The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 100v
3 of 16 folios
Xnd kepe my body / out of foul pisoun
Me mette / how that I romed vp and doun
With Inne oure yeerd / where as I say a beest
80
Was lyk an hound / and wolde han maad arest
Vp on my body / and han had me ded
His colour / was bitwixe yelow and red
And tipped was his tayl / and bothe hise erys
With blak vnlik the remenaūt of hise herys
85
His snowte smal / wt glowyng eyen tweye
Yet of his look for fere almoost I deye
This caused me / my gronyng doutelees
¶ Avoy quod she / fy on yow hertelees
Allas quod she / for by that god aboue
90
Now han ye lost myn herte and al my loue
I kan nat loue a Coward / by my feith
For certes / what so any wōman seith
We alle desiren / if it myghte be
To han housbondes / hardy / wise and fre
95
And secree / and no nygard / ne no fool
Ne hym / þt is agast of euery tool
Ne noon auauntour / by that god aboue
How dorste ye seyn / for shame / vn to youre loue
That any thyng myghte make yow aferd
100
Haue ye no mannes herte / and han a berd
Allas / and konne ye ben agast of sweuenys
No thyng god woot but vanytee in sweuene is
Sweuenes / engendren of replexions
And ofte / of fume / and of cōplexions
105
Whan humours / ben to habundant in a wight
Certes this dreem / which ye han met to nyght
Comth / of the grete superfluitee
Of youre rede Colera pardee
Which causeth folk / to dreden in hir dremes
110
Of Arwes / and of fyr wt rede lemes
Of rede bestes / that they wol hem byte
Of contek / and of whelpes grete and lyte
Right as the humour / of Malencolie
Causeth ful many a man / in sleepe to crie
115
For fere of blake beres / or boles blake
Or ellis / blake deueles wol hem take