wot not what thow menest gan he say,
Ley downe sylvar, or here thow may not spede.

In all Westminstar hall I could find nevar a one,
That for me would do, thowghe I shuld dye;
Without the dores were Flemings grete woon;
Upon me fast they gan to cry,
And sayd, Mastar, what will ye cepen or by?
Fine felt hatts, spectacles for to rede;
Of this gay gere a great cawse why,
For lake of money I might not spede.

Then to Westminster gate y went,
When the sone was at highe prime;
Cokes to me, they toke good entent,
Called me nere, for to dyne,
And proferyd me good brede, ale, and wyne;
A fayre clothe they began to sprede,
Rybbes of beffe bothe fat and fine;
But for lacke of money I might not spede.

In to London I gan me hy;
Of all the lond it bearethe the prise,
Hot pescods, one gan cry,
Strabery rype, and chery in the ryse;
One bad me come nere and by some spice,
Pepar, and saffron, they gan me bede,
Clove, grayns, and flowre of rise;
For lacke of money I might not spede.

Then into Chepe I gan me drawne,
Where I sawe stond moche people;
One bad me come nere, and by fine cloth of lawne,
Paris thred coton and umple;
I seyd there upon I could no skyle,
I am not wont there to in dede,
One bad me by an hewre my hed to hele;
For lake of money I might not spede.

Then went I forth by London stone,
Thrught out all Canywike strete;
Drapors to me they called anone,
Grete chepe of clothe they gan me hete;
Then come ther one, and cried hot shepes fete;
Risshes faire and grene, anothar began to grede,
Bothe melwell and makarell I gran mete;
But for lacke of money I myght not spede.

Then I hied me into Est Chepe;
One cries ribes of befe, and many a pie;
Pewtar potts they clatteryd or a heape;
Ther was harpe, pipe, and sawtry;
Ye by cokke, nay by cokke, some began to cry;
Some sang of Jenken and Julian, to get themselves mede;
Ful fayne I wold hadd of that mynstralsie,
But for lacke of money I cowld not spede.

Into Cornhill anon I yede,
Where is moche stolne gere amonge;
I saw wher henge myne owne hode,
That I had lost in Westminstar amonge the throng;
Then I beheld it with lokes full longe,
I kenned it as well as I dyd my crede,
To be myne owne hode agayne; me thought it wrong,
But for lacke of money I might not spede.

Then came the Taverner, and toke me by the sleve,
And seyd Ser, a pint of wyn would yow assay?
Syr, qwod I, it may not greve,
For a peny may do no more then it may:
I dranke a pint, and t