The Friar's Tale
Folio 75r
8 of 10 folios
And somne hem to Chapitre / bothe two
And pile the man / and lete the wenche go
¶ Thanne wolde he seye / freend I shal for thy sake
Do stryke hir / out of oure lettres blake
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Thee thar namoore / as in this cas tauaille
I am thy freend / ther I thee may auaille
Certeyn / he knew of bryberyes mo
Than possible is / to telle in yeres two
For in this world / nys dogge for the bowe
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That kan an hurt deer / from an hool knowe
Bet than this Somnor / knew a sly lecchour
Or an Auouter / or a paramour
And for that was / the fruyt of al his rente
Ther fore on it / he sette al his entente
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¶ And so bifel / that ones on a day
This Somnour / euere waityng on his pray
For to somne an old wydewe / a Ribibe
Feynynge a cause / for he wolde brybe
Happed / that he say / bifore hym ryde
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A gay yeman / vnder a Forest syde
A bowe he bar / and arwes brighte & kene
He hadde vp on / a courtepy of grene
An hat vp on his heed / with frenges blake
¶ Sir quod this Somnor / hayl / and wel atake
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¶ Wel come quod he / and euery good felawe
Wher ridestow / vnder this grene shawe
Seyde this yeman / wiltow fer to day
¶ This Somnour hym answerde / and seyde nay
Here faste by quod he / is myn entente
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To ryden / for to reysen vp a rente
That longeth / to my lordes duetee
¶ Artow thanne a Bailly ; / ye quod he
He dorste nat for verray filthe and shame
Seye þt he was a Somnor / for the name
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¶ Depardieux quod this yeman / deere brother
Thow art a bailly / and I am another
I am vnknowen / as in this contree
Of thyn aqueyntance / I wolde praye thee
And eek of bretherhede / if þt yow leste
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I haue gold / and siluer in my cheste