The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 159v
4 of 5 folios
Ful oft it hapneþ to mis vsen it
So doþe my lorde & þat me greueþ sore
God it amend .I. can seie nowe no more
Thare of no force good ȝoman qd oure Oste
100
Seþens his cōnynge of þi lorde þou woste
Tel . howe he doþe .I. praie þe hertelye
Seþen þat he is so craftie & so slye
Where dwellen ȝe if to tel be
In þe subbarbes of a toune qd he
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Lurkeinge in hirnes & in lanes blinde
Where þes robbers & þeues be kinde
Holden her piue fereful residence
As þei þat dare nouht schewe her persence
So fare we if .I. schal sey þe soþe
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Ȝit qd oure Oste lat me talke to þe
Whie ert þou discoloure in þi face
Peter qd he god ȝif harde grace
.I. am so vsed in þe fire to blow
That it haþe chaunged my color as .I. trowe
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.I. am nouht wont in no myrrour to pie
Bot swynke sore & leren to multiplie
We blondern euer & pouren in þe fire
And for al þat we failen of oure desire
For euere we lakken oure conclusione
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To muche folke we be ne bot illusione
And borwe golde be it a pounde or tuo
Or ten . or .xij. or mony sūmes mo
And make hem wene att þe leste weie
Þat of o poude we couþe maake tweie
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Ȝit is it fals & aye we haue good hope
It for to done & after it we grope
Bot þat science is so fer vs be forne
We mowe nouhte al þouhe we had it suorne
It ouertake . it slide a waie so faste
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It wil vs make beggers att þe last
Whiles þis ȝoman was þus in þis talkeinge
This Chanon drouhe him nere & herd al þinge
Whiche þat þis ȝoman spak for suspecione
Of men speche euer had þis chanone
135
For Caton seiþe he þat giltif is
Demeþ alþinge be spoke of him y wys
Because of þat he gan so nyhe to drawe