The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 203r
5 of 18 folios
For goddes loue as take som laxatif
Vp peril of my Soule and my lif .
125
I counseil yow the best I wol nat lye
That bothe of colour and of Malencolye
Ye purge yow and for ye shal nat tarye
Thogh in this toun is noon apotecarye
I shal my self / to herbes techen yowe
130
That shullen be for your heele and for your prowe
And in our yeerde the yerbes shal I fynde
The which han of hir propretee bi kynde
To purgen yow be nethe and eek aboue
135
For yet nat this for goddes owne loue
Ye ben ful colerik of complexioun
Ware the sonne in his ascencioun
Ne fynde yow not repleet of humours hote
For if it do I dar wel ley a grote
140
That ye shal han a feuer terciane
Or an ague that may be your bane
A day or two ye shal haue degestyues
Of wormes er ye take your laxatyues
Of laurial Centaure and fumetere
145
Or elles of Ellebor that groweth there
Of katapuce or of gait rys berys
Of herbe yne growyng in our yerde there myry is
Pekke hem vp right as thei growe and ete hem ynne
Be myry husbond for your fader kynne
150
Dredeth no dreme I can sey yow na more
¶ Madame quod he graunt mercy of your loore
But nathales as touching Daun Catoun
That hath of wisdom swich a gret renoun
Thogh that he bad no dremes for to drede
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Bi god men may in olde bokes rede
Of many a man moore of auctorite
Than euer Catoun was so mote I the
That al the reuers seyn of his sentence
And han wel founden bi experience
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That dremes ben significacions
As wel of Ioye as tribulacions