Ansuare him wel hendeliche, And spek wiþ him wel sueteliche, And seie þert icome fra{ m} ferre{ n} lo{ n}de, For to seche { and} for to fonde, 336
[Sidenote: and induce the porter to play at draughts.]
[_No gap in MS._] Wel sone he wyl com þe nere, And wyl byd þe play at þe chekere. When þ{ o}u art at cheker brouȝt, W{ i}t{ h}out seluer [be] þ{ o}u nouȝt; 672 Þou shalt haue redy w{ i}t{ h} the XX. Marke beside þy knee;
If mi lif so longe ilast, To makie atur aft{ er} þis cast, In þine londe ate frume Wha{ n}ne þu ert hom icume. 340 Whane he þe hireþ speke so he{ n}deliche, And ansuerie so sueteliche, Þe{ n}ne he wule come þe nier, And bidde þe pleie at þe escheker. 344 Whane þescheker is forþ ibroȝt Biþute panes ne plei þu noȝt. Þu most habbe redi mitte Twenti Marc ine þi slitte. 348
Ȝif~ þou wynne ouȝt of~ his, Þow tel þ{ er}of~ lytel prys; 676 And yf~ he wynne ouȝt of~ þyn~, loke þow leue it with hym~; So þ{ o}u shalt, al w{ i}t{ h} gynne, Þe porters loue forsoth wynne, 680 Þ{ a}t he þe help on þis day: But he þe help{ e}, no man may.
Þeȝ þu biwi{ n}ne oȝt of his, Hold hit of wel litel pris. If he biwi{ n}neþ oȝt of þe, Ȝif hi{ m} of þine suche þre. 352 Muche he wule þonki þe And of þe suþe iwu{ n}dred beo, For he is suþe couet{ us}, And at þescheker enuius. 356
[Sidenote: Manage him so as to secure an invitation for the morrow.]
[Sidenote: [106 _b_]] Wel ȝerne he wyl þe bydde and p{ ra}y Com{ e} anoþer day to playe: 684 Þ{ o}u shalt seye þ{ o}u wylt soo; Þ{ o}u shalt take w{ i}t{ h} þe suche twoo;
Ȝerne he wile þe bidde { and} p{ re}ie Þ{ a}t þu come amoreȝe { and} pleie. G{ ra}nte hi{ m} þ{ a}t þu wilt so, And tak mid amoreȝe suche two. 360
[_No gap in MS._] Þe þrydde day take an hundred pound~,
And wel þi nedes for to do Þ{ a}t þridde day þu wend hi{ m} to, And ber wiþ þe forti pund,
[Sidenote: Show him your cup, and he will be greedy for it.]
And þy Coupe hool and sound~: 688 Ȝeue him markes & pound{ es} of þy male; Of~ þy tresour tel þ{ o}u no tale; Wel ȝerne he wyl þe bydde and p{ ra}y To lay þy Coupe, and to play. 692 Þ{ o}u shalt answere alþ{ er}first, Lenger to play þe ne lyst. Ful muche he wylle for þe Coupe bede, Ȝif~ he myȝt þe better spede; 696
And þine cupe hol { and} sund. 364 Wha{ n}ne þu lest lest him þe cupe iseo, Wel angussus he wile beo. He wile beo wel coveitus, And hire to bigge suþe fus. 368 Muchel he þe wule beode If him miȝte þe bet{ er}e spede. Ihc wot he wille þilke day Hon{ ur}e þe so muche so he may. 372