The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 219r
3 of 15 folios
85
His snowte smal wiþ gloweinge eyen tweye
Ȝit of his loke almoste for fere .I. deye
Þis caused me my groneinge douteles
Avoye qd sche Fy on ȝowe herteles
Alas qd sche for be þat god aboue
90
Now haue \ȝe/ lost my hert & my loue
I. kan nouht loue a coward be my feiþe
For certes what so any \wō/ man seyþe
Wil al desiren if it myht be
To haue husbandes harde wise & fre
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And secre ne no nygard ne none fole
Ne him þat is agast of euery tole
Ne none avauntor be þat god aboue
How dorst ȝe seye for schame vnto ȝoure loue
Þat any þinge myht maake ȝowe aferde
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Haue ȝe none mannes herte & han berde
Alas & kan ȝe be agast of sweuesse
Sweuens engendur of re pleciones
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Whan humours bien to aboundant in a whight
Certes þis dreme whiche ȝe haue herd to nyht
Comeþ of þe grete superfluyte
Of ȝoure rede coloure perde
Whiche causeþ folke to dreme hir dremes
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Of Arwes and of fire wiþ rede lemes
Of Rede bestes þat willen hem bite
Of contek & of whelpes grete & lite
Riht as þe humore malancolye
Causeþ many aman in slepe to crye
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For fere of beres & boles blake
Or elles blake deueles wi him tak
Of oþere humerous couþ .I. tel also
Þat werken mony aman in slepe ful wo
Bot .I. wil passe as lihtly as .I. kan
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Lo Caton whiche þat was so wise aman
Seide he not þus nede no force of dremes
Now ser qd sche whan we flye fro þe bemes
For goddes loue loue as take sum laxatif
Vpon perile of my soule & of my lyf
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.I. counsel ȝowe þe best .I. wil nouȝt lye
Þat boþe of coloure & of malancolye
Ȝe pure ȝowe ; & for ȝe scholne nouht tary
Þouhe þat in þis toune is nopotecarye