The Manciple's Tale
Folio 111r
6 of 7 folios
Smyt nat to soone // er þt ye witen why
And beth auysed / wel and sobrely
Vp on youre Ire / for suspecioū
185
¶ Allas / a thousand folk / hath rakel Ire
Fully fordoon / or broght hem in the Myre
Allas / for sorwe / I wol my seluen sle
¶ And to the Crowe / o false theef seyde he
I wol thee quyte anon / thy false tale
190
Thow songe whilom / lyk a nyghtyngale
Now shaltow false theef thy song forgon
And eek thy white fetheres euerichon
Ne neuere in al thy lyf ne shaltow speke
Thus shal men / on a traytour ben awreke
195
Thow and thyn ofspryng euere shul be blake
Ne neuere / swete noyse shul ye make
But euere crye / agayn tempest and rayn
In tokenynge / þt thurgh thee my wyf is slayn
And to the Crowe he stirte / and that anon
200
And pulled / hise white fetheres euerichon
And made hym blak and refte hym al his song
And eek his speche / and out at dore hym slong
Vn to the deuel / which I hym bitake
And for this cas / ben alle Crowes blake
205
¶ Lordynges / by this ensample / I yow preye
Beth war and taketh kepe what I seye
Ne telleth neuere / no man in youre lyf
How þt another man / hath dight his wyf
He wol yow haten / mortally certeyn
210
¶ Daun Salomon / as wise clerkes seyn
Techeth a man / to kepen his tonge wel
But as I seyde / I nam nat textuel
But nathelees / thus taughte me my dame
My sone / thenk on the Crowe agoddes name
215
My sone / keep wel thy tonge / and kepe thy freend
A wikke tonge / is worse than a feend
My sone / from a feend / men may hem blesse
My sone / god / of his endelees goodnesse
Walled a tonge / with teeth / and lippes eke
220
For man sholde hym auyse / what he speeke