The Miller's Tale
Folio 34r
11 of 18 folios
In which we mowen swymmen as in a barge
365
And haue ther Inne vitaille suffisaunt
But for a day fye on the remenant
The water shall aslake an gon a way
Aboute pime vp on the next day
But Robyn may not wit of this thi knaue
370
Ne eke thi mayde Gille I may not saue
Axe noght whi for thogh thow axe me
I wol not tellen goddes pryuyte
Suffiseth the but yif thi wyttes madde
To han as gret a gace as Noe hadde
375
Thi wyf shal I wel sauen out of doute
Go thow thi wey and spede the here aboute
But whan thow hast for hir and the and me
Y geten vs thise knedyng tubbes thre
Than shaltow hem in the roof ful hie
380
That no man of our purueyaunce espie
And whan thow thus hast don as I haue seide
And hast oure vitaille faire in hem y leyde
And eke an axe to smyte the corde atwo
Whan that the water comth that we may go
385
And breke an hole an hyegh vpon the gable
Vn to the gardeynward ouer the stable
That we may frely passen forth our wey
Whan that the gret shour is goon awey
Thanne shaltow swymme as murye I vndertake.
390
As doth the white doke aftyr the drake
Thanne wol I clepe how Alison how Ioħn
Be mery for the flood shal passe anon
And thow wolt seyn hail maistre Nicholay
Good morwe I se the wel for it is day
395
And thanne shall we be lordes al our lyf
Of al the worlde as noe and his wyf
¶ But of o thing I warne the ful ryght
Be wel auysed on that ilke nyght
That we ben entred in to the shippes bord
400
That non of vs ne speke noght a word
Ne sleep ne crye but ben in his preyere