The Prioress' Tale
Folio 321v
2 of 4 folios
With moderis pite in hire brest enclosed
Sche goth as sche were half out of hire mynde
To eueriplace where as sche hath supposid
Be liklyhede / hire litil child to fynde
145
And euere on crystis modyr meke & kynde
Sche cryede & at the laste thus sche wrouȝte
A mong the cursede Iewys sche hȳ sougħte
Sche askyth & sche fraynyth pitously
To euery Iue that dwelte in thilke place
150
To telle hire of hire child wente out forth by
They seydyn nay but Ihū of his grace
Yaf in hire thouȝt with inne a lytyl space
That in that place aftyr hire sone sche cryede
Where he was casten in a pit be syde
155
O greete god that parfornedist this laude
By mouth of innocentis lo here thyn myght
This gemme of chastite this emeroude
And ek of martyredom the rubye bryȝt
There he with throte I korvyn lygħ vp ryght
160
He alma redemptoriss gan to synge
So loude that al the place gan to rynge
The cristene folk that thurgh the strete wente
In comyn for to wonderyn vp on this thyng
And hastyliche they for the prouost sente
165
He cam a non with outyn taryeng
And heryeth Crist that is of heuene kyng
And ek his modyr honour of mankynde
And aftyr that the Iewis leet he bynde
This child with pitous lamentacioū
170
Vp takyn was sȳgynge his song alwey
And with honour of greet processyoū
They caryen hȳ vn to the nexte abbey
His modyr swoūnynge by the beere lay
Vnnethe myghe the puple that was there
175
This newe Rachel bryngyn frō the beere