B

y proces and by lengpe of certeyn zeres

Al styntyd is pe mornyng' and pe teeres
Of alle grekys by oon general assent
Than semed me ther was a parlement
At athenes on a certeyn poynt / and cas
Among pe whiche poyntes spoken was
To han wip certeyn contrees alliaunce /
And haue fully of Thebans obeissance

[leaf 40]

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2972

For which pis noble Theseus anon

let' senden after gentil Palomon

2976

Vnwist of him what' was pe cause and why

But in his blake clopes sorwfully

he cam at his comaundement in hye

Tho sente Theseus for Emelye

2980

whan þey were sette and hussħt' was al þe place

And after pat right' pus he seide his wille

The

The firste moeuere of pe cause aboue

whan he first made pe fayre cheyne of loue

2988

Gret was theffect / and heigh was his entente /

wel wist he why and what perof he mente

For which pat faire cheyne of loue he bond

The fyr þe watir eyr and eek þe lond

2992

In certeyn boundes þat þey may not flee

That' same prynce and moeuere eek quod he/

Than may men wel by pis ordre discerne

That pilke moeuere stabul is and eterne

[leaf 40, back]

wel many men knewe but it be a fool
That' euery partye dyryuep from his hool
For nature hap nat take his bygynnyng
Of no partye ne cantel of a þing
But of a ping pat parfyt is and stable /
Descendyng so til it be corumpable
And perfore of his wyse purueaunce /

He hath so wel biset his ordenaunce
That spices of pinges and progressiouns
Schullen endure by successiouns
And nat eterne be wipoute lye
This maistow vnderstand and se at' ye

Fro tyme þat it gynneþ first' to spring

3004

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3012

3016

O pe Ook pat hap so long norisschyng

And as so long' a lyf as we may see

3et' atte laste wasted is pe tree

3020

Considerep eek how þat þe harde stoon

vnder oure foot / on which we trede and goon

That' is to seyn/in 30upe or elles in age

he moot' ben deed / þe kyng' as schal a page /

Sum in his bed som in pe deepe see

Som in þe large feel as men may se/

3032

Ther helpep naught al gop þilke weye

Thanne may I see wel pat al ping' schal deye what' makep pis but Iubiter pe kyng'

The which is prynce and cause of alle thing'

3036

Conuertyng' al vnto his propre wille

From which he is dereyned sop to telle /

And here agayn no creature of lyue
Of no degre auaylep for to stryue

han is it wisdom as penkep me

Than

To maken vertu of necessite

And take it wel þat we may nat' eschewe

And namely pat pat' to vs alle is dewe /
And who so grucchep aught he dop folye
And rebel is to him þat al may gye
And certeynly a man hap most honour
To deyen in his excellence and flour
whan he is siker of his goode name

Than hap he doon his freend ne him no schame
And gladder ought his freend ben of his dep

3040

3044

[leaf 41]

3048

Of his wel fare þat louen him so wel

Can he hem thank / nay / god woot' neuer a del

3064

That' bope his soule and eek' hem self offende

And зet' þey may here lustes nat amende

That' I conclude of pis longe serye

may

But aftir wo I rede vs to be merye

And panke Iubiter al of his grace

3068

And or þat we departe fro pis place /

I rede pat' we make of sorwes two

O parfyt ioye lastyng' euer mo

3072

And lokep now wher most sorwe is her-Inne /

Ther wol we first' amenden and bygynne /

Sustyr quod he pis is my ful assent'

wip al thauys heer of my parlement'

3076

That gentil Palomon 3our owne knight'

That seruep 30w with herte wil and might'

And euer hap doon syn fyrst' tyme ze him knewe

That' зе schul of 3our grace vpon him rewe
And take him for 3our housbond and for lord

3080

Lene me 30ure hand for pis is oure acord
let' see now of 3our wommanly pite
he is a kynges bropir sone pardee
And pough he were a pore bachiller
Syn he hap serued 3ou so many a zeer
And had for 3ou so gret aduersite
hit moste be considered trustep me

[leaf 41, back]

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For gentil mercy aughte passe right'

Than seyde he pus to Palomon ful rigħt

I trowe per needep litel sermonyng

To make 3ou assente to pis þing

3092

Com neer and tak' 3our lady by pe hond

And god pat al pis wyde world hap wrought'

Send him his loue pat hap it' deere I-bought

3100

And god saue al pis fayre companye / Amen.
HEre endep pe knightes tale

3108

[No break in the MS.]

¶ And þus bygynneþ þe prologe of þe myllere

W

"Han þat þe knight had pus his tale I-told In al pe route nas per 3ong' ne old That he ne seyde it was a noble story And worpi to be drawen in memory And namely pe gentils euerich oon

Oure host' po lowħ and swoor so moot' I goon

This gop right' wel vnbokeled is pe male/
Let' se now who schal telle anoper tale
For trewely pis game is wel bygonne /
Now tellep now sir monk' if þat ze konne
Som what to quyte wip pe knightes tale /
The Myller pat' for drunken was al pale
So þat vnnethe vpon his hors he sat
he wold auale now per hood ne hat

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[Leaf 42]

Oure hoost' saugħ wel how dronke he was of ale

3128

And seyde Robyn abyde my leue broper

Som bettre man schal telle vs first' anoper

Abyd and let' vs worken priftyly

By goddes soule quod he pat' wol nat' I
For I wol speke or elles go my way

3132

Oure host' answed / tel on a deuel way

Thou art a fool by witt' is ouercome /

¶ Now herknep quod pis myller al and some

3136

But first I make a protestacioun

That' I am dronke I knowe wel by my soun

And perfore if þat I mys speke or seye

wyte it pe ale of Southwerk' I 3ou preye

3140