Geoffrey Chaucer

“ For though thou were the devel Sathanas,
My trouthe wol I holde to my brother,
As I am sworn, and ech of us til other (230)
For to be trewe brother in this cas;
And bothe we goon abouten our purchas. 1530
Tak thou thy part, what that men wol thee yive,
And I shal myn; thus may we bothe live.
And if that any of us have more than other,
Lat him be trewe, and parte it with his brother.'
'I graunte,' quod the devel, 'by my fey.' 1535
And with that word they ryden forth hir wey. ”

“ In companye we wol have no debaat.
Telleth your tale, and lat the Somnour be.'
'Nay,' quod the Somnour, 'lat him seye to me 1290
What so him list; whan it comth to my lot,
By god, I shal him quyten every grot.
I shal him tellen which a greet honour (29)
It is to be a flateringe limitour ”

“ Tanswere to the court of certeyn thinges.'
'Now, lord,' quod she, 'Crist Iesu, king of kinges, 1590
So wisly helpe me, as I ne may.
I have been syk, and that ful many a day.
I may nat go so fer,' quod she, 'ne ryde,
But I be deed, so priketh it in my syde.
May I nat axe a libel, sir Somnour, 1595
And answere there, by my procutour,
To swich thing as men wol opposen me?'
'Yis,' quod this Somnour, 'pay anon, lat se, (300)
Twelf pens to me, and I wol thee acquyte. ”

“ Ye han seyd muchel thing right wel, I seye;
But dame, here as we ryden by the weye, (10)
Us nedeth nat to speken but of game, 1275
And lete auctoritees, on goddes name,
To preching and to scole eek of clergye.
But if it lyke to this companye,
I wol yow of a somnour telle a game.
Pardee, ye may wel knowe by the name, 1280
That of a somnour may no good be sayd;
I praye that noon of you be yvel apayd.
A somnour is a renner up and doun
With mandements for fornicacioun, (20)
And is y-bet at every tounes ende.' 1285
Our host tho spak, 'a! ”

“ Seye that he was a somnour, for the name.
'Depardieux,' quod this yeman, 'dere brother, 1395
Thou art a bailly, and I am another.
I am unknowen as in this contree;
Of thyn aqueyntance I wolde praye thee, (100)
And eek of brotherhede, if that yow leste.
I have gold and silver in my cheste ”

“ Where thou shalt knowen of our privetee
More than a maister of divinitee:' (340)
And with that word this foule feend him hente;
Body and soule, he with the devel wente 1640
Wher-as that somnours han hir heritage. ”

“ And he wolde fecche a feyned mandement, 1360
And somne hem to the chapitre bothe two,
And pile the man, and lete the wenche go.
Thanne wolde he seye, 'frend, I shal for thy sake
Do stryken hir out of our lettres blake ”