[6-text p 282]
þat in your bridell hongeth on euery syde [[Sloane MS 1685]]
By heuen kynge þat for vs alle dyede
I shalle for þis falle doun for slepe
Al-þouȝe þe sloweȝ hade neuere be so depe
Line 3988
þan hath youre tale ben tolde in vayne
ffor certeynly as þese clerkes sayne
Where as a man may han none audience
Nouȝt helpeth to tellen hys sentence
Line 3992
And wele I woote þe substaunce ys in me
yf ony thynge shal wele reportid be
Sir/ saye some what of huntynge I you praye
Nay quod / þe Monke I· haue no luste to playe
Line 3996
Nowe let a noþer telle as I haue tolde
þan spake our Oste with rude speche and bolde [Sloane MS 1685 folio 214b]
And sayd vnto þe Nonnes Preost a-none
Come nere Sir Preost comme nere sir Iohn
Line 4000
Telle vs suche thenges as may our hertes glade
Be mery þoūȝe þou ryde vpon A Iade.
þat/ þei þine hors . be foul or lene
Yf/ he wille serve þe recke þe nouȝt/ a bene
Line 4004
looke þat þine hert/ be mery euere mo ·
Ȝis . hoste [q]uod he so mote I ryde or go ·
But/ I be mery y-wys I wille be blamed
And riȝt/ a-none he hathe hys tale y-tamed ·
Line 4008
And þus he sayde to vs euereichon
Thys swete preost/ þis gode man Sir/ Iohn
Here endeth þe Prologge
