The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 281]

¶ & here bygynne þe prologe of þe Nonne prestes tale . of þe kok and þe hen.

HO sire quod the knight no more of þis [folio 237b] That ȝe han said is right ynough y-wys And mochil mor . for litel heuynesse Is right I-nough for moche folk I gesse Line 3960 I say for me it is a gret disease wher as men han ben in gret welþe and ease To hieren of her sodeyn fal allas And þe contraire is ioye and gret solas Line 3964 As whan a man haþ ben in pore estate And clymbith vp and wexeþ fortunate And þer abydeþ in prosperite Such þing is gladsom as þinkith me Line 3968 And of such þing were goodly for to telle ȝe quod our host by seinte paules belle ȝe say right soþ þis monk haþ clappid lowde he spak how fortune was clipped with a clowde Line 3972 I not neuer what and als of tregedie Right now ȝe herd and pardy no remedye It is for to bywayle or compleyne That þat is doon and also it is a peyne Line 3976 As ȝe han said to hiere of heuynesse / Sire monk no more of þis . so god ȝour soule blesse Ȝour tale anoyeth al þis compaignie Such a tale is nouȝt worth a boterflye Line 3980 For þer Inne is noon disport ne game wherfor sir monk . damp Pieres by ȝour name I pray ȝow hertly tel vs som what ellis For sicurly ner gingling of þe bellis Line 3984

[6-text p 282] Line 3984 Þat on ȝour bridil hong on euery syde By heuen king þat for vs alle dyde I schold er þis han falle doun for sleep Al þough þe slough had neuer ben so deep Line 3988 Than had ȝour tale . haue be told in vayn For certeynly as þese clerkes sayn wher as a man may haue noon audience Nought helpith it to tellen his sentence Line 3992 And wel I wot þe substance is in me If eny þing schal wel reported be Sir say som what of huntyng I ȝow pray [folio 238a] Nay quod þe monk I haue no lust to play Line 3996 Now let another telle as I haue told // Than spak our ost wiþ rude speche and bold // And said vnto the nonnes prest anoon // Come ner þou prest . come ner þou sir Iohn // Line 4000 Tel vs such þing as may our hertes glade Be bliþe al þough þou ryde vpon a iade // what þough þin hors be boþe foul and lene // If he wil serue þe rek not a bene // Line 4004 lok þat þin hert be mery euer mo // Ȝis sire ȝis hoste . also mot I go // But I be mery I-wis I wol be blamed // And right anoon he haþ his tale tamyd // Line 4008 And þus he sayd vnto vs euerich oon // This sweete prest this goodly man sir Iohn

¶ Explicit prologus [[No break in the MS.]]