The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 201v
2 of 18 folios
10
Thre laarge sowes had she and no mo
Thre kyn and ek a sheep that hight malle
Ful soty was hir boure and eke hir halle
In which she ete many a sclender mele
Of poynant sauce hir neded neuer a dele
15
No deynte mossel passed thurgh hir throte
Hir diete was accordant to hir cote
Replexions ne made hir sike
Attempre diete was al hir phisik
And excercise and hertus suffisaunce
20
The goute let hir no thing for to daunce
Napeplexi shent nat hir heed
Ne wyn ne drank neuer white ne reed
Hir borde serued bothe with white and blak
Milk and broun bred in which she foond no lak
25
Seynd bacon and som tyme an eye or tweye
For she was as it were a maner deye
¶ A yeerd she hadde was closed al aboute
With stikkes and with drye dyche with oute
In which she had a Cok hight Chauntecleer
30
In al the lond of crowyng ne was his peer
His vois was murier than the mury orgon
On massedayes that in the Chirche goon
Wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge
Than is a clok or an abbey orlogge
35
Bi nature he knew eche ascencioun
Of equynoxial in thilke toun
For whan degrees .xv. were ascended
Thanne krewe he that it myght nat been amended
His combe was redder than the fyn coral
40
And batailled as it were a Castel wal
His bil was blak and as the geet it shoon
Lik asure were his legges and his toon
His nayles whitter than the lilye flour
And like to the bornysshed gold was his colour
45
This gentil cok had in his gouernaunce
Seuen hexxes for to do al his plesaunce