The Friar's Tale
Folio 74v
9 of 10 folios
He hadde a Somnor / redy to his hond
A slyer boy / nas noon in Engelond
For subtilly / he hadde his espiaille
That taughte hym / wher hym myghte auaille
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He koude spare / of lecchours / oon or two
To techen hym / to foure and twenty mo
For theigh this Somnor / wood were as an hare
To telle his harlotrye / I wol nat spare
For we been / out of his correccioū
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They han of vs / no Iurisdiccioū
Ne neuere shullen / terme of hir lyues
¶ Peter / so been wommen of the Styves
Quod the Somnour / yput out of my cure
¶ Pees with myschaunce / and with mysauenture
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Thus seyde oure hoost / and lat hym telle his tale
Now telleth forth / thogh þt the Somnor gale
Ne spareth nat myn owene mayster deere
¶ This false theef this Somnor / quod the frere
Hadde alwey / baudes redy to his hond
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As any hauk to lure in Engelond
That tolde hym / al the secree þt they knewe
For hire aqueyntance / was nat come of newe
They weren / hise Approwours pryuely
He took hym self / a greet profit ther by
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His maister knew nat alwey / what he wan
With outen mandement a lewed man
He koude somne / on peyne of cristes curs
And they were glade / for to fille his purs
And make hym / grete festes atte nale
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And right as Iudas / hadde purses smale
And was a theef right swich a theef was he
His maister / hadde but half his duetee
He was / if I shal yeuen hym his laude
A theef / and eek a somnour / and a baude
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He hadde eek wenches / at his retenue
That wheither þt sir Rob~t / or sir hewe
Or Iakke / or Rauf or who so that it were
That lay by hem / they tolde it in his ere
Thus was the wenche and he / of oon assent
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And he wolde fecche / a feyned mandement