And make a chartre of lond and acquitaunce
In twenty maners he coude skip and daunce
Line 3328
After þe scole of Oxenforde þo
And wiþ his legges casten to and fro
And pleyen songes on a smal rubible
Therto he sang som tyme a lowde quynyble
Line 3332
And as wel coude he pleye on a giterne /
In al þe toun nas brewhous ne tauerne
That he ne visited with his solas
Ther as any gaylard tapster was
Line 3336
Bot soþ to say he was som del squaymous
Of fartyng / and of speche daungerous
This absolon þat ioly was and gay
Goþ wiþ a senser on þe haly day
Line 3340
Sensyng þe wyues of þe parisch fast
And many a louely look on hem he cast
And namely on þis Carpenteres wyf
To loke on hire him þought a mery lyf
Line 3344
Sche was so propre sweete and licorous
I dar wel sayn if sche had ben a mous
And he a cat he wold hir hent anoon
This parisch clerk this Ioly Absolon [folio 45a]
Line 3348
Haþ in his herte such a loue longyng
That of no wyf ne took he noon offryng /
For curtesy he seyde he wolde noon
The moone at night ful cleer and brighte schoon
Line 3352
And absolon his giterne haþ I-take
For paramours he seyde he wold awake /
And for he goþ iolyf and amerous /
Til he cam to þe Carpenteres hous
Line 3356
A litel after þe cok had y-crowe /
And dressed him vp by a schot wyndowe /
That was vnder þe Carpenteres wal
he syngeþ in his voys gentil and smal
Line 3360
Now deere lady if þi wille be
I praye ȝow þat ȝe wol rewe on me
