The Manciple's Tale
Folio 213v
6 of 8 folios
180
Ne trowe no thing with outen stronge witnesse
Smyte nat to soone er that ye witen whi
And beth auysed wel and soberly
Er ye doon eny execucioun
Vpon your Ire for suspecioun
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Allas athousand folk hath rakel Ire
Fully fordoon or broght hem in the myre
Allas for sorwe I wol my seluen slee
¶ And to the crowe o fals theef seide he
I wol the quyte anon thi fals tale
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Thow songe whilom like a nyghtyngale
Now shaltow fals theef thi songe forgoon
And eke thi white fetheres euerychou
Ne neuer in al thi lif ne shaltow speke
Thus shal men on a traitour ben awreke
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Thow and thin of sprynge euer shul be blake
Ne neuer swete noise shul ye make
But euer crie agayn tempeste and rayn
In toknyng thourgh the my wif is slayn
And to the crow he stirte and that a non
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And pulled his fetheres euerychoon
And made him blak and refte him al his song
And eek his speche and out at dore him slong
Vnto the deuel which I him bitake
And for this cas ben al crowes blake
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¶ Lordynges bi this ensample I yow prey
Beth war and taketh kepe what ye sey
Ne telleth neuer no man in your lif
How xxx that a nother man hath dight his wif
He wol yow haten mortelly certeyn
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¶ Daun Salamon as wise clerkes seyn
Techeth a man to kepen his tonge wel
But as I seyde I am not textuel
But nathales thus taught me my dame
My sone thenke on the crow a goddes name
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My sone kepe wel thi tonge and kepe thi frende
A wikked tonge is wors than a feende
Mi sone from a feende men may hem blesse
My sone god of his endeles goodnesse