Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale
Folio 74v
2 of 4 folios
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To breke forward is nought mȳ entente
Biheste is dette and I wil holde fayn
Al my biheste I can no bettre sain
For swich lawe as a man yeueþ anoþer wigħt
He schulde himself vsen it by right
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Thus wile oure text but naþeles certein
I can right now no þrifty tale sein
That Chaucer þough he can but lewedly
On metris and in rymyng craftily
Haþ sayd hem in such englissħ as he can
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Of olde tyme as knoweþ many a man
And if he haue nougħt seyd hem leeue broþer
In o book / he haþ seyd hem in anoþer
For he haþ told of louers vp and doū
Mo þan Ovide made mencioū
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In his Epistles þat been ful olde
What scholde I tellen hem sen þei ben tolde
In youþe he made of Ceys and alcione
And siþþen haþ he spoke of euerychone
Thise noble wyfes and þese louers eeke
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Who so þat wile his large volom seeke
Cleped þe seintes legende of Cupide
Ther may he seen þe large woundes wyde
Of lucresse & of Babilan Tisbe
The swerd of Dido for þe false Ene
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The tree of Phillis for hire Demephou
The pleynt of Dyanyre and of Ermion
Of Adriane and of ysyphile
The barayne ysle stondyng in þe see /
The dreynt leander for his Erro
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The teeres of helyne and eek þe woo
Of Brixseyde and of þe ladomya
Þe cruelte of queen medea
The litel children hangyng by þe hals
For þe Iason þat was of loue so fals
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Of ypmistra Penolope Alceste