Than that it rotte al the remenaunt
So fareth it by a riotous seruaunt
It is ful lasse harm to lete hym pace
Than he shende alle the seruantz in the place
From Bo2 Euen as a scabbed schepe in þe folde
From Bo2 Alle a flocke wolle defyle both yonge and olde
From Bo2 Ryght euen so a febel seruaunt may
From Bo2 Distruye fourty of his felaws in a day
Therfore his maister gaf hym acquitaunce
And bad hym go with sorw and with meschaunce
From Bo2 Better ys betyme to voyde suche a clerke
From Bo2 The lenger he abydeth þe wors is his werke
From Bo2 He þat his Maister no profite wolle wynne
From Bo2 Y holde hym better out of þe hous þan with ynne
And thus this ioly prentys hadde his leeue
Now lat hym riote al the nyght or leeue
And for ther nys no theef withoute a lowke
That helpeth hym to wasten and to sowke
Of that he brybe kan or borwe may
Anon he sente his bed and his array
Vnto a compeer of his owene sort
That loued dees and reuel and disport
And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenaunce
A shoppe and swyued for hir sustenaunce
From Bo2 What thorowe hym selfe and his felawe that sought
From Bo2 Vnto a myschefe bothe þey were broght
From Bo2 The tone y dampned to presoun perpetually
From Bo2 The tother to deth for he couthe not of clergye
From Bo2 And therfore yonge men lerne while ye may
From Bo2 That with mony dyuers thoghtes beth prycked al þe day
From Bo2 Remembre you what myschefe cometh of mysgouernaunce
From Bo2 Thus mowe ye lerne worschep and come to substaunce
From Bo2 Thenke how grace and governaunce hath broght hem a boune
From Bo2 Many pore mannys sonne chese state of þe towne
From Bo2 Euer rewle the after þe beste man of name
From Bo2 And god may grace þe to come to þe same
¶ Here endith the Cokys tale
From Dl¶ Explicit the cokis tale
Incipit Fabula
And thus with hordam and briberie
Togeder thei vsed tyl hanged hye
For who so euel byeth shal make a sory sale
And thus I make an ende of my tale
But herof I wolle passe as now
And of ȝong Gamelyn I wil telle ȝow
¶ Here endeth the prologe of the Coke
Fye þer one it is so foule I wil nowe tell no forþere
For schame of the harlotrie þat seweþ after
A velany it were þare of more to spell
Bot of a knyhte and his sounes My tale I wil forþe tell
Here be gynnytht the Cokys tale ⁊c
¶ Incipit Fabula de Gemelyn
NOw lithe and lystenyth so god geue you goode fyne
And ye schulle here gode game of yonge Gamelyn