The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 194r
3 of 12 folios
Is in ȝoure court / and many a losengeour
That plesen ȝow wel more / be my feitħ
Than he that sootħfastnesse / vn to ȝow seitħ
Redetħ Ecclesiast / of flaterie
510
Betħ war ȝe lordes / of here trecherie
¶ This Chauntecler stod hye / vp oon his toos
Strecchynge his nekke / & helde hise eyen cloos
And gan to crowe loude / for the nones
And daun Russel the fox / stirt vp at ones
515
And by the gargat / hente Chauntecler
And on his bak / vn to the wode ħī beer
For ȝet ne was þere noman / þt ħī sewid
O destynee / þt may nat ben eschewed
Allas that Chauntecler / fley fro the beemes
520
Allas his wyf / ne rougħte nat of dreemes
And on a friday / fel al this meschaunce
¶ O venus / þat art goddesse of plesaunce
Syn þt thyn servaūt / was this Chauntecleer
And in thy seruyce / dyd al his power
525
More for delyt than world to multiplie
Why woltow suffre ħī / on thy day to dye
¶ O Gaufreed / deere Maister / souereyn
That whan thy worthy kyng / Richard was slayn
Witħ shot compleynedest / his deetħ so sore
530
Why ne had I now / thy science & thy lore
The friday for to chide / as deden ȝe
For on a friday sootħly / slayn was he
Than wolde I shewe how / þt I coude pleyne
For Chauntecleres drede / & for his peyne
535
Certes swicħ cry / ne lamentacioū
Was neuere of ladies mad / whan ylioū
Was wonne / & Pirrus wt his streite swerd
Whan he had hente / kyng Piamë by the berd
And slayn ħī / as seitħ vs Eneydes
540
As maden alle the hennes / in the cloos
Whan they had seyn / of Chauntecleer the sigħte
But souereynly / Dame Pertelote shrigħte
Ful loudere / than dede / hasdrubales wyf
Whan þt hire housbonde / hadde I lost his lyf
545
And þt the Romaynes / hadden brent Cartage
She was so ful of trment / and of rage
That wilfully / in to the fyr she stirte
And brent hire seluen / wt a stedfast herte