The Summoner's Tale
Folio 107r
1 of 15 folios
As suffreþ me .I. maie a tale teƚƚ
This frere bosteþ þat he knoweþ heƚƚ
As god wote þat is litel wonder
10
Freres & fendes ben bot litel in sunder
For perde ȝe haue oft time herd teƚƚ
How þat a frere rauisshed was in heƚƚ
In spiret ones be a visione
And as Angel led him vp & downe
15
To schewen him þe peynes þat þere were
In al þe place sawe he nouȝt a frere
Of oþer folke he sawe y nowe in woo
Vnto þis Angel spak þe frere þoo
Now sir qd he haue freres suche grace
20
Þat none of hem schal com in to þis place
Ȝis qd þis Aungel mony a melione
And vn to Sathanas he had him a doune
And now haþ Sathanas saiþ he taile
Bradder þan of þt Carrik is þe seile
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Holde vp þi taile þu Sathanas qd he
Schewe forþe þin erse & let þe frere se
Where is þe nest of freres in þis place
And ar þat halue a forlonge waie of space
Riht so as bees swarme oute of an hive
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Owte of þe deuels ers þei gon drive
Twenty þousand freres on a rowte
And þouht heƚƚ swarme al aboute
An comen aȝeine als fast as þei maie gone
And in his hars þei crepen euerychone
35
He clapped his taile aȝeine & leye stiƚƚ
This frere whan he loked had his fiƚƚ
Vpon þis tormentes vpon þis sor place
His spirit god restored of his grace
Vnto his body aȝeine & he awoke
40
Bot naþeles for fere ȝit he qwoke
So was deueles ars aie in his mynde
Þat is his heritage of verrai kinde
God saue ȝoue al saue þis curse frere
Incipit fabula aperitoris
LOrdeynges þeis in ȝorke schire as .I. gesse
A merschy contre called holdernesse
In whiche þere went a litour aboute