The Summoner's Tale
Folio 90v
2 of 13 folios
Now Thomas help / for Seynt charitee
And doun a noon / he sette hī on his knee
¶ This syke man / wex my wood / for Ire
He wolde that the frere / had ben a fire
415
Witħ his fals / dissimulacione
Swicħ thyng as is / in myn possessione
Qd he / that may I ȝeue ȝow & noon other
Ȝe seye me thus / how that I am ȝoure brother
¶ Ȝa certes qd the frere / trostetħ wel
420
I toke oure dame / the ƚre of oure seal
¶ Now wel qd he / & sumwhat shal I ȝeue
Vn to ȝoure holy Couent / whil I lyue
And in thyn hand / þu shalt it han a noone
On this condicione / and other noone
425
That þu departe it / so / my dere brother
That euery frere / haue as meche as other
Thus shalt þu swere / on thy professione
Witħ outen fraude / or cauellacione
¶ I swere it qd the frere / vp on my feitħ
430
And ther witħ al / his hond in his he leitħ
Loo heere my feitħ / in me shal be no lak
¶ Thanne put thyn hand / a doun rigħt be my bak
Seide this man / and grope wel behynde
By nethe my buttok / there shalt þu fynde
435
A thyng that I haue / hid / in preuytee
¶ A thougħt this frere / that shal go witħ me
And doun his hand / he launched to the clift
In hope / for to fynde there / a ȝift
¶ And whan this syke man / felt this frere
440
A boute his towel / gropen heere and there
A mydde his hand / he leet the frere a fart
There is no capel / drawyng in a cart
That mygħt han leete a fart / of swicħ a souñ
¶ The frere vp stirt / as dotħ a wood lyou
445
A fals cherl qd he / for goddis bones
This hast þu for despyt / don for the nones
Thow shalt a bye / this fart if I may
His meyne / whicħ / þt herden swicħ a fray
Comen lepyng In / and chased out the frere
450
And fortħ he gotħ / witħ a ful angry chere
And fette his felawe / there as lay his stoor
He loked as he were / a wylde Boor
And grynt witħ the tetħ / so was he wrotħ
A sturdy paas / doun to the courte he gotħ
455
Where as there woned / a man of gret hounour
To whom that he was / alwey confessour