The Monk's Tale Folio 178v 1 of 18 folios
95
Now herkenetħ / if ȝow liketħ for to heere
But first I ȝow byseke / in this matere
Thougħ I be ordre / telle nat theise thynges
Be it of Popes / Emper or s or kynges
After here ages / as men writen fynde
100
But telle hē some bifore / & some bihynde
Haue me excused / of myn ignoraunce
titled de casibus virorum
I wol be wayle / in manere of Corrected from: tragedetragedietragedie
The harm of hem / þ t stoden in hey degree
And fellen so / þ t þ er e was no remedie
To brynge hē out / of here aduer sitee
5
For certeyn / whan þ t fortune list to flee
There may noman / the cours of hire witħ holde
Lat noman truste / on blynd pro sper itee
Be war / by theise ensamples / trewe & olde
10
For thougħ fortune may / non Aungel dere
From heigħ degree / ȝet fel he for his synne
O lucifer brigħ test / of Aungelis alle
15
Now artow Sathanas / þ t maist nat twynne
Out of miserie / in whicħ þ t þ u art falle ¶ Adam
W goddes owne fynger / wrougħ t was he
And nat bigeten / of mā nes sper me vnclene
Hadde neuer e wordly man / so heigħ degree
Was dryuen out / of his heye pro sper itee
To labour & to helle / and to meschaunce
By the Aungel / longe / or his natyuyte
And was to god almygħ ty / consecrat
20
Was neuer e sucħ a nother / as was he
To speke of strengthe / & ther wt hardynesse
But to hise wyues / told he his secree