{{Folio 73v}}
¶The prologe of the ffreres tale
This worthy lymytour / this noble frere He made alwey / a manere louryng cheere Vp on the Somnour / but for hone{s}tee No vileyns word / as yet to hym spak he But atte la{s}te / he seyde vn to the wyf ¶ Dame quod he god yeue yow right good lyf Ye han heer touched / al {s}o mote I thee In scole matere / greet difficultee Ye han seyd muche thyng/ right wel I seye But dame / here as we ryden by the weye Vs nedeth nat/ to speken / but of game And lete Auctoritees / on goddes name To prechyng/ and to scole of clergye But/ if it like / to this compaignye I wol yow / of a Somnour telle a game Pardee / ye may wel knowe by the name That of a Somn|our| / may no good be {s}ayd I praye / that noon of yow / be ypayd A somnour / is a rennere vp and doun With mandementz / for fornicacioun And is ybet/ at euery townes ende ¶ Oure hoo{s}t tho spak / a sire ye sholde be hende
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And curteys / as a man of youre e{s}taat/ In compaignye / we wol no debaat/ Telleth youre tale / and lat the Somn|our| be ¶ Nay quod the Somn|our| / lat hym seye to me What so hym li{s}t/ whan it comth to my lot/ By god / I shal hym quyten euery grot/ I shal hym telle / which a gret honour It is / to be a flaterynge lymytour And of / many another maner cryme Which nedeth nat rehercen / for this tyme And his office / I shal hym telle ywys ¶Oure hoo{s}t an{s}werde / pees namoore of this And after this / he seyde vn to the frere Tel forth youre tale / leeue mai{s}ter deere
¶Here endeth the prologe of the ffrere
Whilom / ther was dwellynge in my contree An Erchedekne / a man of hy degree That boldely / dide execucio|un| In puny{ss}hynge of ffornicacio|un| Of wicchecraft/ and eek of Bawderye Of diffamacio|un| / and auoutrye Of chirche Reues / and of te{s}tamentz Of contractes / and eek of lakke of sacramentz Of v{s}ure / and of Symonye al{s}o But |cer|tes / lecchours / dide he grette{s}t wo They sholde syngen if that they were hent/ And smale tytheres were foule y{s}chent/ If any |per|{s}o|un| / wold vp on hem pleyne Ther myghte a{s}terte hym no pecunial peyne ffor smale tithes |&| for smal offryng/ he made the peple ful pitu{s}ly to {s}yng/ ffor er the by{ss}chop caght hem |with| hys hooc They were in the erchdeknys book/ And thanne had he thurgh hys Iuri{s}diccion Power / to do on hem correccion
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He hadde a Somn|our| / redy to his hond A slyer boy / nas noon in Engelond ffor subtilly / he hadde his e{s}piaille That taughte hym / wher hym myghte auaille He koude spare / of lecchours / oon or two To techen hym / to foure and twenty mo ffor theigh this Somn|our| / wood were as an hare To telle his harlotrye / I wol nat spare ffor we been / out of his correccio|un| They han of vs / no Iuri{s}diccio|un| Ne neu|uer|e shullen / terme of hir lyues ¶Peter / so been wommen of the Styves Quod the Somnour / yput out of my cure ¶Pees with my{s}chaunce / and with my{s}auenture Thus seyde oure hoo{s}t / and lat hym telle his tale Now telleth forth / thogh |þt| the Somn|our| gale Ne spareth nat/ myn owene may{s}ter deere ¶This fal{s}e theef/ this Somn|our| / quod the frere Hadde alwey / baudes redy to his hond As any hauk/ to lure in Engelond That tolde hym / al the secree |þt| they knewe ffor hire aqueyntance / was nat come of newe They weren / hi{s}e Approwours pryuely He took hym self / a greet |pro|fit ther by His mai{s}ter knew nat alwey / what he wan With outen mandement/ a lewed man He koude somne / on peyne of cri{s}tes curs And they were glade / for to fille his purs And make hym / grete fe{s}tes atte nale And right as Iudas / hadde pur{s}es smale And was a theef/ right swich a theef was he His mai{s}ter / hadde but half his duetee He was / if I shal yeuen hym his laude A theef / and eek a somnour / and a baude He hadde eek wenches / at his retenue That wheither |þt| sir |Robert| / or sir hewe Or Iakke / or Rauf/ or who {s}o that it were That lay by hem / they tolde it in his ere Thus was the wenche and he / of oon a{ss}ent/ And he wolde fecche / a feyned mandement/
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And somne hem to Chapitre / bothe two And pile the man / and lete the wenche go ¶Thanne wolde he seye / freend I shal for thy sake Do stryke / hir / out of oure lettres blake Thee thar namoore / as in this cas |tra|uaille I am thy freend / ther I thee may auaille Certeyn / he knew of bryberyes mo Than po{ss}ible is / to telle in yeres two ffor in this world / nys dogge for the bowe That kan an hurt deer / from an hool knowe Bet than this Somn|our| / knew a sly lecchour Or an Auouter / or a |per|amour And for that was / the fruyt of al his rente Ther fore on it / he {s}ette al his entente ¶And so bifel / that ones on a day This Somnour / eu|uer|e waityng on his pray ffor to somne an old wydewe / a Ribibe ffeynynge a cau{s}e / for he wolde brybe Happed / that he say / bifore hym ryde A gay yeman / vnder a ffore{s}t syde A bowe he bar / and arwes brighte |&| kene He hadde vp on / a courtepy of grene An hat vp on his heed / with frenges blake ¶Sir quod this Somn|our| / hayl / and wel atake ¶Wel come quod he / and euery good felawe Wher ride{s}tow / vnder this grene shawe Seyde this yeman / wiltow fer to day ¶This Somnour hym an{s}werde / and seyde nay Here fa{s}te by quod he / is myn entente To ryden / for to rey{s}en vp a rente That longeth / to my lordes duetee ¶Artow thanne a Bailly{?.} / ye quod he He dor{s}te nat/ for verray filthe and shame Seye |þt| he was a Somn|our| / for the name ¶De{p+}dieux quod this yeman / deere brother Thow art a bailly / and I am another I am vnknowen / as in this contree Of thyn aqueyntance / I wolde praye thee And eek of bretherhede / if |þt| yow le{s}te I haue gold / and siluer/ in my che{s}te
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If that thee happed / to come in oure shire Al shal be thyn / right as thow wolt de{s}ire ¶Graunt |mer|cy quod this Somn|our| / by my feith Euerich in ootheres hond / his trouthe leyth ffor to be sworn bretheren / til they deye In daliaunce / they ryden forth and pleye ¶This Somn|our| / which |þt| was / as ful of Iangles As ful of venym / been thi{s}e waryangles And eu|uer|e enqueryng/ vp on euery thyng/ Brother quod he / wher is now youre dwellyng/ Another day / if |þt| I sholde yow seche This yeman hym an{s}werde / in softe speche ¶Brother quod he / fer in the North contree Wher as I hope / {s}om tyme I shal thee see Er we departe / I shal thee {s}o wel wi{ss}e That of myn hous / ne shaltow ne|uer|e my{ss}e ¶Now brother quod this Somn|our| / I yow preye Teche me / whil |þt| we ryden by the weye Syn |þt| ye been a Baillyf / as am I Som subtiltee / and tel me feithfully In myn office / how I may moo{s}t wynne And spareth nat/ for con{s}cience ne synne But as my brother / tel me how do ye ¶Now by my trouthe / brother deere / seyde he As I shal tellen thee / a feithful tale My wages been / ful {s}treyte / and ful smale My lord is hard to me / and daungerous And myn office / is ful laborous And therfore / by extorcions I lyue ffor sothe I take / al that men wol me yeue Algate / by sleighte / or by violence ffro yeer to yeer / I wynne al my di{s}pence I kan no bettre tellen / feithfully ¶Now certes quod this Somn|our| / {s}o fare I I spare nat to taken / god it woot/ But it be to heuy / or to hoot/ What I may gete / in con{s}eil |pri|uely No manere con{s}cience / of that haue I Nere myn extorcio|un| / I myghte na lyuen Ne of swiche Iapes / wol I nat be shryuen
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Stomak/ ne Con{s}cience / ne knowe I noon I sherewe / thi{s}e Shryfte{s}fadres eu|uer|ychon Wel be we met/ by god / and by seint Iame But leeue brother / tel me thanne thy name Quod this Somnour / in this mene whyle This yeman / gan a litel for to smyle ¶Brother quod he / woltow |þt| I thee telle I am a feend / my dwellyng/ is in helle And here I ryde / aboute my purcha{s}yng/ To wite / wher men wolde yeue me any thyng/ My |pur|chas / is theffect of al my rente Looke how thow ryde{s}t/ for the same entente To wynne good / thow rekke{s}t neu|uer|e how Right {s}o fare I / for ryde wold I now Vn to the worldes ende / for a preye ¶A quod this Somn|our| / benedicite what sey ye I wende / ye were a yeman trewely Ye han a mannes shap / as wel as I Han ye a figure thanne / de|ter|mynat In helle ther ye been / in youre e{s}tat ¶Nay |cer|teynly quod he / ther haue we noon But whan vs liketh / we kan take vs oon Or ellis make yow seme / we ben shape Som tyme / lyk a man / or lyk an Ape Or lyk an Aungel / kan I ryde or go It is no wonder thyng/ theigh it be so A lou{s}y Iogelour / kan deceyue thee And pardee yet kan I / moore craft than he ¶Whi quod this Somnour / ryde ye thanne or goon In sondry shap / and nat alwey in oon ¶ffor we quod he / wol vs swiche formes make As moo{s}t able is / oure preyes for to take ¶What maketh yow / to han al this labour ¶fful many a cau{s}e / leue sir Somnour Seyde this feend / but alle thyng hath tyme The day is short / and it is pa{ss}ed pryme And yet/ ne wan I no thyng/ in this day I wol entende / to wynnyng / if I may And nat entende / oure wittes to declare ffor brother myn / thy wit is al to bare
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To vnder{s}tonde / al thogh I tolde hem thee But for thow axe{s}t/ why labouren we ffor som tyme / we been goddes In{s}trumentz And meenes / to doon his comandementz Whan that hym li{s}t / vp on his creatures In di|uer|s art/ and in di|uer|{s}e figures With outen hym / we han no myght |cer|tayn If that hym ly{s}t/ to {s}tonde ther agayn And som tyme / at oure preyere / han we leue Oonly the body / and nat the soule greue Witne{ss}e on Iob / whom |þt| we diden wo And som tyme / han we myght of bothe two This is to seyn / of soule and body eke And som tyme / be we suffred for to seke Vp on a man / and do his soule vnre{s}te And nat his body / and al is for the be{s}te Whan he with {s}tandeth / oure temptacio|un| It is / a cau{s}e / of his sauacio|un| Al be it/ that it was / nat oure entente He sholde be sauf/ but |þt| we wolde hym hente And som tyme / be we |{s}8|uant/ vn to man As to the Erchebi{ss}ho|pre| / Seint Dun{s}tan And to the Apo{s}tles / seruant eek was I ¶Yet tel me / quod the Somn|our| feithfully Make ye yow newe bodyes / thus alway Of Elementz{?} / the feend an{s}werde nay Som tyme we feyne / and som tyme we ary{s}e With dede bodyes / in ful {s}ondry wy{s}e And speke as renably / and faire and wel As to the Phitoni{ss}a / dide Samuel And yet wol som men seye / it was nat he I do no fors / of youre dyuynytee But o thyng warne I thee / I wol nat Iape Thow wolt algates wite / how we be shape Thow shalt her afterwardes / my brother deere Come there / thee nedeth nat of me to lere ffor thow shalt/ by thyn owene experience Konne in a chayer / rede of this sentence Bet than Virgile / whil he was on lyue Or Dant al{s}o / now lat vs ryde blyue
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ffor I wol holde / compaignye with thee Til it be so / that thow for{s}ake me ¶Nay quod this Somn|our| / that shal nat bityde I am a yeman / knowen is ful wyde My trouhte wol I holde / as in this cas ffor theigh thow were / the deuel Sathanas My trouthe wol I holde / to thee my brother As I am sworn / and ech of vs til oother ffor to be trewe brother / in this cas And bothe we goon / abouten oure purchas Taak thow thy part/ what |þt| men wol thee yeue And I shal myn / thus may we bothe lyue And if that any of vs / haue moore than oother Lat hym be trewe / and parte it with his brother ¶I graunte quod the deuel / by my fey And with that word / they ryden forth hir wey And right at the entryng/ of the townes ende To which this Somnour / shoop hym for to wende They saye a Cart/ that charged was |with| hey Which that a Cartere / droof forth in his wey Deep was the wey / for which the Carte {s}tood This Carter smoot/ and cryde as he were wood Hayt Brok/ hayt Scot/ what spare ye for the stones The feend quod he / yow fecche body and bones As ferforthly / as euere were ye foled So muchel wo / as I haue with yow tholed The deuel haue al / bothe hors / and Cart/ and hey ¶This Somn|our| seyde / heer shul we han a pley And neer the feend he drogh / as noght ne were fful pryuely / and rowned in his ere Herkne my brother / herkne by thy feith Here{s}tow nat/ how |þt| the Cartere seith Hent it anon / for he hath yeue it thee Bothe hey / and Cart/ and eek his caples thre ¶Nay quod the deuel / god woot/ neuer a del It is nat his entente / tru{s}t thow me wel Axe hym thy self / if thow nat trowe{s}t me Or ellys stynt a while / and thow shalt se ¶This Cartere / taketh his hors {^}{{vp}} on the croupe And they bigonne / drawen and to stoupe
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Heyt now quod he / ther |Iesu| cri{s}t yow ble{ss}e And al his handes werk/ bothe moore and le{ss}e That was wel twight/ myn owene lyard boy I pray god saue thee / and Seint loy Now is my Cart/ out of the slow pardee ¶Lo brother quod the feend / what tolde I thee Heere may ye se / myn owene deere brother The Carl spak o thyng/ but he thoghte another Lat vs go forth / abouten oure viage Heere wynne I no thyng vp on cariage ¶Whan that {^}{{they}} coomen / {s}om what out of towne This Somnour / to his brother gan to rowne Brother quod he / here woneth an old rebekke That hadde almoo{s}t/ as leef to le{s}e hir nekke As for to yeue a peny / of hir good I wol han .xij. pens / thogh that she be wood Or I wol somne hir / vn to oure office And yet god woot/ of hir knowe I no vice But for thow can{s}t nat/ as in this contree Wynne thy co{s}t/ taak heer en{s}ample of me This Somnour / clappeth at the wydwes gate Com out quod he / thow olde viritrate I trowe thow ha{s}t/ {s}om frere / or pree{s}t with thee ¶Who clappeth seyde this wyf / benedicitee God saue yow sire / what is youre swete wille ¶I haue quod he / of somonce a bille Vp peyne of cur{s}yng/ looke that thow be To morn / bifore the Erchedeknes knee Tan{s}were to the court/ of |cer|teyn thynges ¶Now lord quod she / cri{s}t |Iesu| kyng of kynges So wi{s}ly helpe me / as I ne may I haue been syk/ and that ful many a day I may nat go so fer quod she / ne ryde But I be deed / so priketh it in my syde May I nat axe a libel / {s}ir Somnour And an{s}were there / by my procutour To swich thyng/ as men wole oppo{s}en me ¶Yis quod this Somnour / pay anoon lat see Twelf pens to me / and I wol thee acquyte I shal no |pro|fit han ther by / but lyte
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My Mai{s}ter hath the profit / and nat I Com of / and lat me ryden ha{s}tily Yif me .xij. pens / I may no lenger tarye ¶Twelf pens quod she / now lady Seinte Marie So wi{s}ly help me god / out of care and synne This wyde world / thogh that I sholde wynne Ne haue I nat .xij. pens / with Inne myn hoold Ye knowen wel / that I am poure and oold Kythe youre alme{ss}e / on me poure wrecche ¶Nay thanne quod he / the foule feend me fecche If I thexcu{s}e / theigh thow shul be spilt/ ¶Allas quod she / god woot I haue no gilt/ ¶Pay me quod he / or by the swete Seinte Anne As I wol bere awey / thy newe panne ffor dette / which thow owe{s}t me of oold Whan |þt| thow made{s}t / thyn hou{s}bonde cokewold I payde at hom / for thy correccio|un| ¶Thow lyxt quod she / by my sauacio|un| Ne was I ne|uer|e er now / wydwe ne wyf/ Somoned vn to youre court/ in al my lyf / Ne ne|uer|e I nas / but of my body trewe Vn to the deuel / blak/ and row of hewe Yeue I thy body / and my panne al{s}o ¶And whan the deuel / herde hir cur{s}en so Vp on hir knees / he seyde in this manere Now Mabely / myn owene moder deere Is this youre wyl in erne{s}t / |þt| ye seye ¶The deuel quod she / so fecche hym or he deye And panne and al / but he wol hym repente ¶Nay olde stot/ that is nat myn entente Quod this Somnour / for to repente me ffor any thyng/ that I haue had of thee I wolde I hadde thy smok / and euery clooth ¶Now brother quod the deuel / be noght wrooth Thy body and this panne / been myne by right Thow shalt |with| me to helle / yet to nyght/ Wher thow shalt knowen / of oure pryuetee Moore / than a mai{s}ter of dyuynytee And with that word / this foule feend hym hente Body and soule / he with the deuel wente
{{Folio 78v}}
Wher as that Somnours / han hir heritage And god / that made after his ymage Mankynde / saue / and gyde vs alle and some And leue thi{s}e Somn|our|s / good men to bicome ¶Lordynges / I koude han told yow / quod this frere Hadde I had ley{s}er / for this Somn|our| heere After the text / of cri{s}t/ Poul and |Iohan| And of oure othere doctours / many oon Swiche peynes / that youre hertes myghte agry{s}e Al be it {s}o / no tonge may {^}{{it}} deuy{s}e Thogh that I myghte / a thou{s}and wynter telle The peynes / of thilke cur{s}ed hous of helle But for to kepe vs / fro that cur{s}ed place Waketh / and preyeth |Iesu| for his grace So kepe vs / fro the temptour Sathanas Herketh this word / beth war as in this cas The leo|un| sit/ in his awayt alway To sle the Innocent/ if that he may Di{s}po{s}eth ay youre hertes / to with{s}tonde The feend / that yow wolde maken thral and bonde He may nat tempte yow / ouer your myght / ffor cri{s}t/ wol be youre champion and knyght/ And prayeth / that this Somn|our|s hem repente Of hir my{s}dedes / er that the feend hem hente
¶Here endeth / the freres tale
