The Monk's Tale
Folio 190v
3 of 23 folios
Bi precept of that Messager dyuyn
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For alle hise streyngthes in his heres were
And fully xx i wynter yeer bi yeer
He hadde of ysrael the gouernaunce
But sone shal he wepen many a tere
For wommen shul him bryngen to meschaunce
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Un to his lemman Dalida he tolde
That in his heris al his strength lay
And falsly vnto his foo men she him solde
And slepyng in hir barm vpon a day
She made to clippe or shere his heres away
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And made his foomen al this craft espien
And whan that thei him fonde in this array
Thei bonde him fast and put out his eyen
But er his heer was clipped or y shaue
Ther was no bonde with which men myght him bynde
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But now is he in pisoun in a caue
Where as thei maden him atte querne grynde
O noble Sampson strengest of mankynde
O whilom Iuge in glorie and in richesse
Now maistow wepen with thyn eyen blynde
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Sith thow fro wele art falle in wrecchednesse
The ende of this caitif was as I shal seye
His fomen made a fest vpon a day
And made him as a fool biforn hem pleye
This was in a temple of gret array
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But atte last he made a foul fray
For he two pilours shook and made hem falle
And doun fil the temple and al and there it lay
And slow him self and eke his foomen alle
This is to seyn the pinces euerychon
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And eke thre thousand bodyes were ther slayn
With fallyng of the gret temple of stoon
Of sampson now wol I na more seyn
Beth war bi this ensample olde and playn