The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 248v
16 of 19 folios
I pay ȝou þat ȝe take it not to greef
By god me mette þat I was in such mescheef
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Rigħt now þat ȝet mȳ herte is sore afrigħt
Now quod he my sweuene reed arigħt
And keepe my body out of foul pisoū
Me mette þat I romed vp and doū
Wiþinne our ȝerde wher as I saugħ a beeste
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Was lik an hound and wolde han made areste /
Vpon my body and wolde han had me deed
His colour was betwixe whit and reed
And tipped was his tail and boþe his eeres
Wiþ blak vnlik þe remenaūt of his heeres
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His snowte smal with glowyng eyen tweye
Ȝet of his look for feer almost I deye
This caused me my gronyng douteles
Avoy quod sche // Fy on ȝou herteles
Allas quod sche ; For by þat god aboue
90
Now haue ȝe lost mȳ herte and al my loue
I can nought loue a coward by my feiþ
For certes what so eny wōman seiþ
We wolle aƚƚ desyren if it mighte be /
To haue housbondes hardy wise and fre
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And secre ne no nyggard ne no fool
Ne him þat is agast of euery tool
Ne non auauntour by þat god aboue
How dorste ȝe say for schame vnto ȝour loue /
That eny þing migħt make ȝou aferd
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Han ȝe no mannes herte and han a berd
Allas and konne ȝe be agast of sweuens
Sweuenes engendren of replex\i/ones
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When humors ben to habundaunt in a wight
Certes þis dreme which ȝe han herd to nygħt
Cometh of þe grete superfluite
Of ȝoure reede colre sire perde
Which causeþ folk to dremen here dreemes
110
Of arwes and of fuyre with reede leemes