The Monk's Prologue
Folio 207r
3 of 4 folios
55
.I. preie to god gif him confusione
Þat firste þe brouht in to religione
Þou woldest haue be a tredefoule ariht
Haddest þou as grete leue as þou hast myht
To parforme al þi luste in gendrure
60
Þou hadest be geten mony a creature
Alas whi weres þou so wide a cope
God ȝeue þe sorwe and .I. were a pope
Nowht onely þou bot euery myhty mañ
Theihe he were schore hihe vpon his panne
65
Schol haue a wif for al þis werlde is lorne
Religion haþ take vp al þe corne
Of tredeinge & we burel men bene schrimpes
Of feble tres þere cōme feble impes
Þis makeþ þat oure heires bene so sklender
70
And febel þat þei maie nouht wele engender
This makeþ þat oure wifes wil assaie
Religious folke for þei maie better paie
Of venus Payment þan may we
God woot no lusshbornes paie ȝe .
75
Bot be nouȝt wroþe my lord þouhe þat .I. pleie
Fol in game a soþe .I. haue herd seie
This worþi monke toke al pacience
And seid .I. wildo al my diligence
As fere as souneþ vnto honeste
80
To teƚƚ ȝoue a tale or tuo or þre
And if ȝowe lust herken hiderwarde
.I. wil ȝowe seie þe lif of seint Edwarde
Or elles Tregedise first . wil .I. teƚƚ
Of whiche .I. haue an hundreþ in my seƚƚ
85
Tregedi is for to tel a certeine storie
As olde bokes maken memorie
Of hem þat stode ī grete prosperite
And is . yfaƚƚ oute of hihe degre
In to myserie & endeþ wricchedlye
90
And þei bien vesified comūly
Of sex fete wiche þat men clep exametrone
In proseeke bien endited mony one
And eke in metric in mony a sondre wise
Lo þis ouht ȝowe .I. nouhe suffise
95
Nowe herkeneþ if ȝou luste for to here
Bot first .I. ȝoue be seche in þis matier .