The Friar's Tale
Folio 76r
6 of 10 folios
Stomak ne Conscience / ne knowe I noon
I sherewe / thise Shryftesfadres euerychon
Wel be we met by god / and by seint Iame
But leeue brother / tel me thanne thy name
145
Quod this Somnour / in this mene whyle
This yeman / gan a litel for to smyle
¶ Brother quod he / woltow þt I thee telle
I am a feend / my dwellyng is in helle
And here I ryde / aboute my purchasyng
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To wite / wher men wolde yeue me any thyng
My prchas / is theffect of al my rente
Looke how thow rydest for the same entente
To wynne good / thow rekkest neuere how
Right so fare I / for ryde wold I now
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Vn to the worldes ende / for a preye
¶ A quod this Somnor / benedicite what sey ye
I wende / ye were a yeman trewely
Ye han a mannes shape / as wel as I
Han ye a figure thanne / determynat
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In helle ther ye been / in youre estat
¶ Nay certeynly quod he / ther haue we noon
But whan vs liketh / we kan take vs oon
Or ellis make yow seme / we ben shape
Som tyme / lyk a man / or lyk an Ape
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Or lyk an Aungel / kan I ryde or go
It is no wonder thyng theigh it be so
A lousy Iogelour / kan deceyue thee
And pardee yet kan I / moore craft than he
¶ Whi quod this Somnour / ryde ye thanne or goon
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In sondry shape / and nat alwey in oon
¶ For we quod he / wol vs swiche formes make
As moost able is / oure preyes for to take
¶ What maketh yow / to han al this labour
¶ Ful many a cause / leue sir Somnour
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Seyde this feend / but alle thyng hath tyme
The day is short / and it is passed pryme
And yet ne wan I no thyng in this day
I wol entende / to wynnyng if I may
And nat entende / oure wittes to declare
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For brother myn / thy wit is al to bare