The Fyr Review

Harnessed well and sharp as a pointed spear;
St. Christopher on his breast, the silver gleamed.
And horn he bore, its baldric coloured green;
A forester indeed, that was my guess.
   There was also a Nun, a PRIORESS,
That smile of hers was innocent and coy;
Her greatest oath was sworn to Sainted Loy;
And she was christened madame Eglentyne.
Full well she sang the services divine,
Intoning through her nose most seemingly,
And French she spoke most fair and gracefully,
After the school of Stratford at the Bowe,
For French from Paris was to her unknown.
At meals so mannerly was she with all:
She let no morsel from her lips there fall,
Nor dipped her fingers in her sauce too deep;
Well could she coat a morsel and then keep
And no drizzle would fall upon her breast.
In etiquette she showed much interest.
Around her mouth and lips, she wiped so clean
That in her cup, no trace or speck was seen
Of grease, when she had sipped her malted draught.
She slowly reached for plated food, not grasped.
And surely, she was a cheerful comfort,
And so pleasant, the amiable sort,
And showed always the studied demeanour
Of court, and was so dignified in manner,
As to be held deserving of reverence.
But, what to be spoken of her conscience,
She was so charitably piteous
She often wept, if when she saw a mouse
Caught in a trap, if it were dead or bled.
And smallish hounds had she that she fed

Harneised wel and sharp as a point of spere;
A Cristopher  on his brest of silver sheene.
An horn he bar, the bawdryk  was of grene;
A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
   Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE,
That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;
Hire gretteste ooth was but by Seinte Loy;
And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.
Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,
Entuned in hir nose ful seemly,
And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel keep
That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.
Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
Ful seemly after hir mete she raughte.
And silerly she was of greet desport,
And ful plesaunt, and amiable of port,
And peyned hire to countrefete cheere
Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But, for to speken of hir conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous
She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous
Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smale hounds hadde she that she fedde