The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 369v
10 of 14 folios
Herkenyth these blysful brydis how they sȳge
And se the frosche floris hovthey sprȳge
Ful is mȳ herte of reuel & solas
385
But sodeynly hȳ fel a sorweful cas
For euere the lattere ende of Ioye is wo
God wot that wordely ioye / is soone a go
And ȝif a retor coude fayre endyte
He in a cronicle sauely myghte it wryte
390
As for a souereyn notabilyte
Now euery wise man now herkene me
This storye is also trewe I vndyrtake
As Is the bok of laūcelot de lake
That women heelde ī ful greet reuerence
395
Now wele I turne a geyn to mȳ sētēce
A col fox ful of sly Iniquite
That in the groue hadde dwelled ȝeris thre
By hygh Imaginacioū for cast
The same nyght thor out the hegis brast
400
I to the ȝerd there chaūtecleer the fayre
Was wont & ek hise wyuys to repayre
And In a bed of wortis stylle he lay
Til it was passed onderen of the day
Waytynge his tyme on Chaūtecleer to falle
405
As gladly doon these homycidis alle
That in a wayt liggyn to morderen men
O false morderour lurkȳge in thȳ den
O newe Scariot / newe Genysoū
False dissimylor / O Grek Synou
410
That broughtist Troye al vttyrly to sorwe
O Chaūtecheer a cursede be that morwe
That thow in to that ȝerd / flaw frō the bemys
Thow weere ful weel I warnede be thȳne dremys
That thikke day was perlyous to the
415
But what that god forwot mot nedis be
Aftyr the opyniou of certeyn clerkis
Witnesse on hȳ that ony parfyt clerk is
That in scole is greet altercacioū
In this matiere & greet disputacioun