The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 224r
13 of 15 folios
And on his bakke toward þe wode him bare
For ȝitt was þere noman him sewed
O destanye þat maiste not bu enchewed
520
Alas þat chaunteclere fel þo fro þe beme
Alas his wif ne rouht nouht of dremes
And on a fridaye fel al þis meschaunce
O venus þat is goddes of plesaūce
Seþes þat þi seruant was þus chaunteclere
525
And þi seruice dide al his powere
More for delite þan þe werlde to multiplie
Whi woldest þou suffur on þi daye to deye
O gaufride dere maister souereigne
Than whan þi worþi kinge Richard was sleyne
530
Wiþ schotte compleigned his deþ so sore
Whi ne hadd .I. nowe þi sentence & þi lore
Þe fryday for to chide as deden ȝe
For on a fryday schortly sleyne was he
Þan wolde .I. schewe ȝowe howe þat .I. couþe pleyne
535
For chaunteclere & for his peyne
Certes suche crie ne lamentacione
Was of ladies maade whan þat Elyone
Was wonne & pirrus wiþ his streiht swerde
Whan he hente kinge Prian be þe berde
540
And sleyne him as seide Eneydos
As maaden aƚƚ þe hennes in þe close
Whan þei hadd seye of Chaunteclere þe siht
Botte souereignely dame Pertelot schriht
Ful ludde þan dide Esdrubaldes wif
545
Whan þat hir husbonde hadde lost hir lif
And þat þe Romeynes hadde bernt Cartage
Sche was so ful of torment & of rage
Þat wilfullly in to þe fire sche stert
And bernede her self wiþ a sted fast hert
550
O woful hennes riht so cride ȝe
As whan þat nero berned þe Cite
Of Rome Criden þe Senators wifes
For þat her husbondes scholde lese her lyves
Wiþ outen gulte Nero haþe hem sleyne
555
Now wil .I. turne to my tale a ȝeine
This cely wedowe & her dowhters tuo
Herden þe hennes crie & maden wo
And oute att þe dore stert þei anone