The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 380v
1 of 5 folios
Thre strokis in the nekke he smoot hire tho
The turmentor but for no manere chaūce
He myghte nat smyte al hire nekke a two
And for there was that tyme an ordynaūce
530
That no man schulde doon / mā swich penaūce
The fourte strook to smyte soffte or sore
This turmentor ne durste doon no moore
But half deed with hire nekke I koruȳ theere
He lefte hire lye / & on his woye is went
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The cristene folk whiche that a boute hire weere
With scheetis han the blood ful fayre I hent
Thre dayis leuede sche in that turnement
And neuere sesede hē the feyth to teche
That sche hadde fosterede hē sche gā to preche
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And hem sche ȝaf hire meoblis & hire thyng
And to the Poope vrban bi tok hē tho
And seyde I axede this of heuene kyng
To haue thre dayis respit & namo
To recōmende to ȝow / er that I go
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These soulis lo & that I myghte do werche
Heere of mȳ hous perpetuelly a cherche
Seynt vrban with hise dekenys priuily
The body fette & beriede it be nyght
Among hise othere seyntis honestely
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Hyre hous the cherche of seynt cecile hyghte
Seynt vrban halwede it as he weel myght
In which in to this day in noble wyse
Meen don to Cryst & to his seynte seruyse
Here folwyn the mery wordys of chaūcer & of þõ host And the prologe of the chanoūys man ~