The Prioress' Tale
Folio 213v/212v
3 of 7 folios
For whom as sone as it was dayes ligħt
Wiþ face pale for drede and busy þougħt
Sche haþ at scole and elles wher him sougħt
Til fynally sche gan so fer aspye
140
Þat he was seyn last in þe Iewerye
¶ With moodres pyte in hire brest enclosed
Sche goþ as þougħ sche were half out of mynde /
To euery place where sche haþ supposed
By lyklyhede hire childe for to fynde
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And euer on cristes moder meke and kynde
Sche cryed and at þe laste þus sche wrougħt
Among þe cursed Iewes sche him sougħt
Sche freyneþ and sche preyeþ pitously
To euery Iewe þat dwelt in þilke place
150
To telle hire if hire child went hem by
They sayden nay but iħc of his grace
Ȝaf in hire þougħt wiþ in a litel space
Þat in þat place after hire sone sche cryede
Þer he was caste in a putte besyde
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¶ O grete lord þat parformed þin laude
By mouþ of Innocence lo here þy migħt
This gemme of chastite þis Emeraude
And eek of martirdome þe ruby brigħt
Þer he wiþ þrote y korue lay vprigħt
160
He alma redemptoris gan to synge
So loude þat al þe place gan to rynge
¶ The cristen folk þat þurgħ þe strete went
In comen for to wondren on þis þing
And hastely þey for þe prouost sent
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He came anon wiþouten eny taryyng
And herieþ crist þat is of heuen king
And eek his mooder honour of mankynde
And after þat þe Iewes let he bynde
This childe wiþ pitous lamentaciou~
170
Vp taken syngyng his song alway
And with honour and gret processiou /