[on leaf 47, back] & bygynneth the prologe of the Reve
WHanne folk han laughen / at þis nyce cas
Of Absolon / and hende Nicholas
Line 3856
Dyuerse folk / diuersly they seyde
But for the more part / they loughe & pleyde
Ne at this tale / I saw no man him greue
But it were oonly / Oswold the Reue
Line 3860
By-cause he was / of Carpenteres craft
A litel Ire / is / in his hert laft
he gan to grocche / and blamed it a lyte
So thike quod he / ful wel coude I the quyte
Line 3864
with bleryng / of a proude Milleres eye
If þat me list / to speke of rybaudye
But ik am old / me list nat pleye for age
Gras tyme is don / my foder is now forage
Line 3868
This white top / wryteth myne olde ȝeres
Myn hert is also / mouled / as myne heeres
But if I fare / as doth an open ars
That ilke fruyt / is euere lengere the wers
Line 3872
Til it be roten / in mullok or in stree
We olde men / I drede / so fare we
Til we be roten / kan we nat be rype
We hope alwey / while þat the world wol pipe
Line 3876
ffor in oure wyl / there steketh euere a nayl
To han an hore heer / and a grene tayl
As hath a leek / for though oure myght be gon
Oure wyl / desireth folye / euere in on
Line 3880
ffor whanne we moun nat don / than wol we speke
Ȝet in our asshen old / ys fire I-reke
ffoure gledes han we / which I shal deuyse
Auauntyng / lying / Angyr / Coueytise [¶ Nota bene]
Line 3884
Theise foure sparcles / longen vn-to elde
Our olde lymes / moun wel ben vn-welde
