Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale
Folio 65r
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Aƚƚ his whight ȝonge men þe kinke for ȝaue here gelte
And siþen in good Office he haþe hem al pelte
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Thus wan Gamelin his londe & his lede
And wrake him of his enemys & quyte hem here mede
And ser Ote his Broþer maade him hi heire
And seþþe wede Gameline a wif a goode & a feire
Thei leueden to geder while þat crist wolde
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An syþen was Gamelin Grauen vnder molde
And so schal we al maie þere none fle
God bringe vs to þat Ioye þa euer schal be Amen
Incipit prologus Legis periti .
Owre Oste sauhe wele þat þe briht sonne
The arke of his artificial daie had ronne
The ferþe part & half an houre & more
And þouhe he were nouȝt expert in lore
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He wist it was þe .xviij. daye
Of Apriƚƚ þat is messagiere of maie
And sawhe wele þat þe schadow of euery tree
Was as in lengeþ in þe same qantite
As was þe body erect þat caused it
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And þere for be þe schadowe he toke his wit
That Phebus whiche þa schone so clere & briht
Degres was .xlv. clome on hiht
And for þat daie as in þat Latitude
It was .x. att clokke . he gan conclude
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And sodenly he piht his hors aboute
Lordeinges qd he .I. warne ȝou al þis route
The ferþe party of þis daie es gone
Nowe for þe loue of god & seinte Iohñ
Leseþ no time as ferforþ as ȝe maie
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Lordeinges þe time it wasteþ nyht & daie
And steleþ from vs what piuely slepeinge
And what þorwhe necligence in oure wakeynge
As doþe þe streme þat turneþ neuer aȝeine
Descendeinge fro þe mountaigne in to þe pleine
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Wele cane senec & mony a philosophre
Be weylein time more þan golde in Cophre
For losse of cateƚƚ maie recouerd be
Bot losse of time schendeþ vs qd he
It wil nouht com aȝein wiþ oute drede
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Nemor þan wil Malkins maidenhede