The Summoner's Prologue
Folio 106v
1 of 2 folios
330
And panne and al but he wiƚƚ him repent
Naie olde stote þat is nouȝt myne entent
Qd þis Somnor for to repent me
For any þinge þat .I. haue hadde of þee
.I. wolde .I. hadde þi smokke & euery cloþe
335
Nowe broþer qd þe deuel be nouht wroþe
This body & þis panne is my be riht
Thou schalt wiþ me to heƚƚ ȝut to nyht
Where þou schalt know of oure piuete
More þan amaistre of diuī~te .
340
And wiþ þat worde þis foule fende him hente
Body & soule he wiþ þe deuel went
Where þat Somnors han her her\i/tage
And god þat maad after his ymage
Mankinde saue & gide vs al & sume
345
An leue þis Somnor goodman to become
Lordinges .I. couþe haue tolde ȝoue qd þis frere
Hadde .I. had leiser for þis Somnor here
After þe tixt Crist Poule & Ioħn
And of oure oþer doctors mony on
350
Suche peines þat ȝoure hert myht a grise
Albe it so no tunge maie devise
Þouht þat .I. myht a þousand wynter teƚƚ
Þe peyne of þilke corsid house of heƚƚ
Bot for to kepe us fro þat cursed place
355
Wakeþ & prayeþ ihū for his grace
Herkeneþ þis word be war as in þis caas
The lion sitte in his awaite alweie
To sle þe Innocent if þat he maie
360
Disposeþ aye ȝoure hertes to wiþ stonde
The fende þat ȝowe wold make þraƚƚ & bonde
He maie nouht tempten ȝowe over ȝowre myht
For criste wil be ȝoure champion & knyht
And praieþ þat þis somnor him repent
365
Of his mesedede ar þat þe fende him hent
This Somnor in his stirep hihe stode
Vpon þis frere his hert was so wode
Þat like an haspen lef he quoke for ire
Lordeinges qd he bot o þinge .I. desire
5
.I. ȝowe be seche þat of ȝoure curtesie
Seþ ȝe haue herd þis fals frere lye