The Cook's Prologue
Folio 53v
2 of 2 folios
An þere fore if ȝe wowche saue to here
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Bot god for bede þat we stente here
A tale of me þat am a por man
.I. wil ȝowe tel as wele as euery can
A litel Iape þat felle in owre Citee
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¶ Owre Oste ansewerde & seide .I. graunt it þe
Now teƚƚ on Roger . loke þat it be goode
For mony apaste haste þou laten blode
And mony a Iak of douere hast þou solde
That haþ bene twis hote & twis colde
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Of Mony a pilgrim hast þou cristes curse
For of þi peroelly ȝit þei fare þe wrse
Þat þei haue eten wiþ þe stoble goose
For in þi schope is mony a flie lose
Nowe teƚƚ on gentil roger be þi name
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Bot ȝit .I. prey þe be nouhte wroþe for game
Aman maie seie ful loþe in game & plaie
Thou seist ful soþe qd Roger be my faie
Bot soþe pleie . quade pleie as þe flemynge seiþe
And þer fore herry baillif be þi feiþe
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Be þou nouht wroþe er we departen here
Þouhe þat myne tale be of an Ostelere
Bot naþeles .I. wil nouȝt tel it ȝit
Bot or we departe .I. wis .I. wis þou schalt be quyt
And þer wiþ al he lowhe & made chere
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And seide his tale as ȝe schal after here
A prentis whilom duelled in oure Cite
And of a craft of vitaillers was he
Gaillard he was as goldefinche in þe schawe
Broune as abery . a propur schort felawe
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Wiþ lokkes blake y kempt ful fetisly
Daunce he couþe so wele . & Iolyly
Þat he was clepede Perkinne reueloure
He was as ful of loue & paramor
As is þe hyve ful of hony swete
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Wele was þe wenche wiþ him myht mete
Att euery bridel wolde he singe & hoppe
He loued bett þe tauerne þan his maistier schoppe
For whan þer any rydeinge was in chepe
Owte of þe schoppe þeder wolde he lepe
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Til þat he hadde al þe siht yseyne
And daunced wele wolde he nouȝt come aȝeine