The Monk's Tale
Folio 173v
10 of 19 folios
Coroned was she / after hir degree
And ful of perree / charged hir clothynge
Allas Fortune / she that whilom was
370
Dredeful / to kynges and to Emperoures
Now gaureth al the peple / on hir allas
And she / that helmed was in starke shoures
And wan by force / townes stronge & toures
Shal on hir heed / now were a vitremyte
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And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures
Shal bere a distaf / hir costes for to quyte
AL though / that Nero were vicius
As any feend / that lith in helle adoun
Yet he / as telleth vs swetonius
380
This wyde world / hadde in subieccioun
Bothe Est & West North / and Septemtrioū
Of Rubies / saphires / and of peerles white
Were alle hise clothes / brouded vp and doun
For he in gemmes / greetly gan delite
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Moore delicaat moore pompous of array
Moore proud / was neuere Emperour than he
That ilke clooth / þt he hadde wered o day
After that tyme / he nolde it neuere see
Nettes of gold threed / hadde he greet plentee
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To fissħe in Tybre / whan hym liste pleye
Hise lustes were al lawe / in his decree
For Fortune / as his freend / hym wolde obeye
He Rome brende / for his delicasie
The Senatours / he slow vp on a day
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To heere / how men wolde wepe and crie
And slow his brother and by his suster lay
His mooder made he / in pitous array
For he / hir wombe slitte / to biholde
Wher he conceyued was so weilaway
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That he so litel / of his mooder tolde
No teere out of hise eyen / for that sigħte
Ne cam / but seyde / a fair wōman was she
Greet wonder is / how þt he koude / or mygħte
Be domesman / of hir dede beautee
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The wyn to bryngen hym comanded he
And drank anon / noon oother wo he made
Whan mygħt is ioyned vn to crueltee
Allas to depe / wol the venym wade