The Clerk's Tale
Folio 87v
1 of 29 folios
¶ Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford ~
Sire clerk / of Oxenford / oure Hoost sayde
Ye ryde as coy / and stille / as dooth a mayde
Were newe spoused / sittynge at the bord
This day / ne herde I / of youre tonge a word
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I trowe ye studie / aboute som Sophyme
But Salomon seith / euery thyng hath tyme
¶ For goddes sake / as beth of bettre cheere
It is no tyme / for to studien heere
Telle vs som myrie tale / by youre fey
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For what man / that is entred in a pley
He nedes moot vnto the pley assente
But percheth nat as freres doon in lente
To make vs / for oure olde synnes wepe
Ne that thy tale / make vs nat to slepe
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¶ Telle vs / som murie thyng / of auentures
Youre termes / youre colours / and youre figures
Keepe hem in stoor / til so be that ye endite
Heigh style / as whan þt men to kynges write
Speketh so pleyn / at this tyme we yow preye
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That we may vnderstonde what ye seye
¶ This worthy clerk benignely answerde
Hoost quod he / I am vnder youre yerde
Ye han of vs / as now the gouernance
And therfore / wol I do yow obeisance
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As fer as resoū axeth hardily
I wol yow telle a tale / which that I ;
Lerned at Padwe / of a worthy clerk
As preued / by his wordes and his werk
He is now deed / and nayled in his cheste
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I prey to god / so yeue his soule reste
¶ Fraunceys Perak the lauriat poete
Highte this clerk whos Rethorik sweete
Enlumyned al Ytaille of poetrie
As Lynyan dide / of Philosophie
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Or lawe / or oother Art particuler
But deeth / þt wol nat dwellen heer
But as it were / a twynklyng of an eye
Hem bothe hath slayn / and alle shul we dye