The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 207v
14 of 18 folios
Be ye affrayed of me that am your frende
Now certes I were wors than a fende
Yif I to yow wold harm or vilenye
I am nat come your conseil for tespie
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But truly the cause of my comynge
Was oonly for to herkne how ye singe
For trewly ye han as mery a steuene
As any Aungel hath that is in heuene
Therwith ye han musik more felyng
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Than had boece or any that kan synge
Mi lord your fader god his soule blesse
And eek your moder of hir gentilesse
Han in myn hous y ben to my grete ese
And certes sir ful fayn wold I yow plese
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¶ But for men speke of syngynge I wol seye
So mote I brouke wel myn eyen tweye
Saue ye I herd neuer man so singe
As did your fader in the mornynge
Certes it was of herte al that he song
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And for to make his vois the more strong
He wold so peyne him that with bothe his eyen
He moste wynke so loude wolde he crien
And stonden on his tippetoon ther with al
And strecche forth his nekke longe and smal
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And eek he was of swich discrescioun
That ther nas no man in no regioun
That him in Song or wisdom myght passe
I haue wel redde in daun burnel the asse
Among his vers how that ther was a Cokke
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For a prestes sone yaf him a knokke
Vpon his leg while he was yonge and nyce
He made him for to lese his benyfice
But certeyn ther nys noon comparisoun
Bitwix the wisdom and discrescioun
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Of your fadyr ne of his subtiltee