The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 255r
3 of 19 folios
And brend hir selue wiþ a stedefast herte
O wofuƚƚ hennes rigħt so cryede ȝe
550
As whan þat Nero brende þe Cite
Of Rome cryden þe Senators wyfes
For þat here housbondes schulde leese here lyues
Wiþouten gilte Nero haþ hem slayn
¶ Now wole I turne vnto my tale agayn
555
This seely widewe and hire doughtres tuo
Herden þe hennes crien and make woo
And out at þe dore sterten þay anon
And sawe þe fox toward þe groue goon
And bar vpon his bak þe kok away
560
And cryden out harrow and weloway
Aha þe fox and after him þay ran
And eek with staues many anoþer man
Ran colle oure dogge Talbot and Garlond
And Malkyn wiþ hire distaf in hire hond
565
Ran cow and calf and eek þe verrey hogges
Sore aferde for berkyng of þe dogges
And schowtyng of men and of wōmen eeke
Þey ronne so her hert þey þougħt tobreeke
They yelleden as feendes don in helle
570
The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle
Þe gees for feere flowen ouer þe trees
Out of þe huyues come þe swarm of bees
So hidous was þe noyse a bñdicite
Certes he Iakke straw and his meynee
575
Ne maden neuere schoutes half so schrille
Whan þat þay wolden eny flemyng kille
As þat ilke day was maad vpon þe Fox
Of bras þey broughte beemes and of Box
Of horne and boon in whiche þey pouped
580
And þer wiþal þey schriched and þey schouted
It semed as þat heuen schulde faƚƚ
Now goode men I pay ȝou herkneþ aƚƚ
Lo how fortune turneþ sodeinly