Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale Folio 54r 1 of 3 folios
Sic desunt fabula Coci/ & Incipit pro logus legis per iti ;
A new folded folio begins here in the quire and the folio has a smaller number of line to the page.
Oure h ost saw wel / þ t the brigħ t sonne
The ark of his artificiale day / hatħ ronne
The ferthe part / and half an oure & more
And thougħ t he were not / depe I stert in lore
5
He wist it was / the eigħ t and twenty day
Of Apriƚƚ / that is messanger vn to May
And saw wel / þ t the shadewe of euer y tree
Was as in lengthe / the same quantite
That was the body erecte / that causet it
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And þ er fore by the shadewe / he tok his wyt
That phebus / whicħ þ t shone / so clere and brigħ t
Sixe degrees was fyue & fourty clombe on heigħ t
And for that day / as in that latitude
It was ten of the clok / he gan conclude
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And sodeynly he pligħ t / his hors a boute
Lordynggis qd he / I warne ȝow alle this route
The ferthe par tie of this day / is gon
Now for the loue of god / & of Seynt Ioħ n
Lesetħ no tyme / as ferfortħ as ȝe may
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Lordynggis the tyme wastetħ / nygħ t & day
And steletħ from vs / what preuyly slepynge
And what þ orugħ negligence / in oure wakynge
As doth the strem / that tr netħ neuer e a geyn
Descendyng
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Wel can Senek / and many a Philosophre
By waylen tyme / more than gold in coffre
For losse of catel / may recouered be
But losse of tyme / shendetħ vs qd he
It wyl not comen a geyn / wt outen drede
30
Nomore than wyl / Malkyns maydenhede
Whan she hatħ lost it / in hire wantounesse
Lat vs nougħ t mowlen thus / in Idelnesse
Sire man of lawe qd he / so haue ȝe blisse
Telle vs a tale a non / as forward isse
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Ȝe ben submytted / thurgħ ȝoure free assent
To stonden in this cas / at my Iugement
Acquiteth ȝow now / of ȝoure byhest
Than han ȝe don / ȝoure deuer at the lest
Host qd he / depar dieux iche assent
40
To breke forward / is not myn entent
Byhest is dette / and I wol holde fayne
Al my behest / I can no betre sayne