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=The prologe of the Somnours Tale.=
This Somnour in his stiropes hye stood; 1665
Up-on this Frere his herte was so wood,
That lyk an aspen leef he quook for yre.
HEADING. _So_ E. Hn.; E. Somonours. 1665. E. Somonour; Hl. sompnour;
_rest_ Somnour.
‘Lordinges,’ quod he, ‘but o thing I desyre;
I yow biseke that, of your curteisye,
Sin ye han herd this false Frere lye, 1670
As suffereth me I may my tale telle!
This Frere bosteth that he knoweth helle,
And god it woot, that it is litel wonder;
Freres and feendes been but lyte a-sonder. (10)
For pardee, ye han ofte tyme herd telle, 1675
How that a frere ravisshed was to helle
In spirit ones by a visioun;
And as an angel ladde him up and doun,
To shewen him the peynes that ther were,
In al the place saugh he nat a frere; 1680
Of other folk he saugh y-nowe in wo.
Un-to this angel spak the frere tho:
1676. E. vanysshed(!); _rest_ rauysshed.
“Now, sir,” quod he, “han freres swich a grace
That noon of hem shal come to this place?” (20)
“Yis,” quod this angel, “many a millioun!” 1685
And un-to Sathanas he ladde him doun.
“And now hath Sathanas,” seith he, “a tayl
Brodder than of a carrik is the sayl.
[371: T. 7271-7290.]
Hold up thy tayl, thou Sathanas!” quod he,
“Shewe forth thyn ers, and lat the frere see 1690
Wher is the nest of freres in this place!”
And, er that half a furlong-wey of space,
Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve,
Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve (30)
Twenty thousand freres in a route, 1695
And thurgh-out helle swarmeden aboute;
And comen agayn, as faste as they may gon,
And in his ers they crepten everichon.
He clapte his tayl agayn, and lay ful stille.
This frere, whan he loked hadde his fille 1700
Upon the torments of this sory place,
His spirit god restored of his grace
Un-to his body agayn, and he awook;
But natheles, for fere yet he quook, (40)
So was the develes ers ay in his minde, 1705
That is his heritage of verray kinde.
God save yow alle, save this cursed Frere;
My prologe wol I ende in this manere.’
=Here endeth the prologe of the Somnours Tale.=
1692. Pt. Hl. than; _rest_ that. 1693. E. Hn. swarmeden; Hl. swarmed
al. 1700. Cp. Hn. loked hadde; Pt. Ln. Hl. loked had; E. hadde looke
al (_sic_). COLOPHON. _From_ Hn.
[372: T. 7291-7314.]
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