But ȝe bue Merie .I. ȝeue ȝowe Mine hede
Holde vpe ȝowre hondes wiþ-owte more speche
¶ Owre consell was not longe for to seche
Line 784
Vs þouhte it was not worþe to make it wise
And graunted him wiþ-oute more avise
And bad him seie his verdite as him liste
Lordynges quod he now herkeneþ for þe beste
Line 788
Bot tak it nowhte .I. pray ȝowe in disdeyne
This is þe pointe to speke schort and pleine
That iche of ȝowe to schort wiþ owre weie
In þis viage schal tel tales tweye
Line 792
To Kanterbury warde .I. mene it so
And homward he schal tellen oþere two
Of aventures whilome þat hane be-fall
And whiche of ȝowe þat bereþ him best of all
Line 796
That is to seyne þat telleþ in þis cas
Tales of best sentence. and most solas
Schall haue a soper at owre aller cost [folio 11b]
Here in þis place sittinge be þe post
Line 800
Whan þat we comen a-geine fro Canturbury
And for to make ȝow þe more mery
.I. wil my seluen goodely wiþ ȝow ride
Riht att myne oune coste and be ȝowre gide
Line 804
And who so wil my Iuggement wiþ-seie
Schal paie al þat we spende be þe weie
And if ȝe vouche saue þat it be so
Tel me anone wiþ-owten wordes mo
Line 808
And .I. wil erly schape me þere-fore
¶ This þinge was graunted and owre oþes swore
With ful glad hert and praieyng him also
þat he wolde vouche saue for to do so
Line 812
And þat he wolde be owre gouernowre
And of owre tales Iugge and reporture
And sett a soper att a serteine pris
And we wil rewled bene att his deuis
Line 816
In hihe and in lowhe and þus be one assent
