| | That ye ne rekene nat my vilonye | |
| | Though that I playnly speke in this matere | |
| | To telle you here wordis and hir chere | |
| | And though I speke here wordis propirly | |
| 730 | For this ye knowe as wel as I | |
| | Who shal a tale telle aftir a man | |
| | He moste reherce as nere as he can | |
| | Euery word yf it be in his charge | |
| | Al speke he so rudely and so large | |
| 735 | Or ellis he moste telle his tale vntrewe | |
| | Or seyn thyngis or feyne wordis newe | |
| | He m[] not spare al though he were his brothir | |
| | He moot as wel say o word as anothir | |
| | Crist spak hym self ful brode in holy writ | |
| 740 | And well ye woot no vilany is it | |
| | Eke plato saith who so can it rede | |
| | The word muste be cosyn to the dede | |
| | Also I pray you for yeue it me | |
| | Al though I sette not folk in her degre | |
| 745 | Here in thyse tales as they sholde stonde | |
| | My wit is short ye may wel vnderstonde | |
| | G | Ret chere made our ost to vs euerichon | |
| | And to sopere sette vs anon | |
| | He serued is with vitayll at the beste | |
| 750 | Strong was the wyne & drynke vs liste | |
| | A semely man our host was with alle | |
| | Forto be a marchal in a lordes halle | |
| | A large man he was with yen stepe | |
| | A feyrer burgeys is ther non in chepe | |
