The Cook's Tale
Folio 53v
2 of 2 folios
For oft tyme he fond / his box ful bare
For sothly / a Prentys a Reuelour
That hauntetħ Dys / riot / & Paramour
His maister shal it / in his shoppe a bye
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Al haue he no part / of the Mynstralsye
For theft and riot / they ben conuertible
Al can he pleye / on gyterne or ribible
Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degre
They ben ful wrothe / al day / as men may se
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¶ This ioly Prentis / with his maister stode
Til he was ny / out of his Prentyshode
Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late
And somtyme lad / wt reuel to Newgate
But at the last / his Maister hī bythougħt
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Vp on a day / whan he his paper sougħt
Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word
Wel bet is roten Appel / out of hord
Than that he rote / al the remenaunt
So faretħ it / by a riotous seruaunt
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It is ful lasse harm / to late hī passe
Than he shende alle / the seruautes in the place
Therfore his Maister / ȝaf hī acquietance
And bad hī go / wt sorwe / & witħ meschaunce
And thus this ioly Prentys / had his leue
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Now late hī riote / al the nygħt / or leue
And for there nys no thef / with oute a louke
That helpetħ hī / to wasten and to souke
Of that he bribe can / or borwe may
A non he sent his bed / and his array
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Vn to a Compere / of his owen sorte
That loued Dys / ryot and desporte
And had a wyf / þat held for countenaunce
A Shoppe / and swyued for hire sustenaunce