The Prioress' Tale
Folio 209v
1 of 8 folios
¶ Herke the myrie wordes / of the worthy Hoost ~
WEl seyd / by corpus dominus / quod oure hoost
Now longe / moote thow saille by the coost
Thow gentil Maister gentil Maryner
God yeue the Monk / a thousand last quaad yeer
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A. ha. felawes / beth war of swich a Iape
The Monk putte / in the mannes hood an Ape
And in his wyues eek / by Seint Austyn
Draweth no Monkes / moore in to youre In
¶ But now passe ouer / and lat vs seke aboute
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Who shal now telle first of al this route
Another tale / and with that word he sayde
As curteisly / as it hadde been a mayde
My lady Prioresse / by youre leue
So that .I. wiste / I sholde yow nat agreue
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I wolde demen / that ye telle sholde
A tale next if so were that ye wolde
Now wol ye vouche it sauf my lady deere
¶ Gladly quod she / and seyde as ye shal heere
¶ The proheme of the Prioresse tale ~
O lord oure lord / thy name how merueilous
Is in this large world / ysprad quod she
For nat oonly / thy laude precious
Parfourned is / by men of dignytee
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But by the mouth of children / thy boūtee
Parfourned is / for on the brest soukynge
Som tyme / shewen they thyn heryynge
¶ Wher fore in laude / as I best kan or may
Of thee / and of the white lilye flour
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Which þt the bar / and is a mayde alway
To telle a storie / I wol do my labour
Nat that I may / encressen hir honour
For she hir self / is honour and the Roote
Of boūtee next hir sone / and soules boote