* * * * *
‘Sir Nonnes Preest,’ our hoste seyde anoon,
‘Y-blessed be thy breche, and every stoon!
This was a mery tale of Chauntecleer.
But, by my trouthe, if thou were seculer, 4640
Thou woldest been a trede-foul a-right.
For, if thou have corage as thou hast might,
Thee were nede of hennes, as I wene,
Ya, mo than seven tymes seventene.
See, whiche braunes hath this gentil Preest, 4645
So greet a nekke, and swich a large breest! (10)
He loketh as a sperhauk with his yën;
Him nedeth nat his colour for to dyen
With brasil, ne with greyn of Portingale.
Now sire, faire falle yow for youre tale!’ 4650
And after that he, with ful mery chere,
Seide to another, as ye shullen here.
_These genuine lines only occur in_ Dd., _in_ MS. Reg. 17 D. xv, _and
in_ MS. Addit. 5140 (B. M.). _The text is founded on_ Dd.
4637. Dd. oure hoost. 4639. Dd. murie; Reg. Add. mery. 4641. Dd.
ben. Dd. tredfoul; Reg. Add. trede foule. 4645. Dd. which; Reg.
whiche; Add. suche. 4646. Dd. gret. 4647. Dd. sp_er_hauke; eyen.
4648. Dd. dyghen; Reg. Add. dyen. 4650-2. _I suspect these three
lines to be spurious._ 4650. Reg. youre mery tale. 4652. to] _all_
un-to. another] Add. the Nonne.
NOTE. _Three varieties of a_ Doctour’s Prologue _are given,
respectively, by_ Tyrwhitt, Wright, _and_ Morris; _but are all
spurious. Perhaps the best is the very short one in_ Tyrwhitt, _as
follows:—_
‘Ye, let that passen,’ quod our Hoste, ‘as now.
Sire Doctour of Phisyk, I preye yow,
Telle us a tale of som honest matere.’
‘It shal be doon, if that ye wol it here,’
Seyde this Doctour, and his tale bigan anon.
‘Now, good men,’ quod he, ‘herkneth everichon.’
[290: T. 11935-11957.]
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