The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 370r
11 of 14 folios
420
And han been of an hunderede thousent men
But I can not bulte it to the breen
As can the holy doctour Augustyn
Or Boece or the bisshop Bradwardyn
Whethir that goddys worthi forwetyng
425
Streynyth me nedely for to do that thyng
Needely clepe I symple necescite
Or ellis fre choys be \g/raūtede me
To do that same thyng or do it not
Thow god fore wot it er that I was wrought
430
Or ȝif his wetȳge streynyth neuere a deel
But by necescite condicioūnel
I wele not han to done of swich mateere
Mȳ tale is of a cok as ȝe may here
That tok his conseyl of his wif with sorwe
435
To walkyn in the ȝerd vp on that morwe
That he hadde met the drem that I ȝow tolde
Womenys conseylis been ful oftyn colde
Womenys cōseylis broughte vs ferst to woo
And made Adā frō paradys to go
440
Theere as he was ful merye & weel at ese
But for I not to whō I myghte displese
Ȝif I cōseyl of women wolde blame
Passe ouyr for I seyde it in mȳ game
Reede autoris wheere they trete of sweche matiere
445
And what they sey / of women / ȝe may here
These been the cokkis wordis & nat myne
I can noon harm on no woman deuȳne
Fayre in the sond to bathe hire meryely
Lyth Pertelote & alle hire susteryn by
450
A geyn the sūne & Chaūtecleer so free
Song meryere thā the mermydȳ in the se
For phisiologus seyth sekyrly
How that they sȳgȳ weel & meryely
And so be fel that as he caste his yen
455
A mong the wortis on a botyrflye
He was war of this fox that lay ful lowe
No thyng ne lyste hȳ thāne for to crowe