The Manciple's Tale
Folio 212v
4 of 8 folios
For yeueth it me and that I yow biseche
The wise plato seith as ye may rede
The word moot nede acord with the dede
105
If men shal telle proprely a thing
The worde moot cosin be to the werkyng
I am a boistous man right thus sey I.
Ther nys no difference trewly
Betwix a wif that is of high degre
110
If of hir body dishonest she be
And a pore wenche other than this
If it so be thei werke bothe amys
But that the gentil in estate aboue
She shal be cleped his lady as in loue
115
And for that other is a pore womman
She shal be cleped his wenche or his lemman
And god it woot myn owne dere brother
Men leyn that oon as low as lith that other
Right so bitwix a titleeles tirant
120
And an Outelawe or theef errant
The same I sey / ther is no difference
To Alisandre was tolde his sentence
That for the tirant is of gretter myght
By force of meynee for to sleen doun right
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And brennen hous and hoom and make al pleyn
Lo therfore is he cleped a Capitayn
And for the Outelawe hath but smal meynye
And may not doon so gret an harme as he
Ne bxxxge a Contree to so gret meschief
130
Me clepen him an Outelawe or a theef
But for I am a man nat textuel
I wol nat telle of textes neueradel
I wol go to my tale as I bigan
Whan Phebus wif had sente for hir lemman
135
Anon thei wroghten as hir luste volage
¶ The white crowe that henge ay in the cage
Bihelde hir werke / and seide neuer a word
And whan that hoom was come phebus the lord
This crow sang Cokkow . Cokkow . Cokkow
140
What brid quod phebus what sang syngestow
Ne were thow wont so myryly to synge