The Manciple's Tale
Folio 249v
5 of 8 folios
130
Men clepen him an outlawe or a þeef
But for I am a man not texted wel
I wil not telle of textes neuer a del
I wol go to my tale as I bigan
Whan phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman
135
Anon þay wrouȝten al her wil volage /
This white crow þat heng alway in cage
Bihild her werk and sayde neuer a word
And whan þat hom was come phebus þe lord
This Crowe song . Cuckow . Cockow . Cuckow
140
What brid quod phebus what song syngistow
Ne were þou wont so merily to synge
That to myn hert it was a reioysynge
To here þi vois . allas what song is þis
By god quod he I synge not amys
145
Phebus quod he for al þy worþynes
For al þy beaute and þy gentiles
For aƚƚ þy songes and þy menstralcie /
For al þy waytyng blered is þin ye /
With oon of litel reputacioun
150
Nougħt worth to þe as in comparisoun
The mountaūs of a gnat so mot I þriue
For on þy bed þy wif I saugħ him swyue
What wol ȝe more þe crowe anoon him tolde
By sadde toknes and by wordes bolde
155
How þat his wyf had doon hir leccherie
Him to gret schame and to gret vilonye /
And told him oft he saugh it wiþ his yen /
This phebus gan awayward for to wryen
Him þought his sorwful herte brast on tuo
160
His bowe he bent and sett þerIn a flo
And in his ire he haþ his wif I slayn
Þis is þeffect þer is no more to sayn
For sorw of which he brak his menstralcye
Boþe harp . gitern . and sauterie
165
And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe
And after þat þus spak he to þe crowe
Traytour quod he wiþ tunge of scorpioun