The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 251r
11 of 19 folios
And seyde him þus if þou to morwe wende
Thou schalt be draynt my tale is at an ende
He awook and tolde his felawe what he mette
And prayed him his viage for to lette
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As for þat day he prayde him to abyde
His felawe þat lay by his beddes syde
Gan for to laughe and scorned him ful faste
No dreme quod he may mȳ herte agaste
Þat I wol lette for to do my þinges
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I sette nouȝt a straw by þy dremynges
For sweuenes ben but vanytes and Iapes
Men dreme alway of owles and of apes
And of many a mase þer wiþ aƚƚ
Men dremen of þing þat neuer was ne schal
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But siþenes I se þat þou wolt here abyde
And þus forslowþen wilfully þe tyde
God wot it reweþ me and haue good day
And thus he took his leeue and went his way
And er þat he hadde half his cours y sayled
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Not I nougħt why ne why ne what meschaunce it ayled
But casuelly þe schippes botme rent
And schip and man vnder þe water went
In sigħt of oþer schippes him besyde
Þat wiþ him seyled at þe same tyde
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And þerfore he seyde Pertelote so deere
By suche ensamples olde maist þou leere
Þat no man schulde be to recheles
Of dremes for I say þe dowteles
That many a dreem fol sore is for to drede
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Lo in þe lyf of Seint kenelme I rede
Þat was kenulphes sone þe noble king
Of Mertenrike how kenelme met a þing
A litel er was murdred on a day
His murdre in his avisioū he say
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His norice him expouned eurydel
His sweuene and bad him for to kepe him wel