The Prioress' Tale
Folio 200v
2 of 7 folios
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Conceyued was þe fadres sapience
Help me to telle it in þy reuerence
Lady þi bounte and þy magnificence
Thy vertu and þi gret humilite
Ther may no tonge expres in no science
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For som tyme lady er men pray to þe /
Thow gost biforn of þy benignite
And getist vs þe ligħt þurgh þy prayere /
To gyden vs þe way to þy sone sone so deere /
My connyng is to weyk o blisful queene
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For to declare þy grete worþinesse
That I may not / þis in my wyt susteene
But as a child of twelf month old or lesse /
Than can vnneþes eny word expresse
Right so fare I and þerfor I ȝou pray
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Endith my song þat I schal of ȝow say
THer was in acy in a greet Citee
Amonges cristen folk a Iewerye
Susteyned by a lord of þat contre
For foul vsure and lucre of felonye /
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Hateful to crist and to his compaignye /
And þurgħ þe strete men might ride and wende /
For it was fre and open at euerich ende
A litel scole of cristen folk þer stood
Doun at þe forþer ende in which þer were
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Children an heep ycomen of cristes blood
That lered in þat scole ȝer by ȝere
Such maner doctrine as men vsed þere
This is to say to synge and to rede
As smale childer doon in her childhede /
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Among þese children was a wydow sone
A litel clergeoū þat seue ȝer was of age
That day by day to scole was his wone
And eek also wher so he saugħ þymage
Of cristes moder had he in vsage
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As him was taugħt to knele a doun and say /