The Prioress' Tale
Folio 164v
4 of 6 folios
This pore widow waiteth al this nyght
135
Aftyr this litel child but he cometh noght
For which als sone as it was dayes lyght
With face pale for drede and bisi thought
She hath at Scole and elles where him sought
Til fynally she gan so fer espye
140
That he was last seyn in the Iewerye
With modres pitee in hir herte brest enclosid
She goth as she were half out of hir mynde
To euery place where as she hath supposid
Bi liklihed hir childe for to fynde
145
And euer on cristes moder meke and kynde
She cried and atte last thus she wroght
Among the cursed Iewes she him sought
She freyned and she preyde pitously
Of euery Iewe that dwelled in that place
150
To telle hir yif hir child went ther by
Thei seide nay. but Iħu of his gace
Yaf in hir thought with ynne a litel space
That in that place aftyr hir sone she cride
Where he was cast in a pitte biside
155
O grete god that parformest thi laude
Be mouth of Innocentes lo here thi myght
This Gemme of chastite this Emerawde
And ek of Martirdom the ruby. bright
That he with throte I cut lay vpright
160
Hie Alma redemptoris gan to synge
So loude that al the place bigan to rynge
The cristen folk that thurgh the strete wente
In camen for to wonder on this thing
And hastily for the prouost thei sente
165
And he came anon with owte tarying
And heried crist that is heuen kyng
And ek his modre honour of mankynde
And after that the Iewes let he bynde