The General Prologue
Folio 2v
2 of 21 folios
A not hed hadde he wiþ a broū visage
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Of woode craft wel couþe he al þe vsage
Vpon his arm he bar a gay bracer
And by his syde a swerd and a bocler
And on þat oþer side a gay daggere
Harnaysed wel and scharp as point of spere
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A xpeophre on his brest of seluer schene
An horn he bar þe bawdrik was of grene
A foster was he soþly as I gesse
Ther was also a Nonne a Prioresse
That of hir smyling was ful symple a coy
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Hir grettest oþ was but by seint loy
And sche was cleped ma dame Eglentyne
Fol wel sche song þe seruise diuine
Entuned in hir nose ful semely
And frenssch sche spak ful faire and fetisly
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After þe scole of Stratford atte Bowe
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire vnknowe
At mete wel I taught was sche wiþ aƚƚ
Sche leet no morseƚƚ from hire lippes falle
Ne wete hire fyngres in hir sauce deepe
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Wel couþe sche carie a morsel and wel keepe /
That no drope ne feƚƚ vpon hir breste
In Curtesye was sette ful moche hire leste
Hir ouer lippe wyped sche so cleene
That in hir cuppe þer was no ferthing seene
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Of grece whan sche dronken hadde hir draughte
Ful semely after hir mete sche raughte
And sikerly sche was of gret disporte
And ful plesant and amyable of porte
And peyned hire to counterfete cheere
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Of court and to ben estatlich of maneere
And to ben holden digne of reuerence
But for to speken of hir conscience
Sche was so charitable & so pytous
She wolde weepe if þat sche sawe a mous