The Nun's Priest's Tale Folio 193r 12 of 12 folios
420
But I ne kan nat / bulte it to the bren
As can the holy Doctour / Augustyn
Or Boyce / or the Bysshope Bradwardyn
Wheither þ t goddis worthy / fore wetyng
Streynetħ me needly / for to doon a thyng
425
Needly / clepe I / symple necessitee
Or ellis if free chois / be grauntid me
To doo þ t same thyngħ t
Thougħ god forn woot it / or þ t it was wrougħ t
Or if his wityngħ neuer e a del
430
But by necessite / condicionel
I wole nat han to done / of swicħ matere
My tale is of the Cok / as ȝe may heere
That took his coū seil / of his wyf / wt sorwe
To walken in the ȝerd / vp oon þ t morwe
435
That he had mette þ t dreem / þ t I ȝow tolde
Wō mens coū seils / ben ful often colde
Wō mannes counseil / brougħ t vs first to woo
And made Adam / fro paradys to goo
There as he was ful merie / & wel at ese
440
But for I not to whom / it mygħ t displese
If I counseil of wō men / wolde blame
Passe ouer / for I seide it in my game
Rede auctoures / ther they trete of swicħ matere
And what they seyn of wō men / ȝe moun heere
445
Theise ben the Cokkes wordes / & nat myne
I kan noon harm / on no wō man deuyne
Lith Pertelote / and hire sustres by
A geyn the Sonne / and Chauntecler so free
450
Sang meriere / than the Mermayde in the See
For Phisiologus / seitħ sikerly
How þ t they syngen wel / and merily
Among
455
He was war of this fox/ þ t lay ful lowe
No thyngħ ī thā ne / for to crowe
But cried a noon / kok / Cok / & vp he stirte
For naturely / a beest desiretħ flee
460
From his conta rie / if þ t he may it se
Thougħ he neuer e erst / had seen it / wt his eye
This Chauntecleer / whan he gan ħ ī espye