The Nun's Priest's Prologue
Folio 200v
1 of 2 folios
From hie estate fortune a wey him carf
Of this tragedie it ought ynogh suffise
765
Who so wole here it in a lenger wise
Redeth the gret poete of ytaille
That hight Dant / for he kan alle deuyse
Fro point to point nat .o. word wol he faille
Here endeth the Monkes tale
Here bigynneth the prologe of the tale of the nonnes prest
Hoo quod this knyght good syr no moore of this
That ye han seide is right ynogh I wis
And mochel moore for to telle heuynesse
Is right ynogh for mochel folk I gesse
I sey for me it is a gret desese
Where as men han been in gret welth and ese
To heren of hir sodeyn falle allas
And the contrarie is Ioy and gret Solas
And whan a man hath been in pore estate
And clymbeth vp and wexeth fortunate
And there abideth in prosperite
Swich thing is gladsom as thinketh me
And of swich thing were goodly for to telle
Ye quod our hoost bi seint poules belle
Ye sey right soth this Monke hath clapped loude
He spak how fortune couered was with cloude
I noot neuer what / and als of tregedye
Ryght as ye herd and pardee no remedye
It is for to waille or for to complayne
That is doon and also it is a payne
As ye han saide to here heuynesse
Syr monke no more of this so god yow blesse
Your tale anoyeth al this companye
Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterflye
5
For ther Inne is no desport ne game
Wherfore syr Monke Daun pierce bi your name
I preye yow hertily telle vs somwhat elles
For sykerly nere clynkyng of your belles