The Manciple's Tale
Folio 211v
2 of 8 folios
For his disport in signe eek of victorie
Of phiton so as telleth vs the storie
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Was wont to beren in his hond abowe
Now hadde this phebus in his hous a crowe
With ynne a Cage he fostred many a day
And taught it speke as men teche a iay
White was this crowe / as is a snow white swan
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And countrefete the speche of euery man
He koude whan he sholde telle a tale
Therwith in al this world no nyghtyngale
Ne coude bi an hundred thousand del
Syngen so wonder myrily and wel
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¶ Now hadde this phebus in his hous a wif
Which that he loued more than his lif
And nyght and day did euer his diligence
Hire for to plese and doon hir reuerence
Saue oonly the soth if I shal sayn
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Ialous he was and wolde han kepte hir fayn
For him were looth by Iaped for to be
And so is euery wight in swich degre
But al for noght for it auailleth noght
A good wif that is clene in werke and thoght
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Sholde nat be kepte in noon awaite certayn
And trewly the labour is in vayn
To kepe a shrew for it wol nat be
This holde I for a verray nycetee
To spille labour for to kepe wyues
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Thus writen olde Clerkes in hir lyues
¶ But now to purpos as I first bigan
This worthi phebus doth al that he can
To plesen hir / wenyng for swich plesance
And for his manhode and for his gouernance
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That no man sholde han put him from hire grace
But god it woot ther may no man embrace
As to destreyne a thing which that nature
Hath naturelly set in a creature
¶ Take any brid and put it in a cage
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And do al thin entente and thi corage
To fostre it tendrely with mete and drynke
Of al deyntees that thou kanst bithinke