The Monk's Prologue
Folio 189r
3 of 4 folios
Though he were shore ful hie vpon his pan
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Shuld haue a wif for al the world is lorn
Religioun hath taken vp al the corn
Of tredyng and we borel men been shrympes
Of feble trees ther comen wykked ympes
This maketh that our heires beth so sclendre
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And feble that thei may nat wel engendre
This maketh that our wyues wol assaye
Religious folk for ye mow bettre paye
Of venus paymentz thanne may we
God woot no lussheborn payen ye
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But be nat wroth lord thogh that I pleye
Ful ofte in game a soth I haue herd seye
This worthi monk took al in pacience
And seide I wol doon al my diligence
As fer as souneth in to honestee
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To telle yow a tale or two or thre
And yif yow list to herken hiderward
I wol seyn yow the lif of seint Edward
Or ellis first tragedies wol I telle
Of which I haue an hundred in my celle
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Tragedies is to seyn a certeyn storye
As olde bookes maken vs memorie
Of him that stood in gret prosperyte
And is y fallen out of high degre
In to myserye and endeth wrecchedly
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And thei ben versified comunely
Of vj. feet which men clepen Exametroū
In prose eek ben enditeth many oon
And eke in metre in many a sondry wise
Loo this declaryng oghte ynogh suffise
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Now herkeneth if yow liketh for to here
But first I yow beseke in this matere
Thogh I by ordre telle nat thise thinges
Be it of Popes Emperours or kynges
Aftyr hir ages as men writen fynde
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But telle hem Som by fore and som bi hynde