| | His tipet was I fossid ful of knyuys | |
| | And with pynnys to yeue faire wyuys | |
| 235 | And certeyn he hadde amery note | |
| | Merily coude he synge and pleye at the rote | |
| | Of tidyngis he baar vtterly the pryce | |
| | Milk whit he was as the flour delyce | |
| | Therto strong he was as a champioun | |
| 240 | And knew the tauernys wel in euery toun | |
| | And euery osteler and tapstere | |
| | Better than a lazer or a beggestere | |
| | Forto vnto suche a man as he | |
| | Accordith not as by his faculte | |
| 245 | To haue of suche sike lazers acqueyntaunce | |
| | It is not honest it may not a vaunce | |
| | Forto dele with suche poraille | |
| | But with riche and sellers of vitaille | |
| | And ouer al there as richesse sholde aryse | |
| 250 | Curteis he was and lowly of seruise | |
| | Ther was no man nowhere so vertuous | |
| | He was the beste beggere in his hous | |
| 255 | For though a wydowe hadde not a shoo | |
| | So plesaunt was his in principio | |
| | Yet wolde he haue a ferthing or he went | |
| | His purchace was bettir than his rent | |
| | And barke he couthe as it were a whelpe | |
| 260 | In louedayes there coude he mykyl help | |
| | For there he nas lik a cloisterer | |
| | With a threedbare cope as a poure frere | |
| | But he was like a maister or a pope | |
