[Timber Loftis]

33 Sir man of lawe, quod he, so have ye blis,
Sir Lawyer, said he, as you have hope of bliss,
34 Telle us a tale anon, as forward is.
Tell us a tale, as our agreement is;
35 Ye been submytted thurgh youre free assent
You have submitted, by your free assent,
36 To stonden in this cas at my juggement.
To stand, in this case, to my sole judgment;
37 Acquiteth yow as now of youre biheeste,
Acquit yourself, keep promise with the rest,
38 Thanne have ye do youre devoir atte leeste.
And you'll have done your duty, at the least.
39 Hooste, quod he, Depardieux ich assente,
Mine host, said he, by the gods, I consent;
40 To breke forward is nat myn entente.
To break a promise is not my intent.
41 Biheste is dette, and I wole holde fayn
A promise is a debt, and by my fay
42 Al my biheste, I kan no bettre sayn.
I keep all mine; I can no better say.
43 For swich lawe as a man yeveth another wight,
For such law as man gives to other wight,
44 He sholde hymselven usen it by right;
He should himself submit to it, by right;
45 Thus wole oure text, but nathelees certeyn
Thus says our text; nevertheless, 'tis true
46 I kan right now no thrifty tale seyn;
I can relate no useful tale to you,
47 But Chaucer, thogh he kan but lewedly
But Chaucer, though he speaks but vulgarly
48 On metres and on rymyng craftily,
In metre and in rhyming dextrously,
49 Hath seyd hem in swich Englissh as he kan,
Has told them in such English as he can,
50 Of olde tyme, as knoweth many a man.
In former years, as knows full many a man.
51 And if he have noght seyd hem, leve brother,
For if he has not told them, my dear brother,
52 In o book, he hath seyd hem in another.
In one book, why he's done so in another.
53 For he hath toold of loveris up and doun
For he has told of lovers, up and down,
54 Mo than Ovide made of mencioun,
More than old Ovid mentions, of renown,
55 In hise Episteles that been ful olde;
In his Epistles, that are now so old.
56 What sholde I tellen hem, syn they ben tolde?
Why should I then re-tell what has been told?