| | His lord he coude please discretly | |
| | To yeue ayen to hym of his owen good | |
| | And haue thank & yet acote and an hood | |
| 615 | In yongthe he hadde lerned a good mystere | |
| | He was a wel good wright a Carpentere | |
| | This reue sat vpon a wel good stot | |
| | That was al pomel gray and highte scot | |
| | A long surcote of Perce vp on hym he hadde | |
| 620 | And by his syde he baar a rusty bladde | |
| | Of Norfolk was this reue of whiche I telle | |
| | Be syde a toun men calle Baldiswelle | |
| | Tuckyd he was as is a frere aboute | |
| | And euer he rood the hynderest of the rowte | |
| | A | Sompnour with vs was in that place | |
| | That hadde a reed cherubyn face | |
| | For sawsfleme he was with yen narow | |
| | Hoot he was and likerous as a sparow | |
| | With blake browes skallid and pilled berd | |
| 630 | Of his visage children were a ferd | |
| | Ther nas quyksiluer litarge ne bremstone | |
| | Borace ceruse ne oyle of tartre none | |
| | Ne oynement that ichith or byte | |
| | That mighte helpe of his welkis white | |
| 635 | Ne of his knobbis sittynge in his chekys | |
| | Well loued he oynous garleek and lekys | |
| | And forto drynke reed wyne as red as blood | |
| | Than wolde he speke & crye as he wer wood | |
| | And whan he hadde wel dronke the wyn | |
| | Than wolde he speke no word but latyn | |
