The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 104v
11 of 16 folios
Xx heigh ymaginacioū / forncast
The same nyght thurgh out the hegges brast
In to the yerd / ther Chauntecler the faire
400
Was wont and eek hise wyues to repaire
And in a bed of wortes / stille he lay
Til it was passed / vndren of the day
Waitynge his tyme / on Chauntecler to falle
As gladly doon / thise homycides alle
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That in awayt liggen / to mordre men
O false mordrour / lurkynge in thy den
O newe Scariot newe Genylou
False dissimilour / o greek Synoū
That broghtest Troye / al outrely to sorwe
410
O Chauntecler / acursed be that morwe
That thow in to the yerd / flaugh fro the bemys
Thow were / ful wel ywarned by thy dremys
That thilke day / was perilous to thee
But what þt god forwoot moot nedes be
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After the opynyoū / of certeyn clerkis
Witnesse on hym / þt any parfit clerk is
That in scole / is gret altercacioū
In this matere / and gret disputisoū
And hath ben / of an hundred thousand men
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But I ne kan / nat bulte it to the bren
As kan / the holy doctour Augustyn
Or Boece / or the Bisshope Bradwardyn
Wheither / þt goddes worthy forewityng
Streyneth me nedely / for to doon a thyng
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Nedely clepe I / symple necessitee
Or ellis / if fre choys / be graunted me
To do that same thyng or do it noght
Though god forwoot it / er þt I was wroght
Or if his wityng streyneth neuer a del
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But by necessitee condicionel
I wol nat han to do / of swich matere
My tale is of a Cok as ye may heere
That took his conseil / of his wyf / wt sorwe
To walken in the yerd / vp on that morwe
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That he hadde met the dreem / þt I yow tolde
Wommens conseils / be ful ofte colde