The Monk's Tale
Folio 89v
2 of 20 folios
AT Lucifer / thogh he an Aungel were
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And nat a man / at hym I wol bigynne
For thogh Fortune / may noon Aungel dere
From heigh degree / yet fil he for his synne
Doun in to helle / where as he yet is Inne
O Lucifer / brightest of Aungels alle
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Now artow Sathanas / that mayst nat twynne
Out of Miserie / in which þt thou art falle
Lo Adam in the feld of Damyssexx
W godes owne fynger wrowt xxx he
And nat bygeten of mannes sperxx vnclene
And welte al paradis sauyng o tree
Had neuere wordxx man so hey degre
As Adam til xx for mysgouernance
Was dryue oxx of his hey prosperitee
To labour xxx to helle and to meschance
LO Sampson / which that was anunciat
By the Aungel / longe er his natiuitee
And was / to god almyghty consecrat
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And stood in noblesse / whil he myghte see
Was neuere swich another / as was he
To speke of strengthe / and ther wt hardynesse
But to hise wyues / tolde he his secree
Thurgh which / he slow hym self for wrecchednesse
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¶ Sampson / this noble almyghty champioū
With outen wepne / saue hise hondes tweye
He slow / and al to rente the leoū
Toward his weddyng walkynge by the weye
His false wyf / koude hym so plese and preye
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Til she his conseil knew / and she vntrewe
Vn to his foos / his conseil gan biwreye
And hym forsook / and took another newe
¶ Thre hundred foxes / took Sampson for Ire
And alle hir tayles / he togydre bond
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And sette the foxes tayles / alle on fire
For he on euery tayl / hadde knyt a brond
And they brende / alle the cornes in that lond
And alle hir Olyueris / and Vynes eke
A thousand men / he slow with his hond
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And hadde no wepne / but an Asses cheke
¶ Whan they were slayn / so thursted hym / þt he
Was wel ny lorn / for which he gan to preye
That god / wolde on his peyne / haue som pitee
And sende hym drynke / or ellis moste he deye
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And of this Asses cheke / that was dreye
Out of a wang tooth / sprang anon a welle
Of which he drank ynogh / shortly to seye
Thus heelp hym god / as Iudicum kan telle