The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 314]

and begynneth þe tale

[Sloane MS 1685 folio 183]

[Lor]dynges quod/ he in Chirche whan I preche [I] peyne me to haue an hautyn speche [And] rynge it/ oute as rounde as goth a belle ffor I con alle by roote þat I telle Line 332 [My teme] ys alle-way on and euere was Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas ffyrst/ I pronounce whens þat I come And þan my bulles shewen alle and somme Line 336 Oure lege lordes seal on my patent þat/ shewe I fyrst/ my body to warant/ That no man be so bolde prest nor Clerk Me to disturbe of/ crystes holy werke Line 340 And after þat telle I forthe my tales Bulles of Popes and of/ Cardynales Of Patryarkes and Bysshopes I shewe And in laten I speke wordes fewe Line 344 To sauere with my predicacioun And forto styrre men to deuocioun þan shewe I forth my longe Cristal stones I-crommed fulle of/ cloutys and of bones Line 348 Relikes þei bene as wene þei ychone þan haue I in laton a shulder bone Whiche þat was an holy Iewes shepe Goode men say I take at my wordes kepe Line 352 ȝif þat þis bone be wasshen in a welle ȝif/ cowe or Calf/ shepe or Ox swelle þat any worme hathe ete or stonge A-boute þe herte or elles þe longe Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And it is hole a-none and ferthermore [[Sloane MS 1685]] Of/ pockes and of scabbe and of/ euery sore Shall euery shepe be hole þat of þis welle Drenkyth a draught/ take hede what I telle Line 360 Ȝif þat þe godeman þat þe bestes ouȝte Wolle euery wooke or þat/ þe Cok/ hym crouthe/ ffastynge drynke of/ þis welle a drauȝt/ [Sloane MS 1685 folio 183b] As þilke holy Iewe oure eldres tauȝt/ Line 364 hys beestes and hys store shal multeplie And sires also it heleth Ielousey And þouȝe a man be fallen in a Ielouse rage let maken with þis water/ hys potage Line 368 And neuere shal he hys wyf mystruste Thouȝe he þe sothe of his defaute wyste Alle hade she taken preestes two or thre here ys a myteyne eke þat/ ye may se Line 372 he þat/ hys honde wylle putte in his myteyne he shalle haue multiplyenge in his greyne Whan he hathe sowen be it Whete or Otes So þat/ he brynge me gode pans or elles grotes Line 376 And men and women oo þenge I warne you Ȝif/ ony wiȝt/ be in þis Chirche nowe þat/ hathe done synne horrible þat/ he Dare not/ for shame of it/ shryuen be Line 380 Or ony woman be she yonge or olde þat/ hath made hir/ husbonde Cokewolde Suche folke shul haue no power ne no grace To offre to my relleckes in þis place Line 384 And who fyndeth hym oute of suche blame They wol come vp and offre in goddes name] [[Sloane extract ends]] And I assolie hym be the autorite [Camb. Univ. Lib. MS Gg. 4. 27] [folio 305a] Which that by bulle is grauntid on-to me Line 388 By this gaude haue I wonne ȝeer be ȝeer An hunderede mark sythe I was pardounneer I stonde lyk a clerk in myn pulpet And whan that the lewede peple is doun I-set Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so as ȝe han herd by-fore And telle an hunderede false Iapis more Thanne peyne I me to streche forth myn nekke And est & west vp-on the peple I bekke Line 396 As doth a douue syttynge on a berne Mynne handys & myn tunge goon so ȝerne That it is Ioye to se myn besynesse Of auarice & of swich cursedenesse Line 400 Is al myn prechyng for to makyn hem fre To ȝeuyn here penys & nameli on-to me ffor myn entent is not but for to wynne And no thyng for correccioun of synne Line 404 I rekke neuere whanne that they been beryed Thow tha^t [[^t corrected]] here soulis goon a blakeberyed ffor certis manye a predicacioun Comyth ofte of euele entencioun Line 408 Some for plesaunce of folk & flaterye To been a-vansed be ypocrysie And some for veynglorie & some for hate And whanne I dar non othere woyis debate Line 412 Thanne wele I stynge men with myn tunge smerte In prechynge so that I schal nat a-sterte To been defamyd falsely that he Hath trespased to myne brothir or to me Line 416 ffor thow I telle nat his proper name Men schal wel knowe þat it is the same By sygnys & be othere circumstauncis Thus quyte I folk that don vs displesauncis Line 420 Thus spitte I out myn venym vndyr hewe Of holynesse to semyn holy & trewe But schortely myn entent I wele deuyse I preche of no thyng but of coueytyse Line 424 Therefore myn teme is ȝit & euere was [folio 305b] Radix malorum est cupiditas Thus can I preche a-ȝen the same vice Whiche that I vse & that is aueryce Line 428

[6-text p 317] Line 428 But thow myn self be gilty in that synne Ȝit can I make othere folk to twynne ffrom aueryce & sore to repente But that is nat myn pryncipal entente Line 432 I preche no thyng but for coueytyse Of this matire it ouȝte I-nogh suffise Thanne telle I hem ensaumplys many on Of olde storyis long tyme a goon Line 436 ffor lewede peple louyn talys olde Sweche thyngis can they wel reporte & holde What trowe ȝe that whilis that I may preche And wynne gold & syluyr for I teche Line 440 That I wele lyue in pouerte wilfully Nay nay I thouȝte it neuere trewely ffor I wele preche & begge in sundery landis I wele don no labour with mynne handys Line 444 Ne make basketys & lyue therby By cause I wele nat beggen ydely I wele none of the apostelys countyrfete I wele haue monye / wolle / cheese / & wheete Line 448 Al weere it ȝeuyn of the poreste page Or of the poreste wedew in a village Al schulde hire chylderyn sterue for famyne Nay I wele drynke licour of the [[v, first w]] vyne Line 452 And haue a Ioly wenche in euery toun But herkenyth lordyngis in conclusioun Ȝoure lykynge is that I schal telle a tale Now haue I dronke a draught of corny ale Line 456 By god I hope I schal ȝowe telle a thyng That schal be resoun been at ȝoure lykyng ffor thow myn self be a ful vicious man A moral tale ȝit I ȝow telle can Line 460 Whiche I am wonet to preche for to wynne Now holde ȝoure pes myn tale I wele begynne