The Manciple's Prologue
Folio 393v
1 of 3 folios
Here is endit the chanoūnys manys tale
Heryth the merye wordys of the host to the cok of lūdene
WOte ȝe not where there stant a lityl toū
Which xxx that I clepid is Bobbe vp & dou
Vndyr the ble in Caūtyrbury weye
Theere gan oure ost for to Iape & pleye
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And seyde seris what doū is in the myre
Is there no man for preyere ne for hire
That wole a wake oure felawe here be hȳde
A thef myghte ful lightely hȳ robbe & bynde
Se how he nappith se how for for Cokkis bonys
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That he wele falle frō his hors at onys
Is that a cok of lundene with myschaūce
Do hȳ come forth he knowith his penaūce
For he schal telle a tale be mȳ fey
Al thow it be not worth a b\otel hey /
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A wake thow cok quod he god ȝeue the sorwe
What eylith the to slepe by the morwe
Hast thow had flen al nyght or art thow drōke
Or hast thow wt sū quene alnyght I swonkyn
So that thow mayst nat holdȳ vp thȳ hed
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This cok that was ful pale & no thī~g red
Seyde to oure hoost so god me blysse
As there is fallȳ on me swich heuynesse
Not I not why that me were leuere slepe
Than the beste galoū wȳ in chepe
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Wel quod the Maūciple ȝif it may doon ese
To the sere Cook & to no whight displese
Whiche that here rydyth in this cūpaynye
And that oure host wele of his curteysye
I wele as now excuse the of thȳ tale
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For in god fey thȳ visage is ful pale
Thȳne eyne daswe ek as that me thȳkith
And weel I wot thȳ breth ful soure stȳkith