The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 256]

¶ Here bigynneth the Monkes tale.

                                    
                                      I Wol biwaille / in manere of Tragedie
                                    
                                      The harm of hem / that stoode in heigh degree
                                    
                                      And fillen so / that ther nas no remedie
                                    
                                      To brynge hem / out of hire Aduersitee
                                      Line 3184 
                                    
                                      ffor certeyn / whan þat ffortune list to flee
                                    
                                      Ther may no man / the cours of hire withholde
                                    
                                      Lat no man triste / on blynd prosperitee
                                    
                                      Beth war / by thise ensamples trewe and olde
                                      Line 3188

[Lucifer.]

                                    
                                      AT lucifer / thogh he an Aungel were [folio 89b] 
                                    
                                      And nat a man / at hym I wol bigynne
                                    
                                      ffor thogh ffortune / may noon Aungel dere
                                    
                                      ffrom heigh degree / yet fil he for his synne
                                      Line 3192 
                                    
                                      Doun in to Helle / where as he yet is Inne
                                    
                                      O Lucifer / brightest of Aungels alle
                                    
                                      Now artow Sathanas / that mayst nat twynne
                                    
                                      Out of Miserie / in which þat thou art falle
                                      Line 3196

[Adam.]

                                    
                                      Lo Adam in the feld of Damyssene [[this stanza is in the margin in a later 15th-century hand]] 
                                    
                                      With godes owne fynger wrowt was he ..
                                    
                                      And nat bygeten of mannes sperme vnclene ..
                                    
                                      And welte al paradiis sauyng o tree ..
                                      Line 3200 
                                    
                                      Had neuer wordly man so hey degre ..
                                    
                                      As Adam til he for mysgouernance ..
                                    
                                      Was dryue owt of his hey prosperitee ..
                                    
                                      To labour and to helle and to meschance

                                      Line 3204

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About this Item

Title: The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 200
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,; 1868-1879.

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8233.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8233.0001.001/226:4

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IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:agz8233.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8233.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 17, 2025.