The Summoner's Tale
Folio 80r
4 of 15 folios
Ascaunces / that he wolde for hem preye
Yif vs a busshel whete / Malt or Reye
A goddes kechyl / or a trype of cheese
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Or ellis what yow lyst we may nat chese
A goddes half peny / or a masse peny
Or yif vs of youre brawn / if ye haue eny
A dagon of youre Blanket leeue Dame
Oure suster deere / lo heere I write your name
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Bacoū / or boef / or swich thyng as ye fynde
A sturdy harlot wente ay hem bihynde
That was hir hostes man / and baar a sak
And what men yaf hem / leyde it on his bak
And whan þt he was out at dore anon
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He planed awey / the names euerichon
That he biforn / hadde writen in his tables
He serued hem / with nyfles and wt fables
¶ Nay ther thow lixt thow Somnor quod the frere
¶ Pees quod oure hoost for cristes moder deere
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Tel forth thy tale / and spare it nat at al
¶ So thryue I quod this Somnor / so I shal
So longe he wente / hous by hous / til he
Cam til an hous / ther he was wont to be
Refresshed moore / than in an hundred placis
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Syk lay the goode man / whos the place is
Bedrede vp on a couche / lowe he lay
Deus hic quod he / o Thomas freend good day
Seyde this frere / curteisly and softe
Thomas quod he / god yelde yow ful ofte
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Haue I vp on this bench / faren ful wel
Heere haue I eten / many a murye mel
And fro the bench / he droof awey the cat
And leyde adoun / his potente and his hat
And eek his scrippe / and sette hym softe adown
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His felawe / was go walked in to town
Forth with his knaue / in to that hostelrye
Wher as he shoope hym / thilke nyght to lye
¶ O deere maister / quod this syke man
How han ye fare / sith that March bigan
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I say yow noght this fourtnyght or moore
¶ God woot quod he / laboured I haue ful soore