The Prioress' Tale
Folio 201v
4 of 7 folios
And þan he song it wel and boldely
95
Twyes on þe day it passed þurgħ his þrote
From word to word accordyng to þe note
To scoleward and homward whan he went
On cristes moder was set al his entent
As I haue sayd þurghout þe Iewrye
100
This litel child as he cam to and fro
Ful merily þan wold he synge and crie /
O alma Redemptoris euer mo
The swetnes haþ his herte persed so
Of cristes moder that to hir to pray /
105
He can not stynt of syngyng by þe way /
Oure firste foo þe serpent Sathanas
That hath in Iewes hert his waspis nest
Vpswal and sayde / o ebreik peple allas
Is þis a þing to ȝow þat is honest
110
That such a boy schal walken as him lest
In ȝoure despyt and synge of such sentence
Which is aȝens ȝour lawes reuerence
Fro þennes forth þe Iewes han conspired
This Innocent out of þis world to enchace
115
In homicide þer to han ȝe þay hired
That in an aley had a priue place
And as þe childe gan forþ by to pace
This false iewe him hent and huld ful faste /
And kut his þrote and in þrew him in atte laste /
120
I say in a wardrobe þay him þrew
Wher as þe Iewes purgen her entraile
O cursed folk O herodes al newe
What may ȝour euyl entente ȝou auaile
Morther wol out certeyn it wil nougħt faile
125
And namly þer þonour of god schuld sprede /
The blood out crieþ on ȝour cursed dede /
O martir soudit to virginite
Now maystow synge folwyng euer in oon
The white lomb celestial quod sche /
130
Of which þe grete euangelist seint Iohñ
In pathmos wroot which seith þat þay goon