The Manciple's Tale
Folio 395v
2 of 8 folios
This phebz that was flour of bachilleri
As wel in fredō as in chyualrye
For his disport in signe ek of victorye
Of phitoū so as tellyth vs the storye
25
Was wont to berȳ in his hand a bowe
Now hadde this phebz in his hous a Crowe
Whiche in a cage he fosterede manye a day
And taughte it speke as men teche a Iay
Whit was this crowe as is a snow whit swan
30
And countyrfetid the speche of euery man
He coude whā he schulde telle a tale
Therw in al this world non nyghtȳghale
Ne coude by an hūderede thousent deel
Syngȳ so wōdir meryely & weel
35
Now hadde this phebz in his hous a wyf
Whiche that he louede moore thā his lyf
And nyght & day dede euere his diligence
Hire for to pleese & don hire reuerence
Saue only the sothe that I schal sayn
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Ialus he was & wolde haue kep here fayn
For hȳ were loth byiapid for to bee
And so is euery wight in swich degre
But al in ydyl for it auaylyth noght
A good wif that is clene in werk & thought
45
Schulde not been kept in noon a wayt certeyn
And trewely the labour is in veyn
To kepe a schrewe for it wele nat bee
This holde I for a verray vanytee
To spille labour for to kepe wivis
50
Thus wrytyn olde clerkis in here lyuys
But now to purpos as I ferst be gan
This worthi phebz doth al that he can
To plesyn here / wenȳge that sweche plesaūce
And for his manhede & hise gouernaūce
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That no man schulde haue put hire frō hire gace
But god it wot there may no man enbrace
As to distryne a thyng / whiche that nature
Hath naturelly set in a cryature