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

[THE PROEM.]

(1)

THe minister and þe norice vnto vices Line 1 which þat men clepe in englisch ydelnesse / The porter at þe gates is of delicis To eschiewe and by her contrary hire oppresse That is to say by leful besynesse / Line 5 wel oughte we to do al oure entente Lest þat þe fend þurgh ydelnesse vs hente / Line 7

(2)

For he þat wiþ his þousand cordes slye / Line 8 Continuelly vs wayteth to byclappe/ whan he may man in ydelnes espye / He can so lightly cacche him in his trappe / Til þat a man be hent right by þe lappe / Line 12 He is nouȝt war þe fend haþ him in honde / wel oughte we wirche and ydelnes wiþstonde / Line 14

(3)

And þough men dredde neuer for to deye Line 15 Ȝet seen men wel by resoun douteles That ydelnes is roten sloggardye Of which þer comeþ neuer good encres And sin þat slouþ her holdeþ in a lees Line 19 Oonly to sleep and for to ete and drynke And to deuoure al þat oþer swynke Line 21

[6-text p 528] Line 21

(4)

And for to put vs from such ydelne Line 22 That cause is of so gret confusioun I haue her doon my faithful busynes [folio 162b] After þe legende in translacioun Right of þis glorious lif and passioun Line 26 Thou with þi garlond wrought wiþ rose and lylye The mene I mayde and martir cecilie Line 28

(5)

And þou þat flour of virgines art alle / [Inuocacio ad marium] Line 29 Of whom þat Bernard lust so wel to write / To þe at my bygynnyng first I calle Thou comfort of vs wrecches do me endite Thy maydenes deþ þat whan þurgh hire merite Line 33 Theternal lif and of þe feend victorie As man may after reden in hir storie Line 35

(6)

Thou mayde and moder doughter of þi sone / Line 36 Thow welle of mercy synful soules cure In whom þat god of bountes chees to wone Thou humble and heyh ouer euery creature Thow nobelest so ferforþ oure nature Line 40 That no disdeyn þe maker had of kynde / his sone in blood and fleissh to cloþe and wynde / Line 42

(7)

Wiþinne þe cloyster of þi blisful sydes Line 43 Took mannes schap þe eternal loue and pees That of þe trine compas lord and guyde is whom erþe and see and heuen out of relees Ay herien and þou virgine wemmeles Line 47 Bar of þy body and dwellest mayden pure The creatour of euery creature / Line 49

[6-text p 529] Line 49

(8)

Assembled is in þy magnificence Line 50 with mercy goodnes and with such pitee That þou þat art þe soune of excellence But oonly helpist hem þat prayen þe But often tyme of þy benignite Line 54 Ful frely er þat men þin help biseche Thou gost biforn and art her lyfes leche / Line 56

(9)

Now help þou meke and blisful faire mayde / Line 57 Me flemed wrecche in þis desert of galle Thenk on þe womman canace þat sayde That whelpes ete some of þe crommes alle That from her lordes table ben I-falle / Line 61 And þough þat I vnworthy sone of Eue [folio 163a] Be synful / ȝett accepte my bileue Line 63

(10)

And for þat faith is deth wiþouten werkis Line 64 So for to werken ȝiue me witt and space / That I be quit fro þennes þat most derk is O þou þat art so fair and ful of grace / Be myn aduocat in þat hihe place / Line 68 Ther as wiþouten ende is songe Osanne Thou cristes moder douȝter deere of Anne Line 70

(11)

And of þi light my soule in prisoun light Line 71 That troubled is by þe contagioun Of my body and also by þe wight Of euerich lust and fals affeccioun O heuen of refuyt O sauacioun Line 75 Of hem þat ben in sorwe and in destresse / Now help for to my werk I wil me dresse / Line 77

[6-text p 530] Line 77

(12)

Ȝet pray I ȝou þat reden þat I write / Line 78 Forȝeue me þat I doo no diligence This ilke story subtilly to endite For boþe haue I þe wordes and sentence Of him þat at þe seintes reuerence Line 82 The story wroot and folwen hir legende / And pray ȝow þat ȝe wol my werk amende / Line 84