Volume 1
The poetical works of Geoffrey Chaucer / with a memoir by Sir Harris Nicolas.
- Geoffrey Chaucer
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The poetical works of Geoffrey Chaucer / with a memoir by Sir Harris Nicolas. Source: Wellcome Collection.
272/392 page 260
![Wherwith men mighten holy /muses make, lo Tlier as divine scrvys is honoured, Nought ther as it is wasted and devoured; Neither it needeth not for to be jdve, As to possessioneres, that mow lyve, Thanked be God, in wele and abundaunce. ‘ Trentals,’ sayd he, ‘ delyvereth fro penaunce Her frendes soules, as wel eld. as yonge. Ye, whanne that thay hastily ben songe. Nought for to hold a prest jolif and gay. He S5mgith not but oon masse in a day. 2) Delyverith out anon,’ quod he, ‘ the soules. Fill hard it is, with fleischhok or with oules To ben y-claAved, or brend, or i-bakc ; Now speed yow hastily for Cristes sake.’ And whan this frere hadc/e sayd al his entente. With qui cum qiatre, forth his way he wentc. Whan folk in chirch had yive him what hem Icste, He went hfs way, no longer wold he reste. With scrip and pyked staf, y-touked hye; In every hous he gan to pore and prye, so And beggyde mele or chese, or ellis corn. His felaw had a staf typped with horn, A ])ayr of tablis al of yvory. And a poyntel y-polischt fetisly. And wroot the names alway as he stood Of allc folk that yaf him eny good, Ascaunce that he wolde for hem preye. ‘ Yif us a busshel vdict, or malt, or rej'e, A Goddes kichil, or a trip of chese. Or elles what yow list, we may not chose; 40 A Goddes halpeny, or a masse peny; Or yif us of youre brauno, if ye Iiavc eny,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24876033_0001_0272.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
