The Manciple's Tale
Folio 396r
3 of 8 folios
Take any thyng & put it in a cage
60
And do al thȳ entent & thȳ corage
To fostere it tenderely wt mete & drynk
Of alle deynteis that thow canst be thynk
And keepe it also clenly as thow may
Al thow his cage of gold be neuere so gay
65
Ȝit hath this bryd be twēty thousend fold
Leuere in a forest that is rude & cold
Gon ete wermys & sweche wrechedenesse
For euere this bryd wele doon his busynesse
To escapȳ out of his cage ȝif he may
70
His lyberte this brid desiryth ay
Lat take a Cat & fostere hȳ weel wt mylk
And tēdere flesch & make his couche of silk
And lat hȳ seen a mous goon by the wal
A non he weyvith Milk & flesch & al
75
And eueri deynte that is in that hous
Swich apetit hath he / to ete a mous
Lo heere hat lust his dmacioū
And apetit flemyth discrecioū
A sche wolf hath also a dyuers kȳde
80
The lewedeste wolf that sche may fȳde
Or lest of reputacioū that wele sche take
In tyme whāne hire luste to hā a make
Alle these ensaūplis speke I by these men
That been outrewe & no thyng by wemen
85
For men han euere a lykerous apetit
On lowere thyng to parfornȳ here \delyt/
Thā on here wyuys ben they neuere so fayre
Ne neuere so trewe ne neuere so debonayre
Flesch is so newefāgil with myschaūce
90
That we ne cūne in nothyng han plesaūce
That sounyth in to wertew ony whyle
This phebz which that thoughte on no gyle
Disceyuede was for al his Iolyte
For vndyr hȳ a nothir hadde sche
95
A man of litil reputacioū
Not worth to phebz in cōperisoun _