The Prologue to the Tale of Sir Thopas
Folio 203r
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This antym verraily in my deyinge
As ȝe haue herd and whan þat I had songe
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Me þougħt sche layde a grayn vnder my tonge
Wherfor I synge and synge moot certeyne
In honour of þat blisful mayden fre
Til fro my tonge taken is þe greyne
And after þat þus saide sche to me
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My litil child now wil I fecche þe
Whan þat þe grayn is fro þi tonge I take
Be nougħt agast I wol þe nougħt forsake
This holy monk this abbot him mene I
His tonge out caugħt and took awey þe greyn
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And he ȝaf vp þe gost ful softely
And whan þe abbot hath þis wonder seyn
His salte teres striken doun as reyn
And gruf he fel a doun vnto þe grounde
And stille he lay as he had ben y bounde /
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The couent eek lay on þe pauyment
Wepyng and herying cristes moder deere
And after þat þay rise and forþ þay went
And took away þis martir fro his beere /
In a tombe of marble stoones cleere /
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Enclosed þay þis litil body sweete /
Ther he is now god leue vs for to meete
O ȝonge hughe of lyncoƚn slayn also
Wiþ cursed iewes as it is notable /
For it nys but a litel while ago
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Pray eek for vs we synful folk vnstable
That of his mercy god so merciable
On vs his grete mercy multiplie
For reuerence of his modir marie Amen
Whan sayd was this miracle euery man
As sober was þat wonder was to se
Til þat oure host to iape bigan
And þan at erst he loked vpon me
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And sayde þus what man art þou quod he
Thou lokest as þou woldest fynde an hare
For euer vpon þe ground I se þe stare /