The Cook's Tale
Folio 57v
2 of 2 folios
His maister / shal it in his shoppe abye
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Al haue he / no part of the Minstralcye
For thefte and riot / they been conuertible
Al konne he pleye / on Giterne / or Rubible
Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degree
They been ful wrothe al day / as men may see
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¶ This ioly Prentys / with his Maister bood
Til he were neigh / out of his perntishood
Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late
And som tyme / lad with reuel to Newgate
But atte laste / his maister hym bithoghte
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Vp on a day / whan he his papir soghte
Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word
Wel bet is roten Appul / out of hoord
Than þt it rotte / al the remenaunt
So fareth it by a riotous seruaunt
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It is ful lasse harm / to lete hym pace
Than he shende / alle the seruantz in the place
Ther fore / his maister gaf hym acquitaunce
And bad hym go / with sorw / and wt meschaunce
And thus this ioly perntys / hadde his leeue
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Now lat hym riote / al the nyght or leeue
And for ther nys no theef with oute a lowke
That helpeth hym / to wasten and to sowke
Of that he brybe kan / or borwe may
Anon / he sente his bed / and his array
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Vn to a compeer / of his owene sort
That loued dees / and reuel / and disport
And hadde a wyf / that heeld for contenaunce
A shoppe / and swyued for hir sustenaunce
Of this Cokes tale maked Chaucer na moore