The Cook's Prologue
Folio 56v
1 of 2 folios
Saue al this compaignie / grete and smale
Thus haue I quyt the Millere / in my tale
¶ Here endeth the Reues tale ~
¶ The prologe of the Cookes tale
The Cook / of Londoū / whil the Reue spak
For ioye hym thoughte / he clawed hym on the bak
Haha quod he / for Cristes passiou
This Millere / hadde a sharpe conclusiou
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Vp on his argument of herbergage
Wel seyde Salomon / in his langage
Ne bryng nat euery man / in to thyn hous
For herberwyng by nyghte is perilous
Wel oghte a man / auysed for to be
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Whom þt he broghte / in to his piuetee
I pray to god / so yeue me sorwe and care
If euer sith / I highte hogge of ware
Herde I a Millere / bettre yset awerk
He hadde a iape of malice / in the derk
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But god forbede / that we stynten heere hic
For if ye / vouche sauf to heere audire
A tale of me / that am a poure man
I wol yow telle / as wel as euere I kan
A litel iape / that fil in oure Citee
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¶ Oure hoost answerde / and seyde I graunte it thee
Now tel on Roger / looke that it be good
For many a pastee / hastow laten blood
And many a Iakke of Douere / hastow soold
That hath been twies hoot and twies coold
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Of many a pilgrym / hastow Cristes curs
For of thy persle / yet they fare the wors
That they han eten / with thy stubbul goos
For in thy shoppe / is many a flye loos
Now tel on / gentil Roger / by thy name
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But yet I praye thee / be nat wrooth for game
A man may seye ful sooth / in game and pley
¶ Thow seist ful sooth / quod Roger by my fey