The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ 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 Line 4368 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 Line 4372 As is the hyue / of hony swete Wel was the wenche / þat with hym myghte meete At euery bridale / wolde he synge and hoppe He loued bet the Tauerne / than the Shoppe Line 4376 ffor / whan ther any ridyng was in Chepe Out of the shoppe / thider wolde he lepe Til þat he hadde / al the sighte yseyn And daunced wel / he wolde noght come ageyn Line 4380 And gadred hym / a meynee of his sort To hoppe and synge / and maken swich disport And ther / they setten steuene / for to meete To pleyen at the dees / in swich a streete Line 4384 ffor 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 Line 4388 That foond his maister wel / in his chaffare ffor ofte tyme / he foond his box ful bare ffor sikerly / a prentys reuelour That haunteth dees / ryot or paramour Line 4392 His maister / shal it in his shoppe abye [folio 57b] Al haue he / no part of the Minstralcye ffor thefte and riot / they been conuertible Al konne he pleye / on Giterne / or Rubible Line 4396

Line 4396 Reuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degree They been ful wrothe al day / as men may see ¶ This ioly Prentys / with his Maister bood Til he were neigh / out of his prentishood Line 4400 Al were he snybbed / bothe erly and late And som tyme / lad with reuel to Newgate But atte laste / his maister hym bithoghte Vp on a day / whan he his papir soghte Line 4404 Of a prouerbe / that seith this same word Wel bet is roten appul / out of hoord Than þat it rotte / al the remenaunt So fareth it / by a riotous seruaunt Line 4408 It is ful lasse harm / to lete hym pace Than he shende / alle the seruantz in the place Ther fore / his maister gaf hym acquitaunce And bad hym go / with sorw / and with meschaunce Line 4412 And thus this ioly prentys / hadde his leeue Now lat hym riote / al the nyght or leeue And for ther nys no theef / with-oute a lowke That helpeth hym / to wasten and to sowke Line 4416 Of that he brybe kan / or borwe may Anon / he sente his bed / and his array Vn to a compeer / of his owene sort That loued dees / and reuel / and disport Line 4420 And hadde a wyf / that heeld for contenaunce A shoppe / and swyued for hir sustenaunce Of this Cokes tale maked Chaucer na moore [in the left margin]

Notes

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