The Miller's Tale
Folio 34v
12 of 18 folios
For hit is goddes owne heest dere
Thi wyf and thow mote hang fer a twynne
For that bitwix yow shal be no synne
405
No moore in lokyng than ther shal in dede
This ordinaunce is seyde so god the spede
To Morwe at nyght whan men ben al a sleepe
In to our knedyng tubbes wol we crepe
And sitten there abydyng goddes gace
410
Go now thi wey I haue no lenger space
To make of this no lenger tarying
Men seien thus sende the wyse and sey no thing
Thow art so wys it nedeth the nat teche
Go saue our lyf and that I the beseche
415
¶ This sely Carpenter goth forth his wey
Ful oft he seyde allas and welawey
And to his wyf he told his priuete
And she was war and knew it bet than he
What al this queynte cas was for to seye
420
But natheles she ferd as she wold deye
¶ And seide allas go forth thi wey anon
Helpe vs to scape or we ben ded echon
I am thi trew verry wedded wyf
Go dere spouse and helpe to saue our lyf
425
¶ Lo which a gret thing is affeccion
Men may demen of ymaginacion
So depe may impressioun be take
This sely Carpenter bigynneth to quake
Him thinketh verraylich that he may se
430
Noes flood come walowyng on the see
To drenchen Alisoun his hony dere
He wepeth waileth and maketh sori chere
He siketh wyth ful many a sory swogh
And goth and getyth him a knedyng trogh
435
And aftyr a tubbe and a kymelyn
And priuely he sent hem to his In
And hinge hem in the rof in piuetee
His awne hand he made laddres thre
To clymben by the ronges and the stalkes
440
Vn to the tubbes hangyng in the balkes.