The Nun's Priest's Prologue
Folio 99r
1 of 1 folios
¶ This is the prologe of the Nonnes pxxxxxxxx tale ~
HO quod the knyght good sire namoore of this
That ye han seyd / is right ynow ywis
And muchel moore / for litel heuynesse
Is right ynow / to muche folk I gesse
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Youre tales / doon vs no desport ne game
Wher fore sir Monk / o . Daun Piers by youre name
I prey yow hertely / telle vs som what ellis
For sikerly / nere clynkyng / of youre bellis
That on youre bridel hange / on euery syde
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By heuene kyng þt for vs alle dyde
I sholde er this / haue fallen doun for sleepe
Al thogh the slow / hadde neuere ben so deepe
Thanne hadde youre tale / al be toold in veyn
For certeynly / as þt thise clerkes seyn
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Where as a man / may haue noon audience
Naught helpeth it to tellen his sentence
And wel I woot the substaūce is in me
If any thyng shal wel reported be
Sire / sey som what of huntyng I yow preye
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¶ Nay quod this Monk I haue no lust to pleye
Now lat another telle / as I haue toold
¶ Thanne spak oure hoost with rude speche & boold
And seyde / vn to the Nonnes preest anon
Com neer thow preest com hider thow ser Ioħn
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Telle vs swich thyng as may oure hertes glade
Be blythe / though thow ryde vp on a Iade
What though thyn hors / be bothe foul and lene
If he wol serue thee / rekke nat a bene
Looke / that thyn herte / be murye euere mo
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¶ Yis sire quod he / yis hoost so mote I go
But I be murye / ywis I wol be blamed
And right anon / his tale he hath attamed
And thus he seyde / vn to vs euerichon
This sweete preest this goodly man ser Ioħn