The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 245r
14 of 16 folios
520
Allas his wif roughte nouȝt of dremis
An/d\ on a friday fel al þis meschaunce
O venus þat art god of plesaunce
Syn þat þy seruant was þis Chauntecler
And in þy seruice did al his powere /
525
More for delit þan þe world to multiplie
Why woldest þou suffre him on þy day to dye
O gaufred dere mayster souerayn
That whan þe worþy king Richard was slayn
With schot compleynedist / his deþ so sore
530
Why ne had I nouȝt þy sentence and þy lore
Þe friday for to chiden as dede ȝe
For on a fryday soþly slayn was he
Than wold I schewe how þat I couthe pleyne /
For Chauntecleres drede and for his peyne
535
Certis such cry ne lamentaciou~
Was neuer of ladies maad whan Ilioun
Was wonne and pirrus with his strit swerd
Whan he hente kyng priam by þe berd
And slough him as saith vs Eneydos
540
As maden alle þe hennes in þe clos
Whan þay had sayn of Chauntecler þe sigħt
Nought soueraignly dam pertelote schright
Ful lowder þan did hasdrubaldes wyf
Whan þat hir housebond had lost his lyf
545
And þat þe Romayns had I brent Cartage
Sche was so ful of torment and of rage /
That wilfully vnto þe fuyr sche stert
And brend hirseluen with a stedfast hert /
O woful hennes rigħt so cride ȝe
550
As whan þat Nero brente þe cite
Of Rome criden þe senatoures wyues
For þat her housbondes losten aƚƚ here lyues
Wiþouten gult þis nero hath hem slayn
Now wol I torne to my matier agayn
555
¶ The sely wydow and hir doughtres tuo
Herden þese hennys crie and maken wo
And out at dores starte þay anoon