The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 253r
7 of 19 folios
As gladly doon þese homicydes aƚƚ
405
That in awayte ligge to murþre men
O false murdrour roukyng in þy den
O newe scariote and newe Genyloun
Fals dissimulour O greke Synoū
That brougħtest Troye outrely to sorwe
410
O Chaunteclere acorsed be þat morwe
Þat þou in þe ȝerde fleyȝe fro þe beemes
Thou were ful wel y warned by þin dremes
That þilke day was perilous to þe
But þat at god afore wot moot needes be
415
After þe opynyoū of certein clerkes
Witnesse on him þat any clerk is
That in scole gret altercacioū
In þis matiere and gret disputesoū
And haþ ben of an hundred þousand men
420
But I ne can nouȝt bulte it to þe bren
As can þe holy doctour augustyn
Or Boece or þe Bisschoppe Bradwardyn
Wheþer þat goddes wille afore wetyng
Streyneþ me needely for to don a þing
425
Needly clepe I simple necessite
Or elles if þe free choys be gaunted me /
To do þat same þing or to do it nouȝt
Þougħ god forwot it er it was y wrougħt
Or of his wetyng streigneþ neuer a del
430
But by necessite condicionel
I wol not haue to doone of such matiere
My tale is of a cokk as ȝe schuln aft er heere
That took his counseil of his wyf wiþ sorwe
To walke in to þe ȝerd vppon þe morwe
435
That he had mette þe dreem as I ȝou tolde
Wōmens counseiles ben fulofte colde
Wōmans counseil brougħt vs ferst to wo
And made adam fro paradys to go
Þer as he was ful mery and wel at ese /