[6-text p 298]
¶ Certes / swich cry / ne lamentacion
Was neuere / of ladyes maad / whan Ylion
Was wonne / and Pirrus with his streite swerd
Whan he hadde hent kyng Priam / by the berd
Line 4548
And slayn hym / as seith vs Eneydos
As maden / alle the hennes in the clos
Whan they had seyn / of Chauntecleer the sighte
But sodeynly / dame Pertelote shrighte
Line 4552
fful louder/ than dide Hasdrubales wyf
Whan þat hir housbonde / hadde lost his lyf
And þat the Romayns / hadde brend Cartage
She was / so ful of torment and of rage
Line 4556
That wilfully / in-to the fyr she sterte
And brende hir seluen / with a stedefast herte
¶ O woful hennes / right so criden ye
As whan that Nero / brende the Citee
Line 4560
Of Rome / cryden senatours wyues
ffor þat hir husbondes losten alle hir lyues
With-outen gilt this Nero hath hem slayn
Now turne I wole /. to my tale agayn
Line 4564
This sely wydwe / and eek hir doghtres two
Herden thise hennes crie / and maken wo
And out at dores / stirten they anon
And syen the fox / toward the groue gon
Line 4568
And bar vp-on his bak / the Cok away
And cryden out harrow / and weylaway
Ha. ha / the fox / and after hym they ran
And eek with staues / many another man
Line 4572
Ran Colle oure dogge / and Talbot and Gerland
And Malkyn / with a dystaf / in hir hand
Ran Cow and Calf and the verray hogges
So fered / for berkyng of the dogges
Line 4576
And shoutyng of the men and wommen eek ·
They ronne so / hem thoughte hir herte breek
They yolleden / as feendes doon in helle
The dokes cryden / as men wolde hem quelle
Line 4580
