The Prioress' Tale
Folio 150v
6 of 7 folios
¶ This child / with pitous lamentacioū
170
Vp taken was / syngynge his song alway
And with honour of greet processioū
They carien hym / vn to the nexte Abbay
His mooder swownynge / by his beere lay
Vnnethe / mygħte the peple þt was theere
175
This newe Rachel / brynge fro his beere
¶ With torment and wt shameful deeth echon
This Prouost dooth the Iewes for to sterue
That of this mordre wiste / and that anon
He nolde / no swich cursednesse obserue
180
Yuele shal he haue / þt yuele wol deserue
Therfore / with wilde hors / he dide hem drawe
And after that he heng hem by the lawe
¶ Vp on this beere / ay lith this Innocent
Biforn the chief Auter / whil the masse laste
185
And after that the Abbot with his Couent
Han sped hem / for to burien hym ful faste
And whan they / hooly water on hym caste
Yet spak this child / whan spreynd was hooly water
And song O Alma redemptoris mater
190
¶ This Abbot which þt was an hooly man
As Monkes been / or elles oghte be
This yonge child / to coniure he bigan
And seyde / o deere child I halsen thee
In vertu / of the hooly Trinitee
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Tel me / what is thy cause / for to synge
Sith þt thy throte is kut to my semynge
¶ My throte is kut vn to my nekke boon
Seyde this child and as by wey of kynde
I sholde haue dyed / ye longe tyme agon
200
But Ihū crist / as ye in bookes fynde
Wil þt his glorie / laste / and be in mynde
And for the worshipe / of his mooder deere
Yet may I synge / O Alma / loude and cleere
¶ This welle of mercy Cristes mooder sweete
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I loued alwey / as after my konnynge
And whan þt I my lyf / sholde for lete
To me she cam / and bad me for to synge
This Anthephen / verraily / in my deyynge
As ye han herd / and whan þt I hadde songe
210
Me thoughte / she leyde a greyn vp on my tonge