The Manciple's Tale
Folio 110v
5 of 7 folios
Xe were thow wont so myrily to synge
That to myn herte / it was a reioysynge
To here thy voys / allas what song is this
¶ By God quod he / I synge nat amys
145
Phebus quod he / for al thy worthynesse
For al thy beautee / and thy gentillesse
For al thy song and al thy Mynstralcye
For al thy waityng blered is thyn eye
With oon / of litel reputacioū
150
Nat worth to thee / in comparisoū
The montaūce of a gnat so mote I thryue
For in thy bed / thy wif I sey hym et cetera
What wol ye moore / the Crowe anon hym tolde
By sadde toknes / and by wordes bolde
155
How þt his wyf hadde doon hire lecherye
Hym to gret shame / and to gret vileynye
And tolde hym / ofte he say it wt hise eyen
¶ This Phebus / gan aweyward for to wryen
And thoughte / his sorweful herte brast atwo
160
His bowe he bente / and sette ther Inne a flo
And in his Ire / his wyf thanne hath he slayn
This is theffect ther nys namoore to sayn
For sorwe of which / he brak his Mynstralcye
Bothe harpe / and Lute / and Gyterne / and Sawtrye
165
And eek he brak / hise arwes / and his bowe
And after that thus spak he to the Crowe
¶ Traytour quod he / wt tonge of Scorpioū
Thow hast me broght to my confusioū
Allas þt I was wroght why nere I ded
170
O deere wyf / o gemme of lustihed
That were to me / so sad / and eek so trewe
Now lystow ded / wt face pale of hewe
Ful giltlees / that dorste I swere ywys
O rakel hand / to doon so foule amys
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O trouble wit o Ire recchelees
That vnauysed / smytest giltlees
O wantrust ful of fals suspecioū
Where was thy wit and thy discrecioū
O euery man / be war of rakelnesse
180
Ne trowe ye no thyng wt outen strong witnesse