The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 160v
18 of 19 folios
Þat slideinge science haþ me maade so bare
Þat .I. haue no goode where þat euere y fare
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And ȝite .I. am endited & endetted so þar bye
Of golde þat .I. haue borwed trewlye
Þat while .I. leue .I. schal it quite neuer
Þat euery man be war be me foreuer
What manere man þat casteþ him þer to
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If he continue .I. holde his þreft . ydo
For so helpe me god þar by schal he nouht wynne
Bot empte his purce & make his wittes þinne
And whan he þoruhe his madnes & foly
Haþ lost his owen goode þorul Iopardy
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Þan he exciteþ oþer men þerto
To lese here gode as hem self haþ do
For vnto schrewes Ioye it is an ese
To haue her felowe in peine & disese .
Thus was .I. lerned ones of a clerk
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Of þat no charge .I. wil speke of oþer werke
Whan we bene þare as we schal exercise
Oure eluyssche craft we seme wonder wise
Oure termes bnen so clergial & so wheinte
.I. blowe þe fire til þat myne hert feinte
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What schold .I. tel of suche proporcion
Of þinges whiche þat we worche vppon
As . on .v. or .vj. vnce it maie wel be
Of siluer or of sum oþe quantite
And bise me to tel ȝowe þe names
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Of orpement bernt bones yren swames
Þan in to pouder grounde bne ful smal
And in an erþen potte houe þat potte is al
And salt put inne & also papere
Be for þes pouders þat .I. speke of here
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And wele y couerd wiþ a lampe of glas
And of muche oþere þinge what þat þere was
And of þe potte & glas engluteinge
That of þe eyere myht passe no þinge
And of þe esye & smarte alsoo
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Whiche þat was maad & of þe care & woo
Þat we hadde in oure matiers sublimeinge
And amalgamynge & calcenynge
Of whike siluere y cleped Marcurie crude
For aƚƚ oure sleytes we can nouht conclude