From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Friar's Tale, lines 37-67

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Friar's Tale
lines 37-67: About a treacherous summoner

	Whilom ther was dwellynge in my contree
	And erchedeken, a man of heigh degree,
	That boldely dide execucioun
40	In punysshynge of fornicacioun,
	Of wicchecraft, and eek of bawderye,
	Of diffamacioun, and avowtrye,
	Of chirche reves, and of testamentz,
	Of contractes and of lakke of sacramentz,
45	Of usure, and of symonye also.
	But certes, lecchours dide he grettest wo;
	They sholde syngen if that they were hent;
	And smale tytheres weren foule yshent,
	If any persoun wolde upon hem pleyne.
50	Ther myghte asterte hym no pecunyal peyne.
	For smale tithes and for smal offrynge
	He made the peple pitously to synge.
	For er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook,
	They weren in the erchedeknes book.
55	Thanne hadde he, thurgh his jurisdiccioun,
	Power to doon on hem correccioun.
	He hadde a somonour redy to his hond;
	A slyer boye nas noon in Engelond;
	For subtilly he hadde his espiaille,
60	That taughte hym wel wher that hym myghte availle.
	He koude spare of lecchours oon or two,
	To techen hym to foure and twenty mo.
	For thogh this somonour wood were as an hare,
	To telle his harlotrye I wol nat spare;
65	For we been out of his correccioun.
	They han of us no jurisdiccioun,
	Ne nevere shullen, terme of alle hir lyves.

	Once on a time there dwelt in my country
	An archdeacon, a man of high degree,
	Who boldly executed the Church's frown
40	In punishment of fornication known,
	And of witchcraft and of all known bawdry,
	And defamation and adultery
	Of church-wardens, and of fake testaments
	And contracts, and the lack of sacraments,
45	And usury and simony also.
	But unto lechers gave he greatest woe;
	They should lament if they were apprehended;
	And payers of short tithes to shame descended.
	If anyone informed of such, 'twas plain
50	He'd not escape pecuniary pain.
	For all short tithes and for small offering
	He made folk pitifully to howl and sing.
	For before the bishop caught them with his crook,
	They were already in the archdeacon's book.
55	Then had he, by his competent jurisdiction,
	Power to punish them by such infliction.
	He had a summoner ready to his hand,
	A slyer rogue was not in all England;
	For cunningly he'd espionage to trail
60	And bring reports of all that might avail.
	He could protect of lechers one or two
	To learn of four and twenty more, mark you.
	For though this man were wild as is a hare,
	To tell his evil deeds I will not spare;
65	For we are out of his reach of infliction;
	They have of us no competent jurisdiction,
	Nor ever shall for term of all their lives.