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

[6-text p 182]

Incipit Priorisse ffabula [[No breaks in the MS between the stanzas.]]

[The Prologue.]

Olorde oure lorde þi name howe mervelouse Is in þis large werlde y-spredde quod sche ffor nouȝt onely þi loude preciouse Parformed is be men of dignite Line 1646 Bot be þe mouþe of childern þi bounte Parformed is for on oure breste soukeinge Some time schewen þei þine heriinge Line 1649

Where-fore in loude as .I. kan beste or maie Of þe and of þe white lylye floure Whiche þat þe bare and is a maide alweie To tel a storye .I. wil do my labour [folio 186b] Line 1653 Nouhte þat .I. maie encrese hir honour ffor sche hir self is honour and þer-to Rote Of bounte next hire sonne of soules bote Line 1656

¶ O moder maide o maide moder fre O busche vnbernde bernynge in Moyses siht Þat rauisched doune fro þe deite Þoruhe þine humblesse þe gost þat in þe aliht Line 1660 Of whos verteu whan he in þine hert aliht Conceyued was þe faders Sapiens Helpe me to tel it in þi reuerence Line 1663

¶ Lady þine bounte and þine Magnificence Þine vertue and þi grete humilite Þere maie no tunge expresse in no science ffor sum time ladi ar men preye to þe Line 1667 Thou gost be-forne of þine benyngnyte And getest vs þe liht þoruhe þi praiere To guyden vs vnto þi son so clere Line 1670

[6-text p 183] Line 1670

¶ My konnynge is to wayke o blisful qweene ffor to declare þi grete worþinesse Þat .I. ne may þe weyht nouht sustene Bot as a childe of twelmoþe age or lesse Line 1674 Þat can vnneþ any worde expresse Riht so fare .I. and þerefore .I. ȝowe preye Gydeþ my songe þat .I. schal of ȝowe seye Line 1677

[THE TALE.]

Ther was a Ce in a grete Cite Amonge cristen folk and Iewre Su[s]teynde be a lorde of þat contre ffor foule vser and locre of velany Line 1681 Hatteful to criste and to his compaignye And þoruhe þe strete men miht ride or wende ffor it was and open at euere ende Line 1684

¶ A litel folke of cristen folke þere stode Doune att þe ferþer ende in whiche þere were Childern an hepe commen of cristes blode þat in þat scole ȝere be ȝere Line 1688 Lerned þe doctrine as men vsed þere þis is to seie to singen and to rede As smale childern done in here childehede Line 1691

¶ Amonge þes childern was a wedow sonne A litel clergeon vj. ȝere of age Þat daye be daie to scole was his wonne And eke also where he sawe þe ymage [folio 187a] Line 1695 Of cristes modere had he in vsage As him was tauht to knele adoune and saie His Aue marie as he goþe be þe weie Line 1698

[6-text p 184] Line 1698

¶ Thus haþe þis wedowe hire lytel childe tauht Oure blisfol lady cristes modere dere To worschipe aie and he for-ȝat it nouht ffe Cely childe wil al daie sone lere Line 1702 Bot aie whan .y. remembre me on þis Matere Seint Nicholas stant euer in my presence ffor he so ȝonge to criste dide reuerence Line 1705

¶ This childe is·litel booke lerenynge As he satt in þe scole att his primere He alma redemptoris herd singe As childern lerned hir Antiphanere Line 1709 And as he durste he drouhe him nere and nere And erkened aye þe wordes and þe note Til he þe first vers couþ al be rote Line 1712

¶ Nouht wyste he what þe latine was to seie ffor he so ȝonge and tender was of age Bott on a daie his felawe he gan preie To expounen þis songe in his langage Line 1716 Or tellen whi þis songe was in vsage This preide he him to constrewe and declare fful oft time vpon his knees bare Line 1719

¶ His felawe whiche þat elder was þan he Ansewarde his þus þis songe .I. haue herd seie Was maked of oure blissed ladi fre Hir to salue and eke hir to preie Line 1723 To bene oure helpe and socour whane we deye .I. can no more expounde in þis matiere .I. leren songe .I. can bott small gramere Line 1726

¶ And is þis songe maad in reuerence Of cristes moder seide þis Innocent Nowe certes .I. wil do my diligence To konne it ar cristenmes be went Line 1730

[6-text p 185] Line 1730 Þouhe þat .I. for my primer schal be schent And schal be beten þries in an oure .I. will. it conne oure lady for to honoure Line 1733

¶ His felawe tauht him homward priuely fro day to day til he couþe it be rote. And þanne he songe it wele and boldely ffro warde to warde accordeinge to þe note [folio 187b] Line 1737 Þreys on a daye it passed þoruhe his þrote To scoleward and homwarde when he went On cristes moder sette was his entent Line 1740

¶ As I haue seide þoruhe oute þe Iewrye This litel Childe as he cam to and fro fful merily þan wolde singe and crye On alma redemptoris euer mo Line 1744 The swettnesse haþe his herte perced so Of cristes moder þat to hire to preie He can nouht stinte of singinge be þe waie Line 1747

¶ Owre ferst foo þe serpent Satanas Þat haþe in Iewes his waspes neste Vp swal and seide O Ebrayke peple alas Is þis a þinge to ȝowe þat is honest Line 1751 Þat suche a boye schal walken as him lest In ȝoure and singen of suche sentence Whiche is aȝeines ȝoure lawes reuerence. Line 1754

¶ ffro þens forþ þe Iewes han conspirede This Innocent of þis werlde to chace In homicide haunt þei þere-to huyrede one That in a leye hadde a priue place Line 1758 And as þe childe gan forby for to pace This cursed Iewe him hente and helde fast And kutte his þrote and in a pute him cast Line 1761

[6-text p 186] Line 1761

¶ I sey þat in a wardrope þei him drewe Where as þis Iewes purgen entraile O cursed folke o herodes al newe What may ȝoure yuel tent ȝoue availe Line 1765 Morder wil oute certein. it wil nouht faile And namely þere honure of god schold sprede The blode oute crieþ on ȝoure cursed dede Line 1768

¶ O martire soundede to virginite Now maiste þou singe folowinge euer in on The white lombe Celestial quod he Of whiche þe grete euaungelist seint Iohn Line 1772 In Pathmos wrote whiche seiþe þei þat gone Be-forne his lombe and singe a songe of new Thet neuere flexly wemmen þei knewe Line 1775

This pouer wedowe wayteþ al þat nyht Affter þis litel Childe bot home cam he nouht for whome alsoune as it was daies liht Wiþ face pale for drede and besy þouht [folio 188a] Line 1779 Sche haþe att scole and elles where him souht Til finally sche gan so fer asspye Þat he was seyȝen last in þe Iewrye Line 1782

¶ Wiþ moders pyte in hir breste enclosede Sche goþe as sche were halue oute of mynde To euery place where sche haþ supposed Be liklyhed hire childe to finde Line 1786 And euer on cr[i]stes moder meke and kinde Sche cried and att þe last þus sche wrouht Amonge þe cursed Iewes sche him souht Line 1789

¶ Sche freyneþ and sche preiþe pitously To euery Iewe þat duelled in þilk place . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Thei saiden naie bot ihesus of his grace Line 1793

[6-text p 187] Line 1793 Ȝaue in her þouht in wiþ a litel space þat in þat place after her sonne sche cried Thare he was cast in a putte be side Line 1796

¶ O grete god þat parfourmed þin laude Be mouþe of Innocence Lo here þi myht This gemme of chastite þis emeraude And eke of Marterdom þe ruby briht Line 1800 Þere he wiþ þrote ycorue leie vpriht He Alma redemptoris gan to singe So longe þat al þe place gan to ringe Line 1803

¶ The cristen folke þat þoruhe þe strete wente In Camyne to wonderne of þis þinge And hastely þei for þe prouost sente He cam anone wiþ-outen any taryinge Line 1807 And herieþ crist þat is heuen kinge And eke his moder honoure of mankinde And after þe Iewes lete he binde Line 1810

¶ This childe wiþ pitous lamentacioune Vp taken singeinge his songe al weye And wiþ honoure of grete processioune Thei Carien him to þe next Abbeye Line 1814 His modere swoneynge be þe bere laye Vnneþ myhte þe peple þat was þere This newe rachel bringe fro his bere Line 1817

¶ Wiþ torment and wiþ schamful deþe ilkone This prouost doþe þes Iewes for to sterue That of þis morder wist and þat anane He nolde none suche cursednesse obsirue. Line 1821 Euel schal haue þat yuel wil deserue [folio 188b] There-fore wiþ wilde hors he did him drawe And after þat he hinge him be þe lawe Line 1824

[6-text p 188] Line 1824

¶ Vpon þis bere ay lyeþ þis Innocent Be-forne þe chief autter whiles Masse last And after þat þe Abbot wiþ his Couent Hadde spedde hem for to burye him fast Line 1828 And whan þei haly water on him cast And ȝit spakke þe childe whan spreynt was þe holy water And songe O alma redemptoris mater Line 1831

¶ This Abbot whiche þat was an holy man As monkes be or elles ouhten to bee Þis ȝonge childe to coniure he gan And seide o dere childe .I. hailese þe Line 1835 Be vertue of þe holy Trinite Tel me what is þi cause for to singe Sethen þi þrote is kette att myn semeinge Line 1838

¶ My þrot is cutte vnto my nekke bone Saide þis childe and as be waie of kinde .I. scholde haue deyed longe time agone Bott ihesu criste as ȝe in bokes finde Line 1842 Wil þat his glori last and bue in mynde And for worschipe of his moder dere Ȝette may .I. singe O Alma loude and cle[re] Line 1845

¶ This wel of Mercie cristes moder swete .I. loued alweie as after my coninge And whan þat .I. my lif scholde lete To me sche camme and badd me for to singe Line 1849 Þis Antime verrely in my mynde deynge As ȝe haue herd and whan þat .I. had songe Me þouht sche laide a greyne vpon my tonge Line 1852

¶ Wher-for .I. saie and singe most certeigne In honour of cristes moder fre Til of my tonge of taken is þe greyne And after þat seide sche þus to me Line 1856

[6-text p 189] Line 1856 My litel childe nowe wil .I. feche þe Whan þat þe greine. is fro þi tonge ytake Be nouht agast .I. wil þe nouht for-saake Line 1859

¶ This Holy monke þis Abbot him mene .I. His tonge oute cauht and toke awey þe greyne And he ȝaf vpe þe gost ful softly And whan þe Abbotte hadde þis wondere seyne Line 1863 His salte teres strikled doune as reyne [folio 189a] And gruffe he fel al platte to þe grounde And still he laie as he had bene ybounde Line 1866

The [Couent] Eke ley vpon þe pament Wepeinge and heriinge Cristes moder dere And after þei rise and forþe been went And toke aweie þis marter fro his bere Line 1870 And in a tombe of Marble stones clere Enclosen þei his lytel body swete There he is nowe god lene vs for to mete Line 1873

O ȝonge hewe of Lincolne sleyne also Wiþ cursed Iewes as it is notable ffor it nys bot a litel while a-goo Preye eke for vs we sinful folke vnstable Line 1877 Þat of his Mercie god so merciable On vs his grete mercie multiplye ffor reuerence of his moder Marye Line 1880

Explicit fabula priorisse.