when thou art at home; No poorë cloisterer, nor no novíce, But a govérnor, both wily and wise, And therewithal, of brawnës and of bones, A right well-faring person for the nonce. I pray to God give him confusión That first thee brought into religión. Thou would’st have been a treadëfowl aright; Hadst thou as greatë leave, as thou hast might, To perform all thy lust in engendrure, Thou hadst begotten many a creatúre. Alas! why wearest thou so wide a cope? God give me sorrow, but, an’ I were pope, Not only thou, but every mighty man, Though he were shorn full high upon his pan, Should have a wife; for all this world is lorn; Religión hath ta’en up all the corn Of treading, and we borel men be shrimps: Of feeble trees there comë wretched imps. This maketh that our heirës be so slender And feeble, that they may not well engender. This maketh that our wives will assay Religious folk, for they may better pay Of Venus’ payëmentës than may we: God wot, no lushëburghës payë ye. But be not wroth, my lord, though that I play; Full oft in game a sooth have I heard say.”
This worthy Monk took all in patiénce, And said, “I will do all my diligence, As far as souneth unto honesty, To tellë you a tale, or two or three. And if you list to hearken hitherward, I will you say the life of Saint Edward; Or ellës first tragédies I will tell, Of which I have an hundred in my cell. Tragédy is to say a certain story, As oldë bookës maken us memóry, Of him that stood in great prosperitý, And is y-fallen out of high degree In misery, and endeth wretchedly. And they be versifiëd commonly Of six feet, which men call hexámetron; In prose eke be indited many a one, And eke in metre, in many a sundry wise. Lo, this declaring ought enough suffice. Now hearken, if ye likë for to hear. But first I you beseech in this mattére, Though I by order tellë not these things, Be it of popës, emperors, or kings, After their ages, as men written find, But tell them some before and some behind, As it now cometh to my remembránce, Have me excused of mine ignorance.”