The Nun's Priest's Prologue
Folio 247r
1 of 1 folios
680
And couere hire brighte face wiþ a cloude
¶ Here begynneþ þe prologe of þe nonne prestes tale
HO quod þe knigħt goode sire nomore of þis
Þat ȝe han sayde is right ynougħ ywis
And meche more for litel heuynesse
Is right ynougħ to meche folk as I gesse /
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Ȝoure tales don vs no desport ne game
Wherfore ser monk Doun Pieres by ȝour name
I pray ȝou hertely telle vs som what elles
For siker nere clynkyng of ȝoure belles /
Þat on ȝoure brydel hangeþ on euery syde /
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By heuene king þat for vs aƚƚ dyde
I schal for þis falle doū for slepe /
Al þough þe slougħ hadde neuer ben so depe
Þan hadde ȝoure tale be told in vayn
For certeinly as þese clerkes sayn
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Wher as a man may han non audience
Nougħt helpeþ it to tellen his sentence
And wel I woot þe substaūce is in me /
If eny þing schal wel reported be
Sire say somwhat of huntyng I ȝou pay
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Nay quod þe monk I haue no lust to play
Now lete anoþer telle as I haue tolde
Þanne spak oure Ost wiþ ruyde speche and bolde
And sayde vnto þe nonnes prest anon
Com ner sire prest com hider ser Ioħn
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Telle vs such þing as may oure hertes glade
Be mery þougħ þou ryde vpon a Iade /
What þough þin hors be hagged foul or lene
If he wol serue þe rekke þe nought a bene
Loke þat þin herte be mery euermo
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Ȝis Ost quod he so mote I ryde or go
But I be mery I wys I wil be blamed
And right anon he haþ his tale tamed
And þus he seyde to vs euerychon
This swete prest þis goode man ser Ioħn .