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

Incipit prologus.

WHan folke han lawhen att þis nyce caas Of Absolon and hende Nicholas Line 3856 Diuers folke diuersely þei seide Bot for þe more parte þei lowhe and pleide Ne att þis tale I. sauhe no man him greue Bot it were onely Oswolde þe Reue Line 3860 Be cause he was of Carpenteres craft A litel ire is in his hert laft He gan to gruche and blame it a lite So þeyke quod he ful wele couþ .I. ȝow quyte Line 3864 Wiþ blerynge of a proude mellers eye If þat me liste to speke of ribaudie Bot ik am olde me list nouht pleie for age Gras time is done my foder is forage Line 3868 This white toppe writes myne olde ȝeres Myne herte is also moulde . as myne heres Bot if .I. fare as doþe an openers þat ilke fruyte is euer longe þe werse Line 3872 Til it be roten in molloke and in stree We olde men .I. drede so fare we Til we be roten can we nouht be ripe We hopen al-weie while þe werld wil pipe Line 3876 For in owre wille þere stikeþ euer a naile [folio 48a] To haue an hore here and a grene taile As haþe a leke for þouhe oure myht be gone Owre wille desireþ foly euery in one Line 3880 ffor whan we maie nouhte done þan wil we speke Ȝit in owre hasschen olde is fire y-reke ffoure gledes han we whiche .I. schal deuise Auauntynge . lyeinge . Anger . and Couetise Line 3884 This foure sperlkes longeþ vnto elde Owre olde limmes Mowe wele bene vnwelde

Bot wil [[h and e have been scratched out to re|duce this word.]] ne schal nouht failen þat is soþe And ȝit haue .I. alwei a coltes toþe As mony a ȝere as it is passed henne Sen þat my tap of lif beganne to renne ffor sekerly whan .I. was borne a-none Deþe drowhe þe tape of lif and lete it gone Line 3892 And euery siþþe haþþe so þe tap .I.-ronne Till þat al-moste al empti is the tonne The streme of lif nowe droppeþ on þe chimbe The seli tonge maie wele ringe and climbe Line 3896 Of wrechedenesse þat passed is ful ȝore Wiþ olde folke saue dotage is no more ¶ Whan þat oure oste had herd þis sermonynge He gan to speke as lordly as a kinge Line 3900 He seide what a-mounteþ al þis witte What schal we speke al day of holy writte The deuel maade a reue for to preche Or of souter schipman or a leche Line 3904 Say forþe þi tale and tary nouht þe time Loo depford and it is halfe weie prime Loo grenewiche þat mony a schrewe is inne. It were al time þi tale for to gynne Line 3908 ¶ Nowe sires quod Oswalde þe reue .I preie ȝowe al þat ȝe nouht ȝowe greue Thowhe .I. ansewere and sumdel sett his howue For leueful it is wiþ force force to schowue Line 3912 This dronken melle haþe .I.-tolde us here Howe þat be-giled was a carpentier Parauentur in scoren for .I. am one And be ȝoure leue .I. schal him quyte anone. Line 3916 Riht in his cherles termes wil .I. speke I preie to god his neke mot he breke He can wele in myne eye seen a stalke Bot in his owen he can nouht sene a balke Line 3920