The Monk's Prologue
Folio 177v
2 of 4 folios
She nys no thyng / of swicħ pacience
As was this Melibeus wyf / Prudence
By goddes bones / whan I bete myne knaues
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She bryngetħ me / the grete clobbed staues
And cryetħ / slee the dogges euerychon
And breke hē bothe bak / & euery bon
And if þt any neygħebore of myne
Wol nat in chirche / to my wyf enclyne
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Or be so hardy / to hire to trespace
Whan she cometħ hom / she raumpetħ in my face
And crietħ fals coward / wreke thy wyf
By corpus bones / I wyl haue thy knyf
And þu shalt haue my distaf / & go spynne
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Fro day to nygħt / rigħt thus she wol bigynne
Allas she seitħ / þt euere that I was shape
To wedde a mylk soppe / or a coward ape
That wol ben ouer ladde / witħ euery wygħt
Thow darst nat stonde / by thy wyues rigħt
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This is my lif / but if that I wol figħt
And out atte dore a noon / I mot me digħt
Or elles I am but lost
/ but if that I
Corrected from: amana &i;&i;&i; am : The third minim appears to be underdotted.Est/ODR
Be like a wylde lyoū / fool hardy
I wot wel / she wol do me slee / some day
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Some neigħebore / and thāne go my way
For I am perilous / witħ knyf in honde
Al be it / that I dar nat / hire wt stonde
For she is bygge in armes / be my feitħ
That shal he fynde / þt hire mysdootħ or seitħ
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But late vs passe a wey / fro this matere
My lord the Monk / qd he / be merye of chere
For ȝe shuln telle a tale / trewely
Lo Rouchestre stant heere / fastby
Ride fortħ myn owne lord / breke nat oure game
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But by my trouthe / I knowe nat ȝoure name
Wheiþer shal I calle ȝow / my lord Daun Ioħn
Or Daun Thomas / or elles daun Alboū
Of what hous be ȝe / by ȝoure fader kyn
I vow to god / þu hast a ful faire skyn
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It is a gentil pasture / there þu goost
Thow art nat like a penaūt / or a goost
Vp on my feitħ / þu art som officer
Som worthy Sexteyn / or som Celerer
For by my fadres soule / as to my dome
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Þu art a maister / whan þu art at home