The Manciple's Tale
Folio 258r
7 of 8 folios
Ne couþe by an hundred þousend deel
Syngen so wonderly meryly and weel
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Now hadde þis Phebus in his hous a wyf
Which þat he loued more þan his owne lyf
And nigħt and day dyd euer his diligence
Hir for to plese and don hire reuerence
Saue oonly if þe soþ þat I schal sayn
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Gelous he was and wolde haue kept hire fayn
For him were loþ by Iaped for to be
And so euery wigħt in such degre
But al for nouȝt for it auayleþ nouȝt
A good wyff þat is clene of werk and þougħt
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Schulde nought be kepte in non awayte certain
And trewely þe labour is in vayn
To kepe a schrewe for it wol nouȝt be
This halde I for a verray nycete
To spille labour for to keepe wyues
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Thus writen olde Clerkes in here lyues
But now to purpos as I first bigan
This worþy Phebz doþ al þat he can
To plesen hyre wenyng by such plesaūce
And for his manhode and his gouernaūce
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That no man schulde haue put him fro hir gace
But god it woot þer may no man enbace
As to distreyne a þing which þat nature
Haþ naturelly sette in a creature
Take eny bryd and put it in a kage
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And do al þin entent and þy corage
To fostre it tendrely wiþ mete and drinke
Of aƚƚ deyntees þat þou canst byþinke
And keepe it also clenly as þou may
Al þough his cage of golde be neuer so gay
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Ȝet haþ þis bridde by .xx. þousand folde
Leuer in a Forest þat is wilde and colde
Gon ete wormes and such wrecchednesse
For euer þis bridde wol doon his busynesse