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

[6-text p 283]

¶ Here bygynneth the Nonne prest his tale

APore wydow . som del stope in age was whilom duellyng in a pore cotage Line 4012 Bisyde a groue stondyng in a dale This wydow of which I telle ȝow my tale Syn þilke day þat sche was last a wif / In paciens ladde . a ful symple lyf Line 4016 For litel was hir catel and hir rent By housbondry . of such as god hir sent Sche fond hir self and eek hir doughtres tuo Thre large sowes had sche and no mo Line 4020 Thre kyn . and eek a scheep þat highte malle. Ful sooty was hir bour and eek hir halle In which she eet ful many a sclender meel Of poynaunt saws hir needid neuer a deel Line 4024 Noon deynteth morsel passid þorugh hir þrote Hir dyete was accordant to hir cote Repleccioun ne made hir neuer sik Attempre dyete was al hir phisik Line 4028 And exercise and hertes suffisaunce The goute lette hir no þing for to daunce Ne poplexie schente not hir heed No wyn ne drank he noþer whit ne reed [folio 238b] Line 4032 Hir bord seruyd boþe with whit and blak Milk and broun bred in which sche fond no lak Saynd bacoun and som tyme an ey or tweye For sche was as it were a maner deye Line 4036 A ȝerd sche had enclosed al aboute wiþ stikkes and a drye dich wiþoute In which she had a Cok þat hight Chaunteclere In al þe lond of crowyng was noon his peere Line 4040

[6-text p 284] Line 4040 His vois was merier þan þe mery Orgon On masse dayes þat in þe chirche goon wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge þan is a Clok or an abbay Orologge Line 4044 By nature knew he ech ascensioun Of equinoxial in þilke toun For whan degrees fyftene were ascendid Thanne crew he it might not ben amendid Line 4048 His comb was redder þan þe fyn coral And batayld as it were a castel wal his bile was blak and as þe geet it schon lik asur were . his legges and his ton Line 4052 His nayles whitter þan þe lily flour And lik þe burnischt gold was his colour This gentil cok had in his gouernaunce Seuen hennes for to do al his plesaunce Line 4056 whiche were his sustres and his paramoures And wonder lik to him as of coloures Of whiche þe fairest hiewed on hir þrote was cleped fayre damysel pertilote Line 4060 Curteys sche was discret and debonaire And companable and bar hir self ful faire Syn þilke day þat sche was seuen ȝer old That sche haþ trewely þe hert in hold Line 4064 Of chaunteclere loken in euery lith He loued hir so þat wel him was þer-with But such a ioye was it to here him synge whan þat þe brighte sonne gan to springe Line 4068 In swete accord my lief is faren on londe Fro þilke tyme as I haue vnderstonde [folio 239a] Bestis and briddes cowde speke and synge And so byfel þat in a dawenynge Line 4072 As Chaunteclere among his wyues alle / Sat on his perche þat was in his halle And next him sat þis faire pertelote This Chauntecler gan gronen in his þrote Line 4076

[6-text p 285] Line 4076 As man þat in his dreem is drecched sore / And whan þat Pertelot þus herd him rore Sche was agast and sayde herte deere what eylith ȝow to grone in þis manere Line 4080 Ȝe ben a verray sleper fy for schame And he answerd and sayde þus ma dame I pray ȝow þat ȝe take it nouȝt agreef By god me mette I was in such meschief Line 4084 Right now þat ȝit myn hert/ is sore afright Now god quod he my sweuen rede aright And keep my body out of foul prisoun Me mette how þat I romed vp and doun Line 4088 wiþinne oure ȝerd wher as I saugh a beest/ was lik an hound and wold haue maad arrest/ Vpon my body and wold han had me deed His colour was bitwixe ȝolow and reed Line 4092 And tipped was his tail and boþe his eeres with blak/. vnlik þe remenaunt of his heres His snowt was smal with glowynge yen tweye Ȝet of his look/ for fer almost I deye Line 4096 This caused me my gronyng douteles A way quod sche. fy on ȝow herteles Allas quod sche for by þat god aboue Now haue ȝe lost myn hert and al my loue Line 4100 I can nought loue a coward by my feith For certis what so eny womman seith we alle desiren if it mighte be To haue housbondes hardy riche and fre Line 4104 And secre and no nygard ne no fool Ne him þat is agast of euery tool Ne noon auaunter by þat god aboue How dorst ȝe sayn for schame vnto ȝour loue [folio 239b] Line 4108 That any þing might make ȝow afferd haue ȝe no mannes hert and han a berd Allas and can ȝe ben agast of sweuenys Nought god wot / but vanite in sweuen is Line 4112

[6-text p 286] Line 4112 Sweuens engendrid ben of replecciouns And often of fume and of complexiouns whan humours ben to abundaunt in a wight Certes þis dreem which ȝe han met to-night Line 4116 Comeþ of þe grete superfluite Of ȝoure reede Colera parde which causeth folk to dremen in here dremes Of arwes and of fuyr with reede beemes Line 4120 Of rede bestis þat þai wil him byte / Of Contek and of whelpis greet and lite Right as þe humour of malencolie Causeþ in sleep ful many a man to crye Line 4124 For fere of beres or of boles blake Or elles blake deueles wol hem take Of oþer humours couþe I telle also That wirken many a man in slep ful woo Line 4128 But I wol passe as light[l]y as I can lo Catoun which þat was so wis a man Sayde he nouȝt þus ne do no force of dremes Now sire quod sche whan we fle fro þise beemes Line 4132 For goddis loue as tak som laxatyf Vp peril of my soule and of my lyf I counsel ȝow þe best I wol not lye . . . . . Line 4136 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Though in þis toun is noon apotecarie I schal my-self tuo herbes techyn ȝow That schal be for ȝour hele and for ȝoure prow Line 4140 And in oure ȝerd þo herbes schal I fynde The whiche han of her proprete by kynde To purgen ȝow byneþe and eek aboue Forget not þis for goddis oughne loue Line 4144 ȝe ben ful colerik of complexioun ware þe sonne in his ascencioun Ne fynd ȝow not/ replet in humours hote And if it do I dar wel lay a grote [folio 240a] Line 4148

[6-text p 287] Line 4148 That ȝe schul haue a feuer terciane Or an agu þat may be ȝoure bane A day or tuo ȝe schul haue digestiues Of wormes er ȝe take ȝour laxatiues Line 4152 Of lauriol Century and fumytere Or elles of Elder bery þat growith þere / Of Catapus or of gaytre berijs Of erbe yue groweþ in our ȝerd þer mery is Line 4156 Pike hem vpright as þay growe and et hem In · Be mery housbond for ȝour fader kyn Drediþ non dremes I can say no more Ma dame quod he graunt mercy of ȝour lore Line 4160 But naþeles as touching daun Catoun That hath of wisdom such a gret renoun Though þat he bad no dremes for to drede By god men may in olde bookes rede Line 4164 Of many a man more of auctorite That euer catoun was so mot I the That al þe reuers sayn of his sentence And han wel founden by experience Line 4168 That dremes ben significaciouns As wel of ioye as of tribulaciouns That folk enduren in þis lif present Ther nedeth make of þis noon argument Line 4172 The verray preue schewith it in dede Oon of þe grettest auctorite þat men rede Saith þus · þat whilom tway felawes wente On pylgrimage in a ful good entente / Line 4176 And happed so þay com in to a toun wher as þer was such congregacioun Of people and eek so streyt of herbergage þat þay fond nouȝt as moche as oon cotage / Line 4180 In which þat þay might boþe I-logged be wherfor þay mosten of necessite As for þat night depart her compaignye And ech of hem goþ to his hostelrye Line 4184

[6-text p 288] Line 4184 And took his loggyng as it wolde falle That oon of hem was loggid in a stalle [folio 240b] Fer in a ȝerd with oxen of þe plough That oþer man was logged wel ynough Line 4188 As was his aduenture or fortune That vs gouernith alle in comune And so bifel þat long er it were day This oon met in his bed þer as he lay Line 4192 how þat his felaw gan vpon him calle And sayd allas for in an oxe stalle / This night I schal be murdrid þer I lye Now help me deere broþer or I dye Line 4196 In alle cum to me he sayde This man out of his slep for fer abrayde But whan þat he was waked out of his sleep he torned him and took of þis no keep Line 4200 him þought him dreem nas but a vanite / Thus twies in his sleepe dremed he And at/ þe þridde tyme ȝet his felawe Com as him þought and sayd I am now slawe Line 4204 Bihold my bloody woundes deep and wyde Arise vp erly in þe morwe tyde / And at the west gate of þe toun quod he / A cart of donge þere schalt þou see Line 4208 In which my body is hyd priuely Do þilke cart arresten boldely My gold caused my mourdre soþ to sayn And told him euery poynt how he was slayn Line 4212 with a ful pitous face pale of hewe And truste wel his dreem he fond ful trewe / For on þe morwe as sone as it was day To his felawes In he took þe way Line 4216 And whan þat he cam to þis oxe stalle After his felaw he bigan to calle / The hostiller answered him anoon And sayde sire ȝour felaw is agoon Line 4220

[6-text p 289] Line 4220 Als soone as day he went/ out of þe toun This man gan falle in a suspeccioun Remembring on his dremes þat he mette / And forth he goth no lenger wold he lette [folio 241a] Line 4224 Vnto þe west gate of þe toun and fond A dong cart went as it were to donge lond That was arrayed in þe same wise As ȝe han herd þe deede man deuise / Line 4228 And with an hardy hert he gan to crie Vengeaunce and iustice of þis felonye My felaw mordrid is þis same night And in þis carte . he lith heer vpright Line 4232 I crye out on þe ministres quod he / That schulde kepe and reule þis Cite harrow allas her lith my felaw slayn what schold I more vnto þis tale sayn Line 4236 The peple vpstert and caste þe carte to grounde / And in þe myddes of þe dong þay founde The dede man þat mordred was al newe / O blisful god þou art ful iust and trewe Line 4240 Lo how þow bywreyest mordre al day Mordre wil out certes it is no nay Morder is so wlatsom and abhominable To god that is so iust and resonable Line 4244 That he ne wold nouȝt suffre it hiled be Though it abyde a ȝeer or tuo or þre Morder wil out þis is my conclusioun And right anoon þe mynistres of þat toun Line 4248 Han hent þe carter and so sore him pyned And eek the hostiller so sore engyned That þay biknew her wikkednes anoon And were anhonged by þe nekke boon Line 4252 Here may men se þat dremys ben to drede And Certes in þe same book I rede Right in þe nexte Chapitre after þis I gabbe nought so haue I ioye or bliss Line 4256

[6-text p 290] Line 4256 Tuo men þat wolde haue passed ouer see / For certeyn causes in-to fer cuntre If þat þe wynd ne hadde ben contrarie That/ made hem in a Cite for to tarie Line 4260 That stood ful mery vpon an hauen syde / But on a day agayn þe euen tyde [folio 241b] The wynd gan chaunge and [blew] right as him list Iolyf and glad þey wenten vnto rest Line 4264 And casten hem ful erly for to sayle But herkneþ to þat oon man fel a gret meruayle That oon of hem in his slepyng as he lay him met a wonder drem a-gayn þe day Line 4268 him þought a man stood by his beddes syd And him comaunded þat he schuld abyde And sayd him þus if þou to morwe wende Thow schalt be dreynt my tale is at an ende Line 4272 ¶ He wook and told his felaw what he mette And prayde him his viage to lette As for þat day he prayd him to abyde his felaw þat lay by his beddis syde Line 4276 Gan to lawgh and scorned him ful fast No dreem quod he may so myn herte gaste / That I wil lette for to do my þinges I sette not a straw by þy dremynges Line 4280 For sweuens been but vanitees and iapes Men dreme al day of owles and of apes And eke of many a mase þer with al Men dreme of þinges þat neuer be schal Line 4284 But sith I see þat þou wilt her abyde / And þus forslouthe wilfully þy tyde God wot it reweth me and haue good day And þus he took his leue and went his way Line 4288 But er he hadde half his cours I-sayled Noot I nouȝt why. ne what meschaunce it ayled But casuelly þe schippes bothom rent And schip and man vnder þe watir went Line 4292

[6-text p 291] Line 4292 In sight of oþer schippes þer byside That with him sailed at þe same tyde And þerfore faire pertelot so deere By such ensamples olde maistow leere Line 4296 That no man scholde be to recheles Of dremes for I say þe douteles That many a dreem ful sore is for to drede Lo in þe lif of seint/ kenelm I rede [folio 242a] Line 4300 That was kenulphus sone þat noble king Of mertinrike how kenilm mette a þing A lutil he was mordred vpon a day His mordre in his auysioun he say Line 4304 His norice him expouned euerydel His sweuen and bad him for to kepe him wel For traisoun for he nas but seuen ȝer old And þerfore litel tale haþ he told Line 4308 Of eny drem so holy was his hert By god I hadde leuer þan my schert þat ȝe had rad his legend as haue I Dame pertelot I say ȝow trewely Line 4312 Macrobius þat writ þe avisioun In auffrik of þe worþy Cipioun Affermeþ dremes and saith þat þay been Warnyng of þinges þat men after seen Line 4316 And forþermore I pray ȝow lokeþ wel In þe olde testament of Daniel If he huld dremes eny vanyte / Rede eek of Ioseph and þer schal ȝe see / Line 4320 wheþir dremes ben som tyme I say nought alle warnyng of þinges þat schul after falle Lok of Egipt þe king daun pharao his baker and his botiler also Line 4324 whethir þay felte noon effect in dremis who-so wol seke actes of sondry remys May rede of dremes many a sondry þing Lo Cresus which þat was of lydes king Line 4328

[6-text p 292] Line 4328 Mette þat he sat vpon a tre which signified he schuld hanged be / Lo hir andromachia Ectors wif That day þat Ector schulde lese his lif Line 4332 Sche dremed on þe same night byforn how þat þe lif of Ector schulde be lorn If þilke day he wente to batayle / Sche warned him but it might nouȝt auaile / Line 4336 He wente forþ to fighte naþeles But he was slayn anoon of achilles [folio 242b] But þilke tale is al to long to telle/ And eek/ it is neigh day I may not duelle Line 4340 Schortly I say as for conclusioun That I schal haue of þis auisioun Aduersite and I say forþermore That I ne telle of laxatifs no store Line 4344 For þay ben venemous I wot it wel I hem defye I loue hem neuer a del Now let vs speke of mirthe and lete al þis Madame pertilot so haue I blis Line 4348 Of o þing god haþ me sent large grace For whan I see þe beaute of ȝour face Ȝe ben so scarlet hiew about ȝour eyȝen hit makith al my drede for to deyȝen Line 4352 For als siker as In principio Mulier est hominis confusio Madame þe sentence of þis latyn is womman is mannes ioye and mannes blis Line 4356 For when I fiele a-night ȝour softe syde / Al be it þat I may not on ȝou ryde For þat ȝour perche is mad so narrow allas / I am so ful of ioye and solas Line 4360 That I defye boþ sweuen and drem And with þat word he fleigh doun fro þe beem For it was day and eek his hennes alle with a chuk. he gan hem for to calle / Line 4364

[6-text p 293] Line 4364 For he had found a corn lay in þe ȝerd Real he was he was nomore aferd he fetherid pertelote. twenty tyme And trad as ofte er þat it was prime Line 4368 he lokith as it were a grim lioun And on his toon he romeþ vp and doun him deyneth not to set his foot to grounde And chukkiþ whan he haþ a corn I-founde Line 4372 And to him rennen þan his wifes alle Thus real as a prince is in his halle ¶ Leue I þis Chauntecler in his pasture And after wol I telle his aduenture [folio 243a] Line 4376 whan þat þe moneth in which þe world bigan That highte march whan god maked first man was complet and passed were also Syn march bygan tway monþes and dayes tuo Line 4380 Byfell þat Chauntecler in al his pride His seuen wyues walkyng by his syde Cast vp his eyȝen to þe brighte sonne That in þe signe of Taurus had I-ronne Line 4384 Twenty degrees and oon and som what more And knew by kynde and by noon oþer lore þat it was prime and crew with blisful steuen The sonne he sayde. is clomben vpon heuen Line 4388 Twenty degrees and oon and som what more I-wis Ma dame pertelot my worldes blis Herknith þese blisful briddes how þay synge / And seth þese freissche floures how þay springe Line 4392 Ful is myn hert of reuel and solaas But sodeinly him fel a sorwful caas For euer þe latter end of ioye is wo God wot þat worldly ioye is soone ago Line 4396 And if [a] Rethor couþe faire endite hem a Cronique saufly might he write As for a souerayn notabilite [¶ Petrus comestor] Now euery wys man let him herkne me Line 4400

[6-text p 294] Line 4400 This story is also trewe I vndertake As þe book is of Launcelot þe lake That womman huld in ful gret reuerence Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence Line 4404 A Colefox ful / sleigh of iniquite That in þe groue had woned ȝeres þre By heigh ymaginacioun forncast The same nighte þurgh þe hegge brast Line 4408 In to þe ȝerd þer Chaunteclere þe faire was went and eek his wyues to repaire And in a bed of wortes stille he lay Til it was passed vndern of þe day Line 4412 waytyng his tyme on Chaunteclere to falle / As gladly doon þese homicides alle [folio 243b] That in awayte lyn to morther men O false mordrer lurkyng in þy den Line 4416 O newe Scariot newe Genilon Fals dissimilour. greke Synon That broughtest troye al outrely to sorwe O Chauntecler. O cursed be þe morwe Line 4420 That þou in to þe ȝerd flough fro þe bemys Thow were ful wel I-warned by þy dremys That þilke day was perilous to þe But what þat god forwot most needes be / Line 4424 After þe opynyoun of certeyn clerkis witnesse on him þat eny clerk is That in scole is gret altercacioun In þis matier and gret desputesoun Line 4428 And hath ben of an hundred þousend men But ȝit I can not. bult it to þe bren As can þe holy doctor augustyn Or boece. or þe bisshop Bradwardyn Line 4432 Wheþer þat goddis worþy forwetyng Streigneth me needely for to do a þing Needely clepe I simple necessite Or elles. if fre choys be graunted me Line 4436

[6-text p 295] Line 4436 To do þat same þing or to do it nouȝt Though god forwot it er þat it was wrought Or of his wityng streyneþ neuer a deel But by necessite condicionel Line 4440 I wol not haue to do of such matiere My tale is of a Cok as ȝe schal hiere That took his counseil of his wyf with sorwe / To walken in þe ȝerd vpon þe morwe Line 4444 That he had met þe dreme þat I tolde wymmens counseiles ben fulofte colde wommannes counseil brouȝt vs first to woo And made adam fro paradys to go Line 4448 Ther as he was ful mery and wel at ease But for I not to him it might displease If I counseil of womman wolde blame Pas ouer for I sayd it in my game [folio 244a] Line 4452 Red auctours wher þay trete of such matiere And what þay sayn of wommen ȝe may heere These ben þe cokkes wordes and not myne I can / noon harme / of wommen diuine / Line 4456 Faire in þe sond to baþe hir merily lith pertelot and alle hir sustres by Agayn þe sonne and Chaunteclere so free Sang merier þan þe meremayd in þe see Line 4460 For phisiologus seith sicurly how þat þay syngen wel and merily And so byfel þat as he cast his ye Among þe wortes on a boterflye Line 4464 he was war of þis fox þat lay ful lowe No þing ne list him þanne for to crowe But cryde anoon. cok. cok/. and vp he stert As man þat was affrayed in his hert Line 4468 For naturelly a beest desireth flee Fro his contrarie if / he may it see þough he neuer er had sayn it with his ye þis Chaunteclere whan he gan it aspye Line 4472

[6-text p 296] Line 4472 he wold han fled but þat þe fox anon Said gentil sire / allas why wol ȝe goon Be ȝe affrayd of me þat am ȝoure frend Certes I were worse þan any feend Line 4476 If I to ȝow wold harm or vilonye I am nouȝt come ȝour counsail to espye . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 4480 But trewely ȝe haue als mery a steuen As eny aungel hath þat is in heuen Ther wiþ ȝe han in musik more felynge Than had Boece or eny þat can synge Line 4484 My lord ȝour fader god his soule blesse / And ȝoure moder of her gentilesse han in myn hous I-been to my gret ease And Certes sire ful fayn wold I ȝow please Line 4488 But for men speke of syngyng I wol say So mot I brouke wel myn yen tway Saue ȝe I herde neuer man so synge As dede ȝour fadir in þe morwenynge [folio 244b] Line 4492 Certes it was of hert al þat he song And for to make his vois þe more strong he wold so peynen him þat wiþ boþe his yen he moste wynke so lowde he wolde crien Line 4496 And stonden on his typtoon þer wiþ al And streche forth his necke long and smal And eek/ he was of such discressioun That þer nas no man in no regioun Line 4500 That him in song or wisdom mighte passe I haue wel rad in Daun Burnel thasse Among his verses how þer was a Cok For a prestes sone ȝaf him a knok Line 4504 vpon his leg whil he was ȝong and nyce He made him for to lese his benefice But certeyn þer is no comparisoun Bitwix þe wisdom and discressioun Line 4508

[6-text p 297] Line 4508 Of ȝoure fader and of his subtilte Now syngeþ sire for seinte charite let se can ȝe ȝour fader countrefete This Chanteclere his wynges gan to bete Line 4512 As man that couþe his tresoun nought espye So was he rauyssht wiþ his flaterie Allas lordynges many a fals flatour Is in ȝour hous and many a losengour Line 4516 That pleasen ȝow wel more by my faith Than he þat soþfastnesse vnto ȝow saith Rediþ Ecclesiast of flaterie Beþ war ȝe lordes of her treccherie / Line 4520 This Chaunteclere stood heihe vpon his toos Strecching his necke and his yhen cloos And gan to crowe lowde for þe noones/ And daun Russel þe fox stert vp at oones Line 4524 And by þe garget hente Chaunteclere And on his bak toward þe woode him bere For ȝit was þere / no man þat him sewed O desteny þat maist not ben eschiewed Line 4528 Allas þat Chaunteclere fleigh fro þe bemis Allas his wif roughte nought of dremis [folio 245a] And on a friday fel al þis meschaunce O venus þat art god of pleasaunce Line 4532 Syn þat þy seruant was þis Chaunteclere And in þy seruice did al his powere More for delit þan þe world to multiplie why woldest þou suffre him on þy day to dye Line 4536 O gaufred dere mayster souerayn That whan þe worþy king Richard was slayn with schot compleynedist/ his deþ so sore why ne had I nouȝt þy sentence and þy lore Line 4540 þe friday for to chiden as dede ȝe For on a fryday soþly slayn was he Than wold I schewe how þat I couþe pleyne / For Chauntecleres drede and for his peyne Line 4544

[6-text p 298] Line 4544 Certis such cry ne lamentacioun was neuer of ladies maad whan Ilioun was wonne and pirrus with his strit swerd whan he hente kyng priam by þe berd Line 4548 And slough him as saith vs Eneydos As maden alle þe hennes in þe clos whan þay had sayn of Chauntecler þe sight Nought soueraignly . dam pertelote schright Line 4552 Ful lowder þan did hasdrubaldes wyf whan þat hir housebond had lost/ his lyf And þat þe Romayns had I-brent Cartage Sche was so ful of torment and of rage / Line 4556 That wilfully vnto þe fuyr sche stert And brend hir seluen with a stedfast hert O woful hennes right so cride ȝe As whan þat Nero brente þe cite Line 4560 Of Rome criden þe senatoures wyues For þat her housbondes losten alle here lyues wiþouten gult þis nero hath hem slayn Now wol I torne to my matier agayn Line 4564 ¶ The sely wydow and hir doughtres tuo herden þese hennys crie and maken wo And out at dores starte þay anoon And sayden þe fox toward þe woode is goon [folio 245b] Line 4568 And bar vpon his bak þe cok away And criden out harrow and wayleway ha . ha . þe fox and after him þay ran And eek with staues many anoþer man Line 4572 Ran Colle our dogge and talbot and Garlond And Malkyn wiþ a distaf in hir hond Ran cow and calf and þe verray hoggoes So were þey fered for berkyng of dogges Line 4576 And schowtyng of þe men and wymmen eke Þay ronne þat þay þought her herte breke Thay ȝelleden as feeldes doon in helle The dokes criden as men wold hem quelle Line 4580

[6-text p 299] Line 4580 The gees for fere flowen ouer þe trees Out of þe hyues cam þe swarm of bees So hidous was þe noyse a benedicite Certes þough Iakke straw and his meyne Line 4584 Ne maden schoutes neuer half so schrille whan þat þay wolden eny flemyng kille / As þilke day was maad vpon þe fox Of bras þay brough hornes and of box Line 4588 Of horn of boon in which þay blew and powped And þer with al thay schryked and þay howped It semed as þat heuen schulde falle Now goode men I pray herkneþ alle / Line 4592 lo how fortune torneþ sodeinly The hope and pride eek of her enuy This Cok þat lay vpon þis foxes bak In al his drede vnto the fox he spak Line 4596 And saide sire if þat I were as ȝe Ȝet schuld I sayn as wis god helpe me Turneþ aȝein ȝe proude cherles alle A verray pestilens vpon ȝow falle / Line 4600 Now am I come vnto þis woodes syde / Maugre ȝoure heed þe Cok/ schal heer abyde I wol him ete in faith and þat anoon The Fox answerd in faith it schal be doon Line 4604 And whil he spak þat word al sodeinly This Cok brak from his mouth delyuerly [folio 246a] And heigh vpon a tree he fleigh anoon And whan þe fox seigh þat he was I-goon Line 4608 Allas quod he o. Chaunteclere allas I haue to ȝow quod he y-don trespas In as moche as I makid ȝow aferd whan I ȝow hent and brouȝt out of þe ȝerd Line 4612 But sire I dede it in no wicked entent Com doun and I schal telle ȝow what I ment I schal say soþ to ȝow god help me so Nay þan quod he I schrew vs boþe tuo Line 4616

[6-text p 300] Line 4616 And first I schrew my self boþe blood and boones If þou bigile me. any ofter þan oones Thou schalt no more þurgh þy flaterye Do me to synge and wynke with myn ye Line 4620 For he þat wynkith whan he scholde se Al wilfully god let him neuer the Nay quod þe Fox but god ȝiue him meschaunce / þat is so vndiscret of gouernaunce / Line 4624 þat iangleth whan he scholde holde his pees Lo such it is for to be recheles And necligent and trust on flaterie / But ȝe þat holde / þis tale a folye / Line 4628 As of a Fox. or of a cok or of an hen Takith þe moralite goode men For seint poul saiþ þat al þat writen is To oure doctrine it is I-write I-wys Line 4632 Takith þe fruyt and let þe chaf be stille Now goode god. if þat it be þy wille As saith my lor so make vs alle good men And bring vs alle. to his blisse ameN Line 4636

¶ Here endeþ þe tale of Chaunteclere and pertelote [[No break in the MS.]]