How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Line). We used the line numbering found on Librarius's online edition.
Quote #13
To muchel folk we doon illusioun,
And borwe gold, be it a pound or two,
Or ten, or twelve, or many sommes mo,
And make hem wenen, at the leeste weye,
That of a pound we koude make tweye.
(Canon's Yeoman's Prologue 120 – 124)
The Canon's Yeoman's description of how he and his colleagues deceive people into thinking they can multiply their gold foreshadows the events that occur in his tale. We have to wonder why the Canon's Yeoman is being so honest; why confess to being a thief and a liar? His honesty certainly gets him in trouble with his master, who leaves the company rather than be exposed as a fraud in front of them.