Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale Folio 195r 1 of 2 folios
The fox answered / in feitħ it shal be doon
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And as he spak þ t word / al sodeynly
The Cok brak from his moutħ / delyuerly
And hye vp on a tree / he flaw a noon
And whan the fox saw / þ t the Cok was gon
Allas qd he / o chaunteclere allas
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I haue to ȝow qd he / I don trespas
In as meche / as I maked ȝow afferd
Whan I ȝow hente / & brougħ t in to this ȝerd
But sithe I dede it / in no wykke entente
Come doun / & I shal telle ȝow what I mente
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I shal sey sotħ to ȝow / god helpe me so
Nay / thā ne qd he / I shrewe vs bothe two
And first I shrewe my self / bothe blode & bones
If þ u begile me / oftere than ones
Thow shalt nomore / thurgħ thy flaterie
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For he þ t wynketħ / whan he shulde see
Al wilfully / god lat ħ ī neuer e thee
Nay qd the fox / but god ȝeue ħ ī meschaunce
That is so vndiscret / of gouer naunce
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That iangletħ / whan he shulde holde his pees
Lo whicħ it is / for to be rechelees
But ȝe þ t holden this tale / of folie
As of a fox / or of a Cok / or hen
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Taketħ the moralitee / goode men
For Seynt Poule seitħ / þ t al þ at wryten is
To oure docti ne / it is I wryte I wys
Taketħ the fruyt / & lat the chaf be stille
Now goode god / if þ t it be thy wylle
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As seitħ my lord / so make vs alle goode men ¶ kantuariensis
An brynge vs to his blisse/
Amen.
I blissed be thy brethe / & euer y ston
This was a murie tale / of Chauntecleer
But by my trouthe / if þ u were seculer
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Thow woldest ben a tredfoul / a rigħ t
For if þ u haue corage / as þ u hast mygħ t
The were nede of hennes / as I wene
Ȝa / moo than seuene tymes / seuentene