The Friar's Tale
Folio 84v
7 of 9 folios
I preye to god saue thy body / and Seynt Loy
265
Now is my Cart / out of the slow parde
Loo brother qd the fend / what told I the
Here may ȝe se / myn owen dere brother
The charl spak oo thyng / but he thouȝt a nother
Late vs go fortħ / a bouten oure vyage
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Heere wynne I no thyng / vp on this cariage
Whan that they comen / som what out of toune
This Sompnour to his brother / gan to roune
Brother qd he / here wonetħ an olde rebekke
That had almost / as lef to lese hire nekke
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As for to ȝeue / a peny of hire good
I wol haue twelue pans / thougħ þt she be wood
Or I wyl somoune hire / vn to oure office
And ȝet god wot / of hire knowe I no vice
But for þu canst not / as in this contree
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Wynne thy cost / take here ensaumple of me
This Sompnor clappetħ / at the wydewes gate
Come out qd he / thow old / very trate
I trowe þu hast / som Frere or prest witħ the
Who clappetħ there / seitħ this wyf / benedicite
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God saue ȝow Sire / what is ȝoure swete wylle
I haue qd he / of somouns here a bille
Vp peyne of cursynge / loke that thow be
To morwe byfore / the Archedekenes kne
To answere vn to the courte / of certeyne thynges
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Now lord qd she / crist iħu / kyng of kynges
So wysly help me / as I ne may
I haue ben seeke / and that ful many a day
I may nat go qd she / so fer / ne ryde
But I be ded / so pryketħ it in my syde
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May I nat aske / a libel Sire Sompnour
And answere there / be my procuratour
To swiche thyng / as men wold appose me
Ȝis qd this Sompnour / paye a noon lat se
Twelue pens to me / and I wol the acquyte
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I shal no profyt han ther by / but lyte
My Maister hatħ the profyt / and nat I
Come of / and late me ryden / hastily
Ȝeue me twelue pans / I may no lengere tarye
Twelue pens qd she / now lady Seynt Marye
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So wysly help me / out of care and synne
This wyde world / thougħ þt I shuld it wynne
Ne haue I nat twelue pans / with Inne myn holde
Ȝe knowen wel / that I am pore and olde
Kythe ȝoure almesse / on me pore wrecche
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Nay thāne qd he / the foule fend me fecche