The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

                                  
                                       [6-text p 317] 
                                    
                                    But though my self be gulty in þe synne
                                  
                                    Ȝit can I make oþer folk to twynne /
                                  
                                    From auarice and soone to repent
                                  
                                    But þat/ is not my principal entent
                                    Line 432 
                                  
                                    I preche no þing but for coueitise
                                  
                                    Of þis matier it ought Inough suffise
                                  
                                    Than telle I hem ensamples many oon
                                  
                                    Of olde þinges longe tyme agoon
                                    Line 436 
                                  
                                    For lewed poeple louen tales olde
                                  
                                    which þinges can þay wel report and holde /
                                  
                                    what trowe ȝe whiles I may preche
                                  
                                    And wynne gold and siluer for I teche
                                    Line 440 
                                  
                                    That I wil lyue in pouert wilfully
                                  
                                    Nay nay I þought it/ neuer trewly
                                  
                                    For I wol preche and begge in sondry londes
                                  
                                    I wil do no labour wiþ myn hondes
                                    Line 444 
                                  
                                    Ne make basketis and lyue þer by
                                  
                                    By cause I wil nought begge ydelly
                                  
                                    I wol noon of thapostles counterfete
                                  
                                    I wol haue money. wolle chese and whete /
                                    Line 448 
                                  
                                    Al were it ȝeuen of þe prestes page
                                  
                                    Or of þe porest wydow in a village [folio 187b] 
                                  
                                    And schold hir children sterue for famyn
                                  
                                    Nay I wol drinke licour of þe wyn
                                    Line 452 
                                  
                                    And haue a ioly wenche in euery toun
                                  
                                    But herkneþ lordynges my conclusioun
                                  
                                    Ȝoure likyng is. þat I schal telle a tale
                                  
                                    Now haue I dronk a draught of corny ale /
                                    Line 456 
                                  
                                    By god I hope I schal telle ȝow a þing
                                  
                                    That schal by resoun be at ȝour liking
                                  
                                    For þough myself be a ful vicious man
                                  
                                    A moral tale ȝit I ȝow telle can
                                    Line 460 
                                  
                                    which I am wont to preche for to wynne
                                  
                                    Now hold ȝour pees my tale I wol byginne [[Partial break of one line in the MS.]]

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Title: The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 429
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Chaucer society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1885.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8246.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8246.0001.001/441:9

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Full citation: "The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8246.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 27, 2025.

The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

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