The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 178r
5 of 5 folios
¶ hic incipit fabula Canonici
Whan ended was þe lyf of seint Cecile
Er we fully hadde ryden fyue myle
At Boghtoū vnder þe blee . vs gan atake /
A man þat cloþed was in cloþes blake
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And vnder þat he hadde a whit surplys
His hakeney þat was al pomel grys
So swette þat it wonder was to see
It semed he hadde priked myles þre
Þe hors eek þat his ȝoman rood vpon
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So swette þat vnneþe mighte he gon
Aboute þe peytrel stood þe foom ful hiȝe
He was of fome al flekked as a pye
A male twyfold on his croper lay
It semed þat he caryed lytel aray
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Al light for somer rood þis worþy man
And in myn herte wondren I bygan
What þat he was til þat I vnderstood
How þat his cloke was sewed to his hood
For which whan I longe hadde avised me /
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I demed him som chanoū for to be /
His hat hyng at his bak doun by a las /
For he hadde ryde more þan trot or pas /
He hadde ay priked lyk as he were wood
A clote leef he hadde vnder his hood
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For swot and for to kepe his heed from hete
But it was ioye for to seen him swete /
His forhed dropped as a stillatorie
Were ful of plaunteyne and of peritorie
And whan þat he cam he bigan to crye
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God saue quod he þis Ioly companye
Faste haue I priked quod he for ȝoure sake
By cause þat I wolde ȝou ouertake /
To ryden in þis merye companye
His ȝoman eek was ful of curtesye
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And sires now in þe morwe tyde /
Out of ȝoure ostellerye I sayz ȝou ryde
And warned heer my lord and my souerayn
Which þat to ryde wiþ ȝou is ful fayn
For his disport he loueþ daliaunce
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Frend for þy warnyng god ȝiue þe good chaunce
Sayde oure oost certes it wolde seeme /