The Manciple's Tale
Folio 396v
4 of 8 folios
The more harm is it ofte happith so
Of whiche there comyth meche harm & wo
And so be fel that phebz was absent
100
His wif a non hath forth his leman sent
Hire leman Certis this is a knauych speche
For ȝeuyth it me & that I ȝow be seche
The wyse plato seyth as ȝe may reede
The word mote nede a corde wt the dede
105
Ȝif men schal telle propirly a thyng
The word mot Cosyn be to the werkyng
I am a boystoūs man ryght thus seye I
Theere is no differens trewely
Be twixe a wyf that is of high degre
110
Ȝif of hire body disonest sche be
But that the gentile in hire stat a boue
Sche schal be clepid his lady as in loue
115
And for that othir is a pore woman
Sche schal be clepid his wēche or his lēman
And god it wot mȳ owene deere brothir
Men leyn that on as lowe / as lyth that othir
Righ so by twixe a titeleles tyraūt
120
And an outlawe or a thef erraūt
The same I seye there is no difference
To alysaūdere was told this sentence
That for the tyraūt is of grettere myght
By force of meyne for to slen doū ryght
125
And brēnȳ hous & hom & make al pleyn
Lo therfore is he clepid a capitayn
And for the outlawe hat but smal meyne
And may not doon so gret an harm as he
Ne brȳge a cuntre to so greet myschif
130
Men clepe hȳ an outlawe or a thef
But for I am a man not textuel
I wele not telle of textys neuereadel
I wele go to myn tale as I be gan
Whā phebz wif hath sent for hire leman
135
A non they wroughtȳ al here lust volage
The white Crowe that heng ay in the cage