The Prioress' Tale Folio 156r 1 of 4 folios
Thy vertu / and thyn gret humylite
There may no tonge expresse / in no science
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For som tyme lady / or men preyen to the
Thow gost biforñ / of thyn benygnytee
And getest vs the ligħ t / of thyn preyere
To gyden vs / vn to thy sone so deere
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For to declare / thyn gret worthynesse
That I ne may / the weigħ t nat Sustene
But as a child / of twelmonetħ old or lasse
That can vnethe / any word exper sse
Rigħ t so fare I / & therfore I ȝow preye
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Gydetħ my song
There was in Assye / in a gret Citee
A monges ci stene folk / a Iewerie
Sustened by a lord / of that contree
For foul vsure / and lucre of vilenye ¶ turpe lucrum
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Hateful to crist / and to his compaignye
And thurgħ this strete / men mygħ t ride or wende
For it was free / annd open at either ende
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Children an hepe / I comen of ci stene blode
That lerned in that scole / ȝer by ȝere
Swicħ manere docti ne / as men vsed there
This is to seyn / to syngen and to rede
As smale children doon / in here childhede
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That day by day / to scole was his wone
And eke also / where as he sey the ymage
Of cristes moder / had he in vsage
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His Aue marie / as he gotħ by the weye
Oure blisseful lady / cristes moder deere
To worshipe ay / and forgat it nougħ t
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For sely Child / wil alwey sone lere
But ay whan I remembre / on this matere
Seynt Nicholas stant euer e / in my per sence