T

he Cook of londoun whil þe Reeue spak

For Ioye he bought/he clawed him on pe bak
ha ha quod he/ for cristes passioun

This meller hap a scharp conclusioun /
vpon his argument of herburgage
wel seyde Salomon in his langage /

Ne bryng' nat' euery man in to þyn hous
For herburgage by night is perilous
wel aught a man avised for to be
whom þat he brought in to his pryuyte
I pray to god so gyf' my body care /
3if euer sippe I highte hogge of ware
herd I better myller set a werke /

he hadde a Iape of malice in pe derke /

[leaf 58]

4328

4332

4336

And many a lakk' of douer hastow sold
That hap be twyes hoot' and twyes cold
Of many a pilgrym hastow cristes curs
For by persly pey faren zet pe wors
That they haue eten wip pe stubbil goos
For in by schoppe is many a flye loos
Now goode/gentil Roger by þy name /

4348

4352

But it I pray þe be nought wrop for game

4360

Be thou nat' wrop or we departe her
Though pat my tale be of an hostyler
But' napeles I wol not telle it' 3it/
But' or we departe it' schal be quyt/
And per wip al he lowħ / and made chere
And seyde his tale as 3e schal after heere
[No break in the MS.]

4364

4368

A

Prentys dwelled whilom in oure Citee,
Of a craft of vitaillers was he

Gaylard he was as goldfynch in pe schawe /
Broun as a bery and a propre felawe

wip lokkes blak' and kempt' ful fetously
Dauncen he cowde wel and prately
That' he was cleped Perkyn reuellour
he was ful of loue and paramour
As is pe hony combe of hony swete

wel were pe wenche þat mighte him meete [leaf 58, back]

4372

Or whan þer eny rydyng' was in cheepe /

Reuel and troupe as in a lowe degre

They ben ful wrop al day as 3e may see
This Ioly Prentys with his mayster bood

Til he was oute ney3 of his prentys hood
Al were he snybbyd bope erly and late

4400

And som tyme lad with reuel in to Newgate
But' atte laste his mayster him bythought'

[Lines 4413, 4414 form the last line of the page in the MS.]

APPENDIX TO GROUP A.

[THE SPURIOUS TALE OF GAMELYN.]

L

Itheth and lestnep and herknep aright [leaf 50]
And 3e schul heere a talkyng of a doughty knight
Sire Iohn of Boundys was his right' name

he cowde of/ norture ynough & mochil of game 4

Thre sones pe knight' pat' with his body he wan The eldest was a moche schrewe / and sone he bygan his breperen loued wel here fader / and of him were agast / The eldest deserued his fadres curs / and had it at þe last' / 8 The goode knizt his fader lyuede so 3ore

That' deth was comen him to and handled him ful sore

The goode knight' cared sore. sik' per he lay

how his children scholde lyuen after his day

12

he hadde ben wyde wher. but' non housbond he was

Al þe lond þat he had / it' was verrey purchas
Fayn he wold it were dressed / amonges hem alle
That' ech of hem had his part / as it might falle /
Tho sent he in to cuntre after wise knightes
To helpe delen his londes / and dressen hem to rightes
he sent hem word by lettres / þey schulden hye blyue
yf þey wolde speke with him whil he was on lyue /

16

CANT. TALES.-HARL.

K

20