Page 166
¶ The prologe of the ffreres tale [[on leaf73, back]]
This worthy lymytour / this noble frere
He made al wey / a manere louryng cheere
Vp on the Somnour / but for honestee
No vileyns word / as yet to hym spak he
Line 1268
But atte laste / he seyde vn-to the wyf
Dame quod he / god yeue yow right good lyf
Ye han heer touched / al so mote I thee
In scole matere / greet difficultee
Line 1272
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
Line 1276
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
Line 1280
That of a Somnour / may no good be sayd
I praye / that noon of yow / be ypayd
A somnour / is a rennere vp and doun
With mandementz / for fornicacioun
Line 1284
And is ybet at euery townes ende
¶ Oure hoost tho spak / a sire / ye sholde be hende
And curteys / as a man of youre estaat [folio 74a]
In compaignye / we wol no debaat
Line 1288
Telleth youre tale / and lat the Somnour be
¶ Nay quod the Somnour / lat hym seye to me
What so hym list whan it comth to my lot
By god / I shal hym quyten euery grot
Line 1292
I shal hym telle / which a gret honour
It is / to be a flaterynge lymytour
And of/ many another manere cryme
Which nedeth nat rehercen / for this tyme
Line 1296
And his office / I schal hym telle ywys
¶ Oure hoost answerde / pees namoore of this
And after this / he seyde vn-to the frere
Tel forth youre tale / leeue maister deere
Line 1300
Here endeth the prologe of the ffrere [6-text p 372]