The Parson's Prologue
Folio 251r
1 of 3 folios
A iangler speke of perilous mateere
245
The flemyng saiþ and lere it if þe lest /
That litil iangling causeþ mochil rest
My sone if þou no wikked word hast sayd
The thar not drede for to be bywrayd
But he þat haþ mys sayd I dar wel sayn
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He may by no way clepe his word agayn
Thing þat is sayd . is sayd . and forþ it goþ
Though him repent or be him neuer so loþ
He is his þral to whom þat he haþ sayd
A tale of which he is now yuel a payd
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My sone be war and be noon auctour newe
Of tydyngs wheþer þay ben fals or trewe /
Wher so þou comest amonges heih or lowe /
Kep wel þy tonge / and thenk vpon þe crowe
¶ Here endith þe tale of þe crowe
¶ And here bygynneth the prolōge of þe Parsoūs tale
By þat þe maūciple had had his tale endid
The sonne fro þe south line is descendid
So lowe þat it nas nouȝt to my sigħt
Degrees nyne and twenty as in higħt
5
Ten on þe Clokke it was as I gesse /
For enleuen foote or litil more or lesse /
My schadow was at þilk tyme of þe ȝere /
Of which feet as my lengþe parted were /
In sixe feet equal of proporcioun
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Ther with þe mones exaltaciou~
In mena libra alway gan ascende /
As we were entryng at a townes ende
For which our host as he was wont to gye
As in þis caas oure ioly compaignye
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Sayd in þis wise lordings euerich oon
Now lakkeþ vs no moo tales more þan oon
Fulfilled is my sentens and my decre
I trowe þat we han herd of ech degre
Almost fulfilled is myn ordynaūce
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I pay to god so ȝeue him right good chaūce
That tellith to vs his tale lustily