The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 281]

¶ Here begynneþ þe prologe of þe nonne prestes tale [on leaf 247]

HO quod þe knight goode sire nomore of þis þat ȝe han sayde is right ynough ywis And meche more for litel heuynesse Is right ynough to meche folk as I gesse / [[no gap in the Corpus MS]] Line 3960 [I sey for me . it is a grete disease [Reg. 17 D. xv folio 273b] Where as men han bien . in grete welth and ease To here of theyr sodayn falle alas And the contrary is Ioy . and grete solas Line 3964 And whan a man hath bien in pouer estate And clymbith vp . and wexith fortunate And ther abydith · in prosperite [Reg. 17 D. xv folio 274a] Swiche thyng is gladsom . as it thynkyth me Line 3968 And of swiche thynges . were goodely for to telle Ya quod oure host . be seynt poulis belle Ye say right soth . this monk be clappid lowde He spak how fortune . was couered with a clowde Line 3972 I not neuer what . and als of a tregedye Right now ye herd . and parde no remedye Is it for to be-wailen . and compleyn That . that is don . and als it is a peyn Line 3976 As ye have sayd . to here of hevynesse Sir monke nomore of this . so god yow blisse Yowre tale anoyeth . al this company Swiche thyng is nat worth a boterflye] [[MS Reg. extract ends]] ȝoure tales don vs no desport ne game Wherfore sir monk Doun Pieres by ȝour name I pray ȝou hertely telle vs som what elles ffor siker nere clynkyng of ȝoure belles / Line 3984

[6-text p 282] Line 3984 þat on ȝoure brydel hangeþ on euery syde / By heuene king þat for vs alle dyde I schal for þis falle doun for slepe / Al þough þe slough hadde neuer ben so depe Line 3988 þan hadde ȝoure tale be told in vayn ffor certeinly as þese clerkes sayn Wher as a man may han non audience Nought helpeþ it to tellen his sentence Line 3992 And wel I woot þe substance is in me / If eny þing schal wel reported be Sire say somwhat of huntyng I ȝou pray Nay quod þe monk I haue no lust to play Line 3996 Now lete anoþer telle as I haue tolde þanne spak oure Ost wiþ ruyde speche and bolde And sayde vnto þe nonnes prest anon Come ner sire prest com hider sir Iohn Line 4000 Telle vs such þing as may oure hertes glade Be mery þough þou ryde vpon a Iade / What þough þin hors be hagged foul or lene If he wol serue þe rekke þe nought a bene Line 4004 Loke þat þin herte be mery euermo ȝis Ost quod he so mote I ryde or go But I be mery I-wys I wil be blamed And right anon he haþ his tale tamed Line 4008 And þus he seyde to vs euerychon This swete prest þis goode man sir Iohn .

¶ Explicit prologus