The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 239v
4 of 16 folios
How dorst ȝe sayn for schame vnto ȝour loue /
That any þing might make ȝow afferd
100
Haue ȝe no mannes hert and han a berd
Allas and can ȝe ben agast of sweuenys
Nought god wot / but vanite in sweuen is
Sweuens engendrid ben of repleccioūs
And often of fume and of complexioūs
105
Whan humours ben to abundaūt in a wigħt
Certes þis dreem which ȝe han met to nigħt
Comeþ of þe grete superfluite
Of ȝoure reede Colera perde
Which causeth folk to dremen in here dremes
110
Of arwes and of fuyr with reede beemes
Of rede bestis þat þai wil him byte /
Of Contek and of whelpis greet and lite
Right as þe humor of malencolie
Causeþ in sleep ful many a man to crye
115
For fere of beres or of boles blake
Or elles blake deueles wol hem take
Of oþer humours couþe I telle also
That wirken many a man in slep ful woo
But I wol passe as lighty as I can
120
Lo Catoun which þat was so wis a man
Sayde he nouȝt þus ne do no force of dremes
Now sire quod sche whan we fle fro þise beemes
For goddis loue as tak som laxatyf
Vp peril of my soule and of my lyf
125
I counsel ȝow þe best I wol not lye
Though in þis toun is noon apotecarie
I schal my self tuo herbes techyn ȝow
130
That schal be for ȝour hele and for ȝoure prow
And in oure ȝerd þo herbes schal I fynde
The whiche han of her proprete by kynde
To purgen ȝow byneþe and eek aboue
Forget not þis for goddis oughne loue
135
Ȝe ben ful colerik of complexioun
War þe sonne in his ascencioun
Ne fynd ȝow not replet in humors hote ********************running head here ????????????????