His maister / shal it in his shoppe abyeAl haue he / no part of the MinstralcyeFor thefte and riot / they been conủertibleAl konne he pleye / on Giterne / or RubibleReuel and trouthe / as in a lowe degreeThey been ful wrothe al day / as men may see¶ This ioly Prentys / with his Maister boodTil he were neigh / out of his p̉rentishoodAl were he snybbed / bothe erly and lateAnd som tyme / lad with reuel to NewgateBut atte laste / his maister hym bithoghteVp on a day / whan he his papir soghteOf a ꝓprouerbe / that seith this same wordWel bet is roten appul / out of hoordThan þᵗat it rotte / al the remenauntSo fareth it / by a riotous seruauntIt is ful lasse harm / to lete hym paceThan he shende / alle the seruantz in the placeTher fore / his maister gaf hym acquitaunceAnd bad hym go / with sorw / and wᵗith meschaunceAnd thus this ioly p̉rentys / hadde his leeueNow lat hym riote / al the nyght or leeueAnd for ther nys no theef / with oute a lowkeThat helpeth hym / to wasten and to sowkeOf that he brybe kan / or borwe mayAnon / he sente his bed / and his arrayVn to a compeer / of his owene sortThat loued dees / and reuel / and disportAnd hadde a wyf / that heeld for contenaunceA shoppe / and swyued for hir sustenaunce
Of this Cokes tale
maked Chaucer na
moore