The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 206r
11 of 18 folios
And with that word he flie doun fro the beeme
For it was day and eke his hennes alle
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And with a chuk he gan hem for to calle
For he had found a corn lay in the yerde
Royal he was / he was neuer aferde
He fethered partilote twenty tyme
And trade as ofte er it was pryme
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He loketh as it were a grym leoun
And on his toos he rometh vp and doun
Hym deyned not to sette his foot to grounde
He chukketh whan he hath a corn yfounde
And to him rennen anon his wyues alle
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Thus Royal as a prince is in his halle
Leeue I this Chauntecleer in his pasture
And after wol I telle his auenture
¶ Whan that the monthe in which the world bigan
That hight Marche whan god first maked man
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Was completed and passed were also
Syn Marche bigan .xxx i. dayes and two
Bifel that Chauntecleer in al his pride
His seuene wyues walkyng bi his side
Caste vp his eyen to the bryght sonne
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That in the signe of Taurus had I ronne
Twenty degrees and oon and somwhat more
And knew bi kynde and bi noon other loore
That it was pryme and krew with blisful steuene
The sonne he seide is clomben vp on heuene
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Fourty degrees and oon and more I wis
Madame partilote my worldes blis
Herkeneth thise blesfuƚƚ briddes how thei singe
And se how the fressh floures how thei springe
Ful is myn herte of ioy and of Solas
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But sodeynly him fel a sorowful cas
For euer the latter ende of ioy is wo
God woot that wordly ioy is sone ago
And yif a Rethor koude faire endite
He in a cronycle saufly myght it write
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As for a souereyne notabilitee