The General Prologue
Folio 133r
3 of 20 folios
A not hed hadde he / with a broun vesage
110
Of wode craft wel coude he al þe usage
Vp on his arm he bar a gay braser
And by his side / a swerd & a bokeler
And on on that oþer side a gay daggere
Harneysed wel / & sch\r/ap as poynt of spere
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A Cristofere / on his brest of siluyr schene
An horn he bar þõ baudryk was of grene
A foster was he sothli as I gesse
Ther was also a nūne a prieresse
¶ That of here smylyng was ful simple & coy
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Here gretteste oth was but be seynt loy
And sche was clepid madame Eglentyne
Ful wel sche song / þe seruyse of deuyne
Entuned in here nose so semely
And french sche spak ful fayre & fetysely
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As aftyr þe schole \scole?/ of Stratforthe at the bowe
For French of parys was to here onknowe
¶ At mete wel I tauȝt / was sche wt alle
Sche let no morsel / frō here lyppis falle
Ne wette here fyngyr / in here sause depe
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Wel couthe sche carye a morsel / & wel kepe
That no drope ne fel vp on here brest
In curteysie was set ful meche here lyst
Hire ouere lippe wipede sche so klene
That in hire coppe þer was / no ferthyng sene
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Of gres / whan sche dronkyn / hadde her draught
Ful semely aftyr here mete sche raught
And sekyrly sche was of gret disport
And ful plesynge & amyable of port
And peynede here to contyrfete chere
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Of court & to been / estatly of manere
And to ben xxx holde dygne of reuerence
But for to spekyn of here concience
Sche was so charytable & so pitous
Sche wolde wepe ȝif that sche seye a mous