The Miller's Tale
Folio 33v
10 of 18 folios
Ne thogh I sey y nam not lief to gabbe
325
Sey what thow wolt I shal yt neuer telle
To child ne wyf by hym that harryed helle
Now Iohñ quod this Nicholas I wol not lye
I haue y founde in myn astrologie
As I haue loked in the mone bryght
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That now on monday next at quarter nyght
Shall falle a reyne and that so wylde and wood
That half so gret was neuer Noees flood
This world he seide in lasse than in an hour
Shal be al dreynt so hidous is the shour
335
Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf .
¶ This carpenter answerd and seide allas my wyf
And shal she drenche allas myn Alisoun
For sorwe of this he fel almost a doun
And seide is ther no remedye in this cas
340
¶ Whi yis for god quod hende Nicholas
If thow wolt wyrken aftyr loore and reed
Thow maist not wyrken aftyr thyn owne heed
For thus seith Salamon that was ful trewe
Worke al bi counseil and þu shalt nat rewe
345
And yif thow werken wolt by good counseil
I vndyrtake wyth outen mast or seil
Yit shal I saue hir and me and thee
Hastow not herd how saued was Noe
Whan that our lord had warned him biforn
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That al the world wyth watyr sholde be lorn
¶ Yis quod this Carpenter ful yore ago
¶ Hastow not herd quod Nicholas also
The sorwe of Noe wyth his felawshep
Er that he myght gete his wyfe to shep
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Him hed be leuer I dar wel vndertake
At thilk tyme than al his wheteres blake
That she hadde had a ship hir selue allone
And therfore wostow what is best to done
This asketh hast and of an hastyf thing
360
Men may noght preche ne makyn tarying
¶ Anon go gete vs fast in to this ynne
A knedyng toogh or elles a kemelynne
For ech of vs but look that they be large