THE TALE（第18页）

iholdhimin*amannerphrenesy."**asortoffrenzy*

"madame，"quothhe，"bygod，ishallnotlie，

butiinotherwisemaybeawreke，**revenged

ishalldefamehim*ovrallthere*ispeak;*wherever

thisfalseblaspheur，thatchargedme

topartethatwillnotdepartedbe，

toeverymanalike，withmischance."

thelordsatstill，ashewereinatrance，

andinhisheartherolledupanddown，

"howhadthischurlimaginatioun

toshewesuchaproblemtothefrere.

nevererenowheardiofsuchmattere;

itrow*thedevilputitinhismind.*believe

inallarsmetrik*shalltherenomanfind，*arithmeti

beforethisday，ofsuchaquestion.

whoshouldemakeadenstration，

thateverymanshouldhavealikehispart

asofthesoundandsavourofafart?

onice*proudechurl，ishrew**hisface.*foolish**curse

lo，sires，"quoththelord，"withhardegrace，

whoeverheardofsuchathingerenow?

toeverymanalike?tellmehow.

itisimpossible，itmaynotbe.

heynice*churl，godlethimneverthe.***foolish**thrive

therumblingofafart，andeverysoun，

isbutofairreverberatioun，

andeverwastethlite*andlite*away;*little

thereisnomancandeemen，*bymyfay，*judge，decide

ifthatitweredeparted*equally.*divided

what?lo，mychurl，loyethowshrewedly**impiously，wickedly

untomyconfessourto-dayhespake;