• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

sheep or oxe swelle That any worm hath ete or worm y stonge Take water of that welle and wassh his tonge And it is hool anon and forthermore Of pokkes and of Scabbe and euery sore Shal euery

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

a Chauntrye for soules And ran to Londoū , vn to Seint Poules And leet his sheep , encombred in the Myre He sette noght. his benefice to hyre By his clennesse , how þt his sheep sholde lyue Wel

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

parysh moche and lyte Vpon his feet and in his hand a staffe This noble ensample to his sheep he yaffe That firste he wroght and afterward he taght Oute of the gospell tho wordes he kaught. And this figure

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

Ther was enclosid rip and sad corage And in gret reuerence and charite Hir olde poore fadre fostred she A few sheep spynnyng on felde she kepte She wolde nat ben ydel til she slepte And whan she whom ward

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

the drought and by the Reyne The yeldyng of his seed and of his greyne His lordes sheep his neet and his deyrye. His swyn his hors his stoore and his pultrye Was holly in his Reues gouernyngã And by

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

Thre laarge sowes had she and no mo Thre kyn and ek a sheep that hight malle Ful soty was hir boure and eke hir halle In which she ete many a sclender mele Of poynant sauce hir neded neuer

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

to be To soone ripe and bold as men may se Which is ful perilous and hath ben yore For al to sone may she lerne loore Of boldnesse whan that she is a wif And ye maistresse in your

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

that they doon , ȝe shul it deere a beye Vnder a Shepherde , soft and necligent The wolf , hath many a sheepand lamb to rent Suffiseth on ensample , now as heere For I moot turne a

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

If þt they doon , ye shul it deere abeye Vnder a shepherde , softe and necligent The wolf , hath many a sheepand lamb to rent This mayde , of which I wol this tale expersse So kepte