The Monk's Tale
Folio 174v
12 of 19 folios
For fere / almoost out of his wit he breyde
And to hise goddes / pitously he preyde
For socour / but it mygħte nat bityde
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For drede of this / hym thougħte þt he deyde
And ran in to a gardyn hym to hyde
And in this gardyn / foond he cherles tweye
That seten by a fyr greet and reed
And to thise cherles two / he gan to preye
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To sleen hym / and to girden of his heed
That to his body / whan þt he were deed
Were no despit ydoon / for his defame
Hym self he slow / he koude no bettre reed
Of which / Fortune lougħ / and hadde a game
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Was neuere Capitayn / vnder a kyng
That regnes mo / putte in subieccioū
Ne strenger was in feeld / of alle thyng
As in his tyme / ne gretter of renoun
Ne moore pompous / in heigh persumpcioū
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Than Oloferne / which Fortune ay kiste
So likerously / and ladde hym vp and doun
Til þt his heed was of / er þt he wiste
Nat oonly / that this world / hadde hym in awe
For lesynge / of richesse / or libertee
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But made euery man / reneyen his lawe
Nabugodonosor / was god seyde hee
Noon oother god / sholde adoured bee
Agayns his heeste / no wigħt / dorste trespace
Saue in Bethulia / a strong Citee
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Where Eliachim / a preest was of that place
But taak kepe of the deeth of Oloferne
Amydde his hoost / he dronke lay a nygħt
With Inne his tente / large as is a berne
And yet for al his pompe / and al his mygħt
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Iudith a wōman / as he lay vprigħt
Slepynge / his heed of smoot and from his tente
Ful pryuely / she stal from euery wigħt
And with his heed / vn to hir toun she wente
WHat nedeth it of kyng Anthiochus
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To telle / his hye Roial magestee
His hye pride / hise werkes venymus
For swich another / was ther noon as he
Rede which þt he was / in Machabee
And rede / the proude wordes that he seyde