The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

Incipit fabula

A Prentys whilom dwelled in oure Citee And of a craft of vitaillers was he Gaillard he was as goldfynch in þe schawe Broun as a berye a propur schort felawe/ Line 4368 Wiþ lokkes blake y-kempt ful fetysly Daunce he couthe so wel and Iolyly That he was cleped Perkyn Reuolour he was as ful of loue paramour Line 4372 As is þe hyue ful of hony sweete Wel was þe wenche with him mighte meete At euery brydale wolde he synge and hoppe he louede bet þe tauerne þan þe schoppe Line 4376 ffor whan þer any rydyng was in chepe Out of þe schoppe þider wolde he leepe Til þat he hadde al þe sight y-seyn And daunced wel wolde he not come ageyn Line 4380 And gadered him a meyne of his sorte To hoppe and synge and maken such desporte And þere þei setten steuene for to mete To pleyen atte dys in such a streete Line 4384 ffor in þe toun nas þer no prentys That fairere couþe caste a paire of dys: Than Perkyn couþe and þer-to he was fre Of his dispense in place of priuite/ Line 4388 That fond his maister wel in his chaffare/ ffor ofte tyme he fond his box ful bare ffor sikerly a prentys Reuelour [folio 62a] That haunteþ dys ryot or paramour Line 4392 his maister schal it in his schoppe abeye Al haue he not part of þe menstralcye ffor theft and riot þei ben conuertible Al conne he play on gyterne or Rubible Line 4396

Line 4396 Reuel and trouthe as in a lough degre þey been ful wroþe alday as men may se This Iolif prentys with his maister bood Til he were neigh out of his prentyshood Line 4400 Al were he snybbed boþe erly and late And som tyme lad with Reuel to Newgate But atte last his mayster him biþoughte vpon a day whan he his paper soughte Line 4404 Of a prouerbe þat seiþ þis same word Wel bette is roten appul out of hord þan þat it rotye al þe remenant So fareþ it by þe riotous seruant Line 4408 It is ful lasse harm to late it pace þanne he schende all þe seruantȝ in þe place Therfore his mayster ȝaf him a quitance And bad him go with sorwe and with meschance Line 4412 And þus þis Ioly prentys hadde his leue Now lat him riote al þe night or leue And for þer nys no þeef wiþouten a lowke That helpeþ him to wasten and to sowke/ Line 4416 Of þat he brybe can or borwe may Anon he sente his bedde and his array vnto a Coupere of his owne sorte That louede dys and Reuel and disporte Line 4420 And hadde a wyf þat heeld for contynance/ A schoppe / and swyued for hire sustynance.

Notes

• C^m. iiij^m.
• [No break in the MS.]