The Tale of the Man of Lawe

The Introduction

OUR HOSTE SEY WEL that the brighte sonne

Th‘ark of his artificial day had ronne

The fourthe part, and half an houre, and more;

And though he were not depe expert in lore,

He wiste it was the eightetethe day

Of April, that is messager to May;

And sey wel that the shadwe of every tree

Was as in lengthe the same quantitee

That was the body erect that caused it.

And therfor by the shadwe he took his wit

That Phebus, which that shoon so clere and brighte,

Degrees was fyve and fourty clombe on highte;

And for that day, as in that latitude,

It was ten of the clokke, he gan conclude,

And sodeynly he plighte his hors aboute.

“Lordinges,” quod he, “I warne yow, al this route,

The fourthe party of this day is goon;

Now, for the love of god and of seint John,

Leseth no tyme, as ferforth as ye may;

Lordinges, the tyme wasteth night and day,

And steleth from us, what prively slepinge,

And what thurgh neeligence in our wakinge,

As dooth the streem, that turneth never agayn,

Descending fro the montaigne in-to playn.

Wel can Senek, and many a philosophre

Biwailen tyme, more than gold in cofre.

‘For los of catel may recovered be,

But los of tyme shendeth us,’ quod he.

It wol nat come agayn, with-outen drede,

Na more than wol Malkins maydenhede,

Whan she hath lost it in hir wantownesse;

Lat us nat moulen thus in ydelnesse.

Sir man of lawe,” quod he, so hae ye blis,

Tel us a tale anon, as forward is;

Ye been submitted thurgh your free assent