The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 254v
4 of 19 folios
Strecching his necke and huld his eyen clos
And gan to crowe lowde for þe nones
And daun Russel stert vp al at oones
515
And by þe gargage hente Chaunteclere
And on his bak toward the woode him bere
For ȝet was þere noman þat him sewed
O destyne þat mayst not ben eschewed
Allas þat Chaunteclere fel fro þe bemes
520
Allas his wyf ne roughte nougħt of dremes
And on a friday feƚƚ al þis meschaunce
O venus þat art goddesse of plesaūce
Seþines þat þi seruaūt was þis Chaunteclere
And in þin seruise dede al his powere /
525
More for delite þan þe world to multiplie
Why woldestow suffre him on þis day to dye
O Gaufrede deere maister souerayn
That whan þy worþy king Richard was slayn
Wiþ schotte compleynedest his deþ so sore
530
Why ne hadde I now þin sentence and þin lore
The friday for to chyde as deden ȝe /
For on a Friday schortly slayn was he
Þenne wolde I schewe ȝou how þat I couþe pleyne
For Chaunteclere and for his peyne
535
Certes such cry ne lamentacioū
Was of ladyes maade whan yleoū
Was wonne and Purris wiþ his streighte swerd
Whenne he hente king Pryam by þe berd
And slayn him as seyde Xxxxdos
540
As maden aƚƚ þe hennes in þe cloos
Whan þey hadde seye of chaunteclere þe sigħt
But soueraynly dame Pertelote schrigħt
Ful lowder þen dede hasdrubaldes wyff
Whan þat hire housbonde hadde lost his lyff
545
And þat þe Romayns had bernd Cartxge
Sche was so fuƚƚ of torment and of Rage
Þat wilfully in to þe feyr sche sterte