The Nun's Priest's Tale
2821: A povre wydwe, somdeel stape in age 
2822: Was whilom dwellyng in a narwe cotage, 
2823: Biside a grove, stondynge in a dale. 
2824: This wydwe, of which I telle yow my tale, 
2825: Syn thilke day that she was last a wyf, 
2826: In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf, 
2827: For litel was hir catel and hir rente. 
2828: By housbondrie of swich as God hire sente 
2829: She foond hirself and eek hir doghtren two. 
2830: Thre large sowes hadde she, and namo, 
2831: Three keen, and eek a sheep that highte malle. 
2832: Ful sooty was hire bour and eek hir halle, 
2833: In which she eet ful many a sklendre meel. 
2834: Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel. 
2835: No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte; 
2836: Hir diete was accordant to hir cote. 
2837: Repleccioun ne made hire nevere sik; 
2838: Attempree diete was al hir phisik, 
2839: And exercise, and hertes suffisaunce. 
2840: The goute lette hire nothyng for to daunce, 
2841: N' apoplexie shente nat hir heed. 
2842: No wyn ne drank she, neither whit ne reed; 
2843: Hir bord was served moost with whit and blak, -- 
2844: Milk and broun breed, in which she foond no lak, 
2845: Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye; 
2846: For she was, as it were, a maner deye. 
2847: A yeerd she hadde, enclosed al aboute 
2848: With stikkes, and a drye dych withoute, 
2849: In which she hadde a cok, hight chauntecleer. 
2850: In al the land, of crowyng nas his peer. 
2851: His voys was murier than the murie orgon 
2852: On messe-dayes that in the chirche gon. 
2853: Wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge 
2854: Than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge. 
2855: By nature he knew ech ascencioun 
2856: Of the equynoxial in thilke toun; 
2857: For whan degrees fiftene weren ascended, 
2858: Thanne crew he, that it myghte nat been amended. 
2859: His coomb was redder than the fyn coral, 
2860: And batailled as it were a castel wal; 
2861: His byle was blak, and as the jeet it shoon; 
2862: Lyk asure were his legges and his toon; 
2863: His nayles whitter than the lylye flour, 
2864: And lyk the burned gold was his colour. 
2865: This gentil cok hadde in his governaunce 
2866: Sevene hennes for to doon al his plesaunce, 
2867: Whiche were his sustres and his paramours, 
2868: And wonder lyk to hym, as of colours; 
2869: Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte 
2870: Was cleped faire damoysele pertelote. 
2871: Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire, 
2872: And compaignable, and bar hyrself so faire, 
2873: Syn thilke day that she was seven nyght oold, 
2874: That trewely she hath the herte in hoold 
2875: Of chauntecleer, loken in every lith; 
2876: He loved hire so that wel was hym therwith. 
2877: But swich a joye was it to here hem synge, 
2878: Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge, 
2879: In sweete accord, my lief is faren in londe! 
2880: For thilke tyme, as I have understonde, 
2881: Beestes and briddes koude speke and synge. 
2882: And so bifel that in a dawenynge, 
2883: As chauntecleer among his wyves alle 
2884: Sat on his perche, that was in the halle, 
2885: And next hym sat this faire pertelote, 
2886: This chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte, 
2887: As man that in his dreem is drecched soore. 
2888: And whan that pertelote thus herde hym roore, 
2889: She was agast, and seyde, herte deere, 
2890: What eyleth yow, to grone in this manere? 
2891: Ye been a verray sleper; fy, for shame! 
2892: And he answerde, and seyde thus: madame, 
2893: I pray yow that ye take it nat agrief. 
2894: By god, me mette I was in swich meschief 
2895: Right now, that yet myn herte is soore afright. 
2896: Now god, quod he, my swevene recche aright, 
2897: And kepe my body out of foul prisoun! 
2898: Me mette how that I romed up and doun 
2899: Withinne our yeerd, wheer as I saugh a beest 
2900: Was lyk an hound, and wolde han maad areest 
2901: Upon my body, and wolde han had me deed. 
2902: His colour was bitwixe yelow and reed, 
2903: And tipped was his tayl and bothe his eeris 
2904: With blak, unlyk the remenant of his heeris; 
2905: His snowte smal, with glowynge eyen tweye. 
2906: Yet of his look for feere almoost I deye; 
2907: This caused me my gronyng, doutelees. 
2908: Avoy! quod she, fy on yow, hertelees! 
2909: Allas! quod she, for, by that God above, 
2910: Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love. 
2911: I kan nat love a coward, by my feith! 
2912: For certes, what so any womman seith, 
2913: We alle desiren, if it myghte bee, 
2914: To han housbondes hardy, wise, and free, 
2915: And secree, and no nygard, ne no fool, 
2916: Ne hym that is agast of every tool, 
2917: Ne noon avauntour, by that God above! 
2918: How dorste ye seyn, for shame, unto youre love 
2919: That any thyng myghte make yow aferd? 
2920: Have ye no mannes herte, and han a berd? 
2921: Allas! and konne ye been agast of swevenys? 
2922: Nothyng, God woot, but vanitee in sweven is. 
2923: Swevenes engendren of replecciouns, 
2924: And ofte of fume and of complecciouns, 
2925: Whan humours been to habundant in a wight. 
2926: Certes this dreem, which ye han met to-nyght, 
2927: Cometh of the greete superfluytee 
2928: Of youre rede colera, pardee, 
2929: Which causeth folk to dreden in hir dremes 
2930: Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes, 
2931: Of rede beestes, that they wol hem byte, 
2932: Of contek, and of whelpes, grete and lyte; 
2933: Right as the humour of malencolie 
2934: Causeth ful many a man in sleep to crie 
2935: For feere of blake beres, or boles blake, 
2936: Or elles blake develes wole hem take. 
2937: Of othere humours koude I telle also 
2938: That werken many a man sleep ful wo; 
2939: But I wol passe as lightly as I kan. 
2940: Lo catoun, which that was so wys a man, 
2941: Seyde he nat thus, -- ne do no fors of dremes? -- 
2942: Now sire, quod she, whan we flee for the bemes, 
2943: For goddes love, as taak som laxatyf. 
2944: Up peril of my soule and of my lyf, 
2945: I conseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye, 
2946: That bothe of colere and of malencolye 
2947: Ye purge yow; and for ye shal nat tarie, 
2948: Though in this toun is noon apothecarie, 
2949: I shal myself to gerbes techen yow 
2950: That shul been for youre hele and for youre prow; 
2951: And in oure yeerd tho herbes shal I fynde 
2952: The whiche han of hire propretee by kynde 
2953: To purge yow bynethe and eek above. 
2954: Foryet nat this, for goddes owene love! 
2955: Ye been ful coleryk of compleccioun; 
2956: Ware the sonne in his ascencioun 
2957: Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hoote. 
2958: And if it do, I dar wel leye a grote, 
2959: That ye shul have a fevere tercaine, 
2960: Of an agu, that may be youre bane. 
2961: A day or two ye shul have digestyves 
2962: Of wormes, er ye take youre laxatyves 
2963: Of lawriol, centaure, and fumetere, 
2964: Or elles of ellebor, that groweth there, 
2965: Of katapuce, or of gaitrys beryis, 
2966: Of herbe yve, growyng in oure yeerd, ther mery is; 
2967: Pekke hem up right as they growe and ete hem yn. 
2968: By myrie, housbonde, for youre fader kyn~ 
2969: Dredeth no dreem, I kan sey yow namoore. 
2970: Madame, quod he, graunt mercy of youre loore. 
2971: But nathelees, as touchyng daun catoun, 
2972: That hath of wysdom swich a greet renoun, 
2973: Though that he bad no dremes for to drede, 
2974: By god, men may in olde bookes rede 
2975: Of many a man moore of auctorite 
2976: Than evere caton was, so moot I thee, 
2977: That al the revers seyn of this sentence, 
2978: And han wel founden by experience 
2979: That dremes been significaciouns 
2980: As wel of joye as of tribulaciouns 
2981: That folk enduren in this lif present. 
2982: Ther nedeth make of this noon argument; 
2983: The verray preeve sheweth it in dede. 
2984: Oon of the gretteste auctour that men rede 
2985: Seith thus: that whilom two felawes wente 
2986: On pilgrimage, in a ful good entente; 
2987: And happed so, yhey coomen in a toun 
2988: Wher as ther was swich congregacioun 
2989: Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage, 
2990: That they ne founde as muche as cotage 
2991: In which they bothe myghte ylogged bee. 
2992: Wherfore they mosten of necessitee, 
2993: As for that nyght,departen compaignye; 
2994: And ech of hem gooth to his hostelrye, 
2995: And took his loggyng as it wolde falle. 
2996: That oon of hem was logged in a stalle, 
2997: Fer in a yeerd, with oxen of the plough; 
2998: That oother man was logged wel ynough, 
2999: As was his aventure or his fortune, 
3000: That us governeth alle as in commune. 
3001: And so bifel that, longe er it were day, 
3002: This man mette in his bed, ther as he lay 
3003: How that his felawe gan upon hym calle, 
3004: And seyde,, -- allas! for in an oxes stalle 
3005: This nyght I shal be mordred ther I lye. 
3006: Now help me,deere brother, or I dye. 
3007: In alle haste com to me! -- he sayde. 
3008: This man out of his sleep for feere abrayde; 
3009: But whan that he was wakened of this sleep, 
3010: He turned hym, and took of this no keep. 
3011: Hym thoughte his dreem nas but a vanitte. 
3012: Thus twies in his slepyng dremed hee; 
3013: And atte thridde tyme yet his felawe 
3014: Cam, as hym thoughte, and seide, -- I am now slawe. 
3015: Bihood my bloody woundes depe and wyde! 
3016: Arys up erly in the morwe tyde, 
3017: And at the west gate of the toun, -- quod he, 
3018: -- A carte ful of dong ther shaltow se, 
3019: In which my body is hid ful prively; 
3020: Do thilke carte arresten boldely. 
3021: My gold caused my mordre, sooth to sayn., 
3022: And tolde hym every point how he was slayn, 
3023: With a ful pitous face, pale of hewe. 
3024: And truste wel, his dreem he foond ful trewe, 
3025: For on the morwe, as soone as it was day, 
3026: To his felawes in he took the way; 
3027: And whan that he cam to his oxes stalle, 
3028: After his felawe he bigan to calle. 
3029: The hostiler answerede hym anon, 
3030: And seyde,,sire, your felawe is agon. 
3031: As soone as day he wente out of the toun., 
3032: This man gan fallen suspecioun, 
3033: Remembrynge on his dremes that he mette, 
3034: And forth he gooth no lenger wolde he lette 
3035: Unto the west gate of the toun, and fond 
3036: A dong carte, wente as it were to donge lond, 
3037: That was arrayed in that same wise 
3038: As ye han herd the dede man devyse. 
3039: And with an hardy herte he gan to crye 
3040: Vengeance and justice of this felonye. 
3041: My felawe mordred is this same nyght, 
3042: And in this carte he lith gapyng upright. 
3043: I crye out on the ministres, -- quod he, 
3044: -- That sholden kepe and reulen this citee. 
3045: Harrow! allas! heere lith my felawe slayn! -- 
3046: What sholde I moore unto this tale sayn? 
3047: The peple out sterte and caste the cart to grounde, 
3048: And in the myddel of the dong they founde 
3049: The dede man, that mordred was al newe. 
3050: O blisful god, that art so just and trewe, 
3051: Lo, how that thou biwryest mordre alway! 
3052: Mordre wol out, that se we day by day. 
3053: Mordre is so wlatsom and abhomynable 
3054: To god, that is so just and resonable, 
3055: That he ne wol nat suffre it heled be, 
3056: Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or thre. 
3057: Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun. 
3058: And right anon, ministres of that toun 
3059: Han hent the carter and so soore hym pyned, 
3060: And eek the hostiler so soore engyned, 
3061: That they biknewe hire wikkednesse anon, 
3062: And were anhanged by the nekke bon. 
3063: Heere may men seen that dremes been to drede. 
3064: And certes in the same book I rede, 
3065: Right in the nexte chapitre after this 
3066: I gabbe nat, so have I joye or blis 
3067: Two men that wolde han passed over see, 
3068: For certeyn cause, into a fer contree, 
3069: If that the wynd ne hadde been contrarie, 
3070: That made hem in a citee for to tarie 
3071: That stood ful myrie upon an haven-syde; 
3072: But on a day, agayn the even-tyde, 
3073: The wynd gan chaunge, and blew right as hem leste. 
3074: Jolif and glad they wente unto hir reste, 
3075: And casten hem ful erly for to saille. 
3076: But to that o man fil a greet mervaille: 
3077: That oon of hem,in slepyng as he lay, 
3078: Hym mette a wonder dreem agayn the day. 
3079: Hym thoughte a man stood by his beddes syde, 
3080: And hym comanded that he sholde abyde, 
3081: And seyde hym thus: -- if thou tomorwe wende, 
3082: Thow shalt be dreynt; my tale is at an ende. 
3083: He wook, and tolde his felawe what he mette, 
3084: And preyde hym his viage for to lette; 
3085: As for that day, he preyde hym to byde. 
3086: His felawe, that lay by his beddes syde, 
3087: Gan for to laughe, and scorned him ful faste. 
3088: -- no dreem, -- quod he, -- may so myn herte agaste 
3089: That I wol lette for to do my thynges. 
3090: I sette nat a straw by thy dremynges, 
3091: For swevenes been but vantees and japes. 
3092: Men dreme alday of owles and of apes, 
3093: And eek of many a maze therwithal; 
3094: Men dreme of thyng that nevere was ne shal. 
3095: But sith I see that thou wolt heere abyde, 
3096: And thus forslewthen wilfully thy tyde, 
3097: God woot, it reweth me; and have good day! -- 
3098: And thus he took his leve, and wente his way. 
3099: But er that he hadde half his cours yseyled, 
3100: Noot I nat why, ne what myschaunce it eyled, 
3101: But casuelly the shippes botme rente, 
3102: And ship and man under the water wente 
3103: In sighte of othere shippes it bisyde, 
3104: That with hem seyled at the same tyde. 
3105: And therfore, faire pertelote so deere, 
3106: By swiche ensamples olde maistow leere 
3107: That no man sholde been to recchelees 
3108: Of dremes; for I seye thee, doutelees, 
3109: That many a dreem ful soore is for to drede. 
3110: Lo, in the lyf of seint kenelm I rede, 
3111: That was kenulphus sone, the noble kyng 
3112: Of mercenrike, how kenelm mette a thyng. 
3113: A lite er he was mordred, on a day, 
3114: His mordre in his avysioun he say. 
3115: His norice hym expowned every deel 
3116: His sweven, and bad hym for to kepe hym weel 
3117: For traisoun; but he nas but seven yeer oold, 
3118: And therfore lite tale hath he toold 
3119: Of any dreem, so hooly was his herte. 
3120: By god! I hadde levere than my sherte 
3121: That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I. 
3122: Dame pertelote, I sey yow trewely, 
3123: Macrobeus, that writ the avisioun 
3124: In affrike of the worthy cipioun, 
3125: Affermeth dremes, and seith that they been 
3126: Warnynge of thynges that men after seen. 
3127: And forthermoore, I pray yow, looketh wel 
3128: In the olde testament, of daniel, 
3129: If he heeld dremes any vanitee. 
3130: Reed eek of joseph, and ther shul ye see 
3131: Wher dremes be somtyme -- I sey nat alle -- 
3132: Warnynge of thynges that shul after falle. 
3133: Looke of egipte the kyng, daun pharao, 
3134: His bakere and his butiller also, 
3135: Wher they ne felte noon effect in dremes. 
3136: Whoso wol seken actes of sondry remes 
3137: May rede of dremes many a wonder thyng. 
3138: Lo cresus, which that was of lyde kyng, 
3139: Mette he nat that he sat upon a tree, 
3140: Which signified he sholde anhanged bee? 
3141: Lo heere andromacha, ectores wyf, 
3142: That day that ector sholde lese his lyf, 
3143: She dremed on the same nyght biforn 
3144: How that the lyf of ector sholde be lorn, 
3145: If thilke day he wente into bataille. 
3146: She warned hym, but it myghte nat availle; 
3147: He wente for to fighte natheles, 
3148: But he was slayn anon of achilles. 
3149: But thilke tale is al to longe to telle, 
3150: And eek it is ny day, I may nat dwelle. 
3151: Shortly I seye, as for conclusioun, 
3152: That I shal han of this avisioun 
3153: Adversitee; and I seye forthermoor, 
3154: That I ne telle of laxatyves no stoor, 
3155: For they been venymous, I woot it weel; 
3156: I hem diffye, I love hem never a deel! 
3157: Now let us speke of myrthe, and stynte al this. 
3158: Madame pertelote, so have I blis, 
3159: Of o thyng God hath sent me large grace; 
3160: For whan I se the beautee of youre face, 
3161: Ye been so scarlet reed aboute youre yen, 
3162: It maketh al my drede for to dyen; 
3163: For al so siker as in principio, 
3164: Mulier est hominis confusio, -- 
3165: Madame, the sentence of this latyn is, 
3166: -- womman is mannes joye and al his blis. -- 
3167: For whan I feele a-nyght your softe syde, 
3168: Al be it that I may nat on yow ryde, 
3169: For that oure perche is maad so narwe, allas! 
3170: I am so ful of joye and of solas, 
3171: That I diffye bothe sweven and dreem. 
3172: And with that word he fley doun fro the beem, 
3173: For it was day, and eke his hennes alle, 
3174: And with a chuk he gan hem for to calle, 
3175: For he hadde founde a corn, lay in the yerd. 
3176: Real he was, he was namoore aferd. 
3177: He fethered pertelote twenty tyme, 
3178: And trad hire eke as ofte, er it was pryme. 
3179: He looketh as it were a grym leoun, 
3180: And on his toos he rometh up and doun; 
3181: Hym deigned nat to sette his foot to grounde. 
3182: He chukketh whan he hath a corn yfounde, 
3183: And to hym rennen thanne his wyves alle. 
3184: Thus roial, as a prince is in his halle, 
3185: Leve I this chauntecleer in his pasture, 
3186: And after wol I telle his aventure. 
3187: Whan that the month in which the world bigan, 
3188: That highte march, whan God first maked man, 
3189: Was compleet, and passed were also, 
3190: Syn march bigan, thritty dayes and two, 
3191: Bifel that chauntecleer in al his pryde, 
3192: His sevene wyves walkynge by his syde, 
3193: Caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne, 
3194: That in the signe of taurus hadde yronne 
3195: Twenty degrees and oon, and somwhat moore, 
3196: And knew by kynde, and by noon oother loore, 
3197: That it was pryme, and crew with blisful stevene. 
3198: The sonne, he seyde, is clomben up on-evene 
3199: Fourty degrees and oon, and moore ywis. 
3200: Madame pertelote, my worldes blis, 
3201: Herkneth thise blisful briddes how they synge, 
3202: And se the fresshe floures how they sprynge; 
3203: Ful is myn herte of revel and solas! 
3204: But sodeynly hym fil a sorweful cas, 
3205: For evere the latter ende of joye is wo. 
3206: God woot that worldly joye is soone ago; 
3207: And if a rethor koude faire endite, 
3208: He in a cronycle saufly myghte it write 
3209: As for a sovereyn notabilitee. 
3210: Now every wys man, lat him herkne me; 
3211: This storie is also trewe, I undertake, 
3212: As is the book of launcelot de lake, 
3213: That wommen holde in ful greet reverence. 
3214: Now wol I torne agayn to my sentence. 
3215: A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee, 
3216: That in th grove hadde woned yeres three, 
3217: By heigh ymaginacioun forncast, 
3218: The same nyght thurghout the hegges brast 
3219: Into the yerd ther chauntecleer the faire 
3220: Was wont, and eek his wyves, to repaire; 
3221: And in a bed of wortes stille he lay, 
3222: Til it was passed undren of the day, 
3223: Waitynge his tyme on chauntecleer to falle, 
3224: As gladly doon thise homycides alle 
3225: That in await liggen to mordre men. 
3226: O false mordrour, lurkynge in thy den! 
3227: O newe scariot, newe genylon, 
3228: False dissymulour, o greek synon, 
3229: That broghtest troye al outrely to sorwe! 
3230: O chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe 
3231: That thou into that yerd flaugh fro the bemes! 
3232: Thou were ful wel ywarned by thy dremes 
3233: That thilke day was perilous to thee; 
3234: But what that God forwoot moot nedes bee, 
3235: After the opinioun of certein clerkis. 
3236: Witnesse on hym that any parfit clerk is, 
3237: That in scole is greet altercacioun 
3238: In this mateere, and greet disputisoun, 
3239: And hath been of an hundred thousand men. 
3240: But I ne kan nat bulte it to the bren 
3241: As kan the hooly doctour augustyn, 
3242: Or boece, or the bisshop bradwardyn, 
3243: Wheither that goddes worthy forwityng 
3244: Streyneth me nedely for to doon a thyng, -- 
3245: Nedely clepe I symple necessitee; 
3246: Or elles, if free choys be graunted me 
3247: To do that same thyng, or do it noght, 
3248: Though God forwoot it er that was wroght; 
3249: Or if his wityng streyneth never a deel 
3250: But by necessitee condicioneel. 
3251: I wol nat han to do of swich mateere; 
3252: My tale is of a cok, as ye may heere, 
3253: That tok his conseil of his wyf, with sorwe, 
3254: To walken in the yerd upon that morwe 
3255: That he hadde met that dreem that I yow tolde. 
3256: Wommennes conseils been ful ofte colde; 
3257: Wommannes conseil broghte us first to wo, 
3258: And made adam fro paradys to go, 
3259: Ther as he was ful myrie and wel at ese. 
3260: But for I noot to whom it myght displese, 
3261: If I conseil of wommen wolde blame, 
3262: Passe over, for I seyde it in my game. 
3263: Rede auctours, where they trete of swich mateere, 
3264: And what they seyn of wommen ye may heere. 
3265: Thise been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne; 
3266: I kan noon harm of no womman divyne. 
3267: Faire in the soond, to bathe hire myrily, 
3268: Lith pertelote, and alle hire sustres by, 
3269: Agayn the sonne, and chauntecleer so free 
3270: Soong murier than the mermayde in the see; 
3271: For phisiologus seith sikerly 
3272: How that they syngen wel and myrily. 
3273: And so bifel that, as he caste his ye 
3274: Among the wortes on a boterflye, 
3275: He was war of this fox, that lay ful lowe. 
3276: Nothyng ne liste hym thanne for to crowe, 
3277: But cride anon, cok! cok! and up he sterte 
3278: As man that was affrayed in his herte. 
3279: For natureelly a beest desireth flee 
3280: Fro his contrarie, if he may it see, 
3281: Though he never erst hadde seyn it with his ye. 
3282: This chauntecleer, whan he gan hym espye, 
3283: He wolde han fled, but that the fox anon 
3284: Seyde, gentil sire, allas! wher wol ye gon? 
3285: Be ye affrayed of me that am youre freend? 
3286: Now, certes, I were worse than a feend, 
3287: If I to yow wolde harm or vileynye! 
3288: I am nat come youre conseil for t' espye, 
3289: But trewely, the cause of my comynge 
3290: Was oonly for to herkne how that ye synge. 
3291: For trewely, ye have as myrie a stevene 
3292: As any aungel hath that is in hevene. 
3293: Therwith ye han in musyk moore feelynge 
3294: Than hadde boece, or any that kan synge. 
3295: My lord youre fader -- God his soule blesse! -- 
3296: And eek youre mooder, of hire gentillesse, 
3297: Han in myn hous ybeen to my greet ese; 
3298: And certes, sire, ful fayn wolde I yow plese. 
3299: But, for men speke of syngyng, I wol seye, -- 
3300: So moote I brouke wel myne eyen tweye, -- 
3301: Save yow, I herde nevere man so synge 
3302: As dide youre fader in the morwenynge. 
3303: Certes, it was of herte, al that he song. 
3304: And for to make his voys the moore strong, 
3305: He wolde so peyne hym that with bothe his yen 
3306: He moste wynke, so loude he wolde cryen, 
3307: And stonden on his tiptoon therwithal, 
3308: And strecche forth his nekke long and smal. 
3309: And eek he was of swich descrecioun 
3310: That ther nas no man in no regioun 
3311: That hym in song or wisedom myghte passe. 
3312: I have wel rad in -- daun burnel the asse -- , 
3313: Among his vers, how that ther was a cok, 
3314: For that a preestes sone yaf hym a knok 
3315: Upon his leg whil he was yong and nyce, 
3316: He made hym for to lese his benefice. 
3317: But certeyn, ther nys no comparisoun 
3318: Bitwixe the wisedom and discrecioun 
3319: Of youre fader and of his subtiltee. 
3320: Now syngeth, sire, for seinte charitee; 
3321: Lat se, konne ye youre fader countrefete? 
3322: This chauntecleer his wynges gan to bete, 
3323: As man that koude his traysoun nat espie, 
3324: So was he ravysshed with his flaterie. 
3325: Allas! ye lordes, many a fals flatour 
3326: Is in youre courtes, and many a losengeour, 
3327: That plesen yow wel moore, by my feith, 
3328: Than he that soothfastnesse unto yow seith. 
3329: Redeth ecclesiaste of flaterye; 
3330: Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye. 
3331: This chauntecleer stoond hye upon his toos, 
3332: Strecchynge his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos, 
3333: And gan to crowe loude for the nones. 
3334: And daun russell the fox stirte up atones, 
3335: And by the gargat hente chauntecleer, 
3336: And on his bak toward the wode hym beer, 
3337: For yet ne was ther no man that hym sewed. 
3338: O destinee, that mayst nat been eschewed! 
3339: Allas, that chauntecleer fleigh fro the bemes! 
3340: Allas, his wyf ne roghte nat of dremes! 
3341: And on a friday fil al this meschaunce. 
3342: o venus, that art goddesse of plesaumce, 
3343: Syn that thy servant was this chauntecleer, 
3344: And in thy servyce dide al his poweer, 
3345: Moore for delit than world to multiplye, 
3346: Why woldestow suffre hym on thy day to dye? 
3347: O gaufred, deere maister soverayn, 
3348: That whan thy worthy kyng richard was slayn 
3349: With shot, compleynedest his deeth so soore, 
3350: Why ne hadde I now thy sentence and thy loore, 
3351: The friday for to chide, as diden ye? 
3352: For on a friday, soothly, slayn was he. 
3353: Thanne wolde I shewe yow how that I koude pleyne 
3354: For chauntecleres drede and for his peyne. 
3355: Certes, swich cry ne lamentacion, 
3356: Was nevere of ladyes maad whan ylion 
3357: Was wonne, and pirrus with his streite swerd, 
3358: Whan he hadde hent kyng priam by the berd, 
3359: And slayn hym, as seith us eneydos, 
3360: As maden alle the hennes in the clos, 
3361: Whan they had seyn of chauntecleer the sighte. 
3362: But sovereynly dame pertelote shrighte 
3363: Ful louder than dide hasdrubales wyf, 
3364: Whan that hir housbonde hadde lost his lyf, 
3365: And that the romayns hadde brend cartage. 
3366: She was so ful of torment and of rage 
3367: That wilfully into the fyr she sterte, 
3368: And brende hirselven with a stedefast herte. 
3369: O woful hennes, right so criden ye, 
3370: As, whan that nero brende the citee 
3371: Of rome, cryden senatoures wyves 
3372: For that hir husbondes losten alle hir lyves, -- 
3373: Withouten gilt this nero hath hem slayn. 
3374: Now wole I turne to my tale agayn. 
3375: This sely wydwe and eek hir doghtres two 
3376: Herden thise hennes crie and maken wo, 
3377: And out at dores stirten they anon, 
3378: And syen the fox toward the grove gon, 
3379: And bar upon his bak the cok away, 
3380: And cryden, out! harrow! and weylaway! 
3381: Ha! ha! the fox! and after hym they ran, 
3382: And eek with staves many another man, 
3383: Ran colle oure dogge, and talbot and gerland, 
3384: And malkyn, with a dystaf in hir hand; 
3385: Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges, 
3386: So fered for the berkyng of the dogges 
3387: And shoutyng of the men and wommen eeke, 
3388: They ronne so hem thoughte hir herte breeke. 
3389: They yolleden as feendes doon in helle; 
3390: The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle; 
3391: The gees for feere flowen over the trees; 
3392: Out of the hyve cam the swarm of bees. 
3393: So hydous was the noyse, a, benedicitee! 
3394: Certes, he jakke straw and his meynee 
3395: Ne made nevere shoutes half so shrille 
3396: Whan that they wolden any flemyng kille, 
3397: As thilke day was maad upon the fox. 
3398: Of bras they broghten bemes, and of box, 
3399: Of horn, of boon, in whiche they blewe and powped, 
3400: And therwithal they skriked and they howped. 
3401: It semed as that hevene sholde falle. 
3402: Now, goode man, I prey yow herkenth alle: 
3403: Lo, how fortune turneth sodeynly 
3404: The hope and pryde eek of hir enemy! 
3405: This cok, that lay upon the foxes bak, 
3406: In al his drede unto the fox he spak, 
3407: And seyde, sire, if that I were as ye, 
3408: Yet sholde I seyn, as wys God helpe me, 
3409: Turneth agayn, ye proude cherles alle! 
3410: A verray pestilence upon yow falle! 
3411: Now am I come unto the wodes syde; 
3412: Maugree youre heed, the cok shal heere abyde. 
3413: I wol hym ete, in feith, and that anon! 
3414: The fox answerde, in feith, it shal be don. 
3415: And as he spak that word, al sodeynly 
3416: This cok brak from his mouth delyverly, 
3417: And heighe upon a tree he fleigh anon. 
3418: And whan the fox saugh that the cok was gon, 
3419: Allas! quod he, o chauntecleer, allas! 
3420: I have to yow, quod he, ydoon trespas, 
3421: In as muche as I maked yow aferd 
3422: Whan I yow hente and broghte out of the yerd. 
3423: But, sire, I dide it in no wikke entente. 
3424: Com doun, and I shal telle yow what I mente; 
3425: I shal seye sooth to yow, God help me so! 
3426: Nay thanne, quod he, I shrewe us bothe two. 
3427: And first I shrewe myself, bothe blood and bones, 
3428: If thou bigyle me ofter than ones. 
3429: Thou shalt namoore, thurgh thy flaterye, 
3430: Do me to synge and wynke with myn ye; 
3431: For he that wynketh, whan he sholde see, 
3432: Al wilfully, God lat him nevere thee! 
3433: Nay, quod the fox, but God yeve hym meschaunce, 
3434: That is so undiscreet of governaunce 
3435: That jangleth whan he sholde holde his pees. 
3436: Lo, swich it is for to be recchelees 
3437: And necligent, and truste on flaterye. 
3438: But ye that holden this tale a folye, 
3439: As of a fox, or of a cok and hen, 
3440: Taketh the moralite, goode men. 
3441: For seint paul seith that al that writen is, 
3442: To oure doctrine it is ywrite, ywis; 
3443: Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille. 
3444: Now, goode god, if that it be thy wille, 
3445: As seith my lord, so make us alle goode men, 
3446: And brynge us to his heighe blisse! amen. 

The Epilogue of the Nun's Priest's Tale
3447: Sire Nonnes Preest," oure Hooste seide anoon, 
3448: I-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon! 
3449: This was a murie tale of Chauntecleer. 
3450: But by my trouthe, if thou were seculer, 
3451: Thou woldest ben a trede-foul aright. 
3452: For if thou have corage as thou hast myght, 
3453: Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene, 
3454: Ya, moo than seven tymes seventene. 
3455: See, whiche braunes hath this gentil preest 
3456: So gret a nekke, and swich a large breest! 
3457: He loketh as a sperhauk with his yen; 
3458: Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen 
3459: With brasile, ne with greyn of Portyngale. 
3460: Now, sire, faire falle yow for youre tale! 
3461: And after that he, with ful merie chere, 
3462: Seide unto another, as ye shuln heere. 

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