The Prioress' Tale
Folio 187v
4 of 7 folios
95
Fro warde to warde accordeinge to þe note
Þreys oñ a daye it passed þoruhe his þrote
To scoleward & homwarde when he went
On cristes moder sette was his entent
¶ As .I. haue seide þoruhe oute þe Iewrye
100
This litel Childe as he cam to & fro
Ful merily þan wolde singe & crye
On alma redemptoris euermo
The swettnesse haþe his herte perced so
Of cristes moder þat to hir to preie
105
He can nouht stinte of singinge be þe waie
¶ Owre ferst foo þe serpent Satanas
Þat haþe in Iewes his waspes neste
Vp swal & seide O Ebrayke peple alas
Is þis a þinge to ȝowe þat is honest
110
Þat suche a boye schal walken as him lest
In ȝoure & singen of suche sentence
Whiche is aȝeines ȝoure lawes reuerence .
¶ Fro þens forþ þe Iewes han conspirede
This Innocent of þis werlde to chace
115
In homicide haunt þei þere to huyrede
\One/ That in a leye þei hadde a piue place
And as þe childe gan forby for to pace
This cursed Iewe him hente & helde fast
And kutte his þrote & in a pute him cast
120
¶ I sey þat in a wardrope þei him drewe
Where as þis Iewes purgen entraile
O cursed folke o herodes al newe
What may ȝoure yuel tent ȝoue availe
Morder wil oute certein . it wil nouht faile
125
And namely þere honur of god schold sprede
The blode oute crieþ on ȝoure cursed dede
¶ O martire soundede to virginite
Now maiste þou singe folowinge euer in on
The white lombe Celestial qd he
130
Of whiche þe grete euangelist seint Iohñ
In Pathmos wrote whiche seiþ þei þat gone
Be forne his lombe & singe a songe of new
Thet neuere flexly wēmen þei knewe
This pouer wedowe wayteþ al þat nyht
135
Affter þis litel Childe bot home cam he nouht
For whome alsoune as it was daies liht