The Manciple's Prologue
Folio 394r
2 of 3 folios
That schewith weel thow art nat weel disposed
Of me certeyn thow schalt nat been I glosed
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Se how he ganyth lo this dronkene wight
As thow he wolde swelwe vs a noon right
Hold clos thȳ mouth man by thȳ fadyr kyn
The deuyl of helle set his foot ther in
Thȳ cursede breth wele enfecte vs alle
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Fy stȳkȳge swȳ fy foule mote the be falle
A takyth hede seris of this lusty man
Now swete seris wele ȝe Iuste at the fan
There to me thȳkyth ȝe been weel I schape
I trowe that ȝe drōkȳ han wȳ ape
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And that is whā mē pleyen with a straw
And wt his speche the Cook wex wroth & wraw
And on the Manciple he gā nodde faste
For lak of speche & doū the hors hȳ caste
Wheere as he lay tyl that the hȳ vp tok
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This was a fayr chiuache of a cook
Allas ne hadde holde hȳ bi his ladil
And er that he a geyn were in his sadil
Theere was greet schowȳg / bothe two & fro
To lyfte hȳ vp & meche care & wo
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So vnwery was this sorye pallede gost
And to the maūcyple thanne spak oure hoost
By cause drynk hat dñacioū
Vp on this mā by mȳ saluacioū
I trowe lewedely he wolde telle his tale
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For were it wȳ or old / or moysti ale
That he hath drōkȳ he spekyth in his nose
And sneseth faste & ek he hath the pose
He hath also to dō moore thā I nogh
To kepe hȳ & his capil out of the slow
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And If he falle frō his capil eft sone
Thāne schal we alle han I nogh to done
To liftȳ vp his heuy dronkene cors
Telle on thȳ tale of hȳ make I no fors
But ȝit Manciple Infeyth thow art to nyce
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Thus opȳly repreue hȳ of his vyce