530 GROUP B. § 11. MELIBE-MONK LINK. Harleian 7334.

¶ And here bygynneþ þe prologe of pe monkes tale/

W

[Break of one line in the MS.]

han ended was my tale of Melibe

And of prudence and hire benignite

Oure hoste sayde as I am faithful man

And by pe precious corpus Madryan

3079

I hadde leuer þan a barel ale

That' godeleef my wyf had herd þis tale
For sche is no þing' of such pacience
As was pis melibeus wyf dame prudence

3084

whan sche comp hom sche rampeth in my face.

And criep false coward wreke by wyf

By Corpes bones I wil haue by knyf

3096

And pou schalt/ haue my distaf and go spynne

Fro day to night' pus sche wil bygynne /

Allas sche saith pat' euer I was I-schape

To wedde a mylk sop or a coward ape

3100

That' wil be ouer-lad wip euery wight'

Fou darst' nought' stonde by by wyues right

This is my lif but if þat I wil fight'

And out' atte dore anoon I most' me dight /

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And ellis I am lost / but if pat' I

Be lik' a wilde leoun fool-hardy

I wot' wel sche wol do me sle som day

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Som neighebor and þanne renne away
For I am perilous with knyf in honde
Al be it' pat I dar not hir wip-stonde

GROUP B. § 11. MELIBE-MONK LINK. Harleian 7334. 531

For sche is big in armes by my faith

3111

That' schal he fynde þat hire mys doth or saith [leaf 226, back]

But let' vs passe a way fro pis matiere

My lord þe monk' quod he be mery of chere /

For ze schul telle a tale trewely

зе

Lo Rowchestre stant' heer faste by

3116

Ryde forp myn oughne lord brek' nou3t' oure game

But by my troupe I can not' 3oure name

whether schal I calle 30w my lord dan Ioħñ

Or daun Thomas or elles dan albon

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Of what hous be 3e by 30ur fader kyn
I vow to god pou hast a ful fair skyn
It is a gentil pasture per pou gost
Thow art' not' lik' a penaunt' or a goost'
vpon my faith pou art an officer

Som worby sexteyn or som Celerer

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For by my fader soule as to my doome

Thou art an officer whan pou art' at hoom

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To parforme al þi wil in engendrure
Thow haddist bigeten many a creature
Allas why werest' pou so wyd a cope
God 3if me sorwe and I were a pope
Nought only pou but' euery mighty man

Though he were schore brode vpon his pan
Schuld han a wif for al þis world is lorn

Religioun hath take vp al þe corn

Of tredyng and we burel men ben schrympes
Of feble trees per comep feble ympes

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3144

532 GROUP B. § 11. MELIBE-MONK LINK. Harleian 7334.

This makip pat oure heires ben so sclender
And feble pat pay may not wel engender
This makep pat our wyfes wol assaye
Religious folk' for pay may bettre paye
Of venus payementes þan may we
God woot no lusscheburgħes paye ze /
bep nouzt wrop my lorde pough I play
For oft in game a soth I haue herd say
This worby monk' took' al in pacience /
And saide I wol doon al my diligence
Als fer as sounep in to honeste /
To telle 30w a tale or tuo or pre
And if 30w lust to herken hiderward
I wil 30w say be lif' of seint' Edward

[leaf 227]

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3152

3156

3160

Or elles first tredis wil I 30w telle /

Of which I haue an hundred in my celle /

In

prose ben eek endited many oon And in metre eek' and in sondry wise Lo pis declaryng' ought ynough suffise/

3172

Now herknep if 30w likith for to heere
But first I 30W biseche in pis matiere /
pough I by ordre telle not pise pinges
Be it of popes emperours or kynges

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After her age as men may write fynde

But telle hem som bifore. and som byhynde /

As it comep now / to my remembraunce

hauep me excused of myn ignoraunce

3180

[Break of one line in the MS.]

GROUP B. § 12. MONK'S TALE. Harleian 7334. 533

wol bywaile in maner of tregedye

The harm of hem pat' stood in heigħ degre
And fallen so pe is no remedye

To bring hem out of her aduersite
For certeynly whan fortune lust' to flee

Ther may no man þe cours of hir whiel holde
let no man truste in blynd prosperite
Bep war by pese ensamples trewe and olde/

[No stanza-breaks in the MS.]

[Lucifer.]

AT lucifer pough he an aungil were
And no man at/ him wil I bygynne
For pough fortune may non aungel dere

[leaf 227, back]

3184

3188

¶ Lucifer

From heigh degre 3it/ fel he for his synne

3192

Doun in to helle. wher he 3et is Inne

O lucifer brightest of aungels alle

Now art pou Sathanas pat' maist' nou3t' twynne
Out' of miserie in which pou art falle

3196

[Adam.]

Lo adam in pe feld of Damassene

wip goddes oughne fynger wrought was he/ And nought' bigeten of mannes sperma vnclene

¶ Adam

534 GROUP B. § 12. MONK'S TALE. Harleian 7334.

was neuer such anoper as was he

To speke of strengp. and perto hardynesse

But to his wyfes tolde he his secre

Thurgh which he slougħ himself for wrecchidnesse / 3212

And alle her tayles he togider bond
And sette pe foxes tailes alle on fuyre
For he in euery tail hath knyt' a brond
And pay brent' alle pe cornes of pat lond
And alle her Olyuers. and vynes eeke

3224

A pousand men he slougħ eek' wip his hond

And hadde no wepen but an asses cheeke

3228

Whan pay were slayn so pursted him þat he
was wel ner lorn for which he gan to preye
That' god wolde of his peyne haue som pite
And send him drynk' and elles most he deye
And out of his asses cheke pat' was so dreye
Out' of a woung" top sprong anon a welle
Of which he dronk' ynough schortly to seye
Thus halp him god as Iudicum can telle

[leaf 228]

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