The Manciple's Tale
Folio 258v
6 of 8 folios
To eskape out of his cage when he may
70
His liberte þe bridde desireþ ay
Let take a catte and fostre him wel wiþ melk
An tendre fleisscħ and make his couche of selk
And let him seen a mous go by þe waƚƚ
And anon he weyueþ milke fleissche and aƚƚ
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And euery deynte þat is in þat hous
Such appetyt haþ sche to ete a mous
Lo he haþ luste his dampnacioū
And appetyt flemyth discrecioū
As þe wolf haþ also a vyleyns kynde
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The lewedeste wolf þat sche may fynde
Of lest of reputacioū þat wol sche take
In tyme whan hire luste to haue a make
Aƚƚ þise ensamples speke I by þese men
That ben vntrewe and noþing by wōmen
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For men han euere a likerous appetyt
On lowere þing to parforme here delyt
Then on here wyfes ben þay neuer so fayre
Ne neuer so trewe ne so debonaire
Fleissche is so newefongul wiþ meschaūce
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That we ne konne in no þing han plesaūce
That sowneþ in to vertu eny while
This Phebus which þat þougħt vpon no gile
Desceyued was for aƚƚ his Iolite
For vnder him anoþer hadde sche
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A man of litel reputacioū
Nought worþ to Phebus in comparisoū
The more harm it is it happeþ ofte so
Of which þer comeþ mochil harme and wo
And so bifeƚƚ whan Phebus was absent
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His wif anon haþ for hir lēman sent
Hire lēman certes þis is a knauissch speche
Forȝiueþ it me and þat I ȝou beseche
The wyse Plato saiþ as ȝe may rede
Þe worde moot neede acorde wiþ þe dede