The Monk's Prologue
Folio 351v
2 of 2 folios
Of tythyng / & we borel meen been schrȳpis
Of feble treis theere comȳ febele ympis
This makyth that oure eyris been so sklendere
70
And feble that they may not weel engendere
This makyth that oure wiuys wele assaye
Relygeous folk for ȝe mowe betere playe
Of venus payementis thā mowe we
God wot no lusschebruys paye ȝe
75
But be nat wroth mȳ lord thow that I pleye
Ful ofte in game a sothe I haue herd seye
This worthy Monk tok al in pacience
And seyde I wele don al myn diligēce
As fer as sounyth in to honeste
80
To telle ȝow a tale or two or three
And ȝif thow leste to herkȳ hedyrward
I wele ȝow seyn the lyf of seynt Edeward
Or ellis fyrst tragedeis wele wele I telle
Of whiche I haue an hūdered in mȳ celle
85
Tragedie is to seyne a certeyn storye
As olde bokys makȳ vs memorie
Of hȳ that stod in greet prosperitee
& is I fallȳ out of hygh degre
In to myserye & endyth wrechedely
90
And they been vercified comoūly
Of sexe feet whiche mē callȳ exametroū
In prose ek endytid been manyon
And ek in metre in . manye a sundery wyse
Lo this declarȳge oughte I nough suffyse
95
Now herkyth ȝif ȝow lyke for to heere
But fyrst I ȝow be seke in this matiere
Thow I be ordere telle nat these thyngis
Be it of popis emperourys or kyngis
Aftyr here agis as men rede & fynde
100
But telle hē some by fore & some be hȳde
As it comyth to mȳ remēbraūce
Haue me excusede of mȳ ygnoraūce