The Summoner's Tale
Folio 75r
3 of 16 folios
He serued hem wyth nyfles and wyth fables
¶ Nay there thow lixt thou sompnour quod the frere
¶ Pees quod our hoost for cristes moder dere
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Tel forth thi tale and spel it noght at al
¶ So thryue I quod this sompnour so I shal
¶ So longe he went hous bi hous til he
Come til an hous ther he was wont to be
Refresshed more than in an hundred places
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Sike lay the bond man the whose the place es
Bedred apon a couche low he lay
Deus hic quod he O Thomas frende good day
Seide this frire curteysely and softe
Thomas quod he god yelde yow ful ofte
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Haue I faren vpon thi benche ful wel
Here haue I eten many a. mery mele
And fro the benche he drof a wey the catte
And leyde a doun his potent and his hatte
And eke his scrippe and set him soft adoun
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His felaw was go walket in to toun
Forth wyth knaue in to that hostelrye
Where as he shope him thilke nyght to lye
¶ O dere maister quod this sek man
How haue faren sith that marche bigan
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I saw yow nought this fourtenyght or more
God wot quod he laboured I haue ful sore
And specially for thi sauacioun
Haue I seyde many a percious orisoun
And for your frendes god hem blesse
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I haue to day ben at your cherche at messe
And seyde a sermon aftyr my sympul witte
Nat al aftyr the text of holy wrytte
For hit is hard to yow as I suppose
And ther fore wil I teche yow the glose
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Glosyng is a glorious thing certayn
For letter sleeth so as we clerkes seyn
There haue I taught hem to be charitable