The Prioress' Tale
Folio 188r
5 of 7 folios
Wiþ face pale for drede & besy þouht
Sche haþe att scole & elles where him souht
Til finally sche gan so fer asspye
140
Þat he was seyȝen last in þe Iewrye
¶ Wiþ moders pyte in hir breste enclosede
Sche goþe as sche were halue oute of mynde
To euery place where sche haþ supposed
Be liklyhed hire childe to finde
145
And euer on cristes moder meke & kinde
Sche cried & att þe last þus sche wrouht
Amonge þe cursed Iewes sche him souht
¶ Sche freyneþ & sche preiþe pitously
To euery Iewe þat duelled in þilk place
Thei saiden naie bot ihūs of his grace
Ȝaue in her þouht in wiþ a litel space
Þat in þat place after her sōne sche cried
Thare he was cast in a putte be side
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¶ O grete god þat parfourmed þin laude
Be mouþe of Innocence Lo here þi myht
This gēme of chastite þis emeraude
And eke of Marterdom þe ruby briht
Þere he wiþ þrote y corne leie vpriht
160
He Alma redemptoris gan to singe
So longe þat al þe place gan to ringe
¶ The cristen folke þat þoruhe þe strete wente
In Camyne to wonderne of þis þinge
And hastely þei for þe prouost sente
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He cam anone wiþ outen any taryinge
And herieþ crist þat is heuen kinge
And eke his moder honoure of mankinde
And after þe Iewes lete he binde
¶ This childe wiþ pitous lamentacioūe
170
Vp taken singeinge his songe alweye
And wiþ honoure of grete processioune
Thei Carien him to þe next Abbeye
His modere swoneynge be þe bere laye
Vnneþ myhte þe peple þat was þere
175
This newe rache\l/ bringe fro his bere
¶ Wiþ torment & wiþ schamful deþe ilkone
This prouost doþe þes Iewes for to sterue
That of þis morder wist & þat anane
He nolde none suche cursednesse obserue .