The General Prologue
Folio 133v
4 of 20 folios
145
Kauȝt in a trappe ȝif it were ded or bledde
Of smale hoūdis hadde sche þt sche fedde
With rostid flesch or mylk or wastelbred
But sore wepte sche ȝif on of hē were ded
Or ȝif men smot it with a ȝerde smerte
150
And al was concience & tendere herte
¶ Ful semely here wīpil pȳched was
Here nose tretis here eyen greye as glas
Here mouth ful smal & þerto softe & red
But sekyrly / sche hadde a fayr forhed
155
It was almost a spanne brod I trowe
For hardily sche was not vndir growe
Ful fetys was here cloke as I was war
Of smale corl aboute here arm sche bar
A peyre of bedis I gaudeit al wt grene
160
And þeron heng a broche of gold so kene
On wich þere was wretyn a croūd A
And aftyr Amor vincit omnia
¶ A nothir nonne with here hadde sche
¶ That was here chapelen & prestis thre
165
¶ A monk þere was a fayr for the maystrye
An out ridere þt louede uenerye
A manly man to ben an abbot able
Ful manye a deynte hors hadde he in stable
And whan herod men myȝte his brydil here
170
Gyngelyn in a whistelyng wynd als clere
And ek as loude as doth the chapel belle
There as this lord was kepere of the selle
The reule of seynt Maur / & of seynt benyght
Be cause that it was old & sūdel streyt
175
This ilke monk let olde thȳge pace
And held aftyr the newe world the space
He ȝaf not of that tixt a pulled henne
That seith þt hunterys ben not holye menne
Ne that a monk whan he is rekeles
180
Is lykened to a fysch that is watyrles