worþy dede
He with his bowe wrougħt as men may rede /
Pleyen he couþe on euery mynstralcye /
10
And syngen þat it was a melodye
To heren of his cleere vois þe soun
Certes þe king of Thebes amphiou~
That with his singyng wallid þat citee
Couþe neuer synge half so wel as he /
15
Therto he was þe semlieste man