#  7.3 The Prioress' Prologue and Tale 

 



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## **The Prologue of The Prioress's Tale**

*The prologe of the Prioresses Tale*

*Domine dominus noster*  
Oh lord, our lord

453 **O Lord, oure Lord, thy name how merveillous**   
 Oh Lord, our Lord, how marvelous thy name   
454 **Is in this large world ysprad -- quod she --**  
 Is spread in this large world -- said she --  
455 **For noght oonly thy laude precious**  
 For not only thy precious praise  
456 **Parfourned is by men of dignitee,**  
 Is performed by men of dignity,  
457 **But by the mouth of children thy bountee**  
 But by the mouths of children thy goodness  
458 **Parfourned is, for on the brest soukynge**  
 Is made known, for on the breast sucking  
459 **Somtyme shewen they thyn heriynge.**  
 Sometimes they show thy praise.

460 **Wherfore in laude, as I best kan or may,**  
 Therefore in praise, as I best know how or can,  
461 **Of thee and of the white lylye flour**  
 Of thee and of the white lily flour  
462 **Which that the bar, and is a mayde alway,**  
 That bore thee, and is a maid always,  
463 **To telle a storie I wol do my labour;**  
 To tell a story I will do my labor;  
464 **Nat that I may encressen hir honour,**  
 Not that I may increase her honor,  
465 **For she hirself is honour and the roote**  
 For she herself is honor and the root  
466 **Of bountee, next hir Sone, and soules boote.**  
 Of goodness, next to her Son, and soul's remedy.

467 **O mooder Mayde, O mayde Mooder free!**  
 Oh mother Maiden, Oh generous maiden and Mother!  
468 **O bussh unbrent, brennynge in Moyses sighte,**  
 Oh bush unburned, burning in Moses' sight,  
469 **That ravyshedest doun fro the Deitee,**  
 That ravished down from the Deity,  
470 **Thurgh thyn humblesse, the Goost that in th' alighte,**  
 Through thy humility, the Ghost that alighted in thee,   
471 **Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte,**  
 By whose power, when he illuminated thy heart,  
472 **Conceyved was the Fadres sapience,**  
 The Father's Wisdom was conceived,  
473 **Help me to telle it in thy reverence!**  
 Help me to tell it in thy reverence!

474 **Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence,**  
 Lady, thy goodness, thy magnificence,  
475 **Thy vertu and thy grete humylitee**  
 Thy virtue and thy great humility  
476 **Ther may no tonge expresse in no science;**  
 There can no tongue express in (the language of) any science;  
477 **For somtyme, Lady, er men praye to thee,**  
 For sometimes, Lady, ere men pray to thee,  
478 **Thou goost biforn of thy benyngnytee,**  
 Thou goest before because of thy kindliness,  
479 **And getest us the lyght, of thy preyere,**  
 And gettest us the light, by thy prayer,  
480 **To gyden us unto thy Sone so deere.**  
 To guide us unto thy Son so dear.

481 **My konnyng is so wayk, O blisful Queene,**  
 My ability is so weak, Oh blissful Queen,  
482 **For to declare thy grete worthynesse**  
 To declare thy great worthiness  
483 **That I ne may the weighte nat susteene;**  
 That I can not sustain the weight;  
484 **But as a child of twelf month oold, or lesse,**  
 But as a child of twelve months old, or less,  
485 **That kan unnethes any word expresse,**  
 That can hardly express any word,  
486 **Right so fare I, and therfore I yow preye,**  
 Right so I do, and therefore I pray to you,  
487 **Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye.**  
 Guide my song that I shall say of you.

*Explicit.*

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## **The Prioress' Tale**

*Heere bigynneth the Prioresses Tale.*

488 **Ther was in Asye, in a greet citee,**  
 There was in Asia, in a great city,  
489 **Amonges Cristene folk a Jewerye,**  
 Among Christian folk a Ghetto,  
490 **Sustened by a lord of that contree**  
 Sustained by a lord of that country  
491 **For foule usure and lucre of vileynye,**  
 For foul usury and shameful profits,  
492 **Hateful to Crist and to his compaignye;**  
 Hateful to Christ and to his company;  
493 **And thurgh the strete men myghte ride or wende,**  
 And through the street men might ride or go,  
494 **For it was free and open at eyther ende.**  
 For it was free and open at either end.

495 **A litel scole of Cristen folk ther stood**  
 A little school of Christian folk there stood  
496 **Doun at the ferther ende, in which ther were**  
 Down at the farther end, in which there were  
497 **Children an heep, ycomen of Cristen blood,**  
 A good many children, descended from Christian blood,  
498 **That lerned in that scole yeer by yere**  
 That learned in that school year by year  
499 **Swich manere doctrine as men used there,**  
 Such sort of doctrine as men used there,  
500 **This is to seyn, to syngen and to rede,**  
 This is to say, to sing and to read,  
501 **As smale children doon in hire childhede.**  
 As small children do in their childhood.

502 **Among thise children was a wydwes sone,**  
 Among these children was a widow's son,  
503 **A litel clergeon, seven yeer of age,**  
 A little schoolboy, seven years of age,  
504 **That day by day to scole was his wone,**  
 Whose custom was day by day to go to school,  
505 **And eek also, where as he saugh th' ymage**  
 And in addition, moreover, where he saw the image  
506 **Of Cristes mooder, hadde he in usage,**  
 Of Christ's mother, he had the practice,  
507 **As hym was taught, to knele adoun and seye**  
 As was taught to him, to kneel down and say  
508 **His Ave Marie, as he goth by the weye.**  
 His `Hail Mary,' as he goes by the way.

509 **Thus hath this wydwe hir litel sone ytaught**  
 Thus this widow has taught her little son   
510 **Oure blisful Lady, Cristes mooder deere,**  
 Our blissful Lady, Christ's dear mother,  
511 **To worshipe ay, and he forgat it naught,**  
 To worship always, and he forgot it not,  
512 **For sely child wol alday soone leere.**  
 For an innocent child will always quickly learn.  
513 **But ay, whan I remembre on this mateere,**  
 But always, when I think about this matter,  
514 **Seint Nicholas stant evere in my presence,**  
 Saint Nicholas stands ever in my mind,  
515 **For he so yong to Crist dide reverence.**  
 Because he so young did reverence to Christ.

516 **This litel child, his litel book lernynge,**  
 This little child, learning his little book,  
517 **As he sat in the scole at his prymer,**  
 As he sat in the school at his primer,  
518 **He Alma redemptoris herde synge,**  
 He heard `Gracious (mother) of the Redeemer' being sung,  
519 **As children lerned hire antiphoner;**  
 As children learned their antiphonal hymns;  
520 **And as he dorste, he drough hym ner and ner,**  
 And as he dared, he drew him nearer and nearer,  
521 **And herkned ay the wordes and the noote,**  
 And listened always to the words and the notes,  
522 **Til he the firste vers koude al by rote.**  
 Until he knew the first verse entirely by heart.

523 **Noght wiste he what this Latyn was to seye,**  
 He knew not what this Latin meant,  
524 **For he so yong and tendre was of age.**  
 For he was so young and tender of age.  
525 **But on a day his felawe gan he preye**  
 But on one day he did pray his fellow  
526 **T' expounden hym this song in his langage,**  
 To explain to him this song in his language,  
527 **Or telle hym why this song was in usage;**  
 Or tell him why this song was in regular use;  
528 **This preyde he hym to construe and declare**  
 This he prayed him to translate and explain  
529 **Ful often tyme upon his knowes bare.**  
 Very frequently upon his bare knees.

530 **His felawe, which that elder was than he,**  
 His fellow, who was older than he,  
531 **Answerde hym thus: "This song, I have herd seye,**  
 Answered him thus: "This song, I have heard tell,  
532 **Was maked of our blisful Lady free,**  
 Was composed about our generous blissful Lady,  
533 **Hire to salue, and eek hire for to preye**  
 To salute her, and also to pray her   
534 **To been oure help and socour whan we deye.**  
 To be our help and succour when we die.  
535 **I kan namoore expounde in this mateere.**  
 I can explain no more of this matter.  
536 **I lerne song; I kan but smal grammeere."**  
 I learn song; I know but little grammar."

537 **"And is this song maked in reverence**  
 "And is this song composed in reverence  
538 **Of Cristes mooder?" seyde this innocent.**  
 Of Christ's mother?" said this innocent.  
539 **"Now, certes, I wol do my diligence**  
 "Now, certainly, I will do my best efforts  
540 **To konne it al er Cristemasse be went.**  
 To learn it all before Christmas is gone.  
541 **Though that I for my prymer shal be shent**  
 Though I for my primer shall be punished  
542 **And shal be beten thries in an houre,**  
 And shall be beaten thrice in an hour,  
543 **I wol it konne Oure Lady for to honoure!"**  
 I will learn it to honor Our Lady!"

544 **His felawe taughte hym homward prively,**  
 His fellow privately taught him (as they went) homeward,  
545 **Fro day to day, til he koude it by rote,**  
 From day to day, until he knew it by heart,  
546 **And thanne he song it wel and boldely,**  
 And then he sang it well and boldly,  
547 **Fro word to word, acordynge with the note.**  
 From word to word, in harmony with the tune.  
548 **Twies a day it passed thurgh his throte,**  
 Twice a day it passed through his throat,  
549 **To scoleward and homward whan he wente;**  
 When he went toward school and homeward;  
550 **On Cristes mooder set was his entente.**  
 On Christ's mother his mind was set.

551 **As I have seyd, thurghout the Juerie**  
 As I have said, throughout the Ghetto  
552 **This litel child, as he cam to and fro,**  
 This little child, as he came to and fro,  
553 **Ful murily than wolde he synge and crie**  
 Very merrily then would he sing and cry  
554 **O Alma redemptoris everemo.**  
 Always `O Gracious (mother) of the Redeemer'  
555 **The swetnesse his herte perced so**  
 So pierced his heart the sweetness   
556 **Of Cristes mooder that, to hire to preye,**  
 Of Christ's mother that, to pray to her,  
557 **He kan nat stynte of syngyng by the weye.**  
 He can not stop singing by the way.

558 **Oure firste foo, the serpent Sathanas,**  
 Our first foe, the serpent Satan,  
559 **That hath in Jues herte his waspes nest,**  
 That has his wasp's nest in Jews' hearts,  
560 **Up swal, and seide, "O Hebrayk peple, allas!**  
 Swelled up, and said, "Oh Hebraic people, alas!  
561 **Is this to yow a thyng that is honest,**  
 Is this a thing that is honorable to you,  
562 **That swich a boy shal walken as hym lest**  
 That such a boy shall walk as he pleases  
563 **In youre despit, and synge of swich sentence,**  
 In scorn of you, and sing of such a subject,  
564 **Which is agayn youre lawes reverence?"**  
 Which is against your law's (due) reverence?"

565 **Fro thennes forth the Jues han conspired**  
 From thenceforth the Jews have conspired  
566 **This innocent out of this world to chace.**  
 To drive this innocent out of this world.  
567 **An homycide therto han they hyred,**  
 For this they have hired a murderer,   
568 **That in an aleye hadde a privee place;**  
 Who in an alley had a secret place;  
569 **And as the child gan forby for to pace,**  
 And as the child began to pass by,  
570 **This cursed Jew hym hente, and heeld hym faste,**  
 This cursed Jew seized him, and held him tightly,  
571 **And kitte his throte, and in a pit hym caste.**  
 And cut his throat, and cast him in a pit.

572 **I seye that in a wardrobe they hym threwe**  
 I say that they threw him in a privy   
573 **Where as thise Jewes purgen hire entraille.**  
 Where these Jews purge their entrails.  
574 **O cursed folk of Herodes al newe,**  
 Oh cursed folk of new Herods,   
575 **What may youre yvel entente yow availle?**  
 What may your evil intent avail you?  
576 **Mordre wol out, certeyn, it wol nat faille,**  
 Murder will come out, certainly, it will not fail,  
577 **And namely ther th'onour of God shal sprede;**  
 And especially where the honor of God shall spread;  
578 **The blood out crieth on youre cursed dede.**  
 The blood cries out on your cursed deed.

579 **O martir, sowded to virginitee,**  
 Oh martyr, firmly united to virginity,  
580 **Now maystow syngen, folwynge evere in oon**  
 Now canst thou sing, following continuously  
581 **The white Lamb celestial -- quod she --**  
 The white celestial Lamb -- said she --  
582 **Of which the grete evaungelist, Seint John,**  
 Of which the great evangelist, Saint John,  
583 **In Pathmos wroot, which seith that they that goon**  
 In Pathmos wrote, who says that they that go  
584 **Biforn this Lamb and synge a song al newe,**  
 Before this Lamb and sing a song all new,  
585 **That nevere, flesshly, wommen they ne knewe.**  
 (Are) those who never, in a carnal way, knew women.

586 **This poure wydwe awaiteth al that nyght**  
 This poor widow waits all that night  
587 **After hir litel child, but he cam noght;**  
 For her little child, but he came not;  
588 **For which, as soone as it was dayes lyght,**  
 For which, as soon as it was daylight,  
589 **With face pale of drede and bisy thoght,**  
 With face pale from dread and intense thought,  
590 **She hath at scole and elleswhere hym soght,**  
 She has sought him at school and elsewhere,  
591 **Til finally she gan so fer espie**  
 Until finally she got so far as to discover  
592 **That he last seyn was in the Juerie.**  
 That he was last seen in the Ghetto.

593 **With moodres pitee in hir brest enclosed,**  
 With mother's pity enclosed in her breast,  
594 **She gooth, as she were half out of hir mynde,**  
 She goes, as if she were half out of her mind,  
595 **To every place where she hath supposed**  
 To every place where she has supposed  
596 **By liklihede hir litel child to fynde;**  
 Most likely to find her little child;  
597 **And evere on Cristes mooder meeke and kynde**  
 And ever on Christ's meek and kind mother  
598 **She cride, and atte laste thus she wroghte:**  
 She cried, and at the last thus she acted:  
599 **Among the cursed Jues she hym soghte.**  
 Among the cursed Jews she sought him.

600 **She frayneth and she preyeth pitously**  
 She asks and she prays piteously  
601 **To every Jew that dwelte in thilke place,**  
 To every Jew that dwelt in that same place,  
602 **To telle hire if hir child wente oght forby.**  
 To tell her if her child at all went by there.  
603 **They seyde "nay"; but Jhesu of his grace**  
 They said "nay"; but Jesus of his grace  
604 **Yaf in hir thoght inwith a litel space**  
 Gave it in her thought within a short while  
605 **That in that place after hir sone she cryde,**  
 So that she cried for her son in that place,  
606 **Where he was casten in a pit bisyde.**  
 Where he was cast in a pit near by.

607 **O grete God, that parfournest thy laude**  
 Oh great God, who performest thy praise  
608 **By mouth of innocentz, lo, heere thy myght!**  
 By mouths of innocents, lo, here is thy power!  
609 **This gemme of chastite, this emeraude,**  
 This gem of chastity, this emerald,  
610 **And eek of martirdom the ruby bright,**  
 And also the bright ruby of martyrdom,  
611 **Ther he with throte ykorven lay upright,**  
 Where he with throat carved lay on his back,  
612 **He Alma redemptoris gan to synge**  
 He `Gracious (mother) of the Redeemer' began to sing  
613 **So loude that al the place gan to rynge.**  
 So loud that all the place began to ring.

614 **The Cristene folk that thurgh the strete wente**  
 The Christian folk who went through the street  
615 **In coomen for to wondre upon this thyng,**  
 Came in to wonder upon this thing,  
616 **And hastily they for the provost sente;**  
 And hastily they sent for the magistrate;  
617 **He cam anon withouten tariyng,**  
 He came quickly without tarrying,  
618 **And herieth Crist that is of hevene kyng,**  
 And praises Christ who is king of heaven,  
619 **And eek his mooder, honour of mankynde,**  
 And also his mother, honor of mankind,  
620 **And after that the Jewes leet he bynde.**  
 And after that he had the Jews bound.

621 **This child with pitous lamentacioun**  
 This child with piteous lamentation  
622 **Up taken was, syngynge his song alway,**  
 Was taken up, singing his song always,  
623 **And with honour of greet processioun**  
 And with the honor of a great procession  
624 **They carien hym unto the nexte abbay.**  
 They carry him unto the nearby abbey.  
625 **His mooder swownynge by his beere lay;**  
 His mother swooning lay by his bier;  
626 **Unnethe myghte the peple that was theere**  
 The people that were there could hardly   
627 **This newe Rachel brynge fro his beere.**  
 Bring this new Rachel from his bier.

628 **With torment and with shameful deeth echon,**  
 With torment and with shameful death for each one,  
629 **This provost dooth thise Jewes for to sterve**  
 This magistrate had these Jews put to death   
630 **That of this mordre wiste, and that anon.**  
 Who knew of this murder, and that immediately.  
631 **He nolde no swich cursednesse observe.**  
 He would not tolerate any such cursedness.  
632 **"Yvele shal have that yvele wol deserve";**  
 "Evil shall have what evil will deserve";  
633 **Therfore with wilde hors he dide hem drawe,**  
 Therefore with wild horses he had them torn apart,  
634 **And after that he heng hem by the lawe.**  
 And after that he hanged them by the law.

635 **Upon this beere ay lith this innocent**  
 Upon this bier always lies this innocent  
636 **Biforn the chief auter, whil the masse laste;**  
 Before the chief altar, while the masse lasted;  
637 **And after that, the abbot with his covent**  
 And after that, the abbot with his convent  
638 **Han sped hem for to burien hym ful faste;**  
 Have hurried to bury him very quickly;  
639 **And whan they hooly water on hym caste,**  
 And when they cast holy water on him,  
640 **Yet spak this child, whan spreynd was hooly water,**  
 Yet spoke this child, when holy water was sprinkled,  
641 **And song O Alma redemptoris mater!**  
 And sang `O Gracious (mother) of the Redeemer!'

642 **This abbot, which that was an hooly man,**  
 This abbot, who was a holy man,  
643 **As monkes been -- or elles oghte be --**  
 As monks are -- or else ought to be --  
644 **This yonge child to conjure he bigan,**  
 He began to entreat this young child,  
645 **And seyde, "O deere child, I halse thee,**  
 And said, "Oh dear child, I beseech thee,  
646 **In vertu of the hooly Trinitee,**  
 By power of the holy Trinity,  
647 **Tel me what is thy cause for to synge,**  
 Tell me what is thy cause to sing,  
648 **Sith that thy throte is kut to my semynge?"**  
 Since thy throat is cut as it seems to me?"

649 **"My throte is kut unto my nekke boon,"**  
 "My throat is cut unto my neck boon,"  
650 **Seyde this child, "and as by wey of kynde**  
 Said this child, "and in the natural course of events  
651 **I sholde have dyed, ye, longe tyme agon.**  
 I should have dyed, yea, a long time ago.  
652 **But Jesu Crist, as ye in bookes fynde,**  
 But Jesus Christ, as you find in books,  
653 **Wil that his glorie laste and be in mynde,**  
 Desires that his glory should last and be in mind,  
654 **And for the worship of his Mooder deere**  
 And for the worship of his Mother dear  
655 **Yet may I synge O Alma loude and cleere.**  
 Yet can I sing `O Gracious (mother)' loud and clear.

656 **"This welle of mercy, Cristes mooder sweete,**  
 "This well of mercy, Christ's sweet mother,  
657 **I loved alwey, as after my konnynge;**  
 I loved always, according to my ability,  
658 **And whan that I my lyf sholde forlete,**  
 And when I had to lose my life,  
659 **To me she cam, and bad me for to synge**  
 She came to me, and told me to sing  
660 **This anthem verraily in my deyynge,**  
 This anthem truly as I was dying,  
661 **As ye han herd, and whan that I hadde songe,**  
 As you have heard, and when I had sung,  
662 **Me thoughte she leyde a greyn upon my tonge.**  
 It seemed to me that she laid a grain upon my tongue.

663 **"Wherfore I synge, and synge moot certeyn,**  
 "Therefore I sing, and must sing certainly,  
664 **In honour of that blisful Mayden free**  
 In honor of that blissful generous Maiden  
665 **Til fro my tonge of taken is the greyn;**  
 Until the grain is taken off my tongue;  
666 **And after that thus seyde she to me:**  
 And after that thus she said to me:  
667 **`My litel child, now wol I fecche thee,**  
 `My little child, at that time I will fetch thee,  
668 **Whan that the greyn is fro thy tonge ytake.**  
 When the grain is taken from thy tongue.  
669 **Be nat agast; I wol thee nat forsake.'"**  
 Be not afraid; I will not forsake thee.'"

670 **This hooly monk, this abbot, hym meene I,**  
 This holy monk, this abbot, I mean him,  
671 **His tonge out caughte, and took awey the greyn,**  
 His tongue pulled out, and took away the grain,  
672 **And he yaf up the goost ful softely.**  
 And he gave up the ghost very gently.  
673 **And whan this abbot hadde this wonder seyn,**  
 And when this abbot had seen this wonder,  
674 **His salte teeris trikled doun as reyn,**  
 His salt tears trickled down like rain,  
675 **And gruf he fil al plat upon the grounde,**  
 And face-down he fell all flat upon the ground,  
676 **And stille he lay as he had ben ybounde.**  
 And still he lay as if he had been bound.

677 **The covent eek lay on the pavement**  
 The convent also lay on the pavement  
678 **Wepynge, and herying Cristes mooder deere,**  
 Weeping, and praising Christ's dear mother,  
679 **And after that they ryse, and forth been went,**  
 And after that they rise, and forth are gone,  
680 **And tooken awey this martir from his beere;**  
 And took away this martyr from his bier;  
681 **And in a tombe of marbul stones cleere**  
 And in a tomb of clear marble stones   
682 **Enclosen they his litel body sweete.**  
 They enclose his sweet little body.  
683 **Ther he is now, God leve us for to meete!**  
 There he is now, God grant us to meet!

684 **O yonge Hugh of Lyncoln, slayn also**  
 Oh young Hugh of Lincoln, slain also  
685 **With cursed Jewes, as it is notable,**  
 By cursed Jews, as it is well known,  
686 **For it is but a litel while ago,**  
 For it is but a little while ago,  
687 **Preye eek for us, we synful folk unstable,**  
 Pray also for us, we sinful folk unstable,  
688 **That of his mercy God so merciable**  
 That of his mercy God so merciful  
689 **On us his grete mercy multiplie,**  
 Multiply his great mercy on us,  
690 **For reverence of his mooder Marie. Amen**  
 For reverence of his mother Mary. Amen

*Heere is ended the Prioresses Tale*.