| 4365 | A prentys whilom dwelled in oure citee, |
| And of a craft of vitailliers was hee. |
| Gaillard he was as goldfynch in the shawe, |
| Broun as a berye, a propre short felawe, |
| With lokkes blake, ykembd ful fetisly. |
| 4370 | Dauncen he koude so wel and jolily |
| That he was cleped Perkyn Revelour. |
| He was as ful of love and paramour |
| As is the hyve ful of hony sweete; |
| Wel was the wenche with hym myghte meete. |
| 4375 | At every bridale wolde he synge and hoppe; |
| He loved bet the taverne than the shoppe. |
| For whan ther any ridyng was in Chepe, |
| Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe -- |
| Til that he hadde al the sighte yseyn, |
| 4380 | And daunced wel, he wolde nat come ayeyn -- |
| And gadered hym a meynee of his sort |
| To hoppe and synge and maken swich disport; |
| And ther they setten stevene for to meete, |
| To pleyen at the dys in swich a streete. |
| 4385 | For in the toune nas ther no prentys |
| That fairer koude caste a paire of dys |
| Than Perkyn koude, and therto he was free |
| Of his dispense, in place of pryvetee. |
| That fond his maister wel in his chaffare, |
| 4390 | For often tyme he foond his box ful bare. |
| For sikerly a prentys revelour |
| That haunteth dys, riot, or paramour, |
| His maister shal it in his shoppe abye, |
| Al have he no part of the mynstralcye. |
| 4395 | For thefte and riot, they been convertible, |
| Al konne he pleye on gyterne or ribible. |
| Revel and trouthe, as in a lowe degree, |
| They been ful wrothe al day, as men may see. |
| This joly prentys with his maister bood, |
| 4400 | Til he were ny out of his prentishood, |
| Al were he snybbed bothe erly and late, |
| And somtyme lad with revel to Newegate. |
| But atte laste his maister hym bithoghte, |
| Upon a day, whan he his papir soghte, |
| 4405 | Of a proverbe that seith this same word: |
| "Wel bet is roten appul out of hoord |
| Than that it rotie al the remenaunt." |
| So fareth it by a riotous servaunt; |
| It is ful lasse harm to lete hym pace, |
| 4410 | Than he shende alle the servantz in the place. |
| Therfore his maister yaf hym acquitance, |
| And bad hym go, with sorwe and with meschance! |
| And thus this joly prentys hadde his leve. |
| Now lat hym riote al the nyght or leve. |
| 4415 | And for ther is 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 |
| Unto a compeer of his owene sort, |
| 4420 | That lovede dys, and revel, and disport, |
| And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenance |
| A shoppe, and swyved for hir sustenance. |