The Summoner's Tale
Folio 91r
3 of 13 folios
This worthy man / was lord of that village
This frere cam / as he were in a rage
Where as this lord / sat etyng at his bord
460
Vnethe mygħt the frere / speke a word
Til at the laste / he seide god ȝow se
This lord gan loke / and seide benedicite
What frere Ioħn / what maner world is this
I se wel that sum thyng / there is amys
465
Ȝe loken as the wode / were ful of theues
Sitte doun a noon / and telle me / what ȝoure gref is
And it shal ben amended / if I may
I haue qd he had / a despyt to day
God ȝelde it ȝow / a doun in ȝoure village
470
That in this world / there nys so poere a page
That he nold han / abhominacioū
Of that I haue resseyued / in the touñ
And ȝet ne greuetħ it me / half so sore
As that the olde charl / witħ lokkes hore
475
Blasfemed hatħ / oure holy couent eke
¶ Now Maister qd this lord / I ȝow byseke
No Maister Sire qd he / but Seruytour
Thougħ I haue had / in scole that honour
God lyketħ nat / that Raby men vs calle
480
Neither in market / ne in ȝoure large halle
No fors qd he / but telle me al ȝoure greef
Sire qd this frere / an odious meschef
This day be tid is / myn ordre and me
And so perconsequens / in icħ degree
485
Of holy chirche / god amende it sone
Sire qd the lord / ȝe wot what is to done
Distempre ȝow nat / ȝe be my confessour
Ȝe be the salt of the erthe / and the sauour
For goddes loue / ȝoure pacience now holde
490
Telle me ȝoure greef / and he a noon hī tolde
As ȝe han herd byforñ / ȝe wot wel what
The lady of the hous / ay stille sat
Til she had herd / what the frere seide
Ey goddis moder qd she / blisseful mayde
495
Is there ougħt elles / telle me feitħfully
Madame qd he / how thynketħ ȝow ther by
How þt me thynketħ qd she / so god me spede
I seye a cherl / hatħ doon a Cherles dede
What shulde I sey / god late hī neuere thee
500
His syke hede / is ful of vanytee
I holde hī / in a maner fransye
Madame qd he / by god I shal nat lye