The Manciple's Tale
Folio 109r
2 of 7 folios
¶ This Phebus / þt was flour of Bachelrye
As wel / in fredom as in Chiualrye
For his desport in signe eek of victorie
Of Phitoū / so as telleth vs the storie
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Was wont to beren / in his hand a bowe
Now hadde this Phebus / in his hous a Crowe
Which in a Cage / he fostred many a day
And taughte it speke / as men teche a Iay
Whit was this Crowe / as is a Snow whit swan
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And contrefete / the speche of euery man
He kowde / whan he sholde telle a tale
Ther with in al this world / no nyghtyngale
Ne koude / by an hondred thousand deel
Syngen / so wonder myrily and weel
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¶ Now hadde this Phebus / in his hous a wyf
Which þt he louede / moore than his lyf
And nyght / and day / dide euere his diligence
Hire for to plese / and doon hir reuerence
Saue oonly / that the sothe / if I shal sayn
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Ialous he was / and wolde han kept hire fayn
For hym were looth / byiaped for to be
And so is euery wight in swich degree
But al for naught for it auaileth noght
A good wyf that is clene in werk and thoght
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Sholde nat be kept in noon awayt certayn
And trewely / the labour is in vayn
To kepe a shrewe ./ for it wol nat be
This holde I / for a verray nycetee
To spille labour / for to kepe wyues
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Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyues
¶ But now to purpos / as I first bigan
This worthy Phebus / dooth al that he kan
To plesen hire / wenynge for swich plesaūce
And for his manhode / and his gouernaūce
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That no man / sholde han put hym from hir gace
But god it woot ther may no man embrace
As to destreyne a thyng which þt nature
Hath naturelly / set in a creature
¶ Take any bryd / and put it in a Cage
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And do al thyn entente / and thy corage