The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 252v
8 of 19 folios
Was complete and passed were also
370
Seþins marche bygan þritty dayes and tuo
Bifeƚƚ þat Chaunteclere in aƚƚ his pryde
His seuen wyues walkyng him bysyde
Caste vp his eyen to þe brighte sonne
That in þe signe of Taurus was y ronne ;
375
Twenty degrees . and oon and somwhat more
He knew by kynde and by non oþer lore
That it was pryme and crew wiþ blisful steuene
The sonne he sayde is clumben vp on heuene
Xl . degrees and oon and more ywys
380
Madame pertelote my worldes blys
He\r/kne how þese blisful briddes synge
And see þe freisshe floures how þay springe
Ful is mȳ herte of Reuel and solace
But sodeinly him fel a sorwful case /
385
For euer þe latter ende of Ioye is sone ago
And comunly often tyme it falleþ so
And if a Rethor couþe faire endite
He in a Croniqz mighte saufly write
As for a souereyn notabilite /
390
Now euery wise man herkene to me
This story is also trewe I vndertake
As is þe book of launcelot þe lake
Þat wōmen heelde in ful gret reuerence
Now wol I torne aȝein to my sentence
395
A koƚƚ fox ful of sleigħte and iniquite
That in þe groue had woned ȝeeres þre
By heih ymaginacioū aforn caste
Þe same nigħt þurghout þe hegges brast
In to þe yerde þer Chaunteclere þe faire
400
Was wont and eek his wyfes to repayre
And in a bedde of worstes stille he lay
Til it was passed vndern of þe day
Wayting his tyme on chaunteclere to faƚƚ