The Monk's Tale
Folio 184r
4 of 18 folios
Were no dispite I don / for his deffame
Hī self he slow / he coude no bettre red
Of whicħ / fortune lougħ / & madehaddehaddemade a game
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¶ Was neuere capitaigne / vnder a kyng
That Regnes moo / putte in subieccoū
Ne strengere was in feld / of alle thyng
As in his tyme / ne grettere of renouñ
Ne more pompous / in heigħ persumpcioū
470
Than Olyferne / whicħ fortune ay kiste
So lykerously / & ladde hī vp & doun
Til that his hed was of / or that he wiste
¶ Nat oonly þt this world / had hī in awe
For lesynge of richesse / or libertee
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But made euery man / reneye his lawe
Nabugodonosor / was god / seide he
Noon other god / shulde adhoured be
Ageyns this hest / no wygħt dar trespace
Saue in Bethulya / a strong Citee
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Where Eliachym / a Preest was / of þt place
¶ But take kepe of the detħ / of Oliferne
Amydde his oost / he dronke lay a nygħt
W Inne his tent / large as is a berne
And ȝet for al his pompe / & al his mygħt
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Iuditħ a wōman / as he lay vp rigħt
Slepynge / his hed of smote / & from his tente
Ful pryuyly she stal / from euery wygħt
And witħ his hed / vn to hire toun she wente
¶ What nedetħ it / of kyng Anthiocus
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To telle / his heygħ / real mageste
His heigħ pride / his werkes venimë
For swicħ a nother was þere noon / as he
Rede whicħ that he was / in Machabe
And rede the proude / that he seide
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And why he fel / fro heigħ prosperite
And in an hil / how wrecchedly he deyde
¶ Fortune hī hadde / enhaunced so in pride
That verreyly / he wende he mygħte atteyne
Vn to the sterres / vp on euery syde
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And in balaunce weyghen / ecħ mounteigne
And alle the floodes / of the see / restreyne
And goddes peeple / had he moost in hate
Hem wolde he sleen / in trment and in peyne
Wenyng þt god ne mygħte / his pide abate
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¶ And for þt Nichanor / and Thimothe