The Man of Law's Tale Folio 55r 1 of 21 folios
Nolde neuer e wryte / in none of hise sermouns
Of swicħ vnkynde / abhominacions
Ne I wyl noon reherce / if þ at I may
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But of my tale / how shal I don this day
Me were lotħ / be likned doutelees
To muses / that men clepe pierides
Methamorphosios / woot what I mene
But natheles / I recche not a bene
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Thougħ I come after hī / witħ hawe bake
I speke in prose / and lat hī rymes make
And with that word / he with a sober chere
Bygan his tale / as ȝe shuln after here
Ohateful harme / condicione of pouerte
With thrust wt cold / with honger so confounded
To asken helpe / the shametħ in thyn herte
If thow noon aske / so sore art þ ow I wounded
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That verray nede / vnwrappeth alle thy wounde hid
Maugre thyn heede / thow must for indigence
Or stele or begge / or borwe thyn dispence
He mysdepartetħ / ricchesse temporal
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Thy neyghebore / thow wytest synfully
And seist þ u hast to lite / and he hatħ al
Parfey seist þ u / sumtyme he rekne shal
Whan þ t his taylle / shal brennen in the glede
For he nougħ t helpetħ / nedeful in here nede
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Bette is to deyen / than haue indigence
Thy selue neyghebore / wyl the despise
If thow be pore / fare wel thy reuerence
Ȝet if the wyse man / take this sentence
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Alle the dayes of poore men / ben wykke
Be war þ er fore / er þ u come to þ t prikke
And alle thyne frendes / flen from the / allas
O riche marchauntez / ful of wele ben ȝe
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O noble o prudent folk / as in this cas
Ȝoure bagges be nouȝt filled / wt aumbes as
But with sys synk / þ t rennetħ for ȝoure chaunce