The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 179v
2 of 14 folios
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This gentil Cok hadde in his gouernaūce
Seuene hennes / for to doon al his plesaūce
Whiche were / hise sustres / and his paramours
And wonder lyk to hym / as of colours
Of whiche / the faireste hewed / on hir throte
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Was cleped / faire damoysele Pertelote
Curteys she was / discreet and debonaire
And compaignable / and bar hyr self so faire
Syn thilke day / þt she was seuen nygħt oold
That trewely / she hath the herte in hoold
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Of Chauntecleer loken in euery lith
He loued hir so / þt wel was hym therwith
And swich a ioye was it to here x hem synge
Whan þt / the brighte sonne / xx bigan to sprynge
In sweete accord / My lief is xxfaren in londe
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For thilke tyme / as I haue vnderstonde
Beestes and briddes / koude speke and synge
¶ And so bifel / that in the dawenynge
As Chauntecleer / among hise wyues alle
Sat on his perche / that was in the halle
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And next hym / sat this faire Pertelote
This Chauntecleer / gan gronen in his throte
As man þt in his dreem / is drecched soore
¶ And whan that Pertelote / thus herde hym roore
She was agast and seyde o herte deere
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What eyleth yow / to grone in this manere
Ye been a verray sleper / fy for shame
¶ And he answerde / and seyde thus ; madame
I pray yow / that ye take it nat agrief
By god / me thoughte / I was in swich meschief
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Rigħt now / þt yet myn herte is soore afrigħt
Now god quod he / my sweuene recche arigħt
And kepe my body / out of foul prisoun
Me mette / how that I romed vp and doun
W Inne oure yeerd / wheer as I saugħ a beest
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Was lyk an hound / and wolde han maad areest
Vpon my body / and han had me deed
His colour was bitwixe yelow and reed
And tipped was his tayl / and bothe hise eeris
With blak vnlyk the remenant of hise heeris
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His snowte smal / with glowynge eyen tweye
Yet of his look for feere almoost I deye
This caused me / my gronyng doutelees
¶ Avoy quod she / fy on yow hertelees
Allas quod she / for by that god aboue
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Now han ye lost myn herte and al my loue
I / kan nat loue a Coward / by my feitħ
For certes / what so any wōman seitħ