The Prioress' Tale
Folio 210r
2 of 8 folios
15
¶ O. moder mayde / o mayde moder free
O. bussħ vnbrent brennyng in Moyses sighte
That rauysedest doun / fro the deitee
Thurgh thyn humblesse / the goost / þt in thalighte
Of whos vertu / whan he thyn herte lighte
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Conceyued was / the fadres sapience
Help me / to telle it in thy reuerence
¶ Lady thy boūtee / thy magnificence
Thy vertu / and thy grete humylitee
Ther may no tonge expersse / in no science
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For som tyme lady / er men praye to thee
Thow goost biforn / of thy benygnytee
And getest vs / the light of thy prayere
To gyden vs / vn to thy sone so deere
¶ My konnyng is so wayk o blisful queene
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For to declare / thy grete worthynesse
That I ne may / the weighte nat sustene
But as a child / of twelue montħ old / or lesse
That kan vnnethe / any word expersse
Right so fare I / and ther fore I yow preye
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Gideth my song that I shal of yow seye
¶ Here bigynneth the Prioresse tale of ~
Ther was in Asye / in a greet Citee
Amonges cristen folk a Iewerye
Sustened / by a lord / of that contree
For foul vsure / and lucre of vileynye turpe lucrum
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Hateful / to Crist and to his compaignye
And thurgh this strete / mex xxxxxx xxde & wenxx
For it was free / anx xxxx xx xxxxxx xxxx