The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 247v
18 of 19 folios
A Pouere wydewe somdel stope in age
Was whilom dwellyng in a narwe cotage
Besydes a groue standyng in a dale
This wydewe of which I telle ȝou my tale
5
Seþins þilke day þat sche was last a wyf
In pacience ladde a ful simple lyf
For litel was hire cateƚƚ and hire rent
By housbondrye of such as god hire sent
Sche fand hire self and eek hire doughtren tuo
10
Þre large sowes hadde sche and nomo
Thre kyn and eek a scheep þat highte malle
Ful sooty was hire bour and eek hire halle
In which sche eet ful many a sklender mel
Of poynaūt Sause hire needed neuer a del
15
No deynte morsell passed hire þrote
Hire dyete was acordaūt to hire cote
Replecioū ne made hire neuere seeke
A tempree diete was aƚƚ hire Phiseke
And excercise and hertes suffisaunce
20
The gowte letted hire no þing to daunce
Ne Poplexie ne schente not hire heed
No wyn ne drank sche neyþer whit ne reed
Hire bord was serued most wiþ whit and blak
Milk and broū breed in which sche fond no lak
25
Seynd bacoū and somtyme an ey or tweye
For sche was as it was a maner deye
A gardyn sche hadde enclosed aƚƚ aboute
Wiþ stikkes and a druye diche wiþoute
In which sche hadde a cokk þat highte Chaunteclere
30
In aƚƚ þe land of crowyng nas his peere
His voys was merier þan þe mery Orgon
On masse dayes þat in þe chirche gon
Wel sikerer was þe crowyng in his logge
Þan is a clokke or eny abbay orlogge
35
By nature he knew eche assencioū
Of equinoxial of þilke toun