The Prioress' Tale
Folio 321r
1 of 4 folios
Oure fyrste fo the serpent satirnas
That hath in Ieues herte his waspis nest
Vp swal and seyde O ebraik peple allas
Is this a thyng // to yow / that is honest
110
That swich a boy schal walkyn as hȳ lest
In ȝoure despyt & syngyn of swich centence
Which is a ȝens oure lawys reuerence
From thenys forth the Iewys han conspyred
This innocent out of this world to chace
115
An homycyde thereto han they heryd
Rygh in an aley at a pryue place
And as the child gan forth by for to pace
This cursede Iew hȳ hente & held hȳ faste
And kitte his throte & in a pit hȳ caste
120
I seye that in a warderope they hȳ threwe
Where as these Iewys purgȳ here entrayle
O cursede folk of herodes al newe
What may ȝoure euele entent ȝow a vayle
Mordere wele out certeyn it wele nat fayle
125
And namely there as thonour of god schal sprede
The blod out cryeth on youre cursede dede
O martyr soudede to virginite
Now mayst tow syngȳ folwȳge euere in on
The whyte lamb celestial quod sche
130
Of whiche the greete euangelyst seynt Ioħn
In Patħmos wrot / which seyth that they that gon
By forn this lamb & sȳge a song al newe
That neuere fleschely woman they ne knewe
This pore widewe which that waytith al that nyȝt
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Aftyr hire lytyl chil & he cam nouȝt
For which as sone as it was dayis lyȝt
With face pale of drede & busy thouȝt
Sche hath at scole & elles where hȳ souȝt
Tyl fynally sche gan so fer espye
140
That he last seyn was in the Ieuerye