| | His purchace mighte not be to hym suspect | |
| | No where so besy aman as he ther was | |
| | And yet he semyd besier than he was | |
| 325 | In teermes hadde he caas & domes alle | |
| | That fro the tyme of kyng william were falle | |
| | Therto he coude endite and make a thing | |
| | Ther coude no wight pynche at his writing | |
| | And euery statut coude he pleyn be rote | |
| 330 | He rood but homely in a medle cote | |
| | I girt with a seynt of silk with barris smale | |
| | Of his aray telle I no lenger tale | |
| | A | Frankeleyn was in his companye | |
| | White was his berd as the deysie | |
| 335 | And of his complexion was sanguyn | |
| | Wel loued he be the morow a cup wyn | |
| | To lyue in delite was euer his wone | |
| | For he was Epicuriees owen sone | |
| | That held oppinion that pleyn delite | |
| 340 | Was verray felicite parfite | |
| | An housholder and that a gret was he | |
| | Saynt Iulian he was in his contre | |
| | His breed his ale was alwey aftir one | |
| | A bettir vyned man was nowher none | |
| 345 | Withoute bake mete was he neuer in his hous | |
| | His fissh his flessh and that so plentuous | |
| | It shewde in his hous of mete and drynke | |
| | Of alle deyntees that men couthe thynke | |
| | Aftir the sundry seson of the yeer | |
| 350 | So chaunged he his mete and his soper | |
