Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

[The Tale of the backbiting English Monk.]

                                    þer was a man of relygyun, [A Tale] 
                                  
                                    þat yn þys he was a felun,
                                  
                                    Yn bakbytyng, as ȝe han herde,
                                  
                                    As many one are now yn þys werlde.
                                    Line 3556 
                                  
                                    He was wunt to seye wykked sawes
                                  
                                    Behynde þe bak of hys felaws;
                                  
                                    For he wulde be holde þe beste
                                  
                                    Of all hys breþer, and þe wylyeste.
                                    Line 3560 
                                  
                                    A syknes toke þys munke, and deyde,
                                  
                                    As God had of hym purueyde,
                                  
                                    And went yn-to peynë hard,
                                  
                                    As was shewed aftyrward.
                                    Line 3564 
                                  
                                    Befel þe tyme, as hyt ys ryȝt,
                                  
                                    Munkës to rysë at mydnyȝt;
                                  
                                    And when matynes were al done,
                                  
                                    Þe couent ȝede to beddë sone.
                                    Line 3568 
                                  
                                    A munkë lefte be-hynde a throwe, [a trowe.] 
                                  
                                    Þat þe dede was wunt to knowe;
                                  
                                    whan þys munke come before þe chapytyl,
                                  
                                    As ordyr askyþ, he louted a lytyl;
                                    Line 3572 
                                  
                                    And as he louted, hys ye [eȝe.]  gan blenche,
                                  
                                    And say [sagh.]  one sytte before þe benche,
                                  
                                    A foulë þyng, and a grysly, [folio 24b] 
                                  
                                    he sagh neuer none so loþly;
                                    Line 3576 
                                  
                                    he shette hys tunge [tunge out.]  before þe grecys,
                                  
                                    And gnogh hyt [Harl. hys.]  ynwarde al to pecys.
                                  
                                    hys tunge was brennynge [O, brenned Harl.]  þat he so gnogh,
                                  
                                    yn-to hys mouþe aȝen he hyt drogh;
                                    Line 3580 
                                  
                                    And eft, oute [out.]  he dede hyt shete,
                                  
                                    And gnogh hyt eft with peynës grete.
                                  
                                    Many tymes þan dede he so;

About this Item

Title: Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".
Author: Mannyng, Robert, fl. 1288-1338.
Canvas: Page 123
Publication: London :: Pub. for the Early English text society, by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd.,; 1901-[03].

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2735.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aha2735.0001.001/131

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Full citation: "Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne"." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aha2735.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 14, 2025.

Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

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