The Tale of Melibeus Folio 160v 1 of 32 folios
I wol ȝow telle / a litil thyng
20
That ougħ te like ȝow / as I suppose
Or elles certes / ȝe be to daungerous
Al be it told / somtyme / in sondry wyse
Of sondry folk / as I shal ȝow deuyse
25
That telletħ vs / the peyne of Ihū crist
Ne seitħ nat alle thyngħ
But nathelees / his sentence is al sotħ
30
For sō me of hem seyn more / & some sey lasse
Whan they / his pitous passioū expresse
But doutelees / here sentence is al oon
35
Therfore lordynggis alle / I ȝow byseche
If ȝow thynke I varie / as in my speche
Of prouerbes / than ȝe han herd bifore
Comprehended / in this litel tretys heere
40
To enforce witħ / the effect of my matere
And thougħ I nat / the same wordes seye
Blametħ me nougħ t / for as in my sentence
Shuln ȝe no wher / fynden / difference
45
Fro the sentence / of this tretys lite
After the whicħ / this mery tale I wryte
And lat me tellen al my tale / I preye
A ȝong man called Melibeus mygħ ty and riche / bygat
vp on his wyf / that called was Prudence / a do-
ugħ ter / whicħ that called was Sophie /
vp on his wyf / that called was Prudence / a do-
ug
vp on a
day bifel / that he for his disport / is went in toþ e
feldes / hī to pleye /
day bifel / that he for his disport / is went in to
feldes / h
his wyf & eke his dougħ ter hatħ he laft / wt
Inne his hous / of whicħ the dores / weren fast I shette /
Inne his hous / of whic
three of
his olde foos / han it espied / and setten laddres / to the walles of
his hous / and by wyndowes ben entred /
his olde foos / han it espied / and setten laddres / to the walles of
his hous / and by wyndowes ben entred /
5