The Manciple's Tale
Folio 397v
6 of 8 folios
175
O troubele wit O yre recheles
That on auysid smytist gilteles
¶ O wantrust ful of fals suspecioū
Where was thȳ wit & thyn discrecioū
O eueri man be war of rakilnesse
180
Ne trowe no thyng wt oute gret witnesse
Smyt nat to sore er thā ȝe wetȳ why
And beth auysed weel & sobirly
Vp on ȝore yre for suspecioū
185
Allas a thousent folk han rakil yre
Fully fordon & brough hē in the myre
Allas for sorw I wele mȳ seluȳ sle
And to the crowe o false thef quod he
I wele the quite a non thyn false tale
190
Thow sunge whilhō lich a Nyghtyngale
Now schalt thow false thef thyn song forgon
And ek thȳne white federis euerichon
Ne neuere in al thyn lyf ne schalt tow speke
Thus schal men on a traytor been a wreke
195
Thow & thȳne ospryng / Schul been blake
Ne neuere swete noyse schul ȝe make
But euere crye a ȝen tempest & reyn
In tokenȳge that / thor the mȳ wif is slayn
And to the Crowe he styrte & that a non
200
And pullede hise white federis euerychon
And made hȳ blak & raft hȳ al his song
And ek his speche & out ate dore hȳ slong
Vnto the devil whiche I hȳ be take
And for this cas been alle crowis blake
205
¶ Lordȳgis by this exsaūple I ȝow preye
Beth war & takyth kep what that I seye
Ne tellyth neuere no man In ȝoure lyf
How that a nothir man hath dyght his wyf
He wele ȝow hatȳ mortally certeyn
210
Daū~~ Salomon as wise clerkis seyn
Techith a man to kepe his tunge weel
But as I seyde I ne am not tixtuel