The Summoner's Tale
Folio 115v
15 of 17 folios
505
The false blasfememor þat chargid me
To parten þat wil not departed be
To euery man yliche wiþ meschaūce
The lord sat stille as he were in a traunce
And in his hert he rollid vp and doun
510
How had þis cherl ymaginaciou~
So schewe such a probleme to þe frere
Neuer est er now herd I of such matiere
I trowe þe deuel put it in his mynde
In ars metrik / schal þer no man fynde
515
Biforn þis day of such a questiou~
Who schulde make a demonstraciou~
That euery man schuld haue a lyk his part
As of a soun or of a sauour of a fart
O nyce proude cherl I schrew his face
520
Lo sires quod þe lord wiþ harde grace
Who euer herde of such a þing er now
To euery man y like tel me how
It is impossible it may not be
Ey nyce cherl god let him neuer þe
525
The romblyng of a fart and euery soun
Nis but an aier reuerberacioun
And euer it wastith lyte and lyt away
Ther nys no man can deme by my fay
If þat it were departed equally
530
What lo my cherl what lo how schrewedly
Vnto my confessour to day he spak
I hold him certeinly demoniak
Now etith ȝour mete and let þe cherl go play
Let him go honge himself on deuel way /
535
Now stood þe lordes squier at þe bord
That carf his mete and herde word by word
Of al þis þing which þat I of haue sayd
My lord quod he be ȝe nouȝt euel payd
I couþe telle for a gowne cloth
540
To ȝow sir frere so þat ȝe be not wroth
How þat þis fart euen / departed schuld be
Among ȝour couent if I comaunded be