The Cook's Tale
Folio 57r
1 of 2 folios
But sooth pley quade pley / as the Flemyng seith
And therfore herry Bailly / by thy feith
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Be thou nat wrooth / er we departen heer
Thogh þt my tale / be of an hostiler
But nathelees / I wol nat telle it yit
But er we parte / ywis thow shalt be quyt
And ther with al / he lough / and made cheere
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And seyde his tale / as ye shal after heere
¶ Here bigynneth the Cook his tale ~
A Prentis / whilom dwelled in oure Citee
And of a craft of vitaillers was he
Gaillard he was / as goldfynch in the shawe
Broun as a berye / a propre short felawe
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With lokkes blake / ykembd ful fetisly
Dauncen he koude / so wel and iolily
That he / was clepyd Perkyn Reuelour
He was / as ful / of loue and paramour
As is the hyue / ful of hony swete
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Wel was the wenche / þt wt hym myghte meete
At euery bridale / wolde he synge & hoppe
He loued bet the Tauerne / than the shoppe
For / whan ther any ridyng was in Chepe
Out of the shoppe / thider wolde he lepe
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Til þt he hadde / al the sighte yseyn
And daunced wel / he wolde noght come ageyn
And gadred hym / a meynee of his sort
To hoppe and synge / and maken swich disport
And ther they setten steuene / for to meete
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To pleyen at the dees / in swich a Streete
For in the town / nas ther no Prentys
That fairer / koude caste a paire of dys
Than Perkyn koude / and ther to he was free
Of his dispense / in place of pryuetee
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That foond his maister wel / in his chaffare
For ofte tyme / he foond his box ful bare
For sikerly / a prentys reuelour
That haunteth dees / ryot or paramour