The Nun's Priest's Prologue
Folio 217r
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Suche happe þat he ascaped þoruhe þe Reine
Þat of his foos he myht nouht be sleine
And suche a sweuen vpon a nyht he mette
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Of whiche he was proude & eke feine
Þat in vengeance he al his hert sette
¶ Vpon a tre he was as þat him þouhte
There Iubiter him wessche boþe halse & side
And phebus eke a faire towel him brouht
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To drye him wiþ & þer to wex his pride
And to his douhter þat stode him beside
Whiche þat he knowe in hihe science abounde
He badd him tel hir what it signified
And sche his dreme began riht þus expounde
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¶ The tre qd sche þe galouse is to mene
And Iubiter be tokeneþ snowe & reyne
And Phebus wiþ his towele so clene
Is þe sonne stremes for to seyne
Thou schalt an honge\d/ be fader certeine
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Reyne schal þe wassche & sonne schal þe drye
Thus warned sche him ful platte & pleine
His douhter þat called was Phayne
¶ An honged was Cresus þe proude kynge
His Roial throne myht him nouht availe
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Tregedrye is none oþere man er þinge
Ne cann in sinynge crie ne beweyle
Bot þat fortune alwei wil assaile
Wiþ vnwar stroke þe Reignes þat bien proude
For whan men trusteþ hir þan wil sche faile
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And couere hir briht face wiþ a cloude
Hoo qd þe knyght good ser no more of þis
Þat ȝe haue saide it is ynowhe y wis
And muchel more for litel heuynesse
Is riht ynouhe to muche folke as .I. gest
.I. seie for me it is a grete disese
Where as men haþ buen in gre welþe & ese
To heren of her sodan fal alas
And þe contrarie is Ioye & grete solace
As whan haþe bue in pouer astate
And climbeþ vp & waxeþ fortunate
And þare abideþ in prosperite
Suche þinge is gladsome as it þenkeþ me .