THE BELLES OF CANTERBURY



  SECOND NUN. 0, try it then!
(The PRIORESS sings to the tune of the Old English
Ballad, " Drink to Me Only lVith Thine Eyes.")
      Oh! We are Chaucer's children here,
        And well we love his name
      We live in hearts that hold him dear.
        Are nourished by his fame.
      Oh, listen now, while thus we sing
        Our songs of olden days,
      When court and king and common folk
        United, voiced his praise.
      When I was once a little lasse
        At Stratford-on-the-Bowe
      I hastened daily to my classe,
        My one dream was to know.
      I studied there, full seemly deep,
        With ne'er the smallest hint
      That other maids would some day weep,
        At seeing me in print.
      I thought of nothing but my booke,
        To make my mind grow fair
      So I'm afraid I never took
        The pains to do my hair!
        (She looks at the JUNIOR'S hair.)
      Perchance if now I went to school,
        And sought its culture wide,
      Of coiffures strange I'd learn the rule,
        And scorn what was inside.
      Oh, gentle Chaucer, could you see
        The world around us here,
      Perhaps you'd change your poetry
        And call no pilgrim queer
      And could you see the ladies' dress,



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