The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 238r
1 of 16 folios
Sir say som what of huntyng I ȝow pray
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Nay quod þe monk I haue no lust to play //
Now let another telle as I haue told
Than spak our ost wiþ rude speche and bold //
And said vnto the nonnes prest anoon
Com ner þou prest . com ner þou ser Ioħn
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Tel vs such þing as may our hertes glade
Be bliþe al þough þou ryde vpon a iade /
What þougħ þin hors be boþe foul and lene /
If he wil serue þe rek not a bene
Lok þat þin hert be mery euer mo
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Ȝis sire ȝis hoste . also mot I go
But I be mery I wis I wol be blamed
And rigħt anoon he hath his tale tamyd
And þus he sayd vnto vs euerich oon //
This sweete prest this goodly man sir Ioħn
¶ Here bygynneth the Nonne prest his tale
A Pore wydow . som del stope in age
Was whilom duellyng in a pore cotage
Bisyde a groue stondyng in a dale
This wydow of which I telle ȝow my tale
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Syn þilke day þat sche was last a wif /
In paciens ladde . a ful symple lyf
For litel was hir catel and hir rent
By housbondry . of such as god hir sent
Sche fond hir self and eek hir doughtres tuo
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Thre large sowes had sche and no mo
Thre kyn . and eek a scheep þat highte malle
Ful sooty was hir bour and eek hir halle
In which sche eet ful many a sclender meel
Of poynaunt saws hir needid neuer a deel
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Noon deynteth morsel passid þorugh hir þrote
Hir dyete was accordant to hir cote
Repleccioun made hir neuer sik
Attempre dyete was al hir phisik
And excercise and hertes suffisaunce
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The goute lette hir no þing for to daunce
Ne poplexie schente not hir hir heed