The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 194v
4 of 12 folios
¶ O wooful hennes / rigħt so cryden ȝe
550
As whan þat Nero / brente the Citee
Of Rome / criden Senatoures wyues
For þt here housbondes losten alle here lyues
W outen gilt / this Nero hatħ ħē slayn
¶ Now wol I turne / vn to my tale a geyn
555
The sely wydewe / and eke hire dougħtren two
Herden theise hennes crie / and maken woo
And out at the dores / stirten they a noon
And seye the fox / to ward the groue goon
And bar vp on his bak / the Cok a way
560
And criden out harrowe / & weylaway
Ha ha the fox / and after ħī they ran
And eke wt staues / many a nother man
Ran Colle oure dogge / and Talbot & gerland
And Malkyn witħ a distaf / in hire hand
565
Ran kow and kalf / and eke the verray hogges
So feered for the berkyng / of the dogges
And showtyng of the men / and wōmen eke
They ronne so / ħē thougħt here hertes breke
They ȝelleden as fendes / don in helle
570
The Dokes criden / as men wolde ħē quelle
The Gees for fere / flowen ouer the trees
Out of the hyue / kom the swarme of bees
So hidous was the noise / a benedicitee
Certes he Iakke straw/ & his meyne
575
Ne maden neuere shoutes / half so shille
Whan þt they wolden / any flemmyng kylle
As thilke day was maad / vp on the fox
Of Bras they broughten beemes / & of Box
Of horn / of Boon / in whicħ they blew & pouped
580
And þere witħ al / they shrykeden & they houped
It semed / as þt heuene shulde falle
Now goode men I prey ȝow / herkenetħ alle
Lo how fortune / turnetħ sodeynly
The hope & pride eke / of hire enemy
585
This Cok
þt lay
/ vp oon the foxes bak
lay is written over an erasure.ODR
In al his drede / vn to the fox he spak
And seide sire / if I were as ȝe
Ȝet wolde I seyn / as wys god helpe me
Turnetħ a geyn / ȝe proude Cherles alle
590
A verrey pestilence / vp oon ȝow falle
Now I am comē vn to the wodes syde
Maugree ȝoure hed / the Cook shal heere a bide
I wol ħī ete in feitħ / and that a noon