The Prioress' Tale
Folio 213r/212r
4 of 7 folios
100
This litel childe as he came to and fro
Ful meryly þen wolde he synge and crye /
On alma redemptoris euermo
The swetnes haþ his herte perced so
Of cristes mooder þat to hure to preye
105
He can nought stynte of syngynge by þe weye /
¶ Oure firste foo þe serpent Sathanas
That haþ in Iewes his waspes neste
Vp swalle and sayde O Ebrayke poeple allas /
Is þis a þing to ȝou þat is honeste /
110
Þat suche a boy schal walken as him leste /
In ȝoure despite and syngen of such sentence
Which is aȝein oure lawes reuerence
¶ Fro þennes forth þe Iewes han conspired
This Innocent out of þis world to chace
115
In homicidie þerto han þey hyred
Þat in an aley had a pryue place /
And as þe childe gan forby for to pace
Þis cursed Iew him hente and heeld faste
And cutte his þrote and in a putte him caste /
120
¶ I say þat in a wardrobe þey him drewe /
Wher as þise Iewes purgen entraille
O cursed folk of heroudes al newe /
What may ȝoure euyl entent ȝou auayle /
Mordre wole out certain it wol nought fayle
125
And namely þere honour of god schulde sprede
Þe blood out cryeþ on ȝour cursed dede
¶ O martyr souded to virginite
Now maystow syngen folwyng euer in oon
The white lambe celestial quod he /
130
Of which þe grete euangelist seint Ioħn
In Pathmos wrot which seiþ þey þat gon
Byforn þis lambe and synge a song al newe
Þat neuer fleisschly wōmen þey knewe
¶ Þis pore wydewe wayteþ al þat nigħt
135
After þis litel childe but hom cam he nouȝt