The Friar's Tale
Folio 77r
4 of 10 folios
For I wol holde / compaignye with thee
Til it be so / that thow forsake me
¶ Nay quod this Somnor / that shal nat bityde
I am a yeman / knowen is ful wyde
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My trouthe wol I holde / as in this cas
For theigh thow were / the deuel Sathanas
My trouthe wol I holde / to thee my brother
As I am sworn / and ech of vs til oother
For to be trewe brother / in this cas
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And bothe we goon / abouten oure purchas
Taak thow thy part what þt men wol thee yeue
And I shal myn / thus may we bothe lyue
And if that any of vs / haue moore than oother
Lat hym be trewe / and parte it with his brother
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¶ I graunte quod the deuel / by my fey
And with that word / they ryden forth hir wey
And right at the entryng of the townes ende
To which this Somnour / shoop hym for to wende
They saye a Cart that charged was wt hey
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Which that a Cartere / droof forth in his wey
Deep was the wey / for which the Carte stood
This Carter smoot and cryde as he were wood
Hayt Brok hayt Scot what spare ye for the stones
The feend quod he / yow fecche body and bones
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As ferforthly / as euere were ye foled
So muchel wo / as I haue with yow tholed
The deuel haue al / bothe hors and Cart and hey
¶ This Somnor seyde / heer shul we han a pley
And neer the feend he drogh / as noght ne were
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Ful pryuely / and rowned in his ere
Herkne my brother / herkne by thy feith
Herestow nat how þt the Cartere seith
Hent it anon / for he hath yeue it thee
Bothe hey / and Cart and eek his caples thre
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¶ Nay quod the deuel / god woot neuer a del
It is nat his entente / trust thow me wel
Axe hym thy self if thow nat trowest me
Or ellys stynt a while / and thow shalt se
¶ This Cartere / taketh his hors vp on the croupe
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And they bigonne / drawen and to stoupe