The Monk's Tale
Folio 237r
21 of 23 folios
That god wolde of his peyne haue som pite
And sende him drinke or elles most he deye /
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And of þis asse cheeke þat was so druye
Out of a wang tooþ sprang anon a welle
Of which he drank ynough schortly to seye
Thus hilpe him god as Iudiciū can telle
¶ By verray force at Gasan on a night
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Maugre Philistiens of þat Cite
The gates of þe toun he haþ vp pligħt
And on his bakke y karyed hem haþ he
Heighe on an hille where as men migħte se
O noble almighty Sampsoū leef and deere
That strong and noble haþ be /
In aƚƚ þis world ne hadde þer ben þy peere
¶ This Sampsoū neuer cyder drank ne wyn
Ne on his heed came Rasour non ne scheere
By percepte of þe messanger deuyn
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For aƚƚ his strengþe was in his here
And fully twenty ȝeer by ȝere
He hadde of Israel þe gouernaūce
But after soone schal he wepe many a teere
For wōmen schuln bringe him to meschaūce
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¶ Vnto his lēman Dalida he tolde
That in his heeres aƚƚ his strengþe lay
And falsly to his fomen sche him solde
And slepyng vpon hire barme vpan a day
Sche made to clippe or schere his here away
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And made his foomen aƚƚ his crafte aspyen
And whan þat þay him fond in such aray
They bonde him faste and putte out his eyen
¶ But er his heer was y clipped or y schaue
Ther was no bond þat migħt him bynde
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But now is he in prisoun putte in a Caue
Where as þey made hī at þe querne grynde
O noble Sampson strengest of mankynde
O whilom Iugge in glorie and in richesse