It is a morale tale vertuouse
Al be it tolde sum tyme in sundre wise
Of sundre folke as .I. schal ȝowe deuise
25
As þus ȝe wote euery euangelist
That telleþ vs of ihū crist
Ne saiþe nouht al þinge as his felawe doþe
Bot Naþeles her sentence is al soþe
And al accorden att here sentence
30
Al be þare in her tellinge difference
For sōme of hēme seine more & sōme seine lesse
Whan þei his pitous passion expresse
.I. Mene of Mark . Matheu . luke . & Iohñ
Bot doutles her sentence is al one
35
There for lordeynges al .I. ȝowe be seche
If þat ȝe þinke .I. varye in my speche
As þus . If þat .I. teƚƚ sum what more
Of prouerbes þan ȝe haue herde to fore
Comperhendit in þis litel tretis here
40
To enforce wiþ þeeffect of Mi Matiere
And þouhe .I. nade þe same wordes saye
As ȝe haue herde ȝitt to al ȝowe .I. preie
Blameþ me nouht for as my sentence
Ȝe schol nouht finde muche difference
45
Fro the sentens of þe tretys leuyte
After þe whiche þis Mery tale .y. write
And Herken whatt .I. schal seye
And lett me tale .I. preye
Hic incipit fabula de Mellybeo Par Chaucer
A ȝonge man whilom called Mellibe . mihte
& riche be gatte vpon his wyf . þat called
was . Prudence . a douht er which was cle-
ped Sapience .
vpon adaie fel þat he for
his disporte is went in to þe feldes hī to
pley ;
His wife & eke his douht er haþe he laft
wiþ in his hous . of whiche þe dores were fast yschett .
Foure of
his olde foos haue it aspied . And setten ledders to þe walles of his
hous . & be þe wyndows entred
5
& beten his wif & wounded his
douhter wt .v. mortale woundes ī .v. sundre places
¶ This is to
seye . in her fete ī hir hondes ī hir eres & in hir nose & ī hir mouþe .
And laften hir for dede & wenten her wey
¶ Whan . Mellibeus retur-
ned was aȝein ī to his hous . & sauhe al þis meschief ¶ He ylike a
mad man rentynge his cloþes gan to wepe & crye .
Prudens his
¶ Prudence his wif as ferforþ as sche dorst . besouht him of his wepe-
inge for to stinte