• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

sche was , discreet debonayre And cōpaynable bar hire self so fayre Syn thilke day that sche was seue ȝeer old That trewely sche hath the herte in hold Of Chaūtecleer lokyn in euery lith He louede hȳ so that

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

euerydel His sweuene , bad hȳ , for to keepe hȳ weel Frō tresoun but he was but seuene ȝeer old And therfore lytil taale hath he told Of any drem so holy was his herte By god I hadde

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

here thre ouris He was perde an old felawe of ouris And sodeynly he was I slayn to nyght For dronke as he sat on his bench vp ryȝt There cam a priue thef men clepyn deth That in this

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

a nyght But it were for an old apollyd wyght As been these weddede men that lye dare As in a forme sit a very hare Were al for strauȝt with hoūdys greet smale But dere nece why be ȝe

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

And venus fallyth where Mercurye is reysed Therfore no woman of no klerk is preysed The clerk whā he is old may not do Of venë werkys worth hyse olde scho Thāne sit he doū wryt in hise dotage That

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

but al his contre merye Was for þis child and god þay þank and herie Whan it was tuo ȝer old and fro þe brest Departed fro his noris vpon a day This markys caughte ȝit another lest To tempt

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

soþ is sayd algate I fynd it trewe , For in effect it proued is on me Loue is nought old . as whan þat it is newe , But certes lord for noon aduersite , To deyen in þe

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

þer þay wol abyde And þis was as þese bookes me remembre The colde frosty seisoū of Decembre Phebus wax old and hewed lyk latoū That in his hoote declinaciou~ Schon as þe burned gold with stremes bright But now

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

bifel þat oones on a day This sompnour euer wayting on his pray Rod for to sompne a widew and old ribibe Feynyng a cause for he wolde bribe It happed þat he say bifore him ryde A gay ȝeman

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

som what out of toune This sompnour to his broþir gan to roune Brothir quod he . her wonyth an old rebekke That had almost . as lief to leese hir necke , As for to ȝiue a peny of

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

þou owest me of old Whan þat þou madest þin housbond cokewold I payd at hom for þi correccioun Thou lixt quod sche by my sauaciou~ Ne was I neuer er now wydow ne wyf Somound vnto ȝour court in

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

lord was keper of þe selle The Reule of seynt maure or of Seint Beneyt By cause þat it was old and somdel streyt This ilke monk leet forby hem pace And helde aftur þe newe world þe space He

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

wynne Here frendschipe nas not newe to begynne Wel knew he þe olde Esculapius And deiscorides . and eeke Rufus Old ypocras . haly and Galien Serapyon . Razis and Anycen Auerrois damascen and Constantyn Bernad and Gatisdeū and Gilbertyn

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

I þe quyte With bleryng of a prowd mylleres ye If þat me luste speke of Ribaudye But yk am old me list not pley for age Gras tyme is doon my foddir is now forage My whyte top writeþ

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

wol we speke , ȝet in oure aisshen old is fyr I reke , Foure gledys haue we which I schal deuyse Auauntyng lyyng , angur coueytise This foure sparkys longen vnto eelde , Oure olde lymes mowen be vnweelde

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

dominaciou~ Vpon þis man by my sauacioun I trow he lewedly tel wol his tale For were it wyn or old moysty ale þat he haþ dronk . he spekiþ in his nose , And fnesith fast . and eek

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

soth as god is king To take a wyf . is a glorious þing And namely whan a man is old and hoor Than is a wyf þe fruyt of his tresor Than schuld he take a ȝong wif and

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

men may warm wax with hondes plye Wher for I say ȝow plenerly in a clause I wil noon old wyf han right for þat cause For if so were I hadde so meschaunce þat I in hir couþe haue

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

chees Nought for no coueytise douteles But oonly for þe loue I had to þe And þough þat I be old and may not se Beeth trewe to me and I wol telle ȝow why Thre þinges certes schul ȝe

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

ȝour bodies ȝit to night Ne se ȝe not þis honurable knight By cause allas þat he is blynd and old His owne man schal make him cokewold Loo wher he sitt . þe lecchour in þe tre Now wol