The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 101r
4 of 16 folios
Of othere humours / koude I telle also
That werken many a man / in sleep ful wo
But I wol passe / as lightly as I kan
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Lo Catoū / which þt was so wys a man
Seyde he nat thus / ne do no fors of dremes
Now sire quod she / whan we fle fro thise bemes
For goddes loue / as taak som laxatif
Vp peril of my soule / and of my lif
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I conseile yow the beste / I wol nat lye
That bothe of Coler / and of Malencolye
Ye purge yow / and for ye shal nat tarye
Thogh / in this town / is noon Apothecarye
I shal my self / to herbes techen yow
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That shul ben / for youre heele and for youre prow
And in oure yerd / tho herbes shal I fynde
The whiche han / of hir propretee by kynde
To purge yow / bynethe and eek aboue
Foryet nat this / for goddes owene loue
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Ye ben ful colerik of complexioū
Ware the sonne / in his / Ascencioū
Ne fynde yow nat replet of humors hote
And if it do / I dar wel leye a grote
That ye shul haue / a feuere terciane
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Or an Agew / þt may be youre bane
A day / or two / ye shul han degestyues
Of wormes / er ye take youre laxatyues
Of Lauriol / Centaur / and Fumetere
Or ellis of Ellebor / that groweth there
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Of Katapuce / or of Gaytrys beryis
Of herbeyue growyng in oure yerd / ther merye is
Pekke hem vp right as they growe / and ete hem In
Be myrie housbonde / for youre fader kyn
Dredeth no dreem / I kan sey yow namoore
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¶ Madame quod he / grant mercy of youre loore
But nathelees / as touchyng daun Catoun
That hath of wisdom / swich a gret renoun
Thogh þt he bad / no dremes for to drede
By god men may / in olde bokes rede
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Of many a man / moore of auctoritee
Than euere Caton was / so mote I thee