The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 103v
9 of 16 folios
Xay rede of dremes / many a wonder thyng
¶ Lo Cresus / which þt was of Lyde kyng
Mette he nat þt he sat vp on a tree
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Which signyfide / he sholde an hanged be
¶ Lo here Andromacha / Ectores wyf
That day that Ector / sholde lese his lyf
She dremed / on the same nyght biforn
How þt the lyf of Ector sholde be lorn
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If thilke day / he wente in to bataille
She warned hym / but it myghte nat auaille
He wente for to fighte nathelees
But he was slayn anon / of Achilles
But thilke tale / is al to long to telle
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And eek / it is ney day / I may nat dwelle
Shortly I seye / as for conclusioū
That I shal han / of this Auysioū
Aduersitee / and I seye forther moor
That I ne telle / of laxatyues no stoor
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For they ben venymes / I woot it wel
I hem deffie / I loue hem neuer a del
¶ Now lat vs speke of myrthe and stynte al this
Madame Pertelote / so haue I blys
Of o thyng god hath sent me large gace
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For whan I se / the beautee / of youre face
Ye ben so scarlet reed / aboute youre eyen
It maketh / al my drede for to dyen
For also siker / as In principio
Mulier est hominis confusio
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Madame / the sentence / of this latyn is
Womman / is mannes ioye and al his blys
For whan I feele a nyght youre softe syde
Al be it þt I may nat on yow ryde
For þt oure perche / is maad so narwe allas
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I am so ful / of Ioye and of solas
That I deffie / bothe sweuene and dreem
And with that word / he fley doun fro the beem
For it was day / and eke hise hennes alle
And with a chuk he gan hem for to calle
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For he hadde founde a corn / lay in the yerd
Real he was / he was namoore aferd