The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

                                  
                                       [6-text p 317] 
                                    
                                    That þough I my self be gulty in þat synne
                                  
                                    ȝit kan I make oþer folk for to wynne
                                  
                                    ffrom auarice and sore to repente
                                  
                                    But þat nys nought my principal entente
                                    Line 432 
                                  
                                    I preche no þing but for coueityse
                                  
                                    Of þis matiere I ought ynough suffise
                                  
                                    þenne telle I of ensamples many on
                                  
                                    Of olde stories longe tyme agon
                                    Line 436 
                                  
                                    ffor lewed poeple louen tales olde
                                  
                                    Whiche þinges can þey wel reporte and holde
                                  
                                    What trowe ȝe whiles þat I may preche
                                  
                                    And wynne gold and siluer for I teche
                                    Line 440 
                                  
                                    That I wol lyue in pouert wilfully
                                  
                                    Nay nay I þought it neuer trewely
                                  
                                    ffor I wol preche and begge in sondry landes
                                  
                                    ffor I wole do no labour wiþ myn handes [folio 197a] 
                                    Line 444 
                                  
                                    And make basketes and lyue þerby
                                  
                                    By cause I wol not beggen ydelly
                                  
                                    I wole none of þe aposteles countrefete
                                  
                                    I wole haue money chese and whete
                                    Line 448 
                                  
                                    Al were it ȝeuen of þe porest page
                                  
                                    Oþer of þe porest wydewe in a village
                                  
                                    Al scholde here children sterue for famyne
                                  
                                    Nay I wol drynke þe likour of þe vyne
                                    Line 452 
                                  
                                    And haue a Ioly wenche in euery toun
                                  
                                    But herkneþ lordynges in conclusion
                                  
                                    ȝoure liking is þat I schal telle a tale
                                  
                                    Now I haue drunke a draught of corny ale
                                    Line 456 
                                  
                                    By god I hope I schal telle ȝou a þing
                                  
                                    Þat schal by resoun ben at ȝour liking
                                  
                                    ffor þough my selue be a vicious man
                                  
                                    A more-ille tale ȝit I ȝou telle can
                                    Line 460 
                                  
                                    Which I am wont to preche for to wynne
                                  
                                    Now holde ȝoure pees my tale I wol begynne

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Title: The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 439
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Chaucer society by N. Trübner & co.,; 1868-[1869]

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8235.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8235.0001.001/467:10

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DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

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Full citation: "The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) 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/agz8235.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 2, 2025.

The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

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