The Miller's Tale
Folio 46r
18 of 20 folios
Of kolblak silk wiþinne and eek wiþoute
55
The tapes of hir white voluper
Were of þe same suyte of hire coler
Hire filet brood of silk and sitt ful hye
And sikerly sche hadde a likerous yhe
Ful smale y pulled were hire browes tuo
60
And þo were bent and blak as any slo
Sche was ful more blisful for to see /
Than is þe newe perionette tree
And softer þan þe wolle is of a weþer
And by hir gerdul hinge a purs of leþer
65
Tassed wiþ selk and perled wiþ latoun
In al þis world to seeken vp and doū
Ther is no man so wys þat couþe þenche
So gay a popelote or swich a wenche /
Ful brighter was þe schynyng of hir hewe
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Than in þe tour þe noble y forged newe
But of hir song it was so lowd and ȝerne
As any swalwe chitering on a berne /
Ther to sche couþe skippe and make a game
As ony kyde or calf folwyng his dame
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Hir mouþ was sweete as braket or þe meth
Or hoord of appeles layd in hay or heth
Wynsyng sche was as is a Ioly colt
Long as a mast and vpright as a bolt
A broche sche bar on hir loue coler
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As brood as is þe boos of a bocler
Hire schos were laced on hire legges hye
Sche was a primerole a pygges nye
For eny lord to liggen in his bedde /
Or yet for eny good yeman to wedde
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¶ Now sire and eft sire so bifel þe caas
That on a day þis heende Nicholas
Fil wiþ þis ȝonge wijf to rage and playe
Whil þat hir housbonde was at Osenaye
As clerkes ben ful subtil and ful queinte