The Parson's Prologue
Folio 206r
1 of 2 folios
¶ Heere folweth the Prologe / of the Persoūs tale ~
By that the Maūciple / hadde his tale al ended
The sonne / fro the South lyne was descended
So lowe / that he nas nat to my sigħte
Degrees / nyne and twenty / as in higħte
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Ten of the Clokke / it was tho / as I gesse
For elleuene foot or litel moore / or lesse
My shadwe was / at thilke tyme as there
Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were
In sixe feet equal / of proporcioū
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Ther with / the Moones exaltacioū
I meene Libra / alwey gan ascende
As we / were entryng at a Thropes ende
¶ For which oure hoost as he was wont to gye
As in this caas / oure Ioly compaignye
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Seyde in this wise / lordynges euerichoon
Now lakketh vs no tales / mo than oon
Fulfilled is my sentence / and my decree
I trowe / that we han herd of ech degree
Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce
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I pray to god / so yeue hym rigħt good chaunce
That telleth this tale / to vs lustily
¶ Sire preest quod he / artow a Vicary
Or arte a person / sey sooth by thy fey
Be what thou be / ne breke thou nat oure pley
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For euery man saue thou / hath toold his tale
Vnbokele / and shewe vs what is in thy Male
For trewely / me thynketh by thy cheere
Thou sholdest knytte vp wel a greet mateere
Telle vs a fable anon / for Cokkes bones
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¶ This Parsoū answerde / al atones
Thou getest fable noon / ytoold for me
For Paul / that writeth vn to Thymothee
Repreueth hem / that weyueth soothfastnesse
And tellen fables / and swich wrecchednesse
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Why sholde I sowen / draf out of my fest
Whan I may sowen whete / if þt me lest
For which I seye / if that yow list to heere
Moralitee / ād vertuous mateere
And thanne / þt ye wol yeue me Audience
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I wol fayn / at Cristes reuerence
Do yow plesaunce / leefful as I kan
But trusteth wel / I am a Southren man
I kan nat geeste / Rum / Ram / Ruf / by lettre
Ne god woot rym holde I but litel bettre
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And therfore / if yow list I wol nat glose
I wol yow telle / a myrie tale in prose
To knytte vp aƚ this feeste / and make an ende
And Ihū for his grace / wit me sende