The Reeve's Tale
Folio 38v
2 of 11 folios
This wench thikke and wel y growen was
With camise nose and eyen grey as glas
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With buttockes brode and brestes round and hye
But ryght fair was hir heer y wol not lye
¶ The person of the toun for she was fair
In purpos was to maken hir his air
Bothe of his Catel and of his messuage
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And straunge he made it of hir mariage
His purpos was for to bistow hir hye
In to som worthi blood of auncestrye
For holi cherches goodes moot ben despended
On holicherches blood that is descended .
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Therfore he wold his holy blood honoure
Though he wholicherche shold deuoure
¶ Gret sookne hath the Miller out of doute
With whete and malt of al the land aboute
And namely ther was a gret collegge
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Men clepith the Soler halle at Cantebrygge
Ther was hir whete and eke hir malt y grounde
And on a day it happeth in a stounde
Seek lyeth the Maunciple on a maladye
Men wenden wisly that he sholde dye
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For which this Miller staal bothe mele and corn
An hundred tyme more than biforn
For ther biforn he stale but curteisly
But now he was a theef outerageously
For which the wardeyn chidde and made fare
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But there of sette the Miller nat a tare
He craked boost and swor it nas nat so
¶ Then were ther yonge poure scolers two
That dwelten in the hal of which I seye
Testif thei were and lusty for to pleye
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And oonly for hir myrthe and reuelrye
Vpon the wardeyn bisily thei crye
To yeue hem leue but a litel stounde
To go to mille and seen hir corn y grounde
And hardily thei durst ley hir nekke
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The Miller shold not stele hem halfe a pekke
Of corn bi sleight ne bi force hem reue