The Monk's Tale
Folio 169r
1 of 19 folios
95
Now herknetħ / if yow liketħ for to heere
But first / I yow biseeke / in this mateere
Thougħ I by ordre / telle nat thise thynges
Be it of Popes / Emperours / or kynges
After hir ages / as men writen fynde
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But tellem hem / som bifore & som bihynde
As it now comth / vn to my remembraūce
Haue me excused of myn ignoraūce
¶ Heere bigynneth / the Monkes tale / de casibus virorum Illustrium
I wol biwaille / in manere of Tragedie
The harm of hem / that stoode in heigħ degree
And fillen so / that ther nas no remedie
To brynge hem / out of hir aduersitee
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For certein / whan þt Fortune list to flee
Ther may no man / the cours of hire withholde
Lat no man truste / on blynd prosperitee
Be war of thise ensamples / trewe and olde
AT Lucifer / thougħ / he an Angel were
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And nat a man / at hym wol I bigynne
For thougħ Fortune / may noon Angel dere
From heigħ degree / yet fel he for his synne
Doun in to helle / where he yet is Inne
O Lucifer brigħtest. of angels alle
15
Now artow Sathanas / þt mayst nat twynne
Out of miserie / in which þt thou art falle
Loo Adam / in the feeld of Damyssene
With goddes owene fynger wrogħt was he
And nat bigeten / of mannes sperme vnclene
And welte al Paradys / sauynge o tree
Hadde neuere worldly man so heigħ degree
As Adam / til he for mysgouernaūce
Was dryuen / out of hys hye prosperitee
To labour and to helle / and to meschaūce
Loo Sampsoū / which that was Annūciat
By Angel / longe er his Natiuitee
And was / to god almyghty consecrat
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And stood in noblesse / whil he mygħte see
Was neuere / swich another as was hee
To speke of strengthe / and ther wt hardynesse
But to hise wyues / toolde he his secree
Thurgħ which / he slow hym self / for wrecchednesse