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The Clerk and the Nightingale I
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In a mornyng of may, |
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as I lay on slepyng, |
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To here a song of a fowle |
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I had gret likyng. |
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I herd a nyghtyngale syng - |
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I likyd hir full welle; |
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She seid to me, 'a wonder thyng |
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I shall tell the euery delle. |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Thynk, man, for thi curtesy |
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& for thine owne gode, |
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Stonde a while and sey me |
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why thou mornyst in thi mode?' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, wel I may |
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& wele I wot & wene, |
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I morne nyght and day |
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for on that is so schene.' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Now, clerk, for-soth thou art a fole |
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that thou mournys so depe: |
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that now is hot shalbe cole; |
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that now lawgh oft may wepe.' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, she is so gode |
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that no thyng may telle, |
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ffayre and trwe, mylde of mode, |
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she may me gif & sell.' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Be waere, clerk, I warne the: |
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luf thou not so depe; |
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When thou levyst in luf to be, |
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nede thou hase to wepe. |
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'A woman is a wonder thyng, |
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thow sho be fayre & stille, |
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She nys trwe to knyght nor kyng; |
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clerke, to the she nylle.' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, why seyst thou so? |
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thou gabbust in thi tale. |
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Wymmen bryng men owt of woo; |
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she is bote of alle bale.' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Ne art thou not to lore sete, |
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and wist of olde & newe; |
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treue thi luf & lockyt bothe |
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that word is not trwe. |
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'Alle woo a woman began; |
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she was begynyng: |
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Wyttenesse adam the formast man - |
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that is no lesyng.' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, that wot I wele: |
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a woman wroght a shame. |
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A-nother, I telle the euery dell, |
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broght us alle to game.' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Be stille, clerk, thou art vn-wyse; |
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thou spekist of a mayde |
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that bare the lord of paradyse, |
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that oure foo-men frayed. |
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'Name hir to no woman, |
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to mayden nor to wyfe; |
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ffor thou knowist, nor I ne kan, |
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non so trwe of life. |
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'I take wyttenesse of dauyd kyng, |
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& at salamon the wyse, |
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that a woman for a litull thyng |
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ofte change hir seruyse. |
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'Luf a woman as thi lyfe, |
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and kepe hir all with wynne, |
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ffor a purse or for a knyfe, |
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when on is owt another is in.' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nightyngale, thou gabbust me, |
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wymmen be fayre & hende, |
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fful of game and of glee |
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wher-so thei wende. |
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'were a man in sorow broght, |
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wymmen myght out hym bryng; |
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with a lokyng turne his thoght, |
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and with a kysse turne his mournyng.' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Clerke, if thou wil right begynne, |
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rede and vndurstonde, |
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Mannes thoght chaungis with synne, |
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wel oft thou turnyd fonde; |
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'kysse of women wyrkyth wo, |
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with synne mony folde; |
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Iudas kissed god also |
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and to the iewes he hym solde. |
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'Clerk, as thou art wyse, |
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thou louyst wel hir lokyng; |
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When thi purse shakyn is, |
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fare-wel, clerk, thi cossyng!' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, thou spekist noght, |
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late be alle thi fare. |
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How sholde men be forth broght |
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ne wymmen ware?' |
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[Nightingale] |
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'Ther-to onswer I can |
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With-out any stodying: |
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Wymmen was for man- |
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Kynd forth to bryng' |
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She was made to helpe man, |
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And no-thyng for to leve. |
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thou myghtes that wete at Adam, |
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but thou ne wilt me leve; |
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'I sey alle wymmen are mysse-went, |
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on gode is not in londe. |
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Men thrugh wymmen be shent |
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And ofte broght in bonde; |
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'ffor I fynde non so gode, |
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be way nor be strete, |
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but a man may change hir mote |
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if his purse wey grete.' |
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[Clerk] |
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'Nyghtyngale, thou gabbist me, |
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and that is shame thyn ...' |
Secular Lyrics of the XIV and XV Centuries, ed. by R.H. Robbins. 2nd ed. Oxford 1968:172-176)
The Clerk and the Nightingale II
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[Philom]ena |
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[...] |
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And a woman off hauntyng mood |
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Blythly sche wyll be swyuyd |
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But in a lytyll whyl |
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Hur wyll wyll a-way wende |
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Be thow I-ware off gyl |
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Euer at the last ende |
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ffor whan a woman wepyt most |
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And sorowyth all her fyl |
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Than myght thou be soryst a-gast |
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Leste that sche be-gyle the wyl |
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Clericus |
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Doe wey, fole, thi blamyng |
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And ffle a-way owt of this lond |
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ffor a woman ys a wel fayre thyn |
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And trew for to fend |
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Bryght & schene, myld of mode |
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off dedys good & hend |
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Nyghtyngale, I telle the, my fod |
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That thou darst women a-schend |
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Philomena |
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Be styl, clerk, & hold thi mowth |
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And let gabbyng a throwe |
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This lesyng ys wel wyde cowde |
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That may al folk know |
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Clerk, be a appyl thou myght se |
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Sownd with-owtte and grene, |
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And in the core rotyd be |
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So faryth a woman, I wene. |
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thou seyth thei be all hend & good, |
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To doe al mannes wyll |
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[...] |
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And ther-for, clerke, be styl |
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Clericus |
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Whan thou wylt al master be |
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And thy wyl al-wey haue |
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O thyng I be-seche the - |
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As I scall be thy knaue |
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And as thou art hend and ffre |
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And Comyn off good blode |
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How schall I, tell thow me |
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To know the trew and the good |
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Philomena |
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Clerk, ylk trew woman hath vpon |
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With-owt any lesyng |
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A robbe of grey marbyl ston |
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And of gret cumpasyng |
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Ylk a woman that ys go |
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May doe gret merveyle |
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A-reche the sky with hur fot |
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With-owtyn any fayle |
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And yyt sche do, the lady good |
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With her rokkes gor |
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Sche may spred al ynglonde - |
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Schyp, sayle, & eke ore |
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They schul be god wan god ys dede |
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And afterward maad all new |
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Now take, clerk, thi best rede, |
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ffor women schul neuer be trewe |
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Clericus |
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Alas, nyghtyngale, alas |
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Me rewyth that ilke stownde |
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Thow hast I-broght me on a cas; |
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I wene I fal to grownde |
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My hert wyll be berst |
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Alas my lyf ys to long |
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The to smyte I ame prest |
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Hens, but that thou be goyng |
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Ne blame thou women ne more |
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ffor-soth I rede the |
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Thow shalt aby yt fful dere |
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Hennys, but that thow ffle! |
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Philomena |
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Nay, clerk, for thi curtesy |
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Mys-doe thow me ryght noght |
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I wold theym preyse by & by, |
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Y wyle chaunge my thoght |
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I preyse women that be good |
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What afterward be-fall |
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They be full of curtesy & mood |
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In boure & eke in hall |
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Haue good day, clerk ffre |
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ffro the wyll y wende |
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Take hede what that I haue seyd th |
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ffro the bygynnyng to the ende. |
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Loue where thy ert may be-happe |
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What-so-euer sche be |
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And sche schal make a glasyn cappe, |
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And to skorn lawth the |
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ffare-wel, clerk, & haue goodday |
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No more wyl I spute. |
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Now wyl I fare in my way |
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I rede thou to my wordys take hede |
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Explicit disputacio inter Clericum et Philomenam etc |
Secular Lyrics of the XIV and XV Centuries, ed. by R.H. Robbins. 2nd ed. Oxford 1968:176-179.)