| | It forto do and aftir it we grope | |
| | And this science is so fer vs beforn | |
| | We mowe it not lerne though we hadde it sworn | |
| | To ouer take it . it slit awey so faste | |
| 130 | It wol vs make beggars atte laste | |
| | Whyle this yeman was thus in his talkynge | |
| | This chanon drew hym nere & herde al thing | |
| | Whiche this yeman spak for suspecion | |
| | Of mennys speche euer had this chanon | |
| 135 | For Caton saith he that gilty is | |
| | Demyth al thing to be spoke of hym ywis | |
| | That was the cause he gan so nygh drawe | |
| | To this yeman to herkyn al his sawe | |
| | And thus he sayde to his yoman tho | |
| 140 | Hold thou thy pees and speke wordis nomo | |
| | For yf thou do thow shalt it dere abye | |
| | Thou sklaundrist me here in this companye | |
| | And eke discuuerist that thou sholdest hyde | |
| | Ye quod our ost tel on what so betyde | |
| 145 | Of al his thretyng recke thou not a myte | |
| | In feith quod he nomore I do but a lyte | |
| | And when this chanon saw it wold nat be | |
| | But that his yeman wolde telle his priuyte | |
| | He fledde a wey for verry sorou and shame | |
| 150 | A ha quod the yeman here shal ryse a game | |
| | For it is ernest to me be my feith | |
| | That fele y well what that ony man saith | |
| | And yet for al my smert and al my greef | |
| 160 | For al my sorou labour and myschyef | |
