The Nun's Priest's Tale
Folio 371r
13 of 14 folios
Vp on his leg whil he was ȝond & nyce
He made hȳ for to lese his benefice
But certeyn there ne is no cōperisoū
By twixe the wisdom & discrecioū
500
Of ȝore fadyr & of his subtiletee
Now syngith sere for seynte charite
Lat se cūne ȝe ȝore fadyr countyrfete
This chaūtecleer hise wyngis gan to beete
As man that coude his tresoū nat aspye
505
So was he rauyschid with his flaterye
¶ Allas ȝe lordis manye a flaterour
Ys in ȝore court & manye a losengeor
That plesen ȝow weel more be mȳ fayth
Than he that sothfastmesse vn to ȝow sayth
510
Redyth ecclesiaste of flaterye
Beth war ȝe lordis of hire trecherye
This Chaūtecleer stood hye vp on hise tois
Strechȳge his neke & held his eyen clos
And gan to crowe loude forthenonys
515
And daun Ruseƚƚ the fox styrte vp atanys
And by the garget hente Chaūtecleer
And on his bak to the wode hȳ beer
For ȝit theere ne was no man that hȳ sewid
O destene that mayst nat been eschewid
520
Allas that Chaūtecleer fley frō the bemys
Allas his wyf ne roughte nat of dremys
And on a fryday fil al this myschaūce
O venĂ« that art goddesse of plesaūce
Syn that thȳ seruaūt was this chantecleer
525
And in thȳ seruyse dede al his power
Moore for delyt than world to multeplye
Why woldist tow suffere hȳ on thȳ day to deye
O gaufryd deere maystyr souereyn
That whā thȳ worthy kyng Richard was slayn
530
With schot cōpleynedist his deth so soore
Whi ne hadde I nough thȳ centence & thȳ loore
The fryday for to chide as dedyn ȝe
For on a fryday sothly slayn was he