The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 105r
12 of 16 folios
Wōmannes conseil / broghte vs first to wo
And made Adam / fro Paradys to go
Ther as he was / ful myrie and wel atese
440
But for I noot to whom it myghte displese
If I conseil of wommen / wolde blame
Passe ouer / for I seyde it in my game
Rede Auctours / where they trete of swich matere
And what they seyn of wommen heere
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Thise ben the Cokkes wordes and nat myne
I kan noon harm / on no womman deuyne
¶ Faire in the Sond / to bathe hir myrily
Lyth Pertelote / and alle hir sustres by
Agayn the sonne / and Chauntecler so free
450
Song myrier than the Mermayde in the see
For Phisiologus / seith sikerly
How þt they syngen / wel and myrily
¶ And so bifel / that as he caste his eye
Among the wortes / on a Boterflye
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He was war of this fox / þt lay ful lowe
No thyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe
But cryde anon / cok cok and vp he sterte
As man / þt was affrayd in his herte
For naturelly / a beest desireth flee
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Fro his contrarie / if he may it see
Though he neuere erst hadde seye it wt his eye
This Chauntecler whan he gan hym espye
He wolde han fled / but þt the fox anon
Seyde gentil sire / allas wher wol ye gon
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Be ye affrayd / of me þt am youre freend
Now certes / I were worse than a feend
If I to yow / wolde harm / or vileynye
I am nat come / youre conseil for tespye
But trewely / the cause of my comynge
470
Was oonly / for to herkne how þt ye synge
For trewely / ye han as myrie a steuene
As any Angel hath / þt is in heuene
Ther with / ye han in Musyk moore feelynge
Than hadde Boece / or any þt kan synge
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My lord youre fader god his soule blesse
And eek youre moder / of hir gentillesse