[67] Mendicant friar.
+ _Of the gentylman that asked the frere for his beuer._ xxxvi.
+ _In the terme_ tyme a good old gentylman, beyng a lawyer, cam to
Lon_don to the_ terme; and as he cam he hapenyd to ouertake a frere,
which _was an un_thrift and went alone wythout hys beuer: wherfore this
_gentylman asked_ thys frere, where was hys beuer that shold kepe hym
compa_ny, and sayd it was_ contrary to his relygyon to go alone, and it
wolde cause people to suppose hym to be som apostata or som vnthryft. By
God, syr, quod the _frere! my beuer_ commaundeth hym unto your
master-shyp. Why, quod the gentylman, I knowe hym not. Than (quod the
frere to the gentylman), ye are the more fole to aske for hym.
By thys tale ye may se, that he that geueth counsell to any vnthryft,
and _tech_eth hym hys dutye, shall haue oftymes but a mock for his
labour.
+ _Of the thre men that chose the woman._ xxxvii.
+ Thre gentylmen cam into an Inne, where a fayre woman was tapster:
wherfore, as these thre satte there makynge mery, eche of them kyssed
her, and made good pastyme and plesure. Howbeit one spake merley[68]
and sayde: I can not se how this gentylwoman is able to make pastyme and
pleasure to vs all thre excepte that she were departed in thre partes.
By my trouthe, quod one of them, yf that she myght be departed, than I
wolde chuse for my parte her hed and her fayre face, that I myghte alway
kysse her. Than quod the seconde: I wolde haue the breste and harte: for
there lyeth her loue. Than quod the thyrd: then ther is nothyng left for
me but the loynys, buttockes and legges; I am contente to haue it for my
parte. And whan these gentylmen had passed the tyme there by the space
of one hour or ii, they toke theyr leue and were goynge awaye; but, or
the went, the thyrd man whych had chosen the bely and the buttockys did
kys the tapyster and bad her farewell. What! quod the fyrste man that
had chosen the face and the mouth, why dost thou so? thou dost me wronge
to kysse my parte that I haue chosen of her. O! quod the other, I pray
the be nat angry: for I am contente that thou shal kys my parte for it.