The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 248r
17 of 19 folios
For whan degrees .xv. were discendid
Þenne knew he þat it migħt nougħt ben amended
His cambe was redder þen þe fyn coraƚƚ
40
And batailled as it were a castel waƚƚ
His byle was blak and as þe Iet it schon
Ylike asure were his legges and his toon
His nayles whitter þen þe lily flour
And ylike burnysscħt gold was his colour
45
This gentil cokke hadde in his gouernance
. Vij. hennes for to doon his plesaūce
Whiche weren his sustres and his paramoures
And wonder ykike to him as of coloures
Of which þe fairest hewed on þe þrote
50
Was cleped faire damisel pertelote
Curteys sche was discret and debonair
And companable and bar hire self so faire
Siþens þilke day þat sche was seuenygħt olde
Þat trewely sche haþ þe herte in holde
55
Of chaunteclere loken in euery liþ
He loued hire so þat wel was him þerwith
But such a ioye as it was to heere hem synge
Whan þat þe brighte sonne gan to springe
In swete acorde my leef is fare in londe /
60
For þilke tyme as I haue vnderstonde
Beestes and briddes couþe speke and synge /
And so bifeƚƚ þat in a dawenynge /
As Chaunteclere among his wyfes aƚƚ
Satte on his perche þat was in þe haƚƚ
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And next him sat þis faire Pertelote
Þis Chaunteclere gan gronen in his þrote
As a man þat is in his dreme drecched sore
And when þat Pertelote þus herde him rore
Sche was agast and sayde herte deere
70
What eyleþ ȝou to grone in þis manere
Ȝe ben a verray sleper fy for schame /
And he answerde and sayde þus ma dame /