The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 183v
10 of 14 folios
Or if his wityng. streyneth neuer a deel
430
But by necessitee condicioneel
I wol nat han to do / of swich mateere
My tale is of a Cok /. as ye may heere
That took his conseil / of his wyf wt sorwe
To walken in the yerd / vpon that morwe
435
That he hadde met that dreem / þt I of tolde
Wōmennes conseils / been ful ofte colde
Wōmannes conseil / brogħte vs first to wo
And made Adam / out of Paradys to go
Ther as he was ful myrie / and wel atese
440
But for I noot to whom it mygħt displese
If I / conseil of wōmen wolde blame
Passe ouer / for I seye it in my game
Rede Auctours / wher they trete / of swich mateere
And what they seyn of wōmen / ye may heere
445
Thise been the Cokkes wordes / and nat myne
I kan noon harm / of no wōman diuyne
Faire in the soond / to bathe hir myrily
Lith Pertelote / and alle hir sustres by
Agayn the sonne / and Chauntecleer so free
450
Soong murier / than the Mermayde in the See
For Phisiologus / seith sikerly
How þt they syngen / wel and myrily
¶ And so bifel / that as he caste his eye
Among the wortes / on a Boterflye
455
He was war of this fox / þt lay ful lowe
No thyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe
But cride anon cok / cok / and vp he sterte
As man / that was affrayed in his herte
For natureelly / a beest desireth flee
460
Fro his contrarie / . if he may it see
Thougħ he neuer erst. hadde seyn it wt his eye
¶ This Chauntecleer / whan he gan hym espye
He wolde han fled / but that the fox anon
Seyde gentil sire / allas wher wol ye gon
465
Be ye affrayed of me / that am youre freend
Now certes / I were worse than a feend
If I to yow / wolde harm / or vileynye
I am nat come / youre conseil for tespye
But trewely / the cause of my comynge
470
Was oonly / for to herkne how that ye synge
For trewely / ye haue as myrie a Steuene
As any Aungel / that is in heuene
Ther with ye han in Musyk moore feelynge
Than hadde Boece / or any þt kan synge
475
My lord youre fader god his soule blesse
And eek youre mooder of hir gentillesse