The Nun's Priest's Prologue
Folio 178v
2 of 2 folios
¶ I noot neuere what and also of a Tragedie
Rigħt now ye herde / and pardee no remedie
It is / for to biwaille / ne compleyne
That þt is doon / and als it is a peyne
As ye han seyd / to heere of heuynesse
¶ Sire monk. namoore of this / so god yow blesse
Youre tale / anoyeth al this compaignye
Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterfly
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For ther Inne / is ther no desport ne game
¶ Wherfore sir Monk daun Piers by youre name
I pray yow hertely / telle vs somwhat elles
For sikerly / nere clynkyng of youre belles
That on your bridel hange / on euery syde
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By heuene kyng. that for vs alle dyde
I sholde er this / han fallen doun for sleepe
Al thogħ the slougħ / had neuer been so deepe
Thanne hadde youre tale / al be toold in veyn
For certeinly / as that thise clerkes seyn
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Where as a man / may haue noon Audience
Nogħt helpeth it to tellen his sentence
And wel I woot the substance is in me
If any thyng shal wel reported be
Sir / sey somwhat of huntyng I yow preye
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¶ Nay quod this Monk / I haue no lust to pleye
Now lat another telle / as I haue toold
¶ Thanne spak oure hoost / with rude speche & boold
And seyde / vn to the Nonnes preest anon
Com neer thou preest. com hyder thou ser Ioħn
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Telle vs swich thyng as may oure hertes glade
Be blithe / thougħ thou ryde vp on a Iade
What thogħ thyn hors / be bothe foul and lene
If he wol serue thee / rekke nat a bene
Looke / that thyn herte / be murie eueremo
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¶ Yis sir quod he / yis hoost so moot I go
But I be myrie / ywis I wol be blamed
And rigħt anon / his tale he hath attamed
And thus he seyde / vn to vs euerichon
This sweete preest . this goodly man ser Ioħn ~