GROUP H. FRAGMENT IX.
§ 1. THE MANCIPLE'S HEAD-LINK.
HENGWRT MS.
¶ And here folweth the Prologe of the Manciples tale/ [[on leaf 107]]
Woot ye nat where / ther stant a litel town
Which þat cleped is / Bobbe vp and down
Vnder the Blee / in Caunterbury weye
Ther gan oure hoost for to iape and pleye
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And seyde sires / what / Don is in the Myre
Is ther no man / for preyere ne for Hyre
[ [Rats.] [folio 108b] Th]at wole awake / oure felawe al bihynde
A theef myghte hym / ful lightly robbe and bynde
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Se how he nappeth / se how for Cokkes bones
That he wol falle / from his hors atones
Is that a Cook of london / with meschance
Do hym come forth / he knoweth his penance
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ffor he shal telle a tale / by my fey
Al thogh / it be nat worth a botel hey
Awake thow Cook quod he / god yeue thee sorwe
What eyleth thee / to slepe by the morwe
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Hastow had fleen al nyght or artow dronke
Or hastow with som quene / al nyght yswonke
So / that thow mayst nat holden vp thyn heed
¶ This Cook/ þat was ful pale / and no thyng rede
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Seyde to oure hoost/ so god my soule blesse
As ther is / falle / on me swich heuynesse
Noot I nat why / þat me were leuere slepe
Than the beste galon wyn in Chepe
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