The Prioress' Tale
Folio 157r
3 of 4 folios
Vp swal and seide / o hebrayk peeple allas
Is this to ȝow a thyng / that is honest
110
That swicħ a boy / shal walken as hī lest
In ȝoure despit / and synge of swicħ sentence
Whicħ is a geyns / oure lawes reuerence
¶ Fro thens fortħ / the Iewes han conspired
This Innocent / out of this world to chace
115
An homycyde / ther to han they hyred
That in an aleye / had a pryue place
And as the child / gan forby for to pace
This cursed Iew / hi hente / and helde hi fast
And kyt his throte / and in a pyt hī cast
120
¶ I seye that in a wardrope / they hi threwe
Where as theise Iewes / purgen here entraille
O cursed folk / of herodes al newe
What may
ȝoure euele entent
/ ȝow a vaille
¶ Legamus Apocalipsim Johannis & ibi
reperimus agnum super montem Syon &
cum illo Cxliiijor milia signatorum & cetera
qui cantant canticum nouum & cetera Isti sunt
qui cum mulieribus se non coinquinauerunt
virgines autem permanserunt , hij sun/expan>t
qui secuntur agnum quocumque vadit & cetera
Mordre wol out / certeyn it wol nat faille
125
And namely there / as the honor / of god / shal sprede
The blod out crietħ / on ȝoure cursed dede
¶ O martir souded / to virginite
Now maistow syngen / & folwen euere in oon
The white lamb / celestial quod she
130
Of whicħ the gret Ewangelist / Seynt Ioħn
In pathmos wrot / whicħ seitħ / that they that gon
Biforñ this lamb / & synge a song al newe
That neu
ere flesshly
/ w
ōmen they ne knewe
¶ id est carnaliter
¶ This pouere wydewe / a waitetħ al that nygħt
135
After hire litel child / but he cam nougħt
For whicħ as sone / as it was dayes ligħt
Witħ face pale of drede / and bisy thougħt
She hatħ atte scole / and elles where hī sougħt
Til finaly / she gan so fer a spie
140
That he last seyn was / in the Iuerie
¶ Witħ modres pitee / in hire brest enclosed
She gootħ / as she were half / out of hire mynde
To euery place / where she hatħ supposed
By lyklied / hire litel child to fynde
145
And euere on cristes moder / meke and kynde
She criede / and at the laste thus she wrougħte
A monges the cursed Iewes / she hī sougħte
¶ She freynetħ / and she preyetħ / pitously
To euery Iew / that dwelled in thilke place
150
To telle hire if hire child / went ougħt for by
They seiden nay / but Iħu of his grace